Jackson Randy Rhoads RR1

The Jackson Randy Rhoads RR1 Guitar

Jackson Guitars

Jackson is a string manufacturer of Bass and Electric Guitars founded by  Grover Jackson in 1978 while being part owner of the Charvel Guitar Repair company in the 1970s.

After filing for bankruptcy, Charvel sold their interest to Grover Jackson so as to hold full title over the Charvel name and Company.

The 1990s started seeing changes in the trends in music and musicians. While there was still the need for high-end American -made instruments, companies like Jackson were trying to capture the lower-end buyers by making inexpensive Asian-made versions of their designs.

In 2002 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation purchased Jackson and Charvel Guitars and is manufacturing these “Fender-era instruments” in the USA and Mexico plants and sub-contracting out in Indonesia and China for the “lower-priced budget” Instruments.

For many years, Grover Jackson has run a successful company, sub-contracting and doing research/design consultancy while working with former Fender Senior Vice President Jon Gold. Grover Jackson is now co-owner of a new brand of Guitars in Orange County, California, called the GJ2.

Randy Rhoads

Randall (William) Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) was an American heavy metal guitarist and songwriter who quickly rose to fame playing with the former frontman Ozzy Osbourne of the Metal Group Black Sabbath from the age of 23 to 25.

Ozzy was removed from his former bandmates, and in 1979 was looking to form a new band and establish his brand without Sabbath. He was auditioning for a guitarist in Los Angeles before returning to England.

Randy played in a local LA scene at night with a group named Quiet Riot, co-formed by himself and a friend.

Quiet Riot quickly shot to the top of the LA club circuit and, by late 1976, were signed by CBS/Sony Records.

Randy was just 20 years old.

The group had a solid fan base in Los Angeles and released only two albums, Quiet Riot and Quiet Riot 2, in Japan.

Randy was also creating a following with his custom-built “Polka-dot Not Gibson Theme flying V “ and Fans of his “Polka-dot/Bow Tie and Vests” attire he wore on stage, as many fans would show up wearing. 

After reluctantly but handly taking over the spot as the new Prince of Darkness lead guitarist in late 1979, Randy left Quiet Riot and spent much of 1980 touring Europe with his new boss, playing his custom-built V-shaped Guitar to record audiences.

Classical Training

Randy was initially trained as a classical guitarist but quickly became interested in the electric after being exposed to Alice Cooper.

This Classical guitar influence, along with his exposure to heavy metal, helped form a style of guitar playing later known as Neoclassical metal, a title that Yngwie Malmsteen holds today.

Randy’s career span lasted only 10 years, from 1972-1982.

On March 19, 1982, the Artist died in a plane crash over Florida and was only 25 years old.

In his short but bright career, many still considered him a pivotal figure of the 1980s metal movement, giving rise to…

• Technical fast guitar solos
• Now familiar two-handed tapping
• Tremolo bar dive bombs
• Intricate scale patterns and power riffs.

Rhoads was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on October 30, 2021.

Inspiration For The First Initial Jackson Guitar

Ozzy booked his newfound talent on the Concorde back to the states in late December 1980, fresh off a European tour.

As soon as Rhoads arrived back in California, the Artist contacted Grover Jackson directly at the guitar makers shop in San Dimas, as he explains to Premier Guitar Magazine…

“He brought a little scrap of paper that had four to five line drawings, saying, ‘this is kinda what I want this guitar to look like.”

About transforming his scribbled sketches into reality for a concept instrument that would have…

• An Asymmetrical V Shape with the bottom wing shorter than the top
• A neck-through-body construction with the neck being elongated into the maple centre core and run down to the Guitar’s tailpiece.
• White finish with pinstripes
• A distinctive angled headstock, basically a modern tweak on the Gibson Explorer design.

This instrument was not only to be the first Jackson Rhoads Guitar but the First Jackson Guitar, period.

