Dean Zelinsky Tagliare Demo and Review - The Holy Grail!!!

My review and demo of the Dean Zelinsky Private Label Tagliare Custom. Just a great guitar. Visit the site deanzelinsky.com/

[@david_rabinow]

Just wanted you all to know, I just bought another DZPL Tagliare ATW (that’s what they call this guitar with the switching I requested). Yes, I invented it. Anyhow I just placed the order on the website and the guitar was at my door 10 days later. This time I got it in black with a black pickguard and a rosewood neck. I’m not sure why but I like this one even more than the last one. Really good setup and the fretwork is truly outstanding. The shiniest fret dressing I’ve ever seen. It was a little more expensive than the last one but what isn’t? For $1,500 I got a guitar with flawless construction, real rosewood, locking tuners, an excellent tremolo and switching that gives me virtually every electric guitar tone there is. AND, I could’ve had a flame or quartz top.

[@robertclarkguitar]

OMG that's absolutely beautiful sounding and looking. Love it. I need to see about moving a few to get one.

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks, Robert. It is a pretty amazing guitar. Dean did the trick wiring for me at my request. He liked it so much he added it an option on the Tagliare and Dellatora models. He calls it ATW (all the tones in the world) and it seems as though it’s his most common configuration

[@squirelova1815]

Dean the Man has been extremely interesting and innovative in his designs for decades now and yet still somehow produces another Home Run of a product. Admirable indeed.

[@david_rabinow]

He has been doing a blog / podcast on KZbin. It’s worth watching. The ATW switching is now available in a loaded pick guard that will fit in any strat that is routed for an HSH configuration. I think most Squiers and Player series strats have HSH routes. I talked to Dean about the ATW configuration and how it was me who originally suggested it. He did acknowledge it and gave me a super deal on a new Dellatera ATW. Cool guy.

[@bobbyjoetrouble8059]

I just ordered my new Tagliare. Thank you for the demo! What is the name of the song in your opener.

[@david_rabinow]

The song is called Sleepwalk. It was an unusually big instrumental hit for Santo and Johnny in 1960. It’s been used in virtually every movie or TV show that takes place in the 50s. I don’t do the greatest cover of it but it works. But if you want hear some really good ones search for Sleepwalk by Jeff Beck or Brian Setzer. And the most amazing cover is Amos Garrett. If you want to hear the worst search for the Supremes - they did a vocal version of it.

[@bobbyjoetrouble8059]

Thank you for the info! I will look those up. Keep up the great work. @@david_rabinow

[@xphnd]

Very good review and classic blues licks , You are right, Along with your help too this guitar nails all the authentic blues guitarists sounds very nicely !!

[@david_rabinow]

YOHB I’m responding to your comments before you edited it. When I ordered this guitar I called Dean Zelinsky himself and told what I was looking for and that I was hoping to get it right around 7 lbs. in the end it came in at 7lbs 4 oz. Very manageable, And yes this configuration allows you to pretty much get any sound you want. I’m waiting for Dean to come out with a P-90 style pickup. And while I’m at it a Bigsby for the Delatara (Tele).

[@w5bbaker]

David, I thought that your review was great. I have had a Strettavita from Dean for years and feel exactly the same about my guitar. I thought that your demo and review was so good that I wrote Dean Zelinsky. I hope sincerely that he looks at your video and comments. All the very best, Bill in Toronto

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks a lot. It’s interesting that DZPL is now promoting their ATW option which is the exact same switching as the one he did for me. The guitar in the video is the first ever Tagliere ATW. I want to get another one. I asked Dean if I could get a break on it since it was my idea and I think I did a pretty good promotion for it. Never got a reply,

[@jonaslindstrom]

My Tagliare is my #1. It's just amazing.

[@david_rabinow]

I forgot to mention the Z-Glide neck. What this is is the back of the neck has a laser engraved pattern that reduces contact with the surface. I feels great and is much smoother than any neck I've played. It took a day or two to get used to but now I love it. I normally lightly sand the backs of all my neck but sanding is no match for Z-Glide.

[@jeffzachritz8879]

Great review! I love my Tagliare, which also has dual Sidekicks, but has stock wiring.

[@david_rabinow]

I’ve got another one order. This time all black with rosewood.

[@jeffzachritz8879]

@@david_rabinow sounds cool. My personal preference would have been ebony, but not everybody likes the way it feels.

[@david_rabinow]

@@jeffzachritz8879 I love the looks of an ebony neck, I don’t like the feel though. I’m not sure that’s psychological or not. I like the porosity of rosewood but then again I like maple and that’s not very porous. I’ll be getting my new one today. I’m a little concerned that the rosewood is some kind of “alternate” rosewood. When I see the pictures on the DZPL the rosewood necks don’t look very dark. I’ll let you know tomorrow.

