Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Dean Guitars - Evo Special Select




Dean guitars are unquestionably the best guitars for the money. I bought the EVO Special Select model about 3 years ago in 2006, and just love it to death. It is an edition which was my second choice to another Dean at the time, that had just been discontinued. The day it arrived at the store - I actually skipped out on class, and with a terrible fever and cold, I trekked through snow up to my knees, about an hour away, to go pick it up as soon as it had arrived!

Yes, people say Dean guitars are made cheaper, but don't believe them. The guitars play amazingly, and have solid hardware which makes them beat any other competition in the same price range. I'm an avid Fender Stratocaster player, so take this advice!

I was skeptical, having only played a few other Dean models and not knowing what to expect, but this guitar is definitely one of my favorites to play. Here's why:

- Arched Maple Top
- Mahogany Body
- 3 Star Arched Figured Maple Top
- 24-5/8" Scale & 1-5/8" Nut
- Grover Tuners
- Nickel Hardware
- Zebra Pickups
- Tune-O-Matic Bridge
- Set Mahogany Neck
- Wood Binding
- Rosewood Fingerboard
- MOP Hourglass Inlays
- 22 Frets
- Push/Pull Potentiometers


All of these features are amazing, but I really like having the Push/Pull pots on both pickups which can give you endless sound combination's from a single coil to a Humbucker or a little of each. You can fine tune your sound to whatever works for you!

The Grover tuners are just great, and they always keep the guitar in tune perfectly. The overall sound of the guitar is really punchy and has a lot of bite to it, so for heavy distortion-type playing its ridiculous! For clean tone, I'd have to say that I am really happy with the sound it has. Again, by using the Push/Pull pots, you can really fine tune that clean tone to whatever your heart desires! The guitar is very good at cutting through the mix and is very clean sounding all round. If you like to really move around the fret board quickly, this is the guitar for you, as the action is just amazing, while there is virtually no fret buzz anywhere!


The guitar is fairly light weight, and is solid body, so you really have to make sure to store it in the right temperatures to prevent it from warping.

This guitar also has a sweet looking inlay setup across the fretboard and it truly is beautiful to look at. I got my Evo in the Quilt Vintage Sunburst finish; like the picture above.



If you are looking to buy a Dean guitar, and live in Toronto, make sure to check out Rogers Music Center. Jimmi has alot of hookups and I have seen the best Dean selection through his music store. Here's to you Jimmi!

I'll be writing soon about my Dean Baby V - Also purchased at Rogers!
Once a Dean, always a Dean.