TAKING AN IMPORT DEAN DIMEBAG GUITAR TO A NEW LEVEL

[@ele1122]

Thank you for this video. I just upgraded my 2012 made in China model. It plays incredibly well now.

[@EricMorettin]

Cheers 🤘

[@charlesb7831]

I run Fu-tone Titanium saddle blocks and screws with the brass big blocks from Fu-tone and that's my standard now for all my Floyd guitars , 5 so far. It's worth the reliability and tone and the stability of the guitar.

[@EricMorettin]

I've heard FU Tone is the best. Really wanting to try their products

[@charlesb7831]

@EricMorettin I like the Fu-tone stuff because it's made all my guitars just more reliable with issues I've had over the years and I don't worry about now. Yeah there's a sound difference, for the better for me, better note articulation and clarity, especially with the Brass big block and the Titanium blocks. Doesn't hurt that you can color match to your guitars too, I did lol

[@johng1584]

5:50 bro i spent ages looking for a good diagram like this its like u just flashed me 😂😂😂

[@CFH_CLIVE333]

Thank you so much bro!!!!! I can’t wait to get this bad boy done!

[@EricMorettin]

@@CFH_CLIVE333 you're welcome 🤘🤘🤘

[@CFH_CLIVE333]

@@EricMorettin 🤘

[@jww732]

This channel is so amazing.

[@EricMorettin]

Thanks so much 😎

[@dylangajdosik964]

Videos i enjoy i go back and re-watch, which is all of the Dime stuff on this channel. I guarantee you im not the only one. Lol. Anyway, the 2006/2007 import of the USA Dean Dime DFH was/is a phenomenally built guitar. Its almost a carbon copy of its USA counterpart. Solid mahogany body and neck, beautiful cut of rosewood for the fretboard, great V neck and volute, and the paint job on those first couple years were definitely a homerun. The tremolo and neck pickup is really the only things needed to be upgraded as you did in this video. Your Dime stuff probably gets the most traffic i bet. I know I personally look forward to it out of all the stuff you release.

[@EricMorettin]

Hey thanks for the kind words! Yes, the early imports are great. I reviewed the early USA and Import DFH guitars and it's crazy how similar they are. Neck pickup and term are the big changes, as well as potentiometers if they're not 500k for volume and 250k for tone. Sure my dime videos get a good amount of traction, but even if they didn't I'd still be making them since I love the topic and it's a topic I've been well down the rabbit hole on sine I started playing - and obviously want to share my knowledge with likeminded fans here. I'm just happy people like it! Thanks again for the kind words.

[@dylangajdosik964]

@EricMorettin anytime brother.. keep'em coming and we'll keep watching!!!

[@HeathanzSinzBand]

Awesome job Eric! Did they make a Korean model of this guitar?

[@EricMorettin]

Thanks! The DFH was only USA in limited runs or made in China as the regular production model. Dean had their guitars made all over with no rhyme or reason to my knowledge.

[@HeathanzSinzBand]

@@EricMorettin too bad. I’ve had a couple of Korean made Deans that were incredible machines!

[@EricMorettin]

@@HeathanzSinzBand believe it or not this 06 China DFH is unreal. My dingwall is made in China and it's the #1 bass for modern metal as well.

[@HeathanzSinzBand]

@@EricMorettin for sure. China is hit and miss I find. I have 2 Epi explorers i absolutely love made in China. And yet I have owned other Chinese made guitars that were brutal. Like anything else, depends on the factory and the QC. Its a wicked looking guitar for sure.

[@centaurus5676]

I have a Korean ML in Cherry red, Warman Destroyer in the bridge, Gotoh 1996 trem with a 40mm Brass block. brass fine tuners and Stainless steel nut screws. Wish i could find another, cheapest guitar i own and my favourite. I would even trade my EVH 2016 striped series for another.

[@jimmygrant3151]

Kaish store makes some really good brass and steel blocks for the Floyd's.

[@EricMorettin]

I'll check them out!

