Dean DBZ Imperial

[Pilgrim]

Ran into this bass yesterday in a music store in Provo, UT while in town for the WSU-BYU game.  it's the Dean DBZ Imperial bass.

One of the nicest sounding basses I have tried, and a LOT of tone variation possible with vol/tone and also stocked treble and bass controls, as well as a coil switch.  I played it through a Genz-Benz Shuttle 3.0 and a Genz 2x10 speaker and it just sounded incredible.

But the most interesting thing is that its body is only about an inch thick, and only 3/4" thick around the edges.  Beautiful laminate body with mahogany base, maple top and flame maple veneer as the top layer.  Set 34" neck finished in the same dark drown as the back of the mahogany body.

This music store had it at $679 and I was very, very tempted.  This is one freakin' gorgeous bass with a lovely side profile and it's LIGHT.  I'd guess its weight at around 8 pounds or just under. 

But I'm kind of saving for a Gretsch Thunderjet...and those are big money.  Cheapest I've seen used on Ebay in a year has been $1200.

[TBird1958]

You were in Provo and you didn't look George ( Old Man C) up?
Did the Cougs win?

[Dave W]

Nice!

This is a DBZ, not a Dean. Two separate companies founded by the same guy 30+ years apart.

I really like the design, but not the flamed maple. This one is more my style.

[Pilgrim]

Mark, I confess that I don't have a good mental inventory of where forum members are.  My apologies for the omission!

Dave, in person that flame is absolutely luscious.  I can't argue with black (always nice and tasteful) but the flame maple did a Jimmy Carter on me - it created lust in my heart.  Also, the light weight and impeccable finish work coupled with the incredibly thin body all impressed me.

Thanks for the clarification on the distinction between Dean and DBZ.

[Dave W]

I'll have to try to check one out. Unfortunately the only local dealer listed is at the other end of the metro, and Best Buy doesn't carry it in-store.

[uwe]

"Mark, I confess that I don't have a good mental inventory of where forum members are.  My apologies for the omission!"

How can you not! I find it impossible these days to hear the word "Seattle" without automatically thinking of fishnets and other elements of Mark's s(e)at(tl)orial splendor. Whenever Edith watches "Grey's Anatomy" (which I'm generally not allowed to co-watch or even be around in the apartment: "It spoils it for me because you are not attentive and make silly remarks or, worse, are provocatively disinterested which I find irksome ...") I'm half-expecting Mark to be rushed into the hospital because he broke an ankle or something from his high heels.

[Pilgrim]

Entschuldigen Sie!

My geographic shortcomings are manifest.  I hope that you folks can picture me in a lovely college town full of 1900's buildings, with craft breweries scattered about the area.

Here's a shot of town looking west into the foothills of the Rockies:



My daughter was a server for seven years at this former bank building, now pizza place, located at the epicenter of Fort Collins' downtown:



A different shot of oldtown:



This is a few miles out of town:

[uwe]

Sehr schön, and it probably rains less than in Seattle too.

That Rockies view is breathtaking.

[TBird1958]

Sehr schön, and it probably rains less than in Seattle too.

That Rockies view is breathtaking.

 Height of summer here, we've gone 43 days without rain - amazing!

The Front Range is most impressive, I remember returning home to Seattle after a roundabout family road trip in 1970 as we crossed Kansas and then eastern Colorado the Rockies were indeed quite a sight. I returned in 1982 to photograph the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad - quite a trip!

 Re Grey's Anatomy, I don't watch the show - I've heard they do a lot of CGI for the backgrounds, they likely shoot a good deal of it in Vancouver, B.C. as it's much friendlier to the motion picture industry - Vancouver is Canada's Hollywood. 


 

[exiledarchangel]

Whenever Edith watches "Grey's Anatomy" (which I'm generally not allowed to co-watch or even be around in the apartment: "It spoils it for me because you are not attentive and make silly remarks or, worse, are provocatively disinterested which I find irksome ...")

Oh I know the feeling, wife hates me when I do this. Anyway, House is MUCH more better than this gay anatomy crap

I'm half-expecting Mark to be rushed into the hospital because he broke an ankle or something from his high heels.

You know, a Mark - Hugh Laurie meeting would be kickass on screen!

[Pilgrim]

You know, a Mark - Hugh Laurie meeting would be kickass on screen!

If Mark were in full performance costume, it could become a TV classic!

[TBird1958]

 Definately, there aren't enough Drag Queens on Network TV