Dean Guitars Edge 5

Mine is a 98 model that I bought used
black gloss finish, 2 EMG HZ pickups, origionaly had volume blend and tone knobs but I dropped an active preamp and wired it for 18V and so now I have volume blend, bass, and trebel controls
5 peice maple and walnut neck

I love the wide range of sound I get on this bass, I have no idea why some here say it only has one sound even before I put the preamp in it had a good wide range of sounds

once the strings are broken in ( I use Labella super strps taperwound steels) it stays in tune temperature nor humidity affect it it just stays in tune and I keep a nice low action with no buzzing

played out with it many times with out a backup

have dealt with dean before and been pleased have not had to with this bass

This is a fairly common bass anymore, so you probably know what it is already, But the basic specs:

Korean made, bolt on laminated maple 24 fret neck, three piece solid body with trans-black finish. 35" scale. Hardware is black, string through bridge only. Passive electronics with EMG-HZ soapbars, vol, tone, and 3-way selector. body is kind of ibanez soundgear shaped.

Not subtracting points really, but this is a simple bass. Not feature packed, but comfortable, playable, and sounds great.

I play classic rock in a cover band, as well as lots of old-school metal and newer, crunchy progressive stuff. This bass is plenty versatile, with good, usable tones from round, fat room filling bass that suits classic rock, to gritty, aggressive, clankety bass that cuts through the mix. Can get super clear tap sounds and ringing harmonics too. Suits my style very well, and seems to have a decent slap tone from the bridge pickup as well. Electronics are relatively quiet, depending on gain. If you want a good growling sound, you can get it without much noise, but cranking the highs for that sizzling slap sound or metallic rasp will get you a lot of hiss- price you pay with passive electronics. Great stage bass, with versatile tones and good presence in mix. I thought the EMG passives wouldn't be very good, but they really work here. I like them as much as the actives in my other basses, although, they sound rather different.

Don't know about factory setup, bought it 3rd hand. Set it up myself and it came out fine, with low, very easy action. Holds tuning just fine, and isn't too sensitive to temp/humidity changes. Fit and finish are pretty good, the only flaw being the neck pocket isn't as tight as it could/should be. Neck is truly well done, with cleanly set frets and well finished kerfs. Very comfortable and easy on the hands. Neck is a five-piece laminate with three big hunks of maple and two thin (1/16th??) stringers of what appears to be walnut. Lamination probably helps with stability a good deal, as this is a rather thin neck and still has no issues. Finish is nicely done, and is rather hard, apparently. As the third owner, and having played it quite a bit, it has little more than tiny scratches. Buffing with car wax keeps it looking new. Excellent construction for the price!!!

I bought this bass to use as a backup, but found myself using it regularly during gigs. I've never had a problem with it or been disappointed. Neck is stable, finish durable and electronics simple and cleanly installed. I expect no problems, and have had none. I do have to adjust the truss rod maybe twice a year, not too bad really. I replaced the strap buttons with Dunlop locking buttons, and the screws went in solid and tight. THis bass has stood up fine to live playing, beer, sweat, smoke, silly string, and pizza. I trust it just fine, but never gig w/out backup. Bridge and tuners appear to be of good quality and the finish on them very durable, no oxidation or wear or corrosion. The knobs on the other hand are kind of cheesy. They look fine, but have plastic inserts that are supposed to keep them on the pot shaft. They come loose every now and then, until you replace them with set-screw knobs.

No experience with customer support.

I've played bass for over 20 years, and currently own a Carvin LB76, Guild Pilot 5 (Original Guild USA), a Guild USA hollowbody acoustic/electric, Carvin-necked 5 string custom, and this Dean Edge. My gig rig consists of an ADA MB-1 preamp, BBE sonic maximizer, Digitech 256XL multieffects, Carvin DCM 150 amp, and Yamaha Club IV monitor. I played this bass alot and even gigged with it a couple times before I bought it. I was surprised I liked it so much, as it compares more favorably than you might expect to the more expensive USA-made basses I own. It is lightweight, but sounds good (even the low B) and balances well, so I like to gig with it. The bonus is that I didn't pay much for it, so if it gets killed or stolen at a gig, I can just buy another one and not be all devastated. My favorite feature is the feel. Bass has great ergonomics and is comfortable to play for hours. Least favorite feature is the 3-way selector. That's a personal thing, though, as I just prefer pickup pan. Find one used in good condition, and it may serve you well as an inexpensive, reliable gig bass. Great bargain on solid construction and good tone.