[@davecarakasavage919]

I upgraded my 06 china dfh kinda custom but definitely dimed out… I used antique bronze Floyd rose, locking nut an tuners an pickup rings dimebucker in the bridge and a bridge Seymour Duncan pearly gates in the neck (great sounds plus kinda fits all considering dimes beyond the pearly gates now) and even went a step further with my own personal touch found a 66 an 04 dime an put them on the back of the headstock as a tribute and of course the kiss sticker… (still have all the original hardware an pickups etc just kinda made my own tribute to dime.

[@EricMorettin]

Sounds like an awesome tribute! I really like the dimes from 66 and 04 on the headstock too

[@davecarakasavage919]

@@EricMorettin appreciate it man was just an idea I had one day an found the dimes going through change couldn’t think of a better tribute to dime on a dime guitar than with dimes

[@jonnyhafer936]

That string tree is what keeps the locking nut from going sharp when you tighten it. Im so surprised its not on there

[@randymiles904]

Awesome video. I've got the DiMarzio, Duncan 59, and the dime time by dean in a few of my ml's. I may be judged by this, but the dimetime is my favorite neck pup by far.

[@EricMorettin]

Nothing wrong with that! Whatever sounds good to you at the end of the day since you're the one playing your guitar, not another person.

[@randymiles904]

@@EricMorettin exactly. I like the other pups alot too, but I just really like the tones created by the DMT. It sounds beautiful clean and distorted. It also pairs up nicely with the dimebucker, rolled back a bit, for a really fat, chunky rhythm tone. The equalizer is a great DMT pup too, if you like the Duncan JB. Imo DMT pickups don't get the love they deserve. They're very well made, and the signature and pro series are fantastic.

[@nicwilson89]

@@randymiles904 Same goes for Iron Gear Pickups. They make all kinds of pickups that sound better than their imitation/their take on big brand versions at half the price or a lot less than half the price for their take/imitation (not designed to be an exact imitation) on those specific pickups they do amongst their own creations. They also create a lot of nifty more feature rich versions of their take on pickups with things like tapped single coils for Fender American Tele pickups that can with a switch or pot have their output doubled whilst retaining the same tone they were creating their own little spin on. Their version of a JB sounds amazing, all of their pickups (and I've a lot now, my most recent purchase being a 'their take on' pickup set of what is supposed to be like Fender Texas Specials and blows them out the water...and each individual pickup was something like £27 or you can buy the full set). Their high output metal pickup (and I'm talking more than active pickup kinda high output here) has that high output if you want it but retains the feel of passives and the note definition is insane, turning it down can tame it into all kinds of different sounds just depending upon how high you crank that volume knob on your guitar in a way that I've never experienced with any other pickup, despite being designed specifically for modern metal and being able to really hit the front end of amps hard, and boy does it do that...not that it needs to even to get that high output and high gain amp sound, and it was something like £32. Around the 30 mark is where all of their pickups are and they all sound better than most things I've ever had from big brands, and as someone who modifies everything I buy (I can't even resist reverse engineering and modifying my amps...or any other electronics if I wanna add specific features or change something about it), I've been through a lot of pickups. Plus, they're all UK made and not outsourced.

[@zsrmx1]

Mine is a made in Korea Dime Shadow. 2008. Great vid man! I plan on upgrading soon. And this is VERY helpful. Subbed!

[@EricMorettin]

Thank you! Do what I did here with a new bridge pickup and you're set!

[@zsrmx1]

@@EricMorettin I plan to upgrade the licensed floyd too. It is the reason I don't play the thing. Price wise, is the floyd original the way to go? Plus, I am going to make it dive only. Trem block of some sort.

[@EricMorettin]

@@zsrmx1 Original Floyd Rose is pricey but a Gotoh Floyd is much more affordable by comparison and is a fantastic option.

[@zsrmx1]

@@EricMorettin Thanks. I have heard that from others too but wasn't sure.

[@EricMorettin]

@@zsrmx1 can't beat Japanese quality 💯

[@guitarrilho502]

The angle on the headstock usually take off the need of a string tree

[@julz86_]

String tree makes it slightly easier to restring /tune

[@guitarrilho502]

@@julz86_ i don't think so 😂

[@julz86_]

@@guitarrilho502 have you had a Dean ml? The strings go sharp when tightened down, you seem confident in something that your wrong in, the tree isn’t necessary but it makes tuning easier, either way most Floyd rose guitars have string tree

[@guitarrilho502]

@@julz86_ bro, I said usually, chill out, I have guitars with both of the situations, you can't say anything on the internet these days wtf

[@Jubjub9000]

@@julz86_ Tune a little lower, then clamp the nut lock (not too tight) brings it up closer to pitch, then the fine tuners. works for me.