Labelled with the new brand, the now-famous “Jackson” logo would appear on a guitar’s headstock for the first time. (See the below image)

Why Not Charvel?

This new concept guitar would be a stark contrast to the Charvel brand.

The Charvel guitars were best known for more “Strat-style” designed models.

The new guitar maker later admitted he was concerned about jeopardizing the Charvel name by placing an untested prototype instrument in the brand’s lineup.

Jackson elected to label them under his name with the Artist’s blessing.

Looking back, Grover Jackson needn’t have worried, for the RR model is still strong and is available in many variations today.

So with the collaborative efforts between Rhoads, Tim Wilson and Mike Shannon (Charvel Guitars), a white pin-striped, asymmetrical Flying V prototype was built in 1980.

The Guitar featured

• A Maple body
• Maple neck-through designed 
• Ebony fretboard,
• Medium frets,
• Fat neck profile
• Compound radius Fingerboard (12 to 16″)-Still used today.
• Stratocaster style tremolo and a
• Pair of Seymour Duncan’s buckers- with a “Distortion” model in the bridge position and a “Jazz.” -Is still used today.

The First Prototype

Taking delivery of the prototype while touring Europe in early 1981, the Artist was to test out the new build design but found it to be less than perfect.

Aside from some playability issues, Randy struggled to reach the neck’s upper frets and disliked how far the fretboard would go into the body design, along with the weight of his more petite frame. (See the below Image)

Not to mention that some people thought he chopped up a Gibson Flying “V” to create this new design and were less than favourable.

So plans were made to modify the specification and design.

The Second Prototype

Concorde MKII

Randy’s feeling that the design was not distinctive enough from the traditional shape of the Flying V, in October of ’81, the Artist’s and Jackson’s solution was to elongate the top “horn” and shorten the lower body point to make it look even less like a modified Flying V and resemble more of a Sharks Fin, along with giving the instrument a slimmer, sharper body points and overall sleeker look.

This second prototype was Black with a Gold pickguard, a Fixed Tailpiece with Strings anchored into the body. It featured Grover Locking Tuners, Inverted Shark Fin Inlays and Seymour Duncan Humbucking Pickups. (see image below)

Randy took delivery of Concorde MKII on December 27 of the same year.

This Guitar would later be known as the RRT production model.

Two More Prototypes Commissioned – 4 In All

Concorde MKIII & MKIV

The Concorde MKIII was again a string-through-body example but was white with Gold Hardware and Shark Fin inlays.

The MKIV was another Black and Gold Hardware Tremolo Bridge Model with ArtistFin inlays. (See photo)

Sadly, the Artist could not test and critique the last two concept guitars.

The MKIII & MKIV prototypes would be the first guitars sold to the public under the newfound Jackson Guitar brand.

With the popularity of the passed guitarist, the RR models would help launch the Jackson name and put the new guitar manufacturer on the map.

This guitar design would be the initial bloodline known worldwide and loved by metal fans and future shredders as the Jackson Randy Rhoads modArtistat’s In A Name?

Jackson confirmed that Randy was inspired to conceive and name a futuristic instrument, angularly shaped and distinctive to him, on his flight back aboard the Sleek White Supersonic Aircraft, the “Concorde.”

The Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a British/French aircraft that first flew in 1969, entered trans-Atlantic service in 1976 and was retired in 2003.

The Guitar and the aircraft are sleek, sharp, triangular and unbelievably fast.

The Jackson USA RR1 Randy Rhoads Guitar

Following in the footsteps of the original and first Randy Rhoads prototype, the USA Select Jackson RR1 model has an Alder wood body with a Maple neck-thru design, Ebony Fretboard and 22 jumbo frets, along with cool black hardware, a very stable low-profile, Floyd Rose original 2 point double-locking tremolo and Seymour Duncan Humbuckers for pickups. (Read on)

Jackson Randy Rhoads Specs

Body

• Body – Alder
• Body Shape – Altered “V” 
• Colour – Black or White
• Scale Length – 25.5″/25.5″ (648 mm) scale length
• Weight -8 lbs, 1 oz.

