In the mid-90s when the top bands of the day were Nirvana and Green Day, I was just getting into metal music, and had briefly heard the Pantera cover track on the 'alternative-metal' The Crow soundtrack album and wanted to hear more of this energetic band's music. With a week's allowance saved up, I went to the store and chose the album with the most intriguing cover, Cowboys From Hell. Checked out the tape inlay.. guitars- Diamond Darrell. Popped in the cassette, and... Even to newbie ears it was clear this guy was a cut above the rest. Groovy yet tight, harsh yet melodic, all at the same time. The impact of this record on the 90s metal scene in general cannot be understated, much less to the brain of a newbie metal fan. Vinnie Paul's metallic drum sound changed the game forever, Phil's vocals bringing it to another level, and Rex... well, whatever. I guess every Pantera fan has had a similar moment. Still their very best album in my opinion. Of course the metal masterclass that was Vulgar Display of Power soon followed, and the live Monsters in Moscow video which was another classic, and by then really, their place in history was already cemented.
Unlike many other rock stars, Dime by all accounts, was a really nice guy. It's hard to come across any unkind comments made by anybody at all about him aside from Phil & Rex. The tragic event of his murder by a crazed assassin was as shocking as the death of John Lennon, to the heavy metal world. One of those moments you surely remember where you were when you first heard about it. For a deeper insight into the man and his last days I would recommend the book, A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage at the Alrosa Villa by Tom Armold. It will bring a tear to your eye. Rex Brown's book on the other hand, pretty much puts down the Abbott Bros as bumbling goofballs and paints himself as a humble jazz maestro who was the secret to Pantera's success, so go figure if you need to read that one or not.
Unlike many other rock stars, Dime by all accounts, was a really nice guy. It's hard to come across any unkind comments made by anybody at all about him aside from Phil & Rex. The tragic event of his murder by a crazed assassin was as shocking as the death of John Lennon, to the heavy metal world. One of those moments you surely remember where you were when you first heard about it. For a deeper insight into the man and his last days I would recommend the book, A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage at the Alrosa Villa by Tom Armold. It will bring a tear to your eye. Rex Brown's book on the other hand, pretty much puts down the Abbott Bros as bumbling goofballs and paints himself as a humble jazz maestro who was the secret to Pantera's success, so go figure if you need to read that one or not.
notes on the Washburn USA Dime 3
Man, these are hard to find today. Those who are curious but less inclined to scrutinizing the gamut of Dime guitars may be wondering why the old Washburn USA Dimebag models are more sought after and expensive than any of the Dean models they are based on, and that are still continuously available from Dean today. Well, I guess I've just answered the question. While the Washburns generally had a high quality feel due in part to the presence of famed designer Grover Jackson and a world famous custom shop in the company at the time, Dean has been flooding the market nonstop after Dime's death with all kinds of model variations in his name. Most of them low quality China/Indonesia made imports. Though this in itself is no reason to disparage all Dean product, in fact from a simply business point of view they might be complimented on their market segmentation strategy or whatever, but then they committed a cardinal sin in re-releasing a supposedly limited-edition USA guitar in the Dean From Hell. This dick move ensured that their high-end guitars would never hold their value and afforded the company zero credibility with Dimebag collectors from that point forward.
These Washburn Dimes actually didn't sell all that well over the years before his death because it was so distinctly identifiable with one person, that if you had one it was pretty obvious who you liked and the style of music you played. So there weren't really that many made, and now that he has passed on to icon status it has become a badge of honour for fans to own one. I was also lucky to obtain a highly-treasured signed backplate and promo photo.
It may be hard for newbies at first to tell apart the Washburn Vs Dean ML body shapes at first glance, but note the asymmetrical and pointier headstock, and the less rounded body shape. A clear aesthetic improvement over the original.
These Washburn Dimes actually didn't sell all that well over the years before his death because it was so distinctly identifiable with one person, that if you had one it was pretty obvious who you liked and the style of music you played. So there weren't really that many made, and now that he has passed on to icon status it has become a badge of honour for fans to own one. I was also lucky to obtain a highly-treasured signed backplate and promo photo.
It may be hard for newbies at first to tell apart the Washburn Vs Dean ML body shapes at first glance, but note the asymmetrical and pointier headstock, and the less rounded body shape. A clear aesthetic improvement over the original.
Washburn Custom Shop Dime3SC Southern Cross
I remember getting the issue of Guitar World with Dime on the cover and review of his new Southern Cross model, back in 2002, thinking I would never be able to even see one, much less own one, even more so after his tragic passing in 2004. Many years later, I finally was able to get one and for not many other times in my life, I felt a sense of great accomplishment lol. Basically a dream come true. In many fans' eyes, this is the ultimate Dime axe. He thought up the design in tribute to Tony Iommi, for Pantera's tour supporting the reunited Black Sabbath. What a show that must have been. RIP Dime.
Washburn Dime 3-FL 'Inferno'