[@kamikazekev]

90% percent of the people saying that the lic floyd rose goes out of tune don't even know how to set them up properly nor do they know how to stretch their strings with a floyd setup..

[@EricMorettin]

Licensed Floyd's have hit and miss build quality, although when you get a winner there is no need to replace. Also having a good setup goes a long way

[@Vodkypei]

Must to say Locking bridge on this guitar called Ping Well, made in Taiwan. Quality of materials are equal to gotoh/ofr. Had chinese Razorback Shards with Dimebucker - No issues with trem staing in tune. Exception are only two things 1- trem pocket and arm was switched to push in style 2- Trem radius is 14'(gotoh 1996t too) , while finger board is 12'( ofr/schaller). I made shimes for 3-4 string to raise radius, and it was perfect action. Electronics - OK, could be worse. Tips for trems Always follow the radius of fretboard. If it conical(multi radius) - trem must be radiused for bigger radius of range or even flattet to follow conical concept. Use plumber tape for posts, the must be stiff. Gotoh have inside post crew to make it stiff. Level trem with the caliper, No angles Use springs with different tensions. They change tone, how fast/smooth trem works and overall tension. Just try it. And last thing, it is general - use strobe tuner for intonation atleast.

[@LPWSzzz]

Just one tip on the sodering and using the tape , buy some heat shrink, it'll keep it way stronger and looks way better

[@EricMorettin]

Heat shrink is great as well!

[@MADCOWVT]

Nice vid. I assume you intonated after swapping the floyd? Maybe a follow up vid about setup, intonation, neck relief etc...

[@EricMorettin]

Yeah I intonate all of my guitars. I don't see a need to show that on camera. Could revisit it for sure!

[@roosternm6830]

I had a Dean ML Noir from back in the early 2000s. It was a bolt on. Overall, it was a very well made and solid axe. I decided to dime the shit out of mine. I bought 3 vintage Bill Lawrence XL500 bridge pickups. The original 1980-83 models. I put the Duncan 59 in the neck and the XL500 in the bridge. I put an original Floyd on there and higher quality 500k pots and a switchcraft toggle switch. I had the frets leveled and got a pro grade set up and it was on par with the actual Dime models except with a bolt on neck. Still have it and won't let it go. I had a Dime O Flame that had a Dimebucker. The crappy bridge and the neck pickup had to go. OFR and a real Duncan 59 replaced them. Everything else stayed factory. After a killer setup and fret job it was one of the best guitars I've ever had. Unfortunately, I got bit by my desire to own a double neck BC Rich Bitch and I made a straight across trade. This was one of the 2010s BC Richs and great quality all the way. I upgraded the hell out of it too, but miss my Dime O Flame.

[@j.boogie1646]

Great job man!! What type of wire strippers are you using ?

[@EricMorettin]

Thanks! Just mastercraft ones

[@AlexandBriansAdventures-r7d]

Wish i was capable of doing this

[@EricMorettin]

@@AlexandBriansAdventures-r7d I believe in you

[@MrKarelKosa]

Nice video man

[@EricMorettin]

Thanks!

[@BadMotivator66]

excellent video, thanks!

[@EricMorettin]

Cheers! 🤘

[@BadMotivator66]

@@EricMorettin as an aside, you may be interested in the warman warblade pickup- for my money it does a good dimebag and it's very inexpensive, at least in the UK. plus it comes in black or cream which is nice

[@slagmaggot]

Looks exactly like the Dean CFH i have just the serial number and nothing else on the back of the headstock, what years were they like that?

[@superwallzy8616]

I need help fast! What neck pickup did he use and was it a 1 conductor or 4

[@raymondlugo9960]

Am I the only one that thinks it's weird that Dean doesn't have a top-mounted Floyd Rose Dean from Hell guitar available (except that run of like 100)? There are other Dean ML USA models that have a bound neck with dot inlays but there are none without the binding on the body. I'm hesitating on getting the imported Dean from Hell because the Floyd Rose isn't top-mounted.

