It was a natural step to progress to a three year full time course at the London College of Furniture where he studied the craft of guitar making in depth in a stimulating liberal environment where he could develop and experiment, discuss ideas, and visit established makers such as Paul Fischer and José Romanillos.

After leaving college and travelling around the world, Christopher was offered the chance to move to Oxfordshire to work alongside one of Britain's leading guitar makers, Paul Fischer, a pillar of the classical guitar establishment. They established a positive relationship which was to establish Christopher Dean within the mainstream of European lutherie.

In 1985 Christopher set up his own full time professional workshop, selling guitars all around the world to an admiring and steadily growing clientelle while still only 27, in a world where many figures take decades to become established. In his workshop in the Cotswolds with an inspiring view of one of England's loveliest landscapes he works to evolve and develop whilst achieving a consistently great sound with beauty, balance, sustain and luminosity of tone.

Today his instruments are highly sought after and are chosen by leading players for both their concerts and their recordings.