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Review by Dave Burlock in Guitarist
Issue January 2001

DEAN EVO 60

Price £419 Dean's comeback brings to the UK a finely made Korean range from a USA brand once renowned for its kitch Las Vegas image

STARTED WAY BACK IN 1977, by Dean Zelinsky, Dean became known as much for its outlandish shapes (the ML, V, Z and Cadillac) as its sexist advertising. Although the brand is now primarily sourced from Korea (with some up market Czech-made additions) and features a full catalogue of electrics, basses and acoustics, the classic shapes are still available and those Dean girls are a part of every USA trade show. Here, we take a look at a distinctly un-Dean design. The Les Paul-like EVO 60 is part of Dean's largest series which also includes seven-string and double-neck models.

Evo 60

With seemingly everyone producing their own single cutaway arch-top electric models these days, Gibson's design protection means that while direct copies are a thing of the past, many new and interesting designs are appearing based on one of the iconic electric guitars. The EVO's body shape is far from a deadringer for a Les Paul, especially with its Tele-like upper shoulder and slightly pointed treble horn. Turn the Guitar over and you'll see a nicely shaped, angular neck joint. Dean calls it 'exclusive' but similar neck-to-body joints appear on all sorts of Les Paul inspired guitars-from the UK's own Sid Poole to PRS's Single cut. It's an obvious area for improvement, reducing the bulky heel area and making top fret access easier.

EVO 60Finished entirely in like-it-or-loathe-it blue opaque (other colour options available), none of the woods are visible. Although quoted as mahogany, the relatively lightweight would indicate something else. Removing some finish reveals that the neck is a mahogany - like wood while the body, like Epiphone's Les Pauls, is a coarse grained, pale alder-like material.

Acoustically, it has a good ring and resonance. The finish quality is excellent, with only slight untidiness in the scraping of the single ply binding and where the finish meets the edge of the fingerboard.

But the well-proportioned neck-chunky but not over thick in either width or depth - and the smart fingerboard with its correct 12-inch radius, elevate this EVO 60 above the also-rans. Installed and polished on the dark rosewood fingerboard, which sports proper abalone dot inlays, are 22 medium jumbo frets. The fret ends are neatly filled and this really is a handsome, good playing 'board. The friction reducing nut is neatly cut and the tune-o-matic uses the modern style slot-head, post adjustment, making quick string height changes easy. Mind you, both guitars come with sensible setups and good quality strings.

Aesthetically, the headstock looks a bit angular compared with the graceful curves of the body. More importantly, the back angled headstock, with less splayed tuner positioning compared with a proper Les Paul, is very functional, as are the Grover tuners. For power, the EVO 60 goes for two soapbar P90-style single coils. The other EVOs are all twin humbucking. It has just a three-way toggle selector on the upper shoulder, master volume and master tone.

Sounds

Strapped on, the slight neck pull indicates just how light the body is. But that aside, the feel is good and less bulky in depth than a Les Paul. Sound-wise though, it doesn't quite live up to its promise. The bridge soapbar certainly sounds bright and single coil-like, but it's without the bulk of tone that made the original pickup so popular, this sounds more like a slightly warm single-coil. The neck pickup fares better. Its placement produces more warmth and illustrates potential; likewise the jangly pickup mix. Fatten up that bridge pickup, maybe increase the body depth and the EVO 60 would really roar.

SPEC CHECK DEAN EVO 60