Dean Soltero

133
TOP DOLLAR DREAM MACHINES GROUP TEST
O
ur man at UK
distributor Bill
Lewington gave it to
us straight: “The metal
thing is all good,” he says, “but
the Soltero is the future for this
company – and you can quote
me on that.”
The sizzle: We could have asked
Dean for a US Soltero (£2,879),
but we settled for the Japanese
SL. As one of the few Deans
to feature curves rather than
spikes, and with a Les Paul-ish
combination of mahogany body,
flame maple top, set mahogany
neck and twin custom
DiMarzio humbuckers, this is a
traditionalist’s guitar.
We say: The fact the Soltero
is more of a plucky contender
than a history-steeped legend
does put it at a psychological
disadvantage. Maybe that’s
why it works so hard. There’s
no denying the quality, with
the smooth and shallow neck
making weeping rock solos roll
off your fingers, the mahogany
body bringing in depth and
sustain, and the Japanese build
quality equalling most US axes.
The impression that the
Soltero is built for soul – not
speed – is consolidated by the
DiMarzio ’buckers. Designed
specifically for this range by Larry
DiMarzio and Dean Zelinsky, it
supplies a uniquely fat voice
that is warm, dark, woody and
alternately sweet as a bell and
dirty as a tramp’s underpants
(depending where the gain dial
is pointing). If you can overcome
the issue of kudos – and, no, it’s
not as cool as an LP – you’ll find
much to love in the Soltero.
p Pickups
The Soltero has a warm and
full tone that isn’t quite like
anything else on the market
Dean Soltero SL
Got the green for a Dean?
For: Classic rock tone, soulful feel
Against: Not the biggest name
✮✮✮✮✮
SUMMARY
TG says: Ace sound for your pound
Jackson Soloist SL2H
Show me the money!
G
iven that Jackson
started as a spare
parts firm, it makes
sense that the Soloist
fused the best bits from existing
models into a pioneering new
metal axe. This 80s superstrat is
ageing surprisingly well.
The sizzle: Built in the US of
A, the SL2H boasts a svelte
alder body, furnished with flame
maple top and bisected by a
quartersawn maple thru-neck.
Hardware and pickups are just
as sexy as the timber, with twin
Seymour Duncan humbuckers
promising high-output mayhem
and a genuine Floyd Rose
double-locking tremolo wobbling
obligingly at the bridge.
We say: The Soloist was born
from endless conversations with
guitarists in Jackson’s Custom
Shop, and that’s probably why
it feels like a player’s axe. The
SL2H handles like a dream, with
the body slim in all the right
places, the cutaways and thru-
neck getting you right up to the
teeny frets, and the speed of the
profile giving TG an entirely false
representation of our technical
ability. It’s the ultimate choice
for guitar virtuosi – a guitar that
laps up every nuance of your
technique. That’s why they called
it the Soloist.
The Soloist may not have the
raw character of the LP, but it’s
born to rock, and offers the most
glorious metal tones when you
make the ’buckers angry. Blame
it on our inner 80s rocker, but we
had to hand it the gold medal.
✮✮✮✮✮
For: Stunning playability, metal tones
Against: Not for non-metallers
SUMMARY
TG says: Pricey, but worth it
Headstock p
What it lacks in fame it makes
up for with its superlative
performance and classy fi nish
p Pickups
A singlecoil pickup could
have added more tonal
options. That’s nitpicking
Headstock
p
The Soloist headstock
will send those indie kids
running to the hills
“THE SOLOIST IS THE ULTIMATE
CHOICE FOR VIRTUOSI, LAPPING
UP ALL OF YOUR TECHNIQUE”
p Body
Visually, the Soltero has
shades of the Les Paul,
and shares its sustain
p Neck
Jackson necks tend
to play like greased
lightning, and the
SL2H is no exception
At a glance
Dean Soltero
BODY: Solid mahogany
with flame maple top
NECK: Mahogany, set
FINGERBOARD: Ebony
fingerboard, abalone inlays
SCALE: 24”
PICKUPS: 2x DiMarzio
custom humbuckers
CONTROLS: 2x tone, 2x
volume, 3-way selector
HARDWARE: Tune-o-matic
bridge and stop bar
FINISH: Trans Cherry
Sunburst [shown], Trans
Black, Trans Braziliaburst,
Trans Amber
CONTACT: Bill Lewington
01268 413366
At a glance
Jackson SL2H
BODY: Alder, with flame
maple top
NECK: Quartersawn maple,
neck-thru-body
FINGERBOARD: Ebony,
compound radius, with
MOP shark fin inlays
SCALE: 25.5”
PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan
’59 SH1N, JB TB4
CONTROLS: 1x volume, 1x
tone, 3-way pickup selector
HARDWARE: Chrome
FINISH: Natural [shown],
choice of 26 more
CONTACT: Fender GBI
01342 331700
WEB: www.fender.co.uk
£1,649
£2,099
TGR177.gear_test Sec1:133 30/5/08 10:05:53