astrozombie
KatyPerryologist
Why did he leave and then come back?:eek13:
and which models are better, his Washburn signatures, or his Dean models?
and which models are better, his Washburn signatures, or his Dean models?
Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
- Thread starter astrozombie
- Start date
astrozombie
KatyPerryologist
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
Really!?
i didnt know that...
anyone else?
Really!?
i didnt know that...
anyone else?
astrozombie
KatyPerryologist
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
but dudes, it doesnt make any sense, he still owned his deans right?
why didnt he play them?
but dudes, it doesnt make any sense, he still owned his deans right?
why didnt he play them?
astrozombie
KatyPerryologist
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
Lol
+1
Lol
+1
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
I know the singer of Damageplan, Pat. I was hanging out with Pat, and his brother was my singer during time Damageplan was forming. During the time Pantera was over and Damageplan was forming, all the music companies knew Dime would make a big comeback with the new band, so Washburn, Randall, Mesa, Krank, Jackson, Guyatone, Planet Waves, and several other companies were sending them anything they wanted, box after box, after box, after box.
Seeing how much free stuff was bestowed upon them, it's no surprise that they signed whatever endorsement contracts they felt like.....it just meant free boxes of stuff. That's really the truth.
As for what he played.....it has to do with companies expecting you to perform and be seen with their gear. I'm sure Dime loved his old Deans, but with Washburn agreeing to stamp the Dime name on tons of guitars, and give him free guitars and maybe money too.....I'm sure his Washburn guitars played just as good or better, plus they're advertising his name. It's all business.
I know the singer of Damageplan, Pat. I was hanging out with Pat, and his brother was my singer during time Damageplan was forming. During the time Pantera was over and Damageplan was forming, all the music companies knew Dime would make a big comeback with the new band, so Washburn, Randall, Mesa, Krank, Jackson, Guyatone, Planet Waves, and several other companies were sending them anything they wanted, box after box, after box, after box.
Seeing how much free stuff was bestowed upon them, it's no surprise that they signed whatever endorsement contracts they felt like.....it just meant free boxes of stuff. That's really the truth.
As for what he played.....it has to do with companies expecting you to perform and be seen with their gear. I'm sure Dime loved his old Deans, but with Washburn agreeing to stamp the Dime name on tons of guitars, and give him free guitars and maybe money too.....I'm sure his Washburn guitars played just as good or better, plus they're advertising his name. It's all business.
Last edited:
Closed Eye
New member
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
The Washburn Culprit was pretty freakin' awesome.
The Washburn Culprit was pretty freakin' awesome.
cvansickle
New member
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
You want Dime? Sheesh, between the Dean, Krank and MXR booths at the recent NAMM show, they were all whoring his name and likeness. That name will be used in endorsements until the last worm eats!
You want Dime? Sheesh, between the Dean, Krank and MXR booths at the recent NAMM show, they were all whoring his name and likeness. That name will be used in endorsements until the last worm eats!
jmh151
Active member
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
Dime's first guitar when he was 16 was a Dean ML- he's said in interviews that he thought it was the coolest guitar out there and wanted it. After that he'd go around to pawn shops to try to find more before he got signed. Dimebag liked them so much that he had the Dean logo tatooed on himself. He also met Dean Zelinshy when he was young and felt great loyalty to Dean guitars.
In the 80's Dean Zelinsky sold the company to some import company, and instead of continuing to make the high quality american made deans, they made very cheap low quality imports. Soon after that Dean went out of business. The name was later sold to Armadillo music, who would later on start making high quality import Deans in the late 90's.
Dimebag continued to play the 3 Deans he had, but after touring they tiik alot of abuse. He needed more but Dean wasn't around, so he went to Washburn to make him copies.
Dean Zelinsky left guitar making to make furniture. He got mad that Washburn copied his ML design, down to the headstock, so within a few years he went to Armadillo music to start the Dean USA guitars up again. Within a year or so Dimebag's contract with Washburn was up. Washburn wanted to keep Dimebag, after meeting with Dean Zelinzky and learning Dean USA was back up and running, re wouldn't renew his contract with Washburn and went over to Dean. There's a video interview with Dimebag right before his death where he goes into detail why he was very happy to be working with Dean Zelinsky who was now again building the guitars he grew up with.
I played the USA made Dimebag Washburns. They are very finely made guitars, and I wish I bought the use one I saw when I had the chance. I've played other recent USA made Deans, and they were very high quality, better than PRS.
The import Dean Dime signatures are good guitars for the money, but don't compare to the USA made Washburns. I suspect the USA made Dean signatures are as good as, if not better than, the USA made Washburns.
Dime's first guitar when he was 16 was a Dean ML- he's said in interviews that he thought it was the coolest guitar out there and wanted it. After that he'd go around to pawn shops to try to find more before he got signed. Dimebag liked them so much that he had the Dean logo tatooed on himself. He also met Dean Zelinshy when he was young and felt great loyalty to Dean guitars.
In the 80's Dean Zelinsky sold the company to some import company, and instead of continuing to make the high quality american made deans, they made very cheap low quality imports. Soon after that Dean went out of business. The name was later sold to Armadillo music, who would later on start making high quality import Deans in the late 90's.
Dimebag continued to play the 3 Deans he had, but after touring they tiik alot of abuse. He needed more but Dean wasn't around, so he went to Washburn to make him copies.
Dean Zelinsky left guitar making to make furniture. He got mad that Washburn copied his ML design, down to the headstock, so within a few years he went to Armadillo music to start the Dean USA guitars up again. Within a year or so Dimebag's contract with Washburn was up. Washburn wanted to keep Dimebag, after meeting with Dean Zelinzky and learning Dean USA was back up and running, re wouldn't renew his contract with Washburn and went over to Dean. There's a video interview with Dimebag right before his death where he goes into detail why he was very happy to be working with Dean Zelinsky who was now again building the guitars he grew up with.
