Dean Markley DM J360E

This particular guitar is from a Private Collection, which Dean produced before the future launch of the new Dean Markley Guitar line. This guitar is the 8th of the first 25 guitars of this model, serial number 04008, that were handcrafted by a master luthier, trained in the northern mountains of Japan, who know crafts guitars in South Korea. There are now 7 models, and every one of them is fantastic. A work of art when it comes to guitars. Tone and beauty were Dean?s goals and I think he has hit the nail on the proverbial head. This guitar is beautiful to look at, play, and listen to. It plays like a dream. The action is extremely low, with no buzzing, and the neck plays like butter. This guitar is so quick and easy to play.

The Dean Markley DM-J360SE guitar began production in December 2004/January 2005. This guitar is made with some very special touches that make this guitar ?stand out? amongst others of its kind. These custom touches are things like Abalone inlay on the headstock and a tobacco-sunburst finish on the top of the guitar with a dark, cherry, oak tobacco-sunburst finish on the guitar?s body and neck. This guitar is all Solid Wood of the best kinds. No laminated woods were used in the crafting of this guitar at all! Specifications for this guitar include: Book-matched Mahogany back and sides, Solid Mahogany neck, Solid book-matched Spruce top, a slim 14th fret Ebony fret-board, Gold-Plated tuners with Simulated Tortoise knobs and a Gold-Plated Stereo input jack for a neck position pick-up with both volume and tone controls as part of the body.

The DM-J60E is an incredible guitar for playing the blues and country/western styles of music. If you enjoy a good Duane Eddy style of playing, this guitar as a rich and buttery tone that adds an incredible mood of what is characteristic of the blues. The amplifier that I use with this guitar is a Fender Chorus, and when the the trebile and bass are slightly offset with a heavier emphasis on the trebile, there is no mistake for a truer accoustic sound that would make your studio or performance emmenate an ancient Greek amphatheatre.

This guitar is a handcrafted piece of art that was made from the finest selection of exotic woods from South America and the Indian subcontitent. The back and sides of the the DM-J360E is constructed from book matched mahogany, and the top is made of bookmatched spruce. The neck, as well, is made of solid Mahogany. There are only a few, rather indistinguishable imperfections with the finish of the guitar, however the general construction remains immaculate.

The DM-J360E will outstand any perfomance in temperate climates, and is made with the most descriminate eye for perfection from the most experienced certifiable luthier. The strap buttons on the DM-J360E are made of a gold pated material that can more than doubly withstand the overall weight of the guitar. Of the several models of the Dean Markley series of guitars, the DM-J360E is extremely dependable, producing an indistinguishable tone that is unmatched by most guitars of its kind.

Several years ago I met Dean Markley at my local neighborhood hang out while talking to one of his sons. Dean and I seemed to hit it off immediately, as we both have family ties to Kansas City, Misouuri. Dean invited me to his house to play guitar with him while he entrained some houseguests for an evening at his ranch in the Saratoga Hills. He invited me back to play again several times, but one day he had a surprise for me. Upon my next visit I was introduced to several series of guitars that he was developing for his new business. I played a few, and over the course of a year I invested in a few as part of my retirement portfolio. This was a very worthwhile investment, as he has not yet ?launched? the line to the general public, although those that are close to him whom he admires most have had the opportunity to purchase these guitars straight from him in the comfort of his own living room. They are an incredible, harmonic family, all with matching serial numbers, but sacrifices must be made in order to pursue an educational goal I have for myself. The guitars that Dean has had construct are guaranteed for life, as their construction, performance, and craftsmanship are unmatched for any guitar of its kind.

I have been playing guitar for more than fifteen years, and have had the opportunity to play several different types of guitars, both electric and accoustic. However, even after venturing to Nashville and visiting the Gibson Showcase, I still have not found any other guitar that is crafted to fit virtually any style.