Many people love Randy Rhoads playing Gibson guitar. The iconic artist has been playing Gibson guitars since the early seventies and is widely respected for his unique style of guitar playing. Randy plays a variety of Gibson models, including the Les Paul Custom, KS Flying V, Ovation Tornado, and 1977 Gibson SG. The guitar is an important part of his signature sound, and he has become one of the most influential artists of the modern era.

Randy Rhoads Playing Gibson

Les Paul Custom

Despite its vintage, the Gibson Les Paul Custom is still a hot seller. This axe was purchased in late 1974 or early 1975 and has remained in the hands of many guitarists, including Randy Rhoads. The Les Paul Custom’s pickups are a 1974 Super Humbucker with Alnico III magnets. It was customized with Schaller tuning machines. The guitar’s neck is made of carved maple and is fitted with an ebony fretboard.

Randy Rhoads didn’t use a lot of pedals, and the one he did use was the MXR M134 Stereo Chorus. This was a common pedal in the late 70s, but the guitar wasn’t the first to use it. The chorus pedal was supposedly meant to make Randy’s tone fuller, and he had no other guitars to test it out with.

Randy Rhoads also played a KS Flying V guitar. He and guitarist Karl Sandoval met months before the band’s dissolution. Randy met Sandoval while gigging with George Lynch in Xciter. Randy had his ideas for the guitar, which included a 6-in-one headstock and a rosette with a hole in the middle. It cost him $740.

While we may not know for sure whether the Gibson SG was used by Randy Rhoads in the aforementioned video, we can assume that the guitar was a custom order. It had a gold pickguard, Seymour Duncan pickups, Grover locking tuners, and a fixed tailpiece. Sadly, Rhoads purchased the guitar a few months before his death. In the Blizzards of Ozz album, Randy also played an acoustic Martin guitar. Although the song was written by a friend, Randy played it for fun.

In addition to the famous guitar, Rhoads used a 12-string Gibson Firebird guitar. While this instrument is not as common, it was used by many artists during the 1970s. It’s not uncommon for guitar stars of that era to use a Gibson Les Paul Custom. This model has been replicated in high-quality, exact replicas are also available, but if you’d rather play an exact copy, the guitar is a perfect choice.

KS Flying V

The KS Flying V was a guitar played by Randy Rhoads of Quiet Riot. Randy met Karl Sandoval, the designer of this guitar, several months before Quiet Riot broke up. Rhoads had previously been working with George Lynch, the guitarist who founded the Xciter group. Rhoads had his ideas for the guitar. It had a six-in-one headstock, and it cost around $740.

In 1968, Charvel began producing super Strat-style guitars with bolt-on necks. Grover Jackson purchased Charvel and did not want to disrupt the company. In addition, Randy Rhoads admired the Explorer guitar. He wanted a head that was a little more aggressive and modernized. The guitar was finished with nitrocellulose lacquer. While the Flying V was a limited release, Randy Rhoads played it during his career.

The original Gibson Flying V was built with a mahogany body with an asymmetrical V shape. Randy Gibson brought in rough sketches for the guitar’s design and Grover Jackson worked with Randy on the details. He was very happy with the results. When the guitar was completed on December 23, 1980, the flying V had a mahogany body. However, the asymmetrical V body shape was too thick for Randy Rhoads’ liking.

The guitar was originally designed by Jackson and included a fixed tailpiece that anchors the strings to the body. The guitar had Seymour Duncan pickups and Grover locking tuners. Randy Rhoads played the Gibson KS Flying V with his band Violet Fox. However, after Rhoads’ death, he reportedly used a Martin acoustic guitar in a song called “Dee” on the Blizzards of Ozz album. This guitar was a hobby for Randy Rhoads.

One pedal that is commonly associated with the Flying V is a chorus pedal. Rhoads never used many pedals while playing live, but it did contribute to his sound. It’s the only pedal that he used during his professional career. The chorus pedal boosted Randy’s tone by making it richer. Although Randy Rhoads played a Gibson KS Flying V during his solo shows with Ozzy Osbourne.

Explore The Flying V Collections – Gibson

Ovation Tornado

The Ovation Tornado model is one of the most iconic electric guitars ever made. Although it resembles similar models like the Gibson ES-335, the guitar is closer to a standard semi-hollow body. The headstock is the same as that of other Ovation guitars. The neck is shaped to be easy to play for virtuoso players. The guitar also featured Schaller pickups and a unique bridge design.

Randy Rhoad’s first guitar was a 1918 Gibson acoustic. He also played an Army & Navy Special model, which has a different tailpiece than other Gibson models. The guitar was made in the same style as a Gibson L-1, except for the absence of a truss rod. It is known to be the oldest Gibson model still in use.

Although the original model of Ovation Tornado was known to be the most popular guitar in the band, Randy Rhoads played a Gibson SG instead. This 1960s model features a single coil Gibson P90 pickup, and it is believed that Randy Rhoads’ version was red or black. He reportedly painted it black in 1972. This guitar is currently available to purchase on the Ovation Guitar Company’s official website.

In addition to the Gibson SG, the guitar in the band was also a Gibson. During his career, Rhoads played a Gibson with a Floyd Rose amp. This guitar has a very unique tone. When the guitar is distorted, the distortion pedal can cause the sound to be a bit harsh. The tone of the guitar will be slightly muffled or full.

The first Ovation Tornado tour was produced in the UK a few months later. It was staged by Sharon Arden and featured full production staging, lighting, and a tour crew. It was filmed at Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope studios in Hollywood. On December 27, 1999, Jackson delivered Randy Rhoads a second Gibson SG. This guitar has an aggressive take on the Gibson Explorer headstock.

1977 Gibson SG

A guitar played by Randy Rhoads was the KS Flying V. The model was created by Randy Rhoads and Karl Sandoval. They were both musicians from San Dimas, California, who worked with Randy on various projects. Randy designed the guitar’s neck, which featured an asymmetrical V-shaped body. The guitar also featured a 6-in-one headstock.

The Crazy Train Guitar was originally Alpine white but was painted yellow over the years, and has some serious wear. It was used in the majority of Ozzy’s live shows and is still in production today. It is a special guitar for Ozzy’s fans, and one of the most famous guitars of all time. Several live performances featured this guitar, including the 1981 release Thirty Years After the Blizzard.

Many famous rock musicians have used Gibson guitars. The late Eric Clapton, the guitarist for the band Cream, used the Gibson SG, the ES-345, and the Flying V. Leslie West also used a Gibson ES-175, a guitar reissued with a hand-painted floral design. Other notable Gibson guitars used by Steve Howe include the ES-175 and EDS-1275.

The legendary rock guitarist was named among the 100 greatest guitar players of all time by Rolling Stone. He was also inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. While he started his career as a teenager in Quiet Riot, he eventually found himself in the band Ozzy’s touring band. Although Rhoads was prematurely aged while touring with Ozzy, he still managed to gain a very unique place in rock history.

The ES-335 is another Gibson model that has seen a great deal of play. Its high-end tone and versatility make it a favorite guitar for many rock stars. It’s an excellent guitar that will allow the guitarist to use a variety of techniques to create an incredible tone. In addition to Randy Rhoads’ ES-335, the ES-335 and the SG both come in a variety of colors and have a variety of other features.