Randy Rhoads Tone Challenge

[mdc1mdc11]

Many folks rip on the BOO and DOAM tone, but I find nothing wrong with it. It's just a high gain Marshall sound.

Totally agree. I never understood all of the criticism of his recorded tones. His lead tones were multi tracked several times and sounded massive. His rhythm tones were good old MXR boosted Marshalls. RR did no wrong.

Not sure about the 800 tones, the tone for him is easy, marshall non-master and mxr pedals. Stereo setup, pretty evident when I saw him live. What is also key to understand is that his style of playing was very much absent of pentatonic bends and riffs except in a few spots, hence all the multi tracking. Surprising to listen across the catalog and not hear a bend into pitch on his lines. Very good use of his technique for what Ozzy was doing at the time.

 

[Racerxrated]

I find Randy's studio album tones abysmal. Always have. It wasn't the tone that sold the albums IMHO. It was the songs. Not to mention Ozzy DID have a pretty well established fan base...

Randy wrote/Co wrote those songs ....

I am confused by this response...

I didn't say OZZY wrote the songs, I said the songs sold the albums. Randy had no legit worldwide fanbase before Ozzy. I would argue Randy's playing is much more hailed than his tone will ever be.

Ozzy didn't have a pot to piss in after leaving Sabbath. He lived in a "pay by the day" cheap hollywood transient Hotel.
The fanbase was for Sabbath which after Oz was fired was being driven by Dio and doing fine.
Ozzy didn't enjoy any success until he hired Rhoads.

You have no idea what youre talking about.

And people went to see Blizzard & DOAMM songs not the Sabbath stuff.

I know his tone sucked on the albums! And, for the love of God, PLEASE don't be so CharvelDan! LOL!

Everyone knows Ozzy was f*cked after Sabbath. Doesn't change the fact he was still a household name, for better or worse. You mean to tell me ANY band Randy played for would have enjoyed the same success he saw with Ozzy? And don't give me that "we'll never know" crap.

Case in point...

Randy was not with them when they finally "broke" nor would he be credited for their mainstream success which happened with Cavazo, unless you meant by the post they did not enjoy the Ozzy level success with HIM in the band. I know they were pretty successful in the LA scene while he was in the band.

Hell, am I not correct that their original releases with Rhoads weren't even release in the US? I am no QR aficionado so I am likely wrong...

Anyway, to be clear... I LOVE Randy's playing and he was a huge influence growing up. Not disparaging him at all as a talent nor discrediting his genius! I just think he had shit tone on the albums!

I think if we are being totally honest as Randy/Ozzy fans, the truth is they both were equally responsible for the huge success and resurrection of Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy wouldn't have had the success without Randy, and Randy may not have been discovered at all.

I still like the Diary tone a lot though....

 

[lll]

Cool stuff, great posts...

I'm practicing my Rhoads... will have something to show.

 

[Bishop5150]

Tribute is my favorite tone out of all the Randy albums. Not that this is really close to Randy's tone on that but here is a live clip of my Ozzy tribute performing Over the Mountain. I use one tone for all the different Ozzy era's of music. Soundguy would kill me if I jumped around from all the different guitar tones.

 

[MrDowntown]

Tribute is my favorite tone out of all the Randy albums. Not that this is really close to Randy's tone on that but here is a live clip of my Ozzy tribute performing Over the Mountain. I use one tone for all the different Ozzy era's of music. Soundguy would kill me if I jumped around from all the different guitar tones.

Your band kills the tribute thing man! Love your clips/videos. And....iirc....you're an Axefx guy??

 

[MrDowntown]

https://youtu.be/72QNao9trqk

https://youtu.be/ql-sYQGtqJo

Heres a couple Randy Rhoads solos!!
My all time favorite guitar player!!

Awesome playing.

ussy jokes:

 

[sytharnia1560]

I listened to the Ozzy/ RR albums way back in the 80's. I hadn't listened for a few decades unless Crazy Train came on the car radio

Last week I was on Amazon.com and though, why not? I bought the remastered 1st album (extra tracks), The remastered, expanded Diary, which has a second LIVE show included, the Tribute album, and Bark At The Moon.
It's amazing the new perspective you get with old music you had forgot about for a long time.
The last thing I thought about when listening to the 1st album, is man, shit tone. RR was a one-off. I had never heard this before....amazing shit

exactly...anyone who says thats a shit tone can just fuck off

 

[lll]

I really dig Randy's tone.

But I'm a sucker for ADT'd (Eventide, etc) honky-mids tone.

People who rag on Randy's album tone - they should be ragging on Max Norman, not Randy.

 

[Bishop5150]

Tribute is my favorite tone out of all the Randy albums. Not that this is really close to Randy's tone on that but here is a live clip of my Ozzy tribute performing Over the Mountain. I use one tone for all the different Ozzy era's of music. Soundguy would kill me if I jumped around from all the different guitar tones.

Your band kills the tribute thing man! Love your clips/videos. And....iirc....you're an Axefx guy??

Thanks man. Ya, I use an Axe-Fx II at home and gig with the AX8. There is a killer Blizzard era preset for the Axe. I will try to record something this weekend with it and post it on here.

 

[Bishop5150]

Here's a short clip of the Blizzard tone I use just to have fun jamming at home to Ozzy and Randy era backing tracks
https://soundcloud.com/ozzytributehouston/blizzard-tone

 

[sytharnia1560]

Here's a short clip of the Blizzard tone I use just to have fun jamming at home to Ozzy and Randy era backing tracks
https://soundcloud.com/ozzytributehouston/blizzard-tone

shit I am only listen through my computer speakers but mate that is pretty much randys blizzard tone right there....great job

 

[Bishop5150]

Here's a short clip of the Blizzard tone I use just to have fun jamming at home to Ozzy and Randy era backing tracks
https://soundcloud.com/ozzytributehouston/blizzard-tone

shit I am only listen through my computer speakers but mate that is pretty much randys blizzard tone right there....great job

Thanks! It's with my Axe-Fx. Didn't get a chance to record much just a little clip. If I get sometime I'll try to do a recording with a backing track.

