Original 1980 Dean ML FR - possibly for sale

Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 352 Location: Illinois

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1578002

Just scrolling through the Ultimate Guitar forum and found this. Don't know if any of you have are members, though, but I definitely know you guys are into Deans Cool

Anyway, he doesn't explicitly state he's going to sell it, but the least you could do is ask if you're interested.

Personally, I don't know anything about older Dean models compared to what they have nowadays. Perhaps it's time I looked at the history of the company. Wikipedia or do the forums hold such information?

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 8:16 pm

Flame

I see the lowball guess already Laughing

. Wish I could remember my login name but I have not visted there in at least 4 years or so. Somebody here should jump on this. I figure around $700-800 if no headstock break

Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 352 Location: Illinois

Northwinds wrote:

Flame

I see the lowball guess already Laughing

. Wish I could remember my login name but I have not visted there in at least 4 years or so. Somebody here should jump on this. I figure around $700-800 if no headstock break

Excuse me, but... "flame?" Question

And even without any knowledge of older Deans there is no way in hell that's as low as $500. Depends on a few factors, obviously, but UG isn't world renowned for their reliable forum users, lol.

Joined: 30 Nov 2003 Posts: 10591 Location: Canada

Sure doesn't look at all like a 1980 Dean to me...

Here's my 1980 Dean ML (I have to take a better picture, you can't even see the flame in it). Check out the different neck pickup spacing to the neck.

And BTW, Dean called guitars with a plain top a Flame Model, and ones with a flame maple top a "Standard"... yeah, confusing...

Joined: 05 Mar 2012 Posts: 77 Location: Evanston, IL

Hahahahahahahaahahahaa, wow you guys.

Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 4140 Location: southern ohio

exactly what I was thinking......

Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 352 Location: Illinois

Based on the previous two comments (and the pictures) I'm going with "Not actually a 1980's Dean?"

Joined: 30 Nov 2003 Posts: 10591 Location: Canada

Looks like a mid '90s Tropical Era Dean to me...

Joined: 19 Jan 2007 Posts: 3197 Location: UK

look like an 80's to me and my reasoning is only by looking at it by how big the trust rod cover is compared to the rest of the head stock.

Joined: 10 Mar 2008 Posts: 666 Location: Dallas,TX.

Looks a lot like the 97/98 ML I sold.

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:35 pm

Armitage wrote:

Looks like a mid '90s Tropical Era Dean to me...

Looking at it, I have to agree, looks sort of like a saggy crotch with a stubby fat horn. My initial comment was based on that I only looked to see if it was a Flame or a Standard and if there was a copyright mark next to the Dean logo

Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 3837 Location: BOSTON

absolutely not a vintage Dean.

that neckjoint is hideous. i'm cleaning up vomit as i type.

damn you, crappy ML neckjoint.

Joined: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 437

Definately an ml ultra made in the mid-late 90's. Had one just like it. High neck joint, series 3 headstock, and no binding on the neck. So the truss rod cover appears to be bigger when in fact it's the same size as the newer models, only on a smaller headstock. Another dead giveaway is the recessed floyd and no neck pitch which when I believe was never done on the 80's model guitars.

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:28 pm

Tropical Garbage....

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:35 pm

Armitage wrote:

And BTW, Dean called guitars with a plain top a Flame Model, and ones with a flame maple top a "Standard"... yeah, confusing...

Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 352 Location: Illinois

I should just stop posting things... Laughing

Hey, at least now I know!

Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 5601 Location: phoenix az.

GuitarNewbie wrote:

Northwinds wrote:

Flame

I see the lowball guess already Laughing

. Wish I could remember my login name but I have not visted there in at least 4 years or so. Somebody here should jump on this. I figure around $700-800 if no headstock break

Excuse me, but... "flame?" Question

And even without any knowledge of older Deans there is no way in hell that's as low as $500. Depends on a few factors, obviously, but UG isn't world renowned for their reliable forum users, lol.

