Randy Rhoads?

Re: Randy Rhoads?

Randy's tone is what it was...I don't want it but whatever floats your boat...

His Les Paul Custom was stock and had the original pickups, they were NOT PAF's but they were stock Gibson pickups

His Black/polka dot V had the DiMarzio's in it while his jackson 3/4 V's were loaded wiht Duncans...

He also used metal front Marshalls cranked almost all the way up, usally 2 heads and 4 cabs but the MXR Distortion + was on ALL the time...if you read in interviews he said several times that he never turned it off...also his MXR 10 band graphic EQ was a big factor...that EQ didn't even have an off/on switch so it was also on all the time and it was set up with a massive mid spike.

lastly...Randy did NOT use Celestion speakers...he hated them in fact saying that under high gain they turned to mush...all his Marshall cabs were fitted with Altec speakers
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

does anybody have any closer information on the
stock-pups in his LPC? I believe it was from '72 !
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

They were made during the Norlin era so they were probably pretty bad, maybe.
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

I don't think that Gibson has changed the pickups on the Les Paul custom since the 50's. They are the same as the ones on the standard but with gold plating. Gibson sells them separately.
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

dnewhous said:
I don't think that Gibson has changed the pickups on the Les Paul custom since the 50's. They are the same as the ones on the standard but with gold plating. Gibson sells them separately.
Click to expand...

so you're saying that Gibson is still sells PAF's for a very low price ? :P
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

ErikH said:
The very first Jackson ever built, which is the white V that he had (there are two of them actually)
Click to expand...

I've never heqrd that there were two white ones. I know of the White one and a black one being delivered and at least 1 more in the works when he died...

Any more infor on that Erik?
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

Altec and JBL were connected in some way. I believe the sought after Altecs are actually "Altec/Lansing" with the Lansing being the L in "JBL". Some older vintage Fender speakers will have the "James B. Lansing" stamped on them. I bought an old blown pair and had them reconed. I didn't really like them for Marshall type tone so I swapped them for and old stand up Mesa Cab w/the 90 watt Celestions and steel grill on front.That was a great sounding cab.
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

pinto79 said:
I've never heqrd that there were two white ones. I know of the White one and a black one being delivered and at least 1 more in the works when he died...

Any more infor on that Erik?
Click to expand...
One of them is in a museum display, there were pics of it here in another thread a month or so ago, and the other one Delores gave to Zakk. That's my understanding anyway. I've seen and read that the same as you as well. Unless the one Zakk got from Delores is one of the 25 reissues that Jackson put out a while back.
 
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Re: Randy Rhoads?

ErikH said:
One of them is in a museum display, there were pics of it here in another thread a month or so ago, and the other one Delores gave to Zakk. That's my understanding anyway. I've seen and read that the same as you as well. Unless the one Zakk got from Delores is one of the 25 reissues that Jackson put out a while back.
Click to expand...


as far as I know all Zakks Rhoads replicas are from GMW !

wait ... the pinstripe isn't from GMW ...
I don't think he got it from Delores either.
probably one of the limited ones ...
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

dnewhous said:
I don't think that Gibson has changed the pickups on the Les Paul custom since the 50's. They are the same as the ones on the standard but with gold plating. Gibson sells them separately.
Click to expand...

Gibson changed the pickups many times. My 1986 Les Paul Custom has unpotted pickups and they had a different name, I think they were called 1957's. Since the 90's they've been putting the 490R and 498T in their Customs, the same pickups used on all Les Pauls, until Gibson started putting Burstbuckers in the Les Paul Standards a few years ago. Now Gibson has the '57 Classics, but they still put the 490R and 498 T in their Customs.

