Dean Club!!!

[barclaybass]

So, I pulled the trigger on this, because I saw it at a RIDICULOUS price for brand new, therefore I maxed out the good old paypal credit line and hit the "order" button!!

Dean John Lawhon sig Hillsboro bass!

I hesitated to get a Chinese made Dean, all 4 of mine are Korean made so I was pretty sure when I ordered them sight unseen that I would get quality instruments, which of course I did.
BUT.......two Peavy basses that I got (Tragic & Void) changed my thinking on made in China, they are both neck thru body with excellent hardware and electronics as well top notch as fit and finish, and are among the very best players out of 40 plus basses.
Therefore, I figured I'd take a shot. At the price I am paying it's worth it.
I have the gold Eric Bass Hillsboro which is AMAZING, So if this comes close to that I'll be happy.
What I want to know is, does ANYONE here have one of these?
I would love to hear their opinion on the bass. So if you do own the John Lawhon Hilly, please post your thoughts on it!!!!

 

[B-Mac]

So, I pulled the trigger on this, because I saw it at a RIDICULOUS price for brand new, therefore I maxed out the good old paypal credit line and hit the "order" button!!

Dean John Lawhon sig Hillsboro bass!

I hesitated to get a Chinese made Dean, all 4 of mine are Korean made so I was pretty sure when I ordered them sight unseen that I would get quality instruments, which of course I did.
BUT.......two Peavy basses that I got (Tragic & Void) changed my thinking on made in China, they are both neck thru body with excellent hardware and electronics as well top notch as fit and finish, and are among the very best players out of 40 plus basses.
Therefore, I figured I'd take a shot. At the price I am paying it's worth it.
I have the gold Eric Bass Hillsboro which is AMAZING, So if this comes close to that I'll be happy.
What I want to know is, does ANYONE here have one of these?
I would love to hear their opinion on the bass. So if you do own the John Lawhon Hilly, please post your thoughts on it!!!!View attachment 3907658

I own 4 Hillsboro basses. The John Lawhon is not one of them. I have seen a few YT Vids about it though. Different looking from the other Hillsboro’s with that pick guard shape. Reminds me a bit of the PG on the EBMM 5 string Stingray PG.

 

[barclaybass]

I own 4 Hillsboro basses. The John Lawhon is not one of them. I have seen a few YT Vids about it though. Different looking from the other Hillsboro’s with that pick guard shape. Reminds me a bit of the PG on the EBMM 5 string Stingray PG.

Yeah, with pickguard going down to the knobs, I see the comparison with the EBMM fiver (I actually hate that particular thing about the Musicman 5 string!! Lol)
I really like the Musicman pickup sound, I've been getting a lot of basses with those pickups in them......its what I spec'd out my handmade bass to have, along with the 18 volt preamp........I'm curious how different it will sound than my Eric Bass Hillsboro, I THINK the Eric Bass has an active 3 band preamp, while the John Lawhon has an active pickup, but just a volume and tone knob for controls. Add to that the Eric Bass is swamp ash & the Lawhon is alder, and they should have different sounds.
I cant wait to find out!

 

[barclaybass]

I own 4 Hillsboro basses. The John Lawhon is not one of them. I have seen a few YT Vids about it though. Different looking from the other Hillsboro’s with that pick guard shape. Reminds me a bit of the PG on the EBMM 5 string Stingray PG.

Do you have a Hillsboro with Jazz Pickups? I want one of those too!
Which 4 do u have? Pics!!!

 

[B-Mac]

Do you have a Hillsboro with Jazz Pickups? I want one of those too!
Which 4 do u have? Pics!!!

my HB Jazz

my HB PJ. very rare

my NAMM 2009 HB Prototype Dean USA one of a kind

My Gold EB HB

 

[B-Mac]

Do you have a Hillsboro with Jazz Pickups? I want one of those too!
Which 4 do u have? Pics!!!

I think there’s still one on GC used

 

[B-Mac]

Yeah, with pickguard going down to the knobs, I see the comparison with the EBMM fiver (I actually hate that particular thing about the Musicman 5 string!! Lol)
I really like the Musicman pickup sound, I've been getting a lot of basses with those pickups in them......its what I spec'd out my handmade bass to have, along with the 18 volt preamp........I'm curious how different it will sound than my Eric Bass Hillsboro, I THINK the Eric Bass has an active 3 band preamp, while the John Lawhon has an active pickup, but just a volume and tone knob for controls. Add to that the Eric Bass is swamp ash & the Lawhon is alder, and they should have different sounds.
I cant wait to find out!

