About the DOA
What started as a joke turned into something much more.
The DOA was formed on the Dean Forum organically and became a separate club from Dean Guitars. Originally called the "Dean Owners of America" it quickly grew and yearly membership meetings started to happen in Tampa FL (Where Dean Guitars is headquartered).
The Dean Owners Association began in 2001, originally called the "Dean Owners of America", after a comment was made on the company’s guitar forum during an online discussion. As soon as Brave Dave used the abbreviation “DOA”, interest began from the other members to form a group. There were 21 member numbers issued in that first year, and thousands more since then.
There has never been a requirement of owning a vintage Dean, a new Dean, or a certain number of Deans, to gain membership. In the broadest sense, it’s a group comprised of those that have an appreciation for the company’s instruments from all eras.
The group has a membership base that is represented by all areas of the globe. While the majority of members are located in the USA, it is by no means limited to just one country. It is truly an international group, with representation from six of the seven continents. To date, Antarctica is lacking a DOA member (but we’re working on it).
In 2003, the folks at Dean hosted the first DOA Weekend at their offices in Clearwater, FL. A tour of the facility was given, pizza and sodas were consumed in the conference room, and friendships were formed.
From that inaugural event, subsequent events continued to get bigger and better. Live performances from signature artists and DOA members, unveiling of DOA Member limited-run guitars and basses, in-depth factory tours, international members traveling to see what it’s all about, members seeing both new and old friends and, above all, having a very good time for a full weekend.
Along the way, members have hosted their own meet-ups in different cities, a DOA-UK Chapter was organized, and additional special guitar/bass/pickup runs (some with crazy specifications) have been coordinated.
Whether you like the pointy ones or the round ones, the Big Headstocks or the Shrimpforks, six strings or four strings (or five or seven or eight or twelve), there’s room for everyone in the DOA that has an appreciation for the quality instruments being made by Dean Guitars.