The stock pickups in my 1986 Custom were horrible- weak and muddy.
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

DeanSweden said:
as far as I know all Zakks Rhoads replicas are from GMW !

wait ... the pinstripe isn't from GMW ...
I don't think he got it from Delores either.
probably one of the limited ones ...
Click to expand...
I know his white polka dot V is from GMW. His wife got him that one. The more I think about it, the more I think the Jackson is one of the limited ones. I would love to have one of those myself. To me that is the coolest looking V ever.
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

Interesting note- Zakk also has a black polka dot V identical to Randy's that Ed Roman claims to have built him
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

For all the talk about how "bad" Randy's tone was, all I can say is his live tone was very different from his studio tone. I still think his tone on record was cool and unique (come on--he's one of the only LA dudes who didn't chase after the VH tone) but his live sound was humongous. Check out this soundcheck again. To each his own, but I think this tone rocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTeqOWZK4N4&search=randy rhoads soundcheck
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

Matt Blackett said:
For all the talk about how "bad" Randy's tone was, all I can say is his live tone was very different from his studio tone. I still think his tone on record was cool and unique (come on--he's one of the only LA dudes who didn't chase after the VH tone) but his live sound was humongous. Check out this soundcheck again. To each his own, but I think this tone rocks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTeqOWZK4N4&search=randy rhoads soundcheck
Click to expand...

+10,000.

I'm amazed how many people down his tone. Live OR studio. Yet they love a mushy MESA recto downtuned to Z, or love someone like Dimebags tone? Or Kill "em All era Metallica? Or the tubedriver direct into the board tone of Surfing With the Alien???? :eek13: Blech.

Randys Live tone was incredible. And really needed to be experienced firsthand and I'm glad I did. It was always at the threshold of being out of control. I guarantee few guitarists could handle keeping from getting unwanted feedback, noise, and a bunch of other problems Randy had to deal with that hot of a setup. He was a master of his instrument in every way.

Unlike today, back then recording gear and equipment was not so sophisticated. Recording budgets (especially for fledgling bands) were much smaller. Ozzy was a NOBODY on this side of the pond. I mean NOBODY. Sabbath is a legend now of course..back then (Dio era) they were pretty much a NOBODY. There was no MTV. No "processed" bands. You did the best with what you could which was often nothing. Randy's gear is "archaic" compared even to gear 5 or 6 years after his death.

His tone was raw, in your face, unique, and was perfect for the music he graced us with before he left. I'd much rather hear that D+ and 10 band EQ in meltdown than alot of stuff that people consider "good" tone these days.

EDIT: pup-wise going rumor is that Gibson had at times some overly hot PAF types in some of the Customs of the day. Brian Robertsons Black Custom and Randy's white one are rumored to both have them. No idea if it's true, but they both def sound hotter than a typical PAF.
 
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Re: Randy Rhoads?

I agree with JeffB

for people who would like to listen more about Randy's tone, just check the Quiet Riot CD "The Randy Rhoads Years". Awesome Les Paul + Marshall tones. Pure Rock n roll.
 
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Re: Randy Rhoads?

JeffB said:
His tone was raw, in your face, unique, and was perfect for the music he graced us with before he left. I'd much rather hear that D+ and 10 band EQ in meltdown than alot of stuff that people consider "good" tone these days.
Click to expand...

I'll raise you another +10,000.

Randy's tone on Diary is awesome. That metallic, edge of feedback insanity sound fits the music perfectly.

www.randyrhoads.tk is a great site for Randy info. Kevin Dubrow and Kelle Garner (sp?), who have played with Randy back in the day, post on there. If you're a Randy fan, you need to check it out. Lots of info on gear and the man himself.

One interesting thing on the RR site...there was an interview with Max Norman (producer of Blizzard and Diary) and he said that Randy mostly used the polka-dot V in the studio, not the LP.
 
Re: Randy Rhoads?

I'll raise Jeff another 10,000 as well. :bigthumb:

I never had the chance to see him live but the Tribute recordings are just massive. I love the tones on those recordings. Crank that sucker on a big stereo system and it's a moving experience. :D
 
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