Dean Cadillac X?

[Phoenix59]

I have been a fan of Dean guitars ever since the '80s, when some of my favorite artists used to play them, including Elliot Easton and Ric Ocasek of The Cars, among others. The Z's, ML's and V's were pretty, but I always had a soft spot in my heart for the Dean Cadillac or Dean Elite. Back then, as a struggling young musician, the $2400 or so they wanted for one was a huge barrier. Hell, it still would be.

I've had GAS for a Les Paul for a long while. I've never owned anything better than an inexpensive copy of a LP, and I will always want one until I finally get one, but I happened across a reference to the Dean Cadillac X today, which I had completely forgotten about.

I know the Caddy X is a bolt-on and a flat body not unlike a Les Paul Jr. or Special, but they are available for just $219 through many different retailers, and the black one with white rings and zebra pickups looks just like the color scheme I had in mind for a LP Standard, apart from the fact that I was gonna have a third pickup added (for some reason, I don't care for the triple pickup Caddys and Elites like I do a triple-pickup Lester).

This is something I could afford to do very soon, probably next month, and it would give me a humbucker based axe to complement my Strat, which is what I want for some more varied tones on my current recording project.

Anyone have any experience with the Cadillac X? Pros, cons? Again, I know it's a bolt-on neck.

And does anybody know, is that the letter X or the Roman numeral X (10)?

TIA.

 

[Phoenix59]

No one?

 

[Underliner6]

but I always had a soft spot in my heart for the Dean Cadillac or Dean Elite. Back then, as a struggling young musician, the $2400 or so they wanted for one was a huge barrier. .

For a Dean?

 

[Phoenix59]

Back then, yes. They were handmade, as I recall. Not like today's. I'M OLD, OKAY?

 

[JS23V0B]

The X'es & Selects share very little with their USA namesakes. I've had 2 USA Deans, an early ML & a Z Time Capsule, & they were great guitars. Recently I bought a Caddy Select & was quite disappointed. The neck felt like a wet noodle & it was damn near impossible to keep in tune. The hardware & electronics were standard import fare & barely adequate. In hindsight I wouldn't classify either as anything more than a beginner's guitar.