Dean Jeff Berlin - How many models?

[The Bass Abides]

Hey all,

Can anyone let me know how many basses Dean released as a "Jeff Berlin" signature model? There seem to be quite a few and I can't seem to find all the info in one place! Also, if you have opinions on these basses, please let your voice be heard!

Thanks!!

 

[B-Mac]

Hey all,

Can anyone let me know how many basses Dean released as a "Jeff Berlin" signature model? There seem to be quite a few and I can't seem to find all the info in one place! Also, if you have opinions on these basses, please let your voice be heard!

Thanks!!

Stop in here
Dean Club!!!
I’ve posted quite a bit of info
Pix, catalog cuts, etc.
USA made, Czech made, Korean made, Chinese made

I have a USA made Patchwork a Czech made Burl and a Chinese made flame top (I think) that is active

@India_Sierra and @Ronen owns one and some other TB-ers too

 

[B-Mac]

Hey all,

Can anyone let me know how many basses Dean released as a "Jeff Berlin" signature model? There seem to be quite a few and I can't seem to find all the info in one place! Also, if you have opinions on these basses, please let your voice be heard!

Thanks!!

Which bassist has had the most signature models with different companies?

 

[India_Sierra]

@India_Sierra and @Ronen owns one and some other TB-ers too

Alas, I have always wanted one but never did end up finding one. I had wanted an amber coloured American made model like Jeff used, which must surely be the rarest of rare things. I missed out on the opportunity to buy the 'Grinch' bass, which Jeff sold to fund the Jack Bruce project recording. That was a prototype model for the patchwork bass, which he used with Scott Henderson, Kazumi Watanabe and a few others around 2010. I recall him saying the body was slightly thicker than the usual JB model. I do own a Cort Rithimic and Peavey Palaedium, neither of which I would ever part with. I had the Palaedium out this evening and I thought it to be the best bass I had ever played. The Dean JB is another bass made to a similar design spec, I've never held one but I imagine it would feel very familiar to me.

 

[The Bass Abides]

Thank you for the replies, gentlemen. I've just recently become aware of Jeff Berlin and his signature basses. The new Cort is beautiful and, if I find one at the right price, will grab it!

Any thoughts on the Czech made Dean?

 

[B-Mac]

Thank you for the replies, gentlemen. I've just recently become aware of Jeff Berlin and his signature basses. The new Cort is beautiful and, if I find one at the right price, will grab it!

Any thoughts on the Czech made Dean?

Thank you for the replies, gentlemen. I've just recently become aware of Jeff Berlin and his signature basses. The new Cort is beautiful and, if I find one at the right price, will grab it!

Any thoughts on the Czech made Dean?

They’re superb.
Very flat fb
Actually all Czech made Deans are awesome. Best kept secret out there
Skim through the pages in DeanClub!!!

 

[Bob_Ross]

I had the Palaedium out this evening and I thought it to be the best bass I had ever played.

It's certainly the best bass Peavey ever made. A real sleeper, and I was always surprised at how under-the-radar they were when they were still in production.

 

[B-Mac]

Hey all,

Can anyone let me know how many basses Dean released as a "Jeff Berlin" signature model? There seem to be quite a few and I can't seem to find all the info in one place! Also, if you have opinions on these basses, please let your voice be heard!

Thanks!!

Patchwork, Exotic, Standard, Basic and I think later a Player

 

[B-Mac]

Hey all,

Can anyone let me know how many basses Dean released as a "Jeff Berlin" signature model? There seem to be quite a few and I can't seem to find all the info in one place! Also, if you have opinions on these basses, please let your voice be heard!

Thanks!!

last three are mine.

USA Patchwork, Czech Exotic, China Player.
The black one you see above is Korean

@Ronen has/had a green one.

The early ones have the vertical Dean script logo which are more desirable than the later ones with the horizontal script logo

2001 catalog

2003 catalog

2007/2008 catalog

 

[India_Sierra]

It's certainly the best bass Peavey ever made. A real sleeper, and I was always surprised at how under-the-radar they were when they were still in production.

Alongside the B Quad, I would entirely agree with you. The Peavey that made guitars as nice as this is sorely missed.

 

[India_Sierra]

@B-Mac

Thanks for posting those catalogue pages. They are really cool and I had jot seen those before. I love looking through old model brochures and catalogues.

 

[The Bass Abides]

Wow, B-Mac! Amazing stuff, dude.

I was browsing some local ads and I came across a Dean Jeff Berlin sig. The guy doesn't have great pics posted and I'm trying to figure out which Dean he is selling. I think its a Czech made model in pretty sweet shape. I asked him to send me a pic of the back of the headstock...am I correct in assuming the back of the headstock would show a country of origin? Any other obvious signs I should be looking for?

