Dean Guitars Cadillac Select

Arched Figured Maple Top (Mine is Quilt Maple Trans Amberburst Finish), Mahogany Body, 24-3/4" Scale & 1-11/16" Nut, Grover Tuners, Gold Hardware, Zebra (Dean) Pickups, Tune-O-Matic Bridge, 2 Volume/2 Tone/3 Way Toggle Les Paul Style Control Setup, Set Mahogany Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, Block Inlays, 22 Frets. This is not a USA guitar, not sure of origin, Korea maybe? Neck is of an average not too thick/not too thin profile. This is pretty much everything i was looking for when searching for a guitar to buy, some may prefer a tremelo. If this is the case then i'd say 7 for features.

This guitar sounds really awesome, seriously, way better than a lot of guitars in this price range. I wouldn't be wary of using this around people with more expensive gear because there's just not really any fault with it. I play metal about 90% of the time (yeah yeah, I know, no one outside of metal really cares!!! hehe), and the other 10% of the time rockier, bluesy type stuff and the odd bit of anything else that takes my fancy at the given moment in time, and i really don't have any problems finding appropriate tones for all of those situations, although i'm not as crazily tone-accurate as some people, hehe! I'm playing this through Marshalls, has that classic Les Paul/Marshall type of tone going on, maybe a tad less bass-heavy with a tad more mid-range crunch, definitely lighter than any Les Pauls i've held. Has less of a compressed tone than a lot of modern guitars, more of a raw, crunchy type of tone, but with more richness and fullness from the mahogany body and neck than say from an alder bodied superstrat styled guitar. Unplugged the guitar resonates very nicely. I stood next to my 100 watt Marshall TSL on the lead channel and turned the amp up to 5 with all guitar controls on 10, no microphonic feedback, obviously a little buzzier than say an EMG loaded guitar, but this lends itself to the less-compressed/more raw style of tone that the guitar oozes. I can get that classic Hammett Fade To Black style lead tone from the neck pickup, and the bridge pickup does a killer mid 80's style maiden crunch! (Think Powerslave!) Basically, for blues/rock/metal style tones, I've had no problems, and although i'm not as dedicated to being as tone faithful as a lot of people, it sounds fine for other styles too, sounds good clean too (a rarity on a lot of modern guitars).

Action nice and low, neck a breeze to play on. Pickups were fine, volume is balanced when changing pickups. Finish is fine, no flaws. No hardware flaws. Not meaning to sound biased, hehe! The guitar just came fine with no flaws. The way it should be!

I've not had the guitar for a great deal of time, and i bought it new, so i cannot comment on this section to be fair. There's no real worries i have for it's future, although watch out with that headstock when walking through doorways! Could give your guitar nasty damage!

Not dealt with them, good reputation though.

I've been playing for around 6-7 years, i'm not professional (yet!), just for a hobbie at this moment in time. I own an Ibanez 1983 Rocket Roll Flying V guitar and this guitar, play them through Marshalls (TSL100 and Mini-Stack), when i use pedals i use a Boss SD-1 and a Dunlop Wah. I had a few months to research into which guitar i would like before i purchased this, so i bought this knowing it had everything i was looking for. If it was stolen i'd definitely buy another. This guitar has the added bonus of not being a crazily high priced USA series guitar that you're scared to play on or take anywhere, whilst at the same time sounding high-class. If they did another model with a tremelo, say a floyd rose, this guitar could have the potential to be THE guitar for a whole lot of people! Sounds great for metal, and can clean up well at the same time, how many guitars can do that!

2005 Cadillac Select Tiger Eye finsh, gold hardware, neck thru, and one bad ass headstock

Stock pickups sound simply amazing. I thought I was going to have to change them when I ordered it but they blew me away. This guitar is great for all kinds of music, sounds as good if not better than my stock Les Paul that I paid 4X as much for! Sounds great with my Line 6 HD147.

Action was just a tad high out of the box but that was easily fixed in about 5 min. Pickups were a little high and the strings would touch when I palm muted, but again fixed in under a minute. Guitar now plays better than my $2000 Les Paul Standard! Finish is beautiful, I don't usually like quilt style tops but this one is killer, looks so good hanging next to my LP. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the look of the zebra pickups, but I can just get some covers for them, so I won't deduct any points for that.

