A while ago, a limited-edition version of the Dimebag mini Warhead 40-watt head was unleashed – with only 333 being available. Dime evangelist, YouTuber and all-around good guy Ola Englund did a video on the compact crusher, and as hoped, it sounded really freaking good and looked pretty darned good, too. Plus, the price was, er, right. And, as the Swedish six-stringer sensibly predicted, the 333 sold out instantly.
That said, if – like me – you’re a Dimebag Tone Chaser, and you missed out, don’t fret; a regular production model is coming soon, and it will not be limited. In fact, I just got my eager mitts on one. Here’s the skinny.
It’s a one-channel, 40-watt, solid-state head with a series FX loop on its rear panel. Its front panel controls are the “usual suspects,” namely, from right to left: Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence and Master Volume. On plugging in – without any stompboxes – I was easily able to dial in a nice, tight, Dimebag-like tone with that signature upper-frequency “fry.”
The amp’s fast, punchy response immediately inspired me to butcher all the Dime riffs I know, and I had an absolute blast doing so. Its sleek, black, snakeskin vinyl is a nice touch, too.
According to the Dime camp, this amp is a two-year “labor of love.” Dime’s OG gear was used, and their tonal benchmark/goal was “the Randall RG100 (head) with the parametric and 6-band (graphic EQ) built into the preamp with Darrell’s main settings.” And, obviously, Dime’s legendary tech, Grady Champion, was intimately involved. Respect.
My conclusion? Mission accomplished, team Dime. This is a good-looking, compact, no-frills, Dimebag-inspired tone machine that boasts his iconic signature and a price tag that might surprise you ($529 at the time of writing).
As Champion summed up so succinctly, “Dime would be so proud of us right now. Getcha pull!”
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