[@jeffzachritz8879]

@@david_rabinow I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

[@jeffzachritz8879]

@@david_rabinow my first Les Paul has an ebony board and as I fell in love with that guitar I loved both the look and feel of ebony. The only instrument I play at gigs now that has rosewood is my Rickenbacker bass. Everything else is ebony or maple.

[@rudedog551]

David don't sell your self short, you sound great. Great job on the demo of the guitar and a bonus w/ all the great bluesman, you covered it great.What are you playing that guitar through?

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks for your kind words, Rude Dog. The amp I use is a Vox VX50 GTV. It’s really a cheap, crappy amp but I love it. It has models of the usual amps but none of them sound remotely like the amp their modeling. I only use the Marshall Bluesbreaker model that sounds more like an overdriven Fender. But the amp weighs 9 lbs and is loud enough to play in any club I’ve used it in. At my age 9 lbs makes up for a lot of sins.

[@chrismosquad1056]

Love the fact you can distinguish the BB King years. I’m a fan of the earlier stuff, personally. Also, props on the Peter Green love too! 😎👍🏻

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks Chris. I’m just a huge fan of B B. And he has several very distinct periods. His earliest recordings are BBs take on T Bone Walker. The big difference is he would bend strings a little more. In the fifties he had a big fat tone and was starting to develop his vibrato and his timing and phrasing. In the mid sixties he switched to light gauge strings and the impact that had on him was remarkable. His tone was brighter and his vibrato was fully realized. There is an album call “Live And Well” from ‘68 I think. The live side of that album is the definitive B B King. In the 70s and 80s he started playing with more distortion and used the sustain to add to his vocabulary. After that he fell into relying on the BB box most of the time.

[@rs-xr3ty]

Fantastic guitar! I have the streta Vita with dual sidekicks. It's very interesting to have single coils on a LP body guitar. I also have the z glide neck which is phenomenal. Needless to say I will be ordering a tagliare at some point

[@david_rabinow]

Yeah I’m tempted to get another DZPL

[@Rockefeller1]

Sounds great, man! Thank you for the demo, and your explanation on the guitar! I really love that middle position configuration where it's just the neck, and bridge humbuckers, instead of the middle single. How are you enjoying it after spending some time with it?

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks, Shred, I’m still loving this guitar. After 5 or six weeks I haven’t found anything I don’t like about. BTW, unless send a special request you’ll get a normal 5 way strat wiring with push-pulls to split coils.

[@Rockefeller1]

@@david_rabinow Glad to hear you're still enjoying it! I'll have to remember to send in that special request when I order myself one down the road. Thanks!!

[@MarshallAmpMan]

very nice demo! Nice on the various guitar techniques, really good actually, particular Bloomfield, not many people do him. My buddy does Bloomfield spot on and has one of those original Gibson LP gold tops with P90's I mean an actual 50's one, I think he takes his chances taking it to jam nites but he does. You did a great job, Dean should pay you commission as well. Convinced me.

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks very much. I love Michael Bloomfield. In the ‘67-‘70 period he was miles ahead of the other blues guitarists of his generation. A real 50s goldtop is a real prize. In useable condition probably close to $100k. And yes Dean should pay me 😀 He is now marketing a version of this guitar with exact mods he made for me. I think he calls it “all the tones”. I don’t get paid for reviews. Most do but I prefer to keep it unprofessional

[@Bero70]

Is there an option to ask for a stainless steel frets. I think all guitars above 800$ should come standard with locking tuners, bone nut and stainless steel frets. Now, that would be perfect guitar. I should say yours is gorgeous and 95 % there. 100 % guitar (in my opinion ) is Charvel-Guthrie Govan guitar but it's 3299 on sweetwater. Speck on that guitar are basically, nothing is left to add.

[@david_rabinow]

I don’t think he offers stainless frets but all of his guitars come standard with locking tuners and TUSQ nut. I chose the maple neck and I feel that stainless steel frets and maple are a bad combination. I would add that the nickel fret on this guitar were really well finished and dressed. As to $800 guitars, there are a lot of guitars in the 800-1200 price range that don’t have any of the components you mention. The Fender Vintera series, for instance, don’t even include rosewood for 900-1000.

[@Bero70]

@@david_rabinow Your guitar is beautiful and it's way above any "brand guitar ". If that guitar is made by Gibson price would be 4000 $ and that is the problem I have with guitars in general. If I can have your guitar with stainless frets, rosewood fingerboard ,and bone nut I would order one for let's say 1700 $ right now. I strongly believe as of today Dean Zelinsky is best bang for the buck.

[@david_rabinow]

​@@Bero70 Yeah, Bero, I think it is a great value. You should message Dean and see if he can do the stainless. He really tries hard to accommodate. As to what Gibson would charge? Who knows? The last Gibson I had was a lower priced 60's Tribute Les Paul. I think it was about 1700. It was really bad! I don't expect to have to file fret edges on 1700 guitar but they were really sharp and there were several minor finish flaws. Now I suspect a new Fender Pro Strat might be pretty good at about $2000 but it wouldn't have all the features that the DZPL has.

