# Dean Dime Blacktooth amp?



## Shannon (Jan 25, 2009)

I was searching for NAMM2009 coverage on Youtube & I came across the Dean Dime Blacktooth amp. The same guy who designed Dime's old Randall RG100 heads got together with Grady Champion (Dime's guitar tech) to create an affordable amp that supposedly nails Dime's tone. 

Here's 2 short demo clips....



Here's a longer demo (not the best sound quality) & interview....


MAP Pricing on the Dean Dime Amps
100W Head - List $530.00 / MAP $349.99
412 Cabs (straight or slant) - List $530.00 / MAP $349.99
100W Combo - List $780.00 / MAP $499.99

A lot of the youtube comments say that the cameras didn't capture the true awesomeness of this amp when others heard it live. Not to mention, the price seems very nice. 

Thoughts?


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## I_infect (Jan 25, 2009)

That logo is shameful, I don't care how good the amp sounds. May he rest in peace.


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## ToneCrafter (Jan 25, 2009)

This is great if your in a Pantera cover band. Otherwise....why would you want the exact tone of somebody else? I'd rather have at least some unique qualities of my own.


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## I_infect (Jan 25, 2009)

I always liked his tone... I just don't understand the rampant capitalization of him. Must have been one hell of a contract he signed.


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## Shannon (Jan 25, 2009)

> I just don't understand the rampant capitalization of him


Agreed. For those that buy it, I'm hoping the logo is the first thing to be taken off. 



> why would you want the exact tone of somebody else?


I dunno. Ask everyone who buys sig amps.


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## sworth9411 (Jan 25, 2009)

Shameful but the tone is not as bad as I thought...


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## drenzium (Jan 26, 2009)

The first video sounded exactly...._exactly_...like walk, so thats pretty cool.

But i dont know why anybody except dimebag would want to sound like dimebag.

Just fucking shameful of them for releasing something like this though.


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## I_infect (Jan 26, 2009)

As far as the tone and why, how many of us here have Schecter Loomis, ENGLs, or oranges, or Vaders? Great gear, don't get me wrong. It seems like a great price for a head/cab. BUT jeez that logo looks like a comic book font. If it said 'commemorative dime edition' or something more honorable I'd feel better about it. And he's gone, man ya know? He doesn't have a say anymore. I just hope his fam is getting some proceeds.


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## bulb (Jan 26, 2009)

i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?


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## shockerate (Jan 26, 2009)

Yes.


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## drenzium (Jan 26, 2009)

i agree with bulb, ive never liked his tone, shrilly mid scooping is not my thing. mids = my tone.


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## thesimo (Jan 26, 2009)

it might be good value etc but I couldnt help but feel silly standing infront of that amp playing it. The name on it is too obnoxious


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## Panterica (Jan 26, 2009)

dude! the clean!!! dime's tone. holy shit



bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?


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## bulb (Jan 26, 2009)

drenzium said:


> i agree with bulb, ive never liked his tone, shrilly mid scooping is not my thing. mids = my tone.



yeah all the body of his tone was removed, it was like he took one look at that mid knob and was like "hmm mids? never heard of those, better keep that knob turned down" haha.
but in all seriousness, no disrespect to the dude or his playing, his lead sound was solid and so were his clean tones as well, its just the rhythm tone really, however its not like this isnt the first time i have come across a guitar god who i thought had horrid tone haha!


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## renzoip (Jan 26, 2009)

bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?




Nah... As much I love Dimebag's playing, I was never a fan of his tone. Therefore, I'm not into this amp if that is all it can do.


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## Apophis (Jan 26, 2009)

as always companies make money only  they don't care nothing else


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## loktide (Jan 26, 2009)

at that price, these WILL sell 

Dean made a smart business move to release a dime signature amp at a REALLY affordable price. It's just like line 6 spider amps, which can't sell that bad after they've invested in renewing the series two times already, and come in like 3240932524 wattage and speaker formats...

edit: ...and with 300 artist presets from your favorite generic radio metal bands, ranging from slipknot to emo-core


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## cataclysm_child (Jan 26, 2009)

drenzium said:


> The first video sounded exactly...._exactly_...like walk, so thats pretty cool.



I think it sounded way better, haha.


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## loktide (Jan 26, 2009)

bulb said:


> he took one look at that mid knob and was like "hmm mids? never heard of those, better keep that knob turned down" haha.


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## Benzesp (Jan 26, 2009)

These will sell. Most kids cant afford a $2k or more amp. The tones there, and the price is low. I see them stealing some market share frome Line6 and Crate.


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## thedonutman (Jan 26, 2009)

bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?



I've never liked it much either, and Pantera is one of my favorite bands. But Rex's awesome bass tone makes up for it.


