1983 Jackson Randy Rhodes #234

One of the perks of my job is that sometimes I get to work on some really awesome guitars. Case in point - the 235th Jackson Randy Rhodes ever made. Being a huge fan of Jackson guitars, this one is real special. It was only in for a basic setup, but due to the sheer awesomeness of this instrument it's visit deserved to be written about.

I could barely fit this whole guitar into one shot. It's certainly a cumbersome monster, but a dream to play. The frets are medium size, and the neck is round and chunky.. nothing you would find on a modern Jackson. This gives the guitar a more vintage / classic feel, as opposed to the giant frets and thin necks that are preferred by shredders today. I have to say I'm a fan!

Reliable information shows that this guitar was made in 1983 in the San Dimas factory in California. The first RR ever produced bears the serial number of RR0000, making this technically # 235. There are literally hundreds of thousands of these in circulation today.

As if this I needed another reason to love this guitar, all of the hardware is solid brass. I am a HUGE fan of brass on guitars both for style and functionality.  It's a solid material as opposed to plated, so you can always return it to a brilliant shine. 


It's also great as far as tone is concerned because it is so hard and so dense. Unfortunately all of this greatness is accompanied by a higher cost, rendering brass hardware relatively scarce nowadays.

A typical Gibson or other guitar with plated saddles from the same time period will likely be much more worn and tarnished. Sometimes the string grooves will be worn so deep that the saddles need to be replaced entirely. This brass on the other hand hasn't worn out at all. Just a layer of patina that will meet it's end at the buffing station!

This case is huge! It's first and probably only time a guitar's case is worth photographing. Without a doubt this the largest case we've had in the shop, including double-necks and explorer bases. You could seat dinner for four around this monstrosity.

The owner had just recently purchased the guitar and wanted to use it for an upcoming gig. He is a guitarist for the local metal relics Rotting Corpse, and they opened up for Saxon last week (10/6) at Stubbs. Because of the tight time frame, the brass restoration will have to wait until next visit.

He was kind enough to bring t-shirts for both Danny and myself, so we send a big thanks to him and the band! 

On its return to the shop along with restoring all the brass, it will also have some paint chips repaired and get a good buffing. He wants to return the guitar to its full mint condition, and we're thrilled to do it for him.