Was he particular about qualities
he wanted in the pickups, controls,
woods, hardware, or other ergonomic
considerations?
I’m sure he was, but I didn’t really get to
know him as well as other people. I know
he was really particular. He had an accident with the white one where he made
a little chip on the wing. He brought
it back into repair and he was nearly in
tears—he felt super bad. We did a repair
on it and he felt better.
What is known about the pickups used
in the first two Concordes—were they
pretty much vintage PAFs?
I believe they were Duncans but I forget
the numbers.
2
4
1. An old CNC tool carousel still in use at the
Jackson Custom Shop.
How do those guitars compare with the
current Rhoads model?
The main differences are the front control
plate and the string plate. We don’t typically use the Tune-o-matic[-style] bridge
anymore. That was a bridge made by a local
2. The body-route template for the original
Randy Rhoads guitar.
3. Body-shaping templates for a Kelly (left) and
a Warrior.
4. Mike Shannon (left) and tune tester Joe Williams worker inspect an RR 24 Rhoads with a
welded-steel-themed custom paint job.
