Signature model in Gold Metallic with ABM bridge with inlays. The more I look the more differences I seem to be finding. I am really surprised the USA custom models don't have the ABM bridge.
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Dean Club!!!
- Thread starter tom once dead
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I also noticed that the later Hillsboro basses are made in China rather than Korea, obviously not including the USA Custom Shop versions.
Here's another USA Hillsboro on Reverb that is quite different than other USA Hillsboro's
2013 Dean USA Custom Shop Hillsboro 4 String Bass
Body: Bolt-on Ash body
Neck: Maple neck w/satin finish
Neck Profile: C w/Demonator side markers
Scale: 34 Inches
Headstock: Black w/ gold Dean logo
Fretboard: Ebony fingerboard
Inlays: Abalone Block
# of Frets: 22
Nut: Brass
Hardware: Gold
Color: Gold Burst
Electronics: EMG MMTW active pickup, with the EMG BTC EQ system w/9-volt battery compartment on back of bass
2013 Dean USA Custom Shop Hillsboro 4 String Bass
Body: Bolt-on Ash body
Neck: Maple neck w/satin finish
Neck Profile: C w/Demonator side markers
Scale: 34 Inches
Headstock: Black w/ gold Dean logo
Fretboard: Ebony fingerboard
Inlays: Abalone Block
# of Frets: 22
Nut: Brass
Hardware: Gold
Color: Gold Burst
Electronics: EMG MMTW active pickup, with the EMG BTC EQ system w/9-volt battery compartment on back of bass
2018 EAB5 with Black Tusq XL nut and saddle, VERY light D’Addario Pro Steels (.09, .07, .055, .04, .03) and Kyser 12 string capo. Tuned to E-C or D-Bb.
The addition of a true preamp (versus the “passive preamp” on my 4 string Dean EAB) is groovy, but I use the onboard tuner far more as I seldom plug-in.
The deep body and 34” scale lead to loud, long-sustaining natural harmonics when unplugged; this has COMPLETELY changed my style and challenged my notions about what a bass guitar is capable of as a singer-songwriter solo instrument.
Can’t ask for more from a $300 bass.
The addition of a true preamp (versus the “passive preamp” on my 4 string Dean EAB) is groovy, but I use the onboard tuner far more as I seldom plug-in.
The deep body and 34” scale lead to loud, long-sustaining natural harmonics when unplugged; this has COMPLETELY changed my style and challenged my notions about what a bass guitar is capable of as a singer-songwriter solo instrument.
Can’t ask for more from a $300 bass.
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Did you add the Preamp yourself? Is it a Fishman or a Dean preamp from another Dean ABG like the EQABA?
I did not, the previous owner did. I don't know if they just changed the knobs, or if they did anything with the electronics inside - I haven't opened it to check. It's definitely cool yours has an ABM bridge; overall it's definitely a great bridge. I was just offering my own experience using a bass with one
The gold model looks cool. I'd love to have one of those and one of the white versions of the Eric Bass Signature model. Not having inlays did throw me for a loop at first, but not for long since I just relied on the side markers more heavily XD
The DMT preamp was standard on this (I purchased the bass from the Dean website three months ago).
On the EABC5? When did they start doing that? They always used to have the real basic two slider control with volume and tone and nothing else.
I might just have to look into this now.
Thanks
One thing that I've gathered from all this talk about the different Hillsboro models is that Dean sure likes to mess around with their products a lot. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, just that it can lead to some confusion when trying to figure out what version of a particular model you have.
Note that the photo on Dean’s website shows the two-slider “passive preamp,” but the specs call for the DMT-03 preamp. The latter is what I received. (I ordered from Dean directly so I could point to those specs in case I received the former.)
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I think they got that G.A.S. thing figured out
That’s probably why they do it?
Another great thing about TB! Sharing info, knowledge and experience. Always learn something every time I’m here. @BradWorld has/had a gorgeous USA Hillsboro in black trans with tort pg and maple fb
Yeah, I've enjoyed my time here a lot so far, I've learned a lot already.
Oh, I built a rig with my two amps and some of my pedals designed specifically with my Hillsboro in mind:
To be honest my rig isn't terribly expensive... The amps and cab were like $450 total (though the cab needs a new speaker, I disconnected one because it blew and I may just buy a new cab later on), and the bass was $200. The most expensive part is the pedals, which the ones on the board probably cost around $500, though some of them were gifts so I didn't buy them. I love it, though.
The signal chain is actually fairly simple:
Hillsboro -> Pitchblack -> EHX Russian Muff Reissue -> DOD Gunslinger -> Darkglass Alpha Omicron -> Boss CE-5 -> Boss TR-2 -> Digitech DigiDelay -> DOD 270 A/B box (alternate between Channel A and B)
Channel A: Peavey 400bh preamp (bypass power amp, go through preamp out) -> Hartke HA3500 passive input
Channel B: Hartke HA3500 active input
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Probably so, it makes sense to be like "here's this new product!" *a few months pass* "here's this new version of our latest product!"; repeat a couple times then do the same for the next oneI think they got that G.A.S. thing figured out
I mean, the changes are even really small at times... I noticed my Hillsboro has the string tree bumped back a couple inches from where it was on the original version of that signature model.
So here in all it's dirty uncleaned glory is my 2006 Dean Razorback, I picked this monster up in June with the original hardshell case for $150 dollars. There are a few chips on the tips which is to be expected with a bass like this, but OH BOY does it rip!! The lows are booming and the mids are a punch in the face. I'm a huge Dimebag Darrell fan, but I'm not even close to an adequate guitarist so I've always lusted for this bass. Just wanted to chime in and share lol.