[@EricMorettin]

There's pretty much no difference in terms of feel besides your hand sitting higher or lower, which depends if the Floyd is top mounted or recessed.

[@ThatMFShawnzy]

Brother Eric killing it out here with the content 🤘🏼

[@EricMorettin]

Thank you brother 🤘

[@vivitlair9669]

i have a fake dean from hell and i was wondering if it can sounds and feel as good as a real one with high tier specs etc

[@fetusdeletus-695]

Thanks 🙏🏽

[@BattleofTrenton]

Let’s hear the tone difference from the before, and then what you actually did to it

[@d3ath18]

IIRC the locking nut is what actually makes the cheaper imports go out of tune. They are made with the same cheap metal as the bridges which loosens/moves over time. You can try it yourself by just changing the nut(keeping the cheap trem) and it'll never go out of tune.

[@EricMorettin]

@@d3ath18 you'll have to refill the existing nut mounting holes, and redrill (and possibly shave the mounting area down) to fit an OFR nut. I've contacted Dean about trying to find a replacement and by the sounds of it, their supplier just made whatever back in the day and none of the mounting holes were standardized across the import parts.

[@RyanNoon333]

I honestly just switched my floyd. And i couldn't use the 37 mm block. Springs kept popping out. I keep my back off anyways but i did switch the block

[@minkyneets4768]

What bridge pickup would you personally recommend? I'm getting a dean from hell very soon and just wondering where to start. Great video here!

[@EricMorettin]

Bill Lawrence is usually my go to, but a Dimebucker sounds great if the BL isn't available

[@troythreatlevel1]

Good vidieos man.

[@EricMorettin]

Thank you 🤘

[@zenatorslurp5572]

Do you have a schematic of the tone control for us? Are your pots logarithmic or linear? Is a capacitor installed; for eg 22nF? Thx for an answer.

[@EricMorettin]

@@zenatorslurp5572 stock wiring and probably that same value capacitor.

[@seantalkingthroughthemedia4838]

I had a gotoh 1996 put in my razorback explosion. That led to a blowout of the post on the high e side. He never told me about the material he had to remove to put in the new posts. Buncha squeels later.....bang....strings go slack and gotoh very tilted. Took forever to get that thing fixed.omg

[@scottantieau9704]

I just bought a gotoh 1996t for my 2008 Korean razorback explosion, should I not install that?

[@kubricksghost6058]

Awesome channel man. Im trying to determine if my 2011 dimebag FBD ml is good or bad.... it has EMGs which was the reason i got it. So question is... what things would u look at first when seeing if it is a good quality run?

[@EricMorettin]

Thanks! Here are some things I consider when buying a guitar; 1. How does it feel when I hold / play it? Really play it and see if you get a "wow" factor from it. 2. Does it need any extra work before I take it home? If so, have I budgeted for repairs? 3. Read online first person reviews with the guitar to see if there were common issues with it. Hope it helps!

[@kubricksghost6058]

@@EricMorettin thanks so much man! I'll be researching into it tomorrow. It plays pretty well, only the low E is a bit buzzy when hitting it with force and u can sometimes hear it on recordings. Also open B string makes a weird ringing sound. Hahah

[@EricMorettin]

@@kubricksghost6058 might need a simple setup to fix those issues! Check the action and neck relief

[@JessicaRoss-n9b]

Where did you get the Floyd tremolo at and the product number. I want to make sure I get the right one. Thanks in advance

[@EricMorettin]

It's just an original Floyd rose!

[@picardftw1313]

i have a made in Korea 2008 Dime Slime Dean ML and im about to do this very thing... anything i should know regarding the Korean models vs the China ones?

[@EricMorettin]

@@picardftw1313 nothing really to be honest.

[@Legionkingz]

you shouldve also put in a SwitchCraft pickup selector!!

[@EricMorettin]

Pickup selector was fine so there was no need to change it! That's not a make or break for giving you better tone.

[@fredericadda]

You made the right decision by not changing the studs and the nut.