Guitar appears to be very durable, and I won't have to baby this one as much as my LP if I were to do a gig. This can be my main axe and if it were lost or stolen it's definetly cheap enough to replace. It doesn't seem like it will dent as easily as my Les Paul and that is a very good thing.

Haven't had it long enough to know, but from what I hear Dean kicks ass. And hopefully I'll never have to deal with customer support.

I have been playing for almost 2 years without any lessons and I would say for that time I am pretty damn good. I know alot about guitars its my true love, and I know what I like, and I really like this guitar ALOT! This thing will go up against anything you can throw at it and definetly hold its own. This guitar is without a doubt the best guitar in its price range, and I would even go as far as saying it rivals top end guitars such as Gibson, PRS, high end Fenders, anything this guitar is amazing, I am now switching from a Gibson player to a DEAN player, although there is one more Les Paul I would like to acquire, Les Paul Standard Limited Edition Manhattan Midnight finish, oh and Zakk Wylde Camo Bullseye. But after getting this one yesterday, I've already decided to go for another Dean, ML Select or Exotica acoustic(Dean makes beautiful acoustics).

Bought in 2003, probably made in Korea considering the price ($400).
With 22 frets, arched maple top, 2 volume and tone controls(plus 3-way selector), my Caddy Select is a standard Dean Cadillac Select(for more specs. check out: http://www.deanguitars.com/cadillac_select.htm).

Plugged in a Line6 Spider 212 the sound is thick, tough and raw (but thats mainly because of the amp). I consider the Dean Cadillac Select as a 'standard' electric guitar, but its a beauty nonetheless. I usually use my Bridge pickup because i find the neck pickup to bass-y, but no matter wich pickup you choice; at high volume they start to sqeawl, wich means a noisegate is required at such volumes (I have another Dean with EMG's and the noise is significatly reduced).

The neck of thuis guitar is amazingly well put together. the Cadillac Select has a neckthough and playing it is like stroking your wee-wee: Tender and satisfying. lol.
The body and bridge on the other hand, seem to be a little off-symmetry. Also i would out that when using the jack plug for a number of times, it seems to unscrew itself and fall off... w'oops. This ofcourse, can be screwed back on(more tightly).

The strapbutton is at a better position, comparing it with other guitars, because it is located at the back/end of the neck. It's hard to explain but it means i can do all kinds of acrobatic stunts without the strap ever falling off from it's button. At home, At rehearsals, at gigs, studio... This guitar can handle it.

Does Dean have such a support?
I geuss they make pretty darn good guitars, since i never needed any customer support.

My 2nd guitar was a Dean VX, i replaced the Dean Zebra pickups with EMG's. When i bought this guitar (3rd) it had the same Zebra Pickups... and exctually it was more to my liking! The Caddy it damn great to play, much easier to do A.H. for example but that's probably just personnal. And last but not least... the Cadillac looks bloody cool (check pic on: http://www.deanguitars.com/cadillac_select.htm).

The only thing that would make it ever more cooler, would be a tremolo (Bigbsy!) Oh well, this'll do.

I'm guessing it's a 2004 or maybe a left over 2003.It is June of 04'and I just bought it brand new so...whatever.I've been sick of worrying about my $2500.00 Les Paul custom at gigs,so i went on the search for something that I wouldn't sweat if it got scewed up at a gig.I still wanted the basic Les Paul feel and style and thats what I got.The coil taps are SWEET,the dual zebra humbuckers are very Gibson490r/498t like in their tone and output,perfect.All Mohagany body with a REAK Quilted Maple top,almost 3/4 inch thick.Its lighter than my LP Custom but I think every other guitar is also,including that 5 neck monstrosity that Rick Nielson plays.I bought this 'cause it has the block inlays like my Custom.Iwas looking at Agiles and the inlays were the deciding factor,not very scientific but it worked for me.The neck is fine,right in the middle,not too fat,not too thin,I prefer bigger but this is fine.

