Slash, Kirk Hammett and Other Rockers Remember Jim Dunlop
Guitarists are continuing to remember the late Jim Dunlop, Sr., the founder of the well-known Dunlop Manufacturing gear company.
Dunlop died yesterday at age 82, but not before changing music with modernized guitar picks and groundbreaking effects pedals like the Cry Baby wah-wah, which was memorably used by both Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.
"It would be difficult to find a guitar player who hasn’t been affected by Jim's thoughtful innovations," the Dunlop company said in an official remembrance. "Ever attentive to their needs, Jim will live on in the many products that he created to provide people with a better playing experience."
Those sentiments were echoed by musicians from across the spectrum.
Slash lamented the loss of an "innovator whose company supplied me with just about every guitar accessory I have ever used." Metallica's Kirk Hammett praised Dunlop as the "purveyor of the cry baby wah pedal." Everyone from bluesman Buddy Guy to Dream Theater's John Petrucci weighed in. The Jimi Hendrix family also sent condolences.
"It’s impossible to overstate the impact of the innovative work of the Crybaby Highlander," Vernon Reid of Living Colour added. Joe Bonamassa called Dunlop a "true legend in this industry." Former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman, Alex Skolnick of Testament fame and Bob Mould also shared their thoughts.