“A high-octane instrument for guitarists who demand the best”: Dean reimagines the Zero with a top-of-the-line rebrand – adding new depth to the firm's range of metal guitars

Dean Guitars has gone au naturel with the latest reprise of its pointed metal guitar, the Zero.

The Zero Pickguard Gloss Natural is described as a “high-octane” instrument that looks to expand on the success of Dean's USA Series, which has already given its Vengeance V-shaped model a similarly natural finish. 

After a turbulent recent history, Dean has promised to come back fighting in 2024 – a year that has already produced the Floyd Rose and Fishman-loaded Exile Select. 

As such, the brand's latest offering pairs a deep gloss natural mahogany body with its signature devil horned headstock, which is finished in black. The partnership has created a neat “aggressive and sophisticated” look. 

Elsewhere, single-ply cream binding and gold hardware add interesting embellishments to the guitar, which also features a white pickguard. 

Other hardware choices include a Tone Pros Tune-O-Matic bridge with a Z Plate to continue its golden touches. There are also Grover locking 18:1 tuners to ensure the pointed riff machine stays in tune. 

Dean describes its 22-fret ebony fretboard as “slippery”, with pearl ultra diamond inlays standing against the dark wood. 

For the electronics, Dean has opted for a twin humbucker setup. That finds a USA DMT Baker Act in the bridge and a USA Time Capsule in the neck. 

The configuration is said to help the guitar “scream with overwound attitude” and produce glassy tones in equal measure, as Dean strives to build an instrument for use far beyond the rock and metal genres it's become synonymous with.

Gold top hat knobs allow players to tamper with the volume and tone controls, with a three-way toggle pickup switch nestling at the peak of its lower horn. 

The guitar is priced at $5,398, making this a build for players with deep pockets, rather than those who are at the start of their guitar-playing journey. 

Earlier this year, Guitar World was treated to an exclusive preview of Dean's 2024 line-up. It will see the return of US builds alongside some wild guitars, including an S-style MD Custom, which comes complete with a wood-grained scratchplate and pickup covers.

This latest iteration of its Zero model – a shape that oozes heavy metal angularity – veers off in a similar vein, with the '24 line-up seemingly keen on adding more depth to Dean's range of finishes.   

Despite a Gibson lawsuit that challenged Dean's use of Z-shaped guitars, the Zero's return continues the luthier's brashness in pushing on with “zero f**ks given”. 

The Zero Select EverTune Fluence in Black Cherry Burst arrived in November, but this build takes a whole new approach to what the Zero can be. 

Head over to Dean for more information.