Dean Bass Guitars

[knight1292]

I am wanting a spare bass for gigs and I really like how this bass looks.
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I don't know why the price is bothering me as it appears really cheap. Does Dean make good Basses? Does anyone have any experience that they can share regarding Dean?
Photo's would be cool if you play one.

To answer your question, Dean makes great basses and most have good prices. You inquired about one of the Dean "Z's", I have the ZBX a.k.a. Vintage Z. This bass is awesome and the price was just right at $299 + $150 for the hardshell case.
If you want a cool looking bass, this is the one. If you have anymore questions about it, let me know. Good luck dude!
By the way...if you get it and want the hard case, order the Dean Z Metalman case, it's the only one that will fit this bass.

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[SmokeyClutch]

Well I just decided to (re)learn the BG and bought the cheap 200$ dean started kit from guitar center. The jack where you put the cord in came out from the first one we opened up at the store. It was held in by 2 #4 wood screws not maybe 3/8" long (or the metric equivilent). I don't know much about bases but i know wooodscrews, and thats a really crappy way to fasten something. And yes, it was made in China.
However the 2nd one, the one i took home isnt bad. It stays in tune and nothings broken yet. I guess its really hit or miss, but dont expect it to take to much abuse.

Oh and i cant say much about the sound as the limiting factor is the amp that came with the $200 package. The less said about this amp the better

 

[chump stain]

i've owned quite a few Deans over the last 14 years.. and the lower priced imports are hit and miss.. some are really good, some are stinky.. the main problem is the electronics, they are basically useless.. so, when you get one, it's almost that the pickups and electronics are there for show.. you have to pull the pickups and pull the "less expensive" switches, pots and input jacks and toss them out..

My Deans have never let me down, and have always sounded and played great I have NEVER had an issue. I've owned, a Dean Rhapsody BB4, Dean Edge 4 fretless, an MLX7 guitar, and my ex had a Del Sol 6 string hollowbody electric guitar.

the other problem that i see with Import Deans are that the tuners are not aligned all the time.. the Korean factories just pop them in, then zip the set screws.. and they are always tilted..

finish flaws are another common thing.. from rough sanding marks on the primers, to slight runs.. to horrible masking issues..

as for frets.. i've always had to deal with the frets on all the imports, with the exception of 3 of them.. the issues run from not being level.. to not being pressed in completely.. the fret ends.. so, essentially, you'll have to level and polish your frets, and deal with the fret ends..

Again, it's like..? I think every Dean I listed is an import. They've all been Flawless. Oh yeah a friend of mine had a '79 Z re-issue. And it was awesome!

the other deal is, microscopically thin veneering.. the veneers are so thin, that the dyes bleed out.. similar to a marker on a sheet of paper.. and it ruins what could have been a nice looking top.. it becomes flat looking.. reminiscent of Fender's FotoFlame tops..

and the issues about how all the basses are made of basswood.. and yes, the Demonator has basswood wings.. it's the whole "Asian Mystery Wood" issues.. where Luan passes for Mahogany and other woods are marketed as known woods, but aren't..

You're speaking a foreign language. My Edge and the MLX7 are basswood, and the others we're all quality "real wood". I've seen mahogany with a flame maple top up close, sure it might be a veneer, but I've never seen any bleading. And they weren't bogus woods. The Bubinga top on my bass is thin, but it's real. They're definetley not a photo top. I lived close to a Dean dealer (Motor City Guitar) and I've seen just about everything they make in that store at sometime or another. And I've never seen anything like what you're describing.

Here's my Rhapsody

My MLX7 (the most "budget" of the instruments I listed)