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Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard
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Playability
73
Sound
68
Build
73
Value
56
Score
71
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Playability
77
Sound
65
Build
52
Value
75
Score
65
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Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator vs Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard

Reasons to Get
Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator over Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs China
Built with higher quality standards
Release Year
2022 vs 2009
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Doyle Spec. Ultra Slim D Shaped vs C
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Best tuning stability for intense tremolo usage
Neck Joint
Neck-Through vs Bolt-On
Stronger neck and easier access to upper frets
Pickups
H vs HH
Hum-free with more right hand freedom and sustain
Number of Frets
27 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Fixed
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Reasons to Get
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard over USA Doyle Signature Annihilator

Neck Profile
C vs Doyle Spec. Ultra Slim D Shaped
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Switch Positions
3 vs 0
More tone options
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HH vs H
High output without hum
Bridge
Fixed vs Floyd Rose
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
75 vs 56
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator vs Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard

Bridge Pickup
Von Frankenstein MONSTER vs DMT Design
Different Bridge Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Terentang
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Richlite vs Granadillo
Different Fretboard Wood
Nut Material
Locking vs Plastic
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator vs Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard

Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm)
Same string separation at the nut
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Type of Frets
Jumbo
You won't feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Weaknesses

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator Prices

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Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard's 65 score, although not by a lot.

The Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

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 Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard is the better choice.

The Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard meets 3 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator 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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator Overview

  • From Dean's 2022 Artist series
  • Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein Signature
  • Made in United States
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • 3 Piece Mahogany neck
  • Richlite fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Von Frankenstein MONSTER (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 0 tone Dome knobs
  • FU Custom bridge
  • Doyle Spec. Ultra Slim D Shaped Neck-Through neck
  • 27 Jumbo frets
  • Schaller M6 Mini tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard Overview

  • From Dean's 2009 Artist series
  • Michael Schenker Signature
  • Made in China
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Terentang body
  • Maple neck
  • Granadillo fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Bell knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Tune-O-Matic bridge
  • C Bolt-On 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 the Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Richlite wood pattern used for guitar building
Richlite

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.

It's very similar to Ebony, but it is much cheaper to make. The main reason is that it is made from resin-infused paper. It is very durable and soft, so it's often used for fretboards and tops.

Woods Used in the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Granadillo wood pattern used for guitar building
Granadillo
Terentang wood pattern used for guitar building
Terentang

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.

Granadillo is often used as a replacement for rosewood, but it's not widely available. It is harder and denser, so the tone is said to be more chimey than rosewood.

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

Winner: Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator.

Pickup Configuration

The Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator has an H configuration while the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard has HH pickups.

A single H pickup gives you the advantage of having a little longer sustain (all other things being equal) because there will be less magnetic fields from other pickups affecting the strings' vibration. However, they also give you the least versatility because you won't have other pickups at different distances from the bridge to create different tones. A single humbucking pickup is used for noiseless high output, which is used mainly for Hard Rock genres.

On the other hand, 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

The Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard gives you 3 switch options while the Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator gives you 0. This means that the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

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

The Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator doesn't come with pickup switching options.

Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard'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 Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 47
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 68
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard
Pickups 60
Sustain 80
Versatility 56
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 65

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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator compares to the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator is built in United States while the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard is made in China.

The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

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.

Winner: Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator

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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator has 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.

On the other hand, the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard comes with 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.

Winner: Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator.

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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator's brige 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.

On the other hand, the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard's 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.

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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator's are Schaller M6 Mini while the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard'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.

The Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator has a Neck-Through neck joint. This neck is a lot more resistant and lets builders give the neck joint a more comfortable shape for soloing at the upper frets. The disadvantage is that they're more expensive and that if you damage your neck, you can't simply replace it like with bolt-on necks.

On the other hand, the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard comes with 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: Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator
  • Made in United States
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Neck-Through Build
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • No Top Brand Pickups
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard
  • 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 Tremolo
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator
Quality of materials 49
Features 70
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 73
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard
Quality of materials 51
Features 50
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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator 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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator's Scale Length
Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator's Scale Length
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard's Scale Length
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard's 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.

The Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator has the longest scale: 25.5". The Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard is only 24.75" long. This is a 0.75'' (19.1mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator Neck Profile
Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator's neck profile
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard Neck Profile
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard'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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator has a D type of 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.

The Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard, on the other hand, has a C 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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator 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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator and the Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard 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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator and Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard 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 USA Doyle Signature Annihilator
Bending & Vibrato Ease 80
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 90
Playability 73
Dean Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard
Bending & Vibrato Ease 95
Chord Playability 55
Solo Playability 80
Playability 77

Specs Side-by-Side

Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator vs Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard
General Dean USA Doyle Signature Annihilator Michael Schenker Bolt-On Standard
Brand: Dean Dean
Year: 2022 2009
Configuration: H HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: United States China
Series: Artist Artist
Colors: Black Custom
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Terentang
Bridge: FU Custom Tune-O-Matic
Neck
Neck Joint: Neck-Through Bolt-On
Tuners: Schaller M6 Mini Grover
Fretboard: Richlite Granadillo
Neck Material: 3 Piece Mahogany Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Doyle Bats Pearloid Dot
Scale Size: 25.5" 24.75"
Shape: Doyle Spec. Ultra Slim D Shaped C
Frets: 27 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Locking Plastic
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Von Frankenstein MONSTER (Humbucker / Passive) DMT Design (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: DMT Design (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 0 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Dome Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 2
Tone Controls: 0 1