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Dean Vendetta XM Electric Guitar Review

Dean Vendetta XM Electric Guitar Review

Some guitars have a dual purpose in their useful lives. The Dean Vendetta XM guitar is just such a wonder. Some folks need an inexpensive guitar to get them started - not everyone can afford a $2200 Les Paul Standard or a $1300 Fender Deluxe Stratocaster. Some folks need a decent instrument as a base (donor) for some seriously fun modifications - without having to spend $600 on aftermarket parts to put together a donor instrument for one's ideas.

Low-cost guitars tend to fall into one of three categories: cheap, and built to play that way; inexpensive, but not a hit in any area (GREAT specs but poor execution); and inexpensive - but more value than the dollars spent. The Dean Vendetta falls into the third category. As with all low-end/beginner guitars, there are obvious places in the Vendetta XM where money has been saved. Still, the build quality is fine, and the features are actually wonderful.



I specifically went out looking for a Stratocaster-shaped guitar for a mini-humbucker project I had in mind. I didn't want an actual Strat (or Strat clone) this time: I was looking for double cutaway, light weight, and an interesting neck. The Dean Vendetta XM went on sale at my local Guitar Center (and is on sale at Musician's Friend) - perfect timing. I had some proceeds from a guitar sale at Christmas time - and the Vendetta XM came home with me post-haste. It has been the perfect donor guitar for the creation of an AWESOME double mini-humbucker project with a 5-way rotary selector. With some nice USA-made parts, high-end import parts, mods, and a little time, it turned out to be an absolute gas!

Let's talk about the factory Vendetta XM with which I started, pre-mods.


Quick Opinion: The Dean Vendetta XM is a good beginner's guitar - one well-suited to folks who have not yet begun to grow into their inner guitar-hero-self. As with any beginner's instrument, the Vendetta XM is not comparable to well-made instruments from the United States or Japan. If one doesn't expect high-end guitar-ness in the Vendetta XM's $100 form, one will be OK with the result. No, the Vendetta XM is not an American Standard Stratocaster. No, the Vendetta XM is not a USA-made Dean for the family heirloom closet. The Dean Vendetta XM is a nice-looking, great-playing instrument for beginners. It is lightweight, well-featured, and actually looks different than most beginner guitars.

I think the Dean Vendetta XM is a great guitar for starters - one that can be upgraded to accommodate the growing needs of a burgeoning guitar player. This guitar is particularly good for smaller folks (who still want a full-size guitar), or for those that don't like lots of weight hanging on their guitar strap.



My Dean Vendetta XM was not very well set up when I got it. There were (more than usual for a beginner's instrument) fret buzzes and the strings were set too high for a beginner. The intonation is pretty close for a bargain guitar. However, nearly every inexpensive instrument I have ever played had some setup or adjustment issues when pulled out of its box. On the positive side - my Vendetta XM came with an arrow-straight neck and VERY unusually excellent soldering in the control cavity.

Free Shipping, more information, and pricing for Dean Vendetta XM models here at GuitarCenter.com

Features: The Dean Vendetta XM's features are very much it's strongest point. The guitar has a string-through design across a Tune-O-Matic-style non-trem bridge - and the sustain and ring of the body definitely shine through. Even the acoustic sound of the Vendetta XM is pretty good. The string-through design makes for great "ring", reasonable low-end frequencies, and an interesting look to boot.

The simple control layout is a plus. One master tone, one master volume, and a three-way toggle switch adorn the Vendetta XM. The toggle selections are: neck humbucker, both humbuckers, and bridge humbucker. The toggle is a little close to the volume knobs (for quick-change switch slapping while playing). An inspection of the inside of the control cavity was surprising: the soldering was excellent, clean, and well-done. The anti-noise shielding black paint, however, was terribly applied (nothing a little copper shielding won't fix).

