Putting the Spotlight on our Techs
Brent
Tech Specialist for over 17 years.
Not quite born with a bass in my hands but pretty close as I have been involved in music for over 18 years.
Knowledge and technical expertise comes from years of studying as a recording engineer and playing bassist in various bands.
"The Z79 delivered in spades..."
My first impression of the Dean Z79 was one of relief. After playing a Les Paul Standard for years, I was expecting the Z79 to be a heavy guitar due to its large body style, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Although not a lightweight, this guitar felt comfortable enough to play long sets without inducing neck strain. The layout of the volume and tone controls along with the pickup selector seemed all too natural and the neck played nice and fast thanks to its low profile. Although, I have to say it did take a little getting used to coming from a fat Les Paul style neck.
Sonically, this guitar packed a punch. The model we tested was loaded with EMG 81/85 pickups creating a massively thick overdrive tone. From the chunky lows to the screaming highs, this guitar is a lead players dream. If I had to give it one criticism, I did miss a little of the warmth you get with a good quality set of Alnico pickups.
Knowing Dean’s reputation, I was expecting a rock axe designed to melt faces and to its credit, the Z79 delivered in spades. The thing that surprised me the most was how pristine the clean tone was. When played through the clean channel, the Z79 supplied extremely clean mids along with bright highs and a smooth yet responsive low end.
Conrad
Tech Specialist for over 8 years.
I do not remember exactly when I first started playing but some of my first childhood memories involve music.
Vocalist/Guitarist for a punk rock quartet for 10+ years.
"Dean has made its mark providing strong and sturdy guitars with aggressive outputs..."
My first thought when I picked up the Dean Z79 was how big the headstock is. To my surprise, when I threw the strap over my head it was a decent weight that was just slightly neck heavy so it was quite comfortable to hold. I played it for about an hour and I really liked the wider string spacing despite my small digits and found that the low-set neck joint made it super-easy for me to hit those hard to reach notes.
The active EMGs made for impressive distorted overdrives that were almost too dirty for me but when set to the clean channel on my amp made for incredibly bright and sultry solos and chords. Very Nice.
All-in all it was a fun play, and I can see how Dean has made its mark providing strong and sturdy guitars with aggressive outputs. It may not be the guitar for everyone, but it definitely blows away other models I've held.
Jay E
Product Specialist for over 2 years.
Musician for 30 years and vocalist since I could draw a breath. Getting me to talk and sing was easy, getting me to shut up was the real challenge.
"A beautiful and very playable guitar with character all its own..."
Sleek...Clean...Powerful...are all words that are normally associated with one of America's passions...the American sports car, but they can also be used to describe one of America's other true loves …the electric guitar and the Dean Z79 certainly fits into that category.
The Dean Z79 has the look of an American icon from the Explorer style body to its classic white finish to the over sized headstock detailed with yet another American icon the eagle's wings. I loved the speed of its set Mahogany neck with its Rosewood fingerboard adding warmth to the raw horsepower that the EMG 81 and 85 pickups provided. It played well from clean to shred and always had power to spare. The tone was excellent and with the set neck I had sustain for days.
Over all with its classic lines, Grover tuners, Tune-O-Matic bridge and Abalone dot inlays this is a beautiful and very playable guitar with character all its own and is one you will find hard to put down.