Specifications

Manufacturer:
Dean Guitars, deanguitars.com

List Price:
$1,412.50

Originally published in Guitar World, October 2010

The Deceiver is one to check out if you’re looking for a Floyd-equipped shred machine without sharp edges or ho-hum superstrat styling.

Dean is probably best known for making flamboyant pointy guitars. But the company also makes a variety of curvaceous single-cutaway beauties that are just as shredtastic. The Deceiver FMF model shares a lot of common mfeatures with another famous single-cutaway solidbody with a mahogany body capped with a flame maple top, but with its original Floyd Rose tremolo, EMG pickups and slim contours, it’s no vintage throwback.

FEATURES

The Deceiver FMF looks both classy and lethal with its black hardware, figured top and headstock overlay, and abalone body binding. The hardware is all top-notch, from the Grover tuners and original Floyd Rose locking tremolo system to the EMG 81 (bridge) and 85 (neck) humbucking pickups. The guitar comes with either a deep-red Scary Cherry or smoky Transparent Black finish that subtly reveals the top’s tiger stripes. The 24-fret, 24 3/4–inch-scale neck seamlessly attaches to the body with a smooth contour that makes the set neck feel like a neckthrough-body guitar and provides unrestricted access to the uppermost frets. A generous cavity routed out below the Floyd’s fine tuners allows guitarists to pull notes way up as well as drop them down to oblivion.

PERFORMANCE

With its classic combination of EMG pickups, the Deceiver FMF is a squealin’ shred machine that maintains definition even when played through an amp with outrageous levels of gain. The Floyd gives the overall tone a little more bite and presence, but the bass is still big and beefy. The deep cutaway, contours and scale length make it easy to stretch from the 14th to 24th fret, and the slim C-profile neck allows players’ fingers to fly effortlessly across the lower 14. The volume knob is strategically located for performing quick volume swells with the pinkie, while the tone knob is out of the way (where it belongs).

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Deceiver is one to check out if you’re looking for a Floyd-equipped shred machine without sharp edges or ho-hum superstrat styling.

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