Dean Review: Icon

History:

Purchase: I saw my first Dean Guitar at a local music shop named Kelly's Music Mart in Roanoke Va.that carries a full line of guitars, basses, amps and accesories. The guitar I saw was an Evo seven string that blew me away. The fit and finish were unbelievable at any price, but the asking price for this particular axe was somewhere around $449, which really surprised me. I expected to see a price tag over a grand. After talking to the manager of the shop for a bit, I came home and hopped on the internet to check out the Dean website @ www.deanguitars.com to see what they offered. I've always been a fan of PRS guitars, but could never justify purchasing one since I don't play professionally, and have a family to take care of. But the overall finish of that Dean seemed to be just as fine as that of any PRS I've seen, and for less than 1/4 the price. Well, I found the Icon on the Dean website and went back to Kelley's to check the price and ordering requirements. They were more than happy to order it for me, telling me it should take 3-4 days for it to arrive. I gladly paid the $349 + taxes, and as promised, picked the guitar up 3 days later.

What I Like About This Dean Icon: When I opened the box at the music shop, I almost fell over backwards. The guitar was even more than I had hoped for. (I had reservations about ordering the guitar not ever having seen, much less played this particular model). The fit and finish are absolutely flawless, the neck is fast and smooth, the action, out of the box no less than perfect and the tone, when hooked up to my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, ranges from sweet & melodic on the clean channel to as dirty as you could want to get on the second channel. The balance is very good, while the weight is comfortable. I also like the fact that it features string thru the body as it really does increase sustain. The hardware was everthing the ad on the website claimed it to be, so there were no disappointments at all.

What I Do NOT Like About The Dean Icon: The only thing I've found that I don't like about this guitar is the fact that if I want to hot rod it by addding toggle switches for phasing, I'd have to alter the body as it has no pick guard. (But I knew that when I ordered it).

Dean Icon Quality Rating:

Review Summary: If you're looking for the most guitar with the best fit and finish for your money, you need not look any further than this axe. I would recommend this guitar for any level of player, from beginner to expert. And at the price, you can even afford to by a backup or start a collection if you so desired

Rating of this Dean product: 5

This Dean Icon Electric Guitars Review Submitted By: Brian K. Hicks

Review Date: 2001-10-10