This is a pretty amazing video I just found. I believe this was for Young Guitar Magazine. Usually when the guitar masters show us their signature techniques they don’t really go into much detail. In this video Dimebag goes into perfect detail how he plays harmonics and how he does those crazy squealing dive bombs like at the end of Cemetery Gates.

Basically in his technique he flicks the string with his left hand, dives with the whammy, and then hits a natural harmonic on the way back up. It seems so simple, but seeing Dime do it close up is just magical.

Alexi Laiho uses this technique in his playing as well.

I’m having a bit of a dry day today. I don’t really feel like writing or reading too much. I am trying to research a few things I have wanted to write about but somehow I just keep ending up back on YouTube.

Although I don’t really want a Dime signature, I am pretty sure my next guitar purchase is going to be a Dean ML of some sort. Here is a Guitar World video review for the Dimebag signature Cowboy from Hell I just watched on YouTube .

Apparently the tape is to keep the strings from catching on the pickups when Dime did his crazy dive bombs.

On May 17th, 2007 Pantera and Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell was inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk. A bronze bust of the legendary metal guitarist was unveiled and installed in the RockWalk. Many performers came out to the event including members of Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Kiss, Rob Zombie, and Slayer.

Continue reading Dimebag Darrel Has Been Inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk

Just a few notes for today:

First it was reported that Courtney Love was planning on holding an auction to sell off all Kurt Cobain’s stuff, now it seems as though she is planning on selling it all to a single collector. There is a mixed reaction from fans, but really, in the end, who cares about a few old flannel shirts.

I probably could have predicted this: Zakk Wylde will be at Dimebag Darrell’s RockWalk induction to play the song he wrote as a tribute to Dime — “In this river”. Zakk Wylde has been reported to have said that this song will never leave the BLS set list. After the induction, guitars from the The Six String Masterpieces display will be auctioned off in support of Little Kids Rock.

Lori Linstruth from Play Like a Girl has put together a ShredTracker for keeping record of your practicing. I love how very professional looking and well thought out it is. It is a simple tool that can get you pumped about practicing again. Seriously, everybody wants to get better, but sitting in front of a metronome for hours on end isn’t really my idea of a fun practice session. Well, this just adds that bit of fun back to it and is just another reward in the end when you can look at it and see how far you have come.

A guy on eBay by the name of ramses6615 is selling a Washburn Custom U.S.A. guitar signed by both Dime and Vinny at a Damageplan CD signing in 2004. As of writing this post there are only 12 hours left in the auction and 0 bids. The fact that the guitar is number two of six ever made makes it expensive to start with, but slap those two signatures on there and it goes up in price exponentially. I guess we will just have to wait and see if there is actually a buyer out there interested in this.

If I was a multi-billionaire, I would probably buy it, but, I’m not, so I wont.

The seller does his best to make it clear that he is not trying to exploit Dime’s death to make a quick buck. He says that the guitar has never been dusted and probably contains Dime’s fingerprints. I’m not sure if that makes it worth more… probably does.

The guitar doesn’t come with a certificate to verify the signatures, however, there are several pictures showing Dime and Vinny signing the guitar. I would be inclined to say that it is legit, but people have been scammed for a lot less.

Long story short, if you have $34,000 to spare, maybe today is the day you get to own a piece of metal history.

[Via Blabbermouth]

Modern Guitars Magazine is reporting that on May 17th, 2007 Dimebag Darrell Abbott will [finally] be inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk. Dime was the highly influential lead guitarist of the 90’s metal band Pantera. Dime was at the forefront of metal as it emerged into the mainstream in the early 90’s and is cited by many of todays guitar players as an influence.

A bronze bust sculpture of Dime to be installed on the RockWalk will be unvieled at the ceremony starting at 12pm on Sunset Boulavard.

Dimebag was shot to death by Nathan Gale while playing a concert with his band Damageplan on December 8th, 2004.

[Via Modern Guitars Magazine]

Some people can remember where they were when they found out Elvis died. For some it’s John Lennon or Kurt Cobain. I was much too young when Elvis and Lennon died and I was probably 10 or 11 when Cobain died, so I have no memory of those events. However, I remember the day I learned Dimebag had died.

It really isn’t all that glamorous, I was in class in college and a friend was on the computer when an IM message popped up on his screen breaking the news. At first we didn’t believe it, but a quick Google news search confirmed the report. That was a pretty depressing time all around.

To the point, I wanted to share this Dimebag Darrell interview with anyone who has not already seen it. In the first video dimebag tells the story of his first and second Dean guitars. He tells of the one that got away and a great friend who got it back for him. The guitar he sold and eventually bought back became his iconic lightning bolt Dean. In an interview taking place after a show in Milwaukee Dime talks about being happy and achieving his dream.

The second video picks up where the first left off. He gives his praise of the new Razorback design for his signature Dean guitar. The video then leads into some joking around between Dime and some of the crew and friends and then Dime heads back out on stage to play the end of their set. I hope everyone enjoys the vids.

Dimebag Darrell Interview at Deanguitars.com

Dimebag had always been a Dean player in his youth. His first Dean was a cherry sunburst ML bought for him by his father and his second a Dean that he won in a playing competition. The guitar he won later became his most popular guitar, the custom lighting bolt painted Cowboy from Hell.

When Dean went out of business in the mid 80’s Dimebag became a Washburn promoter. In 2004, not long before Dime’s death the Dean company was reopened by Dean Zelinsky and Dimebag was brought back on as an endorser. The Razorback Tribute has been released along with a range of reissued ML guitars in Dimebag’s name.
Continue reading Dean USA Razorback Tribute Dimebag Darrell Signature Guitar

Unless you haven’t picked up on it yet, I’m a pretty big metal fan. I was thinking about doing a series of review posts on some guitars commonly used by metal guitarists.

To finish off the month of March, over the next 7 days we will look at 7 different signature metal guitars. Each of the signature guitars is from one of my favorite guitarists.

The guitars I plan on reviewing are as follows:

1. Guitar Reviews: March Metal Madness
2. Fender Stratocaster Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Guitar
3. ESP KH-2 Kirk Hammett Signature Guitar
4. ESP Ninja 600 Michael Amott Signature Guitar
5. Gibson Les Paul Zakk Wylde CAMO Signature Guitar
6. Jackson RR1 Randy Rhoads Signature Guitar
7. Dean USA Razorback Tribute Dimebag Darrell Signature Guitar
8. ESP Alexi Laiho Signature Guitar

So, check back tomorrow for first on the list, the Yngwie Malmsteen Fender Strat.

Six-String Masterpieces
50 musicians and artists have come together to create a display of custom decorated Dean ML guitars. There are a lot of major artists contributing including Zakk Wylde, Alexi Laiho, Dave Navarro, James Hetfield, Joe Satriani, Rob Zombie, Ted Nugent, and many more.

The exhibit debuted at this year’s NAMM convention in front of 50,000 people. I really would have killed to go to NAMM this year. It sounds like it was a really great show. The website for The Dimebag Darrell Art Tribute has a few galleries of the making of the guitars and the showing at NAMM as well.

The exhibit had incredible response with many people saying it was the highlight of NAMM. The exhibit will now tour to no less than ten major US markets at top concert venues, museums, music instrument retail stores and Fine Art Galleries during the spring and summer of 2006. At the completion of the tour, the Art Guitars will be auctioned off via one of NYC’s top auction houses/galleries, with funds being donated to a foundation that supports Music Education in our schools.
From: http://www.deanguitars.com/sixstringmp/

Some of the guitars are really impressive. I especially enjoyed the one drawn by tattoo artist Bob Tyrrell.