Reviews of the Best Dean Guitar!

A Dean Guitar is a joy to play, and it seems only fitting that the company that makes them began with a teenage boy who was in love with guitars.

Playmate J 7/8 Size	Tradition AK48	Tradition S2
Inexpensive child guitar. Look elsewhere for quality.	Cheap guitar, large sound	Solid spruce top with attractive sunburst pattern.

Espana Classical	Daytona	Bret Michaels
Beautiful, classical guitar with solid cedar top.	Solid top, good beginner guitar	Dreadnought with Real Flare

A Home-Grown Beginning

Dean Zelinsky was born and raised in Chicago, IL. Obsessed with guitars from a very early age, Dean was taking guitars apart and putting them back together when most kids were playing with transistor radios. But in all of his practice with guitar building, he simply couldn’t find a guitar that suited him, so he decided to build one of his own; an entirely new kind of guitar design.

Dean’s first guitars were v-shaped and came to a point, a combination that enhanced the guitar’s tone. The new shape was both a blessing and a curse; it became the trademark shape of a Dean Guitar and those who tried it liked it. However, due to its unusual shape the guitar was also slow to catch on with the general public.

Ten years into his new career, Dean sold the company to Oscar Medeiros. Medeiros held the ownership of Dean Guitars (including the brand name and trademark) until the mid 1990’s when it was purchased by Armadillo Enterprises. Armadillo decided that in order to give the company authenticity, they needed Dean Zelinsky on board. And so Dean came back to the company where he now works as a creative assistant and one of their most valued executives.

Dean Artists

The impressive quality of Dean Guitars is evident in the number of famous artists who choose to play a Dean. Perhaps you’ve heard of Christian Simeon of Outlaw Nation, or the jazz guitarist Johnny B.; both are avid Dean fans. But the list doesn’t end there. Kenny Kweens of Beautiful Creatures, Mark Akin and the enchanting vocalist and guitarist Meka Nism all choose to play Dean Acoustic Guitars.

Most Popular Models

While Dean is known primarily for its electric guitars, it is in acoustic guitar models that they got their start. And they still make some of the best acoustic guitar models to be had. Models such as those found in the Dean Exotica Series are made out of exotic hardwoods that not only give the instruments a rich and honeyed tone, but which turn them from musical instruments into works of art. These extremely beautiful guitars have a list price of between $300-$500, though they can cost a good bit more depending on the style and the type of wood chosen. The Dean Axcess Acoustic Guitar is another popular series. It has a rich tone and can be purchased anywhere from $200 - $500 depending on the Axcess model selected.

Why a Dean?

Learning to play the acoustic guitar can be quite an investment time and energy. It is only to be expected that those learning how to play will want the best name and quality of guitar that their money can buy. A Dean instrument is not only a sound financial investment; it is a mark of pride in the sound of one’s instrument and the innovation of American youth.

Dean Acoustic Guitars | Dean Acoustic Electric

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