I had all kinds of plans for upgrades but damn,it sounds sweet.The coil taps were not a factor for me,but now that I have them I use them all the time.I mainly use Peavey XXL 1/2 stack and XXL combo for smaller gigs,they are THE Best gigging mans amps in the world.I play everything from GooGoo Dolls to Godsmack and this $400.00 guitar works and sounds every bit as good as my $2500.00 LP Custom.We do The Rain Song sometimes and When I played it on the Caddy with both coils tapped and both pickups at 1/2 volume I got chills.I know Page used the Double neck SG and he played it on the six string side,he must have had coil taps on that as well as his 58'Paul.I only use a couple of pedals and I can get whatever sound i want(XXL):-)The headstock is a bitch,it seems like a guided missle to anything within 3 feet of you,I keep whacking my mic stand and the lead singer too,(not really a bad thing):-)

The setup was fine,frets,action,intonation.I think the finish is fine,feels diferrent from the Gibson,but feels more durable.I don't know,I'm not a finish expert.I think Epiphone gave Korea a bad name.Between these,Agiles,and the Washburns that I've played,Korea or Kalamazoo,close your eyes and I dare you tell the diferrence in the feel or sound.

I've played the crap out of this thing and it hasn't even burped.I put strap locks on everything so that don't apply to me.I never use a backup so this wouldn't be with me if I was worried.The only reason I won't give it a ten is because somewhere somehow someone will break a string and say that asshole on Harmony Central gave this thing a ten.

I've been playing TOO long and I've had Gibsons,Fenders,Washburns,Epi's,even an Orville By Gibson and the only on this don't beat is the Gibson Les Paul Custom.Its just as good if not better than the rest.

Bought this new 2004, made in Korea. Paid 389.00 on Ebay. Veneer top, beautiful Tiger eye finish, but I wonder about the quality, not a lot of depth in the finish. The neck however is top notch, very smooth. Frets are finished nicely-- no dead spots or glitches. Intonation was perfect out of the box. Grover tuners are unlike any I have ever encountered--1/6 turn at times with no change in pitch? Will probably trash them soon.

Pickups are standard Deans--not great, not bad. I run them straight thru my Boss Gt6 into a digital recorder and get just about any sound I want. Neck pickup sounds very good with clean settings. Bridge pickup is ordinary--I prefer EMG 81's.

Fit and finish was excellent. Action was set high but easily lowered to my preference with no fret buzzing at all. NO pops/clicks with any of the electronics--very smooth.

I feel pretty comfortable that this guitar will last. Seems like a well made instrument and should be very dependable.

Never had to deal with the company before.

I've been playing for over 20 yr's. Own many guitars, US BC Rich Mockingbird, Gibson Les Pauls, Moonstone Explorer, Hamer, etc. Always wanted a Caddy since I first saw it in the early 80's-- In my opinion, for the price this Caddy costs, a little $ spent on hardware, it would definitely rival some of my other axes. All in all, money well spent.

2003 Select (means made in Korea) Caddies. The features have been pretty well covered. These guitars are laminated-topped, highly figured and arched, GREAT looking instruments! All mahogany...multi-pieced bodies and spliced necks which keeps the price lower. Mine are Tiger Eye and Amber Quilt finishes. Both are just amazing and everyone who sees them (non Deaners) think they are $2000.00 guitars!). Grover tuners which drip quality, Tune-O-Matics and thick Zebra humbuckers. Sustain and Tone...Tone...Tone! The neck is a very familiar feeling size (see below) with a fairly flat fretboard radius. Maybe 12? I ordered the hardshell cases because Cadillacs are not the most popular guitars and if they decide to stop making them, custom-fit cases may be hard to find. I give them a 9 for the coil-taps which make these guitars very versitile.

When I first plugged these guitar in, I was just amazed! I have played Telecasters for years and actually sold my three Tele's to buy these two Caddy's sight unseen and unplayed! Call me crazy. Back in the eighties, I fell in love with Dean Cadillacs but figured I would never have one. Then they were not made anymore and I wrote them off. After searching the internet, because it was time to shake things up, I discovered that Dean had joined the ranks of other guitar manufacturers and was building guitar in Korea which said to me...affordable!
I have played guitar for over 20 years and have owned many great guitars. Including Les Pauls, SGs, Strats, Gretches, Teles, Carvins, etc. I play a lot of rock music...all kinds. Tom Petty to Blink 182. Skynard to Gear Daddies.
These caddies will do it all! With the coil taps, you can play anything you want too. I still can't believe the versitility of these guitars! The sound will blow you away. After reading these reviews, I saved a little money to replace the Zebra pickups but I've had both of these guitars for a month now and well...I spent my pickup money on other things. These pickups seem to work just fine and I'm still finding intresting sounds every time I play.

