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Danelectro Longhorn Bass Value Guide: The 4423, 4623 and Guitarlin
An original Danelectro Longhorn bass from 1958 to 1969 in copper burst and good to excellent original condition usually sells for about $1,900 to $3,000 on Reverb, and the six-string 4623 for about $2,000 to $4,000. Edgewater Guitars, near Cleveland, Ohio, appraises free: call (440) 219-3607 or text us photos.
Danelectro Longhorn values at a glance
These ranges come from sold listings on Reverb for original 1958 to 1969 instruments, read in November 2026. Reverb's price guide has no estimate page for the vintage Longhorns, so the numbers below are the listing prices of guitars that actually sold, not a published guide figure.
Model | Original sold listings on Reverb | Notes |
|---|---|---|
4423 Longhorn bass (four-string) | About $1,900 to $3,000 | Copper burst, good to excellent, original pickups. Rough, refinished or modified examples mostly sold for about $450 to $1,500. |
4623 Longhorn six-string bass | About $2,000 to $4,000 | Clean, all-original 1959 and later examples sold near the top of the range. |
4123 Guitarlin (Longhorn guitar) | Two sales, about $2,000 and $3,200 | Too few sales to set a firm range. |
Korean reissues (1998 onward) | About $330 to $750 | Reverb Price Guide estimates for the 2010s Copper Burst bass ($329 to $526) and the 1998 to 1999 '58 reissue ($428 to $747). |
Edgewater bought a Danelectro Longhorn bass in October 2026, so this is a model we handle, not just one we read about.
The Longhorn line: 4423, 4623 and the Guitarlin
The Longhorn is the most extreme of Danelectro's late-1950s double-cutaway designs, with two long, thin horns and a "Coke bottle" headstock. Its milder sibling is the Shorthorn. Three Longhorn models matter to a seller:
Model 4423, the four-string Longhorn bass. The model most listings mean by "a Danelectro Longhorn".
Model 4623, the six-string bass. It usually sells for the most of the three.
Model 4123, the Guitarlin. The Longhorn guitar, with an extra-long 31-fret neck meant to reach mandolin territory.
Sources date the introduction to 1958 or 1959, and the line ran until Danelectro's New Jersey plant closed in 1969. From 1967 to 1969 Danelectro's Coral brand also sold "Long Horn" models, but those were built from conventional wood in a different way, so they are a separate instrument from the Masonite Longhorns.
How an original Longhorn is built
Body: a Masonite top and back over an inner wood frame (sources name pine or poplar), so the body is largely hollow and very light.
Pickups: two "lipstick tube" single-coil pickups, housed in tubes like the ones lipstick came in.
Controls: stacked, concentric volume and tone knobs.
Bridge: a simple fixed bridge with a single saddle, not a modern adjustable bridge.
Neck: no adjustable truss rod in the modern sense. The neck cannot be corrected with a simple truss-rod turn, so a straight neck matters a lot.
Fingerboard and finish: rosewood, with copper burst (a bronze-toned sunburst) the classic finish.
Who made the Longhorn
Nathan Daniel founded Danelectro in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1947, and by the mid-1960s the factory was in Neptune City, New Jersey. Danelectro built Silvertone-branded instruments for Sears from 1954, but we have not found a reliable source for a factory Silvertone version of the Longhorn, so treat a "Silvertone Longhorn" listing with care. MCA bought Danelectro in 1966 and closed the plant in 1969, which is why every original Longhorn dates from about 1958 to 1969.
Original or reissue?
The most common Longhorn mix-up is original versus reissue. The Evets Corporation bought the Danelectro name in the late 1990s and relaunched it with reissues made in Korea, including a '58 Longhorn Bass that is still sold today. Reissues are worth a fraction of an original, so check these points:
Adjustable truss rod and bridge: reissues have them; originals do not.
Where it was made: originals were built in New Jersey; reissues in Korea.
Neck: the current reissue bass lists a maple neck, 24 frets and a 29.75 inch scale.
Wear and hardware: sixty years of honest wear, old tuners and aged lipstick pickups point to an original; crisp modern hardware points to a reissue.
Danelectro's own dating marks are short and hard to read, so the build details above are the most reliable way to confirm an original. Photos of the headstock, the bridge, the neck joint and the inside of the control area usually settle it.
What moves a Longhorn's value
Model: the six-string 4623 sells above the four-string 4423.
Originality: original lipstick pickups, knobs, bridge and tuners. A refinish or swapped pickups pull the price down sharply; the refinished and modified basses in the sales we read sold well below original copper bursts.
Condition: a straight neck, solid Masonite edges and working electronics.
Case: an original case helps.
For a fuller explanation of reading sold prices, see our guitar price guide.
What Edgewater pays for a Longhorn
We start from documented sold prices for your model, year and condition, like the ones above. Our offer is usually about 20% under that market figure, because we take on the cost of selling and any repairs, and it is lower for a modified or refinished bass. If you are not sure what you have, upload a few photos to our free What's My Guitar Worth tool. When you want a real offer, get a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a vintage Danelectro Longhorn bass worth?
An original 1958 to 1969 Longhorn bass in copper burst and good to excellent original condition usually sells for about $1,900 to $3,000 on Reverb. Rough, refinished or modified examples sell for less, and Korean reissues for a few hundred dollars.
What is the difference between a Danelectro 4423 and 4623?
The 4423 is the four-string Longhorn bass and the 4623 is the six-string Longhorn bass. The six-string version is rarer and usually sells for more.
How can I tell if my Longhorn is an original or a reissue?
Originals were made in New Jersey from about 1958 to 1969, with a fixed single-saddle bridge and no adjustable truss rod. Reissues made in Korea from the late 1990s have an adjustable truss rod and an adjustable bridge.
What is a Danelectro Longhorn made of?
An original has a Masonite top and back over a wooden frame, two lipstick tube pickups, stacked volume and tone knobs and a rosewood fingerboard. The light, largely hollow body is part of its sound.
Is a Silvertone Longhorn the same as a Danelectro Longhorn?
Danelectro made Silvertone guitars for Sears, but we have not found a reliable source for a factory Silvertone Longhorn. Send photos and we will tell you what you have.
Where can I sell a vintage Danelectro Longhorn?
Edgewater Guitars buys vintage Danelectros nationwide and gives free, no-obligation estimates. Call or text (440) 219-3607 with photos of the front, back, headstock and bridge.
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