2003? Bought early 2004. Korea. 24-fret 5-string. (Playing on the top two frets is possible, but dodgy; this is true of every long-scale bass I've ever tried.) Excellent controls: one volume, two active high/low EQ, and a pickup-blend knob that gives a fine & finely controllable range of tones. (Why won't guitar makers do this trick?) Pickups are Dean, but they look and sound an awful lot like EMGs. Active. Strings through bridge. Tuners are Grovers. Neck is 35", which is essential for a 5-string. Neck is not too thin or thick; fretboard rosewood. Don't know the body woods. No case, etc. For this price, the features are amazing; if it cost $1,000, they're what I'd expect.

I love the sound, or rather sounds. Big and growly at every setting. Lays back nicely in jazz, steps right up for brighter sounds. I'm playing it, so far, just through my studio board. Warm, and as bright as you want. The feelling is power, with control. Jazz is most of what I play, and that means a lot of listening to how tones (a range of tones) set in a mix. I haven't started recording with this instrument yet, but I'm already very pleased with how it can jump forward and then fall back as deep cushion.

Very fine. For a very inexpensive instrument, it's very smoothly put together. Setup was excellent, and I doubt that the guys at the store had done anything with it (it was tuned half a step flat, as evidence). I think the action is great, but (or and?) I'm mostly a guitarist, so I'd notice difficult action on a bass very strongly. Very, very responsive. It's very fast, and very clear in tone at high tempos.

My second Dean bass (the other is a 4-string fretless), and this seems just as sturdy as the first. The strap buttons are small, which worried me on the first bass, but I've never had any trouble, and don't expect it on this. I'd be confident taking this brute anywhere.

Just bought it, no experience with C.S. on my other Dean bass, which has never needed any help.

I've played guitar for over 40 years -- bass off and on for 5 or so. I own (besides the Dean fretless bass) I guess six or seven guitars. I play jazz 90% of the time, and do a lot of recording, less gigging. I looked around carefully for a fretted 5-string, and settled on this and two others before I tried them; this one won hands down. I'd buy it again without thinking about it. I love the controls -- instant, continuous adjustment over a wide range. It's one of those instruments you trust; you put your hands on it and they know where to go and it knows what you want. That's what I've paid $2,000 for in some guitars, and to find it for $300 on this bass asonishes me. My 10 rating is "considering the price" -- but I think if I'd paid twice as much it wouldn't change it.

The Dean bass is a 2003 model.I think made in Korea.It has 24 frets and has 5 strings.Solid finish and stain in transparent black.It has two Emg passive soap bar style pickups.and the bolt on neck in Maple.body kind of reminds me of my fender jazz bass.35 inch scale with a rosewood finger board.

I've been playing 38 years and have played with a lot of great player and recorded with some good sucessful acts.I play a original 69 jazz bass which I've bought brand new and a riverhead revamped with EMG precision pickups.I run my bases thru a A.M.P. amp which runs about 400rms and yorkville 4x10 cabinet.I've always been a 4 string player and it takes alot to make me want to change what I have. But I've wanted to try a 5 string bass for a long time.So I thought that I would check out the internet to see what there was.I didn't want spend alot on a bass,and because by the time it comes to Canada it doubles in price.After some looking I came across a Dean Edge 5 bass I liked the way it looked and It was made by a new up and coming company.So I took a chanced and purchased over the internet.First thing I noticed when I plugged it in, was that it had a round sound,that I like. The B string was really tight with no buzz .Playing around with tones I found the fender sound I have with my jazz, also because the action was so close to the frets found it very easy to play.I like the feel of the bass because it's solid and I can get a good bright sound.I haven't had a chance to try it in a studio yet,but I'm sure that it won't disappoint.

When I received the bass from the store, the action was set,I didn't have to change a thing. I love playing on it from the start.It came to me flawless.

My days of jumping all over the stage are over so I don't see a problem with live playing.The hardward is good, very similar to my Fender.Schellers in black.I haven't had the bass long enough to judge durability,but I always bring the old Jazz along. I think that I'll be playing this bass alot more, and just the jazz a second bass.

I've been playing for 38 years,and very particular to sounds I'm looking for,and so far this bass for the price is hard to match.I'd buy the bass again, and maybe move up to one of their high end product.One thing I've found in playing for some years and that's a bass is what you want pay for it.That manufactures all use the same pickup and hardware products so you can make almost any bass sound like another, it's just the price you want to pay.or changes you want to make.The pickups are what makes the tone.and also how well the neck and action is.

My Dean Edge-5 was purchased used from a friend who used it for studio work. This bass was practically brand new when I acquired it with only a couple of "belt-buckle" nicks on the back. This Dean features 24 frets, 5-strings (duh), Dean Preamp, Active EMG Bass Humbuckers, Volume, Pickup Pot, Treble Pot, Bass Pot, Silver color, Basswood Body, Grover Tuners, 35" Scale, Bolt-on Maple and Walnut neck, Rosewood Fingerboard and Abalone Dot Inlays. For the money... the features are outstanding on this bass.