The body is very lightweight and is a comfort to the shoulder. The guitar is a little neck-heavy because of the light body, but it isn't obnoxious. My suede strap (fuzzy on the shoulder-side) holds my Vendetta XM pretty well in place for long periods. One small sacrifice of the light body: the guitar doesn't have quite as much sonic guts as a heavyweight like an Epiphone Les Paul, PRS SE, or Squier HH Stratocaster. The stock pickups and the light body do make for some relatively warm (but slightly mushy) sounds played through some amplifiers or models. This is an important thing: the guitar is Extremely comfortable; but there is a small price. A beginner would not feel the sonic difference early in her/his experience. But, this can be fixed with good pickups, a decent nut, and some good adjustment.

Overall, the neck is well above par for an inexpensive instrument. It is reminiscent of a nice Jackson or even a wider Epiphone neck. I like the feel and playability of maple on the back. The rosewood of the neck was kind of weird though: the factory had applied excessive "fingerboard black" to the rosewood. My fingers are black every time I play my Vendetta XM. My particular Vendetta has a great, straight neck. It does, however, have a rough feel - the finish had not been polished down/sanded well enough.

The tuners are adequate sealed machine heads that work fine. Strong bending does pull the instrument out of tune - but not any more or less than any other bargain guitar. The tuners are, however, smooth, better-than-average, and look a lot like the Schaller-type tuners on the nicer Squier instruments.

The dual humbuckers are average, and do the job well enough for a beginner instrument. As with any low-cost humbucker instrument, the humbuckers don't sound like BurstBuckers, DiMarzios, or Seymour Duncan SH* pickups. They're exceptionally easy to replace as the beginner becomes more desirous of better sound. Overall, the sound is fine and the quality is better than average.

My Vendetta XM came fitted with nice lightweight D'Addario strings. They were in good condition, were well-selected for the neck and body type. It's a refreshing change to see commercial-grade strings on a basic instrument - most instruments on the market have lowest-bidder strings installed at the factory.


Quality: The quality of my Dean Vendetta XM is a mixed bag. The finish of the body is flawless - even, smooth, consistent, and attractive (no, they're not gloss finished like in most pictures you'll see - they're satin finished). The finish on the neck is in need of work. The neck finish was rough, the frets were a bit unfinished, and the fretboard is just not as nice as it should be. Even the imprint of the serial number is poorly done. The neck finishing seems as if it was done in a big hurry. The nut is a hollow plastic variety - although this is not unusual in this price range, I'd expect more from Dean.

The wiring and electronics are way above average for a $100 instrument. The quality of the electronic components in my Vendetta were average to above average. The switch and pots are not high quality like Switchcraft USA switches/jacks or CTS pots, but they are adequate and will last for a good while. As with most any budget instrument, the electronics will be noisy in a few years.

I have to say this again (because it is VERY unusual): The electronics were very well done. Most high-end instruments I've played have the same level of soldering craftsmanship and wiring-lengths/wrapping. It may have been just my particular instrument, but I suspect that the simplicity of the controls and the large control cavity make for an easy job at the factory.

Playability: The Dean Vendetta XM is a very playable instrument. It is comfortable from a strap and body-fit perspective, and the neck is a good balance for large hands or even some smaller hands. It is smooth and comfortable in almost every respect.

The tuners go out of tune when the instrument is played aggressively, but not much more than any other beginner's instrument I've played. The instrument needs a reasonable set up when it is purchased - if nothing else to set the string height to the player's liking.


Value: The Dean Vendetta XM is a $149 value, usually sold for $110 to $99 street. Overall, it is a bargain. I really like Dean guitars, and I think they are the spice of the guitar store. I did not hesitate at all to purchase my Vendetta XM.

I think Vendetta XM is great for beginners, and mine has definitely made an excellent choice for my modifications!


Wishes: Do a better job with the neck, Dean: please?

