Dean EAB Review ­- The Budget Champion

Body And Neck:
Electronics:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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Dean has pushed through as one of the most generous brands when it comes to affordable instruments. Their EAB is among the most interesting acoustic bass guitars you can get at the moment. Considering the current price, this thing really brings a whole lot of performance to its prospective users.

Body & Neck

On a first glance, Dean EAB looks like a rather solid instrument. They went for a jumbo body shape that is made of mahogany and spruce. As you can probably assume, mahogany is what you'll find on the side and back, while spruce is the tonewood of choice for the top. The level of detail and build quality are both impressive. We are looking at white binding all around the top as well as the fretboard. Neck is fitted to the body with enough confidence, which is something to pay attention to when researching acoustic bass guitars. In terms of overall quality, Dean offers that much needed consistency. Due to its shape, it might take some time to get used to, but thanks to a slim waist this process tends to be very short. Finally, you can get this guitar with a black finish, or natural as the one above.

Hardware

When it comes to hardware, Dean has covered all of their bases correctly. By that we mean that tuning machines are spot on, which can also be said about the bridge and saddle. Is there room for improvement? Sure, but stock hardware most definitely meets the requirements and expectations in terms of performance. Since this is an acoustic electric bass, there is also a preamp built into Dean's EAB. It is their own unit that features fairly simple controls. You can adjust volume and treble. In this price range, that's about all you can count on seeing anyway. Overall, the electronics are fairly decent and reliable. Even though this isn't exactly a budget guitar, a proper setup can do it so much good. We feel that adjusting the action a little can allow you to tap into a reasonably higher level of performance.

Sound

One of the best things about Dean EAB is its body shape. Whether or not this is a true jumbo is up for discussion, but that doesn't take away from the fact that you get to enjoy that massive lower bout. In practical terms, that means that lows are going to come out sounding massive, convincing and fairly sharp. On top of that, we have the overall projection that does a great job at separating various frequencies. Trebles and mids are present and defined, but they don't muddy up the sound when you start hitting those low notes. When it comes to the on board electronics, Dean's passive preamp has proven to be pretty effective. Despite the lack of more advanced controls, it allows you to adjust the tone to a reasonable point. Best of all, it renders the acoustic sound of EAB with a decent level of authenticity.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, Dean EAB offers a lot at a very reasonable price. Build quality is great, attention to detail satisfactory, while the performance speaks for itself. Whether you're a beginner looking for a decent starter guitar, or a intermediate player, this acoustic bass is for you.

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