Dean MAB ROCKET Solid-Body Electric Guitar, Metallic Silver

A little History first:Hey what's up? Just received my MAB Rocket guitar yesterday! I was super excited to see Dean took on the project of making this guitar. I ordered the "Speed Kills" instruction video years ago and always loved the Rocket guitar! Those 80's style guitars were always so unique and interesting! Anyhow, a week ago I was researching "Speed Metal" in Google and it brought up the "Speed Kills" video. I watched the intro video on YouTube and saw the Ritz logo on the Rocket guitar head stock. I researched the Ritz company to see that they went out of business in the 80's. Although, the page that I was reading said that they made the Rocket guitar for MAB. I never knew the name of the silver guitar that MAB was playing in the video. So, I researched MAB Rocket guitar and it took me to Amazon to see that they were selling a production model. Man, it gnawed on me right then and there to buy it, although I have bills to pay, yadda-yadda-yadda! 4 days later I impulsed HARD and slammed on the "Place Order" button in my Amazon cart. YES!!!Long and short, here is my review:To start out, the case is ultra-cool! The case is custom for this guitar, so that is a major thumbs up to Dean for not modifying an existing case to accommodate the unique shape of this guitars body. What I mean by this is that the case is not as wide as a normal Strat case. I feel like I am carrying something other than a guitar, like a weapon, or something! It is totally cool! It is minimal, which is good! Dean cut away the “Fat” and left us with a mean, lean, rocking machine case! Most companies would probably have just changed the "Inside Cavity" of a standard Strat case to hold the Rocket. So, with that said, I was WAY impressed to see the custom case!I opened the case and was blown away with the appearance of the guitar. It looked like an exact replica of the Rocket guitar from the "Speed Kills" video. I meticulously inspected the guitar, the paint job was flawless, no nicks or scratches. The sparkly silver paint is GORGEOUS! And then there is the aluminum face plate! It has a brushed finish, it is not chrome plated or polished to a mirror finish. Either way, it is way intense! The silver-ness of the guitar REALLY makes me feel like I am holding a surgical instrument for precise shredding, or even, better yet, a garden tool! It is hard to describe! It is just something you have to experience to understand. It’s like I am hold “machinery” or something! It is way intense!I put a strap on the guitar and fitted the strap for a comfortable playing position. I don’t like to play guitar where it hangs way low. I sat down to play the guitar and what I noticed is that the two bars that extend between the horns, inside the V shape HELP KEEP THE GUITAR BALANCED AS YOU HOLD IT! The lower bar rests on top of my right thigh and the V sits IN PLACE, around my right thigh. The bars are a functional feature beyond looking cool. I have two American made Jackson King V2’s in my collection. Sitting down to play them (For Me) is pretty much impossible. I have to take the bottom horn of the V and clamp on it between my legs. I feel like a sissy, sitting there with my legs in an awkward position. Also, I feel like I am trying more to balance the guitar than play it. So, the bars in the MAB Rocket really help alleviate the balancing issue that I have come to experience.The location of the guitar cable input is solid. I never liked having the cable all draped “Up and Around” the way that my King V2’s are. It is a simple, straight plug in. I think that it is cool.Ok, beyond looks and comfort of playing, THIS GUITAR NEEDS PICK-UPS! I plugged the Rocket into my Marshall AVT150H and started jamming. I felt like I was hearing sounds coming out of the amp, but they were way weak! I have a 7V jem with Evo pick-ups in it and that guitar screams. I also have EMG 81’s and 85’s in my Jacksons and my LTD M-1000. Those guitars kick out a fury that, I guess, I have taken for granted. I OF COURSE was hesitant on the whole “DMT Design” pick-ups that were coming with this guitar. Well, they are NOT AT ALL for me. I’ll just say that because I don’t want this to be a bad review for this guitar. Some people may really like the DMT pick-ups, but I don’t…………not at all. I mean, Dean is putting out a hellacious shred monster with this guitar……..why cut corners when it comes to the most important aspect of the actual guitar……its sound?! Isn’t that what really matters at the end of the day?Let’s put it this way, the MAB Rocket has everything that you can want and hope for when it comes to form, fit, and function at a price range that is pretty do-able when you consider it is a resurrected piece of equipment from the 80’s. The 29 frets are sweet! The MAB Rocket is pretty much the most affordable guitar on the market that has 29 frets. Trust me, I looked! The angles that are incorporated into the guitar where the fret board meets the body of the guitar allow for EASY ACCESS to those higher frets! One bumming thing about my guitar is that the 27th fret on the low E string is dead. I will need to have that looked at to get that fixed. So, there will be a little touch-up going on with the fret board.All in all, MAB really put some serious work into designing a SHRED MACHINE back in the day and this is it! I feel that the design was worked, over and over, to allow for comfort and ease of playing all the while incorporating a serious SHRED “look and play” aspect to it! I don’t know why MAB doesn’t make this guitar one of his staple guitars that he plays?! I plan on resurrecting this guitar in my speed metal band ENKILL! Anyhow, thanks go out to everyone at Dean and MAB for bringing this design out. I am going to put an EMG 81 in the bridge and an EMG SA at the neck. Also, have the 27th fret adjusted. I’ll post a link of before and after videos for the pick-up swap that I am going to do.

