The Dean USA Dave Mustaine Signature VMNT Holy Grail electric guitar, a more recent incarnation of the V introduced in 2016, is an example of the superlative nature of the brand.ĭean also has signature models for Bret Michaels, Michael Schenker, Leslie West, Michael Angelo Batio, Michael Amott, Rusty Cooley, and other artists.
The company has also worked closely with the grammy-awarded frontman and guitarist of Megadeth, Dave Mustaine, to offer a line of guitars: the Dave Mustaine Signature Series Dean VMNT, Dean Zero, and Dean Mako, ranging in price from around $300 to over $6000 for the USA instruments.
The company offers numerous Dimebag Darrell models, including some signature ML models and his own original shapes, the Razorback and Razorback V. RIP Elliott Rubinson.' Instruments ĭean is widely known for the line of electric guitars that includes the ML, V, Z, Cadillac, Splittail, Soltero, EVO, Icon, Custom Zone, Vendetta and Deceiver models.ĭean also has many signature electric guitar models. He would have been successful in any business but he went with his passion for music and built his business around it. Richard Ash, CEO of Sam Ash Music Stores, said, 'Elliott was a true genius. In February 2017, Elliott 'Dean' Rubinson died from cancer. Today the company also assembles guitar pickups and guitar parts made and painted in locations throughout the country and distributes them around the world.Īs of December 2016, Elliott Rubinson's son, Evan Rubinson, has assumed the position of President and CEO at Armadillo Enterprises (which includes Dean Guitars, Luna Guitars, and ddrum). Under Armadillo Enterprises the company grew exponentially, outgrowing its 20,000-square-foot Clearwater location and transitioning to a new 100,000-square-foot building complete with a state-of-the-art USA Custom Guitar Shop. Dean Guitars Serial Number SearchĪfter steadily growing a team of respected guitarists (including Dimebag Darrell, Michael Angelo Batio, Michael Schenker, Leslie West, Dave Mustaine, Michael Amott, and Jacky Vincent) and music industry professionals, many of whom came from Thoroughbred, Dean Guitars' popularity surged. A pioneer in the music retail industry, Rubinson sold Thoroughbred to Sam Ash Music in 1999 so he could focus his efforts on Dean. Rubinson had previously built Thoroughbred Music, a world-renowned music retail store, music supply, and music clinic center.
Rubinson, a professional musician who has toured as a bass player for the Michael Schenker Group as well as for Uli Jon Roth and Michael Angelo Batio, saw an opportunity to re-boot Dean Guitars by expanding its offerings to include a full line of acoustic, electric and bass guitars, mandolins, banjos, and ukuleles with prices ranging from less than $99 to more than $13,000. Īrmadillo Enterprises, under the leadership of Elliott Rubinson, then purchased the Dean trade name in 1997. The company had all but disappeared from the American market at this point.
With the advent of the superstrat and grunge music, Dean Zelinsky sold the business to Oscar Medeiros of Tropical Music, who gained ownership of the brand from 1986, and until 1995 focused on selling to Latin bands overseas. History ĭean artists Michael Schenker and Wayne Findlay with Dean owner Elliott 'Dean' Rubinsonĭean Guitars started in 1976 and gained worldwide recognition by being used by bands such as Heart, Kansas, The Cars, Molly Hatchet, Triumph and ZZ Top. The person that took the pics said there is no serial number in any of the usual places. Help identify this Dean guitar? Discussion in '.
There was a period of time in the '90s when serial numbers were stamped into the. If it is a USA Dean, the serial number will be stamped into the back of the headstock in most cases. Search in titles only Search in Electric Guitars. Armadillo Enterprises today is a privately held organization with Evan Rubinson serving as the Chief Executive Officer. The Dean family today consists of over 100 people: guitar luthiers and techs, distribution and sales staff, customer service providers, office admins, tech and marketing personnel, almost all of which are practicing musicians, artists, and artisans. The company was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1976 by Dean Zelinsky but came to prominence under Elliott Rubinson in 1997 when his company Armadillo Enterprises purchased the trade name.