DAVE MUSTAINE: 'Working With DEAN Has Been One Of The Greatest Thrills For Me As A Musician'

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and Dean Guitars have released Mustaine's new guitar line, debuting two versions of the Dave Mustaine Signature "Vehement: VMNT" model at the Winter NAMM convention in Anaheim, CA — an event witnessed by a quarter of a million fans worldwide with the help of Dean's "Live From NAMM" webcast.

The initial 150 pieces of the USA made VMNT, all signed by Mustaine, were sold out in short order according to Dean's director of sales Jon Puhl. This eminent axe features a radical and sharply sculpted V body style topped with a heavily flamed 5A maple top. Two Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine custom Live Wire pickups, 24 frets on a 25.5 scale length neck, ebony fingerboard and gold hardware nicely finish off this beauty. Retail price USA VMNT is $5,888.

Players and collectors can choose from three finishes: transparent amber, transparent red and transparent black. The guitar will include a stenciled hardshell case and a signed "Deth Certificate."

The Mustaine Signature VHMT import has that same masterfully sculpted V body and comes complete with the custom Mustaine Live Wire pickups, Grover tuners and hardshell case. The guitar is available in classic black or metallic silver. The first 500 guitars (already sold out) are shipping with a MEGADETH CD signed by the man himself. Retail price of the Dean VMNT is $1,520.

"The whole process has been surreal," said Mustaine. "It's been dream-like, but is more real than any dream I've ever had. They understand what a guitarist expects out of his gear, and we share a vision, a loyalty and an understanding of guitars. Working with Dean has been one of the greatest thrills for me as a musician."

Commenting on his new Dean guitar, Mustaine said, "We designed this thing… the last couple of hours. [Laughs] It feels like that. Dean [Dean Guitars founder Dean B. Zelinsky] and I talked a little bit over a month and a half ago...and we just went into the shop and started building this [guitar] right away. The end result couldn't have turned out better!”

"Having Dave Mustaine join the Dean family is a dream come true for me," says Dean Guitars CEO Elliott Rubinson. "We pride ourselves on having the world's greatest players playing our instruments and Dave is certainly the company that we are proud to keep. We think the VMNT series of guitars will be the best playing and sounding guitars Dave Mustaine fans have ever seen."

For more information, visit www.deanguitars.com.