It’s been confirmed that Dimebag Darrell’s flagship Randall signature guitar amp – the iconic Warhead – is going to be revived later this year.
Now, it’s a pretty bare-bones confirmation, to say the least. The only detail available at the moment is a post on the official Dimebag Darrell site, which directs people to a dedicated Warhead Amps website.
There, an image of Dimebag wielding his Dean From Hell awaits, with the Warhead logo and a tantalizing “coming soon” teaser completing the list of information we currently have to go on.
As we said, there’s really not much to pick at – other than the fact the Warhead actually is returning – meaning there’s still room for speculation as to what form the Warhead will take when it officially arrives.
Dimebag had two versions of the Warhead amp built: the flagship unit and the streamlined X2 iteration.
While the logo strongly suggests it’s the former that’s set to be reissued (the X2 opted for a flat metal faceplate instead of the logo), it’s worth noting that Dimebag’s tech Grady Champion once told MusicRadar that the guitarist only used the amp for its clean tones.
So, whether the reissued Warhead will be a like-for-like recreation of that original unit or something that combines the two examples, remains to be seen.
Whatever form it takes, it will be reviving one of the most iconic amps in metal history. Indeed, Dimebag had used the Randall RG100, RG100 HT and Century 200, before collaborating with the brand for both the Warhead and Warhead X2. A variety of Randalls can be heard on Pantera's most famous records, including Vulgur Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven.
Either way, those wishing to keep up to date with the amp can sign up to a mailing list on the new Warhead website.
The Warhead isn’t the only piece of gear from Dimebag’s collection that might be getting a reissue in the foreseeable future. After Dimebag’s estate sued Dean Guitars, it was speculated that the brand's founder Dean Zelinsky – now operating his own brand, Dean Zelinsky Private Label – could be reviving the signature line.
Such speculation increased when Zelinsky shared snaps of a new Razorback earlier this year with the caption, “Working on it”, which followed a post of a custom tour bus that flashed the brand name “Dimebag Guitarz”. Not only that, Zelinsky also had the original Dean From Hell on his workbench earlier this week.
Nothing is official just yet, but all evidence points towards the strong possibility that Dimebag’s Estate has linked up with the former Dean CEO for a new brand dedicated to Dimebag’s iconic guitars.
It’s also becoming more apparent that it is Zelinksy who will be heading up the revival of Dimebag’s signature models as opposed to Zakk Wylde, who once refused to rule out the possibility that his own brand, Wylde Audio, could do the job.
“If we were to ever do something like that, you know, obviously we'd talk with [Dimebag’s longtime girlfriend and trustee of his estate] Rita [Haney] and [ask] whatever she wanted to do,” noted Wylde, who recently wielded a Dean From Hell-inspired Wylde Audio Warhammer.
As such, the best place to keep up to date with those upcoming Dimebag models is Dean Zelinsky’s Instagram page.
