The estate of the late, great, guitar legend, Dimebag Darrell has filed a lawsuit against longtime partner Dean Guitars. Dimebag whos real name is Darrell Lance Abbott, was the cofounder one of heavy metal’s most legendary bands, Pantera with his brother drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott. He played Dean guitars since he was 14 yrs old. He was endorsed by Dean Guitars throughout the 90’s when Pantera was at the height of their success. In fact the iconic shredder had just signed a new endorsement deal with Dean three weeks before he was tragically taken from the world by an assassin’s bullet.
The estate of Abbott is in the hands of longtime girlfriend Rita Haney who had this to say about her decision to file suit against Dean Guitars:
“After much consideration, it is with great sadness that I announce the long standing relationship between Dimebag and Dean Guitars is over. Unfortunately, we were forced to file a lawsuit against Dean Guitars on Monday, August 16th, for the reason set forth in the complaint that may be viewed at www.dimebagdarrell.com. It was necessary for us to end Dime’s endorsement of Dean Guitars to continue to honor and celebrate his legacy the way he deserves, and in the way he had laid it out. We do not make this decision lightly and it is with a heavy heart that we share this news with you, Dime’s loyal fans. As you know, after signing the deal with Dean Guitars in 2004, Dime was ecstatic to finally be working with the one and only, Mr. Dean Zelinsky, who’s been gone from the company since 2008. Darrell had voiced several times that it was like going home where he belonged. It was something he was enormously proud of. I have spent days, re-reading through all of Darrell’s guitar notes, lists, letters, and drawings (some not yet released). knowing Darrell’s wishes and seeing them written down on paper, once again, after all these years solidifies that he would not have stayed.
I want to see Dime’s words followed through and to have his legacy reach the level he intended. I made several attempts to amicably settle our dispute with Dean Guitars. however, it became clear to me that Dimebag’s relationship with Dean Guitars had come to an end when the new CEO of Dean Guitars told me that Dime has been dead for 16 years and they could not make the money they once did.. (so basically, he’s used up???) and then continued on to tell me i should go somewhere else. Well… we will! Moving forward, our goal will be to ensure the rightful and respectful celebration of Dime’s legacy and the indelible mark he and his music made on this world. It is with absolute conviction that we say that this can no longer happen whilst continuing to partner with Dean Guitars. As fans, we hope that you feel as we do. Our love for Dime has not wavered in the 16 plus years since his passing and he is still as relevant to us today, despite what we have been told by Dean Guitars. We want to capture the ‘spirit of the deal’ that was discarded by Dean Guitars, like it should have always been done. In this spirit, we soon hope to have more positive news to share with you regarding the future of ‘Dime guitars.’ Dime loved his fans so very much, in return, you guys have never wavered in your loyalty and love for him. We cannot thank you enough for your continued support.
Long live Dimebag Darrell! Getcha pull!”
The dispute centers around the legacy of Dimebag, monies owed for promotional material and ownership of guitar designs. Haney says that current Dean Guitars CEO was “…incredibly disrespectful and often times belligerent to the legacy of Abbott.” Part of the complaint reads, “Given the misdealings uncovered by Ms. Haney, she felt that Dean Guitars had taken complete advantage of Abbott over the years and refused to continue a business relationship with Dean Guitars unless Dean Guitars was willing to right its wrongs.”
Check out the social post by the Dimebag estate below.
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