Real USA Dean or not

Joined: 08 Aug 2012 Posts: 12

How can you tell if it's a real USA dean or not? Is there place I can go to type the serial number in to search.

Serial # 05 00932

Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Posts: 9602 Location: Portsmouth, VA

It's legit. It's a real serial number, anyway.

Joined: 08 Aug 2012 Posts: 12

formula73 wrote:

It's legit. It's a real serial number, anyway.

Thanks..

Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 6624 Location: Minnesota

That definitely looks like a serial number to me.

Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:24 am

SN# follows the correct format...but a Picture would be better.....specifically the end of the fretboard Wink

Joined: 08 Aug 2012 Posts: 12

wstoll wrote:

SN# follows the correct format...but a Picture would be better.....specifically the end of the fretboard Wink

Joined: 28 Mar 2006 Posts: 5452 Location: White Haven,Pa

USA Razor......Nice!!

Joined: 29 Nov 2003 Posts: 7639 Location: Florida

weren't they stamped/pressed into the headstock as opposed to what looks like a decal in 2005?

Joined: 08 Aug 2012 Posts: 12

transblueZ wrote:

weren't they stamped/pressed into the headstock as opposed to what looks like a decal in 2005?

That's what I thought and the reason I posted to ask if it was real..

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 13396 Location: Earth

If it's an 05 as the picture shows then I believe it is one of the few guitars that US Masters made that was painted and then marked that way as they did on the Pro Series guitars. For instance here is one of my old US Masters Hardtails.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh319/lanningkann/Guitar%20Photos/IMG_0143.jpg

It was a USA Pro Series HT and Dean decided to paint a few of them. It would have been stamped on the back of the headstock but it was painted and then had markings like your Razorback because the paint covered up the stamp. If you chipped that paint away there is likely a stamp under it. They did limited numbers of lower grade US (not having any special binding or any high end accoutrements) guitars at one time back around then. Essentially it would have been a Pro Series or a MHG series but they painted it. I believe it's real.

I can't say 100% for sure why yours has those markings if it's an 05 as I haven't seen another Razorback with the date like that except the Rust RB that I used to own. It's a US Masters for sure though so the markings are real. It may have been a NAMM guitar.

Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 1:54 am

As Lanning said....it could be a NAMM Guitar. It has the fret end bubbles in the clear along the Fretboard.....very US Masters! A lot
of those year US Masters Deans did this.

I will say that there is only 1 USA Razorback listed in the 05 Catalog
and it was the Rust. I am not sure in 05, they were doing Custom order Razorbacks but it is possible.

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 13396 Location: Earth

wstoll wrote:

As Lanning said....it could be a NAMM Guitar. It has the fret end bubbles in the clear along the Fretboard.....very US Masters! A lot
of those year US Masters Deans did this.

I will say that there is only 1 USA Razorback listed in the 05 Catalog
and it was the Rust. I am not sure in 05, they were doing Custom order Razorbacks but it is possible.

Also a possibility it's a Rust that didn't get the treatment. That finish is the exact same silver my Rust was. The fret end bubbles also lead me to believe it's a Rust that wasn't finished due to the bubbles so it was sold as is as a B stock. I used to get a lot of USA B stocks as my stage guitars because they were just as good as the regular stock but had little flaws so were available at great discounts. Either way that guitar is awesome! I loved the US Masters Deans.

If you're still not sure, take a photo of the truss rod cover and then take a photo of it off. That will be very telling. The truss rod cover should have 1 screw. As far as with it off you can tell right away if it's a USA or a knockoff by how the truss rod hole looks.

Joined: 08 Aug 2012 Posts: 12

So it probably was a display guitar. The guy is asking 1,399.99 for it, do you think that's a decent price? They state it was never played and "new."

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 13396 Location: Earth

StoicBehavioR wrote:

So it probably was a display guitar. The guy is asking 1,399.99 for it, do you think that's a decent price? They state it was never played and "new."

Ask them if it is a "B" stock. Even if it is, $1,399.99 is a good price since new would have been about $2,200.00. The fret popping isn't a bad thing. It's usually purely cosmetic. It means that there may have been some moisture under the clear and it didn't settle on the fret ends, or the fretboard may have shrunk slightly when it was settling. My custom shop Gibson has some fret popping and it's not even remotely bothersome. You won't be able to even feel it when you run your fingers over it. I would buy that guitar.

Joined: 08 Aug 2012 Posts: 12

Lanning is Killdozer wrote:

Ask them if it is a "B" stock. Even if it is, $1,399.99 is a good price since new would have been about $2,200.00. The fret popping isn't a bad thing. It's usually purely cosmetic. It means that there may have been some moisture under the clear and it didn't settle on the fret ends, or the fretboard may have shrunk slightly when it was settling. My custom shop Gibson has some fret popping and it's not even remotely bothersome. You won't be able to even feel it when you run your fingers over it. I would buy that guitar.

The guy says it's a 1-off custom. If that means anything.

Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 13396 Location: Earth

StoicBehavioR wrote:

Lanning is Killdozer wrote:

Ask them if it is a "B" stock. Even if it is, $1,399.99 is a good price since new would have been about $2,200.00. The fret popping isn't a bad thing. It's usually purely cosmetic. It means that there may have been some moisture under the clear and it didn't settle on the fret ends, or the fretboard may have shrunk slightly when it was settling. My custom shop Gibson has some fret popping and it's not even remotely bothersome. You won't be able to even feel it when you run your fingers over it. I would buy that guitar.

The guy says it's a 1-off custom. If that means anything.

I don't doubt it. It's one off for sure, and US Masters made for sure and the markings on the rear of the headstock are real. I have had 2 USA Deans made with the same markings from around that time. New it would have been around $2200 without the fret popping. I can't tell if it was sold to the dealer with the fret popping as a discount B stock or if that happened afterwards. Either way I think the price is fair, so go for it.

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:17 am

My B-stock USA Blueburst ML cost me $1200.

Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2012 9:56 pm

Carlino special order paint 1 off

Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 2:50 am

Grim Reaper wrote:

Carlino special order paint 1 off

Nope....the earliest Custom Razor Backs Eddie did were 2007.

Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 5:04 pm

I wouldn't buy dollars for 90 cents from Carlino!

Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 5763 Location: Joisey

60srocker wrote:

I wouldn't buy dollars for 90 cents from Carlino!

+1.