Members awd83 Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I know they get a lot of crap for their cheap junk, but what do people think of their mid-level up to their USA lines? I've owned 2, a Hardtail Select and a Soltero Standard, both well made, set neck, mahogany/maple cap from the the $600 range, and I love them. What do you guys think, if you ignored their 1,000,001 Dime versions and the thoughts of metal heads with $199 pointy things flailing away in GC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I had one (I think it was called the Cadillac) back in the early 90s. Looked kind of stupid (LP meets Explorer) but it was a fantastic guitar. Made in America. I have only seen the garbage they sell now. Couple that with the fact that Dean Zelinsky doesn't want anything to do with them and draw your own conclusions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jerry_L Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I like my DBZs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lz4005 Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I bought five low and mid priced Deans between 2000 and 2009. All of them were good quality considering the price. Most of them also had a few very minor things wrong with them from the factory. The fretwork in particular wasn't great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members awd83 Posted March 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I bought five low and mid priced Deans between 2000 and 2009. All of them were good quality considering the price. Most of them also had a few very minor things wrong with them from the factory. The fretwork in particular wasn't great. My experience has been that the fretwork is the best part of the two I've had. I agree that the Soltero had minor stuff wrong, but mostly cosmetic - like a spot of black under the clearcoat. My hardtail is flawless. Playability on both was superb. The only reason I ask is because a while back, some on the Dean forum were talking about why they get such a bad rep. Most of it hinged on the really low-end stuff and all of the Dime models. I was curious what a better cross-section of the guitar playing public like here on HCEG thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 67mike Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 UGLY headstock, STUPID shapes, IDIOTIC paint schemes......pretty much sums up my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LaXu Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 Had a Dean doubleneck at one point. Great rock guitar with the 6-string neck being one of the best necks I've had. Unfortunately it was a real boat anchor so it had to go but otherwise it didn't have any flaws, even the stock pickups were pretty good. Hate the all the Dimebag crap though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vcnyls Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I played a Dean Leslie West Soltero at a shop a while back and that was a great instrument. My only experience with the brand though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members diceman1000 Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I dig them, in fact, the Soltero is my favorite single cut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Canadian Jeff Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I'd bend over an old lady to get a decent Cadillac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members awd83 Posted March 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 UGLY headstock, STUPID shapes, IDIOTIC paint schemes......pretty much sums up my thoughts. That's the kind of stereotypical response I expected and for good reason, but that doesn't apply to all of their designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members awd83 Posted March 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lz4005 Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 My experience has been that the fretwork is the best part of the two I've had. I agree that the Soltero had minor stuff wrong, but mostly cosmetic - like a spot of black under the clearcoat. My hardtail is flawless. Playability on both was superb. I think the big thing is that their quality control is really hit and miss. They'll have a run with good frets but bad paint, then good paint but bad wiring, great sounding pickups but the nuts are bad, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mav64 Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I've never owned or played one. Only seen 'em. I used to hate the headstocks but the V's turned me around. Would love to have a Schenker model... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xrleroyx Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 The Soltero I played was awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members craigny Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I like the top of the line Mustaine models..the v's and the zero's (explorers) are cool...anything without those ugly ass headstocks...they seem way too big and goofy to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members noisebloom Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I'm in the minority -- I've always loved the big V headstocks. When they narrowed the headstock sometime in the 80s and made it into a sort of arrow point, it wasn't half as interesting. I liked the old Vs and Zs and Cadillacs. I don't care for the MLs or the Dimes, although I'm sure some of them are really good guitars. I think the Dime models are the double-wide trailer trash of guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 Nothing I personally would want to own, given my own tastes, but objectively speaking I've always been impressed by their quality. Whether I lik it or not, I love to see difference in the market, too. If I was into the LP style, I'd check out one of the above models. Those and ESP - I like how they both produce a very traditional guitar in an LP veing but with design quirks that immediately set it apart as its on thing rather than a mere copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slvrsrpnt Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 The USA guitars are great and include your typical double cut and single cuts as well as the V, Z, Caddy and MLs (which I think is the worst shape ever for a guitar). It's a shame that the import stuff on the walls of major guitar retailers and reliance on Darrel Abbot are all folks seem to be what folks know about the company. It reminds me of how BC Rich was only a USA guitar company and was mucked down by introducing a bad import line back in the 80s. Dean Z sold the company back in the mid 80s and came back with the current owner ship (which took over in the late 90s) for a few years before they parted company. Seems that the DBZ folks have somehow managed to remove him from that company as well. I've met the man several times and he was always a pretty pleasant guy, I wish him nothing but the best. I'm not a big single cut fan, but had a Hardtail Select and still have a USA Hardtail - great guitars for the money. The USA in action Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CaptainBoxman Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I owned a Dean V once, and my tech was also a dealer for a while. They were solid, you get what you pay for at the price range. It was Dime-fever that got the interest up, but in the end, they are just mostly over-embellished, mid-price, reasonable quality guitars. Kinda meh, really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Happy Ending Posted March 27, 2012 Members Share Posted March 27, 2012 I like most of the original Deans. Don't care much for newer Dean/DZ stuff - fine guitars I'm sure, just don't do it for me aesthetically speaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hrafnkel Posted March 28, 2012 Members Share Posted March 28, 2012 I've played a number of them. Never been a fan, personally, though I don't have any huge reason for it. The headstocks are bleh, their aesthetics don't appeal to me that much. The ones I played, mostly mid-range models, just didn't mesh with me the way Schecter, BC Rich, LTD, or other guitars in that price range did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted March 28, 2012 Members Share Posted March 28, 2012 I like their non-pointy models but would probably buy a Schecter if the same price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members craigny Posted March 28, 2012 Members Share Posted March 28, 2012 The USA guitars are great and include your typical double cut and single cuts as well as the V, Z, Caddy and MLs (which I think is the worst shape ever for a guitar). It's a shame that the import stuff on the walls of major guitar retailers and reliance on Darrel Abbot are all folks seem to be what folks know about the company. It reminds me of how BC Rich was only a USA guitar company and was mucked down by introducing a bad import line back in the 80s. Dean Z sold the company back in the mid 80s and came back with the current owner ship (which took over in the late 90s) for a few years before they parted company. Seems that the DBZ folks have somehow managed to remove him from that company as well. I've met the man several times and he was always a pretty pleasant guy, I wish him nothing but the best. I'm not a big single cut fan, but had a Hardtail Select and still have a USA Hardtail - great guitars for the money. The USA in action now that looks nice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Athiest_Peace Posted March 28, 2012 Members Share Posted March 28, 2012 I love the cadillac model. The Dime inspired stuff not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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