RANDY RHOADS’ POLKA DOT V

THE AXE

In dire need of a guitar as bold and audacious (both in tone and aesthetic) as himself, Ozzy Osbourne’s right-hand man – and a legendary shredder in his own right – Randy Rhoads had the first Polka Dot V assigned to luthier Karl Sandoval, who in 1979 designed a model based on the classic Gibson Flying V, but with several unique appointments that would make

Rhoads’ piece of kit truly one-of-a-kind. These included a maple Danelectrostyle neck with rosewood fingerboard and bow-tie inlays, whacked onto a mahogany body with two DiMarzio humbuckers, independent volume and tone controls, standard vibrato setup and a selector switch on the upper bass bout.

THE STORY

Rhoads was the kind of guitarist to whom typical rock ’n’ roll excess was just another Sunday morning breakfast; he craved intensity, and upon seeing Xciter guitarist George Lynch – who he massively respected – rock up to a show with his new V-shaped guitar, Rhoads was certain he needed one of his own. Admired by the concept of a Gibson-esque shape with Fender-like tech, he reached out to Sandoval (who also built Lynch’s model) and had his own whipped up. The polka dot finish came from Rhoads’ determination to give his guitar an identity of its own – it had to look like nothing any rockers were ripping on at the time, and polka dots were about as far away from the norm as one could travel back then. Who else could make such an unsuspecting design look so f***ing badass!?

THE REPLICA

Rhoads never gave a mass-production company license to issue the PDV on a wide scale; he chose to play custombuilt models throughout the entirety of his short-lived career, favouring the handmade spirit and intricacies of each individual take on a luthier’s build.

That said, the Polka Dot V is a favourite of custom-builders around the world – finding a homemade replica shouldn’t be too difficult, if you’re willing to put in the hard yards with research and shell out a pretty penny.