The original Danelectro factory closed in 1969, and for decades, the only Danelectros available were vintage originals. But in the late 1990s, the Evets Corporation purchased the "Danelectro" name, mainly to produce effect pedals. When they showed up to NAMM 1997 with just a full lineup of pedals, the industry had one question: "Where are the guitars?" Fortunately, that was more than enough to convince them to reissue Danelectro's classic designs and revive this classic brand. The early Danelectro reissues were high-quality guitars made in Korea, and most of the early models are recreations of Nathan Daniel's classic designs. Fully-hollow with a Masonite top and back around a Poplar frame. Lipstick pickups. Iconic "Coke Bottle" headstock shape. The initial late-'90s lineup wasn't all reissues; there were also new Danelectro iterations, including the super cool U-3 Pro. The U-3 Pro features the single-cutaway body that rolled out around 1956, and unlike the '50s originals it has three lipstick pickups instead of just one or two. But what really sets it apart from other Dano designs is the unique "Select-O-Matic" 6-way switch. When the toggle switch is up, the 6-way switch lets you explore different combinations of the three pickups. When you flip the toggle switch down, the rotary switch is bypassed, and you get all three pickups at once in series. This circa 2000 U-3 Pro features an eye-popping Aqua Sparkle finish. It shows some minor wear from the years, and the pickgaurd and beige body trim have yellowed over the years. The low E tuning machine is slightly off center, and there are some minor scuffs around the edges of the body, especially the cutaway (see photos). This Danelectro has a low, fast setup, and the frets show minor wear, so it's a great all-around player! The Korean-made U-3 Pro was made with better hardware than you find on a lot of Danelectros, such as sealed Gotoh tuners that and a six-saddle bridge that allows you dial in the intonation. When you plug in, the Select-O-Matic gives you six distinct settings of Danelectrio lipstick pickup tone: 1) Neck & Bridge 2) Neck 3) Neck & Middle 4) Middle 5) Middle & Bridge 6) Bridge. With the toggle switch and stacked volume/tone controls, the U-3 Pro delivers more versatility than other Danelectro models. It is a rare model, but well worth grabbing to explore the full range of Danelectro sounds! This one includes a basic Schecter gig bag.
