Tone Profile

The lead guitar tone is aggressive, high-gain, and articulate, perfect for fast-shredding and heavy riffs. It's a quintessential late 80s/early 90s metal sound, with a biting edge and plenty of sustain.

Production Credits

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• Dimebag often used a combination of direct amp recording and mic'd cabinet, blending the signals for added thickness and clarity.
• His signature sound involved scooping the mids on the amp and boosting the highs and lows, creating a distinct 'scooped mids' metal tone.

Recreation Tips

• Start with a high-output humbucker-equipped guitar into a high-gain tube amplifier.
• Experiment with scooping the mids on your amp's EQ, but be careful not to overdo it, as it can make the tone sound thin.
• Use a noise gate to control any unwanted noise from the high-gain amp setting.
• Consider using a wah pedal for added expression and dynamics.

Original Gear

• Dean ML(guitar)
• Randall RG100H(amp)
• Shure SM57(mic)
• MXR EVH 90 Phase 90(pedal)
• Dime Distortion MXR Custom Audio Electronics(pedal)