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Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple
Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd
VS
Playability
77
Sound
66
Build
50
Value
74
Score
64
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Playability
75
Sound
73
Build
52
Value
77
Score
67
FIND IT ON:
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Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple vs Thoroughbred X Floyd

Reasons to Get
Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple over Thoroughbred X Floyd

Decorative Top
Quilt Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up

Reasons to Get
Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd over Thoroughbred X Quilt 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
77 vs 74
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple vs Thoroughbred X Floyd

Nut Material
Plastic vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple vs Thoroughbred X Floyd

Bridge Pickup
DMT Design
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
DMT Design
Same Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
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
Volume Knobs
2
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
2
Same tone control
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
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
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

  • 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
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 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 the Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd is probably the better product overall with its final score of 67 compared to the Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple's 64 score, although not by a lot.

The Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd wins when it comes to sound, build quality, value for the money. On the other hand, the Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple is the better choice.

The Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Dean Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Dean Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple Overview

  • From Dean's 2021 X series
  • Made in India
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Quilt Maple top
  • Eastern Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic (Hardtail) bridge
  • C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Sealed Die Cast tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd Overview

  • From Dean's 2021 X series
  • Made in India
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Eastern Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 2 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Floyd Rose FR20 bridge
  • C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 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
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

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.

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: 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

None of these use a specialized pickup brand for their pickups. Some of the best guitars on the market come with pickups from brands like EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, etc. You might want to replace your pickups eventually if you want to get the best sound out of any of these instruments.

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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple and Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple and Dean Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred X Floyd.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 58
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 66
Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 68
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 73

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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple compares to the Dean Thoroughbred X 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt 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 Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt 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 Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple
  • Expensive Wood
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in India
  • 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 Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple
Quality of materials 45
Features 50
Quality Control 55
Build Quality 50
Dean Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple and Dean Thoroughbred 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 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple and the Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd have a C-shaped 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.

Fretboard Radius

Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple and the Dean Thoroughbred X 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 favor small hands .

Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple and Dean Thoroughbred 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 Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 55
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77
Dean Thoroughbred X Floyd
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 55
Solo Playability 80
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple vs Thoroughbred X Floyd
General Dean Thoroughbred X Quilt Maple Thoroughbred X Floyd
Brand: Dean Dean
Year: 2021 2021
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: India India
Series: X X
Colors: Blue Burst Red Satin
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Eastern Mahogany Eastern Mahogany
Bridge: Tune-O-Matic (Hardtail) Floyd Rose FR20
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: Sealed Die Cast Sealed Die Cast
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood Indian Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Dot Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 24.75" 24.75"
Shape: C C
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: 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: Speed Speed
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 2
Tone Controls: 2 2