Description
Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott – 1979 Dean ML
About the Guitar
As with all my guitar sculptures, I start by transferring my scale drawing onto a wood base. I make sure to accurately mark out all the features of the guitar; pickups, volume & tone knobs, jack plugs, bridges, fret position, headstock features etc.
From there I usually start by laying out the outline of the body shape using an appropriate material that best fits the guitar characteristics. Heavy duty motorcycle chain forms the Dean ML outline. Two predominant connecting rods savaged from a Studebacker Drag Car are the centre piece of the guitar.
Furthermore, I have used a common technique of super heating metal and then quenching with motor oil. This results in the rainbow/purple effect on the fret boards and pickups.
The guitar sculpture also comes with its own unique guitar stand. This is specifically tailored to the needs of the guitar with respects to its look, balance and body shape.
About the Artist
Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004)
Dimebag was born in Arlington, Texas, the son to Jerry Abbott who was a prominent country music songwriter and producer at the time. Coming from a musical background, Darrell started to learn the guitar at twelve years old. He won numerous guitar competitions, one of which he won his now famous 1979 Dean ML. He formed Pantera alongside his brother Vinnie Paul in 1981. Their main influences were Black Sabbath, Kiss, Van Halen, Metallica, Slayer and Judas Priest.
Releasing their first album in 1983, it would take Pantera nearly six years to become ranked as one of the top metal acts of a generation. They have been attributed to inventing the Heavy Metal genre of Groove Metal; with Darrell’s distinct guitar riffs and his brothers relentless drumming style.
After only nine studio albums, Pantera finally disbanded in 2003. However, shortly after Darrell and his brother Vinnie formed another band called Damageplan. Sadly, on December 8th 2004 at a concert in Alrosa Villa, Darrell was murdered onstage.
He was buried in a Kiss Kasket given to his family by Gene Simmons of Kiss. Eddie Van Halen’s also gave the family his famous black and yellow striped guitar (referred to as ‘Bumblebee’) to be buried alongside Darrell.
Equipment used
Dimebag predominantly used Dean guitars however, following their demise in 1994 he signed with the guitar company Washburn.
Washburn made a Dean ML style guitar specifically for Darrell. He played variations of that model throughout his career.
However, in 2004 he went back to a newly revitalised Dean guitar company. Most noteworthy, a few months before his death, Darrell had co-designed a new guitar with Dean called the Razorback
He was one of the original users of the “Whammy Harmonic” technique; lowering the pitch of the strings with his Whammy Bar, using his left hand to create a harmonic, and then lifting the Whammy Bar again beyond the strings’ original pitch to create a high pitched, screaming noise.
Other guitarists that also made the Dean ML their guitar of choice include:
Michal Angel Batio – Nitro
Corey Beaulieu – Trivium
Michael Schenker – Scorpions
Eric Peterson – Testament