If you do a search for ‘hillsboro’ On this club you’ll see quite a bit of them. At one time Dean had quite a variety of these.

 

[Nenor]

Good eye!

More differences - angled headstock & baseball style output jack on older version, and, different cavity cover shape.
Oh, and there's also the unsolved mystery regarding the presence of graphite bars in the necks.

 

[B-Mac]

More differences - angled headstock & baseball style output jack on older version, and, different cavity cover shape.
Oh, and there's also the unsolved mystery regarding the presence of graphite bars in the necks.

Just remember though that yours was actually a different model than the 3 Exotica models. This appears to be a prototype of the Exotica JB

 

[Nenor]

That's true. However all exotic basses (AFAIK) are of the later version. The serial# is the prime suspect this neck is not a prototype. The body could be. Can you get a photo of the back of the body and the side jack?

 

[B-Mac]

That's true. However all exotic basses (AFAIK) are of the later version. The serial# is the prime suspect this neck is not a prototype. The body could be. Can you get a photo of the back of the body and the side jack?

More backgrounds data to compare
Dean Jeff Berlin - How many models?

 

[B-Mac]

That's true. However all exotic basses (AFAIK) are of the later version. The serial# is the prime suspect this neck is not a prototype. The body could be. Can you get a photo of the back of the body and the side jack?

There’s no denying it’s real.
Again just my take on the BL pups

 

[Nenor]

The neck is real and it's from the later period. The body, maybe. I'm not sure. Take a close look at the neck heel, bolts placement, how the end back of the neck is curved just before the joint. The laminates are also strange. I'm not saying it's not original, just that maybe the guys at the factory came back from the nearest bar and that was the result...

 

[B-Mac]

The neck is real and it's from the later period. The body, maybe. I'm not sure. Take a close look at the neck heel, bolts placement, how the end back of the neck is curved just before the joint. The laminates are also strange. I'm not saying it's not original, just that maybe the guys at the factory came back from the nearest bar and that was the result...

Control cavity and controls are definitely different
I really think this is a Prototype that was modded by someone later. Probably someone who didn’t like Bart’s that had no idea or didn’t care that these were custom Bart’s

I can’t recall what my jack looks like?

 

[Nenor]

So the body may have been a prototype but I'm pretty sure the neck was born much later. That doesn't change my opinion - for the right price, grab it.

 

[grimhawk]

Hi everyone, I'd like to join the Dean Club.

I have a Dean Vendetta 5. I can't remember exactly when I bought it - I think sometime around 2006. The only things I've done to it is lower the action, swap out the pickups for EMG X series P/J configuration and replace the control knobs because the pots have a solid stem and the original knobs were incompatible.

It's a really beautiful looking bass and I really like the neck. It's like a flattened C shape - flat on the bottom where you rest your thumb. I'm not sure if other Dean basses have a similar shaped neck? This is the only Dean bass I've ever played. They are hard to find in Canada, so I can't exactly go to a store and try them.

Here's a couple pictures:

 

[B-Mac]

Hi everyone, I'd like to join the Dean Club.

I have a Dean Vendetta 5. I can't remember exactly when I bought it - I think sometime around 2006. The only things I've done to it is lower the action, swap out the pickups for EMG X series P/J configuration and replace the control knobs because the pots have a solid stem and the original knobs were incompatible.

It's a really beautiful looking bass and I really like the neck. It's like a flattened C shape - flat on the bottom where you rest your thumb. I'm not sure if other Dean basses have a similar shaped neck? This is the only Dean bass I've ever played. They are hard to find in Canada, so I can't exactly go to a store and try them.

Here's a couple pictures:

View attachment 3929120 View attachment 3929110

Very nice!
You don't see many Vendetta's especially the 5 string version
I own a 4 string and @Wicked G owns two
I'd also describe the neck as 'D' shape rather than 'C', however I have never seen the necks described as any certain shape in any of the catalogs that I have.
Deans necks are usually thin (0.75") and narrow (1.5") at the nut which I really enjoy, especially if they have a satin finish on the back of the neck rather than a gloss finish.

Welcome to Dean Club!!!

 

[B-Mac]

Hi everyone, I'd like to join the Dean Club.