[@jayzanco2616]

Great job eric i have a 2010 sounds great but thinking about upgrading you can always sound a little better thanks for the tips. Can you tell me from my serial number if its Chinese or where it’s from I bought it new and there’s no way of knowing. Thanks .. # J10100902 i know its 2010 Oct. and the 902 made that month but with that said does the “J” mean Japanese Chinese Korean . It has. “R” on the head witch I understand is usa .. idk can you help identify my awesome Axe.. thanks again.

[@NathanOrmsbyKCOG]

Just pulled out my 06 and the tremolo post has leaned and cracked a huge hunk out of the body😢

[@EricMorettin]

Sounds like you may have to take that in for a serious repair to fix that and get a new set of posts in the guitar.

[@sxns_]

where do yall get those guitars?

[@EricMorettin]

Check high and low on the used market

[@sxns_]

@@EricMorettin Okay, thanks dude.

[@Vxnpl]

Where did u get the dean from hell import from

[@EricMorettin]

A friend who bought it used

[@subhuman6903]

A NEW LEVEL MENTIONED WTF IS A BAD PANTERA TITLE TRACK SONG🗣️🗣️🗣️⁉️⁉️⁉️🔥🔥🔥

[@tannervaughn7569]

…of confidence and power!!!!!!!!

[@EricMorettin]

🤘🤘 Rise to the occasion

[@TheChrisv93]

What exact pots are these?

[@EricMorettin]

The import guitar is usually shipped with 250k ohm pots and all of the American dimebag guitars ship with 500k volume and tone pots which affect the overall tone and the pickup response.

[@concretephil]

Great video. Where did you find the kiss sticker for your usa model, or did it come with it on it?

[@EricMorettin]

Thanks! This is an original one from the 80s, but you can get new ones from Dimebag Rig Project

[@concretephil]

Awesome thanks! I have an 06 that I'm in the process of making all the same upgrades that you talked about in this video. The sticker will be the icing on the cake! Keep up the good work!

[@EricMorettin]

@@concretephil thanks! Would love to see the build come to life!

[@nicwilson89]

If you're doing shit like this, I do a lot on things from guitars I get given to free and up, the thing you absolutely need is the Bill and Becky Bill Lawrence L500XL, failing that the Bill Lawrence USA(you can tell because that one will say Bill Lawrence on the front) is very close. Forget the Dimebucker, there's no comparison compared to Seymour Duncan's offering. It's just not the same, it doesn't feel or react the same, it's just not 'it', and I've had my Bill and Becky 15 years and the Dimebucker since it was released to contemplate that, even still have my signed picture from Bill and Becky of Bill doing his thing with a thank you note written on the back, too, that came with it when I ordered it from the US and they wound me it and I got it a few month later or however long(in months) it was. It was totally worth it. It's very reactive to what guitar you put it in, probably one of the most reactive pickups to what guitar you put it in I've ever had so keep that as a consideration.

[@IvanAndonov-v6t]

How much does this guitar cost?

[@EricMorettin]

They vary in price on the used market.

[@IvanAndonov-v6t]

@@EricMorettin well do you happen to know an estimate?

[@Vxnpl]

Would u recommend buying a guitar center dean from hell then modding it up to the mods from this video

[@EricMorettin]

If the guitar feels good when you play it, then yes!

[@nicwilson89]

@@EricMorettin Absolutely this. Start with the feel, not the desired outcome look in mind. There's always slight differences in guitars, if they're preowned there's even more factors to consider. Always start with the feel of the guitar and build up from there.

[@EricMorettin]

@@nicwilson89 if the guitar doesn't feel or sound good stock then sell it and try again!

[@Furiora]

i mean, the only real difference between an expensive and a cheap guitar, regardless of Country of Origin, is the time and attention put into the fine details and hardware. Upgrade the hardware, give it a proper fret job and a full set up, and any guitar made these days can feel like a custom shop. I get it, early 90s chinese copies were bad, but 90%+ of all guitars are CnC made these days, so the difference in actual build quality is minor. And before people say "well USA made guitars don't come with broken scarf joints" you're wrong, because even "top of the line" USA custom shops let guitars out of the factory that should never have gotten past QC

[@Sludgepit666]

Pickups don't change the sound

[@gearhead2017]

Had a ibanez rg270 years ago and it had the knock off Floyd rose,I'm kickin myself in the ass cuz it was a good guitar,got rid of it cuz I needed cash for bills yeah such as life lol

[@EricMorettin]

Such is life but thankfully you can get other guitars that are still great quality for not a lot of money and upgrade them later down the road.

