This bass gets 5 stars relative to its price. I have been playing guitar and bass professionally for over 20 years. I have two other 4 string acoustic basses but bought this one because of the 5 strings, positive reviews, and excellent price. The other basses are an Olympia, which has a really neat design, and a Fender that was pretty expensive...around $800 if I remember correctly.
This bass has a huge body, which I believe helps its sound quality immensely. It dwarfs the other two basses I have and two jumbo acoustic guitars I have. It measured 18" lower bought, 21.25" length, and 4.25" depth. The jumbo 7 string guitar I measured was 16.25", 20", and 4" respectively. That makes for a large difference in interior body volume. I expected the low B to be either weak in volume or "boomy", but the bass actually has a very strong and balanced sound across all 5 strings.
I also liked the thin satin finish. I think a thinner finish contributes to a better sound, as the top can vibrate more freely. The satin is very attractive to me. Woods look good with a nice spruce (?) top and mahogany back and sides. The top is obviously laminated and I guess so are the back and sides. Laminated wood tends to be stronger and more durable, so for this monster size bass with lots of string tension it is probably a good choice. Solid wood probably sounds a little better, but for $200 you are'nt getting anywhere close to solid woods for that price.
The pickup works fine and sounds very much like the bass acoustically. I didn't notice the tone slider change the sound very much, but that doesn't really matter as it sounds good as is and you always have tone controls on the amp. The output is weak, so depending on your amp and how loud you want to play, you may start running out of knob travel. I have a nice Fishman preamp somewhere I can always use if need be, although probably not. With an acoustic bass you probably aren't going to play too loud anyway, because the guitar will start to feed back.
Overall I am extremely happy with this purchase.
Dean Acoustic-Electric Bass Cutaway 5 String Satin Finish
3.7 | 61 ratings
Price: 329
Last update: 09-03-2024
About this item
34-inch mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard and pearl dot inlays
Dean passive preamp with volume and treble controls
Celluloid rosette and body binding
Diecast Dean tuners
Mahogany body with Spruce top
Select Spruce Top ~34″ scale ~Mahogany bound neck ~Rosewood fingerboard ~Pearl DOT Inlayes
Die Cast Tuners ~Set Neck ~Celluliod Binding/Rosette
Dean passive preamp with volume and treble controls
Celluloid rosette and body binding
Diecast Dean tuners
Mahogany body with Spruce top
Select Spruce Top ~34″ scale ~Mahogany bound neck ~Rosewood fingerboard ~Pearl DOT Inlayes
Die Cast Tuners ~Set Neck ~Celluliod Binding/Rosette
Product information
| Item Weight | 5 pounds |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 6 x 18 x 51 inches |
| ASIN | B000AAPRBW |
| Item model number | EABC5 |
| Batteries | 1 9V batteries required. (included) |
| Customer Reviews |
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars
61 ratings
3.7 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #114,197 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments) #29 in Electro-Acoustic Bass Guitars #3,178 in Guitars (Musical Instruments) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | April 13, 2004 |
| Back Material | Rosewood, Mahogany, Basswood, Spruce Wood |
| Body Material | Spruce |
| Color Name | Satin Natural |
| Fretboard Material | Rosewood |
| Guitar Pickup Configuration | piezoelectric |
| Scale Length | 34 Inches |
| Top Material | Rosewood, Mahogany, Spruce |
| Neck Material Type | Mahogany |
| Number of Strings | 5 |
| Guitar Bridge System | Fixed |
| Material Type | mahogany, rosewood |
Top reviews from the United States
Thomas W.
Excellent Value!
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2016TJ Floyd
Quality Product for Good Price!
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2013D. Mys
Best of the lower cost acoustic basses
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2014Alex
Sharp frets and buzzy...
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2018Ugly Bald Man
You get what you pay for...If you're lucky
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2016lenny
Plays well...Sound uneven
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2013