Neck

• Neck-Thru-Body Construction – with Quartersawn Maple 
• Neck Dimensions – 13rd Fret: .790″, 12th Fret: .850″
• No. of Frets – 22 Jumbo Frets
• Neck Profile at 1st Fret -.830″
• Neck Profile at 12th Fret -.880″
• Neck Inlays – Mother-of-pearl shark fin position inlays
• Width at Nut – 1-11/16″ /1.6875″ (43 mm) 
• Nut Material – Floyd Rose Original Double Locking
• Binding – on the Neck/Fingerboard and headstock 
• Headstock Inlays -Mother-of-pearl Jackson Logo
• Compound (12″ to 16″) Ebony Fingerboard Radius

  12″-16″ COMPOUND RADIUS EBONY FINGERBOARD-Pioneered by Jackson, allows for a fingerboard that flattens toward the heel from a more rounded profile at the nut. Making for a more comfortable/natural feeling playing near the nut and flattens out as it approaches the neck joint more accurately, bending and playing around the heel without fretting out.

Electronics

• Bridge Pickup – Seymour Duncan JB TB4 Humbucking Pickup
• Neck Pickup – Seymour Duncan Jazz SH2N Humbucking Pickup
• Controls: Master Volume, 2 Tone
• Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle

Hardware

• Bridge – Floyd Rose Original Double Locking 2-Point Tremolo
• Hardware – Black
• Tuning Machines – Die-Cast Tuners
• CTS potentiometers and Switchcraft switch

Pros and cons

Final Thoughts

Like every other local guitar gunslinger, when Ozzy released his new solo albums, Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, we were all shocked to hear that melodic sound and playing from this new virtuoso.

It was not a stretch to see that he would have a bright future blazing the arenas with his playing and brandable look.

We were all shocked and saddened by his passing and the loss of what could have been for Randy.

Owning a RR Jackson would, in some way, give us a piece of Randy’s memory.

You would see this instrument again with other artists like…

• Vinnie Vincent (Kiss)
• Kirk Hammett  (Metallica) 
• Marty Friedman  (Megadeth)
• Adrian Smith  (Iron Maiden) 
• Phil Collen  (Def Leppard) 

And many more.

The aggressive body shape will always remain unmistakable in the eyes and hearts of shredders and Metal Music lovers.

Hard to believe this iconic instrument would still be around today and in production.

After all, why not?

Jackson has made its brand on designing great instruments with…

• Tone
• Playability
• Reliability
• Lightweight and has great looks.

The necks are comfortable, the Seymour Duncan Pickups will always express your emotions, and the hardware is solid, including the bride and tuning heads.

Should You Add This Guitar To Your Collection?

As long as you keep in mind that you are paying a hefty price for a “Tribute” guitar and not an actual “Signature model,” for Randy had passed before he could sign off on it.

Also, it is not a body type that comfortably sits in your lap while you want to shred to your favourite riff, then YES, add one to your collection.

Did You Like This Article?

Check out my review of the Jackson Kelly Marty Friedman.

Also…

Leave your comments in the section below if you would like me to review a favourite guitar.

As always, stay the course and keep playing.

Image of the Concorde courtesy of undiscoveredcountry75 / 132 images and licensed under Pixabay License

Image of Randy Rhoads in Feature image courtesy of Wikimedia Licensed under Creative Commons and Attribution 2.0 Generic

Image of Randy Rhoads for CTA image courtesy of Amazon

Image of the RR1 Design Drawings courtesy of Amazon

Image of Jackson RR guitar CTA courtesy of Amazon

Image of front and back Guitars in blog banner courtesy of pourlesmusiciens.com and main guitar image courtesy of musiciansfriend.com