NGD - Randy Rhoads Content...

[Anonymous]

Just picked up one of the Rhoads RR 1.5 guitars from The Music Zoo. It combines some of the features of the Jackson Rhoads with Randy's original Concorde. This has the Concorde body, neck shape, etc. but it is Floyd'd. Made from maple like the original Concorde. I really dug the look of it and was looking for a Custom Shop jackson, so I traded my Suhr 7 string for it, since I wasn't really playing it...

First, I have to digress a bit... Does the Music Zoo even check these guitars before shipping them? Holy crap the neck on mine had WAY too much relief (like ridiculous!!!) and the action was uneven and over 1/4" off the fretboard in most places. I just spent about an hour and a half adjusting the truss rod, action, intonating etc. - basically a full setup to even get the thing playable... I couldn't believe how much I had to loosen the truss rod to get the neck close to straight like it should be!

Well... now that that is done, I got to play it through my amp and I love it. Now that it is set up right, it is super easy to play. I'm surprised at how great this thing sounds, since I don't really like the Duncan Distortion pickup. I have to say it sounds absolutely killer in this guitar though (Duncan Jazz in the neck). I also love playing it standing up - very comfortable for me and since I have long fingers, I'm able to reach all the frets. My vibrato (what there is of it ) is a little tough at the last 4 frets or so because of the way I do it, but it's manageable.

Anyway... I dig it! Now all I have to do is replace the black pickup rings with the brass ones I bought!

Steve

 

[Bob Savage]

Very cool!!!!

 

[xzyryabx]

Wow, that's hot!
Congrats!!

 

[AndyK]

Sweet! Is that pearl white?? Looks like an awesome rock machine - love where the toggle switch is too!

Too bad about the setup - should have been checked by the zoo people. Did you mean you had to TIGHTEN the truss rod to remove relief?

You have no luck - that new/used Charvel custom shop with the issues, this Jackson setup. Damn.

 

[War Admiral]

sweet

 

[Anonymous]

Sweet! Is that pearl white?? Looks like an awesome rock machine - love where the toggle switch is too!

Too bad about the setup - should have been checked by the zoo people. Did you mean you had to TIGHTEN the truss rod to remove relief?

You have no luck - that new/used Charvel custom shop with the issues, this Jackson setup. Damn.

It's actually creme colored. I had to LOOSEN the truss rod an incredible amount to get the neck straight. The opposite of what I expected?? Yeah, the Zoo guys should have at least checked the thing out. If I didn't know how to do a setup on a guitar, I'd be shelling out cash for a tech. Not right on a guitar that costs this much!

Steve

 

[Beyond Black]

Congrats! That is a beauty. Unconscionable that they would ship a guitar set up that poorly. Especially for the prices that The Zoo commands.

 

[AndyK]

That's one of the things you give up when buying online - being there in person, in the store, to demand a better setup.

But, as long as you are able to set up a guitar, all is good (eventually)! That's a killer guitar!

 

[craftm1]

Killer Steve congrats!!!!

 

[zewango]

-1 pt until it says Rhoads !

Then

 

[yngzaklynch]

First off congrats onwhat appears to be a very neat axe! You are correct... brass pickup surrounds are a must!! Above all else... No guitar that exspensive should be shipped without that store going over it top to bottom. I would try to contact Tommy himself and let him know his guitars are shipping like yours did. In any case I hope you will give us a vid of you rockin it!!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

-1 pt until it says Rhoads !

Then

Fixed!

Steve

 

[jmgman69]

Super sweet Steve!!!!! Congrats!

 

[Mr. Willy]

That's one sweet guitar. I've always wondered, what's it like getting to the upper registers on it?

 

[Chubtone]

I'm not going to go to bat to defend The Music Zoo but.....

We have been having the most beautiful weather out here in So Cal this winter. I don't think we have even turned on the heater in our house in over a month. It hasn't rained in a couple of months. This is the environment that guitar was built in and set up in. Then it traveled all the way across the country through and into areas that are having ridiculously bad weather this winter. Finally ending up in NY where it has been stupidly cold. Then it got to make the trek all the way back to So Cal to Steve where we continue to have amazing weather. This is about as extreme an environmental shift as a guitar would have to make, and this one made it TWICE before ending up in the buyers hands.

That is going to require some tweaking. Maybe not as much as Steve's needed, but maybe as much as Steve's needed. And Steve, don't forget you have a friend who sees and talks to Charvel/Jackson custom shop guys a few days a week. If it needs an extra lookover, contact me and I'll arrange one of the guys to meet you at my shop and make sure the guitar is all good.

Can't believe you spelled Rhoads wrong

 

[metalmaniac93]

Nice Axe Steve!! Congrats!!

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not going to go to bat to defend The Music Zoo but.....

We have been having the most beautiful weather out here in So Cal this winter. I don't think we have even turned on the heater in our house in over a month. It hasn't rained in a couple of months. This is the environment that guitar was built in and set up in. Then it traveled all the way across the country through and into areas that are having ridiculously bad weather this winter. Finally ending up in NY where it has been stupidly cold. Then it got to make the trek all the way back to So Cal to Steve where we continue to have amazing weather. This is about as extreme an environmental shift as a guitar would have to make, and this one made it TWICE before ending up in the buyers hands.

That is going to require some tweaking. Maybe not as much as Steve's needed, but maybe as much as Steve's needed. And Steve, don't forget you have a friend who sees and talks to Charvel/Jackson custom shop guys a few days a week. If it needs an extra lookover, contact me and I'll arrange one of the guys to meet you at my shop and make sure the guitar is all good.

Can't believe you spelled Rhoads wrong

Yes, I should be beaten for that!

Thanks Curt for the offer of help- it's all good now, though - it just needed some work. And I understand what you are saying about the weather changes, but I have a strong feeling for a variety of reasons that this guitar was sitting around for a long time and no one really checked it out before shipping it.

Steve

 

[yngzaklynch]

Steve is it alder and maple? Roughly what does it weigh?

 

[Zap]

Not a fan of non-traditional guitars, but that one looks really cool!

 

[zewango]

Steve is it alder and maple? Roughly what does it weigh?

These are all maple and weigh in around 9lbs.