Read our Dean Edge 09 review to learn everything about this beginner-friendly instrument and determine if it’s right for your needs.
Is the Dean Edge 09M the perfect bass guitar for you? This bass has a lot to offer, including a comfortable design, a hard-hitting tone, and an affordable price tag. Keep reading to find out why this may or may not be the right choice for you.
Dean Edge 09 (At A Glance)
- 34-inch maple neck with rosewood fretboard and abalone dot inlays
- Dean passive soapbar pickup with volume and treble controls
- Dean vintage-style bridge with adjustable intonation
- Diecast Dean tuners
- Basswood body and natural satin finish
- Full-size body and neck with retro style bridge
- Dean sourced soap bar pickups with volume and treble control
- Basswood construction with a satin finish
- Chrome die-cast tuners from the house of Dean
- Abalone dot inlays, rosewood fretboard, 34 inch maple neck
- Incredible affordable with decent tuning stability
- Easy to play and tune with adjustable intonations
- Good build quality and durability makes it suitable for touring and carrying
- Detail oriented aesthetics making it an eye catcher
- Great choice for beginners with highest possible value for the money
- Sound quality is not the best
- Dean quality control should be enhanced
- Retail package consists of only one passive pickup
- If you want more spares, you’ve to pay more
- Low action and only available in one color
History And Origin
When it comes to guitars, Dean Guitars is on top of its game. The company was founded in 1977 by an ingenious man named Dean Zelinsky (also known as Dean Z, Dean Barrett Zelinsky, or DBZ) and has HQs in Tampa, Florida where they make some really great instruments that you can find all over America or even Asia.
The company rose to fame between 1978 and 1988. The ‘80s were a time of immense popularity for metal bands, and Dean Guitar’s name became widely known in that decade due to Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell traveling across America with his Dean guitar swinging around.
Tropical Music owner Oscar Madeiros bought the company in 1986. He refocused their brand toward Latin musicians until 1995. American shoppers were not able to find the brand for years because of this until Elliot Robinson from Armadillo Enterprises bought it in 1997.
Body And Neck
The Edge 09M is made to be the perfect electric bass guitar for any player. The contoured body, with added mahogany and natural finish, appeals not only aesthetically but also provides great playing comfort.
The Edge series of bass guitars are crafted for those looking to take their playing abilities further than ever before. These beautifully designed and sounding instruments feature a 34 inches bolt-on maple neck that adds beauty while also providing an inspirational element when you’re on stage or just jamming around.
The Dean-designed heel and joint is a sleek, fast-playing guitar that you can easily control with your fingers. It has an asymmetrical four bolts design for smooth movement of the hand up or down through 22 frets on this maple wood neck.
Fretboard And Bridge
The fretboard of this baby is made from rosewood and there are 22 frets as mentioned above. The manufacturers just bolted it on instead of any plate. The fretboard includes beautiful-looking abalone dot inlays.
The bridge type is a vintage fulcrum with adjustable intonations. The bridge’s color is black. This bridge is called a die-cast bridge. I don’t really face any issues with the bridge.
Electronics And Hardware
The electronics consist of black color passive Soapbar pickup with an S configuration. This Dean soap bar style pickup produces a significant tone and output with a substantial growl when strummed. There’s a compartment back for both wiring and the battery.
The pickup looks like an EMG pickup to me when I reviewed it. I think these kinds of pickups require batteries. There’s black hardware on this with black volume and tone knobs and black tuners.
These are called sealed diecast tuners. These tuners are not that bad. I don’t really have a problem with the tuners either. This bass guitar stays in tune for quite a while. You don’t really have any issues with the tuning, because when I tune this up, I’m good to go with it for at least an hour.
Finish
The sleek satin finish on the body of this bass guitar is both elegant and sophisticated. The garnishing with ebony black hardware gives it an extra touch that will make you want to play more than just one note.
When I pay close attention to the fretboard finish, I notice that it’s very light, like chocolate lighter, or you can say Nutella lighter if you want to go that far. That seems pretty awesome to me as well.
The front of the headstock is painted black. We have the Dimebag style Dean logo on the truss Rod which enhances the aesthetics by far from its other alternatives available on the market.
