Any love here of original Dean Guitars...?

Haven't spent time with the old ones, but the Chafin Del Sol I got a few years back is stellar.

 

I also have had no experience with the original deans, but recently they have improved greatly- I was told by a dealer at west LA music that the brand was recently taken over by new management and has taken great strides in improving their quality once again.

 

Funny - I always assumed they were trash because of the ads they used to do in Guitar Player. I figured if the guitar were any good, they wouldn't need the scantily clad (though obviously musically talented ) babes to sell their guitars for them.

So reading ads for the new ones, obviously aiming for the high-end market, I'm still left with this impression of "who they trying to kid?".

Judging by advertising campaigns is pretty stupid, I guess. But I imagine they turned off as many buyers with those old ads as they sold guitars.

 

The late 70s to early 80s Deans were the bomb! I played the Z, and owned an ML. Every bit as good as a Hamer of that same period, and better than any Gibson.

Just dump the Dimarzio pickups for something more substantial tonewise, and you're good to go!

 

Hey guys,

I would have to say that the original USA Deans from the late '70s to early '80s are killer guitars. Much like USA Hamer guitars, are very underrated, well made USA guitars for the money. If you see one and you like the sound and feel, buy it!! When people find out what they're about, the price on these old ones will go up. Look at Dimebag Darrell did with a few old Dean USA ML guitars. He rocked the world with the old Dean guitars before his endorsement with Washburn.

Guitar George

 

I love old deans. I have a '78 z & a '79 v . i also just got a rescent black 25th anniversary cadillac, black with gold hardware. the cadillac is killer, but the old deans are still my favorites. Terry

 

The old ones were great. When I was in high school, my ultimate guitar was a Z in tobacco sunburst...*swoon*. They were always just a bit out of my price range no matter what scheming I did. They have a great V shaped neck (or had, I guess my taste in neck shapes may have changed since then, but I recall them having pretty beefy necks).

 

I bought a Dean Z back in 1980 & traded it a couple of months later for a 78 LP Custom & never looked back...

Just couldn't get used to the headstock shape LOL