In the annals of rock and roll history, few guitar designs are as instantly recognizable and aggressively stylish as the Dean V. Born from ambition and a desire to innovate, the Dean V Guitar emerged as a symbol of a new era in music. But the story of the Dean V is inextricably linked to the very foundation of Dean Guitars, a company built from the ground up by a young visionary with a passion for rock and roll and a determination to honor his father’s memory. This is the story of how Dean Guitars, and the iconic Dean V, came to be.
The year was 1976. While his peers navigated college life or entered traditional trades, 19-year-old Dean Zelinsky felt a different calling. The conventional paths held no appeal; instead, a bold ambition took root: to dive headfirst into the challenging world of guitar manufacturing. This wasn’t a whimsical teenage dream, but a deeply considered decision fueled by personal tragedy and a burning desire to create.
The profound impact of his father’s untimely death in a plane crash when Dean was just twelve years old cannot be overstated. His father, an Air Force pilot with a lifelong passion for aviation, perished due to negligence. This loss became a defining moment, shaping Dean’s perspective and fueling his drive. A lawsuit against the aircraft manufacturer ensued, and years later, at the age of 18, a settlement was reached. While no monetary compensation could ever replace the void left by his father, Dean recognized an opportunity. He saw in this settlement a chance to build something meaningful, something that would resonate with his own aspirations and honor his father’s entrepreneurial spirit. His father had always envisioned him as a businessman, and using the settlement to launch a company felt like the most fitting tribute. This sense of purpose, the feeling of his father watching over him, became an unwavering source of strength, propelling him through the inevitable challenges of starting a business from scratch.
Despite his unwavering drive and natural aptitude for problem-solving and design, Dean readily admits he lacked formal experience in guitar manufacturing. He was a skilled repairman, capable of crafting individual necks and performing intricate guitar work. However, the leap from custom repairs to mass production was immense. The question loomed: how to achieve consistent quality and scale production to thousands of guitars? The complexities of manufacturing, the myriad details he hadn’t yet considered, presented a formidable learning curve. He was, in essence, starting from square one, but armed with an unshakeable belief in his vision.
This realization solidified his focus on manufacturing. The meticulous, solitary craft of a luthier, creating one-off instruments, wasn’t his path. Dean’s vision was broader, more ambitious. He wasn’t content with crafting individual masterpieces; he wanted to design and implement systems, machinery, and processes that could replicate quality and craftsmanship on a larger scale. For Dean, the true measure of success wasn’t just creating a superior guitar, but making that superior instrument accessible to players everywhere. Manufacturing, therefore, became the only logical and fulfilling path.
The Dean Philosophy: Bridging Vintage Charm with Modern Edge
The mid-1970s marked a dynamic period in rock music. The genre was evolving, concerts were becoming grand multimedia spectacles, and rock stars were pushing the boundaries of fashion and stage presence. Yet, the guitars many of them played were designs rooted in the 1950s, instruments that, in Dean’s view, seemed increasingly out of sync with the evolving rock aesthetic. He saw an opportunity to bridge this gap, to create guitars that were not only sonically exceptional but also visually compelling, instruments that would complement the modern rock stage without succumbing to fleeting trends.
Dean envisioned guitars that were “classy works-of-art,” instruments that captured the coveted qualities of vintage guitars while incorporating modern sensibilities. This meant flame maple tops, fully bound bodies, ebony fingerboards, and hardware mounted directly to the wood to enhance sustain – features sought after by discerning players. Crucially, he developed the distinctive Dean V neck profile, designed for both comfort and speed. He also recognized the importance of high-output pickups in the evolving rock sound. Having used DiMarzio pickups extensively in his repair work, he knew their Super Distortions delivered the powerful tone that players craved. Dean Guitars became the first production guitar company to offer DiMarzio Super Distortions as stock pickups, a feature that immediately set them apart.
