Dean’s reputation for low-cost guitars has catapulted the company to great success in the music industry. In the case of the Dean Vendetta XM Electric Guitar, that low-cost also comes with impressive quality. The Dean Vendetta series offers a rock and roll vibe with a classic look. The body’s shape is reminiscent of Stratocasters, yet its bare-bones wooden look gives a more vintage aesthetic than the colored gloss and plastic pickguard of a Strat body. The specs given on Guitar Center’s website indicate that the guitar has a paulownia wood body, maple neck, and rosewood fretboard.
The vintage-looking wooden exterior is complimented by modern features. The guitar has a tune-o-matic-style bridge and contemporary string-through body ferrules. It also features a tone knob, three-way selector switch, and open-coil humbuckers for a gritty sound with maximum output. This electronic configuration is conducive to grunge, rock, or punk riffs, allowing for great musical diversity on the heavier end of the electric guitar spectrum.
The sculpted body is relatively flat. There is some arcing near the edges for interesting visual appeal. It’s shaped uniquely enough that the guitar has a powerful aesthetic presence, yet it is simple enough that the body can be easily carved with a scroll saw in order to add extra components-though such hack-n-slash mods are obviously not recommended for somebody without prior customization knowledge. Unfortunately, the lack of a pickguard means that modification blunders will easily show and cannot be quickly shielded by an inexpensive, replaceable component. For a similar price, the Fender Squier Bullet Strat offers greater customization options, but its initial tone is less impressive. Even though it’s hot-rod potential is a bit lower than some competing guitars, the Dean vendetta XM Electric Guitar still stands out as relatively easily upgraded, keeping pace with Dean’s similar EVO XM Electric Guitar.
The guitar, however, does have a few drawbacks, primarily in terms of comfort. The fretboard is a bit rough, and adjustments to the bridge may be necessary to lower the strings and reduce finger-strain. As aforementioned, the body’s shape is similar to that of a Strat, which can be a positive or negative depending on the guitarist. An important thing to remember about this vintage, double-cutaway silhouette is that the guitar is lightweight; therefore, it can feel awkward for players used to a heftier solid-body guitar. Additionally, the guitar is very thin, meaning it will hug a player’s body closer than larger electric guitars or average-sized acoustic guitars. Depending on the type of guitar a musician typically plays on, the Dean Vendetta XM Electric Guitar may or may not take some getting used to.
Overall, its positive features far outweigh the minor negative points. The Dean Vendetta XM Electric Guitar deserves a very impressive 9 out of 10; it is highly recommended as a cheap guitar offering high-quality sound.
Sources:
zZounds, Dean Vendetta XM Electric Guitar, zZounds.
Guitar Center, Dean Vendetta XM Electric Guitar, Guitar Center.
