Dean Club!!!

[B-Mac]

I can't believe these sold for $300 brand new!
This is as good as my John Lawhon Hilly for sure.
It plays great, nice low action and the fretwork is very good. Pickups are good, I dont see needing to replace them. Nice and punchy.
Love the silver sparkle! I thought it was more of a Gray/silver finish from the pics but it really pops!
It's in brand new condition as well, I cant find any blemishes.
I would say that for the price point these sold at when new, that this bass punches WAAAY above its weight class!

What are the first two digits of the S/N?
I’m guessing 10?

 

[barclaybass]

What are the first two digits of the S/N?
I’m guessing 10?

01

 

[barclaybass]

Nice!
How many days did it take to get to you from MGR?

8 days! It usually doesn't take that long, but I cut them some slack because I think they have reduced hours and staff due to Covid19.

 

[B-Mac]

01

Any chance you could take a picture of the back of the headstock?

Yours has the rounded FB end which is usually indicative of the first year of manufacture which was 2010 and MIC. Other later year and model varieties were MIK.

 

[barclaybass]

If it's red underneath, then you can officially call it Firemist Copper Rose now.

I was actually wondering how much the red under the gold affects the final color.

 

[barclaybass]

Any chance you could take a picture of the back of the headstock?

Yours has the rounded FB end which is usually indicative of the first year of manufacture which was 2010 and MIC. Other later year and model varieties were MIK.

Definitely made in China

 

[B-Mac]

8 days! It usually doesn't take that long, but I cut them some slack because I think they have reduced hours and staff due to Covid19.

8 days beats 17!

FedEx took 17 days to get a bass from Cal. to Pa. Originally shown on tracking as taking 5 days to arrive. Sometimes the bass would sit at one location for 2 or 3 days.

I had another bass shipped with UPS that took much less time also from Cal. and tracking was accurate to the day of delivery.

Covid19 seems to be impacting FedEx much more than UPS.

 

[B-Mac]

View attachment 3954761
Definitely made in China

First symbol is an ‘O’
Yours is a 2011 model which is second year.

Hows the neck? Should be thin narrow and fast!
Very nice. I’m glad someone here snagged it. It looked like a good deal when I posted it. I am glad for you it’s in such good shape. They’re really comfortable to play and highly underrated.

 

[Shaggai]

I was actually wondering how much the red under the gold affects the final color.

I only know it from painting miniatures and the difference between a black primer and a white primer. White primer will make colors more light, while black primer

8 days beats 17!

FedEx took 17 days to get a bass from Cal. to Pa. Originally shown on tracking as taking 5 days to arrive. Sometimes the bass would sit at one location for 2 or 3 days.

I had another bass shipped with UPS that took much less time also from Cal. and tracking was accurate to the day of delivery.

Covid19 seems to be impacting FedEx much more than UPS.

Sounds like a disaster I had with a "Mail Innovations" package. The combination UPS/US Mail package took 13 days to get to me, 10 of which were supposedly spent in the local Post Office. Total distance package was sent, source to destination, 30 miles. The replacement which I ordered, got to me before the original by 5 days.

 

[barclaybass]

First symbol is an ‘O’
Yours is a 2011 model which is second year.

Hows the neck? Should be thin narrow and fast!
Very nice. I’m glad someone here snagged it. It looked like a good deal when I posted it. I am glad for you it’s in such good shape. They’re really comfortable to play and highly underrated.

Its seriously a good bass! The neck is aactually a but thicker than I thought it would be. Definitely thicker then my Jazz bass and Eric Bass Hilly necks.
Here is a pic of it with the Lawhon next to it....

Its definitely closer to the Lawhon than the Eric Bass neck in my opinion.
At any rate, I love it!

 

[B-Mac]

Its seriously a good bass! The neck is aactually a but thicker than I thought it would be. Definitely thicker then my Jazz bass and Eric Bass Hilly necks.
Here is a pic of it with the Lawhon next to it....
View attachment 3954782

Its definitely closer to the Lawhon than the Eric Bass neck in my opinion.
At any rate, I love it!

Turns out that your model Hillsboro in that combination was new for 2011 per this catalog page!

compared to 2010 catalog

2010 NAMM New Products catalog

 

[McG]

I always forget that i have a Dean Acoustic Bass. I actually like this thing a lot. Its literally a beater bass. Ive thrown it across the room, ive hit stuff with it, i take it fishing on the boat with me.....it never fails tho. Original strings on it, rarely goes out of tune. Ill drink to this Dean Bass!!!!

A work Horse Acoustic? Cool! How long have you had it?
There're a few members here who actually gig with these or play them at church services.
@McG
@Leftka
and @McDean
come to mind.
There are a few others who do too.
A few who play either EAB or EABC

They are very much a solid, gigable, workhorse bass.

 

[B-Mac]

They are very much a solid, gigable, workhorse bass.

View attachment 3955173

Great picture!
You can really see how big that bass is compared to the Acoustic Guitars!

