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Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler
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Playability
77
Sound
82
Build
70
Value
66
Score
76
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Playability
77
Sound
82
Build
70
Value
66
Score
76
FIND IT ON:
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Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler vs ML Select Multiscale Kahler

Reasons to Get
Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler over ML Select Multiscale Kahler

Reasons to Get
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler over Exile Select Multiscale Kahler

Other Key Differences
Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler vs ML Select Multiscale Kahler

Body Wood
Alder vs Mahogany
Different Body Wood
Headstock
6 vs 3-3
Different Headstock

Shared Features
Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler vs ML Select Multiscale Kahler

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan Sentient
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan Nazgul
Same Neck Pickup
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony
Same Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Locking
Same Nut Material
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
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Kahler
Intense vibratos and can be locked to stop floating
Fretboard Radius
16'' (406.4mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Decorative Top
Burled Maple
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Neck Profile Type
D
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
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 Strengths

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Retainer Bar
  • 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

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SET PRICE ALERT

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that both instruments scored 76 out of 100, which makes them similar in terms of quality.

The Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler wins when it comes to. On the other hand, the Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler has the upper hand when it comes to.

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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler is the better choice.

The Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler meets 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler 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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler
  • 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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler Overview

  • From Dean's 2021 Select series
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 27" to 25.5"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Burled Maple top
  • Alder body
  • 3 Piece Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Sentient (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Nazgul (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Kahler Multiscale Trem bridge
  • D Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Grover 18:1 tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler Overview

  • From Dean's 2021 Select series
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 27" to 25.5"'' scale
  • 16" Fretboard Radius
  • Burled Maple top
  • Eastern Mahogany body
  • 3 Piece Maple neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan Sentient (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan Nazgul (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Kahler Multiscale Trem bridge
  • Slim D Bolt-On neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Grover 18:1 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
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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.

Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.

Woods Used in the Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler

Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
Alder

Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

Woods Used in the Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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 ML Select Multiscale Kahler.

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.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler's and use them on any guitar:

We found the same or similar pickups to the Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler's online:

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.

Both offer you the same type of pickup mod: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

They both share the following switching options:

Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler and Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler and Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler'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: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 79
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 82
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 79
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 82

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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler compares to the Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler.

Country of Origin

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

South Korea was for many years the number one choice for mass-producing semi-premium guitars. They can build excellent guitars for a cheap price. Now, it's less common to find Korean guitars because Indonesia has proved capable of building guitars just as well, but likely for cheaper.

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.

In this case, both have Locking nuts. 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.

Unfortunately, neither of them have a retainer bar for the nut, which would be a helpful addition. Without it, the strings will change pitch once you lock down the nut, so you'll have to make more micro-adjustments at the bridge to tune it correctly.

Winner: Tie.

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.

Both come with a similar bridge: Kahler. It's a floating tremolo very similar to Floyd Rose but less popular. The main difference is that you can lock it to the body, which essentially turns it into a fixed bridge. Some heavy metal players prefer this bridge over Floyd Rose because it won't move and get out of pitch when they palm mute.

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: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. Both come with Grover 18:1.

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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • 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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler
Quality of materials 55
Features 70
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 70
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler
Quality of materials 55
Features 70
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 70

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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler 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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler and Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler'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 27" to 25.5".

These are multi-scale fingerboards, which means that they incorporate two scale lengths at the same time. This is present in some instruments with long scale to give a different tension to the lower strings than the higher strings. The thickest strings need more tension to avoid fret buzz (especially when tuned low), so the scale is longer for these strings, while the thinnest strings will need less tension (because they have a lower gauge), so they have a shorter scale to reduce stiffness for bends.

It can feel awkward if you've never played a multi-scale because the frets will have more separation for the higher strings, but a lot of people love their versatility.

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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler Neck Profile
Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler's neck profile
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler Neck Profile
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler'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.

Both the Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler and the Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler have a D-shaped 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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler 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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler and the Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler 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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler and Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler 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 Exile Select Multiscale Kahler
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 55
Solo Playability 90
Playability 77
Dean ML Select Multiscale Kahler
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 55
Solo Playability 90
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler vs ML Select Multiscale Kahler
General Dean Exile Select Multiscale Kahler ML Select Multiscale Kahler
Brand: Dean Dean
Year: 2021 2021
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: South Korea South Korea
Series: Select Select
Colors: Yellow Burst Black Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Alder Eastern Mahogany
Bridge: Kahler Multiscale Trem Kahler Multiscale Trem
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Grover 18:1 Grover 18:1
Fretboard: Ebony Ebony
Neck Material: 3 Piece Maple 3 Piece Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Small Offset Dot Pearloid Small Offset Dot
Scale Size: 27" to 25.5" 27" to 25.5"
Shape: D Slim D
Frets: 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 16" 16"
Nut: Locking Locking
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan Sentient (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan Sentient (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan Nazgul (Humbucker / Passive) Seymour Duncan Nazgul (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Speed
Pickup Mods: Coil Split Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1