Sound Quality
The Edge 09 is a rugged electric bass guitar from the single Soapbar pickup point of view that lacks finesse substances. It’s perfect for someone looking to do some heavy-duty playing, but not so great if you’re after precise workmanship and accuracy with your instrument-no matter what level player you are.
Dean Edge 09 is a great axe for rocking out, may it be metal or hard rock, but it’s not the best choice if you want your tone to be a definition-oriented sound. This guitar is all about an emphasis on the hard-hitting tone.
Sound Demo
Build Quality
This electric bass guitar is made from 100% natural materials and has a lightweight body because it’s crafted with mahogany wood. With a contoured maple neck, the guitarist can finely tune their strings as per requirement. Overall build quality is quite impressive, especially for the price point that you can get.
Playability
With the Dean Edge 09M, you can reach those higher frets without any hassle. This is because of its deep cutaway and customized heel joints that make seamless access possible at any time for musicians who want it.
The quality of this bridge is really impressive: it keeps intonation in check and makes playing easier. So, you can’t really complain about the playability of this bass.
Versatility
From a versatility perspective, this bass is good but within its comfort zone. You don’t want to push your bass beyond its comfort zone, so I wouldn’t recommend trying anything different than the standard tuning (E-A-D-G).
Design & Looks
This seriously good-looking guitar employs a vintage Dean bridge and Soapbar style Dean-sourced pickups for that nearly perfect sound you want in your music that making it a perfect choice for beginners.
Dean Edge 09 features a basswood body with a basswood top. The available choice of finishes is reasonable and includes something for everyone’s taste. The neck comes in the form of a standard maple piece that results in a faster profile.
The fretboard is standard rosewood with abalone dot inlays. Overall, it’s a stealthy bass guitar that doesn’t look cheap and features decent build quality. The last part is a rarity in this price range these days.
Customization Tips
If I were to upgrade this, though, maybe I would upgrade the pickups and the tuners. But the bridge is nice. I wouldn’t mess with it. The action is not that bad either.
To be honest, it’s like a normal bass level- not too high, not too low, right in the middle. I would say if you need a bass that’s cheaper than $500, under $300, or even under $200, this is the bass for you. Go get one and then later in the future, when you save up more money, you can modify it.
Value For Money
The Dean Edge 09M is really a nice feeling and nice sounding guitar for the money. The value you’ll get for the money is immense and its affordability makes this instrument set apart from its competitors.
If you are just starting out and want the highest possible value for your money, then I would definitely recommend you give it a go.
Read Also
Choose Dean Edge 09 If
- You want a really affordable bass guitar with great playability
- You’re just starting out
- You want the highest possible value for the money
- Sound-wise detail orientation is not the primary factor for you
- You need a bass for practicing day and night or for longer sessions
- You need a backup bass
Don’t Choose Dean Edge 09 If
- You’re an advanced player
- You want to play a specific genre
- The sound definition is a crucial thing for you
- You can afford higher quality basses
Alternatives
- Slim and comfortable “C”-shaped neck profile
- Single-coil Bronco Bass pickup
- Short 30“ scale length
- Thin and lightweight body
- Satin neck finish
- Incredible Quality and Value
- Mahogany Body
- Vintage Style Bridge
- Neck: GSRM 4 neck 28.6″ neck
- Neck Type: GSRM4 28.6″
- Body: Mahogany body
- Frets: Medium frets
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
FAQ
Is Dean Edge 09 A Good Bass?
Dean Edge 09 is a great go-to instrument for beginner bass players who don’t seek the highest quality that can play complex basslines but seek a durable, good value, reasonable price bass instead that one can play for longer sessions by reducing fatigue with good playability.
Final Words
The Dean Edge 09 is a great choice for beginners looking to rock. It has a simple design and dirty tone which are both good things in my opinion as I’m someone who likes hard-hitting notes.
Overall, this can be a top choice for beginners as they won’t be playing complex basslines. Experienced players, however, should consider other options because the Dean Edge 09 doesn’t offer quite what an advanced player will be looking for in terms of sound and versatility.