At #36, another elite guitarist that we lost way too early:
#36: Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott was born August 20, 1966. He was a founding member of the groups Pantera and Damageplan and is considered to be one of the driving forces behind groove metal.
Abbott began playing guitar at age 12 on a Hondo Les Paul with a small amplifier. Darrell was inspired by Kiss and the guitar playing of Ace Frehley. Darrell won several local guitar competitions, being awarded a Dean ML guitar after a win at the Agora Ballroom in Dallas, Texas. Abbott formed Pantera in 1981 with brother Vinnie Paul on drums. Pantera opened for many famous metal bands, including Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer and Motorhead.
Despite this, Pantera didn't hook up with a major recording contract until 1990, when they released their debut album Cowboys from Hell. The group's breakthrough came with the release of Vulgar Display of Power in 1992. That album featured the heavy guitar of Abbott, who had assumed the nickname "Dimebag Darrell".
In 1992, Pantera joined with Rob Halford of Judas Priest for the song "Light Comes Out of Black", which was included on the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Soundtrack.
In 2003, Pantera went on an extended hiatus and a year later, Vinnie and Dimebag formed Damageplan. Pat Lachman was brought in to be the lead singer and Bob Zilla played bass. Damageplan released its debut album New Found Power in 2004.
Darrell invited the "scooped" metal sound, which means all the middle notes were cut out, with the high and low notes featured. He played precise staccato and legato riffs. Abbott could do shredding at breakneck speed on one song and then a bluesy ballad the next. He was precise with his rhythm work and he would play harmonics with his whammy bar to create high-pitched squeals.
Abbott also played for other artists, including Ace Frehley, Anthrax and David Allen Coe.
On December 8, 2004, Abbott was shot to death onstage while performing with Damageplan in Columbus, Ohio. Abbott was buried with Eddie Van Halen's black and yellow-striped Charvel guitar, pictured on the album Van Halen II. Dimebag had asked for one of these guitars shortly before he was shot. Van Halen had agreed to make a copy of the guitar for Darrell but upon hearing of his death, offered to place the actual guitar in the casket.
Abbott told Guitar World that if there were no Ace Frehley, there would have been no Dimebag Darrell. He also credits Joe Satriani, Tony Iommi and Pete Willis of Def Leppard with influencing his guitar playing. Abbott used pentatonic scales and pinch harmonics in his playing. Elements of Billy Gibbons and Randy Rhoads could also be heard in Darrell's style.
Dimebag endorsed Dean Guitars in his early days with Pantera. He played a Dean MLwith Bill Lawrence pickups. Abbott signed with Washburn in 1994 but went back to Dean in 2004 shortly before his death. Abbott co-designed the Razorback with Dean, a modified version of the ML. It is more pointed than the ML with extra barbs on the wings.
Dean released a tribute guitar to honor Abbott's death, with the tribute logo on the neck, a razor inlay on the 12th fret, a Dimebucker pickup at the Bridge at a Seymour Duncan 59' at the neck and a Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo.
Guitar World ranked three of Abbott's solos among is Top 100: "Floods", "Cemetery Gates" and "Walk". Darrell wrote a long-running column in Guitar World and his tone was called one of The 50 Greatest Tones of All-Time by Guitar Player magazine. Many other artists, including Buckethead, Nickelback, Ace Frehley and Avenged Sevenfold have done tributes to Abbott.
Dimebag attacked the guitar with passion and emotion with long arpeggio runs. He was a great live performer and a good entertainer. We were only left to wonder how good he would have been had he lived longer. Dimebag Darrell comes in at #36 for the Rock Era*...
#36: Dimebag Darrell
active guitarist for 24 years
Darrell Lance Abbott was born August 20, 1966. He was a founding member of the groups Pantera and Damageplan and is considered to be one of the driving forces behind groove metal.
Abbott began playing guitar at age 12 on a Hondo Les Paul with a small amplifier. Darrell was inspired by Kiss and the guitar playing of Ace Frehley. Darrell won several local guitar competitions, being awarded a Dean ML guitar after a win at the Agora Ballroom in Dallas, Texas. Abbott formed Pantera in 1981 with brother Vinnie Paul on drums. Pantera opened for many famous metal bands, including Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer and Motorhead.
Despite this, Pantera didn't hook up with a major recording contract until 1990, when they released their debut album Cowboys from Hell. The group's breakthrough came with the release of Vulgar Display of Power in 1992. That album featured the heavy guitar of Abbott, who had assumed the nickname "Dimebag Darrell".
In 1992, Pantera joined with Rob Halford of Judas Priest for the song "Light Comes Out of Black", which was included on the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Soundtrack.
In 2003, Pantera went on an extended hiatus and a year later, Vinnie and Dimebag formed Damageplan. Pat Lachman was brought in to be the lead singer and Bob Zilla played bass. Damageplan released its debut album New Found Power in 2004.
Darrell invited the "scooped" metal sound, which means all the middle notes were cut out, with the high and low notes featured. He played precise staccato and legato riffs. Abbott could do shredding at breakneck speed on one song and then a bluesy ballad the next. He was precise with his rhythm work and he would play harmonics with his whammy bar to create high-pitched squeals.
Abbott also played for other artists, including Ace Frehley, Anthrax and David Allen Coe.
On December 8, 2004, Abbott was shot to death onstage while performing with Damageplan in Columbus, Ohio. Abbott was buried with Eddie Van Halen's black and yellow-striped Charvel guitar, pictured on the album Van Halen II. Dimebag had asked for one of these guitars shortly before he was shot. Van Halen had agreed to make a copy of the guitar for Darrell but upon hearing of his death, offered to place the actual guitar in the casket.
Abbott told Guitar World that if there were no Ace Frehley, there would have been no Dimebag Darrell. He also credits Joe Satriani, Tony Iommi and Pete Willis of Def Leppard with influencing his guitar playing. Abbott used pentatonic scales and pinch harmonics in his playing. Elements of Billy Gibbons and Randy Rhoads could also be heard in Darrell's style.
Dimebag endorsed Dean Guitars in his early days with Pantera. He played a Dean MLwith Bill Lawrence pickups. Abbott signed with Washburn in 1994 but went back to Dean in 2004 shortly before his death. Abbott co-designed the Razorback with Dean, a modified version of the ML. It is more pointed than the ML with extra barbs on the wings.
Dean released a tribute guitar to honor Abbott's death, with the tribute logo on the neck, a razor inlay on the 12th fret, a Dimebucker pickup at the Bridge at a Seymour Duncan 59' at the neck and a Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo.
Guitar World ranked three of Abbott's solos among is Top 100: "Floods", "Cemetery Gates" and "Walk". Darrell wrote a long-running column in Guitar World and his tone was called one of The 50 Greatest Tones of All-Time by Guitar Player magazine. Many other artists, including Buckethead, Nickelback, Ace Frehley and Avenged Sevenfold have done tributes to Abbott.
Dimebag attacked the guitar with passion and emotion with long arpeggio runs. He was a great live performer and a good entertainer. We were only left to wonder how good he would have been had he lived longer. Dimebag Darrell comes in at #36 for the Rock Era*...
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