Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	Chris Burns
Experience	4
Email	Possumbot2000@maxxtraxx.com
Review date	March 21 2003
Manufacturer	Dean
Model	Razor 1
Price	$200(used) $320(new)
Item owned for	1-6 months

Bass type	4 string fretted
Neck join	Bolt-On
Neck construction	maple neck
Fingerboard	rosewood fingerboard, 24 frets, 34' scale
Body	basswood body
Finish	silver
Pickups	dean session pick-ups(passive)
Hardware	chrome hardware, closed tuners
Electronics	passive controls, volume tone tone

After finding a Fender Jazz Bass FL too large and heavy(pain after 20 or 30 minutes of playing standing up or the upper "arm" hitting me in the chest sitting down)and useless for the application it was needed for. I purchased the razor as I could not use my teachers 69 Jazz bass anymore. I had been shopping around for a new bass, there are quite a few basses in the razors price range(200-400 dollars) but I have to say the razor is the most comfortable to play. It has an incredibly light construction and small body.The minute I tried the bass I knew this was a great bass. It has great balance, and great action on the neck. The cut out for the higher frets is fine unless you have large fingers(but even then its not too bad). When I purchased it(used) it had excessive buzz on the D and G string, but after a switch to new strings the problem was fixed. The tone is great for all kinds of playing, from rock to funk to motown and anything in between. The two tone knobs allow varying the tone up to suit your style. It has massive low end when slapped, and the angle of the neck pick-up allows perfect room for popping. The only complaint I have is that the strap mounts are a tad small for my strap but thats nothing serious. This bass is a great starting bass, great action, great feel, and a very light construction(great for longer sessions) make it easy to practice for longer amounts of time.

Construction	95%
(small gap between fingerboard and body but nothing too serious.)
Appearance	100%
(wonderful finish's available, silver, black, and red are available.)
Playability	98%
(great action and good string spacing allow easy playing.)
Sound	98%
(lots of low end, but nothing too obvious when playing lines that use high and
low.)
Customer Service	75%
(Haven't had to contact Dean over this bass yet, but I e-mailed them about ano
ther model and was met with a blunt answer.)
Value	98%
(For the price this is a wonderful bass.)
Overall	95%
(hard to beat for the price, highly suggested.)