This page about Odyssey Guitars Paul Dean is a stub. You can help improve it:

Odyssey Guitars Paul Dean

Find out who is using Odyssey Paul Dean

0 wishlisted

0 saved

Page last updated Apr 14, 2026

Pricing and availability

Store

Reviews

Price

^* Product prices and availability are updated by Equipboard every 24hrs and are subject to change. Equipboard may receive compensation for purchases made at participating retailers linked on this site. This compensation does not affect what products or prices are displayed, or the order of prices listed. For more information, please refer to our affiliate disclosure.

Description

Edit description

The Odyseey Paul Dean guitar - pre-release known as the "Dean Machine" - was released in 1982 by Attila Balogh's company Odyssey guitars in Vancouver B.C. on a limited basis (only 50 ever made). These guitars were based on the final revision of the home-built originals of Loverboy/Streetheart guitarist Paul Dean. A year later, Hondo guitars, then based in Texas (who farmed all manufacturing to Korea, China, and Japan), released a lower-cost, Japanes (later Korean) made version of this guitar that was almost identical in larger scale as a part of Hondo's Designer Series (but still not enough to be common).

The Odyssey Paul Dean guitar features - 24.75" 3 piece Maple neck with maple 21 Fret fretboard, "resonance slots" 1/4" parallel to truss rod, 10 Degree headstock tilt and straight string path for excellent tuning - Ash or Maple one or two piece body "tuned" and chambered for resonance - 2 DiMarzio DP104 Sealed Humbucker pickups, 8.4K Ohms, Ceramic Magnets, neck and Bridge positions - 1 Volume, 1 Tone, 3-way pickup selector - Black haircell plastic "anti-scratch" pickguard - Leo Quan Badass wraparound Bridge - Transparent Red Finish - Hardshell Case

Of the 50 made, one or two went to Paul Dean himself, 3-5 of them to friends/family, and the rest were split in half - one half going to local Vancouver guitar shops, the other half going to Charity/Benefits/Giveaways/Promotions.

Reviews

Add review

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Odyssey Guitars Paul Dean.

Build quality

0 0

The Odyssey Paul Dean model features a unique tulip-like horn design and a sunburst finish with binding, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Source
0 0

The neck features tone channels parallel to the truss rod, enhancing resonance and strength, making it robust even with heavy string gauges.
Source

Features and functionality

0 0

Early models included two knobs and two switches, with 24 frets and a 3x3 headstock, differing from later versions with changes in pickups and bridge types.
Source
0 0

A specific model used in the "Hot Girls in Love" video had Seymour Duncan Vintage Staggered pickups and a Leo Quan badass bridge, contrasting with the Hondo Paul Dean III's vibrato system.
Source
0 0

Resonance slots in the neck contribute to a unique sound, described as resembling a hornet when the truss rod is loosened.
Source

User experience

0 0

Only 50 Odyssey Paul Dean guitars were produced, making them rare; Paul Dean kept a few, while others were distributed through charity and local shops.
Source

Comparisons

0 0

The Hondo Paul Dean II model, built by Tokai Matsumoku, was inspired by the custom-designed Odyssey guitars, featuring a sen ash body and a 3-piece maple neck.
Source

Setup and maintenance

0 0

With .013 gauge high E and B strings, the neck remains super straight, allowing for low action without issues.
Source

Add review

Based on 0 Reviews and 0 Ratings

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

Artist usage

Add artist

Paul Dean

Singer, Guitarist

Loverboy

Verified via YouTube

http://web.295.ca/~gtmadore/article%2016.htm - A reprint of a March 1983 interview with Paul Dean covering everything on these guitars including the Hondo versions.

Frustrated by guitars that played out of tune and didn't have the right sound, Paul constructed what he affectionately refers to as his "Dean Machine." Realizing its commercial potential, he contracted Attila Balogh of Vancouver's Odyssey Guitars {15 Bowser Avenue, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7P 3H1} to build 50 Paul Dean models to be sold on a limited basis. But before the instruments had a chance to become well publicized, Hondo Guitars became interested and Paul signed a contract to produce two models on a large scale: The Hondo Paul Dean II will have two pickups, while the Paul Dean III will be equipped with three pickups and a vibrato bar. Both will sport several unique features of Paul's own design as he explains in the following interview.

Dean also played home built versions of these prior.