A Visual representation of Jackson V vs. Other V-Guitars

[DanzoStrife]

I found some images of perfectly aligned Jackson KING V's and other Vs that compete with it, and I was already curious if the ESP version was actually longer. I found out it's not really longer, but it's simply
cut higher.
I decided to make a graphic comparing some of the V guitars size and shapes. NOT all inclusive.. I didn't do the Gibson V or ESP Arrow or Laiho sig.

--I of course like the Jackson King V, but then the Dean V i think in some ways is better looking.
i really dislike the ESP version of Dave's sig guitar and I'd much rather have the Randy Rhoads over the Laiho, probably due to specs and not like sawtooth inlays. the Original RR is best for me.
Arrow is ok, I'm not decided.

EDIT:::
REPLACING IMAGE
VERSION 2

[Mudlark]

The ESP looks cool, but yuck on the Dean.
I think the Rhoads upper horn is longer than a KV.
A Double Rhoads is a couple inches longer than a KV in the tips.

[DanzoStrife]

Hmm, well I aligned the guitars in the image best as possible at the top of the nut, so I wonder why the Rhoads is still longer?
Oh the ESP looks better in playing position than straight standing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTA_o-AFy-s

The ESP looks cool, but yuck on the Dean.
I think the Rhoads upper horn is longer than a KV.
A Double Rhoads is a couple inches longer than a KV in the tips.

[Number Of The Priest]

The Rhoads upper wing is supposed to be longer when you line them up in your graphic because in reality it IS longer than the current King V size.

The Rhoads came first obviously. That should be the reference point for the following discussion. The Double Rhoads, as the name implies, has both the long wings of the Rhoads. From there, this symmetrical V has been reduced in size at least once, and gained the name "King V". Refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_King_V

Here is where Jackson nomenclature is inconsistent and there are no rules. The Kelly's largest (and original) size is called a "King Kelly". This thing is a monster. It has been reduced in size at least twice, once as a "midsize Kelly" (what's the official name for this?) and a second time as the current commonplace Kelly size. Funny how KING KELLY is the largest Kelly, while KING V is the smallest symmetrical V.

The Soloist and Dinky bodies are 7/8ths size Strat bodies while the XTRR is essentially a 7/8ths size Rhoads.

That about covers the primary "classic" 80s Jackson shapes and their size histories. The Warrior didn't come along until later... 1990 possibly? Imagine a scaled-down Warrior though. Never heard of one existing before.

That's a really great graphic though. Love the effort.

[DanzoStrife]

^ Thanks number of the Priest
Yes of course. I did see the interview where Grover met with Randy to build his unique guitar. He gave it the name Jackson as his last name so it wouldn't b too risky to put on his Charvel line. Then Jackson just blew up.

But U know what? This picture of the Rhoads is the newer model. PERHAPS do u think that the newer Rhoads are in fact shorter than previous models?
Or somehow something went wrong with scaling. Lined up they still don't seem there's an error hmm

I'll make some edits!

[Newc]

The Warrior didn't come along until later... 1990 possibly? Imagine a scaled-down Warrior though. Never heard of one existing before.

Actually, I mocked up both a "Warrior King" and a "Spartan Warrior" some years ago, right after I designed the War Angel. Those will be my next 2 Custom Shop Jacksons, as soon as I hit that lottery lol

And yes, the Warrior was introduced in 1990, and was a commercial flop, if you can believe that. Mikey Wright was way ahead of his time with that design.
It's still the most comfortable "pointy bodied" guitar ever made, sitting or standing. It solved the Warlock's problem of stabbing us fat bastards with the back of the upper horn, as well as being large enough for us tall AND fat bastards as opposed to the B.C. Rich Stealth.

[Number Of The Priest]

The Rhoads shape has been pretty consistent. I won't talk about the Concorde guitars because that's too far out of my knowledge base, but those are still considered Randy Rhoads guitars...

To be consistent with the other Vs, perhaps try to find a photo of a 24-fret Rhoads. Because the 22-fret Rhoads you have, while considered the default number of frets for a Randy guitar, will shift the body higher, thus making it seem like the overall guitar is shorter compared to the 24-fret Vs you have in your graphic. Unless you lined up the BODIES somehow.

