Kirk acquired this guitar around 1983, shortly after the recording of Kill ‘Em All. It is a custom Jackson Randy Rhoads model, characterized by its asymmetrical V-shape with a longer upper horn and shorter lower horn – a design originally created by Jackson for Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist.
Construction and Specs
This guitar marked a significant departure from the specs of Kirk’s old guitar – the 1970s Gibson Flying V. Instead of mahogany, this Jackson features a maple neck-through construction with alder body wings. This design eliminates the neck heel found on set-neck Gibsons, allowing for easier access to the 22nd fret. The maple and alder combination also arguably produces a brighter, snappier attack.
Interestingly, despite the rising popularity of locking tremolos at the time, Kirk got himself the RR1T version of the model, with an adjustable string-through-body bridge/Tune-O-Matic and Gotoh tuners.
Aside from that, the guitar originally came equipped with two Seymour Duncan humbucker pickups: the Jazz SH2N at the neck and the JB TB-4 at the bridge position. It appears, though, based on the photos, that Kirk replaced them with EMGs at some point (if you happen to know exactly when, please leave a comment below).
Recording History
According to Hammett, he “almost completely recorded” the Master of Puppets album using this specific guitar. The choice of a fixed bridge was likely a practical decision for the studio. The stability of a hardtail bridge is far superior to a floating tremolo when quad-tracking rhythm parts and layering harmonies, ensuring the pitch remained consistent across multiple takes.
Modern Usage
The guitar is still a part of Hammett’s touring rig today, although he uses it sparingly. It is from time to time used for songs played in D Standard tuning, such as “Sad but True” and “The Memory Remains.”
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