Labels: dean, electric guitar, humbucker, humbuckers, review, vendetta, vendetta xm review

posted by Jim Pearson @ 1/07/2008 01:29:00 PM 5 comments links to this post

ESP LTD M-100FM/M-100/M100FM Guitar with Floyd Rose Review

ESP LTD M-100FM/M-100/M100FM Review

Sometimes a guitar player just needs the rock-solid tuning of a locking nut combined with either a Floyd Rose tremolo or a Licensed Floyd Rose tremolo. With these little combinations of metal strapped to your axe, you can pull and push to your heart's content – and the guitar stays pretty much in tune.

Also, I'm a guitar nut. I like most guitars and guitar shapes (haven't warmed up to the angular and heavy-handed BC Rich stuff, yet). One of my functional favorites is the venerable Stratocaster shape. There's only one Strat, but it has spawned many different (and very similar) guitar shapes over the years. It would be really nice to have an affordable (read: not $399-$500) Stratocaster with a locking nut and Floyd Rose. One can purchase Fender's version of the Floyd on older, (USA- and Japanese-made) Strats. However, they do tend to bring fairly good prices (lots of folks want a Strat with a Floyd). Bear in mind that I am not comparing, nor will I in the near future attempt to compare a Fender to an ESP in my reviews. I am just using the Fender as a point of common reference.

So what are our alternatives? There are a few in the sub-$300 market, but not many.

One such alternative is the ESP LTD M-100. The current iteration, the M-100FM (flamed maple), is a wonderful choice and an excellent intermediate guitar. (Although my son is an advanced player, this guitar is actually one of his favorites, so don’t let the "intermediate" term fool you.)

The M-100 also makes for an excellent modifiable instrument – one that can be bent to the player’s needs in a great many way. I REALLY like this instrument (and hope to buy one someday). I think most players who seek great tremolo work and locking tuning will find this instrument to be top-notch at a low price!

Free Shipping and more information/pricing can be found here at GuitarCenter.com

Quick Opinion: In a few short words? If you want a Floyd, a locking nut, a comfortable Strat-type shape, and awesome build quality, the M-100FM is a bargain and a dream to play.

Buy one. I bought one for my son (Awesome!), and I will buy one for myself at some point in the future. ESP, you are on my list of favorites now.



Modding: The M-100FM uses a 3-position blade switch. With this type of switch slot and a two-humbucker configuration, the guitar just screams for some interesting pickup combinations! If 4-wire/coil-tappable pickups are installed after purchase, and a Fender 5-way super-switch (also a nice one from DiMarzio with the same blade type and connection terminals) – you can get the standard three positions of humbuckers, plus two different coil taps. Awesome sounding, flexible, no cutting or permanent modifications required.

I like the LH-150 open-face pickups that came in the guitar – for the money, they sound fine and have a broad range of harmonics for heavier music, pinch harmonics/pinch squeals, and other high-gain effects. However, the pickups are easily upgradeable to some pretty spectacular options. Some DiMarzio humbuckers, Seymour Duncan Humbuckers, and even some Gibson humbuckers make for great replacements for tailoring sounds to your needs. If you want to go for the coil-tapping modification, modern DiMarzios and Seymours are already 4-lead. You can get a professional to turn your 2-lead Gibson/Epiphone pickup to a 4-lead for a minimal amount of money: Imagine a coil-tappable, Gibson PAF sound in a Floyd Rose-enabled comfortable double cutaway guitar! Some of the above pickup choices may make it such that the poles don't quite line up with the strings, but the differences in sound make the offsets quite forgivable.

We modded my son's M-100FM with a fairly hot GFS PAF on the neck position and a really awesome Gibson 490T from a 2002 SG – both with chrome/nickel covers. It looks good and sounds fantastic.


Playability: Once strings are installed and tuned, the playability is excellent. The neck is of the slightly thin variety (not paper thin like a Randy Rhodes, but thinner than the average Epiphone or Fender Stratocaster). Access to all 24 frets is a breeze, with the 5th and 6th strings being a bit difficult (as is always true with this particular body design type). The relatively flat profile is consistently-done and is quite comfortable.

