1960 Danelectro 3923 Double Neck: History, Design, and the SRV Mod

In this episode of Ask Zac, we take a deep dive into an unusual vintage instrument: the 1960 Danelectro 3923 Double Neck. From the early history of Danelectro to playing demos, modding options, and the famous Stevie Ray Vaughan connection, here is a full breakdown of this unique guitar/bass hybrid.

Chapter Timestamps
0:00 – Introduction & Overview

1:54 – Channel Thanks

2:10 – The History of Danelectro & Nate Daniel

3:35 – The 1956 U2 Model & Innovation

4:16 – Unique Danelectro Specs: Poplar, Masonite & Lipstick Pickups

8:05 – The 6-String & 4-String Basses

9:09 – Introducing the 1959/1960 Danelectro 3923 Double Neck

10:18 – Why a Guitar + Bass Hybrid is So Odd

12:42 – Pop Culture, Props & The Beverly Hillbillies

14:18 – Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Soest & The Bass 6 Mod

15:47 – Jimmy Vaughan, The Fabulous T-Birds & "Tuff Enuff"

18:05 – Breakdown of the Mods on This Specific 3923

19:39 – Playing Demo: Guitar Neck (Bridge, Both, Neck Pickups)

22:49 – Playing Demo: Bass Neck (Overdrive & Clean)

26:05 – The Sympathetic Resonance / Natural Reverb Trick

27:10 – Factory Bass 6 Myths & Modular Dano Designs

29:01 – Credits & Final Thoughts


1. Danelectro History & Engineering Innovation
Founded by Nate Daniel, Danelectro started by building amplifiers for major department store catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward. When Fender and Gibson revolutionized the market with solid-body guitars in the early 1950s, Daniel approached guitar design from an engineer's perspective, launching the iconic U2 model in 1956 for just $60, roughly a third of the cost of a Fender Telecaster at the time.

Key construction features included:

Necks & Nuts: Poplar necks with Brazilian rosewood fretboards and non-adjustable twin steel rods to prevent warping, topped with a metal nut screwed straight into place.

Body Construction: Masonite front and back panels built over a hollowed poplar/pine frame with internal wooden support blocks under the bridges.

Lipstick Pickups: Bar magnets wrapped in wire inside metal lipstick tubes, yielding a clean, lower-output tone with less noise.

2. The 1960 Danelectro 3923 Double Neck
Introduced around 1959 for $175 (plus $30 for the case), the Model 3923 featured a double-cutaway body equipped with two distinct necks: a 6-string guitar neck and a 4-string bass neck.

Unlike most double necks of the era, which usually paired a standard guitar with a 12-string or high-octave neck to replicate Les Paul's multi-track studio effects, a guitar/bass hybrid was a strange practical match for live players. For decades, it was often treated as a novelty or comedy stage prop, appearing on album covers like gospel duo Stan and Dan or featured in 1960s TV shows like The Beverly Hillbillies.

3. The Stevie Ray Vaughan & Steve Soest Connection
The instrument's reputation shifted in the 1980s when Stevie Ray Vaughan sought out a vintage Danelectro double neck. SRV recruited legendary California luthier and Danelectro expert Steve Soest to convert the 4-string bass neck into a 6-string bass.

The conversion was popular because Danelectro's modular headstocks and bridges easily accommodated two extra tuners and a 6-string saddle setup. Stevie used this modded setup on stage and featured it prominently in magazine shoots, such as the post-humous Guitar Player tribute cover.

4. Special Mods on the Featured Instrument & Playthrough
The specific 1960 model demonstrated in this video has been upgraded beyond the original factory specs:

Added Pickups: Factory 3923 models came with only one pickup per neck. This unit features an added vintage bridge pickup on both the guitar and bass sides.

Upgraded Electronics: Features a dedicated neck-selector switch (Guitar / Both / Bass) plus a secondary pickup selector switch that operates both necks simultaneously.

Sympathetic Reverb Effect: When both necks are active at the same time, playing notes on one neck causes the strings on the idle neck to vibrate sympathetically, creating a natural acoustic reverb effect through the amp.

Mentioned Links & References
Book: Guitars from Neptune: The Illustrated History of Danelectro by Paul Bechtold and Doug Tulloch

Video Clip: Stevie Ray Vaughan performing on his modded Danelectro double neck alongside Santana and The Fabulous Thunderbirds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDj2_319CJU&t=735s

www.truetone.com

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