I found and bought a flame v on ebay while back for 250.00 .I took a chance because of the truss cover and the lack of binding between the pickup and neck.(most imports are bound all the way round the board)add said Dean guitar didn't say usa or nothing on the add.just one pic to from the top.Boy was I surprised when it showed up and said usa on the back of the headstock.there are deals out there non guitar players end up with guitars all the time. Wink

I did email the guy telling him it was a usa guitar.apparently his roomate owed money to him and moved out he was just interested in getting what he was owed 250.00.when i told him what it was worth he replied"you got a good deal then enjoy it!"I did for about a week then I sold it on ebay for almost a grand and turned around and bought a second Marshall head so I dont have to cart a head back and forth between 2 bands.Funny how things work out Very Happy

heres a pic of the guitar oh the hair days lol

Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2288 Location: Wisconsin

GuitarNewbie wrote:

I should just stop posting things... Laughing

Hey, at least now I know!

And knowing is half the battle!!!

Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 5601 Location: phoenix az.

Armitage wrote:

Sure doesn't look at all like a 1980 Dean to me...

Here's my 1980 Dean ML (I have to take a better picture, you can't even see the flame in it). Check out the different neck pickup spacing to the neck.

And BTW, Dean called guitars with a plain top a Flame Model, and ones with a flame maple top a "Standard"... yeah, confusing...

I had that exact guitar thats not a dean zelinski dean.I think it was tropical.I bought that new in 98 i believe

I call bs on it being a 1980 ML the quality was not there nore the body design and it was not a usa guitar byany means was made in korea if i remember.That was right before they started making real deans again!At the time it was the only dean I could afford because there were not any 79 series yet and dime playing deans had made every pawnshop usa ml gone skyrocketed in prices.

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:03 am

Armitage wrote:

Sure doesn't look at all like a 1980 Dean to me...

Here's my 1980 Dean ML (I have to take a better picture, you can't even see the flame in it). Check out the different neck pickup spacing to the neck.

And BTW, Dean called guitars with a plain top a Flame Model, and ones with a flame maple top a "Standard"... yeah, confusing...

It isn't a 1980, but a 1996 when Elliott first bought the company.

Joined: 31 Jan 2013 Posts: 5

wow I'm so tickled that there was a discussion about my guitar i just now found out about! anyway, yes it is indeed a 1980s dean. the serial number indicates it: E800983 (i read the 1st two numbers indicate what year it was made but i could be wrong). Yes, I am interested in selling it.

Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 3837 Location: BOSTON

sorry man.

not a USA vintage Dean.

the serial number beginning with "E" is as dead a giveaway as the neckjoint.

a USA will say "made in the USA" on the back of the headstock with the serial number beneath it.

good luck with sale!

Joined: 29 Nov 2003 Posts: 14460

connorj97 wrote:

wow I'm so tickled that there was a discussion about my guitar i just now found out about! anyway, yes it is indeed a 1980s dean. the serial number indicates it: E800983 (i read the 1st two numbers indicate what year it was made but i could be wrong). Yes, I am interested in selling it.

And in this case, the "E" stands for "Erumumum......it's from Korea"

Joined: 31 Jan 2013 Posts: 5

i don't think i ever claimed it was a USA haha. But thank you guys all for the feedback, I appreciate it! I was just wondering it's exact worth, and was looking for a bit more info on it.

Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 3837 Location: BOSTON

Grim Reaper wrote:

Armitage wrote:

And BTW, Dean called guitars with a plain top a Flame Model, and ones with a flame maple top a "Standard"... yeah, confusing...

Joined: 31 Jan 2013 Posts: 5

I'm also assuming a korean made dean is worth much less, haha.

Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Posts: 3837 Location: BOSTON

connorj97 wrote:

i don't think i ever claimed it was a USA haha. But thank you guys all for the feedback, I appreciate it! I was just wondering it's exact worth, and was looking for a bit more info on it.

sorry, i should have said "not an 1980's Dean".

yours was made in the 90's. probably a 2-300 dollar guitar, resale.

Joined: 31 Jan 2013 Posts: 5

so just for future reference, which part of the serial number do i look at for the year? would it be the 98 in E800983?

Joined: 21 Jul 2008 Posts: 614 Location: Yorkshire, England

connorj97 wrote:

so just for future reference, which part of the serial number do i look at for the year? would it be the 98 in E800983?

From what I've heard, import serial numbers don't really mean anything. This seems to be true for many guitar manufacturers, I remember trying to date my dad's USA strat a few years ago and it appears the number didn't mean anything, I had to check a list for a range of SN's over specific time periods. You can get a rough estimate of the year of your guitar from the knowledge of dean's that exists on the forum, and that's about it.