If Randy were alive today?

[John C]

I have to agree with basic gist of this thread. Maybe this is just my confusion or hazy recolections from 1982 but I don't consider the white prototype to be the "Concorde" - I think that was just a name Rhoads and Jackson were kicking around for the final version of the guitar. The white one wasn't the "Concorde" if I'm remembering correctly, it was just "prototype #1" and was much closer to the 70s LP Custom he was playing. What this thread is calling the "PCS" is what I would call "prototype #2" which was much closer to the final version.

That being said, whatever Rhoads had in mind for final changes based on "prototype #2" (or "PCS") would have likely been the production "Concorde". Had Rhoads eventually left and returned to his Gibson roots later in life the Jackson would likely still be in production as the "Concorde" since he didn't want it to be a "signature" model and I'm sure Grover Jackson was as smart as Sterling Ball (EBMM EVH Signature was EBMM designed and after EVH left it was tweaked and renamed the Axis) to keep the design with company.

[McD]

Not sure about all of that, but I sure would have loved to have seen him play live!!!

[Newc]

I have to agree with basic gist of this thread. Maybe this is just my confusion or hazy recolections from 1982 but I don't consider the white prototype to be the "Concorde" - I think that was just a name Rhoads and Jackson were kicking around for the final version of the guitar. The white one wasn't the "Concorde" if I'm remembering correctly, it was just "prototype #1" and was much closer to the 70s LP Custom he was playing. What this thread is calling the "PCS" is what I would call "prototype #2" which was much closer to the final version.

That being said, whatever Rhoads had in mind for final changes based on "prototype #2" (or "PCS") would have likely been the production "Concorde". Had Rhoads eventually left and returned to his Gibson roots later in life the Jackson would likely still be in production as the "Concorde" since he didn't want it to be a "signature" model and I'm sure Grover Jackson was as smart as Sterling Ball (EBMM EVH Signature was EBMM designed and after EVH left it was tweaked and renamed the Axis) to keep the design with company.

It's documented in interviews with Randy at the time that the white one was indeed named the Concorde. That's the name Randy gave it because its sleek appearance resembled that of the airplane of the same name, hence the nose is slimmer than the final pointyhead, and the body is fat but short. There's an old 70s pic somewhere of the Concrode in flight taken at such an angle that you could put the guitar over it and everything will line up almost perfectly. I've seen that pic in Time magazine, I think.

The Concorde was only referred to as a prototype after the fact, since you can't have a prototype without plans for a production model, and that was neither Randy's nor Grover's intent when it was built. Randy had an idea for a guitar and had Jackson build it, and the idea Randy presented was for a guitar named "Concorde". That has been stated by both Randy and Grover in interviews done at the time.

[adoxtater]

Nah - he'd be playing Jackson... no ESP... no Dean...

Damn straight dude! Randy had good taste in guitars there is no doubt. Besides, I don't think anyone would be foolish enough to ditch Jackson then go to ESP, and then to Dean. You'd have to be a complete...

Oh wait....

Nevermind

[Leftyzrule580]

I realize this post may be off topic, but I just had a thought. It seems to me when musicians think of changing styles or projects, they die. Cliff Burton, Chuck Schuldiner, Rhoads... I may just be a crackpot, but I find it a little strange.

[roodyrocker]

I realize this post may be off topic, but I just had a thought. It seems to me when musicians think of changing styles or projects, they die. Cliff Burton, Chuck Schuldiner, Rhoads... I may just be a crackpot, but I find it a little strange.

Which is why I'm sticking to my 80's hard rock after all these years, its much safer for me

[warlok]

I agree with McD!!

[Mazz]

I'm just curious because that guitar is what created jackson, how do you discontinue "the bloodline" as it were. Would they have just renamed it, or would Randy have been able to sign off saying "Sure keep making it as this model" or something else.

When I think Jackson I think Rhoads. King's V and the Kelly but it's always Rhoads first.

I wonder how that would have changed Jackson.

How that would change Jackson is instead They would always make you think Concorde instead of Rhoads...

and He would still be alive happily =D

To bad the Randy bit isn't true

[Mazz]

To be honest if Randy was still alive today I could see him leaving Ozzy and Re-forming Quiet Riot.

[Jack Napalm]

Not without Kevin.

[bsfc9]

Yes, the "PCS" is the black one. The "PCS Rhoads" run was styled (at least cosmetically) after that one - smaller finlays, v-plate, same bridge, etc). It's commonly held that aside from the inlay size, that's the design they settled on when they did the production model in 1990 (accounting for the 1983-1989 models being all "Custom Shop", you could get any neck profile and other specs).

Is it true that the pre-1990 "Custom Shop" guitars had serial#'s beginning with "RR", and the post-1990 production models had serial#'s starting with "U"??

[Zerberus]

Is it true that the pre-1990 "Custom Shop" guitars had serial#'s beginning with "RR", and the post-1990 production models had serial#'s starting with "U"??

Yes. There are a few exceptions, but almost all of them have the "RR" prefix. BTW todays CS Rhoads also carry the "RR" prefix