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Dean....any love for their basses?

My experience with Dean basses has been with the very bottom end of their product line: a slime green Custom Zone, a Metalman V, and an EAB. It doesn't get much cheaper than those, but, in each case, I've been impressed (a) with the quality-for-price ratio, and (b) with the feel of the necks. That last one is, of course, subjective, but I think a cheap Dean bass, more than some other brands, would be worth dumping a few bucks in to upgrade the weak points, because the end result is a nice-playing bass. Having said that, I did play gigs with the Zone in its stock configuration, and it worked just fine. The Metalman needed a new nut, but that's not unusual on basses in the sub-$200 range.

One interesting thing I noticed on the Zone was that the string spacing tapered more dramatically than on most basses---it felt wider than usual at the bridge, and tapered to a narrow J-bass width at the nut.

I don't have the Zone or the Metalman any more, but, that's not due to any problems with the basses---I had a bunch of P-style basses and the Zone lost out to some (much more expensive) Fenders, and with the Metalman I just couldn't get comfortable with the Flying V shape on a bass, which surprised me because I have a Flying V guitar that I have no problems with. But if I was in the market for a cheap bass, I would certainly make a priority of looking at Deans. I still have the EAB, which sits in a corner of the living room and I noodle around on it all the time. Best $129 or whatever I paid for it I've spent on an instrument.

Here are some pics of the Zone, including an action shot from a St. Patrick's Day gig---it was the obvious choice!

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Four years ago,I saw a vid of a guy with a Dean Sledgehammer 5 ash.
It had a beefy,growl.
Been looking for one ever since.View attachment 604184
That video could have been mine...I did a couple of videos when I installed the 2nd humbucker....was using my BX500 amp and 1x12 cabinet.

Where did you get that photo? That grain pattern looks EXACTLY like mine! I bought it on eBay from a store in Colorado...forgot the name of the store...I will have to check that serial number...

(With 2nd pickup freshly installed)
2DDD0DFF-1DAD-47F3-9414-C026DCCC4594.gif
 
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That video could have been mine...I did a couple of videos when I installed the 2nd humbucker....was using my BX500 amp and 1x12 cabinet.

Where did you get that photo? That grain pattern looks EXACTLY like mine! I bought it on eBay from a store in Colorado...forgot the name of the store...I will have to check that serial number...

(With 2nd pickup freshly installed)
2DDD0DFF-1DAD-47F3-9414-C026DCCC4594.gif
I'm pretty sure it was you.I've been looking for those vids.All deleted from YouTube.

The pics were saved off of Google pics five years ago.Likely uploaded by whoever you bought it from originally.Wasn't me.

The sound of that bass had me hooked for a while.After that,I looked for a Sledge.I couldn't find one and gave up for a while.Until now.
Five years.
 
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Yeah, not sure why, but my entire YouTube account got deleted sometime in 2011 or 2012...probably something to do with Google taking over when they did...
I had to make a new account but never really put anything else up since then.
 
I like dean edge basses. I think of them as dean's answer to the Ibanez soundgear basses. recently, I've been thinking in purchasing a dean edge emg. it's sleek design and emg pick-ups got me curious about these basses. I'm thinking about purchasing the 5-string version sometime soon.

Dean edge emg 4-string bass
Dean Edge 4-String EMG Electric Bass Guitar Classic Black | Musician's Friend

Dean edge emg 5-string bass
Dean Edge 5-String EMG Electric Bass Guitar Classic Black | Musician's Friend
 
3:16 PM.
A little late.But It's here.
In a LARGE cardboard box filled with peanuts.
It's in a ANTONIOSTAI gig bag!Snapshot_2015501 (7).jpg

Took it out.
It's light!
It's de-tuned.
I tune it up.
I plug it in.

Nothing.
Play with the knobs.Still nothing.
I look at my amp.
"Am I in mute mode?"No.
I flip it over and look at the battery compartment.
Pop it open.

HA!

No battery!!
OK.Despite all that's been said about swamp ash being bright.
Well.Yes!It is.
But this bass is PUNCHY AS ALL GET OUT!!It's got at tight punchy "Burp"
I took a long look and said "Blondie"

Snapshot_2015501 (4).jpg
Snapshot_2015501 (5).jpg
 
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3:16 PM.
A little late.But It's here.
In a LARGE cardboard box filled with peanuts.
It's in a ANTONIOSTAI gig bag!View attachment 608427

Took it out.
It's light!
It's de-tuned.
I tune it up.
I plug it in.

Nothing.
Play with the knobs.Still nothing.
I look at my amp.
"Am I in mute mode?"No.
I flip it over and look at the battery compartment.
Pop it open.

HA!

No battery!!
OK.Despite all that's been said about swamp ash being bright.
Well.Yes!It is.
But this bass is PUNCHY AS ALL GET OUT!!It's got at tight punchy "Burp"
I took a look and said "Blondie"
Her name is "Blondie"
View attachment 608428View attachment 608429
Bad. Assed.. ..!!!
 
I had been toying with the idea of getting a 12 string bass after having owned a Carlo Robelli 8 string. I loved the extra notes and harmonics. Last year my band was invited to play the Progressive Nation at Sea Cruise so I decided to get the 12ver as a congrats to myself! I went with the Dean Rhapsody DR12. I love this beast of a bass. It's a long scale,2 octave bass with EMG HZ pups and a beautiful black stain over a maple top abreast a mahogany body. It's a wonderful bass.
I don't really care too much for the current dean catalogue of basses,save for the Rhapsody series and the John Entwistle Spider Koa Bass which is simply gorgeous.