| Specifications |
| Make: |
Dean |
| Model: |
Sarasota 12 String electric guitar |
| Neck: |
Mahogany set neck |
| Fretboard: |
Rosewood |
| Tuners: |
Grover |
| Frets: |
22 Large |
| Scale Length: |
24-3/4" |
| Nut: |
Graph Tech Trem-Nut. 1 7/8" wide |
| Inlays |
Abalone dots |
| Neck Finish |
Clear polyester |
| Body: |
Chambered mahogany
Carved flame maple top |
| Body Finish: |
Transparent amber top
Clear polyester back & sides |
| Hardware: |
Nickel |
| Bridge: |
Tune-O-Matic bridge |
| Tailpiece: |
Stop Tailpiece |
| Pickups: |
GFS Retrotron Nashville |
| Controls: |
Volume, CTS
Tone, CTS |
| Switching: |
3-way Pickup selector |
| Outputs: |
1/4" barrel jacks X 2 |
|
|
While scouting around on the Internet recently,
I discovered the Dean Sarasota electric 12-string guitar. Specification-wise it fitted my
requirements: wide set neck, hollow body, two humbuckers and a simple control arrangement,
so it immediately appealed to me. It’s also relatively inexpensive when compared to a
Rickenbacker. So I decided to take a chance and order one in transparent amber, sight
unseen. When the guitar arrived It surprised me
to find it's a smaller body than I expected - about the size of a Les Paul. The neck feels
really wide, but the back shape is relatively thin and comfortable, so I had little
problem adjusting to it. The factory setup was quite bad, but that wasn't a problem for
me.
The original Dean Zebra pickups were quite bland and way to
powerful and muddy for a 12-string - the only really usable tone was bridge pickup alone.
After a lot of experimentation, I managed to get closer to the tone I was looking for, but
ultimately, I ended up fitting a set of GFS Retrotron Memphis pickups, which have
surprised me by being very good for the money. Definitely a huge improvement over the
stock Dean pickups.
The stock plastic nut was causing a few tuning problems, so
I've now fitted a Graph Tech Trem nut, and the tuning is very good now. I also have a set
of TonePros locking studs on their way for the tailpiece. If they work as expected, I'll
probably swap the bridge out too.
I've also made a few small cosmetic changes, changing the
plastic parts from the stock cream to black. |
