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Dean Custom Zone 2 HB
Dean Exile X Floyd
VS
Playability
70
Sound
65
Build
50
Value
72
Score
62
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Playability
73
Sound
72
Build
52
Value
76
Score
66
FIND IT ON:
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Dean Custom Zone 2 HB vs Exile X Floyd

Reasons to Get
Dean Custom Zone 2 HB over Exile X Floyd

Number of Frets
22 vs 24
Warmer neck pickup
Neck Profile
C vs Slim D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Bridge
Tremolo vs Floyd Rose
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance

Reasons to Get
Dean Exile X Floyd over Custom Zone 2 HB

Release Year
2021 vs 2017
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Slim D vs C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Tremolo
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Value Score
76 vs 72
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Dean Custom Zone 2 HB vs Exile X Floyd

Body Wood
Terentang vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Terentang vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Plastic vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Dean Custom Zone 2 HB vs Exile X Floyd

Bridge Pickup
DMT Design
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
DMT Design
Same Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Headstock
6
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

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
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Dean Exile X Floyd is probably the better product overall with its final score of 66 compared to the Dean Custom Zone 2 HB's 62 score, although not by a lot.

The Dean Exile X Floyd wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Dean Custom Zone 2 HB in every aspect.

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 Custom Zone 2 HB is the better choice.

The Dean Custom Zone 2 HB meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Dean Exile X Floyd meets only 3. 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 Custom Zone 2 HB
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Dean Exile X Floyd
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • 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 Custom Zone 2 HB Overview

  • From Dean's 2017 X series
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Terentang body
  • Maple neck
  • Terentang fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Vintage Tremolo bridge
  • C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Sealed Die Cast tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Dean Exile X Floyd Overview

  • From Dean's 2021 X series
  • Made in India
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Eastern Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose FR20 bridge
  • Slim D Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Sealed Die Cast 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

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the Dean Custom Zone 2 HB

Terentang wood pattern used for guitar building
Terentang

Terentang is a cheap wood that is pretty common in the Solomon Islands.

Woods Used in the Dean Exile X Floyd

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

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.

Winner: Dean Exile X Floyd.

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

The Dean Custom Zone 2 HB has pickups from a more specialized brand than the Dean Exile X Floyd. Its pickups should simply give you a better, fuller sound, although it all depends on what type of music you're going to play. We recommend these pickups for Hard Rock and similar genres.

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: Dean Custom Zone 2 HB.

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 Custom Zone 2 HB and Dean Exile X Floyd pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Dean Custom Zone 2 HB and Dean Exile X 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 Exile X Floyd.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Dean Custom Zone 2 HB
Pickups 60
Sustain 75
Versatility 64
Tuning Stability 60
Sound 65
Dean Exile X Floyd
Pickups 55
Sustain 80
Versatility 69
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 72

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 Custom Zone 2 HB compares to the Dean Exile X Floyd.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Dean Custom Zone 2 HB is built in China while the Dean Exile X Floyd is made in India.

China has a bad reputation when it comes to building quality. However, times have changed and now respectable brands use China's cheap labor to build good instruments for a lower price. Don't discount a guitar only because it was built in China, but also expect more quality from countries like Korea.

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 Custom Zone 2 HB 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 Exile X 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 Exile X 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 Custom Zone 2 HB's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

On the other hand, the Dean Exile X 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 Exile X Floyd.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. Both come with Sealed Die Cast.

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 Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean Custom Zone 2 HB
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in China
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No High-Quality Nut
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • 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 Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean Exile X Floyd
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in India
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • 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 Custom Zone 2 HB
Quality of materials 41
Features 55
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 50
Dean Exile X Floyd
Quality of materials 41
Features 60
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 52

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 Custom Zone 2 HB 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 Custom Zone 2 HB and Dean Exile X 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 25.5".

This is the scale used in most Stratocasters. It's slightly longer than the typical 24.75'' size found in Les Pauls, and it's one of the main reasons why Stratocasters have such a bright sound in general. A longer scale also means that the strings will have higher tension. This will help you get lower action without suffering fret buzz, which will also be helpful when playing in lower tunings without having to increase your string gauge.

However, this also means that there will be more separation between frets, which can make it more difficult to play. Also, bending the strings will require more strengths due to the increased tension, but remember that a tremolo guitar will offset this difficulty.

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 Custom Zone 2 HB Neck Profile
Dean Custom Zone 2 HB's neck profile
Dean Exile X Floyd Neck Profile
Dean Exile X Floyd's 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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The Dean Custom Zone 2 HB has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

The Dean Exile X Floyd, on the other hand, has a D neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

Fretboard Radius

Dean Custom Zone 2 HB 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 Custom Zone 2 HB and the Dean Exile X Floyd have the same fretboard radius of 16". This fretboard radius is really different from Stratocasters, but it's also a lot flatter than Les Paul fingerboards. It'll favor plating single notes over playing chords. This doesn't mean you can't use it for rhythm, but a more curved fretboard offers better playability for chords. Bending and sliding without losing sustain will also be more likely in a flat fretboard like this one.

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 favor small hands .

Dean Custom Zone 2 HB:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Dean Exile X Floyd:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Dean Custom Zone 2 HB and Dean Exile X 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 Custom Zone 2 HB
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 80
Playability 70
Dean Exile X Floyd
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 90
Playability 73

Specs Side-by-Side

Dean Custom Zone 2 HB vs Exile X Floyd
General Dean Custom Zone 2 HB Exile X Floyd
Brand: Dean Dean
Year: 2017 2021
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: China India
Series: X X
Colors: Green Black Satin, White Satin
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Terentang Eastern Mahogany
Bridge: Vintage Tremolo Floyd Rose FR20
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Sealed Die Cast Sealed Die Cast
Fretboard: Terentang Indian Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 25.5"
Shape: C Slim D
Frets: 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 16"
Nut: Plastic Locking
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker / Passive) DMT Design (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker / Passive) DMT Design (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1