Dean Edge 09

[Rob DiStefano]

Just got this from MF for $119/delivered. Geez, what a nice bass for cheap! Nice build and materials, mahogany stained basswood body, 34" scale, sealed tuners, single soapbar bumhucker, 7lbs.12ozs. Quite playable right outta the box and the pickup/tone reacts very nicely to finger and pick playing. Yeah, the pots and jack are junkers so they'll get swapped out, and I'll slap on some flatwounds. The fingerboard and frets are good to go, but I'll dress the fret ends a bit rounder to suit my tastes. In all, a dang good buy for someone needing either a bass for recording or a first bass for serious playing.

[emisilly]

Rob is right. Dean makes a darn good "budget" bass. I have an Edge 4 fretless. 2 EMG soapbar p/ups (passive electronics though..to me a good thing). Lined fretboard. Sounds amazing, no matter the price. In all honesty, and this may be hard to believe, but with the exception of only a couple of other fretless basses I've played (Roscoe and a Pedulla..both over $2k) it's the best sounding I've heard. Really nails the "mwah" with the bridge p/up soloed. Play towards the neck w/ the front p/up isolated and on tape you'd swear it was an upright. Just put on a set of Chromes flats and now it just kills me everytime I play it. Think I paid around $250 for it.

[Rob DiStefano]

We're kinda thinking alike - I eventually plan on pulling the frets and replacing 'em with maple veneer for a lined fretless. How well does yer Edge 4 "mwah" with just the neck pup?

I just changed over to flatwound Daddyo Chromes, too, and the tone is real nice through either the GK or PB heads and a 2x12 cab, either fingerpicked or plectum picked.

[emisilly]

With the neck p/up solo'ed it gets a very good "mwah", but it has more of a P bass hollowness and a different midrange. The fretless growl really wakes up with the bridge p/up, but that has more to do with the p/up placement. This makes Jaco-like burpy tones jump out with ease. Something about the mids there just cuts and lends itself more to a singing fretless tone to me. That being said, I think yours will sound just great as a fretless conversion. Your model has the pickup just a hair closer to the bridge vs. my 2 p/up model, so it should give a nice balanced tone.

Great idea going w/ the maple fretlines. I've had that done in the past (not brave enough to yank out frets myself!) and they just add a nice touch. Good to see real genu-wine wood instead of plastic. Never had any shrinkage problems, but have seen it on a few basses before with maple markers.

Good luck with the project!! I know you just cant leave a good thing alone. I've admired some of your work and I think it'll turn out just great. How about posting a follow up?

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally Posted by emisilly

... Great idea going w/ the maple fretlines. I've had that done in the past (not brave enough to yank out frets myself!) and they just add a nice touch. Good to see real genu-wine wood instead of plastic. Never had any shrinkage problems, but have seen it on a few basses before with maple markers. ...

The thin (.022") hard rock maple veneer is installed with slow set epoxy, wiped down with acetone - terrific wear factor, no shrinkage, no worries. Yep, will do a whole post on going fretless. Maybe in a few months ...

Thanx for the "mwah" scoop ... I might even add a J-Bass bridge pup for a more authentic Jaco tone.

[Captain Simian]

Another fan of Dean basses. I have a pair of Sledgehammer basses that I love. One is mahogany with a rosewood fretboard, the other is ash with a maple fretboard. I have a Bartolini in the mahagony sledge and the the ash is stock. Both are surprisingly light and resonant.