Dean Guitars Michael Amott Tyrant Bloodstorm

Dean isnt afraid of putting crazy finishes on their signature guitars nowadays. They are kind of like how Jackson use to be. This is one of the MIchael Amott signature guitars. It is the Bloodstorm Tyrant. It has a crazy blood motif finish on it with a Arch Enemy skull on the body. The radical finish aside this is pretty much the same has his regular signature guitar. You get a mahogany body in the V shape. The neck is mahogany as well with set neck construction. The tuners up top are non locking Grovers. The bridge is a standard non locking tune-o-matic. The fretboard is ebony with 22 frets. The pickups are Deans own DMT pickups. They are just copies of the Duncans Amott use to use. The controls are just a volume and tone with a 3 way. The body is like a standard V but with some barbs added to the body to make it look more metal.

UTILIZATION

The V motif is all over this guitar with the headstock and the body, even the neck profile has a V shape to it. With the body shape you get good upper fret access. There is little to no obstruction to the upper frets. The beveled edge on the body makes it comfortable for when your arm is up against the body of the guitar. The inlay work on this example was spot on and since these inlays are very detailed that is important. This guitar could have done with some locking tuners. In this day and age locking tuners should be standard on hardtail guitars.

SOUNDS

The DMT pickups are made by Dean. They call them DMT pickups so they sound like they are more than no name stock pickups. They are copies of what Amott use to use. I guess it was easier for them to just copy them than to use the actual Seymour Duncans he used. The bridge pickup kinda looks like a Duncan Invader but it sounds a lot like a JB which Amott use to use. The large screw caps on this pickup make it a bit noisy just like the Invader. This is Amotts signature Dean pickup called the Tyrant. It has a bit of the old school JB tone to it with a lot of mids for clarity. The neck pickup is called a Dean Time Machine or something. It is a pretty smooth generic neck pickup tone. It might be based off a PAF or PAF copy like the 59. It gives a decent tone for the neck position. It is not too muddy and you can get a good lead voice from it. The pickups sound alright but I would have had more respect for them if they just stuck with what Amott really was using instead of copying them and putting the Dean name on them.

OVERALL OPINION

Dean is a company whos image has taken a bit of a hit in the recent years. A lot of players feel they have cashed in on the name of Dimebag and I am inclined to agree. There are so many Dimebag signature models now of stuff he he never played. Dimebag amps he never played Dean could change their name to Dimebag guitars. They are trying to court other players and give them signature models but a good 3/4 of their lineup is still Dimebag stuff. The founder of the company Dean Zelenski even left because he didnt like what was going on. If you do not care about any of this extra stuff and are just an Amott fan this guitar is for you. But even with this model I would recommend the standard finish version over this mural one.

Made in Korea (I think).
Mahogany body.
Set neck 22 frets, ebony fingerboard. 24'75 pitch (628mm).
Grover.
Tune-o-matic.
2 humbuckers Liabilities: DMT Amott handle Dean "Time Capsule", easel Dean DMT Amott "Tyrant".
2 volumes, 3-position switch.
Case included.

UTILIZATION

Foremost let me say that I have tested this guitar more than twenty minutes in the store. Is very little I know but I tend to think that the design of this model will not attract the crowds ... Hence this mini test to give to interested parties (like me) more information than the current almost nothing on the net. Apart from the few videos of U.S. stores, or
this review: https://www.thomann.de/fr/cat_musicradar ~ ncxes.html? uid = 267606 & ar = 224069

The handle is thick enough without being a log unplayable, with a side dish without enough not fallen into the Ibanez Wizard. A bit like the ESP EX-400 at the time if I remember correctly. Frankly from the grip riffs came out alone, this race looks to have a good profile for the metal, whether sitting or standing. I went through riffs from death metal to heavy. Even without being gifted soloist, I did not feel embarrassed to play (or rather kill ^ ^) shred the few shots that I know, even standing.
The radius looks rather high (the button is flat).

Access to the 22nd box is made without any hair problem, the cut is perfect in this respect unlike Randy Rhoads forms.
Level weight of the guitar is really lighter.

For cons, I was shocked by the limited sense of ebony ... I feel it is not a quality of the copies. I play this type of key long enough and seen the price of the guitar (between 900 and 1000 €) it seems a bit average. Ebony from my old BC Rich NJ-NT at 600 € was far more gentle, even on my current Hardmaster LAG, but not the same price either.

SOUNDS

I tested this on a guitar while head lamps ENGL Fireball II.
The bridge pickup was developed by the likes of Michael Amott, sounds powerful and precise (ENGL also had good help for sure). Personally I have not found this side "Hard Rock classic" it is supposed to have. While a less typical EMG 81 but not to classify vintage compared to a Seymour Duncan SH6 or a Bill & Becky L500L. It must also say that I do not know a lot of solos.


OVERALL OPINION

I state again, it's important that I have tested this instrument 20mn in store. These characteristics'm very interested for a main instrument: short scale, ebony fingerboard, otherwise than Strat / LP, not Floyd. Therefore to find other models that combine these characteristics, it is hard ^ ^.
What I liked most is that this guitar is played alone, it is the first time it gives me this. I took it in hand and I immediately felt comfortable on it to play everything (even if like any guitar store, the action is anything but low ...). We hold the horn on the lower thigh and is stable to death. Maybe it's just that the V shape suits me perfectly, it's the first time I was testing one.
In contrast, the skull, frankly they could have avoided ... Kitsch and ship you die ... It really con since the "bloody storm" in red spots and black is not hard to see. That's more than disappointing from a graphic designer who worked a pocket on the Arch Enemy. It should therefore perhaps Dean Guitars inform their customers that is not essentially Hard (FM. ..?) As the United States. www.dbzguitars.com solution ... ?

I find it hard to focus on value for money, besides the 20 minutes test, it is especially the ebony fingerboard as I said above, which is disappointing. All of the guitar, even if it sounds great and is easily playable, then I think a little expensive for a little less than 1000 €. Especially at € 1050 you ESP Alexi 600, which knock the Tyrant level money.
But as I said at the beginning of a paragraph, as I do not find other models that match my criteria ergonomic, I'll probably fall back on this guitar though.
I will change my opinion in this case accordingly. Test