The History of Dean GuitarsDean Guitars was created in 1976 by luthier Dean Zelinsky who began building guitars at an early age. Zelinsky thought that rock guitar design had stagnated and decided to do what he could to change things. The first Dean guitars were released in the mid-1970s and featured designs including "pointy" guitar bodies and large V-shaped headstocks. These designs quickly gained in popularity because they looked great and because they were designed and engineered to improve the tone and sustain of the guitar. They also have a unique fast-playing "V" neck.
Dean's marketing campaign, which featured scantily clad female models holding the guitars in provocative poses, was widely copied by other guitar manufacturers until the onset of the grunge rock movement in the 1990s. (Advertising-heavy magazines from this time, such as Guitar for the Practicing Musician, bear a strong resemblance to "lad mags" such as Maxim.) Dean has since revived this practice, and once again many manufacturers employ scantily-clad women (including porn actress Jenna Jameson) to model their instruments.
In the 1980s Dean Zelinsky sold to Oscar Medeiros who owned the Dean name & trademarks. He built some of the first neck through models and initially instituted the American Custom Shop and took Dean guitars to the next level. Armadillo Enterprises purchased the Dean company in the late 90's and the new owners were very smart to bring Dean back. Currently Dean is running the production for all the USA made guitars available. He is making the complete original line of products and recently released the Dean Lost 100 line.
Among the more famous Dean models are the Dean Razorback Rust Tribute Guitar, Dean USA Dime Razorback V Two-Tone Guitar, Dean FBD Dimebag Tribute ML Guitar, Dean USA Rebel Razorback Guitar, Dean Dixie Rebel Tribute ML Guitar, Dean From Hell CFH Cowboy From Hell Guitar, Dean Explosion Razorback Tribute Guitar, Dean Dime-O-Flame ML Guitar, Dean Razorback Slime Bumblebee Tribute Guitar, Dean Razorback Two-Tone Tribute Guitar, Dean Razorback Shards Tribute Guitar, Dean DBD Dimebag Darrel ML Tribute Guitar, Dean Dimeblade ML Tribute Guitar, Dean Dime-O-Flage ML Tribute Guitar, and the Dean Baby Dime From Hell CFH ML Tribute Guitar.
Today Dean is bigger and better than ever. They make guitars overseas and in the USA in their custom shop. They are still cutting edge and also host the fine Dean Girls !
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