Help identifying a Made In USA Rhoads

[Chrismb99]

New to this forum and to the Jackson family, so hi everyone!

I've been looking into a new guitar for a little while now, researching and whatnot, but couldn't decide between a Kelly or Rhoads... finally settled on this Made In USA Jackson RR?? dated 1989 for sale on reverb. The serial number (RR2603) actually checks out to a 1990 model out of Ontario, CA. I can't seem to find pictures of one completely identical in any archived catalogs or pictures on Google. This made me think that, possibly, this is a custom shop so I decided to grab it.

https://reverb.com/item/21377423-jackson-randy-rhoads-1989-black-gold?show_sold=true

I did talk the seller down to $1100 which seems to me like a killer deal for a USA made Rhoads of this age and in this condition anyway.... Can anyone identify this thing? Could it possibly be a custom?

[metalhobo]

it's a Student RR. all usa jackson guitars at that time were essentially custom ordered was no "production" line. the "student" vs. "custom" designation was used to identify basic levels of trim, with the student models having rosewood boards, dot inlays, no binding, and the custom models having ebony boards, shark inlays, and binding.

$1100 seems like a fair price for a student RR in decent condition.

[Chrismb99]

it's a Student RR. all usa jackson guitars at that time were essentially custom ordered was no "production" line. the "student" vs. "custom" designation was used to identify basic levels of trim, with the student models having rosewood boards, dot inlays, no binding, and the custom models having ebony boards, shark inlays, and binding.

$1100 seems like a fair price for a student RR in decent condition.

With the dot inlays I thought maybe a student model too but I can't find a Student RR anywhere made past 1986... not even in the catalogs. They're all made in San Dimas from 1986 and before. All with different tremolos, too.

This is truly the most similar model I can find (year, no binding, dot inlays, fretboard material, "Jackson Made In USA" HS logo placement, neck thru) minus the two tone finish instead of a metallic black, active pickups, and black hardware instead of gold, it is the most similar... But definitely not in the price.
https://reverb.com/item/33330861-198...ck-bevels-ohsc

[metalhobo]

prior to around 1996 you're not going to see your exact guitar in a catalog (unless it was actually the guitar from the catalog) because, like I said previously, all usa's from that time were build to order. it's a student rhoads. that bridge looks correct for the time period. logo placement is variable from guitar to guitar, even today.

ontario definitely made student/custom rhoads, as well as soloists and KVs.

[pianoguyy]

they all had "different" tremolos because -
Floyd Rose had a deal with a New Jersey guitar manufacturer (Kramer) which excluded the trem from being put on a lot of the competitors. So, very few brands used them.
If you find an old Jackson with a Floyd Rose (original, from the factory) it meant that the customer went out and bought a Floyd Rose on the open market and sent it to Jackson to be installed on the order
*fyi, this was before the internet. So, it wasn't as easy as clicking the "buy it now" button on eBay.

It wasn't until 86/87 that some of these other trems started popping up.

[pianoguyy]

and just to repeat what's been said -
just about every guitar Jackson made was "one of a kind". You're not going to find your guitar posted on some website (it was a paper catalog back then) where you could buy one of a thousand that is exactly alike.

You had the basic the shape to work with - the Rhoads, an uneven V.
Everything else was what the customer wanted.


*students were a bit more standard simply because they were the plain guitar. most people weren't going to order a "no frills" guitar, and then spice it up with a bunch of "frills".

[Chrismb99]

and just to repeat what's been said -
just about every guitar Jackson made was "one of a kind". You're not going to find your guitar posted on some website (it was a paper catalog back then) where you could buy one of a thousand that is exactly alike.

You had the basic the shape to work with - the Rhoads, an uneven V.
Everything else was what the customer wanted.


*students were a bit more standard simply because they were the plain guitar. most people weren't going to order a "no frills" guitar, and then spice it up with a bunch of "frills".

Oh okay, I see. Thanks for the info. So now that I know that, it doesn't seem like many people ordered them with "student" specs around '87-'90 or so... was $1100 a fair deal? Do these usually go for lower than a "custom" spec from this time? It's a beautiful guitar and is in really great condition for the age. The classic jackson inlays are cool but I really like the look of the dot inlays on these things.

[ed]

It is a fair deal. You might want to check the trem and see if those saddle locking screws are working or are the threads stripped. Its a common thing in the older JT-590 trems.

[CaptNasty]

I had been watching that listing on Reverb for over a year. Enjoy it!

[toejam]

It is a fair deal. You might want to check the trem and see if those saddle locking screws are working or are the threads stripped. Its a common thing in the older JT-590 trems.

This. Those old Schaller trem systems were known to have saddle screws that would/could strip out. Schaller now uses inserts in their baseplates so the screws will no longer strip.

[Number Of The Priest]

On the JT590, did the screw threads have a tendency to strip, or did the screwholes on the zinc baseplate? Because Henrik's website (http://audiozone.dk/index-filer/Trem...ject.htm#jt590) indicates the latter, until the introduction of reinforcing steel inserts on the baseplate screwholes.

The baseplate of the JT-590 pictured is made of zinc, which is soft and easier/cheaper to produce, the knife edges are inserts of supposedly hardened steel and it has no steel threaded inserts for the saddle bolts (later models came with threaded inserts). Because of that, it's easier to strip the threads of the intonation holes in the baseplate - having threads in zinc is simply just a bad idea.

[pianoguyy]

screws stripping is an easy fix - buy new screws.
screw holes stripping on a baseplate means buying a new baseplate

[ed]

On the JT590, did the screw threads have a tendency to strip, or did the screwholes on the zinc baseplate? Because Henrik's website (http://audiozone.dk/index-filer/Trem...ject.htm#jt590) indicates the latter, until the introduction of reinforcing steel inserts on the baseplate screwholes.

The threads in the hole. I have had this happen to attleast 3 guitars. Not a big deal IMO but it adds a cost of roughly 100 dollars or euros for the new base plate. or if you want to buy a whole new trem its a bit more.

[Chrismb99]

Thanks for the tip!! So is the 590 a good trem? I've only owned one other guitar with a Floyd... was a Washburn DD-60. I assume it was with one of the cheapest trems on the market at the time. It was messed up when I got it, though. I didn't really know anything about it or how to fix it cause I was pretty young so I just sold it for about $300. I'm definitely not touching this one until I know more about it. I'm definitely excited, so when I get the guitar I may be asking more questions about the trem.

[ed]

The Jt-590 is basically an older version of this https://www.thomann.de/fi/schaller_t...locking_bc.htm Except the older ones dont have the hardened inserts in the baseplate like Toejam said.

Made by schaller in Germany. Some people dont like them so much because the zinc baseplate. I personally havent had any issues with them except for the threads stripping from the older models baseplate. They stay in tune as good as OFRs.