SOUND CHECK

LOTS OF DIME TO SPARE

VOL. 46 | NO. 2 | FEBRUARY 2025

DEFENDERS of the Faith

Pete Vadelnieks AGE: 39 GUITARS: Gibson

READER ART OF THE MONTH

AND GET THE LATEST GUITAR NEWS, INSIDER UPDATES, STAFF REPORTS AND MORE!

PEDAL PAWN

In what feels like no time at all, Pedal Pawn has become one of the hottest new names in the biz, and for all the right reasons. If you’re looking to nail the tones of Jimi and SRV, look no further

RANDY JACKSON

Forgotten heroes of 1980s rock, power-trio Zebra — led by singer/guitarist Randy Jackson — kept the spirit of Zeppelin, Hendrix and Cream alive. These days,family man Jackson is busy shaping up the group’s first album in two decades

THE ART OF Myles Kennedy

We’ve been saying it for years, but the man best known for his soaring vocals with Slash and Alter Bridge also happens to be one hell of a guitar player. On his new album, he busts out his riffs, his roar and his signature PRS

FAR BEYOND RELEVANT

An all-star panel of six-string superstars — including Zakk Wylde, Kerry King, Marty Friedman, Glenn Tipton, Alex Skolnick, Nita Strauss, Scott Ian, Bill Kelliher and Chris Broderick — explain why Dimebag Darrell is still so relevant 20 years after his tragic death

SHINY DIME

How Rita Haney, Dimebag’s soulmate and partner in crime, keeps the late guitarist’s memory burning more brightly than ever

MOUTH FOR WAR!

Meet the Dimebag mini Warhead 40-watt amp head

COVER MODELS

METAL DAVE MEDIA (CHAMPION) MATTHEW OWEN (AMP) FUTURE

THE ART OF SHREDDING

Dime’s friends, bandmates, peers and admirers choose their favorite Dimebag Darrell guitar solo

A DATE TO REMEMBER

How Pantera producer Terry Date captured Dimebag Darrell’s six-string mastery on tape

MASTER THE MOMENT

How Dimebag’s “Floods” outro was re-recorded at (literally) the last minute

THE BEST OF RIFFER MADNESS

Select highlights from Dimebag Darrell’s legendary Guitar World column, all of which focus on the as-important-as-ever arts of riffing and rhythm work

DEAR DIME...

Dimebag Darrell loved digging into his “Feedback Sack” and answering readers’ questions. Here are some of the best Q’s and A’s from his Riffer Madness days

HOW I PLAY "5 MINUTES ALONE"

A Riffer Madness recap jam session

WHAT'S NEW

AKG C414 XLS and XLII AKG’s C414 range

ELECTRIC GUITARS

Dean Vengeance Select Floyd Fluence Charcoal Burst By

ACOUSTIC & LIVE GEAR

Bourgeois Touchstone Signature OM By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar

AMPS

Blackstar HT Series MKIII HT-20, HT-5 and HT-1

PEDALS

Boss BP-1W Booster/Preamp By Chris Gill, Guitar World,

ACCESSORIES

Nakupenda Guitar Stool By Jimmy Leslie, Guitar Player

Heavy-Duty Nostalgia

TAKING THE WORLD BY STORM WITH THEIR REFRESHING TAKE ON SOUNDS OF THE PAST, THE HEAVY HEAVY ARE HERE TO MAKE NOSTALGIA ACCESSIBLE AGAIN

MY PEDALBOARD

DUANE BETTS

Frozen Crown

THE ITALIAN POWER METAL SHREDDERS RETURN WITH A NEW, THIRD GUITARIST ON THEIR IMPRESSIVE LATEST ALBUM

Cacophony

IN A TRULY ONE-OF-A-KIND INTERVIEW, CACOPHONY’S JASON BECKER AND MARTY FRIEDMAN LOOK BACK ON THE MAKING OF 1988’S GO OFF! — ONE OF THE EIGHTIES’ MOST IN-YOUR-FACE GUITAR EXTRAVAGANZAS

Lizzard

FIVE ALBUMS IN, THE EUROPEAN ART-ROCK TRIO ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR NEW WAYS TO EXPAND THEIR SOUND

Repeat When Necessary

WHEN HE WASN’T BUSY RECORDING THAT ONE CLASSIC ALBUM WITH ROCKPILE, SESSION GREAT BILLY BREMNER WAS GUESTING ON COUNTLESS RECORDINGS, INCLUDING THE PRETENDERS’ LEARNING TO CRAWL AND NICK LOWE’S “CRUEL TO BE KIND”

INQUIRER

TORSTEN KINSELLA

My Favorite Riffs: Eric Gales

THE INNOVATIVE SOUTHPAW CHOOSES THE FIVE RIFFS THAT STOPPED HIM IN HIS TRACKS — PLUS OPENING FOR ROBIN TROWER, MEETING SRV AND THE MAGIC OF BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

THE WOODSHED

COURTESY OF ANDY WOOD For video of this

TALES FROM NERDVILLE

JEFF FASANO/GUITAR WORLD For video of this lesson,

TELE-PATHY

JIM OBLON For video of this lesson, go

HARDWIRED

DAVID McCLISTER For video of this lesson, go

Performance Notes

HOW TO PLAY THIS MONTH’S SONGS

“EVEN FLOW” (CORRECTION FOR MAY 2024 ISSUE, PAGE 100)

Pearl Jam

POWER TOOLS

1964–82 AMPLIFIER FENDER CHAMP/ VIBRO-CHAMP 1967-80 FENDER BRONCO CATEGORY: COMBO

“5 MINUTES ALONE” Pantera

guitars are tuned down one whole step (low

“EMOTION SICKNESS” Queens of the Stone Age

As heard on IN TIMES NEW ROMAN… Words and Music by JOSHUA HOMME, DEAN FERTITA, TROY VAN LEEUWEN, MICHAEL SHUMAN and JON THEODORE • Transcribed by JEFF PERRIN

“DEAD & BLOATED” Stone Temple Pilots