TEST: Dean Kerry King

 Slayer are history, at least until the accounts are empty and, like countless colleagues, you can unleash the worn-out press release “the demand from the fans was so great…” blah blah blah on the fans. It is probably well known that guitarist Kerry King has about the same technical skills as Lars Ulrich from Metallica on the drums, but the little bald guy with a pigtail beard and permanent sunglasses visually represents the metal exactly as the Blackjack fan would expect. As a good businessman and early metaller in the early 1980s, Kerry King, in addition to countless other collaborations, also has a signature guitar model, whereby the Dean company came into play, which, with the Dean Kerry King V Black Satin, presents a model that has both Manufacturing is offered in the USA as well as in Indonesia. We have the Indonesian version for testing.


Construction and conception of the Dean Guitars Kerry King V Black Satin


Should Lieutenant Worf, the model Klingon of various Star Trek episodes, ever come up with the idea of playing the electric guitar, the Dean Kerry King V Black Satin would probably be his first choice, as the instrument looks like a fusion of a batleth and a tick tweezer . Once again, Gibson's original Flying V model was the inspiration for the basic shape of the instrument, but whether Mr. König knows that the most aggressive of all classic electric guitar shapes was originally developed in 1958 for dance musicians and something like that fell through mercilessly with the target group, who knows .

The fact that the guitar appears very large in the Slayer Live photos is also due to the physical dimensions of its namesake, but is also due to the enormous length of the instrument, which is not least due to the huge headstock with the classic Dean shape. Despite its slim appearance, the Dean Guitars Kerry King V Black Satin, with its mahogany body and glued-in maple neck, weighs just under 4 kg, which clearly leans towards “masculine”. Fortunately, the Dean Guitars Kerry King V Black Satin has a short scale length of 629 mm, otherwise the instrument would have been even longer. Unfortunately, you can't see anything of the glued-on maple top due to the opaque finish, but perhaps there will be a sunburst version of this model at some point, then you have to consider the manufacturing parameters in this regard. no longer change.

As you would expect, the paintwork is black, although this model uses a matt version. Whether for optical reasons or because the namesake would like to have a few natural wood colors on his instrument, the neck has not been colored, but has the same seal as the body and headstock, so tactile reasons cannot be the deciding factor point would have been. The fingerboard is made of ebony, but this is a very light variant, which visually looks much more like rosewood than the deep black that is still known from older Les Paul Customs, for example.

Images of two nails shaped into a cross are used as fingerboard inlays. To what extent one wants to draw the association with “nailing to the cross” here, especially since Slayer used to provocatively tend in this direction with their stage decoration, is up to each person. The neck profile is given as a “Kerry King Spec C” and, if I interpret the shape correctly, corresponds to an asymmetrical milling, which causes the upper neck area to slope slightly more sharply towards the edge of the fingerboard than the lower one. The fretboard radius is in the healthy midfield at 305 mm (12 inches) and should suit the majority of guitarists. The nut width of 41.4 mm (1.63 inches) also reveals a “fleshy” neck, which harmonizes very well with shorter fingers.

The Dean headstock is once again very well known and at the same time polarizing, which in combination with the small horns has a slight devil allusion in AC/DC style. Due to the unusual shape, the six black tuning machines from Grover are located very far out, which means that the D and G strings in particular are bent at an angle of approx. 20 degrees towards the saddle. This can sometimes lead to awkward tuning if you decide not to use the clamp saddle.

Hardware and pickups

In keeping with the Kerry King collaborations, Dean of course uses EMG pickups for the pickups, although there is also a special feature here. The pickup combination 85 (neck) and 81 (bridge) is probably one of the most popular EMG combinations in the world, but the EMG 81 has the opportunity to boost the already powerful output power of the pickup via the PA2 preamp. An additional option to blow the respective amp again, which turns out to be very helpful, especially with classic all-tube amps from the eighties such as the Marshall 2203 or 2204. With modern amps whose preamplifier has already been maxed out in terms of gain, caution is advised with such a booster if you don't want everything to get lost in feedback chaos. The booster is activated with a mini switch, which is located above the 3-way switch between the master volume and master tone controls.

