This is the second review I've written about my LaVoce. So forgive me if I repeat myself, although I'm approaching this review from a different angle. Let's start with this preface: the LaVoce certainly has Gibson's Les Paul as its inspiration. That said, Dean has captured the BEST of Gibson's design and engineering, then improved upon it. I have owned several dozen LP's over the years. Within a few feet of where I'm typing this I have a 60th Anniversary '59 Reissue (maybe the very best LP I ever owned, but a $6500 instrument), a "The Les Paul" from the late 70's (maybe the most expensive guitar Gibson made until they got into signature and reissue instruments), a beautiful quilt-top Florentine, an '80 Standard, and a couple of others. At my age I am mostly selling, rather than buying. But short of an honest '59 'Burst, I've owned every LP that was ever on my "gotta have that" list. I was always an LP snob. Most of my guitar buddies were LP snobs. If not "LP" snobs, at least Gibson snobs. Although I tried dozens of LP-type instruments (by Epiphones and a whole host of other clones, including Chinese copies), I always felt the genuine Gibsons were the very best of what I was searching for. When I finally discovered Dean's Private Label, the handful of reviews I read in guitar magazines and online finally made me say, "what the hell" and I ordered one (a Dellatera). Mightily impressed, I ordered a "LaVoce". So here I go repeating myself... After playing Gibson LP's for 40-plus years, I found myself asking, "why in the hell hasn't Gibson done this?" I understand...I understand...Gibson has a winner with the LP and doesn't want to vary much from the successful formula. They might do a double-cutaway model, coil-tapping, fancy tops, etc. But they have done NOTHING like this. I own some Gibsons (very expensive Gibsons) that have tops like my LaVoce. I own some Gibsons that sound amazing and have a great playing feel. But I have NEVER owned a Gibson that has everything this LaVoce has. Let me start with weight, thickness, and body contours. Those alone are enough to make an old man consider jumping ship. The quilted top on this guitar is right up there with the very best Gibson, PRS, Carvin and others have produced. So as a thing of beauty, it's in the top ranks. But the sounds just put it over the top. Until you play with all the options (including acoustic sounds), you just can't truly understand why I'm leaving another review. The blonde (maple) neck I chose for mine has the Z-Glide treatment and has (for me) a slightly unusual V-shaped neck. "Why would they do that," I wondered. Well, the more you play it, the more you "get" it. The depth at the top (or bottom, as you see it), gives you leverage, but the slim shoulders make the neck feel much thinner than it really is. In short, it makes for an incredibly cool feel for playing. I can't help picking this guitar up half a dozen times a day and just playing acoustically. Not only is it visually inspiring, but it just fits your hands and body (mine, at least) like an old well-worn glove. So forgive me for this second review, and forgive me for sounding almost maudlin, but as of now, this is the favorite guitar I own. Here is the most important point I want to make. I just stumbled across DZPL guitars by reading a review (of the Dellatera) in a guitar magazine. Otherwise, I would have probably not known Dean was back in business making custom guitars. If I (after decades of loving Gibson LP's above all others) have discovered a replacement that blows them away, and if I (a Gibson snob) have to admit that I finally found something better, how long will it take for others like me to stumble across these wonderful instruments. Fellows (and maybe a lady or two), get these while you can, while they are still affordable (relatively), as I have a feeling someday these will be seen as something special.
