Dean Playmate EAB Acoustic-Electric Bass

This acoustic bass is big. The body is big, but manageable. You're going to have to take good care of this bass. The satin finish is rather delicate. It is a beautiful instrument, though. Everything looks good on this bass, except for one thing. It needs that second strap button to complete the deal. I suppose that tying the strap to the peghead will balance the hold of the guitar. The acoustic volume is not loud. Most acoustic basses of this type are about the same in the volume department. The tone quality is good. I was looking for a good substitute for an upright bass kind of tone. This will have to do. A cellist wishing to start in on acoustic bass could very easily tune to the cello pitches and begin playing sideways bass with this bass guitar. The fingerboard seems to have the same scale length, frets included. The electric pickup is ok. I usually have the volume at maximum level while the tone level is at the minimum setting. My fingers cause too much "clacky-ness"; the minimum tone setting fixes this problem along with critical amplifier settings. The bass still performs rather shy in the volume department. I like the acoustic bass for its looks and design. For a big guitar, it doesn't seem overly heavy. I'm six feet tall weighing 215 lbs. I have small hands for my size, but the action and feel is relatively smooth for an acoustic instrument. I've heard of musicians switching to lighter gauge round bound bass strings. I just don't know about switching to a light gauge. The idea of making truss rod adjustments is not my thing if this bass would need such an adjustment. Overall, this Dean Playmate Acoustic Bass is a simple instrument with a simple wide tone and soft projection. It is nice for small venue work and teaching. I think that cello players might consider this bass for doing small bass work. I have other basses in my collection and have tried the more expensive acoustics. This one is just so right for my classroom and personal practice sessions. I like it.

This is a basic bass, with a fantastic tone. It feels nice, has a great action to the neck, is light and durable. Its big shape produces a resonate sound, that is deep, almost that of an upright bass. The full scale neck is great. Electronics are good, not the best, but do the job that needs to be done. Overall, a great, and best of all, affordable bass!

I just got this in the mail yesterday after a very long wait (backordered from dean). This is my first experience with an acoustic bass and with a dean. I am very impressed. The feel, the weight, the look, the sound, are all better than expected. Easy to play, and very rich sound. Plugged in it sounds very nice as well. not as loud as a true electric obviously, but it amplifies well. It is a very big guitar, even my wife remarked on the size of this instrument. I plan to switch strings to flatwound as suggested in a previous review just to see how it effects the chatter, but this thing came out of the box nearly ready to play. I tuned it up and started playing. Very easy to work with and very easy on the wallet. My highest recommendation to other customers and my thanks to dean for producing what I wanted.

I think that some of the comments are a little undeserved. Perfection in a beginner bass is not realistic. It states that this is a beginner bass, and it is. The tone is excellent, better than most more expesive acoustic basses. While I may be a beginner, after switching from guitar, I have done a lot of research. This is the best value for your money. If you can find someone, get a real setup done after you buy it. Quite frankly, I'm surprised Music 123 doesn't do it before they ship it. But otherwise, this is an amazing bass.