Product: Dillion DL-6500 Deluxe
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
06/03/2009
at
02:38pm
by
Larry
Features
:
10
The guitar is a Les Paul clone with an AAAA flame maple top, ebony board, Wilkinson humbucker pickups and all the extras you'd expect from a deluxe model guitar. It is equipped with the standard 3-way switch and 4 volume and tone knobs. The body is mahogany, and the neck is 1 5/8 inch at the nut. It also has a glossy finish and is tastefully trimmed with 3-ply binding and abalone fret markers. The tuners are Grover 18 to 1 ratio, and the bridge is a Wilkinson Tune-O-Matic type. I also ordered the deluxe hardshell case. The guitar is made in Korea for Dillion USA.
Sound
:
9
I play blues, jazz, country, rock and anything else that has a beat except c-rap. I tested the guitar raw through a 30 watt 1 X 12 Orange amp at lower volumes. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Wilkinson pickups. For low priced pickups made in Korean, they excel. Sweet transparent overdriven tones that are equally suited for knopfler as well as Santana...not even a little harsh and capable of cutting through the mix. At first the guitar did sound a bit thin, but after raising the bridge just a hair I was able to dial in deeply satisfying tones. You can also dial in a nice clean tone by simply rolling back the volume. However,the most noticeable thing is the silence of the pickups. I can honestly say it's the quietest guitar I've ever heard. I would rate the pickups an 8 compared to the very best, but I would rate the inherent tone of the guitar a 10.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
When the guitar arrived the strings were extremely low and buzzed, but a minor tweak of the bridge quickly remedied the problem. The
1 5/8 inch neck is fast, and the strings can be set very low without buzzing. I found no reason to adjust the pickups. Although the beauty of the guitar is breathtaking, the pieces of the book-matched top could have been better matched. The finish is near flawless, and the overall workmanship and hardware is excellent.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
The guitar weighs about average for an LP, and the hardware appears to be equal to the top-of-the-line. The electronics also seem to be meticulously wired, and everything works as it should without the least bit of static. I think it will be a very durable guitar.
Customer Support
:
10
I exchanged 4 emails with John Dillion, and he seems to be very conscientious and is obviously proud of his guitars. This comment also extends to Tony of Musicians Mate who expressed the same sentiments. I think customer service would be excellent if ever needed.
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing electrics about 25 years. During that time I've owned at least 30 guitars. I have 18 in my collection now including 2 Don Grosh Retro Classics and a Gibson Custom Shop LP. I also have 6 amps including a Kendrick hand-wired and a VHT Pitbull. I have a Songworks Little Lanilei 3350LT on order. The effects devices are too many to mention. I love the guitar, and yes I would buy another if it were stolen. My favorite feature is how solid it's built. My least favorite feature is the failure to properly match the book-matched top.