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## Cancer (Jan 26, 2009)

ToneCrafter said:


> This is great if your in a Pantera cover band. Otherwise....why would you want the exact tone of somebody else? I'd rather have at least some unique qualities of my own.



You laugh, we have 2 Pantera tribute bands in Baltimore alone, and they all about the Deans and the Randalls.



bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?



Personally, I LOVED his rhythm tones, but I could definitely see how others might not. That's the great thing about sig tones, they don't have to good or bad, just identifiable.


I just hope whoever gets this amp remembers to get the pickup as well, as Dime, Vinnie, and everyone else involved in getting the post hairmetal Pantera rhythm guitar sound all agree that this was the key to his sound.


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## Randy (Jan 26, 2009)

Jerich _*who's opinion I trust*_ said he heard it while he was there and it was bad.


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## TMM (Jan 26, 2009)

bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?



Definitely not... I thought it was terrible. Ground-breaking phrasing and playing, but terrible tone.


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## maat (Jan 26, 2009)

Don't care if it's put on a silver platter... Shit is not an adequate offering to a god among men.


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## Mattayus (Jan 26, 2009)

bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?



Despite being the biggest Dime fanboy in the room, I hate it as well  I like some of it on Far Beyond Driven, especially on Slaughtered. But generally speaking it's thin, tinny, hissy, and just disgusting! It's basically everything bad about solid states rolled into one 

He'll always be my biggest inspiration, but tone-wise I'm keeping well away!


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## jymellis (Jan 26, 2009)

i dont like the sound, but the head may have looked better if it had said "diamond".


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## TomAwesome (Jan 26, 2009)

I actually thought his tone was starting to get better closer to the end of his career. His tone on the Damageplan album was very Dime, but it was less icepicky and more full. The production may or may not have had a lot to do with it, though.


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## jymellis (Jan 26, 2009)

Cancer said:


> mwuhahaha
> 
> http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/general-music-discussion/66333-funny-pantera-vid.html


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## BlindingLight7 (Jan 26, 2009)

take the logo's off and you have a SS overdriven jcm800 



muahahaha


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## E Lucevan Le Stelle (Jan 26, 2009)

Ooh, though this does seem rather a cash in it does sound rather good  I'm pretty odd I know but I do like Dime's tone, it's not classically "toneful" but it's so aggressive and I can't imagine Pantera sounding any different...


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## loktide (Jan 27, 2009)

BlindingLight7 said:


> take the logo's off and you have a SS overdriven jcm800
> 
> 
> 
> muahahaha





please explain


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## Tukaar (Jan 27, 2009)

Oh my fucking god. Look at the second vid. He had to max out the bass knob to get it to sound decent.

Honestly, this thing doesn't sound any better to me then your standard Crate head.



bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?



I'm the opposite. I somewhat liked his rhythm tone, but his lead tone just made me want to kill myself.

I liked his solos, just not the tone he used on them.


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## Harmonicdoom (Jan 27, 2009)

Hmmm...I won't pass judgement on this untill I hear it for myself. But it could possible serve as a back-up or a replacement for my Envoy...


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## bibz (Jan 29, 2009)

Dime used an rg100 cause he won it in a comp. He ran an mxr 6band boosting the fuck out of the mids into the input, and a parametric eq in the loop along with the flanger/doubler.

I still haven't heard a heavier sounding album then far beyond/vulgar


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## Nick (Jan 29, 2009)

bibz said:


> Dime used an rg100 cause he won it in a comp. He ran an mxr 6band boosting the fuck out of the mids into the input, and a parametric eq in the loop along with the flanger/doubler.
> 
> I still haven't heard a heavier sounding album then far beyond/vulgar



have you heard demigod by behemoth? 

while i am a HUGE fan of both those albums. saying there is nothing heavier than them is a bit of a stretch!


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## zimbloth (Jan 29, 2009)

Yeah Demigod lol, good point. Either that or "Bloodthirst" by CC


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## Decipher (Jan 29, 2009)

I am a very HUGE Dimebag fan, so I'll add my thoughts  :

When I read about this on the Dean Forum, I was skeptical. Dean never doing a line of amps and the whole idea of creating an amp to the artists specs even though he's not with us anymore (God rest his Soul) to contribute his thoughts, etc. is always weird. Just like Marshall creating a Jimi Hendrix amp, Randy Rhoads, etc....... But bringing in the old, retired Randall engineer for the original RG100ES and Dime's original tech Grady "The Champion" really started to get me interested. Randall couldn't quite get it right with the Warhead or X2 (although both were pretty close) and then the whole Krank Krankenstein ordeal was less than favourable (I still think that the amp wasn't quite the way Dime would've liked it but, he passed on and Krank released it anyways). Even though the clips are through a video camera I was almost floored how close it sounded!  IMO, Dean has managed to nail Dime's tone. Cosmetically, I don't like the Dime name on there either, but the amp itself resembles the original RG100ES so closely it is fucking sweet! Everything from the control layout on the front, to the back, even the side handles!

