Danelectro Fifty Niner 12 String BK Top

Danelectro Fifty Niner 12 String BK Top review

The Danelectro Fifty Niner 12 String BK Top is a semi-hollow electric guitar built around the familiar shimmer of paired strings, with pickup controls that offer more range than a single-purpose jangly instrument. It has a spruce top with an F-hole, a poplar frame and center block, and a Masonite back. The black finish, top binding, and lack of a pickguard give it a restrained look compared with some more vintage-styled Danelectro models.

One owner bought this model alongside a Danelectro Vintage DC 59 12, intending to compare them. They kept the Fifty Niner, describing it as better finished, more substantial in hand, and more versatile in sound. That is a useful direct comparison, though it remains one player's impression rather than a general measure of build quality.

Construction and playing feel

The bolt-on maple neck has a C profile and a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. Its 14-inch fingerboard radius and 21 frets are paired with a 25-inch scale, also listed as 635 mm. The body is semi-hollow with a double cutaway. A fully adjustable bridge provides room for setup adjustments, while the 6+6 tuning machines use a 16:1 gear ratio.

The instrument ships with D'Addario EXL150 Regular Light 12-string sets, with gauges from.010 to.046. One first-time 12-string owner reported that their guitar arrived set up and playable after tuning, with no luthier visit needed. Another owner noted that the tuning machines held pitch well. Those reports are encouraging, but a new 12-string should still be checked for tuning stability and comfortable action after it has settled in.

There is one minor caveat in the feedback: a buyer found the fret ends somewhat sharp and said they could be improved at home. That experience does not match another owner's praise for the setup, but it is worth checking the fret edges when the guitar arrives. The product listing does not include a case or gig bag, so plan for separate protection if you need one.

Pickup options and sound

The neck position has a Danelectro angled, vintage-style P-90 single-coil pickup. At the bridge is a Danelectro dual-coil lipstick humbucker. A three-way switch selects the pickup combinations, and the tone control has a push-pull function for coil tapping the bridge pickup. The guitar also has separate volume and tone controls, plus silver die-cast control knobs.

The owner who compared it with the Vintage DC 59 described a broad range of tones. The neck P-90 delivered a more open, almost acoustic-like character, while the bridge pickup produced the sharp, bright jangle associated with a 12-string electric. Pulling up the tone control coil-tapped the bridge humbucker, giving a more single-coil-like edge. With the bridge pickup in its full humbucking mode, the sound stayed bright but became slightly rounder. These are player impressions, not measured results, but they point to a practical advantage over a guitar with only one bright voice.

A first-time 12-string player was also pleased with the clean sound through both a guitar amplifier and an acoustic amplifier, especially the chime through the acoustic amp. That kind of clean setup is a natural place to hear the doubled strings clearly. Players seeking a dense, high-gain sound may have different priorities, and the available feedback does not assess that use in detail.

Verdict

The Fifty Niner 12 String BK Top is a strong candidate for players who want classic electric 12-string shimmer but also want useful tonal choices from the controls. Its P-90 neck pickup, coil-tappable bridge humbucker, adjustable bridge, and solid-feeling construction impressed the owners whose experiences are available here. The clean, jangling sound is the clearest strength, while the pickup options make it less confined to that one texture.

At a listed price of 732, it is worth weighing the reported fret-edge issue and the absence of an included case or gig bag. The price alone does not establish value against other models, but one owner considered the build and sound better than expected for the cost. If you want a 12-string for occasional use and prefer a black finish with an F-hole over a more decorative vintage look, this Danelectro merits a hands-on try.