So, a quick review. I've yet to really rip into this thing.So, I got this today. I opened box. I pulled a case out. The case seems very well made. Seems like it is strong and will protect the guitar. Then, I opened the thing. I took the plastic off. I felt like that kid seeing if he had a golden ticket. LOL There is was. The weirdest looking guitar I have ever seen. I went and got a strap from an acoustic I have. The things to hold the strap were off. They are on the back of the guitar. Perhaps that is a normal thing. New to me. It did not matter. It let he put the guitar around my neck.I have a large amp. One from Peavy. My younger brother moved out a while ago. I got that room, as well as mine. My amp is in there. It will take like, hulk powers to get the sucker from there, to my room. I mean, it is one big room now. But, there is like, a hallway. Once I get it, I will post a video. Right now, I have been using an adapter that came with a music game and Logic Pro X. It sounds amazing. I can not even begin to explain it. I've been playing guitar, since I was like, 8. This thing needs no effort to make music. The strings are so close to the neck and there is no resistance stopping them. I mean, I don't even think I need a second hand to jam the hell out with this. It is something I have never experienced.The tone switch, it does make a difference. One setting is very clean. The other have more kick in them. First one I've had that the switch makes such a difference.This comes with a thing telling you the string type. It also comes with a whammy bar. The thing brought me into the clouds when I used it. Never have I had such ease using one before.So, someone told me to make sure there were no dead frets. I've no clue what that means. LOL I played every fret. ALL the way up the thing. I had no problems.This thing sounds good, just being plugged into my Mac. I can not imagine how amazing it will sound, once I have it plugged into a two or four (I can not remember) speaker amp. Plus, I ordered a Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe pedal. I think the next few months of my life will have jamming and only that. hahaSo, one thing that is odd. This thing is so strangely shaped, that I find myself almost wanting to set the very end on my leg. You really have no body to rest upon your leg. I made my strap shorter. Still though, I think this is the only thing that will take getting used to.I used to play guitar every day. I had a traumatic brain injury in 03. I was in a coma for 6 weeks. I've not really played since then. I feel it now though. The time for me to play is coming back. It feels great. My teen years, is when I first saw this guitar. I had a video I got offline. Maybe I just saw part. But, it was M.A.B., in one of his videos. Playing this. A few weeks ago, I woke up and the first thing I said was "30 fret guitar." A few days later, at the gym, I said, "Michael Angelo." I got back home, looked him up, saw the guitar and three weeks later, it was mine. It is amazing to me, to have wanted something so bad, when I was a kid and to FINALLY have it. I am 100% happy with the thing.I will try to post a video either on here, or on youtube and share the link. It will take a week or two. Hey, with this guitar, perhaps I'll get my first girlfriend. LOLOLOLOL

As advertised.