These caddies came set up with 9's and I just can't play strings that are that light. I changed them out to 11-48's, adjusted the neck and string height and now I rock all night! After years playing Tele's, I was hoping for a more Les Paul-like action and feel. Well, that's what I got! Perfect feel. I knew that if I compared this guitar to a Telecaster, I would not be happy because I was so used to playing c-shaped, 9.5 radius necks. To my suprise, the caddies are lighter then my Tele's! The neck feels VERY familiar and although the fingerboard is much flater, it seems comfortable and easy to play.
The finishes on these guitars is flawless and amazing! If you're lucky enough to hold one of these before you buy it, you'll probably say what I said..."I hope these play like they look!" They do!

Very solid construction! Don't bang that big ol' headstock around and don't beat up that beautiful finish! When you hold these guitars, they just feel like quality. I would trust them anywhere. I can go out to my guitar room after three days and pick up either one and strum an E chord in perfect tune! Even my Tele's needed a little retune!
I installed strap locks strait out of the box...I always do. I may move the back strap button to the upper horn just to get it out of the way, but that's minor stuff.

I've heard great things about Dean and they have a GREAT message board and web site. Never had to use them so I'll have to give them a 9.

I plug these Caddy's into a Pignose tube head running a 4x10 Carvin cabinet. I use a Morley wah, TS9, Daddy-O, Ice Box chorus running strait in, and a Cool Cat in the effects loop. I REALLY liked this set-up with my Tele's and thought that I would have to hunt for a good sound with the Deans, but my rig just sounded better then ever and I keep getting compliments on my tone. Not my playing, my tone! The clean tones, with the Cool Cat still amaze me! I like to clean things up by tapping the neck pickup, turning the neck volume down about half, run both pickups with the bridge cranked up, through the Cool Cat. Sweet Petty sounds.
I would definatly buy these two guitars again if stolen. They seem to fit me and they are totally different while being familiar! Can't beat the price for this kind of quality either!
I looked at ESP, Gibson, Schecter, and Fernandes...like I said, I was really looking for a change! The Dean name had meant quality and workmanship from day one. They have the hottest guitar chicks around, and the Cadillac is just the SWEETEST guitar body made! Not to mention that totally kick-ass head stock!!
Play one and find out what you are missing. I would really like to play the more expensive modles as a comparison, because I can't imagine a better plaing guitar at any price.

the one i purchased is a 2003 caddy select with the red sunburst finish, flamed maple top. made in Korea. the usual, mohagony, contoured body, 22 frets, 2 humbucking stock dean p/u's with 3 way selector and a coil tap feature., tune-o-matic bridge, gold hardware. it's like a cross between an explorer and a les paul, a lesplorer. i give this guitar a 9 in this category because it has a ton of features but not EVERTHING. i also don't like to give out 10's unless they truely, truely deserve it. when some company builds a guitar that has EVERYTHING and gives blowjobs, wipes your ass and can make you a sandwich then they will truely, truely deserve a 10.

i play everything from jazz to fuckin' metal and this guitar delivered. i am using this thing thru a fender hot rod deville(i'll get my stack when i'm playing arenas),a big fuckin' muff( i prefer the big green russian machines), an electric mistress, a dunlop rotovibe and a dunlop wah. the pick-ups were all right. i actually used it for a while with the stock pick-ups. they made the dean sound sound fatter and hotter than my les paul standard which has vintage 60's paf's. eventually changed pick-ups to dimarzio paf's. i am a seymore duncan man myself but i was broke and all i had lying around were those. actually made the dean sound a lot better. it sounds great but put in some paf's and you are in les paul territory. when run through my set up this thing stepped up and delivered. running the dean through my amp on clean i got some really great clean sounds. the neck pickup sounded nice and warm but gave a nice little bite when i hit the string harder. the bridge pickup sounded VINTAGE when i rolled off the volume to about 6. when i put the amp to overdrive, this thing ROCKED. my amp doesn't get the best overdrive sound but with a great guitar like this dean or my paul, you get CLASSIC FUCKIN' ROCK. AC/DC, Led Zep, the sound is there. notes sustain like they should and i get feed back only when i want it.(if you can't control your feedback that's your problem). when i kick in the big muff all fuckin' hell breaks loose. it's like getting your sound and dropping a hydrogen bomb on it. the dean took the sonic punishment and asked for more, just like a ten dollar whore. this guitar is great, it sounds full and is solid, just think les paul. the pick-ups come tapped. you tap them with the push/pull tone pots for treble and neck. it is a nice and useful function that gives this guitar even more tonal variety. when tapped you do lose some volume(expected) but the sound is well, strat like.

