The Jackson Rhoads is a Jackson electric guitar. Close alternatives include the Randy Rhoads Custom Jackson V Prototype II and the ESP GL Super V. It pairs well with the Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head and the Marshall Bluesbreaker.
Jackson Rhoads
Jackson · electric guitar
The Jackson Rhoads is a sharply pointed, offset V-shaped electric originally designed with Randy Rhoads, built for high-gain metal. It typically features a mahogany or alder body, a fast thru-neck or bolt-on neck, a long scale and high-output humbuckers, delivering a tight, aggressive, cutting voice with strong sustain and clarity under heavy distortion. Its dramatic shape and upper-fret access suit fast lead playing and aggressive riffing. Wes Borland is among the players who tour with Rhoads models. It is squarely a metal instrument, excelling at thrash, heavy and nu-metal rhythm and lead, with little aimed at vintage or clean-focused styles.
- metal
- sustain
- tight
- nu metal
- thrash
- gain
- clarity
- aggressive
Genres the Jackson Rhoads is commonly used in
- Metal
- Nu Metal
- Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Thrash Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Death Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Jackson Rhoads
Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head
amplifier
34% matchInto the JTM45's classic clean Marshall headroom, the Rhoads' tight, high-gain pickups pick up real vintage Marshall character.
Marshall Bluesbreaker
Marshall
34% matchThe Bluesbreaker's natural breakup softens the Rhoads' tight, thrash-ready gain into something more classic-rock voiced.
Dumble Steel String Singer
Dumble
33% matchThe Rhoads' tight, high-gain-voiced pickups meet the Steel String Singer's liquid clean halfway, trading distortion for that amp's own natural sustain.
Bogner Barcelona
Bogner
17% matchJackson Rhoads's own sustaining character is the real reason this is worth trying
3rd Power Dragon 25 112 Combo
3rd Power
17% matchThe Rhoads' tight, sustain-heavy metal pickups push the Dragon 25's British, natural saturation into thrash territory rather than classic rock.
Friedman Jose 100
Friedman
16% matchJackson Rhoads leans toward sustaining, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Orange Little Bass Thing
Orange
tonal matchOrange Little Bass Thing leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Fuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo
Fuchs
tonal matchFuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Pedals that stack with the Jackson Rhoads
Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff
Electro-Harmonix
27% matchPush the Rhoads' tight, thrash-voiced pickups with the Green Russian's own smooth, gritty sustain and it turns into real weight.
Shin's Music Dumbloid
Shins Music
23% matchThe Dumbloid's articulate, Dumble-voiced drive rounds off the Rhoads' tight, thrash-ready pickups instead of piling on more gain.
Tone City King of Blues
Tone City
tonal matchTone City King of Blues's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Jackson Rhoads delivers it
Boss VB-2W
Boss
tonal matchInto Jackson Rhoads, Boss VB-2W is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Electro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe MM
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchElectro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe MM is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Jackson Rhoads gives it exactly that — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Carl Martin THE Fuzz
Carl Martin
tonal matchCarl Martin THE Fuzz's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Jackson Rhoads delivers it
Boss RE-2 Space Echo
Boss
tonal matchInto Jackson Rhoads, Boss RE-2 Space Echo is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Warm Audios Throne of Tone
Warm Audio
tonal matchInto Jackson Rhoads, Warm Audios Throne of Tone is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Randy Rhoads Custom Jackson V Prototype II
Jackson
70% similarity“the design process that would ultimately become the production Jackson Rhoads model”
ESP GL Super V
Esp
63% similarityShared character: high_output_humbuckers, effortless_playability, aggressive_playing
Jackson Y2KV
Jackson
60% similarityShared character: effortless_playability, aggressive_playing, sustain
B.C. Rich Beast
B.C. Rich
96% similaritysimilar tone character
ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte
Esp
96% similaritysimilar tone character
ESP Alexi Laiho Signature
Esp
96% similaritysimilar tone character
B.C. Rich Kerry King V
B.C. Rich
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Hamer Phantom GT
Hamer
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Ibanez Universe
Ibanez
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Epiphone Limited Edition Matt Heafy Les Paul Custom
Epiphone
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Gibson Custom Kirk Hammett Flying V Signature Guitar
Gibson
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Dean V
Dean
94% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Jackson Rhoads (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Jackson Rhoads?+
The closest matches in character are the Randy Rhoads Custom Jackson V Prototype II, the ESP GL Super V, the Jackson Y2KV.
What pairs well with the Jackson Rhoads?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head, Marshall Bluesbreaker, Dumble Steel String Singer — Into the JTM45's classic clean Marshall headroom, the Rhoads' tight, high-gain pickups pick up real vintage Marshall character..