WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

[Newc]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

What about the Czech Deans?

Newc

[Jerry From Ghana]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

The Czech Deans are imo like the neckthru professionals from the early 90's. they kick ass. but it looks like it ain't easy to find them for dirt cheap.

[guitarforceone]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

There are 2 different versions of the Czech Deans, and neither of them are made any longer. There were the handmade versions which were competitive with the USA models, and then there were some bolt-on versions that were not hand made. They were discontinued because the handmade version was as good as the USA models. Those are labeled as such on the back of the headstock. They say "Handmade in the Czech Republic." The bolt-on Czech guitars are also pretty nice, but are more similar in quality to the Korean line. You can't go wrong with either one, IMO.
Dana <~~~
BTW...there is a guy on the Dean Forum right now who is trying to sell a black Czech ML and a black Czech V. I think he wants $300 for the ML w/case. These are not the handmade ones though.

[ June 09, 2003, 10:05 PM: Message edited by: guitarforceone ]

[ChickenScratch]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

I think it's stunning (yes I'v esaid that before but now I'm drunk). Frankly I'm in love with the Jackson soloist and any guitar that reflects it I love such as the Carvin DC and new Kramer Baretta so to me this is damn sexy.

[Metalcop]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

I am not impressed. This is just another cheap, but well-dressed guitar. Inexpensive in price doesn't make it bad, cheap in quality does. Lame pickups, licensed Floyd Rose, I'm sure that all of the other electronics are of similar quality. In addition a micro-fractional thin veneer that looks awesome is just a cheap gimmick. Photo-flame, anyone? To me this guitar is identical to the Schecters and ESPee LTD's. And that headstock with anything but Jackson or Charvel printed upon it, is just plain wrong!

[ChickenScratch]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

I love it but I would change the pickups to Dimarzio (I tend to not like acitve), strip the paint off the neck and slap an ebony board on there. With that the guitar would be very similar to my Carvins and Jacksons. [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[ June 09, 2003, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: ChickenScratch ]

[Greg Crowe]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

Metalcop, I guess you've never been to the custom shop and seen the thin flametop put on all the USA Selects. It's not much different. I'll bet this guitar is every bit as good if not better than a Jackson SL-3/SL-4 for a few hundred less and made with mahogany and an archtop. I'll reserve final judgement until I get one in my hands but I'll bet they are nice.

[Newc]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

Concerning thin flametops - just how thin does Jackson use? I swear they've had the exact same flame pattern (tight and wide, with very little flame) for over 10 years - I'm looking at the cover of m 1990/91 J/C catalog and the guitar on the front has the exact same flame as the newest flametop SL, or even my 2001 model JacksonStars NASL. Meanwhile almost everyone else using flametops has progressed to various amounts/types of flame.

Photoflame is photoflame, don't get me wrong, but as long as they don't charge "real wood" prices for it, I'm fine with it.

Newc

[Sunbane]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

Originally posted by ChickenScratch:
I love it but I would change the pickups to Dimarzio (I tend to not like acitve)

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, those aren't active. And I must ask: Why HZ's? The general opinion on them is that they pretty much suck compared to the active EMG's. The only good reason to put them in a guitar (as far as I'm concerned) is that they are cheap and people that actually care about tone can replace them with Duncans/Dimarzios/real EMG's anyway. Was that the idea?

Another thing: Can they really copy the Jackson headstock that closely?

'bane

[ June 10, 2003, 04:45 AM: Message edited by: Sunbane ]

[Greg Crowe]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

Talked to Elliott about these today. The 450 Custom is out in limited numbers, basically just prototypes. They were shown at Winter NAMM and received quite a bit of praise. Elliott said these first few were a bit off in the neck profile and the frets weren't quite wide enough. He said the first real batch in about 30 days will be correct. He'll be sending me one and I'll provide a full detailed report with plenty of pics........ can't wait. He made them almost exactly the way I suggested. Not quite sure about that trem though. I can't quite tell which one it is. I suggested going with what Kramer is using now and not the JT-580 style. I can't tell which one they're using from the eBay pics.

[Chuckracer]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

I fail to see whats so exciting about this.
Greg, I think its cool that they went with your suggestions right down the line, but overall...*shrugs*...whatever.

[shreddermon]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

Kind of cool that they listened to you Greg, but I agree with Chuck. I mean - big whoop - so Dean made a cheap knockoff variation of a Soloist. ...And who hasn't? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] Many have come, many have gone, many still continue. A decent guitar for the money? Possibly. But, for the money, I'd just as soon head over to Music-Yo for a Kramer and mod it.

Also, I can almost hear the ruffling of the legal papers getting filed, regarding the headstock. [img]graemlins/eyes.gif[/img]

[ June 10, 2003, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: shreddermon ]

[Inazone]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

I think Dean used that same headstock in the `80s, for whoever was asking about it. I forget which models, but I saw it around in catalogs...

If I was going to buy an import guitar, I would probably buy a Dean. I bought an EVO Phantom two years ago, and it was an excellent guitar. Had I been blindfolded and asked to play the $500 Korean Dean and a Gibson Les Paul, I would have picked the Dean as the more expensive, higher-quality instrument. In fact, I thought Elliot had mentioned selling the Dean pickups aftermarket, but never heard anything more about that. Then again, I quit going to the Dean forum after I sold the EVO to buy my RR2.

Anyway, I'd buy the Dean over a current Jackson import, if it's anything like the EVO I owned in terms of workmanship. Jackson needs to stop using plastic inlays, drop the prices on the neck-thru imports, and start taking notes on the Ibanez and LTD neck-thru offerings. Guitars like the DK-2 and DKMG/T are great bang for the buck, but the SLSMG, SL3 and others are still retailing for $899 where I've seen them.

[markb]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

It looks like a Cort or a Schecter or one of the other fringe imports, although I'd take an import Schecter over a USA Dean if I had to make a choice.

[Jerry From Ghana]

Re: WOW- Dean got the neck-thru Superstrat Right!

Guys, i can't think of any other imports in the $300-400 range that give you mahogany, neckthru, full binding and pearl inlays.

My $300 Dean Z explorer looks every bit as hot as any USA explorer-shaped guitar such as the USA Z or the Hamer USA Standard. It may not have the same quality of components or workmanship, but it sure does look the part. That's all you can ask for in that price range, brand new. Too bad they went with the EMG HZ's instead of the Dean pickups - those have a cult following.

There's no comparison between a Dean Z '79 and a KE-3. Jackson purposely avoid making their imports look as "hot" as the americans



[ June 10, 2003, 05:33 PM: Message edited by: Jerry From Ghana ]