Remembering Randy Rhoads with Reverence

With a couple of stories you’ve probably never heard…

On Friday, March 19th, 1982, the world lost one of the greatest hard-rock/heavy-metal guitarists of all time — Randy Rhoads. He was only 25 years old.

Even though he only recorded two studio albums with Ozzy Osbourne — 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz and 1981’s Diary of a Madman — the massively influential impact Randy’s remarkable playing had on metal guitar still resonates strongly to this very day — a staggering 38 years since his tragic and untimely death.

The unique guitar shape that Randy developed with Grover Jackson (and team) had only just finalized before his passing. To this day, it remains a staple in the modern heavy-metal world, continuing to grace stages and studios all over the world.

It goes without saying that Randy’s talents as a riff writer, songwriter, and soloist have proven to be timeless. After all, many of the songs he cowrote — including “Crazy Train,” “I Don’t Know,” “Over the Mountain,” and “Mr. Crowley” — are rightfully heralded as “all-time metal standards.” His artful melding of metal with his classical leanings is also the stuff of legend. So, too, was his dedicated and relentless pursuit of continual growth as a musician.

Much has been written, and written well, about the man’s playing style, influences, teachings, and techniques. So, for this piece, I’m going veer off this much-trodden path by sharing a couple of Randy stories.

The Mystery of What Really Lurked Inside Randy’s Pedalboard

On Monday, October 13th, 1980, at Malvern Winter Gardens, I was fortunate enough to witness Randy play on Ozzy’s first UK tour. To say that I was blown away by what I saw that night would be a massive understatement! His playing, tone, and stage presence were all incredible — I knew I was watching a man destined to become a legend. 

The opening band on the whole European leg of that tour was the criminally underrated and overlooked Welsh power trio Budgie. Shortly thereafter, I became friends with the band’s guitarist, “Big” John (JT) Thomas (now sadly deceased — RIP, mate). As an added bonus, while John (JT) and Randy became close friends on that tour, I learned a lot about Mr. Rhoads both as a musician and as a man.

A rare snapshot of John Thomas and Randy at John’s home in Birmingham taken on a cheap Kodak Instamatic in late 1980. John had an impressive guitar collection and Randy’s favorite was a vintage Gibson 335.

One of the many fascinating things John shared with me concerned Randy’s now-mystical pedalboard. “It started acting up after a roadie dropped the bloody thing,” John recalled when I interviewed him several years later. “All the techs had looked at the board and drawn a blank, so Randy and myself decided to give it a go ourselves.” Before they started “tinkering” though, the pair sensibly decided to get duplicates of the five pedals that lived under the hood of Randy’s behemoth black board. But, when they hooked up the newly purchased pedals in the same order (Roland Volume Pedal –> Vox Wah Pedal–> MXR 10-band Graphic EQ –> MXR Flanger –> MXR Stereo Chorus*), to their bewilderment, they sounded very different from the originals.

*RR FX NOTE: Randy also used an echo/delay unit, too, but that was not part of his onstage pedalboard; it was at the end of his signal chain, just before his Marshall amps. He normally used one of two tape devices — either a Roland RE-201 Space Echo or a Korg SE-500 Stage Echo.

“So, we started taking his board apart and discovered that all the circuitry had been set in some sort of resin,” John continued. “So, there was nothing we could do. Maybe his pedals had been modified, or maybe there were some line boosters or even filters added, which could’ve explained the difference, too — there was no bleeding way we could know!”

Granted, “potting” electronics in epoxy resin is often done to protect components from moisture and vibration; and it can also improve insulation, thus reducing interference, too. That said, it is also done on occasion to hide a circuit or component secret or three! Intriguing stuff, as Randy’s pedalboard, and especially his use of his MXR Distortion + and 10-band Graphic EQ, definitely lurked at the very heart of his highly revered tone.

The modern offering of Randy’s most stepped on “gadget” — the famous MXR Distortion +. Whether or not Randy’s pedal was modified remains shrouded in mystery…

Meeting Randy

John always told me that if I ever happened to run into Randy, I should tell him I was “a friend of JT’s” because “Randy is a such a smashing bloke.” As good fortune would have it, that happened in late 1981.

On Saturday, November 28th, 1981, my band — a relatively fledgling Grim Reaper — achieved a major milestone by headlining one of England’s most prestigious club venues, The Granary in Bristol. Everyone — from Motorhead to Iron Maiden to Thin Lizzy — had played there, so it was a really big deal for us. Needless to say, we blew every penny we were paid on the best sound and lighting rigs we could afford. What on Earth does this have to do with meeting Randy Rhoads? Read on.

The lighting came from leading UK company LSD (Light, Sound & Design), and my friends on their crew told me that the rig we were using was a (very!) small part of Ozzy Osbourne’s rig for his UK Diary of a Madman Tour that started the very next day, “just down the road.” Knowing I was a huge fan, they asked me if I’d like to tag along. Of course, I said “yes” and crashed on a friend’s couch that night… duh!!

The next day, I not only saw the show, but I also got to watch the band soundcheck! They played “Diary of a Madman” sans Ozzy, and it was simply stunning. Then, Randy and his tour manager walked offstage and toward the mixing/lighting board where I was watching. I took a deep breath and made my move.

“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Rhoads,” I said timidly to the tiny man who was (and still is) one of my biggest heroes. “I’m a friend of JT’s and he said I should say ‘Hi’ if I ever met you.”

“Nice to meet you,” smiled Randy as he shook my hand. “If you’re a friend of John’s, then you’re probably a guitarist, too.”

I nodded and, for the next five minutes or so, the diminutive legend bombarded me with questions about what gear I used and why before he was whisked off to do an interview he was already late for. He went deep, too — from pickups, picks, string gauges, and action to amps and speakers. And when it came to my pedals, he was really interested in the order they were in and why.

It wasn’t until I was heading home on the last train back to Birmingham that the truth really hit me — I met Randy freaking Rhoads and discussed gear with him, but I didn’t get to ask him even one darned question. I’d just answered all of his!

“That’s typical Randy,” JT laughed when I told him about my chance encounter with his friend. “He loves picking other guitarists’ brains. I bet he talked your ears off!”

“Besides being a great player, Randy was the nicest human being you could ever wish to meet and would give anyone the time of day,” John added. “He was also a very caring individual who loved his mother dearly. I know this is going to sound corny, but he touched my life — he touched my heart. He definitely left his mark on everyone who heard him, too; you can hear his influence all over the place.”

The author with Randy’s beloved mother, Delores Rhoads (a.k.a. “Dee”) and the late, great guitarist’s two original Jackson axes.

Since that unforgettable meeting in 1981, I’ve had the incredible honor of working closely on both the Marshall 1959RR Randy Rhoads Signature head and the Jackson Custom Shop Randy Rhoads Relic Concorde Tribute with Randy’s incredible family — his dear mother Delores (RIP) and his loving siblings, Kathy and Kelle. I’ve also had the honor of playing at one of the always-remarkable Randy Rhoads Remembered concerts and of speaking on behalf of Jim Marshall when Randy was inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk in 2004. As amazing as those four experiences were though, they can’t top being quizzed about my gear by Randy in person!

Randy’s Larger-than-life Legacy

To close, here are a few of the many glowing Randy Rhoads quotes that renowned metal luminaries gladly gave me when I was penning the manual for the 1959RR Tribute Marshall in 2008. They literally speak volumes as to the late, great guitarist’s indelible impact.