I played the USA made Dimebag Washburns. They are very finely made guitars, and I wish I bought the use one I saw when I had the chance. I've played other recent USA made Deans, and they were very high quality, better than PRS.
The import Dean Dime signatures are good guitars for the money, but don't compare to the USA made Washburns. I suspect the USA made Dean signatures are as good as, if not better than, the USA made Washburns.
AdmiralB
New member
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
Was Armadillo the company Elliott Rubenstein started? Elliott owned the Thoroughbred Music chain in Florida, I used to do a lot of business with them and in '96 Elliott told me he had acquired the Dean name and intellectual property, etc. He started a little shop in Florida making USA Deans, and as you say, good-quality imports. IIRC he hired Zelinsky back in '97, him having got over the nose candy issues that cost him the company in the first place (not to be hard on Dean, it happened to others too - Dennis Berardi and Kramer for one).
Was Armadillo the company Elliott Rubenstein started? Elliott owned the Thoroughbred Music chain in Florida, I used to do a lot of business with them and in '96 Elliott told me he had acquired the Dean name and intellectual property, etc. He started a little shop in Florida making USA Deans, and as you say, good-quality imports. IIRC he hired Zelinsky back in '97, him having got over the nose candy issues that cost him the company in the first place (not to be hard on Dean, it happened to others too - Dennis Berardi and Kramer for one).
jmh151
Active member
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
I don't know anything about Elliot Rubenstein or the nose candy rumors, and who knows if that was true. I think the rest sounds true as there's no indication that Dean Zelinsky is an owner of Dean today, just that he's working with them
AdmiralB said:
I don't know anything about Elliot Rubenstein or the nose candy rumors, and who knows if that was true. I think the rest sounds true as there's no indication that Dean Zelinsky is an owner of Dean today, just that he's working with them
sufferinrewind
New member
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
No. His father bought him a USA ML and he won one at a competition the same day, I believe. He sold one of 'em and kept one of 'em. He said he hated one of them because it was ugly, but it sounded better. He sold the "ugly" one to buy a car. He later came across it again when he found out a friend of his had aquired the very same one that he'd sold. He had it refinished in blue and black with lightning bolts and had a Floyd Rose bridge put in it. Soon after, he met Dean Z. while he was in a guitar shop testing amps. He was playing what was now the Dean From Hell. Dime cranked the amp. Dean was speaking with the store manager or owner in the back of the store, but he heard Dime playing, and he came out to the floor. He saw his guitar with a crazy paint job and a Floyd Rose bridge. Then he asked Dime why he messed up such a wonderfully perfect guitar. I forgot what Dime's response was. It's in a video on the Dean website.
dgk2448 said:
No. His father bought him a USA ML and he won one at a competition the same day, I believe. He sold one of 'em and kept one of 'em. He said he hated one of them because it was ugly, but it sounded better. He sold the "ugly" one to buy a car. He later came across it again when he found out a friend of his had aquired the very same one that he'd sold. He had it refinished in blue and black with lightning bolts and had a Floyd Rose bridge put in it. Soon after, he met Dean Z. while he was in a guitar shop testing amps. He was playing what was now the Dean From Hell. Dime cranked the amp. Dean was speaking with the store manager or owner in the back of the store, but he heard Dime playing, and he came out to the floor. He saw his guitar with a crazy paint job and a Floyd Rose bridge. Then he asked Dime why he messed up such a wonderfully perfect guitar. I forgot what Dime's response was. It's in a video on the Dean website.
Closed Eye
New member
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
Even though I enjoy listening to metal I don't play metal, and have no use for a floyd really, but I'd buy the guitar in a second if Wasburn reissued it. The control setup is sweet, the body shape is crazy sexy, and the headstock is quite singular. Doesn't some guy from a power metal band use one? Maybe he'll make the design popular again.
ex-250 said:
Even though I enjoy listening to metal I don't play metal, and have no use for a floyd really, but I'd buy the guitar in a second if Wasburn reissued it. The control setup is sweet, the body shape is crazy sexy, and the headstock is quite singular. Doesn't some guy from a power metal band use one? Maybe he'll make the design popular again.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: Why Did Dimebag Leave Dean for Washburn?
Ok, I just read the DFH story again yesterday, so here's the real version....
He begged his dad for one. Dad ended up buying it for him. Dime won the second one in a contest a short time later (not the same day). He was 16, and wanted a car, and decided to sell one of the guitars. He liked the contest guitar better, but didn't wanna bum his dad out, so he sold the contest one for $600. Years later, he saw it in a shop, after someone had painted the lightning bolts on it. Dime ordered a custom axe from the shop owner, who never got around to doing it, and eventually gave him the lightning bolt guitar (the DFH), and informed him that it was his original one.
The Washburn thing probably had a lot to do with his use of Randall amps, and the fact that they're owned by the same people.
Ok, I just read the DFH story again yesterday, so here's the real version....
He begged his dad for one. Dad ended up buying it for him. Dime won the second one in a contest a short time later (not the same day). He was 16, and wanted a car, and decided to sell one of the guitars. He liked the contest guitar better, but didn't wanna bum his dad out, so he sold the contest one for $600. Years later, he saw it in a shop, after someone had painted the lightning bolts on it. Dime ordered a custom axe from the shop owner, who never got around to doing it, and eventually gave him the lightning bolt guitar (the DFH), and informed him that it was his original one.
The Washburn thing probably had a lot to do with his use of Randall amps, and the fact that they're owned by the same people.
