Customer Reviews

Dean Acoustic-Electric Bass Satin Finish

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't usually write these little review things on websites, but I am extremely pleased with this purchase. I bought this bass solely for the purpose of quiet practicing/jamming in my apartment, where an amplified electric bass would not be welcomed with open arms. If you're considering it for this purpose you'll be completely satisfied. For the cash spent, it doesn't get much better than this. This is a sturdy instrument that you won't have to worry about being too 'careful' with. I've found myself hauling this thing around to friends houses, get-togethers, etc. with no case and having a blast with it. The finish and general appearance are nothing fancy at all, but if your about the music, you won't even notice. It has a different feel and requires a slightly different playing style than electric bass (just as an acoustic guitar differs from electric) but I found myself adjusting quite easily. I highly suggest changing the stock strings to flatwounds, which are smooth as silk on this thing, because this instrument tends to create a bit of finger noise with the roundwounds. I've been playing guitar/bass for 16 years and own several expensive instruments and this well built, inexpensive gem has no problem keeping up. Overall: A ton of fun and a unique playing experience!

Each time I pick up this bass I'm impressed with how fine an instrument it is for the price. My entire technique is improving as I have to rise to meet the clarity of sound my Playmate provides. The craft of its manufacture is high, the tone is clear and volume good, and the price is spectacular. My first worry was that this would be a dumbed down, inferior version of the Dean Performer EAB. That fear didn't materialize. The same Dean attention to quality has gone into this instrument as into the higher end Performer. Note: My Playmate has a cutout body for reaching the entire fingerboard...and I didn't buy through Amazon.

I have the 5 string model and have played the 4s at stores. I'm very impressed with this instrument for the price! The quality is excellent, the bass itself plays well - my only issue is while the action sits quite low and the instrument is very playable, the string noise with the roundwounds is annoying. I believe I will try some flats or coated strings, because I wouldn't want the action higher on the bass. I haven't had much chance to plug it in, but that is because my huge Ampeg cab is at the rehearsal space. This is my jump-in-the-car and go jam bass, and it suits that purpose fine.

I've wanted an acoustic bass guitar for years but don't play it enough to justify the prices I've seen. I couldn't resist the Dean at under [...] and I wasn't disappointed. This instrument feels quite light for its size yet the neck feels very solid with a large round shape to it. I never expect an instrument to be playable out of the box and, sure enough, I had to loosen up the truss rod (with the included Allen wrench).

I'm not sure if the strings it came with were Rotosound or ordinary phosphor-bronze, but that's not the sound I'm after. I agree with another reviewer who opted for flatwound strings (which are hard to find for acoustics, but a set of Fender electrics, 9050M's, gave it a kind of smooth, "upright-like" tone once you find the right touch. I mentioned the truss rod and, to be honest, the neck has a bit of a hump on the high string side, resulting in some buzzing on the G and D strings around the 9th-10th frets. I'm still in the setup stage and I like to tinker so I hope to tweak the saddle and nut and possible shave the frets/fingerboard if I can't get rid of that buzz.

Cosmetically, the satin finish and detail are very impressive. For this price I expect imperfections and there is a dark blemish on the soundboard where a tiny bit of what I suspect is painted-on purfling bled, possibly while the finish was being sprayed (it is a Chinese-made instrument and I've seen it on cheap violins). There's also a tiny half-grain-of-rice-sized chip in the neck finish that I hope a furniture pen and a little lacquer will take care of.

Other than that, it looks great, plays well and has a nice woody tone. If I saw this instrument "on the rack" I would have guessed it was at least twice the price if not more. I haven't even tried the electronics; I bought it to record acoustically and use my electric for amp-time.

For the price, I was very pleased. Nearly everything about the guitar is perfect! The passive pickup allows direct plug-in to a stereo through a 1/4" to RCA cable (also available on Amazon for under $7). The only issue I had with this product is that the fret markers seemed to bulge out of the fingerboard a little...this seems to create a tinny feedback when popping or plucking. I may file them down in the future, but it's not terrible.

Wonderful beginner/intermediate instrument.

This bass is good for just around the house jamming. One thing I was really suprized about was the large size. It's awesome but really big, so if you have a small space for your instraments, it will dominate the area. The strings it came with are alright, but as with any acoustic guitar, you probably want to put some better ones on there. Overall a really good purchase and price point.

This was my first acoustic bass purchase and it was a great choice! I was deciding between this model and the EABC model (which just has a cutout design). As I am not an experienced bass player I did not need to have access to the top most frets.

This bass is perfect for practicing on your own or minor jam sessions. I recommend getting a decent bass amplifier if you are going to be playing with anyone with an electric instrument. The pickups sound naturally great, just works as it is supposed to. This bass has great tone!

The bass came in great packaging and perfectly clean body. Make sure to get a gig bag! Dean has an EAB gig bag that I got additionally and it fits it perfectly but does not provide drop protection as it is a soft design.

You might want to take it to your local guitar store to have the neck "set up" but I have been playing with it for weeks as shipped and in my opinion additional work it is not necessary.

5 star product!

ps, make sure to get a tuner!

For the price that this guitar is being sold for it deserves nothing else but 5 stars. There was a learning curve I had to go through before I really appreciated it. First, I had to undo a lot of electric bass tendencies.

The action was high. I was very tempted to lower it, but after some reading I decided to leave it high, and I'm glad I did because I got used to it.

Definitely you will HAVE to change the strings before you do any serious evaluating. I put on Ernie Ball Earthwood Phoshpor Bronze's the bass really came alive.

There's going to be some finger noise, but that, too, will lessen as you get used to it. Once I started lightening up my right hand picking and concentrating on keeping the left hand relaxed, it improved finger noise a lot.

I had no problems when amplifying. I just had to experiment with settings to get a real nice sound.

Workmanship and finish are excellent.

I don't think this bass would be the best for a beginner. I think it would be awkward for a beginner to hold and with the action be as high as it is and a far away as first position is on this bass, again, I think frustration would set in.

For an electric bass player with a lot of hours under his/her belt, this would be a pleasure to play.

This guitar is among many of which I have owned. I'm a seasoned bass player so I look for quality in my instruments. This guitar meets and exceeds the expectations I had for it, given the price posted. Although it doesn't have a top notch on it for a guitar strap that really means nothing to someone who wants a really nice guitar for a value price. The guitar plays well and sounds great, The electronic pickup on it is touchy but, who's to argue for the price. I've read many good things about Dean brand guitars, and I must say that so far all that I have read has been true. To a beginning bass player looking for a good bass I say this is a great buy for the price. To a seasoned bass player I say play this guitar and see if you can put it down.. So far I have had more fun with this guitar than any other that I have owned.

Nice acoustic bass for the price, good sound and action. 24 frets and a full body. A nice looking acoustic.