We can't speak for other companies out there but our USA Custom Shop team takes pride in all facets of your build....and then some! A couple of our senior craftsmen have been with us for over two decades. That's no easy feat! You'll reap the benefits of their collective experience though when you take the next step up with your dream guitar. Please take a moment to get to know a little about them. We are proud of our team and rest assured you'll be amazed at the quality and craftsmanship that go in to a Dean USA guitar or bass. Get Your Wings™!
Other instrument companies have staffs consisting of guitarists, guitar builders, quality control, techs, and product development teams…we have Pat Baker.
That’s really all that needs to be said, but we will elaborate a bit more.
Every morning for the past 24 years, Pat has walked through the doors of DEAN and has masterminded much of what is known today as the DEAN USA Custom Shop. His knowledge of the mechanics of the guitar is second only to his ability to play one. The instrument is truly an extension of his person. When Dean was looking to start making their own pickups, they needed to only look as far a Pats office…He developed the DMT pickup line. When an artist calls and says they want a certain sound or tone…Pat creates it. If you want to learn the lead on a classic rock song…Pat will teach it (because he knows ALL OF THEM).
Every instrument that leaves the DEAN USA Custom Shop passes through Pats hands. If it is not perfect, it doesn’t leave…Period. Pat’s “strive for perfection” way of work permeates to everyone who works for him which is why the Baker Team is so strong. When it comes to building guitars, he and his staff do not compromise.
So, when you order your custom DEAN USA, you can be assured of two things. The first is you are getting one of the finest guitars on the planet built by Pat and his team. The second is Pat Baker has meticulously inspected it and personally plugged it in for a test jam on some Randy or Eddie solos. Now its ready to leave.
If you ask Dan Russell what he does at DEAN, he would simply tell you he “makes guitars” and at face value…that’s true. What’s left out of that statement is the fact that these are not just any guitars and he is not just a guy who makes them. Dan is THE foundation of the DEAN USA Custom Shop. He is the Master Builder that personally selects the woods and oversees the specs of every guitar that is made in his shop.
Every piece of wood in Dan’s shop is destined for greatness. Buried in his hand is a chunk of wood that in a few hours, will take the form of a DEAN V that is built to the exact specifications of one of the biggest rock stars in the world…All in a days work.
Dan has been at DEAN for 11 years. Over those 11 years Dan has been making guitars for Dime Bag, Dave Mustaine, Eric Peterson, Michael Amott, Christian Martucci, Vinnie Moore…the list goes on. While Dan is in charge of the custom shop, “managing” isn’t really his gig. He prefers to get his hands dirty sanding necks, shaping bodies, setting custom inlays. Its this hands on approach that inspires those around him to learn the trade from one of the best in the industry and to strive for perfection.
Spend the day with Dan and you will see that it’s obvious he loves what he does. Ask any rock star in the world who has a DEAN built by Dan and they will basically say the same thing…we love what he does!
Master builder, Jeff Kyner has been with the Dean Custom Shop team in 2014. A graduate of The Luthiers International School of Guitar Building, Jeff has built custom guitars for noted artists such as, Michael Schenker, Dave Mustaine, Vinnie Moore, Rob Barrett during his tenure at DEAN.
You could say it was only a matter of time before Jeff found his calling building guitars. Growing up in a family of woodworkers, Jeff would learn the tools and skills that would become the foundation of his passion. It was when Jeff discovered a guitar and the music of Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones that the two worlds would collide and a future luthier was born.
An absolute perfectionist, Jeff puts his passion for guitar building into every guitar that finds its way to his bench.
May of 2015 was when United States Army Paratrooper Andrew Barnes walked in the front door of DEAN guitars on a “civilian” misson. Having served 10 years in the military, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan (where he had his trusty Razorback by his side), he was now in Tampa Florida and wanting to work for the company that built the guitars he has played his whole life.
Having grown up worshipping Eddie Van Halen, Andrew’s passion for “tinkering” with his instruments quickly caught the eye of DEAN Custom Shop Manager Pat Baker and he was quickly promoted from assembly to the setup department where he currently spends his days making sure the DEAN USA’s are set to perfection.
If you're serious about building your Dream Dean, our USA Custom Shop is serious about taking care of you! Get Your Wings™ Today!
Located within our 110,000 square foot, worldwide headquarters in Tampa, Florida, the Dean USA Custom Shop is a state-of-the-art, woodworking facility designed for the sole purpose of producing the best looking and best playing, Made in USA, guitars in the world.
Anchoring the Dean custom shop, two Anderson CNC machines are used to sculpt every element of our Artist, Custom, and Standard series guitars. Radio Frequency gluers are utilized to ensure proper drying on any glue joints. Our Dean USA customs are hand-sanded and finished with precise, hand-cut, custom inlays. These guitars are designed for a lifetime of enjoyment and reliability.
Our devoted team of designers and craftsmen in the Dean USA Custom Shop ensure a quality that is quite potentially the best in the guitar industry. This quality has been embraced by some of the biggest names in the business as well as a legion of guitar enthusiasts around the world who demand and deserve the best guitar possible.
If you have any questions whatsoever, please ask us and we’ll do our best to get back to you in within two business days or sooner.
( We can meet you there on a many different budgets. )