Assuming all the guitars in your graphic have a 25.5" scale length, ideally you should be lining up the nut and 12th fret on all the guitars. That would solve the graphic sizing/scaling problem and you'd get a more true visual on the bodies and headstocks attached to each set of strings. That's also assuming each photographer shot each guitar EXACTLY head-on under similar zoom and similar angles with no lens/barrel distortion.

Even more ideally, you found vector graphics or outlines/blueprints of each shape, as those would have been "templates" for building the real guitars.

Actually, I mocked up both a "Warrior King" and a "Spartan Warrior" some years ago, right after I designed the War Angel. Those will be my next 2 Custom Shop Jacksons, as soon as I hit that lottery lol

I must have missed your mockups during my big hiatus from the forum a number of years ago. I would love to see these designs come to fruition for you!

[DanzoStrife]

Well, I lined up all the guitars by the nut. If I look more closely (due to line thickness) the Rhoads V seems a tad higher but that might make all the difference.

[Mudlark]

Some newer Rhoads are actually bigger than the 2011 and earlier import RR's. There have been a number of examples of recent Rhoads models not fitting in the RR/KV case.

[Sanctuary]

What about a Carvin Ultra V to add to the mix? Would love to see how that compares to a Rhoads or even the rarer reverse-Rhoads...

Is it true the Spitz RR was also shorter?

[Newc]

Assuming all the guitars in your graphic have a 25.5" scale length, ideally you should be lining up the nut and 12th fret on all the guitars.

Well, I lined up all the guitars by the nut. If I look more closely (due to line thickness) the Rhoads V seems a tad higher but that might make all the difference.

All RR-styles should be 25.5", regardless of number of frets, but the nut changes position depending on if it's Floyd or not. As well, slight rescaling of the images for catalog space and display uniformity does happen. You'd need to line them up by 2 vectors - 1st fret and 12th fret - and the pickups (not rings) as well, since those would be the only constant.

I must have missed your mockups during my big hiatus from the forum a number of years ago. I would love to see these designs come to fruition for you!

I never posted them online. These will be the first of their respective kind, and I didn't want anyone jumping on them before I could.

Some newer Rhoads are actually bigger than the 2011 and earlier import RR's. There have been a number of examples of recent Rhoads models not fitting in the RR/KV case.

A true Rhoads case will fit only a Rhoads, and won't have the cut for the KV. I have no idea how the old rectangular SKB-style "RR/KV" case came about, but most everyone who has one has complained about the RR tip being way too close to the edge. I had an RR1 for a short while some years ago, and I recall this being an issue.
The old Pro cases from the 90s held the guitar mostly by the crotch, at least for the Mustaine Pro I had. I wasn't really fond of the fit of the SKB-style KV-2 case, either.
The more recent triangular SKB-style KV cases have a bit more room at the tips, at least for the short-scale KV2T.

Is it true the Spitz RR was also shorter?

Yes, because Spitz was about 5'2" or somewhere like that. I believe Kurt (Hellraiser6502) has one of Spitz' XTRRs, and compared it to an RR and a Double-Rhoads and a KV some years ago to illustrate the size differences.

[Pointy]

Since all are the same scale, you should align the frets. Like everyone else said the Rhoads' wing is longer than the KV's, this isn't an illusion. You can see that in the double Rhoads, too.

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/124453-lets-talk-size?p=1467992&viewfull=1#post1467992

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/110229-king-v-and-double-rhoads-differences?p=1371106&viewfull=1#post1371106

[Pointy]

And now I have been on JCF for 10 years.

[toejam]

The Double Rhoads, as the name implies, has both the long wings of the Rhoads. From there, this symmetrical V has been reduced in size at least once, and gained the name "King V".

I think the V, like the Kelly, has been downsized twice. I believe Dave Mustaine had a mid-size V in the '80s and then it became smaller, if I'm remembering correctly.

[DanzoStrife]

Interesting fact!
Btw, replacing image in a few with more careful scaling.

I think the V, like the Kelly, has been downsized twice. I believe Dave Mustaine had a mid-size V in the '80s and then it became smaller, if I'm remembering correctly.