First two numbers in the sequence will tell you when your guitar was produced. A pioneer in the music retail industry, Rubinson sold Thoroughbred to in 1999 so he could focus his efforts on Dean.If you see a seven digit serial number on the back of a Dean guitar, you can be sure that it was produced in United States. 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 as well as for and, 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. Armadillo 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 and, 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. Armadillo Enterprises today is a privately held organization with Evan Rubinson serving as the Chief Executive Officer.ĭean artists Michael Schenker and Wayne Findlay with Dean owner Elliott 'Dean' Rubinson Dean Guitars started in 1976 and gained worldwide recognition by being used by bands such as, and. 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. Various Dean guitar models The company was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1976 by but came to prominence under Elliott Rubinson in 1997 when his company purchased the trade name. The company also makes and/or distributes a full range of products to include guitars, guitar cases, accessories and custom guitar. It is known for its solid-body electric guitars, bass guitars, and acoustic guitars such as the, the, the, but more recently the, Dean Stealth, Dean Icon, Dean Zero, and Dean Mako Acoustic Guitar. Number of employees 100 Website Dean Guitars, commonly referred to simply as Dean, is an American manufacturer of stringed instruments and musical products.

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