Jackson Concept Series Rhoads RR24 HS: The Shape That Started As A Sketch

BLAST FROM THE PAST. A guitar that came through our shop at 316 E 84th St, sold, and moved on. This instrument is no longer available.

Most guitar shapes evolved. This one was drawn.

Randy Rhoads wanted an offset V, sketched what he was after, and Grover Jackson built it. The guitar that came out of that conversation is now so recognisable that the silhouette alone tells you what kind of music is about to happen.

What it was

A Jackson Concept Series Rhoads RR24 HS in white with black pinstripes, listed at $1,900.

• Body: alder, offset V
• Neck: maple, neck through construction
• Fingerboard: ebony, 12 inch radius, 24 frets
• Scale: 25.5 inches
• Nut width: 1.6875 inches
• Pickups: HS, humbucker and single coil
• Bridge: locking tremolo
• Finish: gloss, matching headstock
• Made in: Korea

What neck through actually buys you

On a bolt on guitar the neck stops at the body. On a neck through, a single length of maple runs from the headstock all the way to the strap button, and the body wings are glued either side of it.

Two things follow. Sustain increases, because vibration is not crossing a joint. And upper fret access gets dramatically better, because there is no heel in the way. On a 24 fret guitar built for players who live above the twelfth fret, that second point is the whole reason the construction exists.

Pair that with an ebony board, which is harder and snappier than rosewood, and you have an instrument built for speed and clarity rather than warmth.

Common questions about the Jackson Rhoads

What did this Jackson Rhoads RR24 sell for?
It was listed at $1,900 at Bros Guitar Shop in New York City. For a figure on your own guitar, ask us for an appraisal.

Who designed the Jackson Rhoads shape?
Randy Rhoads and Grover Jackson, working together in the early eighties. Rhoads wanted an asymmetrical V. The offset shape is the result, and it is one of the very few electric guitar bodies attributable to a single named player.

What does HS mean on a Jackson?
Humbucker at the bridge, single coil at the neck. It gives you the bridge output for heavy playing plus a cleaner neck voice, rather than two humbuckers.

Is a neck through guitar better than a bolt on?
Different, not better. Neck through gives more sustain and far better access to the top frets. Bolt on is easier and cheaper to repair or replace if something goes wrong. Choose by what you play, not by what sounds more premium.

What is the Jackson Concept Series?
Limited production runs offering specs and combinations outside the standard line. They are made in smaller numbers, which is part of why people chase them.

Does Bros Guitar Shop buy used Jacksons and metal guitars?
Yes. We buy outright, take trades, and take consignments, and we are not only a vintage shop. Details below.

Where it went

Sold.

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Come see us at Bros Guitar Shop

We are a family owned guitar shop on the Upper East Side, and we do more than sell instruments:

• Buying, trades and consignment on used and vintage gear
• Repairs and setups at our bench, including locking tremolo work
• Appraisals. Bring it in or send photos and we will tell you what you have
• Guitar lessons in the studio downstairs
• Pickup and delivery available for a fee. Give us a call and we will sort it out

Bros Guitar Shop
316 E 84th St, New York, NY 10028
646-559-8771 and brosguitarshop@gmail.com
Mon to Fri 12 to 8, Sat 10 to 8, closed Sunday

Got something in a case under the bed? That is usually how the good ones turn up.