Jackson has recreated the custom Rhoads Scott Ian took through Anthrax’s ’80s heyday, and it plays as well as it looks.
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has one of the fiercest picking hands in thrash metal. The dude has the most precise, jackhammer-like attack and perfect control over the string, plus a savage tone that cuts through even Charlie Benante’s unearthly drumming. Scott needs a guitar that can reproduce that kind of detail, clarity, punch and chunk, and aside from a stint with Washburn alongside his pal Dimebag Darrell and a foray with ESP, he has long been recognised as a Jackson guy. He’s had plenty of signature models over the years, but his latest, part of the new Jackson Legend Series, recreates his famous ‘NOT’ Rhoads. That guitar was a custom Jackson built for him in the early ’80s, and it became a fixture of Anthrax’s recording and touring throughout that decade.
The other instruments in the Legend Series are Marty Friedman’s Megadeth-era KE-1 Kelly, David Ellefson’s CB V Concert Bass five-string and – holy mother of god – Randy Rhoads’s original Jackson Concorde design, the CD1. Hopefully the line will continue with new models, because honouring specific iconic metal instruments in a dedicated series like this is a great idea, and a smart one from Jackson.
Catch up on all the latest reviews here.
This beastly offset V is built in the classic Randy Rhoads fashion, although not the oversized Concorde V of Randy’s guitar in the series. Nope, this is the pointier, more famous, more ubiquitous Rhoads shape. While the various catchphrases and decals will speak loudest to Anthrax fans, I found myself immediately taken by the guitar’s pearlescent finish (it looks pure white in photos but no, you’ve gotta see this one in person – it’s gorgeous and would look amazing onstage) and thinking, ‘I would happily own this guitar and make it my own by decorating it my own way…’ which is probably a spoiler alert that I would happily own this guitar.
But let’s do the specs first. This is a neck-through instrument with a three-piece maple neck running the full length of the body, flanked by alder wings, which gives it a classic, resonant foundation. The neck is reinforced with graphite, finished in gloss to match the body and trimmed with white binding. It’s topped with a 12″–16″ compound radius ebony fingerboard with pearloid sharkfin inlays, black side dots and 22 jumbo frets over a 25.5″ scale.
Up top is Jackson’s pointed six-in-line headstock, again with white binding, holding a set of Jackson-branded sealed die-cast tuners. At the other end there’s a Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo working with a Floyd Rose R3 locking nut, and the only electronics are a black-covered Seymour Duncan TB-4 JB Trembucker and a single volume knob. Simple and direct.
And ‘simple and direct’ is the perfect way to describe this guitar. With a thrash-approved Mesa-and-Marshall preset loaded up, I got to work running through my favourite Anthrax riffs and having the time of my life. Before I knew it I’d moved on to a medley of classic thrash and metal riffs, then just kinda chugging and noodling around, until time had completely gotten away from me. What I eventually realised was that this guitar, despite its radical shape, stage-light-catching pearl white finish and Scott-specific decals, is far more than a tribute to a particular guitar from a particular player’s history. It’s capable of telling its own story through the hands of whoever picks it up.
I put it down to a few things. It’s in the super-comfortable neck, which encourages you to take chances with your technique because it doesn’t get in your way or distract you from your music. It’s in the neck-through construction, which gives notes a different attack and sustain profile to a bolt-on or set neck, with more consistent harmonic overtones I think… and it’s definitely in that Seymour Duncan TB-4 JB Trembucker, a classic pickup originally developed for the ‘TeleGib’ modified guitar that Seymour himself gave to Jeff Beck. You recognise it when you hear it, and everything you play sounds that little bit more professional through a JB because it’s been on so many hits that our ears are practically trained to identify it.
Playability-wise, the neck really does deserve a special shout-out. The neck-through design means there’s no chunky heel in the way when you head for the top frets. Pointy shapes like this can be prone to neck-dive, which matters on a guitar designed to be played on a strap, standing up and rocking out. The balance is good here, though, and the smooth playing experience this neck offers makes the guitar as much a serious tool of the trade as it is a showpiece.
This guitar would make a great entry in the Jackson catalogue even without all the ’80s Anthrax lore. I’d actually be super happy if Jackson and Scott released a version with a regular finish some time in the future, because it’s such a perfect no-nonsense platform for metal already. But if you’re an Anthrax fan, you’ve probably got a soft spot in your heart for Scott’s NOT graphics and the more playful side of the band’s early days. Either way, if you’re a metal guitarist who isn’t scared to play an awesome shape that’s NOT meant to be played sitting down, and you’re not scared off by the words ‘Floyd’ and ‘Rose’, you’ve gotta riff on this thing if you get the chance.
More at jacksonguitars.com
