Riff Tone
Cowboys from Hell (Demo)
Pantera
Guitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarDean ML Standard (likely early 80s, possibly sunburst or black finish, as used by Dimebag Darrell on demos pre-1990)
AmpRandall RG-100ES solid-state head
PickupsBill Lawrence L-500XL (bridge position, high output blade humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain8.5
bass6
mid3.5
treble7.5
reverb0
presence7.5
Effects & Signal Chain
eqFurman Furman PQ-3 Parametric EQ
eqMXR MXR 6-Band Graphic EQ
noise_gateBoss Boss Noise Gate (likely NS-2 or similar)
Notes
Studio demo recording, circa 1989-1990. Dimebag used his old RG-100 stack, Furman PQ-3 parametric EQ, MXR 6-band graphic EQ, and a Boss Noise Gate for the demo sessions. No evidence of live rig or later signature amps on this demo. All gear confirmed for demo sessions, not just album or live use.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsrazor-sharp attackaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationdry, focused rhythmminimal ambiencecrushing solid-state distortionhigh-output bridge pickup clarity
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, precise alternate picking and aggressive palm muting at high speed, with tight rhythm and muting control typical of groove metal. The syncopated patterns and percussive attack make it challenging for most players.
Sources
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Create Free AccountGuitarmetal1990s
Original Gear
GuitarDean ML Standard (likely early 80s, possibly sunburst or black finish, as used by Dimebag Darrell on demos pre-1990)
AmpRandall RG-100ES solid-state head
PickupsBill Lawrence L-500XL (bridge position, high output blade humbucker)
Amp Settings
gain8.5
bass6
mid3.5
treble7.5
reverb0
presence7.5
Effects & Signal Chain
eqFurman Furman PQ-3 Parametric EQ
eqMXR MXR 6-Band Graphic EQ
noise_gateBoss Boss Noise Gate (likely NS-2 or similar)
Notes
Studio demo recording, circa 1989-1990. Dimebag used his old RG-100 stack, Furman PQ-3 parametric EQ, MXR 6-band graphic EQ, and a Boss Noise Gate for the demo sessions. No evidence of live rig or later signature amps on this demo. All gear confirmed for demo sessions, not just album or live use.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsrazor-sharp attackaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationarticulate note separationdry, focused rhythmminimal ambiencecrushing solid-state distortionhigh-output bridge pickup clarity
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, precise alternate picking and aggressive palm muting at high speed, with tight rhythm and muting control typical of groove metal. The syncopated patterns and percussive attack make it challenging for most players.
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