 

[barclaybass]

Turns out that your model Hillsboro in that combination was new for 2011 per this catalog page!
View attachment 3954840

compared to 2010 catalog
View attachment 3954846

2010 NAMM New Products catalog
View attachment 3954847 View attachment 3954848

You are the man with the 411!!! Lol
I'm assuming they didn't make as many of them in 2011 as they did in 2010, because I never see the silver or cherryburst ones for sale...........man, I REALLY want one of the Cherryburst FM ones! I dont think I've ever seen one of those for sale........
Do you know what year they stopped making the "J" and "single" Hillsboros?
It seems I'm working my way thru their bass offerings from 2009-2013 or so..... the Spire, Demonator, Z Tour, Eric Bass Gold & Hillsboro J ........they all only lasted a few years (at least the non-metalman versions) and are amazing basses with fairly high end appointments.

 

[B-Mac]

You are the man with the 411!!! Lol
I'm assuming they didn't make as many of them in 2011 as they did in 2010, because I never see the silver or cherryburst ones for sale...........man, I REALLY want one of the Cherryburst FM ones! I dont think I've ever seen one of those for sale........
Do you know what year they stopped making the "J" and "single" Hillsboros?
It seems I'm working my way thru their bass offerings from 2009-2013 or so..... the Spire, Demonator, Z Tour, Eric Bass Gold & Hillsboro J ........they all only lasted a few years (at least the non-metalman versions) and are amazing basses with fairly high end appointments.

I’d have to check my catalogs.
However you can also do a search just of this club to get some info
Type ‘hillsboro’
And then enter B-Mac
And then check off the box just for this club

Be for warned though; you’re gonna see some Hillsboro eye candy

That should help until I get to my catalogs.

When you say single pups do you mean the MM style with covers or the P style split pups?

Only asking as they did make an 09 model (like an Edge 09 model) and a Jr. (3/4 size short scale) both with P style pups and both only available in black w/rosewood FB up until the end.

I believe it was 2015 when they really started cutting back in the various versions of the Hillsboro models.

Plus not even their catalogs have all of the variations. My P/J isn’t in any of my catalogs. MIK and when you Google or Bling Dean Hillsboro P/J nothing comes up.

 

[barclaybass]

I’d have to check my catalogs.
However you can also do a search just of this club to get some info
Type ‘hillsboro’
And then enter B-Mac
And then check off the box just for this club

Be for warned though; you’re gonna see some Hillsboro eye candy

That should help until I get to my catalogs.

When you say single pups do you mean the MM style with covers or the P style split pups?

Only asking as they did make an 09 model (like an Edge 09 model) and a Jr. (3/4 size short scale) both with P style pups and both only available in black w/rosewood FB up until the end.

I believe it was 2015 when they really started cutting back in the various versions of the Hillsboro models.

Plus not even their catalogs have all of the variations. My P/J isn’t in any of my catalogs. MIK and when you Google or Bling Dean Hillsboro P/J nothing comes up.

I was thinking of the single MM ones (the non Eric Bass ones) that you mostly see in white with a tort pickguard.
Do I see listed there a tobacco sunburst single as an option under the Cherryburst one in the catalog? I dont think I've even seen a picture of that one!!
I love me a nice tobacco burst!!!

 

[Bassist59]

Just take 400 grit sandpaper and go over the entire bass until it has a matte type of appearance and no shiny spots

Barclaybass, your work is excellent! I appreciate the tips! (Too late, though, I got carried away with the sandpaper tonight, lol!) I built a 5 string Explorer type bass from a kit last year and finished it with gloss black Krylon acrylic lacquer. I think I had some bad luck because I’m fairly certain the paint “colormaxx” paint I used was old - like 10 years old. The instrument is passable but I’m not satisfied. It was either bad paint, the Houston humidity or both but the Krylon paint was garbage. Oh, and it comes off if wiped with naphtha!

I’ve got another kit on the way, a custom V 5 string bass. The work on my Dean Zone is really just an excuse to practice with my Stew Mac nitro rattle cans that I bought a while back.

I’ve been re-reading Dan Erlewine’s book on guitar refinishing and the spray shellac is going to be a barrier between the old paint and new. I believe the Zone bass is finished with flat poly and I got some of it off tonight.

You are correct, I only needed to scuff it up a bit with 400 grit sandpaper, but since I’ve gone this far, I’m going to try to get most of the old paint off before spraying it with the schellac sealer.

Any idea what this wood is?

This is just practice on a bass that was pretty much abandoned.

Thanks again for the info, your finishing looks great!

 

[jdb72]

At the request of B-Mac , and with the recent postings of some nice Hillsboro models. I am reposting a few pics of my USA 1000 Hillsboro. I did have up for sale and decided to keep it. One of my top basses .

 

[B-Mac]

At the request of B-Mac , and with the recent postings of some nice Hillsboro models. I am reposting a few pics of my USA 1000 Hillsboro. I did have up for sale and decided to keep it. One of my top basses .View attachment 3955661

I see a stacked control knob? What are the controls?

This one's gonna send @barclaybass over the top!

These were a limited USA run, correct?

 

[jdb72]

You are right. Stacked high and low. If I remember right there were 1000 made in the 1000 series. Everything is still 100% original. I purchased this bass back around 2010.