Go Ahead, LAUGH! -- I Got a DEAN!

[Bongolation]

One of these, demonstrated at one of my old hangouts, Musik-Schmidt -- a Q4 Bartolini.

Mine looks just like that one, so you don't need me to bug me for pictures.

Amazingly a great instrument for what it is, a geek furniture bass for slappy overplayers. Not exactly my thing, but...still...

Has real Bartolini BB4CB pickups, Grovers, two-band preamp.

Korean 2010 build. Very nice finish, though the "tiger eye" reminds me of blowtorched plywood a bit. Perfect alignment, very nice frets, no obvious screwups.

It's light, a bit over eight pounds, but feels lighter due to its excellent balance. The ergonomics are almost perfect. Possibly the most comfortable bass I've ever played. Very nice!

AND IT'S NOT EVEN POINTY!

Only gripe is the tiny (about 1"x1") SMT preamp which runs a single 082 OpAmp and is attached to one of the pots. It's a bit noisy. They have $250 worth of pickups going into a fifty-cent preamp.

Really a nice catch...especially for $132.99 from Amazon.

No, you're too late!

 

[5string5fingers]

actually those are actually nice basses.

 

[SactoBass]

Sheesh! The pickups alone are worth that much! Nice score!

 

[Exploiter8]

HA HA! (I'm crying inside because I didn't get one!)

Cool Bass!

X8

 

[Bongolation]

actually those are actually nice basses.

It really is.

You couldda knocked me over with a feather. Dean?

I was figuring it'd be a junker, but it's not. I just got it out of curiosity, figuring I couldn't lose at the price.

 

[m.oreilly]

now i got a jones for a barty bass...

 

[Mike M.]

That's a looker! I've only tried out one Dean bass which was about 2 months ago. It was a fretless 5 string, didn't cost much at all and it played beautifully. Mind you I'm not a fretless player but the neck felt very nice.

 

[JoZac21]

No laughing... buying an LTD tomorrow, and I play in a soul rock group...

 

[M.R. Ogle]

A hundred and thirty-two bucks?

I'm NOT laughing. That's the best value in basses I've seen in a loooong time.

 

[edmidlifecrisis]

I was at a local blues bar a couple of weeks ago and the band, a Chicago based blues/funk band (they were VERY good). The bandleader was the bass player. He played a Dean hollow body, discontinued and a Dean EUB. Both sounded great! And looked great too!!

 

[Big_Daddy]

...Wait, wah? Is there something wrong with a Dean bass?

I quite like them. A bass is a bass, if it works for you, power to you. And Dean happens to work for me.

 

[primesuspect]

What? Why didn't you get this one instead?

http://www.amazon.com/Dean-Custom-Z...cal-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1298092095&sr=1-3

 

[darkstorm]

Nice score. Yeah theyre preamps make them sound a bit weak. But for that price, upgrading the preamp is a easy one.

 

[Bongolation]

...Wait, wah? Is there something wrong with a Dean bass?

Well, the resale market sure seems to think so.

Yeah, all this stuff is out of the same few overseas guitar mills, but some brands are just the kiss of death when it's time to sell...especially regionally. I don't think you can give away a Dean out here.

Seriously, I could sell these pickups for more than I could get for the whole bass with the pickups in it.

 

[Bongolation]

No laughing... buying an LTD tomorrow.

Is it pointy?

Or green?

 

[Bongolation]

What? Why didn't you get this one instead?

http://www.amazon.com/Dean-Custom-Z...cal-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1298092095&sr=1-3

It didn't have any Invalid Link Removed on it.

I swear, Invalid Link Removed just cracks me up.

Honestly, who buys this stuff?

 

[arsie]

What? Why didn't you get this one instead?

http://www.amazon.com/Dean-Custom-Z...cal-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1298092095&sr=1-3

I think that one was made in North Korea instead. My Geiger counter is already tickerty ticking from seeing that photo.

 

[Billnc]

I'm two years into playing a Dean Edge Pro 5, probably the most comfortable bass to me I've ever owned and it sounds killer. It's also a flame maple top and a beautiful instrument.

 

[playerunk]

What? Why didn't you get this one instead?

http://www.amazon.com/Dean-Custom-Z...cal-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1298092095&sr=1-3

aaaaaaaaaaaaaahh..my eyes !! I'm blind!!

 

[UncleFluffy]

I have this [Invalid or Expired Link Removed](gag gift)

and this[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (beater bass for hacking on and throwing in the back of the truck when I have to go places).

... and they're both actually a lot of fun to play. Somewhat brash/bright tone, but I've paid a lot more for less. I've also got a $99 Dean guitar that has incredible tone. Maybe just luck, but ...