[@preston2636]

The Ibanez lopro edge is one of the best floating trems ever made. Just cause Ibanez made the bridge doesn't mean it's not legit.

[@gearhead2017]

@@EricMorettin yes sir

[@masseynator]

If you’re in the market to sell this one, let me know! Would love to own a dime guitar, even a non-USA one

[@EricMorettin]

This is not my guitar!

[@fedescintu_1999]

Hi would you leave the link, for your Floyd rose please

[@EricMorettin]

It's just an original Floyd Rose you can buy off the shelf from any Floyd Rose dealer.

[@fedescintu_1999]

@@EricMorettin ah okay perfect, do you happen to remember the size?

[@EricMorettin]

@@fedescintu_1999 they're all the same size. You may have to get a shorter block though since the standard one is pretty long

[@andylemon8782]

Always change the fr posts. Lic posts are nowhere as good and the bevel is way better on the ofr which allows the bridge to return better

[@preston2636]

My Chinese dean from has an original Floyd rose with 34mm block, and a Duncan JB bridge and I'm still deciding on what to use for the neck. I might use a Duncan sentient. I've had dimebuckers in guitars before and didn't like them. But I love my Chinese dean. You're on the money with bridges. Even with original Floyd's I've had some lemons. I honestly didn't expect my guitar to stay in tune with the original Floyd and maybe the nyxl strings help but it's been a far stable guitar tuning wise.

[@EricMorettin]

I'd go with a Seymour Duncan Jazz or 59 in the neck. I also really like the Jupiter set a lot. Yup all depends on how the bridges are made. You get lemons everywhere and hopefully you get a winner among the bunch! I have a video on my channel that goes over Floyd maintenance which will help it perform better as well

[@dylangajdosik964]

@Eric Morettin its extremely rare that you get a German Floyd Rose Lemon. I've personally never gotten a dud nor do I know anyone personally that's gotten a dud.

[@EricMorettin]

@@dylangajdosik964 yeah they've always been rock solid for me. I'm sure a dud has left the factory unfortunately, and there is a reason why people swear by other brands like Schaller or Gotoh.

[@dimebagtribute]

The only things are the pots with the cap and the output jack, you should have put cts pots with orange cap and a Pure Tone jack!! And the icing on the cake: a gotoh 1996 bridge!!! Your guitar would have been near the perfection😄

[@preston2636]

Does it matter which orientation the pickup bobbins are when installing the pickups? My neck pickup has the bobbins closer to the neck and it's almost to thick sounding and was wondering if reversing the pickup so the bobbins are on the bridge side would brighten the pickup any

[@EricMorettin]

Grady (Dime's tech) said flipping the pickup didn't do much to the sound, but Dime argued otherwise. You can flip it around and try for sure, but you can also lower the pole pieces on the lower strings of the pick up to reduce the output and clean up the sound.

[@dylangajdosik964]

I love the Floyd Rose string retainer bar but hardly nobody uses them ²²²anymore, and that's import and USA models. The only USA Dime models with string retainers are the 2015 DFH and the 2018 FBD and that's only because they were used on Darrell's originals. I have 2 USA Dean Dime USA MLs and neither of them came with a string retainer, nor did my Korean Flame. Jackson doesn't use the string retainer bar either anymore along with many other companies.

[@EricMorettin]

Very interesting why companies don't use it anymore and while others do for other styles of tremolo.

[@SGavin]

I put them on mine because the locking nut clamps don't affect the tuning as much with a retainer in place. This leaves me more available travel on the fine tuners as they can pretty much stay untouched after locking the nut.

[@dylangajdosik964]

@SGavin yeah, I installed one on my Korean Flame. I need to install one on both of my USAs. They keep the strings flat on the nut so that the clamps clamp down flat and even, ensuring that your guitar keeps its tuning better. I don't understand why alot of the guitar manufacturers don't include them anymore especially since they come in the box with the Floyd Rose tremolo. It's not like they have to order them special or anything.