Dean Guitars Edge European Custom Select

Year: 2003 (probably), Made at Spector Whse in Czech Republic
Neck: 24 fret (2 octave), bubinga top
Body: Honey Maple laminated, Alder
Controls: Volume, Blend, Bass, Treble
Pickups: 2 EMG-HZ passives
Electronics: Stock 2 band Active EQ (Bass & Treble), 9v
Tuners: Grover
Hardware: Black

Right of the wall, it had a beefy Spector-esque sound. The Bass controls were good, adding more boom. Treble was kind of weak. Active EQ has dip switches on the circuit board to fix that. Great rock/metal scooped mid sound.

This bass was not really set up from the factory, and the music shop wasn't interested in taking care of the minor fret buzz on the high strings before placing it on the showroom floor. The pickups were adjusted right on and the high gloss-finish was flawless. The fit and finish of all the hardware was impecable.

I did play this bass in a live setting for about a month before starting modifications. I hit kind of hard when I slap and must of jarred some solder connections loose. I fixed that with all new wiring and a new Bartolini Pickup/EQ System. Its a workhorse now.

Dean has a high standard even for their lower end stuff, but unless it is severe, like a crack in the body or neck, I don't mess with warranties.

?I used to play fenders until I started playing in drop ?C? tuning. They just don?t handle the tension change on the neck. You get a spongy-soft feel when you attack the strings because the neck just doesn?t offer enough tension. I refused to hop onto the 5-string bandwagon, I mean - who wants to transpose everything, and who really uses that high string when you got the low B? So I began searching for the right 4 string bass for this low tuning. I tried a lot of basses and figured out that most of the stuff out there today is shit, unless you spend at least a grand. Then I was lucky enough to stumble upon a kick ass, reasonably priced bass made by Dean called the ?Edge European Custom Select?, and bought one of these brand new for around $650 after hearing its immense ?Spector?-like tone. It?s no wonder because these basses were made on the same production line with the same materials as the European Spectors. The neck-thru construction and the solid, shapely, heavy alder/mahogany body gives you great tone and Sustain. The ever-long 2 octave Scale neck is perfect for tuning down and slapping Some GHS 6025 heavies on there, once you have it heat-sync?d and truss adjusted by a pro. The necks are slim at the headstock, like a jazz, and play smooth, even with the low .115 E. I recommend gutting the EMG passives and upgrading to an Agular or Bartolini setup with an 18volt, 2 or 3 -band EQ system. You?ll get the full effect of the bass?s tone with plenty of headroom and tone-scooping possibilities. Play this setup in conjunction with an Ampeg or SWR rig and you?ll sound like a pro. I liked this bass so much that I now own 2 of them! The only down side is that they don?t make this version anymore because the Spector plant in the Czech Republic went belly up, so if you want one of these great, inexpensive masterpieces, you?ll have to scour used music stores, pawn shops, and ebay. With a little TLC and some patience for your conversion, this bass will become your primary instrument that can kick the butts of the top of the line basses from Spector, Warwick, Ibanez, and others. Check them out if you can find one.