Kevin Bond Signature Rhoads

[Izegrim]

I think the CS is making him a new one!

[zebutcher]

You think or it's real.?

For the weight's story, i prefer a heaviest guitar coz i know that i have into my head a real piece of wood. But it's only on few models. I love my SLSMG coz it's a strato shape, but i prefer a RR1 or RR pro for the weight than a KB.

[Widowmaker]

I emailed Kevin and he said he was lightening his collection so he could get a new custom Jackson. Do artists have to pay for their guitars?

[RacerX]

Jackson artists, yes.

[toejam]

I think they get a discount and maybe one free guitar a year. The policy could have changed, though.

[Sunbane]

Cool. It will be interesting to see what he and the CS guys will cook up.

[paulbag]

I believe they get the axe's at cost, or so I've heard...

[dinkyjacksonman]

Kevin got a 22fret Kelly in Solar with TOM which he didn't like it because it felt like the neck is short and Jackson was making another Rhoads with the same color as the Kelly and inlays.

[zebutcher]

His band with Anselmo is down. So he change his gig.

[juka]

OK... in the mean time I got my Kevin Bond Signature Rhoads and I have have to say I'm really, really impressed with build quality. It's almost perfect, but I will change/replace two things:
1. the tuners to Schaller Locking tuners and
2. the pickup to some other model. I don't know which one yet, but something less scooped, because I feel that the extreme mid-scoop of the Iommi-PU together with the glassy sound of the ebony is simply too much. You have a huge wall of sound with a (at least for me) very annoying hole in the middle.

[shadowcat]

Cool, congrats on getting the guitar!

How is the balance (and the weight)?

FWIW, my favourite pickup is the Duncan Distortion, it sounds awesome in my mahogany guitars (COW DK6 and Soloist Archtop Professional). So if you're interested in passive pickups, I recommend you try out this one.

Oh, and you NEED to post pics!

[juka]

Balance is perfect and it's the lightest guitar I've encountered ever, while having nearly endless sustain.
Pickup-wise I'm pretty undecided: maybe EMG, because with thoses you get a volume pot you can really work with, or maybe Bill (and Becky) Lawrence L-500, which are quite hard to get, but sound really outstanding...

[Izegrim]

Yeah I'm really impressed with the sustain too! I have this lead at bandpractice where I hold a note and grab my bottle of beer and sip it before I continue, no kidding!

[juka]

Cool, congrats on getting the guitar!
...
Oh, and you NEED to post pics!

The finish is so shiny and mirrorlike that it's really hard to capture the real beauty of this guitar (at least for someone who is a complete amateur in digital photography like me). As you may see I changed those cr***y korean tuners for Schaller locking (huge improvement) and the Iommi PU for an EMG85, which makes it a completely different beast.

[RacerX]

Those are actually not bad photos!