DEAN ZELINSKY: I Can No Longer Attach My Name To Quality And Direction Of DEAN GUITARS
- July 22, 2008
Dean Zelinsky, founder of Dean Guitars, officially announced today that he has parted ways with the company that he founded in 1976, which still bears his name. (As first reported by BLABBERMOUTH.NET on May 8.)
Having sold Dean Guitars in 1991, Zelinsky played an integral part in the brand's recent resurgence in popularity, effectively putting Dean Guitars back in the limelight after becoming re-affiliated with the company in 2000, during the tenure of its recent owners.
Zelinsky, discussing his not yet announced new venture, stated today, "I wanted to get back to what put Dean on the map originally — building high-quality instruments that shape both the image and tone of guitar players, from the beginner to world-class professionals." Regarding Dean Guitars, Zelinsky says, "I can no longer attach my name to the reputation, quality and direction of Dean Guitars or its current objectives."
Zelinsky stated the announcement with details of his new venture will be released on Tuesday, August 26, 2008.
Ohio.com reported in early May that the University of Arkansas had gained licensing control over Dean's Razorback electric guitars, commemorating late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott who was killed during a show in Columbus, Ohio.
Dean Guitars created the line and began selling the guitars after the 2004 death of Abbott. He was known for performing with a razor blade around his neck.
In 2007, the university sued, claiming the Razorback guitar brand infringed on the school's copyright. The Arkansas athletic teams bear the Razorback name.
A settlement filed on May 6, 2008 gave the university licensing control over the guitars, but Dean gets to keep selling them.
Dean Zelinsky at NAMM 2008 showing off Dean Razorbacks:
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COMMENT | Douchefucks. posted by : THRASHMONGER 7/22/2008 11:43:16 PM
Somewhere, right now, some fucking asshole lawyer shithead is trying to think of a way to gain control of the words "fuck," "money" and some other choice words of interest.
RAZORBACK, a guitar which has nothing to do with sports, except the fact that most Panterrible fans are jocks.
RIP Dime.
COMMENT | posted by : motorDETH 7/22/2008 11:49:44 PM
That is a very good move. The quality of the custom guitars I will say is excellent, but for a guitar under a thousand bucks, I wouldn't touch Dean at all.
I've played a couple of the Razorback models at Guitar Center, and HATED the sound, and the fact the thing looks goofy as shit. Dime made it look cool, but then again Dime could've played a ukileli and made it look cool. And I hate the design! When I'm going for sweep picking or tapping, that pointed piece near the top got in my way alot more than I'm used to with my Ibanez, or even my shitty old Epiphone Junior.
I'm a pretty hardcore Ibanez bloke myself, even though almost everyone I've seen use a 7 string has been nu metal shit (outside of course, Meshuggah. But then again I can see why Meshuggah would need a 7 string. Korn though is a whole other matter).
COMMENT | Dean = posted by : Metal Fisted 7/23/2008 1:03:27 AM
Gibson (and Epiphone) clones, but with slightly altered body shapes and worse quality at higher price, for the over the counter models. Although the customs fair better.
So I wonder if Zelinsky will be endorsing Washburn, or will he start up a new company? If he starts another, I bet the guitars will be made in very low numbers and use Seymour Duncan pickups exclusively and be constructed of the best woods on the market (Honduras Mahogany etc), with a five grand plus starting price to boot. Something beyond my reach for sure, although I'm also sure it would be a dream instrument to play...
COMMENT | Ho-humm... posted by : Your Mom's Best Friend 7/23/2008 1:45:07 AM
and somewhere, off in the distance, a dog barks.
COMMENT | no shit, dude posted by : hurricane hugo 7/23/2008 3:20:09 AM
The last time Dean made top-quality guitars, Ric Ocasek and Elliot Easton of The Cars were their most famous endorsers.
jdfu!
COMMENT | Dean Guitars are crap... posted by : brokensoul70 7/23/2008 3:42:48 AM
I never liked them, they look worse than they sound. I will stick with my Les Paul.
COMMENT | You posers obviously know NOTHING. posted by : Bullzeye_Shred_King 7/23/2008 4:13:24 AM
You spend so much time shitting on Dean, and running your mouth about how much the company sucks. If the company sucks soooooo bad, then why did Pantera/Damageplan become platinum selling artists. It wasnt just cuz Dime made it "Look cool"....It was because Pantera was a fucking machine that couldnt be stopped, unless it was by Phil lol.
When i play a Dean.....And im not talking about the Razorback or any of the popular shit like that, just a regular ML....I feel the power that Dimebag felt when he played those guitars. The only reason(s) you say Dean sucks is because Dean Zalinsky quit, your amp qualitys sound like ass, and your Aussies....YOU KNOW NOTHING OF GOOD MUSIC TONE!
Fucking Ibanez....Get the fuck outta here.....Play an ESP, or a PRS, and make your arguments worth our hard earned American time. Lmfao at the haters. FUCK OFF! Dime ALWAYS lives! Getcha Motha Fuckin Pull Of That!