 

[B-Mac]

Wow, B-Mac! Amazing stuff, dude.

I was browsing some local ads and I came across a Dean Jeff Berlin sig. The guy doesn't have great pics posted and I'm trying to figure out which Dean he is selling. I think its a Czech made model in pretty sweet shape. I asked him to send me a pic of the back of the headstock...am I correct in assuming the back of the headstock would show a country of origin? Any other obvious signs I should be looking for?

It will indicate Made in Czech Republic

I urge you to visit DeanClub!!!

 

[B-Mac]

Wow, B-Mac! Amazing stuff, dude.

I was browsing some local ads and I came across a Dean Jeff Berlin sig. The guy doesn't have great pics posted and I'm trying to figure out which Dean he is selling. I think its a Czech made model in pretty sweet shape. I asked him to send me a pic of the back of the headstock...am I correct in assuming the back of the headstock would show a country of origin? Any other obvious signs I should be looking for?

Check this green one previously owned by @Ronen
Click on this link
Dean Club!!!

 

[B-Mac]

Wow, B-Mac! Amazing stuff, dude.

I was browsing some local ads and I came across a Dean Jeff Berlin sig. The guy doesn't have great pics posted and I'm trying to figure out which Dean he is selling. I think its a Czech made model in pretty sweet shape. I asked him to send me a pic of the back of the headstock...am I correct in assuming the back of the headstock would show a country of origin? Any other obvious signs I should be looking for?

Czech made will look like this

It will have Schaller Tuners, BadAss II bridge and Bartolini pups

Korean will not have Barts or Schallers or BadAss II
Chinese will not have Barts or Schallers or BadAss II

It could also look like this

Both of these are 1999 models.

One has a relatively flat headstock (1st Exotic)) and the other has an angled headstock (2nd Standard)

@Ronen has told me the angled headstock is the better of the two though I've never had one to compare. Steeper break angle at the nut is better?

 

[B-Mac]

Hey all,

Can anyone let me know how many basses Dean released as a "Jeff Berlin" signature model? There seem to be quite a few and I can't seem to find all the info in one place! Also, if you have opinions on these basses, please let your voice be heard!

Thanks!!

All of the above vids feature Jeff Berlin playing a Dean Signature Bass.

If you do enough vid searches you'll come across him playing his Peavey Sig, Dean Sig and Cort Sig and you'll notice that they all sound similar. Obviously because of his fingers but also because Jeff was involved in the creation of all 3 of these basses for a certain sound/tone that he prefers. They're not exactly the same, but they are very similar.

 

[Skillet]

I guess you asked in the right place!

I know you specified Dean, but I also wouldn't mind running across a deal on the Cort.
Invalid Link Removed

 

[B-Mac]

@B-Mac

Thanks for posting those catalogue pages. They are really cool and I had jot seen those before. I love looking through old model brochures and catalogues.

Some more catalog pages featuring the Dean Jeff Berlin signature bass
2008

2009

2010

2011
Doesn't appear in 2011 catalog
2012

2013

The Dean Jeff Berlin Signature Bass does not appear in any Dean catalog after 2013

 

[Nenor]

Czech made will look like this
View attachment 3524527
It will have Schaller Tuners, BadAss II bridge and Bartolini pups

Korean will not have Barts or Schallers or BadAss II
Chinese will not have Barts or Schallers or BadAss II

It could also look like this
View attachment 3524552
Both of these are 1999 models.

One has a relatively flat headstock (1st Exotic)) and the other has an angled headstock (2nd Standard)

@Ronen has told me the angled headstock is the better of the two though I've never had one to compare. Steeper break angle at the nut is better?

Hey @B-Mac, thanks for inviting me here. The green JB has been traded more than a decade ago. I really liked the sound and the neck was thin and ultra fast. However it was very unstable and even with truss rod completely loosen it had a back bow and buzzed like crazy so I got rid of it. It also had a flat headstock and I felt it could benefit from a string tree.
The one I own now is actually older than the green one. I think it's from the first or second batch of production. It has the angled headstock (like the one on your second photo) with different tuner style and position. It doesn't say handcrafted, just made in.. It has a bit more thickness to the neck and it's super stable. The output jack is also different, the one I have has the football plate style.
Since these (although rare find) are totally under-rated and usually pretty cheap I made some modifications to mine. I replaced all pots with CTS ones and added a 3-way toggle switch for three different capacitor values for the tone control. That's a great addition for any bass with passive tone control. Since the CTS pots have larger shafts I had to use other knobs so less gold, more black plastic. Here it is:

 

[B-Mac]

I guess you asked in the right place!

I'm pretty much the 'Dean nut' here at TB, but there are others too.....

Dean Club!!!