  
|
 |
- Dean USA - Where to find them in the UK
- Michael Angelo DVD
- Brian Bromberg CD on Dean
- Dean Dealers
- Dean UK Price List (.pdf)
- Articles/Reviews
- Classic Dean
- Players
- Dean Home Page
- Bill Lewington Home Page
Or e-mail
| REGISTER YOUR DEAN GUITAR |
 |
Review by Simon Bradley in
Guitar Magazine
Issue June 2003
Dean USA Time Capsule Cadillac
| IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A TOP NOTCH ROCK AXE that's seriously a bit special, then check out this limited edition Dean. Marcus Leadley gets to shake his head and stay up late with a tasty bit of kit... | |||||
  When
it comes to style, few makers' standard models are as uncompromising as Dean's.
For many, these guitars' all rocking, all American look is a love/hate thing...
but plenty of seriously heavy players have lumped at Dean's undeniably strong
visual appeal. Not only that: these guitars have a high standard of build, and
the reputation of a great sound.Dean Zelinsky's Gibson inspired designs were drawn up in the curvaceous and colourful 1970s. His instruments carry an unmistakable 'wishbone' signature headstock the result of an experiment in tuning to make the neck resonate better and improve tone and sustain and high output pickups, making these guitars ideal tools for a player looking to nail great tone for anything from hard rock to metal. At the same time, the overall ethic is highly traditional, and Deans do tend to lend themselves to 'classic' rather than 'modern' metal pyrotechnics. If you force your head out of powerchord and wailing pentatonics territory, though. you'll find that sonically at least these guitars are just as happy playing jazz and country as all out rock. You wouldn't expect them to fit in with the image of many jazz or country outfits, of course, but a does mean that they're great all round guitars for rock players who fancy crossing over a bit. In the last 25 years, Dean production has shifted around America and over to Korea and Europe, but things being what they are it's the early guitars from the Chicago plant which attract the most interest. The story goes that most of the plans from this period were lost when the factory closed in 1985. Fortunately, the precious plans were found by a Dean collector and generously returned to the company in 1995.  Along with the Dean ML, a kind of
flying V/Explorer hybrid, the Cadillac was one of the company's first major
models, and dates all the way back to 1980. There have been many changes along
the way. but this limited edition 25th Anniversary model from the Line Capsule
range is fully built in Clearwater, Florida, and it's an 'original spec' model
aimed firmly at the top end of the Dean buying market In total only 100 have
been built, and the good news is that small numbers of these guitars are being
distributed to shops in the UK. It's worth visiting the Bill Lewmgton website
(www.bill-lewmgton.com), where each new arrival in
the country is being featured along with details of its shop
location.Turning to the Cadillac itself, there's plenty of class here for both the eye and hand. The deep glossy black finish and gold hardware gives the guitar an almost automotive air, and the fantastic seven ply black/white binding is very cool. While a chunky mahogany built guitar with a maple cap sounds like a bit of a shoulder strainer, the balance is such that the instrument feels great to wear. The playing comfort is enhanced by a nice forearm drop top style chamfer over the rear upper bout, and the neck gently angles away from the body for a Les Paul like fit. The body style certainly gestures towards this Gibson classic, but the extended lower horn adds the Explorerish touch that Zelinsky is so attached to. The neck offers a well rounded. comfortable C shaped profile slightly slimmer than you might expect, but in no way insubstantial.  The rosewood fngerboard is a
solid 4mm slab and the abalone inlay work is well executed, sitting stylishly
against the dark rosewood. This is a 22 fret instrument and the fret dressing
is well up to scratch. with single ply white binding placing the fret tangs
well out of harm's way. The action is slinky, with a fast and rocky appeal.