I have a Dean Vendetta 5. I can't remember exactly when I bought it - I think sometime around 2006. The only things I've done to it is lower the action, swap out the pickups for EMG X series P/J configuration and replace the control knobs because the pots have a solid stem and the original knobs were incompatible.

It's a really beautiful looking bass and I really like the neck. It's like a flattened C shape - flat on the bottom where you rest your thumb. I'm not sure if other Dean basses have a similar shaped neck? This is the only Dean bass I've ever played. They are hard to find in Canada, so I can't exactly go to a store and try them.

Here's a couple pictures:

View attachment 3929120 View attachment 3929110

@grimhawk you have been issued No. 216 is Dean Club!!!
Glad to have you here!

 

[B-Mac]

Updated List 8/2/2020

tom once dead #1
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Bass-Waster #17
Ian perge #18
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mrtn400 #21
MetalManZ #22
The modifier #23
mattsbass #24
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Chump stain #27
JoeyZ #28
mr.Zer0 #29
tomswell #30
138BASS #31
DeanT #32
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Chuck King #49
The Bassmonkey #50
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Johnston #52
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MetallicaFan18 #54
ScootBass1 #55
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Rick4001s #57
Angel.Of.Death #58
CrystalMan85 #59
JimInRadfordVA #60
Canadian_Man_44 #61
poomwah #62
BassPlayer95 #63
XXStatiX #64
ffutterman #65
garp #66
gard0300 #67
NML1986 #68
Freezer #69
zenofchaos #70
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SteveMcB #73
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JasonKain #76
MKoby #77
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DiscoFace #87
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BradWorld #92
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Ash Jazz #95
davidgoldman #96
Oxo #97
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spicy734 #119
Fretless370 #120
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Shannon #122
drittal #123
alottabass #124
SnL #125
Sub-Frequency #126
B-Mac #127
wintremute #128
Tejas Thumper #129
louthedog #130
Draculea #131
MortallyWounded #132
Happy Gilmour #133
CM63 #134
Lizardskyball #135
lz4005 #136
GigantorTX #137
avillani89 #138
Rileygoodenough #139
moonshinegtrs #140
pudge #141
Rocknrollover #142
patrickj #143
Swerve #14
BurnOut #145
Pilgrim #146
2saddleslab #147
mojomike001 #148
Lammchop93 #149
McG #150
JACink #151
BassJuju #152
HeyPauly #153
Meschica7 #154
MrKeef #155
RobinG #156
DJ is a new bass player #157
NicJimBass #158
Farquhar #159
Wicked G #160
armyadarkness #161
dan W #162
Beersurgeon #163
TheBassmaster27 #164
dustklose #165
sdgrfan #166
BassikLee #167
Dana R Gregory #168
BtaylorTheRogue #169
Bass V #170
Mr.Reed #171
Leftka #172
MrBassman17 #173
Jimbowhit7 #174
skwee #175
laughing house #176
Skeezix #177
Destroyer661 #178
noodler #179
MattSasquatch #180
McDean #181
Tigerclaw_x #182
trailer #183
Tony Sun #184
Jason Garrett #185
EdBo #186
Mark Yurick #187
BishopHastur #188
Shaggai#189
One_Dude #190
58kites #191
lesouKurios #192
lucas303 #193
Bassface65 #194
bonin in the boneyard #195
FenderBassist #196
Tonecraft #197
2many #198
FinialBassist #199
unbridled #200
Maestro29 #201
Rev12_11 #202
tore00 #203
Bass Man Stan #204
Switched #205
SiliconElle #206
Hawkwood76 #207
Zoonose #208
Darth_Linux #209
OldBlue61 #210
FugaziBomb #211
barclaybass #212
Leo D Edwards #213
DeanBassistTx #214
Bassist59 #215
grimhawk #216

the harp unstrung #420

217 members....once a member always a member.

 

[B-Mac]

Hi everyone, I'd like to join the Dean Club.

I have a Dean Vendetta 5. I can't remember exactly when I bought it - I think sometime around 2006. The only things I've done to it is lower the action, swap out the pickups for EMG X series P/J configuration and replace the control knobs because the pots have a solid stem and the original knobs were incompatible.

It's a really beautiful looking bass and I really like the neck. It's like a flattened C shape - flat on the bottom where you rest your thumb. I'm not sure if other Dean basses have a similar shaped neck? This is the only Dean bass I've ever played. They are hard to find in Canada, so I can't exactly go to a store and try them.

Here's a couple pictures:

View attachment 3929120 View attachment 3929110

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