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Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple
Dean ML 79 Floyd
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Playability
77
Sound
72
Build
55
Value
73
Score
68
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Playability
75
Sound
79
Build
57
Value
75
Score
70
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Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple vs ML 79 Floyd

Reasons to Get
Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple over ML 79 Floyd

Decorative Top
Flame Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2021 vs 2018
From a more recent year
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up

Reasons to Get
Dean ML 79 Floyd over Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple

Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Value Score
75 vs 73
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple vs ML 79 Floyd

Nut Material
Plastic vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple vs ML 79 Floyd

Bridge Pickup
USA DMT Time Capsule
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
USA DMT Time Capsule
Same Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
V
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Dean ML 79 Floyd is probably the better product overall with its final score of 70 compared to the Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple's 68 score, although not by a lot.

The Dean ML 79 Floyd wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple has the upper hand when it comes to playability.

If you got small hands, none of these instruments will make a big difference when it comes to comfortability.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple is the better choice.

The Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple meets 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Dean ML 79 Floyd meets only 2. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Dean ML 79 Floyd
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple Overview

  • From Dean's 2021 Classic series
  • Made in India
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Flame Maple top
  • Eastern Mahogany body
  • Eastern Mahogany neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: USA DMT Time Capsule (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: USA DMT Time Capsule (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic (With Cadi Tailpiece) bridge
  • V Set neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Grover 18:1 tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Dean ML 79 Floyd Overview

  • From Dean's 2018 Classic series
  • Made in India
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Eastern Mahogany body
  • Eastern Mahogany neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: USA DMT Time Capsule (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: USA DMT Time Capsule (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose Special bridge
  • V Set neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Grover tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

They both share the following switching options:

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple and Dean ML 79 Floyd pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple and Dean ML 79 Floyd's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Dean ML 79 Floyd.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 53
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72
Dean ML 79 Floyd
Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 59
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple compares to the Dean ML 79 Floyd.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in India.

India is not a popular country for building electric guitars, but it's where some respectable brands build other instruments. You can expect an affordable price and nice build quality, similar to Indonesia.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple has a Plastic nut. This is a low-quality nut that you might want to consider upgrading soon. Bone and TUSQ nuts are the best for guitars with a fixed or simple tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Dean ML 79 Floyd comes with a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

Winner: Dean ML 79 Floyd.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple's brige is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.

On the other hand, the Dean ML 79 Floyd's is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Dean ML 79 Floyd.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple's are Grover 18:1 while the Dean ML 79 Floyd's are Grover

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple
  • Expensive Wood
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in India
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean ML 79 Floyd
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in India
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple
Quality of materials 55
Features 50
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 55
Dean ML 79 Floyd
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 60
Build Quality 57

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple Nut Width
Both Guitars Have The Same Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 43mm (1.693'').

This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Scale Length

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple and Dean ML 79 Floyd's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 24.75".

This is the scale length that Gibson uses for most of its Les Paul guitars. It's a smaller scale than the typical Stratocaster's 25.5''. Short scale lengths like this make it easier to bend the strings, which is pretty important if you have a fixed bridge. They also have a shorter fret separation, which makes it easier to change position fast at the fretboard.

On the other hand, a shorter scale like this one will make fret buzz more likely, which can affect you if you want to use thicker string gauges.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple Neck Profile
Both guitars have the same neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple and the Dean ML 79 Floyd have a V-shaped neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.

Fretboard Radius

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple and the Dean ML 79 Floyd have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both in this comparison are balanced for most hand sizes.

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Dean ML 79 Floyd:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple and Dean ML 79 Floyd Frets Size
Both have a similar Jumbo fret size

Both have a Jumbo fret size. This is one of the tallest frets you can get. You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. It will give you the best sustain and all types of chords will be easier to play. However, you can end up changing the pitch of your notes if you press too hard, which is something people used to feeling the fretboard do when trying Jumbo frets for the first time.

Final Playability Scores

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 77
Dean ML 79 Floyd
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 70
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple vs ML 79 Floyd
General Dean Cadillac 1980 Flame Maple ML 79 Floyd
Brand: Dean Dean
Year: 2021 2018
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: India India
Series: Classic Classic
Colors: Sunburst Black
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Eastern Mahogany Eastern Mahogany
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic (With Cadi Tailpiece) Floyd Rose Special
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: Grover 18:1 Grover
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Indian Rosewood
Neck Material: Eastern Mahogany Eastern Mahogany
Decoration: Abalone dot Abalone dot
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: V V
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Plastic Locking
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: USA DMT Time Capsule (Humbucker / Passive) USA DMT Time Capsule (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: USA DMT Time Capsule (Humbucker / Passive) USA DMT Time Capsule (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Speed
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 2 1