Another special feature is the vibrato system built into the Dean Guitars Kerry King V Black Satin. In contrast to the Floyd Rose systems, which are widely used in the heavy sector, KK relies on the rather rare Kahler system, which has a much more vintage vibrato radius of action. The maximum pitch shift is between 2-3 semitone steps up and down. As a bonus, however, the system does not have the terrible reverberation effect that the systems from Floyd Rose or Evertune have, for example, as long as the springs are not packed in foam or something similar. The vibrato lever is screwed into the corresponding opening, not inserted. In order to reduce the friction of the strings on the saddle during vibrato use and thus increase tuning stability, the strings are guided on rollers on the saddle.

Due to the reduced control path of the vibrato system, the “strings are so relaxed that they fly off the fingerboard” setting is not possible, so the use of a clamping saddle is a bit surprising. A cleanly milled saddle should handle these string detunings without any problem, but this is probably a way to be on the safe side, but then you always have to take an extra Allen key with you. To avoid the large cable loops that occur with typical jack placement at the bottom of the body, Dean placed the output jack in the top horn directly next to the strap retaining button. Good thing, but due to the recessed socket, an angled plug is not recommended.

Incidentally, the instrument comes with a high-quality case, which is definitely recommended for an instrument with these dimensions and shape.


The Dean Guitars Kerry King V Black Satin in practice

Despite its massive dimensions, the Dean Guitars Kerry King V Black Satin hangs comparatively relaxed on the strap, although some players may have to get used to it. But this happens quite quickly, so you can immediately indulge in the high gain. Of course you can also create clean and crunchy sounds with this instrument, especially since the crunchy area is quite pleasant, but if we leave Albert King out of the equation, everything that looks like Flying V will be associated with a lead sound at least once .

As expected, the instrument also achieves its strengths here, although the built-in preamp booster can only show its strengths to the maximum in the lead range, since in the high gain range the half-waves are usually already cut off so hard that an upstream booster only increases the feedback level further. In the crunch and lead area, on the other hand, you can clearly hear in the sound files that the booster offers an extra portion of gain and assertiveness without significantly increasing the amount of background noise.

The Kahler vibrato system, which was decried as a sustain killer in the early days of its introduction, today leaves a good impression and its range should modulate the majority of all thrash attacks accordingly. I couldn't find a weak point with the instrument, the rest regarding appearance and finish is, as always, a matter of taste.

The sound files were created with an Engl Savage MKII, a Marshall 412 cabinet with Celestion G75T and 2 pieces. SM57 recorded without additional pedals.

Conclusion

With the Dean Guitars Kerry King V Black Satin, the American manufacturer has a textbook “metal axe” in its portfolio. The look, sound and area of application offer the target group exactly what they want, so the instrument will definitely find its fans.

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Additional Informations:


**The Early Years**

Dean Guitars was founded in 1976 by Dean Zelinsky, a young and ambitious luthier who was determined to build high-quality guitars that were both affordable and innovative. Zelinsky started out by building guitars in his own garage, and he quickly gained a reputation for his craftsmanship and attention to detail.

In 1977, Zelinsky moved his operation to a larger shop in Chicago, and he began to produce guitars under the Dean name. The company's early models were based on classic designs from Fender and Gibson, but Zelinsky also experimented with new and innovative designs. One of Dean's most popular early models was the V-shaped ML, which was inspired by the Gibson Flying V.

**The 1980s and 1990s**

In the 1980s, Dean Guitars began to gain a wider following among hard rock and metal musicians. Dimebag Darrell of Pantera was one of the most famous Dean players, and his signature model, the Dimebag Darrell Razorback, became one of the company's best-selling guitars.

In the 1990s, Dean Guitars continued to grow in popularity, and the company introduced a number of new models, including the Dean Z and the Dean Cadillac. The company also began to produce a wider range of guitars, including acoustic guitars, bass guitars, and even banjos.

**The 2000s and Beyond**

In the 2000s, Dean Guitars continued to expand its product line, and the company introduced a number of new models, including the Dean Exotica and the Dean Vendetta. The company also began to produce a wider range of accessories, including guitar amps, pedals, and cases.

Today, Dean Guitars is one of the most popular guitar brands in the world. The company's guitars are played by a wide range of musicians, from beginners to professionals. Dean Guitars are known for their high quality, affordability, and innovative designs.

