ohhhh me. me and my below 70 IQ type questions (dean specs?)

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:13 pm

does anyone know what our beloved guitar company uses for the maple tops? i dont mean where is the maple from but are they actually maple caps and not veneer?

this came to mind in another thread when someone mentioned maple tops being different sizes. i dont care how thick said cap is. guess im just trying to find out if these maple tops as they keep calling them make a tonal difference. because obviously the difference from a veneer would be minimal.

and if Dean is using veneer for the flames, quilts, plains and what have you, did they ever use a full cap? when did they stop (if ever)?

inquiring minds need to know O.o

Joined: 23 Nov 2005 Posts: 8255 Location: Ontario, Canada

Every import ML or Razorback I've own was vaneer. None of them wonder like they had maple in the body. My TCML on the other hand is very vibrant and complex. It has a thick maple top.

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:18 pm

'87 sherwood wrote:

Every import ML or Razorback I've own was vaneer. None of them wonder like they had maple in the body. My TCML on the other hand is very vibrant and complex. It has a thick maple top.

oh and the hunt continues Very Happy

this was really my roundabout way of trying to figure out which deans have maple caps and not veneers without making somebody else do the legwork of looking through specs for 40 years Razz

Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 2472 Location: Ontario, Canada

It's a very simple answer really. All Dean USA's have full maple cap and Dean imports have veneers.

The only exception I have ever seen was the import Soltero's, which had a plain maple top with a flamed maple veneer on top of it.

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:28 pm

shorty85 wrote:

It's a very simple answer really. All Dean USA's have full maple cap and Dean imports have veneers.

The only exception I have ever seen was the import Soltero's, which had a plain maple top with a flamed maple veneer on top of it.

can you be certain of that? if thats the case that makes my job reallllllllly easy

Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 2472 Location: Ontario, Canada

I can't speak for anything from the Tropical era (90's), but I know that as of the 2000's, the figured top USA's were all full caps. And I can tell you with certainty that imports all have veneers. The only reason the import Soltero has a full plain maple cap in the first place is because it doesn't have binding and they wanted the maple to be visible from the side.

Joined: 29 Nov 2003 Posts: 14463

The Czech imports had full maple caps

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:36 pm

shorty85 wrote:

I can't speak for anything from the Tropical era (90's), but I know that as of the 2000's, the figured top USA's were all full caps. And I can tell you with certainty that imports all have veneers. The only reason the import Soltero has a full plain maple cap in the first place is because it doesn't have binding and they wanted the maple to be visible from the side.

oh happy day! cause i have no intrest in the tropical stuff for the most part. although this does drastically increase the price of my hunt Razz

Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 2472 Location: Ontario, Canada

Forgot about the Czech's, my bad. I was referring to China and Korea.

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:39 pm

Jim6 wrote:

The Czech imports had full maple caps

oooooo i forgot about those

Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 6629 Location: Minnesota

My Cadillac Selects, if I remember correct, had a Maple Cap, w/ a Veneer. And I believe the same could be said for Cadzilla.

Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 2200 Location: Seattle, WA

Graunke wrote:

My Cadillac Selects, if I remember correct, had a Maple Cap, w/ a Veneer. And I believe the same could be said for Cadzilla.

Yup. Cadzilla had a plain maple cap with a quilted maple veneer.

Joined: 29 Nov 2003 Posts: 14463

So, to summarize what we have so far.........

Caddy Select & Hardtail Select / Korea
eVo, Icon & Caddy / Czechoslovakia
Soltero SL / Japan

Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 6629 Location: Minnesota

Korean Soltero as well Jim.

Joined: 29 Nov 2003 Posts: 14463

v2.0

Soltero, Caddy Select (and variants) & Hardtail Select / Korea
eVo, Icon & Caddy / Czechoslovakia
Soltero SL & Hardtail / Japan

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 11:14 pm

Jim6 wrote:

v2.0

Soltero, Caddy Select (and variants) & Hardtail Select / Korea
eVo, Icon & Caddy / Czechoslovakia
Soltero SL & Hardtail / Japan

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 1:41 am

I have had Korean Imports that had Maple Caps w/veneer on top.
One was a Hardtail.............I also believe the DOA Guitars are caps w/veneer.

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:19 pm

wstoll wrote:

I have had Korean Imports that had Maple Caps w/veneer on top.
One was a Hardtail.............I also believe the DOA Guitars are caps w/veneer.

Well that's cool Smile

Im not anti veneer, it's just that I've got this thing about wanting to customize certain guitars for certain tones, and some I wan to have that added brightness from a solid maple cap.