Dean Guitars responds to the accusations by Dimebag Darrell’s estate: says they are “Baseless”

We reported on our site yesterday that the estate of the late Pantera and Damageplan guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott had sued guitar manufacturer Dean over a dispute over royalties and trademarks.

According to the lawsuit, Dean Guitars is guilty of breaches of contract, allegedly failing to pay for some of Abbott’s promotional material and registering the design and trademark of a Razorback guitar owned by Abbott in its own name. Abbott played guitars made by Dean for most of his career, and made the company’s ML model world famous.

Rita Haney, Abbott’s longtime spouse and heir, accuses Dean of unfair competition, deceptive advertising, trade name counterfeiting, violation of Florida unfair and deceptive trade practices laws and fraud, among other charges.

Haney’s statement can be read in full at dimebagdarrell.com.

Now Evan Rubinson, CEO of Dean Guitars, has issued the following statement on behalf of the company:

“We have always treated Dime and his brother Vinnie with the utmost respect and loyalty. We have enjoyed a long-standing, 17-year relationship with Dime and Vinnie, and continue that relationship with Vinnie’s estate on the ddrum side. We are shocked and saddened to see the actions that Ms. Haney has taken after both the Abbott brothers have tragically passed away, and we wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

“However, it is unfortunate that Ms. Haney has allowed her unrealistic demands and accusations to dictate the future of the Dimebag Darrell legacy in the absence of Dime’s immediate family. Dean Guitars is proud to have played a role in ensuring Dime’s legacy not only survived, but thrived over the past 17 years. We have stood by the estate through good and bad. Ms. Haney’s claims — across the board — are baseless, without any merit, and not grounded in reality. We will allow the full truth to come out as the legal process takes its course.”