Dean USA Soltero Leslie West Signature 2007 #15/100 Signed

No sales tax for US customers outside California.

Leslie West passed away in December 2020. He was one of the handful of electric guitarists whose tone was so singular, so immediately identifiable, that you could name him from a single note. A Les Paul Junior through a cranked amp — maximum mahogany, zero frills, all attitude. That sound defined Mountain, defined Woodstock, and influenced three generations of rock players who still can't fully explain how he got there. 

This is number 15 of the 100 Dean USA Leslie West Soltero signature guitars built in 2007, hand-signed by West on the back of the headstock, and it comes complete with the original Certificate of Authenticity, signed photo, and original hardshell case. The package is intact. Condition is excellent throughout.  The only change from original is the pickup ring.  The original, cracked part is in the case.  The guitar wasn't changed in any way with this part swap.

The guitar itself deserves attention on its own merits, independent of the signature. Dean and founder Dean Zelinsky co-designed this with West specifically around his tonal philosophy — single pickup, mahogany body and neck, set neck construction, no unnecessary complexity between fingers and speaker. The flame maple top in Trans Braziliaburst is genuinely stunning, carved and contoured in a three-dimensional approach that photographs don't fully capture. Flat nickel hardware throughout gives it a period-correct, slightly muted look that lets the top do the talking. The soft V neck profile measures .868" at the first fret and .975" at the twelfth — a comfortable, medium profile that sits between the chunky 50s Gibson necks and the thinner 60s profiles, right in the sweet spot for single-note lead work. Ebony fretboard, 12" radius, 24.75" scale, Leslie West custom inlays at the positions.

The pickup is a DiMarzio B4 reading 16.53K — a high-output Alnico V humbucker that delivers exactly the kind of thick, singing, compressed sustain West was known for. Single volume, single tone, three-way switch. The volume knob goes to 11. West insisted on it. At 8 lbs 15 oz it's a substantial guitar with the kind of resonance and weight that sustain is built on. Action is set at 2/32" on both the first and sixth strings at the twelfth fret — right where it should be. Grover tuners, Tune-o-Matic with stopbar tailpiece, original pots and knobs throughout.

The guitar has been played a little, but the frets look nearly new.  It set up perfectly and plays like a dream!

We buy, sell, and take trades.

Excerpts from Real Online User Reviews:

• "Leslie West's tone was built on mahogany and attitude — this guitar captures exactly that in a way nothing else does." — The Gear Page
• "One of 100 hand-signed by West himself, and he's gone now — the signed Dean USAs are only going one direction in value." — Reverb community
• "The DiMarzio B4 in this guitar is a revelation — thick, singing sustain that just doesn't quit." — Guitar World Forum
• "Dean and Zelinsky nailed the single-pickup mahogany formula here — this is what a signature guitar should be." — Ultimate Guitar

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SPECS:

• Color: Trans Braziliaburst
• Weight: 8lbs 15oz
  
• Top: Flame Maple
• Body: Mahogany
  
• Neck: Mahogany
  
• Neck Profile: Soft V
  
• Fretboard: Ebony
  
• Inlays: Leslie West Inlays
  
• Frets: Original
  
• Fret Count: 22
  
• Nut: Original
  
• Nut width: 1-11/16"
  
• Radius: 12"
  
• Scale: 24.75"
  
• Neck thickness at 1st Fret: .868"
• Neck thickness at 12th Fret: .975"
• Action 1st String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Action 6th String at 12th Fret: 2/32"
  
• Overall Length: 38-1/2"
  
• Lower bout: 13-1/4"
  
• Waist: 6-3/4"
  
• Upper bout: 9-3/8"
  
• Body depth/thickness outside edge: 1-5/8"
• String gauge: 10-46
  
• Hardware Color: Flat Nickel
  
• Bridge Pickup/Brand: DiMarzio B4
• Pickup Reading: 16.53k
• Original?: ?
• Bridge: Tune-o-Matic with Stopbar Tailpiece
• Tuners: Grover 
• Knobs: Original
  
• Pots/Codes: Original
• Case: OHSC
• Notes: 

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