Swap
Swap
Dean Z Select 24 Kahler
Reverend Charger RA
VS
Playability
78
Sound
79
Build
62
Value
73
Score
73
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Playability
72
Sound
78
Build
63
Value
71
Score
71
FIND IT ON:
Sweetwater logo
Add more to comparison

Dean Z Select 24 Kahler vs Reverend Charger RA

Reasons to Get
Dean Z Select 24 Kahler over Reverend Charger RA

Neck Profile
V vs Medium Oval
Great if you like to hang your thumb over the fretboard
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Bridge
Kahler vs Fixed
Intense vibratos and can be locked to stop floating
Scale Length
24.75'' (628.7mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Value Score
73 vs 71
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Reverend Charger RA over Dean Z Select 24 Kahler

Decorative Top
Flame Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Number of Frets
22 vs 24
Warmer neck pickup
Neck Profile
Medium Oval vs V
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Bridge
Fixed vs Kahler
Good sustain and needs no set-up
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 24.75'' (628.7mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone

Other Key Differences
Dean Z Select 24 Kahler vs Reverend Charger RA

Bridge Pickup
Seymour Duncan TB-5 vs Hyper Vintage Bridge
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Seymour Duncan APH-1N vs Nuevo 90 Neck
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Limba
Different Body Wood
Neck Wood
Mahogany vs Roasted Maple
Different Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Ebony vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
Locking vs Boneite
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
Dean Z Select 24 Kahler vs Reverend Charger RA

Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
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
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 Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • 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

Dean Z Select 24 Kahler Prices

SET PRICE ALERT
SET PRICE ALERT

These are affiliate links. We may earn a fee if you purchase after clicking. These prices are prone to error. Make sure you're buying the right product after clicking on a link from our site. We are not liable if you buy the wrong product after following these links. As an Amazon Associate site we earn from qualifying purchases.

Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Dean Z Select 24 Kahler is probably the better product overall with its final score of 73 compared to the Reverend Charger RA's 71 score, although not by a lot.

The Dean Z Select 24 Kahler wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the Reverend Charger RA has the upper hand when it comes to build quality.

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 Reverend Charger RA is the better choice.

The Reverend Charger RA meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Dean Z Select 24 Kahler 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 Z Select 24 Kahler
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

Reverend Charger RA
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable shape
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

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 Z Select 24 Kahler Overview

  • From Dean's 2021 Select series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Eastern Mahogany body
  • 3 Piece Eastern Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan TB-5 (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan APH-1N (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 2 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Kahler Hybrid bridge
  • V Set neck
  • 24 Jumbo frets
  • Grover 18:1 tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Reverend Charger RA Overview

  • From Reverend's 2021 Bolt-On series
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Flame Maple top
  • Korina body
  • Dark Roasted Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Hyper Vintage Bridge (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Nuevo 90 Neck (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Dome knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • TOM with Stop Tail bridge
  • Medium Oval Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Jumbo frets
  • Reverend Pin-Lock 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 Z Select 24 Kahler

Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony

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.

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 Reverend Charger RA

Roasted Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Roasted Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Limba wood pattern used for guitar building
Limba

Roasted Maple is just maple without a finish. It's technically cheaper than regular maple, but it doesn't have any extra disadvantages because of this. The color is darker, and it's lighter weight and very stable even when there's a lot of humidity.

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.

Limba is a relatively rare wood that shows exotic tight dark grain stripes. It comes in white or black. As a tonewood, it is comparable to Mahogany but with richer mids. Find out more about Limba.

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.

However, the Reverend Charger RA has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

You can purchase similar pickups to the Dean Z Select 24 Kahler's and use them on any guitar:

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: Reverend Charger RA.

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 Z Select 24 Kahler and Reverend Charger RA pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Dean Z Select 24 Kahler and Reverend Charger RA'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 Z Select 24 Kahler.

Final Sound Quality Scores

Dean Z Select 24 Kahler
Pickups 85
Sustain 80
Versatility 66
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79
Reverend Charger RA
Pickups 90
Sustain 85
Versatility 56
Tuning Stability 80
Sound 78

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 Z Select 24 Kahler compares to the Reverend Charger RA.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Dean Z Select 24 Kahler is built in Indonesia while the Reverend Charger RA is made in South Korea.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

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.

The Dean Z Select 24 Kahler 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 Reverend Charger RA comes with a Boneite nut. This is an artificial material made to imitate the favored type of nut: bone. This allows it to sound and feel pretty much like bone, but without the inconsistency of natural materials.

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.

The Dean Z Select 24 Kahler's brige is a 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.

On the other hand, the Reverend Charger RA'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 Z Select 24 Kahler.

Tuners

The Reverend Charger RA has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

Nevertheless, the Dean Z Select 24 Kahler has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.

Winner: Reverend Charger RA.

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 Z Select 24 Kahler has 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.

On the other hand, the Reverend Charger RA 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: Reverend Charger RA.

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

Strengths & Weaknesses
Dean Z Select 24 Kahler
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 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
Strengths & Weaknesses
Reverend Charger RA
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Boneite Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in South Korea
  • 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 Z Select 24 Kahler
Quality of materials 51
Features 60
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 62
Reverend Charger RA
Quality of materials 55
Features 60
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 63

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 Z Select 24 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 Z Select 24 Kahler's Scale Length
Dean Z Select 24 Kahler's Scale Length
Reverend Charger RA's Scale Length
Reverend Charger RA'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 Reverend Charger RA has the longest scale: 25.5". The Dean Z Select 24 Kahler 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 Z Select 24 Kahler Neck Profile
Dean Z Select 24 Kahler's neck profile
Reverend Charger RA Neck Profile
Reverend Charger RA'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 Z Select 24 Kahler has a V type of 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.

The Reverend Charger RA, 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 Z Select 24 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 Z Select 24 Kahler and the Reverend Charger RA 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 Z Select 24 Kahler:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Reverend Charger RA:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

Dean Z Select 24 Kahler and Reverend Charger RA 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 Z Select 24 Kahler
Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 65
Solo Playability 80
Playability 78
Reverend Charger RA
Bending & Vibrato Ease 85
Chord Playability 50
Solo Playability 80
Playability 72

Specs Side-by-Side

Dean Z Select 24 Kahler vs Reverend Charger RA
General Dean Z Select 24 Kahler Reverend Charger RA
Brand: Dean Reverend
Year: 2021 2021
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia South Korea
Series: Select Bolt-On
Colors: White Blue, Purple
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Eastern Mahogany Korina
Bridge: Kahler Hybrid TOM with Stop Tail
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: Grover 18:1 Reverend Pin-Lock
Fretboard: Ebony Rosewood
Neck Material: 3 Piece Eastern Mahogany Dark Roasted Maple
Decoration: Pearloid Block Dots
Scale Size: 24.75" 25.5"
Shape: V Medium Oval
Frets: 24 Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 12" 12"
Nut: Locking Boneite
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: Seymour Duncan TB-5 (Humbucker / Passive) Hyper Vintage Bridge (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: Seymour Duncan APH-1N (Humbucker / Passive) Nuevo 90 Neck (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Dome
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 1 2