A Dean to be Seen (& Heard)

Dean Guitars once ghetto-ized as a manufacturer of flashy rock axes adorning bikini-clad models, is making a powerful entry into the acoustic guitar arena with its new Exotica series of guitars. Ably crafted in Korea, these instruments offer superb playability and professional features that wonÕt make your wallet look anorexic.

The Wooden Bits

Our review model is a single cutaway design (as are all Exoticas) with a tastefully curved, wedge-shaped rosewood bridge. It sports a delightful blue stain with an immaculate lacquer finish and abalone inlay, making it quite the eye catcher. But ignore its stunning looks for a moment, if you can, and consider the quality of the woods used to construct the Exotica. The top - the most critical slab of wood on the guitar - is of solid Engelmann spruce, a standard for fine tone among luthiers. The sides and back are multiple plies of beautifully figured curly maple, an excellent wood for its bright yet punchy tone. The resulting sound is crisp and clear - a bit light, but very well balanced. The neck is made of mahogany in a three-piece construction with a scarf-jointed piece for the headstock and an additional piece for the heel. All the joints are nearly seamless and virtually invisible to the untrained eye.

Inside the guitar, an inspection mirror reveals the same high level of construction. The bracing is cut from spruce with the grain properly running along its length. The kerfing (the wood that supports the top and back) is neatly cut from Indonesian mahogany. Some small amounts of glue are visible, but there are no excessive drips or signs of sloppiness.

The Playable Parts

Similar attention has been paid to the setup details on the Exotica. The "medium modern" frets are nicely polished, their ends neatly finished, and the resulting feel, augmented by buttery-low action, is easy and accurate. The plastic nut is accurately notched to hold the strings snug without pinching. The bridge saddle is part of the Shadow pickup system and can be easily shimmed up or down to complement individual string height preferences. The truss rod, accessible from the soundhole, was set to give the neck just a touch of relief, but can be comparably tweaked for changes in string gauge or taste.

The Electrical Connection

The addition of a pickup system on acoustics "under a grand" has become so common as to be almost a necessity; unfortunately, many manufacturers mate guitars in this price range with bare-bones electronics. Dean has bucked this trend with the Shadow P7, a pickup and preamplifier system that is flexible and functional, and sounds deliciously smooth and detailed. Sliders control Volume, Sub Bass, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Bright, and a two-way switch engages an anti-feedback circuit.

The five-way tone control proved extremely versatile when plugged into a Crate DC125 acoustic amp. With the control set flat, the sound accurately reflected the guitar's clear and bright acoustic voice. A dip in the Mid and a nudge to the Sub Bass and Bright gave the Exotica a beautiful responsiveness for fingerpicking, and the guitar's mild propensity towards low-end feedback was easily defeated with the anti-feedback switch. The broad range of control invites creative exploration; sliding the Treble and Bright controls well down turned the Exotica into a credible jazz box, while jacking the Bright full up and squashing the Mid completely made it ideal for strumming a hard rockin' rhythm track such as the musical example below.

When the Eyes Meet the Ears

Dean's Exotica guitars are boldly attractive and well made. Their sound is excellent for anyone seeking a clear, focused tone, and particularly for those who favor a bright, percussive, and detailed sound for either rhythmic strumming or delicate fingerpicking. Its list price ($549) makes it a remarkable bargain, and with its good looks, it will be hard for most stores to keep them in stock. Grab one soon; you won't be disappointed.

Features

Solid spruce top, quilted maple sides and back

Highly figured abalone binding and soundhole rosette

Shadow P7 pickup and preamp system

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February 2001 - GuitarOne