i bought this guitar on ebay. it came properly intonated for the 10's that came with it. i immediately changed strings to ghs 11's and intonated for 11's. i was able to get low action only after i minorly adjusted the truss rod. the action is great now. real low and no buzzing on any frets. great job. all the frets were perfect and after adjusting the truss rod to compensate for the 11's the neck is pretty much how i like it, straight with ever the slightest bow. this guitar pretty much plays like a paul, which is why i bought it. the action is low, playing smooth and fast, although it is not as fast as my paul, which has a 60's slim taper neck. the guitar cosmetically was flawless. the finish was perfect. the binding was perfect. the burst was perfect. i know that people talk shit about guitars that are not american made but this is a great quality guitar. i opened the thing up to see how it was constructed and it was beautifully done. i did not find one thing wrong with my guitar. the gripe i had was not a flaw but the fact that the pickup selector was located at the cutaway and since that is the part that is shaped like an explorer, it is kind of out there and makes it difficult for quick pickup switching in a middle of a song which i do often.

i have played with this guitar live for about 3 months now and this guitar is rock solid. i jump around and it stays in tune. it has not fucked up on me in any way yet. the hardware has the gold starting to fade already which is kind of quick but i don't mind because it looks cooler that way. i moved the strap button that was on the back of the guitar to the side right above the neck where it should be. it feels better now and i also replaced the buttons with schaller strap locks 'cause one time is all it takes and crash! you got a neck split in two and splintered. i never gig without a back-up. i alternate playing shows with the dean as my main or my paul as my main. i rated this category a 7 because it is too soon to give a proper response. i'll get back to you in a couple of years.

never dealt with them

i originally bought this guitar as a back up for my paul or to take to those crazy parties or iffy clubs where i was afraid some punk was going to try to take my paul or accidently drop it off the stage and watch it explode into a splintered mess. Now i alternate between my paul and this dean being my main and the other my backup. i still won't take my paul out to certain shows only because it is a vintage paul and it is my first true guitar that i bought for myself and relearned how to play on. this guitar is a great guitar, i like the headstock and the shape and it sounds fuckin' awesome. yeah my les paul is better and if you got $2000 to spend yeah go get a les paul,but for the price, you will not get a better deal than this dean. it far exceeds any other guitar in it's price range or above it. i would rather spend $500 on a dean than $600, $700, $800 or even $900 on a fender, music man or any other guitar out there. hands down, this dean caddy will kick your ass.

2003, Made in Korea, Trans Amberburst, 2 volume, 2 tone(which tap neck and bridge Zebra humbucking pickups) 3 way switch. Weighs about 8 1/2 pounds.

This is my first guitar so after much research I decided on this model. I attempt to play classic rock. The neck pickup has a very full sound and the bridge has a nice twang to it. There is a drop off in volume when pickups are tapped but not that much. Since this is my first guitar and I'am playing it through a zoom fire 15 amp my rating here carries very little weight so i would give it a 8.

When I received this guitar the pup switch would not stay in the bridge position. There was damage to the box i received the guitar in so probably damage ocuured in shipping or at the store.Took it back and new switch was put in, in 5 min. Finish on guitar body is beautiful 10+. One flaw on bindng of neck is cracked finish about 1 1/2 inches long, may become a problem in a year maybe not. Set up done at store was a little high but everything else was acceptable.

I don't gig but everything seems well made.

