Buddy “Blaze” Webster , designer of Dimebag Darrell ’s Dean From Hell , died last weekend. The cause of death has not been revealed.
The designer, who was also a childhood friend of Dimebag, was the mind behind the musician's iconic guitar – pictured above – and has spent the last few months trying to revive a lawsuit against Dean Guitars , claiming that the company copied his design, infringing copyright law.
The lawsuit (via Guitar World ) was first filed in April 2017 by Webster, alleging that he never received financial compensation for his creation, as well as other collaborations for Dean Guitars. Webster included not only the company in the lawsuit, but also Dimebag's estate, which eventually led Vinnie Paul Abbott – who passed away in June 2018 – to testify against him.
Webster lost the lawsuit in 2018 when the court ruled in favor of the company and Dimebag's estate, arguing that the accusation had expired, exceeding the limit set by US law, and therefore could not proceed with the lawsuit. Now, Dean Guitars is facing another lawsuit, this time from Dimebag's own family.
Despite the problems he's had recently, Webster has always been well-liked by friends and colleagues in the industry, including Dimebag.
Rest in peace, Buddy “Blaze” Webster.
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