Dean Nouveau CR and Exoiglass Guitar Review

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Dean Nouveau CR and Exotiglass Acoustic/Electric Guitars

Most musicians associate Dean guitars with two things-innovative, sometimes outlandish-looking, electric guitar designs like the jagged-edged ML Phantom and Mach 5, and the handsome, scantily-clad women that have graced the company's advertisements over the years. Since first opening its doors in 1976, the Florida-based firm has carved out a unique niche in the electric guitar market adding acoustic guitars to their product line just a few years ago. As you might expect, these acoustics look striking and sound great, and at prices that won't bust your bank account.

We checked out two recently introduced Dean acoustic/electric models-the Nouveau CR and the Exotiglass. The guitars' ornate headstock and bridge design, not to mention their cool logo, cut a snazzy figure, but more impressive still is how comfortable they are to play. A graduated body depth from 90mm to 120mm makes the CR feel like an electric guitar (kind of like a Gibson hollowbody) where your arm rests over the top, but the depth gradually increases in the area beneath the soundhole and down below the bridge. This means that, acoustically, you get more volume and a richer tone from this guitar than you would from a typical thin-bodied acoustic/electric. The Exotiglass, with its Ovation-like fiberglass composite back, has a mellow, warm tone, whereas the CR, with its rosewood back and sides, is slightly louder, with more pronounced treble and mid-range.

Both Deans sound perfectly balanced across all six strings and at every position on the neck. The CR lends itself more to high-octave solo flights because of its double cutaway, and even though the neck does not feel superthin, playing beyond the 12th fret never felt so easy on an acoustic/electric. The Exotiglass' single cutaway offers easy access to the upper register on the treble strings and, like the CR, it features a rosewood fingerboard that provides a smooth surface for shifting around the neck. Both the models have comfortable mahogany necks that measure 1 5/8-inch at the nut. With its perfect fretwork, the Exotiglass is actually a bit easier on the fingers that the CR, whose frets are slightly higher and not as smooth around the edges.

Both instruments proved to be plenty versatile when plugged in to an amp. Since these Deans each feature bridge-mounted pickup systems, I was concerned that they would be hard-pressed to yield an authentic acoustic sound. Fortunately, the guitar's bass-boosting capabilities make it possible to filter out most of the harsh tone associated with amplified acoustic/electrics. The Exotiglass' electronic controls include a volume know, bass know and mid, treble and presence sliders. The CR's Shadow P7 pickup system has all slider levels--volume, sub bass, bass, mid, treble and bright-plus an anti-feedback switch.

I had one gig while the Deans were in my possession, and it was a toss-up as to which guitar to bring along. Both seemed suitable for the job, a rhythm guitar gig backing an Irish fiddler, but I decided on the CR. Aware that I would be plugging into an unfamiliar house PA system, I figured the guitar's anti-feedback feature might come in handy. The Dean was a hit, both sonically and visually. After the set, two guitar-playing members of the audience came over to comment on how well the guitar sounded, both when I was softly fingerpicking or strumming maniacally. It was while strumming, in fact, it occurred to me that a pickguard would be quite useful in protecting the CR's handsome, solid Engelmann spruce top.

With its gold Grover tuners, abalone multi-ply binding and soundhole rosette inlay, the CR looks far more costly than its actual list price. The same may be said of the Exotiglass, whose exquisite abalone soundhole inlay and brown-burst flame maple top are not the kind of aesthetic features usually associated with guitars priced at this level

In the spirit of Dean's longstanding hard rock tradition, the CR and Exotiglass models make perfect sense for electric guitarists who require an affordable, stage-ready acoustic for a few numbers per set. But they are also just fine for the Top 40 country picker who will surely appreciate the looks and especially the amplified sound of the Deans. The truth is, the many toneshaping options offered by these guitars would appeal to acoustic players across the stylistic spectrum.

Finally, it should be noted that although the CR and Exotiglass are designed with the particular needs of the amplified stage player in mind, they are finesounding unplugged instruments, too. Neither Dean will project like a dreadnought or jumbo model, but their well-balanced tonal output and playing comfort make them ideal acoustics for the home-quiet, but with enough volume and tonal versatility to express all your acoustic musical ideas.

In keeping with the Dean tradition, the Nouveau CRand Exotiglass are indeed objects to lust after. The good news is that, with their great price tags, the average dud will have no trouble scoring either of these gorgeous numbers.

NO. 39 (Fall 2000) - Guitar World Acoustic