5 Year warranty, Dean forums very active and members are helpful people. Deanguitars.com

Overall i think this is a great guitar for what i paid, and if stolen I would buy one again.
I did have to buy a dean case since it is too long to fit in some cases.

This is a Korean made Les Paul style guitar with a quilt-amber-bust veneer finish. It has a medium weight mahogany body and neck and carved maple top. Standard Les Paul controls with push-pull coil taps switches in the tone pots. It came with Zebra humberkers. (The ones with the "Dean" logo; not Duncans.) Grover Tuners. Don't let the "Made in Korea" stamp fool you; except for the pickups which suck, this is a high quality, well made guitar.

There no way around it, the pickups SUCK. I've been playing professional quality guitars for over 20 years and I don't believe most of the hype put out by pickup manufacturers. But these really SUCK BAD! However, if that's how Dean manages to sell such a otherwise high-quality guitar for such a low price, I don't mind replacing the pickups. I replaced the pickups with my favorite set: Seymour Duncan Distortions (4 conductors) w/gold covers. Now this guitar sounds more like a Les Paul than my Epi Les Paul Standard.
And much better craftmanship to boot!

The only problem I've had with this guitar is that the intonation was so far off, I had to take it back to the shop for set up. I'm still making tweaks to the intonation here and there but it's much better than before. The fret job rivals an American made Les Paul.
This guitar far surpases most Korean made guitars I've seen. The action is low, the neck feels wonderful, the body is extremely resonate, producing great sustain. The finish is simply beautiful.

I use this guitar on stage with no fear.

I've had no contact w/Dean.

I've been playing for over 20 years. I own 2 other Deans (Icon Select, Jammer) this one's the best so far. I usually don't by the same guitar twice but if this one were stolen, I'd consider a re-purchase. If you like Les Paul but can't afford an American-made LP
this guitar is worth serious consideration. It's better built than an Epiphone Les Paul, it looks oncredible and with new pickups it sounds damn good. I'm very satisfied with this guitar.

Mine is a Dean European Custom Caddy Select (made in Czechoslavkia). Its got pretty much all of the same features as the Time Capsule Caddy, but I like the curved body a hell lot more than a flat body. I have some Duncans in my guitar instead of the DiMizaro's or Zebra's and i have to admit they let the distortion scream. Usually I find myself using the bridge pickup because i like the sound of it with hard rock and metal solos. But I have found that the neck pick up is very good for a deep bluesy sound. The bridge is a tune-o-matic but the strings that the guitar came with went out of tune pretty easy.

This guitar really has the sound that i had been looking for. It can scream with distortion and still have a good clean sound. Also I find it good for SRV songs and blues in general. I play out of a Line 6 Spider 212 and I can get the sound to vary from SRV to Clapton to Metallica to Chili peppers. I'd really reccomend this guitar to a hard rock guitarist because it just has a real full sound and it can scream as well as most guitars out their for solos.

My guitar is a factory second. There was a problem with the switch at first, it would only let me get the neck pick up, but i went to the shop and it works fine now. But the main reason why it was a factory second was because of a mere lacquer crack on the back. Outside of that crack (which is pretty hard to see even when you look for it) this guitar is a piece of art. The ebony fretboard and Alabone inlay are incredible. The head stock has grown on me, and the body of the guitar is pretty much a black beauty gibson with a harder edge to it. I love it.

I haven't had any problems with the guitar so far. Nothing seems loose and the finish seems like it'll last for a long time. It looks like the Dean guys really knew what they were doing when they put this guitar together.

never called em and I really don't plan on it.

I have been playing for a little over two years now therefore my guitar collection isnt too big, a Standard Stratocaster. I own a Line 6 Spider 212 and the floorboard for it. If this guitar were stolen it would not be a very bright time in my life, I would probably try and buy it again but i know i wouldn't find a deal like i got again. What i love about this guitar is that it just lets me rock out, when i put my amp on the Marshall setting i get that pure old classic rock sound going. What i love about the guitar is its just overall great sound, it sounds better than it looks (and it looks pretty damn good). I have compared it to a custom strat and an Epiphone Custom LP and I knew that my guitar sounded alot better. Theres really nothing more i could ask from this guitar.