Experience with Dean USA guitars?

[Luke Duke]

I was just curious if anyone had any experience with the Dean USA Custom guitars. Time Capsule Cadillac, Soltero, whatever you've seen or played. I've watched their videos on youtube but there isn't a ton of info. I know they also wind their own pups too. If you have any experience with them I'd be interested in that too.

Luke

 

[formula73]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

The guitars are every bit as nice as any other US builder. The pickups are ok. Nothing revolutionary.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

If you like their styling, they do a great job. The builders are a nice bunch of people, too. So if you are on board for the Dean thing, they are best versions you will ever play.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

The USA stuff is nice quality-wise.

They are guilty of skimping on the pickups in their production USA models, though. You'll see "DMT USA" in the description for some models and then the pickups themselves say "DMT Series" on them when they arrive. I have determined that these are made overseas to Dean specs.

A couple years ago, they were advertising the Seymour Duncan JB/59 set in some of their USA Hardtails, but players were discovering that they were knock-offs, not even made by Dean themselves! I've seen a set in person, so I can confirm. Even said "JB" and "59" on a sticker on the bottom, but no way in hell they were real Duncans...nothing matched up, not the spacing, not the baseplate, not the label, no logo anywhere, etc. Clearly made overseas like the rest.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

The USA stuff is nice quality-wise.

They are guilty of skimping on the pickups in their production USA models, though. You'll see "DMT USA" in the description for some models and then the pickups themselves say "DMT Series" on them when they arrive. I have determined that these are made overseas to Dean specs.

A couple years ago, they were advertising the Seymour Duncan JB/59 set in some of their USA Hardtails, but players were discovering that they were knock-offs, not even made by Dean themselves! I've seen a set in person, so I can confirm. Even said "JB" and "59" on a sticker on the bottom, but no way in hell they were real Duncans...nothing matched up, not the spacing, not the baseplate, not the label, no logo anywhere, etc. Clearly made overseas like the rest.

Wow, that's not cool.

 

[formula73]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

The USA stuff is nice quality-wise.

They are guilty of skimping on the pickups in their production USA models, though. You'll see "DMT USA" in the description for some models and then the pickups themselves say "DMT Series" on them when they arrive. I have determined that these are made overseas to Dean specs.

A couple years ago, they were advertising the Seymour Duncan JB/59 set in some of their USA Hardtails, but players were discovering that they were knock-offs, not even made by Dean themselves! I've seen a set in person, so I can confirm. Even said "JB" and "59" on a sticker on the bottom, but no way in hell they were real Duncans...nothing matched up, not the spacing, not the baseplate, not the label, no logo anywhere, etc. Clearly made overseas like the rest.

First off, I wouldn’t expect Dean to make Duncans. That statement reads weird.

Second, they do, in fact, have quite a little winding facility down there, which I have seen in use and bought directly from.

Third, the ‘import pickup branded as x’ is not new. It’s been an OEM thing for quite a while, now. I’m just not sure how it’s legal.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

Honestly, growing up in the 80s I thought they played like junk, and maybe unfairly regarded them as a pawn store brand with their direct copies of classic guitars and ridiculous (even during the 80s) glam metal originals etc.

But apparently unbeknownst to me, they've been making some good and great guitars and are well regarded well in the industry.

 

[BTMN]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars.

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars.

Mid 80s were a rough time for Dean Guitars. That was when Dean Zelinsky the founder of the company had sold the brand name and most guitars were imports at that time. Dean Guitars came back as a decent guitar company about 1997 after Elliott Rubinson bought the brand name from Tropical Music. Operations have been located in the Tampa Bay since early 1996. All USA Deans have been made in Tampa since January 2008. Dan Russell and the other guys in the custom shop and setup areas are hardworkers and are really making some good guitars. Below is my 1996 USA Dean Cadillac and my 2011 Splittail in Korina. I would put them against any other USA made in 1996 or 2011.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

First of all, I have a crap ton of Korean Imports and they are pretty damn good. A couple even very very good. As for the USA imports - as everyone said, as good as anything made in USA. Better than somethings made in USA. Gibson

As for the pickups, a matter of taste. We did discuss the SD fake drama here extensively at one point. It would appear that there was definitely some tom-foolery and scamming of Dean. That is not to be confused as Dean trying to scam people. There are Deans these days that come with stock Duncans.

 

[BTMN]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

This is my 2004 Dean Pro Series Z. Looks like Duncans to me. Pickups discussed before were from a Pro Series Z. :dunno:

 

[Francois]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

A SG-Flying V ! Incredible !
Killer look !
And probably does not sleep without strap

 

[Mincer]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

Dean does have a handful of pickup winders in their 'factory' (it is more a warehouse than a factory). I haven't been overly impressed with their pickups, but to be fair, most I tried were higher output, and I generally don't like higher output pickups from any brand.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

This is my 2004 Dean Pro Series Z. Looks like Duncans to me. Pickups discussed before were from a Pro Series Z. :dunno:

That is so screwy. I too have a 2004 Pro Series (a Z). I had always been told, and seen it spec'd, that the pickups were Duncans. So I pulled mine for a re-wind, and didn't think twice about questioning this. Even though they didn't have Duncan baseplates, they were labeled JB and '59 on little stickers on the bottom. I figured they had plain baseplates and 50mm spacing because they were O.E.M. Duncans ordered specifically to those specs by Dean.

I send them in to Duncan to be re-wound, and they tell me they aren't Duncans. I contact Dean, and two different people there they tell me yes, they are. I go back to Duncan with this, and they say no, they aren't. I go back to Dean with this, and they ask for pix. I send pix, and they casually change their tune about the pickups. The whole thing really ticked me off.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I bought a Dean Caddy at Christmas last year... It's Asian, of course..... but I can tell you this...
Of the 30 plus instruments I have it's the ONLY one that I was happy with bone stock. It rules.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

No Dean guitars here... but I do have a set of Dean p'ups which I think are great..a MAB 'Hands Without Shadows' neck & "Baker Act" bridge..

The MAB (Batio sig) is thick yet sweet & very articulate in the neck..& the Baker Act is sort of like a less honky Duncan JB with a tighter bottom end & killer overtones. They are awesome pickups.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I've played a few USA Deans before but never owned one, though I wouldn't mind one. The one Dean I do have is Korean made, a Chicago Standard Series ML. Came stock with DiMarzio Super Distortions. Absolutely fantastic guitar. The only change I made was changing the pots and wiring the neck pickup in parallel. It is so fun to play, balances great, and reminds me of the USA ML that I had played before.

When funds allow, I want to get a V and Z from the same series to have the trio. I've always liked the Dean V better than the G-brand. I think the headstock fits the body better, just my opinion.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I wasn't going to say anything because...be nice and all, but...that HEADSTOCK!? Why???

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I wasn't going to say anything because...be nice and all, but...that HEADSTOCK!? Why???

Why not? It is readily identifiable, and no one will mistake it for anything else.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

I wasn't going to say anything because...be nice and all, but...that HEADSTOCK!? Why???

It really is the one thing that keeps me away from this brand.
I just don’t like the look of the headstock.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Experience with Dean USA guitars?

Why not? It is readily identifiable, and no one will mistake it for anything else.

Pretty sure he is saying the Headstock is fugly.