COMMENT | Bullzeye_Shred_King posted by : Blackthorned 7/23/2008 5:05:42 AM
Regardless of the fact the founder of the company no longer wants to be associated with the guitars Dean is putting out, you're completely ignoring all the years Dimebag played a WASHBURN.
COMMENT | Old Deans rule posted by : Bigmeatt1 7/23/2008 5:35:33 AM
I got a very old Dean Z, it plays like no other, the new Deans do suck ass, 3 years ago I was in the market for a new guitar, I played every Dean I saw and they all kinda sucked and got a Les Paul custom, last year I tried the '79 reissue, it was a step up, but I bought a Gibson Flying V instead! What I'm trying to say is, if your going to guy a Dean, go for the vintage, you will not be dissapointed! RIP Dime!
COMMENT | Okay, so what Bullzeye_Shred_King is trying to say... posted by : grymmbear 7/23/2008 5:49:02 AM
...is that Dean is great because Pantera is a multi-platinum band.
RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.
A band's musical track record has NOTHING to do with the quality of a guitar company. I remember when Metallica was somewhat respectable (yes, ages ago), and everyone and their mother was buying Jackson guitars left and right off the shelf. GARBAGE guitars. I'm sure their customs are a lot better, but you get the idea.
I was a Schecter A-7 nut for a long time, and yes, I used all 7 strings. I've been weary of them lately, though.
COMMENT | Did someone say... posted by : Underbody 7/23/2008 6:06:33 AM
Washburn and quality in the same sentence?! Man, Washburn hasn't made quality stuff since Grover Jackson was affiliated and those days are long past! The American Dime stuff from Washburn was ok, but the imports were terrible!
Dean's are thee most overpriced guitars! 1000 bucks for some piece of shit that's made in Korea or China from immature wood and setup like shit, or even better 4000 to 5000 for an American model. If I had 4000 grand to spend on guitars I'd buy TWO KXK's or TWO Bernie Rico Jr's, and they'd probably blow away the Dean!
Remember folks, a piece of shit with flames on it, is still afterall a piece of shit!
COMMENT | Good on him. posted by : DeadSkin Mask 7/23/2008 7:51:49 AM
Obvioulsy sick of corporate B.S and didnt want to have his name draged through the mud.
I wish him the best of luck.
COMMENT | When the owner leaves that says a lot. posted by : padlok 7/23/2008 9:30:13 AM
I LOOKED (it didn't try them) at a few at the local guitar center last week. The craftsmanship was terrible. The ones I looked at had bad sloppy angle cuts. I have 6 BC Rich guitars and 1 Ibanez. I mail ordered the Ibanez and had to send back the 1st two. The neck was crooked on the 1st two. The low e string was hanging OFF the neck at the 12th fret. Good quality control there. Of coarse I can't brag about BC Rich since the Class AXE days. BC RICH custom orders are GREAT. The mass produced lower models are not that good. It won't stop me from collecting BC RICH models when I find good ones...
...are hugely mass produced pieces of dung. If you want a quality guitar for decent $...look at a Carvin.
Great value and construction...fuck that bolt-on shit.
COMMENT | posted by : zGuitarman 7/23/2008 2:53:09 PM
i like dime as much as the next dude, but he didn't always have great tone. case in point, the guitar sound on the damageplan album pretty much sucked.
COMMENT | ^^^^ posted by : misfitz69 7/23/2008 3:41:13 PM
He was still playing washburn on the studio tracks for damageplan. Washburns are big pieces of shit, one of the many reasons Darrell left them. He would have left sooner, but had a 10 year deal, which he got in 94, so he was stuck with em till 04. He also would have stayed with Dean, but they were about out of business and Dean sold the company to tropical right around 94, and Darrell couldnt get ahold of Dean to work with him.
Also, most of the import guitars you buy are all made in the same couple of factories overseas. Just so you know. Remember that you get what you pay for. You buy a cheap guitar, it aint gonna stand up to a high end, or custom made/usa/japan.
But in all honesty, Dean and ESP are the best bang for the buck on imports.
How's Rita gonna make money off of Dime's memory now? Now that her "in" at Dean Guitar$ has gone bye-bye, will we see more G.I. Dime action figures?
Guess we'll see her fat ass swinging round a pole at Vinnie's joint...
COMMENT | Yawn posted by : axxion 7/24/2008 10:08:37 AM
Does this mean Dean Z. can stop wearing that stupid fucking cowboy hat now? Honestly !!
I wonder how long Elliot owns DIME's legacy for (of how long Rita sold him out for) I really think they are overdoing the dime thing, don't get me totally wrong, I love the guys work, but I don't think they should have recreated (not very good either) the "CFH" and stamped them out by the hundreds. NO ONE can stand up with one of those strapped on and even think they're worthy.
I wonder how long Mustaine's contract is ?? My guess, when it's up...bye bye....
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