This bass is not the best 5-string I've ever played... but it holds it's own and competes with basses that cost twice or even 3 times as much. During the past 3 months, I've used this bass in my project studio to lay down tracks for classic country music, modern hard rock/metal and contemporary folk-rock. The pickup pot allows me to get classic Fender Jazz/Precision style tones when I use the more of the bridge pickup... and fat warm, Geddy Lee-esque tone when I use more of the neck pickup. This bass is better for warm tones and playing with fingered and funk/slap style as opposed to the "pick" style. What impressed me most about this bass was the The Low B string. I previously owned a Carvin LB75 and this bass would buzz and rattle even after being setup by a professional guitar tech. The Low B on this Dean does not buzz and sounds thick, fat and smooth. I use this Dean with a Line 6 Bass POD for recording and for live I use it with the Bass POD and a Fender Keyboard Amp. The only thing I don't like about this bass is the 35" scale. I'm used to basses with a 34" scale, but I'm slowly getting used to the longer scale.

When I first got this bass I restrung it with light gauge strings, slightly lowered the action and set the intonation. I noticed the output was slightly weak... so I raised the pickups to solve that problem. Once the pickups were raised, the bass instantly came to life and became much more punchy and warm. I like my action as low as possible without impeding on my funk/slap style playing. This bass is EASY to play. Playing way up on the neck above the 12th fret is a breeze. All of the notes sound smooth and tight all over the neck. I love the black hardware. It looks great with the silver color of the bass. The fretwork was VERY GOOD on this bass considering the $500 price range. Pickups are not noisy. No visible flaws on the finish of this bass.

Dean basses are made like tanks. The people who gave this bass a low score on reliability BELOW must have owned some real duds or their basses must have been damaged in some way via shipping or other abuse. I must be lucky.. because my bass looks great, plays great, sounds great and feels great. I've owned some nice basses in the past.. like Carvin, Spector, Ibanez, Steinberger and Alvarez... and this bass seems to be made as sturdy as the Spector and the Carvin I've owned in the past.

Never dealt with Dean. Probably won't have to.

I've been playing bass since 1986. I've owned several nice basses over the years. I wanted a good 5-string that would not break the bank. This Dean Edge 5 has been a pleasant surprise. All of this "Korean-made guitar bashing" is foolish. The quality of Korean-made guitars has improved drastically over the past 10 years. Compared to other more prestigious basses that I've owned in the past... this Dean competes with them and is better in some aspects.

I'm writing this in past tense because I sent this one back and got a replacement (warranty). I bought it brand new from a dealer. The replacement was an Edge with 5 strings, not an "Edge 5" like I had originally bought. Look for my review on the regular 5-string Edge also.

Korean made, 24 fret bolt on neck, 5-string, transparent blue on basswood, controls: volume, blend, bass, treble, dual soapbar pickups.

I'm saying 2 because a 10 would require world class features and quality. This bass wasn't really even 20% comparable to world class.

Average utilitarian insignificant style bass sound. There isn't much to be expected from the generic pickups, pots and preamp that is in these basses.

The neck pocket was routed too deep, so the neck sat too low into the body. It also had sandpaper shims inside the pocket which I think was to tilt it back from the body. This would have been ok if the bridge was recessed low with the saddle plate's outer surface flush with the body, but it has a thick plate mounted on top of the finish. It was impossible to get anywhere near "low" action without shimming the neck so it would tilt back even more from the body. That made the relief adjustment practically useless... its frets buzzed everywhere like that.

One of the neck bolts was compacted down into the body so deep that the neck screw was beginning to crack the rosewood fingerboard, meaning the screw (or screws) were going way too deep. That deep, compacted screw would not torque down like it should have.

The neck slid around in the joint with very little pressure. It was only a little bit of sliding around, but that is too much! There should be no sliding around unless you're applying near breaking pressure.

I sent it back for a warranty after only having it 4 weeks because of all of it's flaws. I gave it a good trial and attempted to salvage it, even though "brand new" isn't supposed to require a salvage job. I did not abuse it. I just played it very frequently and heavily, and tried some neck pocket shimming. It proved to be a worthless instrument after a 4 week long test.

This bass was nothing but a waste of a third of the money I should have spent on a $1000 instrument.

