Here is my opinion...ANY bass can be made to fit any musician...in the big picture...they're just a few pieces of wood put together and in most cases some frets slapped on the finger board. With that said...to get a "good" bass/instrument or one that fits you specifically...will ultimately cost some money and some reworking of the wood. That's why it's always good to start with higher quality pieces or pieces that already somewhat fit you, as that means less modification will be needed.
For your specific situation and from my experience...Dean makes great instruments and are very comparable to other basses in their target price range.
Dean's tend to have a fairly thin neck profile, which is comfortable to play for some...others like a little more girth.
The problem with a thin neck, is they tend to need adjusted a little more often, and are more likely to warp, if not properly cared for. This may be one reason, why dean doesn't have the "best" reputation among gear snobs. As far as electronics in deans...they tend to be voiced more for harder styles of rock and seem to let a lot of highs through, also the bottom end tends to not be as articulate as other stock pickups. The actual hardware they use seems to be on par with their price ranges, and in some cases maybe even a little better.
All in all, a general review of dean would be, for the price range, you get a lot of extras like fancier inlays on the neck, and more extravagant finishes, for an entry level price. So, in order to deliver some of those extras, they have to "cut corners" in other places, (like electronics and wood quality).
Probably another reason for a poor reputation.
A further review for your particular bass...
it looks like a nice bass...I can tell that the neck would probably be a thin for my taste (but to each their own), the inlays look cool, without seeing it in person the finish looks good. It may be a 3 piece body as I can see a line on the treble side running next to the pickups. The bridge looks nice and beefy, which should add to sustain and be a big plus for this bass. The controls look well thought out, (assuming, volume p-pup, volume j-pup, tone, pickup selector). Without hearing it I wouldn't be able to tell you about the sound, but output sounds can be changed without to much of an investment...ie new pickup(s), tone cap, pots. The placement of the pickups looks pretty standard for a P/J style bass, maybe a little closer to the bridge than some. So, with everything I'm able to see...for the right price, you did well with your purchase...probably somewhere in the 100-250 range and you should be proud that you found a good bass for a great price. Personally, I wouldn't be the least bit embarrassed about playing your dean on stage and I'd relish the opportunity to show people that "I've got my wings".
... (and sorry for my bad english, it is not my native tongue)