 

[rupe]

It's easy to kick back all these years later and complain about his tone, but nobody was complaining back in the early '80s. At the time, Rhoads was dishing out the meanest tone anybody had really ever heard to that point...it was far more "metal" than VH (still a gold standard of tone for many).
Bottom line for me is that I can't imagine those songs without that tone...it simply wouldn't work.

 

[lll]

It's easy to kick back all these years later and complain about his tone, but nobody was complaining back in the early '80s. At the time, Rhoads was dishing out the meanest tone anybody had really ever heard to that point...it was far more "metal" than VH (still a gold standard of tone for many).
Bottom line for me is that I can't imagine those songs without that tone...it simply wouldn't work.

Agreed. When Crazy Train came on the radio it was mind-blowing with both the guitar playing and the tone. Also, nobody had really heard that kind of "chorused" tone before in a metal context. Unique tone, unique style.

 

[squank]

I've got a battery operated Epiphone tiny little toy. Nails RR. His album tones sucked. I was at a RR tribute thing a few years back where they actually have his amps and people play through them. My boy Phil X for example. Anyway the amps in person are stellar. He wasn't never recorded right.

That may be your opinion, and it's yours so it's valid.
But millions of fans and millions of album sales on BOO and DOAM
may most definitely contradict your views.
Again, your opinion versus huge numbers in fans, albums and replication of tone all around the world.

And as far as people playing through his amps..I have personally visited the Rhoads family while Delores was alive, stayed with them for some time and can tell you that RR'S gear is kept locked down. His concord came out very briefly some years back and his polka dot v for filming.

I know what CP5150 is saying, but I wouldn't say Randy's recorded tone "sucked." But for sure his amp tone was never recorded faithfully. I saw Ozzy and Randy live in Houston in '82 and his tone was the most incredible I had ever heard - better than EVH's live tone (who I saw twice with DLR back in the day). I know that's a big claim, but I think it's accurate. My teenage ears were in tonal heaven back then.

 

[sg guy]

-after DIARY, it was pretty clear Randy wasnt a fluke, the who's better the newly crowned king EDDIE? or RANDY? debate started, then Randy died.

-the worst that could be said about Randy's guitar work is something as subjective as tone!!, in the early 80's!!!..

-crackah pleeeeeeeze!!!-

 

[shredhead7]

https://youtu.be/72QNao9trqk

https://youtu.be/ql-sYQGtqJo

Heres a couple Randy Rhoads solos!!
My all time favorite guitar player!!

Man, you killed those solos. I laughed at your cat. Mine was like that too, just chill next to you, until you try to do anything else, then it's pet me. Pet me. Pet me. Heah, pet me.

Really though, fantastic playing.

 

[311splawndude]

Tribute is my favorite tone out of all the Randy albums. Not that this is really close to Randy's tone on that but here is a live clip of my Ozzy tribute performing Over the Mountain. I use one tone for all the different Ozzy era's of music. Soundguy would kill me if I jumped around from all the different guitar tones.

Your band kills the tribute thing man! Love your clips/videos. And....iirc....you're an Axefx guy??

+1

I always enjoy watching his clips and the Randy/Zakk stuff is amazing


I randomly just found this article about how Randy would triple up on his solos once he found the one take he really liked.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/ge ... solos.html

 

[sg guy]

-the double & triple tracking in the studio was used to make Randy's tone bigger & thicker-(the eternal battle guitarist have had with there Marshall amp since day one, and as time went on JTM-JMP-JCM the voicing got thinner, and upper mid focused each time, then if that wasnt enough, With the new JCM800's, Marshall adds a brite cap!!..the RR mod of running 2 passes through V-1-(input buffer tube for ch. #1 & ch #2)-instead of sharing it-(each channel "normally" got half of the 12AX7)- and a very cool feature with this mod, is that by simply plugging into one of the channel-2 input's ,.... made -VOLUME I-(the MASTER VOLUME)- & VOLUME II-(GAIN CONTROL)-(so much for the "its just a1959 NM PLEXI turned way up & a MXR OD" -BULLSHIT-the double pass of V-1 added quite a bit more pre-amp gain.

-VARIAC- at 90-volts-(FACT)-
-RR MOD WAS ALWAYS RANDY'S CORE TONE-(FACT)--------MXR OD/DISTORTION always on, to slam the front of a NON-MASTER VOLUME Marshall = Randy's tone-(FUCKIN COMPLETE BULL SHIT)-
-MXR OD/DISTORTION used to color & primarily used for lead work-(FACT)-
-RANDY mastered, owned, and loved to the volume nob on his guitars-(FACT)-(I don't know what the pot value was)-
-RANDY not only taught classical guitar, he was completely BAD ASS at it & with its ONE-&-ONLY-RULE------(THERE ARE NO RULES)-rules are for the weak,.... mindless clone's,....5 year old child prodigies,.... the "technically proficient" <----this-is-an-insult-but-they-dont-know-it----------<<<<<<< and those that play scales as fast as they can, in doing so remove any chance of an original anything....

-(THAT SHIT HAS NO FUCKIN SOUL)-

 

[Chester Nimitz]

Gee ... i just thought he was a really good guitar player all these years.




*** For the Record Randy's amps were modded by Marshall @ Bletchley Milton Keynes # special order.