Dean Markley Strings, Inc is a company that manufactures musical instrument related products, primarily strings for acoustic and electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. The company also produces, pick ups, amplifiers, and tuners, with instrument strings being their feature product. [1]
History
Before starting the company, Dean Markley was a music store owner. In 1972 he began selling string designs he came up with himself through experimentation. His first breakthrough into success was when he created the Voice Box effects pedal used by Peter Frampton in his smash hit "Show Me The Way". [2]
Blue Steel guitar strings
One of Dean Markley's recent notable innovations are the rigorously made, Blue Steel guitar and bass strings. The strings are cryogenically treated, meaning they are frozen with liquid nitrogen to minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit (77.4 Kelvin). Then they are returned to room temperature. Dean states, "This unique cryogenic treatment, which is used in a lot of other metal products, realigns the molecular structure of the string, giving it a longer life and more satisfying sound quality." [3]