I had to go through the dealer to get a return authorization number, which is ok, except for the following details: The bass I received as a replacement was an inferior model, an Edge with 5 strings, not an "Edge 5". The thing is, the dealer received the replacement bass, not me. The dealer sent me an Edge with 5 strings, but I do not know if the dealer sent THE bass Dean was sending me or if they switched around and kept my supposedly perfect "Edge 5". I wouldn't be wondering this if Dean had just sent the replacement to my address.

I've been playing since age 12, since 1985. I'm almost 30 with 17 years of experience. Embarrassed to still be considering $300 to $500 basses. My past basses are a Carvin LB75, an Ibanez Soundgear 805, a Fender P/J, and a Washburn MB 5. This Dean Edge 5 was the worst of all those.

I wouldn't buy this bass again, no way. I don't care if one did somehow turn out perfect. I've bought my last foreign made bass.

The bridge isn't centered and the body wood is very, very soft

This bass uses EMG's good name to sell crap to good people who don't know any better. These pickups leave much to be desired by giving a very mid-sy tone and lack of options.

The pickups were really low, so i brought them up a little, which really added to the tone.

The finish and body wood are very soft, lending the bass to scratches and gouges. This also worries me that i'll pull out a strap button.

I think I'll go with a pre-gibson Tobias Growler this time.

1999, made in Korea. Two EMG passive pickups. Blend, Volume and Tone knobs. Three piece neck with 35" scale, basswood body. I have the translucent red finish.

I play it through a SWR WM 15. Instrument is quiet but only has one sound. Tone and blend knobs have very little effect. It is OK is you like the sound it has but it only has the one sound. The EMGs sound very dry and sterile.

Instrument was set up too low with lots of fret buzz. I raised the action, put some bow in the neck and set the intonation. Have tried raising and lowering pickups to get some difference in the sound without success. Finish was excellent and quality of construction was good except for some of the higher frets which I had to file and polish.

Should hold up, seems to be well built. I haven't used it much because I prefer the tone from my other basses (Fenders).

No experience.

Been playing semi-professionally over thirty years. Play upright and electric. THis bass does not compare sound-wise to my Fender Jazz. The Jazz is much, much more flexible in getting different tones. I am trying to get rid of this bass.

Ok, my guitar was built in Korea, I bought the fretted five string version, but you can get it with 4, 5, or 6 strings and in fretless. The body is made from 4 or 5 pieces of basswood, which is not what I wanted, but for 400 clams, ya can't complain. Passive electronic/pickups. Nice EMG-HZ humbucking pickups, though. Three piece maple neck with Grover tuners (sweet). 35" scale. I like the feel of the neck, but the fretwork is iffy high up on the neck.

I don't use any effects when I play, and the bass has a nice punchy tone, which is good for the music that I play (rap-rock, heavy metal). You can dial in some treble for slapping and popping, but also retain the low sounds. I have played this bass from metal gigs to jazz and latin concerts, and it has not disappointed yet. There is some hum from the neck pickup at high volumes, though. Nothing that bothers me overly. I sometimes wish that it had more of a jazz bass growl, but this seems trivial compared to its numerous positive attributes.

Setup on my bass was OK, but not great. I have lowered the action and the intonation was a bit off. The neck pickup came a little loose, but some screwdriver work soon fixed that. After a while the strap button on the horn came loose, but some locktite fixed that. Other than that, the bass is beautiful. Great finish (I got translucent black). The frets are very large, I don't know if that is good or not.

This bass is the most solid bass I have ever played. It is heavy, so buy a good strap, but feels like it could be dropped of a small skyscraper and only sustain minimal damage. The hardware is also of good quality, all name-brand anodized aluminum stuff. So far I have not had to adjust the truss rod, and I have had the guitar for over a year. I would and have used this guitar on gigs without feeling I would need a backup. This bass has a rather thick finish that has not peeled of chipped off anywere despite having been bashed around a few times.

N/A It had a one year warranty.

I have played bass for 1 1/2 years (guitar convert), and usually play through a 300 watt peavey stack or 120 watt Hartke combo. The guitar sounds great through both of them. If this bass were stolen I would first hunt down and beat the culprit, and then replace the instrument with either a Dean Edge Q6 or MTD 5 string. I would like this bass to have active electronics, but you can't win 'em all.

1998 model made of Basswood as far as I can tell. Volume, tone, blend knobs; passive electronics. Transparent black finish. 35" scale.

I play this through a Hartke head and Carvin 210 cab. Dead quiet with a good rock sound. Not really a slapper, but does produce highs when tweaked.

I didn't have to mess with the set-up other than to lower the action a bit. But that's my taste; it played fine when I got it. No flaws.

So far so good. It is what it is. Which is a $399 bass. I'd never go without a backup, but it seems fairly sturdy.

I am primarily a 4-string player and wanted to get my feet wet with a 5. It's really light and a great first five string.