Randy Rhoad's Out Of Phase:

[Inspector #20]

I have long listened to "over The Mountain" and "Flying' High Again" and remarked at how drastically different his tone was on these two songs. I have long thought he was playing out of phase on the rhythm sections and switched to the bridge pickup only for leads. Both songs were from the 1981 Diary Of A Madman Album and both were recorded during the time that Randy had his White Jackson Concorde.

The picture is a little clearer after studying the wiring diagram for Randy's White #1 Concorde Jackson guitar. Thanks to SD Custom Shop for the diagram:

Randy only had his black, #2 Jackson Concorde, for a few months before his death in 1982 and it was not used on any known recordings. However, the White #1 was used extensively on the 'Diary' recordings - and this is the model with a Seymour Duncan designed, out of phase wire harness.

Here are some recent photos of Randy's two original Concorde's...

 

[JohnnyGoo]

Great album,love that white Jackson V. What kind of Trem or Tailpiece is that white V using.

 

[Inspector #20]

Great album,love that white Jackson V. What kind of Trem or Tailpiece is that white V using.

Stock Fender....

 

[JohnnyGoo]

Really ? Interesting.

 

[Inspector #20]

Really ? Interesting.

I am privileged to have been able to hold and strum all of Randy's guitars when I visited his Mother in 2002. All of them - even the Les Paul - have the super short and narrow Fender-style fretwire.

 

[Inspector #20]

Here's my OOP tone on the Von herndon Double neck:

Double Neck Pickup Swap

For tone comparison, here is Randy's isolated guitar track from 'Flyin' High Again' in which you can hear that he is running both pickups out of phase. I was also able to confirm that Randy used the White Concorde on this recording:

We also know that - according to Karl Sandoval - the Polka Dot V was not wired OOP and - we also know - that when Gibson Historic forensically examined Rhoad's 1974 Les Paul Custom - in order to offer a Randy Rhoad's edition Les Paul - the wiring/pots/caps were found to be all original, as where the pickups...

 

[Inspector #20]

Note the position of Randy's selector switch:

 

[Inspector #20]

Randy's OOP Stratocaster....

 

[Inspector #20]

White Concorde Middle Position:

And these are only a few!!!!!

While it was rare to see Randy in the middle position on Blizzard Of Ozz, it was uncommon to see him NOT in the middle position on Diary Of A Madman...

 

[Inspector #20]

Just received confirmation from Karl Sandoval that the Rhoads Polka Dot V was not wired out of phase. Again, this fact makes his tonal difference between 'Blizzard' and 'Diary' significant...

 

[Inspector #20]

@Mitch Pearrow SJMP

 

[eSGEe]

Randy out of focus---

 

[Mitch Pearrow SJMP]

I have played the polka dots V , no amp but I did play it! Cheers Mitch

 

[eSGEe]

I woulda had to rub my junk on it -------just once

 

[Mitch Pearrow SJMP]

I woulda had to rub my junk on it -------just once

There will be no junk rubbin

 

[eSGEe]

but ----its my "jam"