[@jayceburns8246]

I just found out about these guitars this morning needless to say I have one on the way!

[@jayceburns8246]

It's a used blue one with maple fretboard three single coil, but without the Zglide neck. It was too good an offer to pass up. Though, I am curious about the Zglide.

[@jayceburns8246]

I thought that yours was a little overkill with all the options at first. I usually go for the more simple the better approach. I play blues as well. After hearing all of your clear examples and styles on that guitar I might rethink that. And for $1,200 bucks? Have to see if I bond with mine on the way first, though.

[@thanhhuynh2044]

Got mine two years ago, it was 850-900 dollars 😍 plays great. My fender fanbandboys love playing this DZ. I re-soldered the sidekick humbuckers, so when it is push, it is single and when it is pull position, it is humbucker. 🙌🏽

[@david_rabinow]

The price has gone up quite a bit since this video - what hasn’t. I just ordered a new Dellatara (T-Style) with the same wiring - which he now sells as an option call ATW (all the tones in the world). And I think that most of the guitars he sells include that option.

[@SteveKuhMusic]

Thanks for the good review. In what country is this guitar made? Thanks.

[@david_rabinow]

I’m not sure. Their plant and store is in the Chicago area. I think that some of the parts, i.e., bodies, necks are mfg in Asia. But they are assembled, customized and set up in Chicago. I’m pretty sure they do the laser cutting for the necks and engraved bodies in Chicago.

[@SteveKuhMusic]

@@david_rabinow I’m in Chicago. I’ll plan to visit his Highland Park shop.

[@jasonmartin7297]

That's wonderful!

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks

[@DavyMackNYC]

Sounds wonderful. May I ask what the total price was? I have looked on the website. Thanks.

[@david_rabinow]

I paid just under $1200. The options I chose were: gold hardware; HSH pickup configuration; Side Kick pickups in the neck and bridge; string saver saddles on the bridge.

[@DavyMackNYC]

Thank you so much, David. It sounds incredible and you play wonderfully. Stay safe and keep rocking!

[@javiersaulrodriguezmontes3196]

Nice guitar, CONGRATULATIONS

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks

[@stevesutton563]

Sounds Great.

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks

[@JARIFALLWAYS]

need not say much 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@chimneychuck]

would be nice to hear the guitar with no distorion or overdrive or fuzz.

[@JustinHudson-s8e]

will the Taglaire ATW hold its value.

[@david_rabinow]

based on the limited listings I found it looks as if they do not.

[@ekaterinafilikova4537]

What does the Z Glide neck feel like?

[@david_rabinow]

Sorry I forgot to mention the Z-Glide. It’s actually really cool. At first I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not but after a week or so I really started to like it. Now about a month later I really love it. The neck a little thinner than my favorite Les Paul but now I like the Tagliare neck more.

[@666hazemhamada4]

I may be watching this topic remotely :)

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks

[@david_rabinow]

Husein - My hands are really fine. It's called an essential tremor. It looks worse than it is

[@priyankigaming6726]

very good 👍

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks

[@theoadriensautivet1626]

Quelle gratte magnifique 👌🏼

[@david_rabinow]

Merci

[@Yozhk]

David - а вы Виктора Суворова читаете? У вас на полке лежит.

[@david_rabinow]

YA ne govoryu po-russki. Moya zhena russkaya i vyrosla v Moskve. Yeye otets byl ministrom inostrannykh del SSSR. Kak by ya ni staralsya, ya prosto ne mogu vyuchit' russkiy yazyk. Mozhet byt', yesli by ya byl molozhe. Vse moi dedushki i babushki priyekhali iz Belarusi ili Ukrainy. YA ispol'zuyu Google, chtoby perevesti eto, tak chto eto mozhet byt' nemnogo stranno.

[@olegbaskin6408]

​@@david_rabinow if you want to learn Russian ask your wife to only speak Russian to you .

[@olegbaskin6408]

The guitar sounds great, i should get one used, ssh configuration

[@olegbaskin6408]

We are guitar addicts, better than drugs and more adorable

[@david_rabinow]

@@olegbaskin6408 I would love to learn, it's a beautiful language. Neither she or I really care if I learn.

[@huseyinsultan8825]

good health to your hands ❣❣

[@david_rabinow]

A lot of people comment on my hands. I was told it was an essential tremor - very common. It turns out it’s actually Parkinson’s disease.

[@raytv8084]

Really successful

[@david_rabinow]

Thanks

[@danceaddiction9866]

If I say you are creating a work of art, would I be exaggerated?

