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.