Finding a suitable space for his factory was a crucial next step. He located a facility at 2125 Dewey Ave. in Evanston, IL. Still residing with his mother in Highland Park, the 25-minute commute in his Chevy van became a daily ritual. Long hours were the norm, often stretching from early morning until midnight, repeating the cycle day after day. His drive to work took him along scenic Sheridan Road, through Chicago’s affluent suburbs lining Lake Michigan. These glimpses of success, the grand homes he passed each day, served as a powerful motivator, a tangible representation of the future he was striving to build. During these demanding days, Dean traded rock music for the financial news of WBBM radio, “Chicago’s Business Station.” He immersed himself in stock market reports and business news, consciously shifting his mindset from “Rock Star dreams” to the practical realities of becoming a successful businessman, a path his father had always hoped he would take.
Crafting the Dean V and Explorer Designs
With the factory space secured, Dean plunged into the intense process of design and manufacturing planning. His focus was unwavering: perfecting his guitar designs and devising efficient manufacturing processes. The Dean V and Explorer models were central to his vision from the outset. He aimed to not just replicate but to surpass the original Gibson designs that had inspired him.
To accurately capture the essence of the iconic 1950s Gibson V and Explorer body shapes, Dean knew he needed access to original vintage instruments. However, these were rare and valuable, and contemporary Gibson models were too far removed from the originals to serve as reliable templates. He turned to Ibanez, a company renowned for their meticulous recreations of classic Gibson designs. Through a connection with local Ibanez representative Seymour Schwartz, Dean acquired Ibanez Korina V and Explorer guitars at dealer cost. These Ibanez instruments became the foundation for his patterns, meticulously studied and ultimately sacrificed in the pursuit of perfecting the Dean V and Explorer contours.
The Birth of the Iconic Dean V Headstock
With the body shapes refined to his satisfaction, the final piece of the design puzzle was the headstock. Dean knew the headstock was crucial, not just aesthetically but also for brand recognition. He envisioned a headstock that would be instantly identifiable, even from a distance. The V-shape headstock had been a recurring idea in his mind. Gibson had experimented with an asymmetrical V headstock on some earlier models, an idea Dean found intriguing but felt could be executed more effectively.
He set out to create a headstock that was both visually striking and uniquely Dean. His design process was surprisingly literal: he flipped the V body shape and scaled it down, using it as the basis for the headstock’s silhouette. The result was a bold, oversized V headstock that made a powerful visual statement. While he sought feedback from trusted players, Dean admits he was already captivated by the design himself. The oversized V headstock, which would become synonymous with Dean guitars, was always destined to be a defining feature.
Naming the Vision: Dean Guitars
With the designs taking shape, the question of branding arose. One of the players Dean consulted, Gary Gand, a respected figure in the local guitar scene, immediately inquired about the name. When Dean confessed he hadn’t yet decided, Gand suggested, “Why don’t you call them Dean Guitars?” Dean initially resisted, confessing his dislike for his own name. But Gand persisted, arguing that “Dean” was a strong, memorable name, perfectly suited for a guitar brand. Despite his initial reluctance, the idea took root. He floated the name by others, and positive feedback gradually swayed him. Soon, Dean Zelinsky was not just designing guitars; he was building a brand around his own name: Dean Guitars.
The Winged Logo: A $30 Icon
The Dean Guitars identity needed a visual anchor, a logo that would complement the bold guitar designs. During his repair shop days, a local artist named Gary Mann had become a fixture, even painting a guitar mural on the shop’s exterior. Dean approached Mann with the prototype V guitar and its distinctive headstock, asking if he would design the logo. Mann enthusiastically agreed and soon presented a concept: a winged logo with the letters “D.E.A.N.” at its center. While Dean liked the winged concept, he felt Mann’s initial design, with what he described as “boney pterodactyl wings,” lacked the polished aesthetic he envisioned.
He turned to a distant cousin who worked at a local decal company, the same company that would later produce Dean’s logo decals. His cousin connected him with professional graphic artist Wayne Kibar. Dean presented Kibar with the V guitar, Mann’s initial winged logo sketch, and a request to refine the concept into a more polished design. Kibar delivered the finished artwork, a more stylized and dynamic winged logo, along with a surprisingly modest bill of $30. This $30 investment resulted in the iconic Dean winged logo, a symbol that would become instantly recognizable worldwide. Initially, the departure from Mann’s more organic design took some adjustment, but when Dean saw the polished logo emblazoned on the V headstock, he knew it was perfect. The logo and his name, once disliked, now felt inextricably linked to his burgeoning guitar brand.
