Dean Guitars Performer DAO Acoustic/Electric Bass

2005 Dean Performer acoustic-electric 4-string bass. Jumbo body, medium (32") scale, DAO wood with a Celtic rosette around the soundhole. Finish is satin. Has a Fishman 3-band eq - piezo pickup.

I ordered the Dean HSC which is very nice and plush. Came with an allen wrench and two bridge adjustment pieces...thin plastic inserts.

I have been looking to get an acoustic-electric bass for a long time. I gig with a Fender Roscoe Beck V, and my baby is a Ken Smith BSR5MW (no smoky bars for this one). I just wanted something that I could get a totally different sound, similar to an upright, but something more woody and just different.

I tried Martin, Michael Kelly, Takamine, Guild, and some low-end A/E basses at Sam Ash and Guitar Center. I was able to test this bass out at a retailer outside of Chicago and knew, based on finish and sound, that this is the one I wanted.

It is medium-scale, so sitting on the ground next to my other basses, it is the same height. This helps with playing, too, as my hand and arm fall in the same position. Getting strings will be a challenge, as no one seems to make/carry medium-scale strings.

Unplugged, with Phosphor Bronze strings, it sounds like an acoustic guitar. No surprise there. Very resonant and medium loud. It will compliment a couple of acoustic guitars unplugged, but not enough volume against drums and electric guitar.

Plugged in, it has a nice full tone, but if you push the volume, expect feedback. Again, no surprise. Piezo pickups tend to do this. I was able to dial in a nice, woody bass tone with the eq that sounds very full and warm without feedback. I purchased a Feedback Buster soundhole insert, which fit nicely into the bass. With this on, feedback was not a problem. In fact, this $9 accessory actually improved the tone to my ears.

I have a defretter effect that I hooked up to this bass?very upright sounding.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the tone and tonal options.

This was drop-shipped from Dean in a case. It came out of the case in perfect condition with near-perfect setup (everybody has their own preferences as to what is the perfect setup).

This bass is beautiful with the DAO wood. The pictures on the Dean site do not do it justice. It has a depth to it that changes with different lighting. My buddy who saw it fell in love with the wood and the Celtic rosette...that looks perfect on this instrument. I wiped it down with some Ken Smith "secret sauce"...the wood looks incredible with this stuff on it.

Hardware looks good, finish is excellent, fret ends were clean and level. Phosphor bronze strings will take some getting used to, but a little Fret Ease will help.

Dean has done an excellent job with this bass.

Cannot comment yet on live play, but I knocked it over last night (on carpet) and it seems okay. Finish is satin and seems likely to holdup under playing conditions. Hardware looks like Schaller tuners...Fishman systems seem to last. End pins and nut are plastic, which I will likely replace sometime. They work fine though as is.

One grip is that it doesn't come with a strap button for the front. I put one on the neck heal and the bass balances nicely with a strap.

I will never gig hard with this bass...not suited for classic rock or blues. But I will be playing it at church every chance I get and with an acoustic combo I'm working with.

No need so far. Ordered from Music 123 and they had Dean drop-ship it to me. Straight from Dean it was set up nice and looks/feels great. I emailed Dean with a question and got a response in less than an hour.

Five year warranty if needed. I hope not, cause this bass is beautiful to look at and play.

Only issue: this is a medium-scale bass, and I have had a challenging time finding medium-scale strings. Likely I will have to get short-scale and have minimal winding on the pegs.

I've been playing bass for 30 years. Own/have owned a variety including Pedulla, Washburn, G&L, Fender, Ken Smith, Guild and amps including Fender, SWR, Hartke & Eden.

I wish I had checked out the availability of medium-scale A/E bass strings, but I still would have purchased.

If lost or stolen, I would replace in a heartbeat.

Love the finish, fit and feel. Don't like limited availability of medium-scale strings.

As mentioned, I tried Martin, Michael Kelly, Takamine, Guild, and some low-end A/E basses at Sam Ash and Guitar Center. I knew, based on finish and sound, that this is the one I wanted.

Music 123 special orders these, and, if you are going to get one, I would get it drop-shipped from Dean and spend the extra $$ for the HSC. That way, it has not been abused in a music store and the strings are more fresh.