**Some of the most famous Dean Guitars players include:**

* Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
* Michael Schenker (UFO, Scorpions)
* Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
* Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society)
* Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne)
* Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
* Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Hellyeah)
* Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory)
* Kerry King (Slayer)

**Dean Guitars has also been featured in a number of movies and television shows, including:**

* The Hangover
* Wayne's World
* The Matrix
* Rock Star
* School of Rock
* Guitar Hero
* Rock Band

**The company has also been involved in a number of controversies, including:**

* A lawsuit with Gibson over the design of the Dean V and ML guitars
* A boycott by animal rights activists over the company's use of animal-based materials in its guitars

**Despite these controversies, Dean Guitars remains one of the most popular guitar brands in the world. The company's guitars are known for their high quality, affordability, and innovative designs.**

**Here are some of the most popular Dean guitar models:**

* Dean ML
* Dean V
* Dean Z
* Dean Cadillac
* Dean Exotica
* Dean Vendetta
* Dean Razorback
* Dean Dimebag Darrell Razorback
* Dean Michael Schenker Flying V
* Dean Dave Mustaine Rust in Peace

**Dean Guitars also offers a wide range of accessories, including:**

* Guitar amps
* Guitar pedals
* Guitar cases
* Guitar straps
* Guitar picks
* Guitar strings
* Guitar tuners

## Dean Guitars: A Deeper Dive into Innovation and Controversy

While the previous article provided a solid overview, let's delve deeper into the fascinating – and sometimes turbulent – history of Dean Guitars. Buckle up for a journey beyond mere facts and into the heart of a brand that has challenged, inspired, and divided the music world.

**The Birth of a Visionary:**

Dean Zelinsky's story is one of passion and rebellion. Frustrated by the limitations of existing guitars in the 70s, he embarked on a mission to craft instruments that were not only exceptional in quality but also pushed boundaries in design and performance. His early creations, like the ML and V, were bold statements, showcasing innovative features like extended necks, Floyd Rose bridges, and unique body shapes. These guitars resonated with musicians seeking something beyond the traditional, setting the stage for Dean's ascent.

**From Metal Mayhem to Mainstream Recognition:**

The 80s saw Dean embrace the burgeoning hard rock and metal scene. Dimebag Darrell's iconic playing with Pantera cemented the brand's association with aggressive music, further solidified by partnerships with artists like Randy Rhoads and Michael Schenker. However, Dean's appeal wasn't limited to metal. The 90s witnessed collaborations with blues legends like Leslie West and country stars like Marty Stuart, showcasing the versatility of Dean's instruments.

**Innovation Beyond Guitars:**

Zelinsky's vision extended beyond guitars. He recognized the need for affordable, high-quality accessories, leading to the development of Dean-branded amps, pedals, and cases. This holistic approach solidified Dean's position as a one-stop shop for musicians, offering everything they needed to express themselves.

**The Armadillo Acquisition and Beyond:**

In 1997, Dean Zelinsky sold the company to Armadillo Enterprises, led by the visionary Elliott Rubinson. Rubinson ushered in a new era of growth and expansion, introducing innovative models like the Dean Exotica and Dean Vendetta, and expanding the brand's global reach. However, this period also saw its share of controversy.

**Navigating Turbulent Waters:**

Legal battles with Gibson over design similarities and accusations of using animal products in their guitars cast a shadow on Dean's image. While they weathered these storms, the controversies instilled a sense of "underdog" status in the brand, further solidifying its appeal among those seeking alternatives to the established giants.

**The Legacy: Enduring Influence and Beyond:**

Today, Dean Guitars remains a force in the music world. Artists like Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society), and Michael Angelo Batio continue to champion the brand, ensuring its presence on stages worldwide. Their commitment to quality, innovation, and affordability resonates with musicians across genres.

**Looking Forward:**

As Dean Guitars enters its next chapter, its past serves as a testament to its ability to adapt and evolve. From Zelinsky's groundbreaking vision to Rubinson's strategic expansion, the brand has continuously challenged the status quo. The future remains unwritten, but there's no doubt that Dean Guitars will continue to push boundaries, providing musicians with instruments that inspire and empower them to create their own unique sonic stories.

**Beyond the Facts:**

This article has attempted to go beyond a mere recitation of facts and figures. It has explored the spirit of Dean Guitars, the passion that drives its creators and players, and the controversies that have shaped its identity. Ultimately, the story of Dean Guitars is a story of rebellion, innovation, and the pursuit of sonic excellence – a story that continues to resonate with musicians around the world.