With the designs finalized and the logo secured, Dean turned his attention to production tooling. He recalls countless sleepless nights, mentally designing guitar fixtures, unable to rest until he had meticulously worked out every detail in his mind. By the time he signed the lease for the Dewey Ave. factory, he felt he had already mentally constructed much of the tooling required for production.
The Pakistan Connection: Finding a Master Woodworker
As production loomed, hiring the right team became paramount. Dean placed an ad in the Chicago Tribune seeking a lead woodworker, not yet to build guitars, but to craft the crucial tooling needed for production machinery. Among the applicants was Mirza Yousef, a recent immigrant from Pakistan. Yousef presented a “degree in woodworking” from a Pakistani university. While his guitar knowledge was nonexistent – Dean doubted he’d ever even held a guitar – Yousef possessed a crucial skill: expertise in woodworking and a fearless approach to using potentially dangerous woodworking machinery like routers and shapers. For Dean, a guitar player himself, safety was a primary concern.
Despite Yousef’s lack of guitar-specific knowledge, his woodworking skills proved invaluable. Working side-by-side, Dean and Yousef embarked on a period of intense collaboration, translating Dean’s mental designs into physical tooling. They developed patterns for bodies, incorporating routing for electronics and binding. They crafted neck tooling, including Dean’s signature V-shaped profile, truss rod channels, neck joints, fingerboard routing, inlay patterns, and fret slotting jigs. They even designed machinery for radiusing fingerboards. The sheer volume of custom tooling required for guitar manufacturing was immense, but with Yousef’s woodworking expertise complementing Dean’s guitar knowledge and design vision, progress was rapid.
The ML Design: Completing the Dean Trinity
Amidst the demanding work of tooling and factory setup, Dean still needed to finalize the third guitar model in his initial lineup. The Dean V and Z (Explorer) were established shapes in the guitar world. Dean recognized the need for an original design to complete the initial offering. The concept of a trio of models felt stronger than launching with just two. The genesis of the Dean ML design was a process of intuitive combination. Dean considered the core elements of the V and Explorer, their strengths and visual appeal. He literally placed a V and an Explorer guitar side-by-side, studying their shapes, and began sketching, merging elements of both. The resulting shape was asymmetrical, defying the inherent symmetry of a V, yet possessing a unique visual balance. After further refinement, the Dean ML emerged, a distinctive and original design that would become another iconic Dean guitar alongside the V and Z.
Infiltrating Gibson: Sourcing the Secrets of Guitar Craft
Yousef’s tooling expertise was essential, but Dean still faced the daunting task of establishing the entire production process. Guitar manufacturing is a complex sequence of steps, transforming raw wood into finished instruments. Sourcing materials and components proved particularly challenging. Dean had experience working with off-the-shelf guitar parts in his repair business, but setting up a consistent production supply chain was a different undertaking. He needed sources for everything from lacquer and buffing compounds to specific types of wood fill. Crucially, he needed to understand the processes involved in achieving Gibson’s renowned finishes and build quality. In the pre-internet era, information wasn’t readily available.
Dean devised a bold solution: infiltrate Gibson. He reasoned that the answers to his sourcing and process questions lay within the walls of Gibson’s Kalamazoo factory. He placed an ad in the Kalamazoo newspaper seeking guitar builders, a long shot given the distance from Chicago. However, one individual responded and drove to Chicago for an interview. While a job in Chicago wasn’t feasible for him, the Gibson employee proved to be a valuable contact. He provided initial information and, more importantly, facilitated backchannel phone calls to his colleagues within Gibson. Through these clandestine calls, Dean connected with Gibson employees in various departments, including a guitar buffer. When asked about buffing compounds, the buffer couldn’t recall the brand name but promised to check the labels on the compound bars he used daily. This network of backroom contacts became Dean’s invaluable resource. He successfully sourced lacquer from Mobile Chemical (Gibson’s supplier), buffing compounds from Stutz Company, lacquer colors from V. J. Dolan, binding and backplate plastic from General Tire and Rubber, and ebony from Vikwood. This carefully assembled network of vendors, willing to share information and sell to a fledgling startup, was a critical breakthrough. Even lumber sourcing had a serendipitous connection: Dean found a mahogany supplier in Chicago that his grandmother had worked for decades earlier.