[@david_rabinow]

Yes, a big exaggeration! The art is the guitar.

[@adamdagosto570]

Thanks for the video. Not a lot of regular guys posting videos about these guitars so getting a consumer perspective is great. But I have to contest your "three guitar limit". I sure hope you have moved on from that position...you only live once and it would be a shame to place a self-imposed limit on living life to the fullest. You need a P90 guitar!

[@david_rabinow]

It’s a deal with my conscience. Threes the limit!

[@vikhroliwest7230]

I wrote a message, I will ask you something

[@david_rabinow]

Ok I got it

[@KVANTdoo]

With all respect I don't think that good about those guitars. I have custom angraved tagliare - 2016. I did found more issues on my guitar: (and I looked a lot of videos about them and can see that new ones are no much better) - cheap tolex venir case - not real tolex as on Fender guitars - locking tuners are too long and you have to wind them as normal tuners (2-3 times), because otherway the strings don't have enough angle. (strings D and G - E and B have string tree) - on video you can see that neck does not have tight fit on sides. On my tagliare is even worse than that - because they have engravings on back of the neck, they glue the fingerboards the step from heead to upper fingerboard is too high compared to fender. - imput jack is cheap and does not have enough angle as on fender - pots and switch are cheap - fret work is deacent Conclusion: For that price range the guitar should be better. They can't hide that guitar is made in asia. You can not compare that guitar to 1000€ and more priced guitars.

[@david_rabinow]

I found the quality above average. Remember that $1,000 doesn’t get you a premium guitar anymore. Mexican Strats are close to $1,000 now. Epiphone has several guitars well over $1,000. The pots are Bourne, which are not cheap. I like the back of the neck but I’ll admit that it’s not for everyone. I didn’t get a case, so I can’t comment on that. He doesn’t make it clear where the guitars are made, except that they are not made in the US. My guess is that the necks and bodies are made in Indonesia but are assembled in Chicago, where they assemble the parts and etch the necks. I have three of these guitars. Two of them were virtually flawless. One was not. The third one had a bad grain match in the three piece body, a volume pot with a terrible taper. And I had to set up the intonation - I’ve had to do this on Gibson and Fenders sometimes. It’s interesting that he’s now selling loaded pickguards and necks as aftermarket upgrades for Strats.

[@KVANTdoo]

@@david_rabinow That mine guitar is priced 2200€ and that's why I did mentioned that you can not compare that guitar to 2000€ guitars and also guiatrs at 1000€ price point are better made. I must confes that I did expect much more. I have more than 30 guitars from Fenders, G&L, Gibsons, parker... and that one can not compare to them. Sadly. But engravings are something special.

[@david_rabinow]

@@KVANTdoo You're right the prices have really gone up. I think I paid $1,200 US for that one. And the wiring which he now calls ATW was completely custom. I like it a lot. I'm 71 years old. I've owned hundreds (maybe thousands of guitars. I've had great Gibson and a couple of really bad Gibson's. The same for Fender. But my favorite is my 2010 Mexican Strat with Lindy Fralin Pickups and some of his trick wiring. I've replaced the bridge an the tuners. When I got it, it was just too shiny so I pulled out my brand new Dremel tool and sanded the whole guitar (except the head stock) until it didn't shine any more. Now 15 years later it's become a relic - the hard way.

[@frankvizzi4617]

Now this guitar is $1850

[@david_rabinow]

Actually $2,049. I had gold hardware and TUSQ saddles/

[@frankvizzi4617]

That guitar went up at least $500 in 3 years, not funny

[@david_rabinow]

@@frankvizzi4617 2021,22 were tough years. Everything went up. But yeah, it’s a big jump. I’m not an apologist for DZPL. Dean and his people apparently decided they could get more money for their products and raised prices. That’s what businesses do. Maybe it works or maybe it doesn’t.

[@frankvizzi4617]

If finance was not available, they be eating these guitars. Just like cars they came up with leasing that is the only way people can afford to drive new cars. Dean Zelinsky doesn't have a mid-price guitars.

[@david_rabinow]

@@frankvizzi4617 not sure. They use Affirm, which allows you to pay over 12 months. Affirm is available on most instrument seller sites. I do lease my cars. It’s very cheap and I get a new car every three years. But, I love my current car, Hyundai Ionic6 SEL, that I might want to buy it at the end of the lease. I’ll have to take a loan that will probably cost me $400 a month. Compared to my lease which is $287 a month with $3,000 a month. Finally, when I made this video DZPL guitars were in line with Mexican Fender guitars. And the DZPL were better. Now they’re in line with Fender US guitar. . The comparison favors Fender now. The Tagliere has some cool features but the quality of US Fenders is better. My Fender Ultra Jazzmaster has pretty much all the features of the Taglieri and is remarkably well made. I paid $1900 in ‘21. I think it’s $2,200 now.