I really like the weight and balance of the guitar. The body is light and is generally equally balanced to the maple-and rosewood fretboard. When I use one of my nice 2" guitar straps with my son's M-100FM, I can play for hours before I start to feel the guitar's weight. Although the sound is not relative to a Les Paul/Firebird/Explorer’s heavy-body ever-lasting sustains, there is a great balance between weight and sustain.

The Licensed Floyd Rose tremolo works like a charm, is comfortable, and does its job with great aplomb. I added a fourth spring to the tremolo claw to help with keeping the trem unit flatter to the body. Since my son plays harder and thicker strings, the tremolo tended to pull up too much with just three springs. As a result, the trem does take more effort, but it is also more controllable and less wobbly when doing finely actuated whammies.



Features: The ESP LTD M-100FM guitar is a simple guitar – as most of this variety are. But don’t let the simplicity fool you.

The bolt-on neck is great, the two-humbucker and 3-way blade switch combination are excellent, and the licensed Floyd Rose trem system and locking nut are flawlessly executed.

Unlike some cheaper copies of this type of guitar, the M-100 has a counter-sink cut in the tail of the body to accommodate "pulling up on the whammy" in a significant way. This is not a guitar that has just had a Floyd bolted on for the sake of the feature alone. The set-up is excellent.

The body coating is a durable urethane/clear finish over a quilted (cap?) body with dark red or black stain underneath. The effect is beautiful – particularly with the spartan switch-and-two-knob configuration. The knobs are the simple, non-tapping, 1 tone and 1 volume variety.

I love the reversed headstock (longer low strings, shorter high strings). The tuners are fine and seem to be fairly precise, and the look is neat and attractive.


Quality: My son's M-100FM is very well-made so far as finish and fit are concerned. The clearcoat-on-stain is a mile deep in looks, and is glossier than fresh black glass. The neck is consistent, well-shaped, and fits to the body like a glove.

Like many Korean (and other southeast-Asian) manufactures, the wiring and soldering isn’t as nice as the American stuff. The potentiometers are fairly cheap, too. There is only a minimal amount of shielding present in the body and covers. Some simple ROHS-compliant spray or metal linings would be great (and not too expensive to execute, I'd wager).

I love the way this guitar is put together. Very easy to expand, and most of everything is fairly accessible underneath the pickups and in the rear cavities (trem box and controls box).


Sound: The standard pups sound quite good (well above average for a guitar in this price range that has so many other features – pickups in most less expensive guitars are usually sacrificed along with cheap tuners - this one's pretty good). The bolt-on neck is well-executed, so the sustainability is very good.

Overall, I like the way this guitar sounds at this price point.. If I were on an extremely limited budget and could not afford to mod this guitar, I would find that it would be perfect for heavier, overdriven, and/or distorted music. If you drop it through an all-tube, class-A amplifier with some serious watts, you'll need better pickups.


Value: This guitar has a street value of about $279. Interestingly enough, VERY few of them come on the secondary used market (like eBay, Craigslist, and such). It appears that most people find their M-100FMs to be real keepers!

In my opinion, this guitar could easily be sold at a street price of $329, so I think it is a great value. These are great guitars as primary dive-bombers or as a great guitar library member – well worth the money and well worth keeping.


Wishes: More colors, please - perhaps white or antique white? Also, I'd like the option of a maple fretboard (WOW. A transparent black flamed-maple body or transparent antique white with a maple fretboard would absolutely ROCK!).

ESP, I NEED ONE OF THESE! (Hint hint hint hint hint hint) I like the red or the black just fine, thanks! ;-) Are you folks listening? :-)

Labels: electric guitar, esp, flamed maple, floyd, floyd rose, humbuckers, jimmy bear pearson, licensed floyd rose, ltd, M-100, M-100FM, M100, M100FM, review, rose, tremolo, whammy

posted by Jim Pearson @ 10/24/2007 11:58:00 AM 5 comments links to this post