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Dean Guitars
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Megadeth playing new Dean V.]]Dean Guitars is owned by Armadillo Enterprises in Tampa, Florida. They have a 110,000 square foot facility where they produce a line of USA made guitars. They have a line of import models as well.
Established in 1976 in Chicago, IL by Dean B. Zelinsky, Dean Guitars set out to design guitars that defied traditional shapes and created good tone and playability for the guitarist.
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Company Overview
of Megadeth playing new Dean V.]]Dean Guitars is owned by Armadillo Enterprises in Tampa, Florida. They have a 110,000 square foot facility where they produce a line of USA made guitars. They have a line of import models as well.
Established in 1976 in Chicago, IL by Dean B. Zelinsky, Dean Guitars set out to design guitars that defied traditional shapes and created good tone and playability for the guitarist. The original guitars have pointy shaped bodies and are recognizable by their
V-shaped headstocks.
In terms of guitars, Dean Guitars are relatively new on the scene. They had their beginnings in 1976 when the teenaged Dean Zelinsky decided he wanted to create a different kind of guitar design than what was present in the market. Dean started to design guitars that would defy traditional shapes and create good tone and playability for the guitarist. His first guitars were v-shaped and pointed which was both a function of design and helped enhance the guitars tone.
It was this shape that both made their name and was also the cause of the company being somewhat slow to catch on. At the time, they were not considered main stream. However, once people learned about them and started testing them in shops, they started to get a following.
After nearly ten years of production, Zelinsky decided that he no longer wanted to manufacture guitars and sold the company. Oscar Medeiros had ownership of the brand name and trademark until the mid 90s. The guitars Medeiros created under the Dean name were also considered quality instruments.
Medeiros stopped manufacturing Dean Guitars in the mid 1990s or so when Armadillo Enterprises purchased the company and began making them. It was not long before they contacted Zelinsky. He worked for the company as an executive and creative director. The presence of Zelinsky at the company lent an authenticity and quality to the brand.
Dean Zelinsky is back in the guitar market with his new guitar company, DBZ Guitars, which was made public in August 2008. Dean Zelinsky no longer has any affiliation with Dean Guitars.
Artists who use Dean Guitars
Dean features a diverse line up of artists from thrash metal icon Dave Mustaine of Megadeth to jazz bassist Jeff Berlin. Dean Guitars' popularity soared with the return of Dimebag Darrell in 2004, guitarist for Pantera and Damageplan. Dean offers over 20 different Dimebag models today.
Artists who have signature models with Dean Guitars include Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Michael Amott of Arch Enemy, Michael Angelo Batio (solo artist and clinician), Leslie West of Mountain, Rusty Cooley of Outworld, Vinnie Moore (solo artist), Eric Peterson of Testament, Michael Schenker of MSG and Rudolph Schenker of Scorpions.
Guitar and Bass Models
The company is best known for their line of electric guitars that include the ML, Razorback, Cadillac, Soltero, Split Tail, Vendetta and the Dean V.
The company's bass guitar models include the Demonator, Edge, Rhapsody, EVO and Zone.
A small amount of Dean's business revolves around acoustic guitars. In addition to the traditional acoustic instrument shapes, Dean also has acoustic versions of their ML and V electric guitars.
In 2007, Dean Guitars began producing their own pickups in their USA facility called Dean DMT.
At the 2009 NAMM trade show, they unveiled the new Dime Blacktooth amplifier, which will be shipping mid-year.
Affiliated Companies
Armadillo Enterprises, the parent company of Dean Guitars, also owns Luna Guitars and Ddrum each having large artist rosters including Vinnie Paul and Carmine Appice.
External links
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- Dean guitars founder's new company:http://www.dbzguitars.com/web/
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