Honestly, I will be trying one out and probably getting a half stack for home use because I do LOVE jamming out Pantera/Damageplan @ home on my Dean Rust Razorback. I agree this amp's not for everyone and is souly meant for the Dime tone. Just gotta love that price tag!! 

Growing up, he was easily the biggest influence on my playing and his Riffer Madness cloumn in GW taught me pretty much everything I know. And I personally loved his tone...... Just a thick wall of sound although scooped and solid state/buzzy I loved it.


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## hanksatskank99 (Apr 24, 2009)

the only reason y I would get that amp and a dean guitar is that I would take the tone of the god that is dimebag is to take it to a whole new level of mastery but that is if I can surpass dime abilaties which I don't think I can yet maybe in like 5 or more years


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## Daemoniac (Apr 24, 2009)

?


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## Fionn (Apr 24, 2009)

> I'm pretty odd I know but I do like Dime's tone, it's not classically "toneful" but it's so aggressive and I can't imagine Pantera sounding any different...



exactly, its not the greatest tone but it was fooking heavy. i think early stuff pre CFH and CFH the tone might be due to production, the whole CFH mix is pretty scooped, but its still a sick album!!!

i love Pantera and Dime, but what really pisses me off is the never ending search for a quick buck off his name, let the man rest! I dont think he really cared about money and fame much he was content to get wrecked and tear it up!

tone wise i think re-inventing is a sick album, well enough mids there! and damageplan too! 

fuck it i'm putting some pantera on


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## Panterica (Apr 24, 2009)

I_infect said:


> That logo is shameful, I don't care how good the amp sounds. May he rest in peace.



shameful as the fuck
everyone wants a dollar, at any expense


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## BurialWithin (Apr 24, 2009)

bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?


 NO his tone sounded like a box with a bunch of plastic wrapped around it if that makes sense it sounded like crap to me with all due respect sir dimebag


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## ccc187307 (Apr 24, 2009)

And yet not one person here even slightly weirded out by the Geritol Groupie getting all frothed up by Grady's massive riffage?

Hey, my 1st post ever!


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## SargeantVomit (Apr 24, 2009)

I think they called it Dime because you have to dime the bass knob for it to sound like Dimebag? Why the fuck would they do that. Either way, Pantera rules.


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## AK DRAGON (Apr 24, 2009)

BurialWithin said:


> NO his tone sounded like a box with a bunch of plastic wrapped around it if that makes sense it sounded like crap to me with all due respect sir dimebag



^^ agreed
It sounds like a$$
POD's sound better


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## scottro202 (Apr 24, 2009)

Mattayus said:


> Despite being the biggest Dime fanboy in the room, I hate it as well  I like some of it on Far Beyond Driven, especially on Slaughtered. But generally speaking it's thin, tinny, hissy, and just disgusting! It's basically everything bad about solid states rolled into one
> 
> He'll always be my biggest inspiration, but tone-wise I'm keeping well away!



dude, your avatar when listenin to Walk is pretty cool man   it's almost exactly in time!!!


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## blackcom (May 27, 2009)

bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?



I guess increasing the mid pot by 2 steps would probably solve it.

I'm getting this amp for my studio. 2 tracks of TC boosted rectifier meshuggah-style and 2 tracks of this Dime amp would probably sound pretty good!


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## MTech (May 27, 2009)

I don't get them saying how they brought some guy in from retirement.. I guess maybe the man himself retired, but the company that made the head for Randall at the time is still making heads and has even stated the Prophecy SS heads are basically a beefed up version of the head Dime played. A lot of the big Dime tone seekers that post on the Dean forum have even brought this up and posted videos on youtube.

It's interesting seeing those settings on the Blacktooth though cause on Dime's amps he had the treble almost all the way up and the bass & mid practically off.


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## CrushingAnvil (May 27, 2009)

bulb said:


> i may be opening pandora's box with this one, but am i the only one here who thinks that dime's tone (especially his rhythm tone) was absolutely horrendous?



Dont worry mate Im not going to fanboy out on you  but I dont think his tone is horrendous, It's fat and his lead tone is pretty sharp - amazing what you can do with a 300 dollar Randall RG300 solidstate head 

I think they nailed his tone but capitalizing on it is just Vulgar, excuse the pun.

Is it the 'Hiss' you find horrendous, Misha?


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## yingmin (May 28, 2009)

I_infect said:


> As far as the tone and why, how many of us here have Schecter Loomis, ENGLs, or oranges, or Vaders?


I'm not quite clear what point you're trying to make here. If you're suggesting that people only buy those pieces of gear because their heroes use them, you might be partially right, but there's a big difference between buying gear designed by an artist, that the artist actually uses to create their tone, and buying something that's simply meant to replicate that tone.


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