Dean Guitars Dave Mustaine V VMNT Gears of War

Year/Location: Serial Number suggests 07 manufacturing. Korean in origin. 24 XJ frets; Solid top body, with ''Gears of War'' graphic. Two volume, one tone knob. 3 way selector. Pickup config is H/H. Pickups are an active set of Duncan 'Dave Mustaine' Livewires, and are extremely hot! Body and neck are mahogany (set neck), with an ebony fretboard. This is a king style 'v' guitar. It's loaded with a tone pros bridge and a string thru body, with Grover 6 in-line tuners. Jim Dunlop recessed straploks are also standard on the VMNT series. The neck is spec'd to a ''dave mustaine'' profile...this is exactly how he recieves the guitars that dean send him. Came with a free Hard case, which is damn heavy!

You are getting a helluva lot of guitar for the money here, the hardware alone is worth about 200usd.

I play a differing array of music, ranging from blues to heavy metal. This guitar fits the metal bill perfectly, and anyone looking for a guitar with DECENT active pups is going to be satisfied. I compared this to my friend's KH-2 and also a USA made dean this blew them both away in every department...and is about 900 GBP cheaper!

I'm using it with my practice amp at the moment, which is a line 6 spider III. It impressed me compeltely with that setup, so I can't wait to test it on my live rig.

This guitar doesn't let any sound escape it's icy fingers! There is absolutely no hum whatsoever.

Okay, on to the actual sound of it. If you are looking for a warm bluesey tone, or that classic clapton sound...a.) I'm afraid it's not gonna deliver, and b.) you should'nt be thinking of buying one of these anyway......away with you! Seriously though, this guitar can certainly pull out all the stops when it comes to tight, precise rythm and brain tearing lead parts...this beast can pretty much handle anything you throw at it; and will ask for more.

As is said above, anyone looking for a diverse guitar, with tons of tone and rich full sounds, you should probably be looking at a similar priced les paul (there isn't many at this price!) with an array of pups. This guitar screams metal...and as long as you quench its' thirst for the heavy, it will please you forever.

I can't say there is anything I dislike about this guitar....other than the fact that you have to change the battery for the actives once in a blue moon.

The action right outta the case was simply put, astonishing; I really couldn't fault the height of the strings, bridge or the pups.

There were no cavity faults, the finish was flawless, and it looks stunning generally. The guys at dean are on to a real winner here...and I'm honoured to be the first to review this hardcore piece of kit.

There's no wobble or give in any of the hardware, and it feels solid enough to withstand a good few years of Capitol punishment....excuse the pun ;)

The frets were nicely polished, the ebony fretboard also has a lovely sheen to it. The mother of pearl inlays, coupled with the fretboard simply gleams radiance and beauty. I rarely have nothing negative to say on this front, but I admit that I've been beaten this time!

I believe that this guitar would withstand live playing for years. It's certainly light enough to keep you playing all night. When I first held it, I thought the guys at the local music shop had sent me a cardboard cut out of the guitar instead! This doesn't mean to say it feels flimsy and weak, on the contrary. It feels a lot more stable than my Dimebag FBD dean.

Hardware is built to last, you can really rely on this. Same goes for the finish, it doesn't look like it can't withstand anything!

The guitar comes with Jim Dunlop recessed Straploks as standard, and are a very useful attribute. It simply means that your guitar will never drop....ever.

I'd never gig without a backup, but this is probably one of the few guitars that I would rely on soley if I had to.

Havn't had to speak to dean, although their website has a lot of information regarding the guitars as well as the forums.

Came with a 1 year warranty from the music shop I bought it from.

Can't really comment on the customer support, as I've never used it!

I've been playing for around 7 1/2 years now, and owned quite a bit of kit in that time. I've played with numerous set-ups, and I have to say this guitar has been a pleasure to play. It doesn't fight against you like most post 1996 jacksons I've played, or the newer ESP range. This guitar welcomes you to play it.

If this guitar were stolen, I'd track the thief down, and scoop what little brain they had out of their heads with a rusty dessert spoon!...or buy another straight away.

This beat every other guitar I tried in the shop hands down, it had the most features, the best set up, and of course Dave Mustaine's signature on the headstock! It's nice to see a more affordable sig model from the Megadeth frontman at last.

I have to be honest here, I was really disapointed at the dimebag signature I had. It cost more than ??100 more than this one, and is terrible in most areas stated here. That said, I was very skeptical at buying another Dean, but decided if it's good enough for Mustaine...it's good enough for me!

Having said all that, this has to be one of the most hardcore metal machines I have ever played. Forget saving for the ESP standard series...grab yourself a great signature guitar, with more features than a Ferrari race car, and more bite than a shark's mouth full of pirhanas.