Lacquer was a particularly critical component. Standard off-the-shelf lacquers were prone to cracking and checking, especially during winter shipping. Guitar lacquer required a specialized formulation with plasticizers to enhance flexibility and prevent cracking, but too much plasticizer could hinder buffing. Mobile Chemical, Gibson’s lacquer supplier, had already navigated this learning curve. Dean contacted Mobile and spoke to a salesman, who confirmed their minimum order was 55-gallon drums and that Gibson’s formula was proprietary. Undeterred, Dean proposed a solution: “Could you make me something similar to Gibson’s formula, around the same time you make Gibson’s batch, and sell me just one drum?” The salesman understood Dean’s request. Dean essentially secured access to Gibson-grade lacquer by piggybacking on their existing supply chain, driving to Kankakee to pick up his single drum in a trailer.
Dean also leveraged an existing parts account with Gibson from his repair shop days to secretly purchase tune-o-matic bridges. This continued until Dean Guitars appeared on Gibson’s radar and the arrangement was discovered. This brief period explains why some early Dean guitars were equipped with Ibanez bridges, a temporary solution until Dean convinced Helmut Schaller to sell him Nashville Tune-o-matic bridges, with shipments discreetly directed to his home.
Beyond wood and finishing materials, Dean also addressed metal component sourcing. Finding suppliers for truss rods and Dean’s signature brass “V” and jack plates proved difficult. The solution was to establish in-house metalworking capabilities. Dean purchased raw steel and brass from Central Steel and Wire in Chicago. His team fabricated truss rods and brass plates, polishing them on the same buffing machines used for guitars and clear-coating them in the paint room.
As production processes solidified, Dean continued to expand his team. He hired a furniture finishing expert to lead the guitar finishing operation, teaching him the nuances of achieving a mirror-like guitar finish. For buffing, Dean developed the process himself and trained a factory worker with no prior buffing experience. His hiring criteria prioritized need and aptitude for learning over prior guitar knowledge. While factory floor roles were filled with individuals from diverse backgrounds, Dean recognized the need for guitar players in final assembly and setup.
Marketing 101: Launching Dean Guitars
The monumental task of setting up production, designing processes, hiring, sourcing, and manufacturing was only half the battle. Dean also faced the daunting challenge of establishing sales and marketing infrastructure and developing a comprehensive marketing plan.
Zan Skolnick: The Man with a Marketing Plan
A chance encounter with his uncle led to a pivotal connection. During a factory visit, Dean’s uncle, impressed by the operation, inquired about his sales strategy. Dean’s initial plan was rudimentary: “take an ad in Guitar Player Magazine.” His uncle suggested a friend with marketing experience might be able to help. Shortly after, Zan Skolnick arrived at the factory. An amateur playwright with a background in marketing and PR, Zan quickly grasped Dean’s vision and the evolving landscape of the guitar industry, with Gibson and Fender under corporate ownership and perceived as losing touch with players. Dean articulated his plan to create exceptional guitars and capitalize on this perceived gap in the market. Zan was immediately enthusiastic. Before leaving, he declared, “I already have our first ad: ‘A New Standard of Excellence…The Finest Guitars Since You-Know-Who Sold Out To The Big Boys!'”
Zan Skolnick became Dean Guitars’ first Marketing Director. He immersed himself in the music industry, contacting trade magazines and rapidly gaining insights. In their second meeting, Zan declared, “NAMM has a new West Coast Show in January…we need to be there!” Zan’s marketing acumen and proactive approach were instrumental in setting the stage for Dean Guitars’ official debut. Preparations for the NAMM show began, marking the next chapter in the Dean Guitars story.
– DZ
Coming next…
The Launch of Dean at NAMM – January 1977
Cram for NAMM
The path to launching Dean Guitars was fraught with challenges. It took nearly 18 months for the first production guitars to emerge from the factory. Warping bodies, stolen ebony shipments, necks that were too thin, and the complexities of neck alignment and truss rod adjustment were just some of the hurdles. Many guitars ended up in the dumpster as Dean and his team navigated the steep learning curve of production and worker training. The story of overcoming these challenges, the trials and tribulations of bringing the first Dean guitars to market, is a story for another time.
