It has a solid mahogany body with bound, highly flamed maple cap.
This 1978 Dean Z is typical of early Deans. In late 1976 he set up a small factory in his hometown of Evanston, Illinois, and at the beginning of ’77 began producing the Dean Z (based on the Explorer), which was followed shortly thereafter by the V (Flying V) and ML (a hybrid of the two designs), all pretty similar except for the shape. Zelinsky had always preferred Gibson’s exotic designs and decided to wed those with high-end appointments. These included Dean Zelinsky, namesake of Dean guitars, whose 1978 Dean Z is shown here. Several Chicago-area guitar enthusiasts had become enamored of vintage American guitars and conceived of creating upscale guitars inspired by these classics, with top-grade timbers and excellent workmanship. The American guitar establishment – at least Gibson and Fender – was owned by big corporations that tended to run them as profit centers.Īt the least, quality control was less than perfect, leading Japanese manufactures to capitalize with excellent “copies.” But imports weren’t the only to take advantage of poor quality – real or perceived. The mid 1970s were a turbulent time in guitar history.