Upper neck access is nicely open so a bit of waddling will definitely be in
order, even if the fairly chunky heel joint makes attaining that 22nd fret a
little bit of a stretch .The styling of the broad V shaped Dean headstock won't appeal to all players, but the overall effect of this extra bulk certainly contributes to the excellent sense of balance I mentioned earlier. And given that this guitar isn't a conservative looker in any other sense, the design is hardly OTT. On the headstock we find that little bit extra for the 25th anniversary. Dean B Zelinsky's signature and the comfort of knowing that your instrument is unique in its X of Y status. This particular guitar is number 19 of 50; only the first 50 made will be signed. Gold hardware is a bit of a personal thing: some people like it, some don't. Yes, plating like this will probably wear and look a bit scruffy 20 years from now, but how far ahead do you want to piano Generally speaking, any instrument that s cared for will age gracefully. Today, the 24 carat gold looks deep and rich and you certainly can't knock the quality of the TonePros stoptail and tunomatic style bridge; this is quality engineering. The strings secure neatly into the slotted block, the bridge height adjusts via two wheels, and the string saddles are fully adjustable for intonation. Up at the headstock you'll find a set of goldplated Clovers. They look good, as these tuners always do, but and I know I always go on about this there's a kind of 'rubbery' relationship to the exact pitch of the string that takes some getting used to. Perhaps I only notice it because I have to get used to a lot of different guitars rather than stick to just one .. but this Grover thing does bug me a bit. Gold knobs, strap hangers, switches and pickup covers... the gold theme goes on. Under the covers the pickups are a set of DiMarzio humbuckers, and the control layout is simplicity itself: independent tone and volume pots for each pickup. and a single three way selector mounted on the lower horn. Its a sensible use of this area, so the switch isn't likely to be knocked by a stray hand gesture. SOUNDS This Cadillac really is a cruiser. Like a Les Paul, the tone is dictated by the mahogany/maple body and the set neck construction: the feel is fast and expressive, and all that wood gives a real sense of business and purpose. The badge pickup starts with a bright clear top end far from guaranteed with humbuckers with excellent clarity and an immediate sense of lasting sustain. Flicking through the three selector options gives a range of usable clean tones which would suit most needs: add a bit of delay and chorus for India stuff if you wish, or just keep it clean and twangy. An early 'SOS flangerdriven sound is an immediate possibility, as is a jazzy voice from the neck pickup (especially good with a bit of treble roll off). For a big, broad brush of frequency fun, select both pickups for a naturally phasey tone with a slightly pert and cheeky top end. Not really what you'd expect from a guitar like this, is it? But despite its single minded styling, the Cadillac is a performer with all round potential. Still, at its heart this is a guitar that's crying out for a bit of amp distortion. Turn up the drive and go for it: goth, trad metal and hard rock riffs all sound fantastically at home here, and chunky chords and wading lead lines are what you want to play. Theres no time to notice tile ache m the shoulder soon biought on by this weighty chap you're too busy smiling. Anyway. sometimes you've just got to suffer for your art! These pickups are certainly very powerful but, as we found with the clean sounds, not to the detriment of tone. A well rounded midrange push helps move the air in front of your 4x12. The bridge pickup delivers a tasteful amount of microphonic scratch and scrape to make the sound feel well connected to the actual dynamics of playing. There's less of this with the ocher settings but they still feel focussed and polished. not distant or woofy. Moving to the twin pickup selection gives the characteristic rounding out of the tone we come to expect from a pair of humbuckers. It's great for rock rhythm, and damped chords are especially pleasing. Overall I'd say the Dean Cadillac sounds a little brighter than a modern Les Paul Standard, without the softness of Gibson's PAF style pickups: there's a slight vintage character here but overall this guitar seems to take the best of old'n'new and present it with some added clarity. The neck pickup position sound is by far the most bluesy, and a chubby midrange helps promote something of a 1970's vibe good for rock, good for prog, and just dandy for monster feedback. VERDICT If you have the cash, and you have a passion for the best in rock guitars, this Dean 25th Anniversary Time Capsule Cadillac has to be worth considering. Obviously you're paying that little bit extra for exclusivity, so checking out other Cadillacs from the Dean range may deliver an instrument with closely similar performance for a bit less money. You can argue about the pros'n'cons of such a specific look, but I should point out that a large number of non guitar playing visitors to the magazine thought it looked just great. So there you are: this Cadillac should get you noticed by the public. What more do you want from a guitar? |
|||||
|