Deceiver Experiences?

Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2974 Location: UK

Hello chaps,

I have an oppurtunity to get an absolute steal on a Dean Deceiver (string-through, white and gold). Anyone here have anything they can shine a light on for me? I love these guitars and the neck profile is perfect (I'm more of a C neck than a V neck guy or imports). But I just wanted to know how they stacked up opinion-wise on this forum.

Thanks!

Greg.

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2012 1:09 pm

never heard a bad thing about them. so many glowing reviews that its on my gas list. played one at DOA and the heel carve is to die for.

Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 6624 Location: Minnesota

I have (2) DOA Deceivers, and they will never leave my possesion. Those have the V carve though. The standard issue models have the C, and are solid construction. I owned a Deceiver F in Classic Black, and it played fantastic, with great construction.

I'm more of a 'v' neck guy, and if it had that, I would have kept it.

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 691 Location: UK

gumtree?

Joined: 28 Sep 2012 Posts: 379 Location: Kent, UK

Yeah, £275 right? Wink

Been eyeing that one up...

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 691 Location: UK

Been getting emails here too.

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 691 Location: UK

I wonder who will snag that bad boy then....

Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2974 Location: UK

Heading to see it tomorrow night. I've been talking to the guy for a while now. I'm so excited about this axe! Laughing

Joined: 17 Oct 2012 Posts: 21 Location: Scotland, UK

Hope it turns out as you expected!

I am still awaiting my order for a Deceiver to turn up, was estimated 5-6 weeks by the UK Dean dealers.

One of the many downfalls of being left-handed.

Really annoyed I couldn't have snapped one of these up quicker, and CHEAPER!

Let us know, how it turns out!

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 691 Location: UK

I am the UK Distributor. PM me and let me know where your order was placed and I'll see if I can work up some magic for you.

Joined: 15 Dec 2008 Posts: 4244 Location: Derry, N Ireland

I forked out a load on a Deceiver FM last year. I got rid of it after 3 months. It was a pretty guitar but here are the reasons why it had to go:

-Neck was too thin, it was uncomfortable after 20minutes of playing my hand would cramp.
-Body was too small, I'm only 5.9 but that guitar made me feel like a giant
-It was too light.
-Some shoddy fretwork on the 17th and 19 fret, I had to get fixed professionally
-It was the 'weakest' sounding dean I've ever had. It sounded very thin, and the baker act did not shine. And I know what that pickup is capable of in my ATF3000, so I'm going to blame it on the thin as hell body.
-Guitar just lacked balls, I love dean but that guitar got no love from me after a lot of effort of tweaking etc

I speak from my own personal experience, I would go for a soltero if I wanted to go down that sort of route again. Most of my problems came from that tiny body, I know it is a well liked guitar here, so I hope none of you feel that I am trash talking it.

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 4:03 am

i have a deceiver and it plays and sounds awesome!

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 691 Location: UK

I've used a Deceiver a few times for Demos and it sounded and played great.

So I kept it!

Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2974 Location: UK

That's what I like to hear. Going to check it out tonight. Will let you know how it goes.

Joined: 09 Jul 2007 Posts: 338 Location: cali.

Mine is the least expensive model but I like it. It plays and sounds good for the price it would be tough to beat.

Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 5593 Location: phoenix az.

im interested i have no roundies

Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2974 Location: UK

Just one quick question: what's the Ebony board like? How dark and smooth are they?

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 691 Location: UK

They vary from guitar to guitar. Some are black as black some are black and brown. All are smooth it you look after them.

Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2974 Location: UK

Guitar Ninja wrote:

They vary from guitar to guitar. Some are black as black some are black and brown. All are smooth it you look after them.

Thanks Matt! Yeah. I had a feeling you would say that. The pictures make the board look really dark, which is great but they probably fluctuate guitar to guitar like the VMNT's.

