These types of debates always ends up the same way in my experience š
It’s all a matter of taste. It’s like saying the color blue is better or worse than the color green in a sense.
IMO Dimebag had a very unique style, and a very, very unique tone.
Very recognizable. His technique was one thing, but above all was his
tone and timing. Compared with Paul Gilbert I find him much more interesting,
since Gilbert’s tone and tech might be good (or for certain things even superior to DbD),
but he is about as interesting timing-wise as a waltz.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing Gilbert’s technique, speed, tone or vibrato,
but his improvisations are very very one-dimensional and always sound the same
regardless of style he plays over, because of his one-dimensional timing.
Dimebag was also very niched in his playing for sure, but he explored more venues
within that frame that a guy like Gilbert ever did.
Most of these guys, like Gilbert, Satriani, DbD or Vai are great in their own right,
and should be viewed as being Picasso’s with their own unique style.
However, they are all (Vai least so) equally bad at doing anything apart form that Picasso.
They are in no sense like Michelangelo, that was as good a sculptor, architect, painter and engineer.
Vai has done most outside his “Picasso” frame, that’s for sure.
But, compared with guys like Andy Timmons or Guthrie Govan, that more resemble a “Michelangelo”,
they aren’t as broad. On the flip-side however. How many people could tell a work of Michelangelo apart from the works of say Rembrant, Da Vinci or such (had they not already seen the piece).
Same thing with guys like Timmons and Guthrie, people do nto see them as being as recognizable
when hearing them play, because their broadness at the same time makes them less personal
(they do also have their unique “Picasso” style as well of course, not just as outspoken as the aforementioned guys).
To conclude, this is also IMO the reason with guys like Dime continue to sell albums and guitars
in particular (same with Hendrix for instance) after their death. Not because they could play anything,
or were the greatest technicians or masters of their instrument. No, because they were true
“picassos”, and thus more “sell-able”. almost ANYONE will recognize the style of Picasso,
but very few that are not artists can tell apart the renaissance masters.
Same with music and guitar. Anyone will recognize DImebags squeals and razor blade tone,
Hendrix playing or Vai’s style. Very few will hear that it is Andy Timmons doing his SRV style, or Guthrie playing Knopfler lines.
Interesting debate though, but I think we all need to put things in a broader perspective to really be able to debate the question posed by Goliath.
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