Jackson has continued to pay tribute to the legacy of electric guitar legend Randy Rhoads by bolstering its Made in Japan collection of Rhoads V models.
Yes, there are two new finishes to wax lyrical about, but the spec updates here go way beyond the cosmetic – instead, the MJ Series RR24 MG arrives with a handful of appointments that won’t be found on the two existing Japanese-made Rhoads models.
The key differences are in the hardware and pickup departments. The previously released flagship Rhoads RRT – which was treated to a Snow White finish earlier this year – came equipped with Seymour Duncan pickups and an anchored tailpiece.
Here, though, the souped up RR24 MG swaps out those Seymours for a set of EMGs – 81 bridge and 85 neck – and drops the tailpiece in favor of a more metal Gotoh GE1996T Series double-locking tremolo.
It goes without saying that these new specs will open up a whole array of sounds and playing styles previously unavailable to the MJ Rhoads range – ones that are closely associated with the late guitar hero.
A word on those new finishes, too, because they also seek to channel authentic Rhoads aesthetics. We’ve only got images of the Gloss Black with Yellow Pinstripes to hand, but Jackson has also teased the imminent arrival of a Snow White with Black Pinstripes iteration.
It’s likely the latter will turn out looking remarkably similar to Rhoads’ iconic first-generation Jackson Concorde, which too featured a white with black pinstripe finish and a tremolo system.
Electronics, hardware and appearances aside, the RR24 MG features an alder offset V body, a through-body three-piece maple neck with graphite reinforcement, and a 12”-16” compound radius ebony fingerboard.
22 jumbo frets, pearloid sharkfin inlays and Luminlay side dots can also be found, as can Gotoh die-cast tuners and Dunlop dual-locking strap buttons. As for controls, master volume and tone parameters are joined by a standard three-way selector switch.
The RR24 MG will be available for $2,999 when it arrives in November.
Keep your eyes peeled on Jackson for more information.
The Rhoads model received its most radical makeover earlier this year, when Suicide Silence’s Mark Heylmun partnered with Jackson to create a brutal seven-string metal machine.