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 10200 Location: New Jersey USA

I have a Deceiver too. I love it, and I would buy another one without hesitation. When I got it, it was loaded with a USA Baker Act in the bridge. Even though I had Baker Acts in several other guitars, it sounded like crap in the Deceiver. It was very muddy and lacked any kind of mid or high end clarity. I swapped it out for a Time Capsule pickup and have been very happy with the tone. 100% improvment. I reused the pickup in another guitar, so i know it wasnt a bad pickup. It was just a really bad match for the Deceiver. Overall I love the Deceiver. Its thin and light, and yet its still quite a solid player.

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 691 Location: UK

Bradworld... Boom--- Spot on dude..

What works for one does not for the other.

Pat told me his personal pref for his P/U was for maple top guitars.

The Time Cap P/U is brighter than the Pat Baker so I guess it worked better with the Mahogany body there.

Good advice mate

Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 6624 Location: Minnesota

Different Strokes!

I've got the Baker Act and Nostalgia in my DOA, and I LOVE that tone. My Goldy had a Blazebucker and Nostalgia in it, and that was a bit different. I'm still undecided as I haven't spent much time with it. May try a Mountain of Tone instead.

Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2974 Location: UK

Guitar Ninja wrote:

Bradworld... Boom--- Spot on dude..

What works for one does not for the other.

Pat told me his personal pref for his P/U was for maple top guitars.

The Time Cap P/U is brighter than the Pat Baker so I guess it worked better with the Mahogany body there.

Good advice mate

That makes sense. Pat really knows his stuff when it comes to tone. Thanks for the advice Brad.

This one has EMG's in, so I won't have to worry about that. Thinking of getting Blackouts for it if I don't like the 81/85 but I've never tried them before.

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2012 5:46 pm

I have the prototype for the DOA Deceiver, and it's my top guitar. I have 2 USA made guitars (1 handmade Lowel and one Carvin) and the Deceiver is the best, but not by much. I have no problem with the Baker Act in the bridge position (on an all 'mahogany' guitar).

Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 691 Location: UK

What works for one does not for the other I guess.

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 10200 Location: New Jersey USA

The DOA Deceiver is its own animal and sounded great with the Baker Act.

Joined: 15 Dec 2008 Posts: 4244 Location: Derry, N Ireland

Let us know how you find it Greg.

By the sounds of it I must have got a Lemon Laughing

Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 3283 Location: Jersey

i have the deceiver f. at first i wanted to sell it because i got it for a deal but i really started to fall for it. the pups are really versatile and i run the bridge and neck at the same time. sounds great. thin. light. fast, and usually cheap! definitely not for big hands or heavy fingered players tho.

Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2974 Location: UK

bazzabalboa wrote:

Let us know how you find it Greg.

By the sounds of it I must have got a Lemon Laughing

Please see NGD thread. Guess what I just did? Laughing

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 10200 Location: New Jersey USA

billymagnum wrote:

definitely not for big hands or heavy fingered players tho.

I am quite the heavy fingered player, and it suits me just fine. Where you going with that? Is the neck weak on yours or something? You feel the fretboard caving in? Very Happy

Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 3283 Location: Jersey

BradWorld wrote:

billymagnum wrote:

definitely not for big hands or heavy fingered players tho.

I am quite the heavy fingered player, and it suits me just fine. Where you going with that? Is the neck weak on yours or something? You feel the fretboard caving in? Very Happy

ha no the width of the board seems a bit smaller than my other guitars. not like a ukulele or something but i have smaller hands and find digits a bit cramped feeling sometimes. also if i press as hard as i normally do on this it will sharp the notes.

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 10200 Location: New Jersey USA

I don't find the fretboard any smaller than most other guitars. You should try a musicman if you want to try a small neck.

Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 3283 Location: Jersey

BradWorld wrote:

I don't find the fretboard any smaller than most other guitars. You should try a musicman if you want to try a small neck.

dont know what to tell you, thats how it feels to me