Unbelievably, 20 years have come and gone since we lost Dimebag Darrell, who – besides being a bona fide guitar hero – was a great friend of this magazine and its readers.
Over the span of 29 pages in this special issue, Nick Bowcott (of Grim Reaper fame) does a fantastic job of illustrating that friendship – especially via the reappearance of Dime’s classic GW column, Riffer Madness (and its “Dear Dime” variants).
Bowcott worked with Dimebag to make Riffer Madness (as well as several Pantera features) a reality all those years ago, so he adds a bit of “I was there” street cred to the proceedings.
Be sure to check out his tale of the day The Great Southern Trendkill was mastered and the Floods outro had to be re-recorded on the fly. In fact, here's what we've got, Dimebag-wise:
>>> The Best of Riffer Madness: Select highlights from Dimebag Darrell's classic GW column, all of which focus on the as-important-as-ever arts of riffing and rhythm work – with tab and audio!
>>> Master the moment: Bowcott and Dimebag tell the story of the night Pantera's Floods needed an incredibly last-minute overdub in New York City – literally while the album was being mastered.
>>> Dear Dime...: Dimebag Darrell loved digging through his "Feedback Sack" and answering readers' questions. Here are some of the best Q's and A's from his Riffer Madness days. With tab and audio.
>>> How I play 5 Minutes Alone: It's exactly what it sounds like – Dimebag tells you how he played Pantera's 5 Minutes Alone live on stage, minus the guitar overdubs of the recorded version.
>>> 5 Minutes Alone transcribed: You betcha!
>>> A Date to remember: How Pantera producer Terry Date captured Dimebag's six-string mastery on tape.
>>> Cover Models with Zakk Wylde: Zakk revisits his March 2003 GW cover shoot with Dimebag.
>>> Mouth for War: An exclusive review of the new Dimebag mini Warhead 40-watt amp.
PLUS! A who's who of guitar stars – from Zakk to Kerry King to Glenn Tipton to Nita Strauss, Alex Skolnick, Jim Dunlop, Mark Morton, Scott Ian, Bill Kelliher, Gary Holt and more – explain why Dime is still relevant (while also choosing their favorite Dime guitar solo).
This issue – aka the menacing February 2025 issue of Guitar World – is available right here, right now!
Hold on, now! There's also this other stuff...
>>> Marty Friedman & Jason Becker: The former Cacophony duo revisit their 1988 album, Go Off!
>>> Myles Kennedy: We've been saying it for years, but the Slash and Alter Bridge singer is one hell of a guitarist.
>>> Randy Jackson: A rare interview with the Zebra guitarist.
>>> Pedal Pawn: The Gear Hunter checks in with this on-the-rise UK-based maker of feisty pedals that help you nail SRV's tone.
Plus new interviews with Duane Betts (who shows us his pedalboard), the Heavy Heavy's Georgie Fuller & William Turner, plus Eric Gales, Frozen Crown, elusive session great Billy Bremner (of Rockpile and Pretenders fame), Torsten Kinsella and more.
Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the Fender Champ, Fender Vibro-Champ and Fender Bronco and review all this cool stuff:
>>> Supro Black Magick Reverb TB
>>> Vox Valvenergy 2nd Series pedals
>>> ESP LTD Deluxe EC-01FT solidbody electric
>>> Bog Street guitar picks
>>> Yamaha TAG3 C TransAcoustic Guitar
We have new columns by Joe Bonamassa, Jared James Nichols, Jim Oblon and Andy Wood, plus transcriptions of 5 Minutes Alone by Pantera, Emotion Sickness by Queens of the Stone Age and Dead & Bloated by Stone Temple Pilots.
The Ultimate Gear Guide!
This issue also includes the 2024 Ultimate Gear Guide! This jam-packed special 56-page section features our expert reviews of the best electric guitars, acoustic guitars, amps and pedals, as featured in GW and Guitar Player this past year.
Here’s a small sample of reviews you’ll find in the issue:
Electric Guitars:
Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1963 SG Custom
Fender 70th Anniversary Antigua Stratocaster
Knaggs SSC-J Steve Stevens Signature
PRS SE CE24, Custom 24 and Swamp Ash
Reverend Chris Freeman Signature
Yamaha Pacifica Professional
Acoustic Guitars
Bourgeois Touchstone Signature OM
Taylor Guitars 222ce K DLX
Amplifiers
Fender Tone Master Pro and FR-10 Powered Cabinet
Taylor Circa 74 acoustic amp
Effect Pedals
Donner/Third Man Hardware Triple Threat
EHX Lizard King Bass Octave Fuzz
Interstellar Audio Machines Supernova Zoeldrive
Keeley Angry Orange, Blues Disorder & Super Rodent pedals
UAFX Lion ’68 Super Lead Amp pedal
Warm Audio Warm Bender & RingerBringer pedal
You can buy new issues of Guitar World at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Hudson News, Books a Million and other stores – and online from Magazines Direct. And, while you're at it, why not save on every issue by subscribing?
