MXR Randy Rhoads signature Distortion+

The MXR Randy Rhoads Distortion+ (model RR104) is a limited edition signature distortion pedal from MXR, built as a recreation of the vintage MXR Distortion+ that Randy Rhoads himself used. MXR says the pedal has been painstakingly matched to the legend's own MXR Distortion+ to recreate the same raw, overdriven tones heard on his most beloved hits¹²³.

Rhoads, the late Ozzy Osbourne guitarist, is the player whose pedalboard the design is drawn from: the project saw MXR examine his famous "chip pan" pedalboard, including his own Distortion+, for the first time⁴. The signature pedal keeps the two-knob simplicity of the original and wraps it in a custom finish inspired by Randy's legendary Flying V guitar⁵.

Controls and how it works

The control layout is the same as the original Distortion+: two knobs and a footswitch, nothing else. Guitar Player noted "There are dials for Output and Distortion and a true bypass footswitch"⁸, and Guitar World described it the same way at launch⁷.

There is no tone knob. That is faithful to the original design, but it is worth knowing before you buy: Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson wrote, "I always get nervous when I see just 2 knobs - I almost always need some sort of tone control or bias to be present"⁹. He also observed that "while it's labeled a distortion - it's very much on boost duties within a typical Randy Rhoads rig"⁹, which matches how Rhoads himself used the original, pushing an already driven amp rather than doing all the work itself.

How it differs from a regular Distortion+

The Randy Rhoads edition is a version of the MXR Distortion+ rather than a new circuit. Karlsson put it plainly: "as the Randy Rhoads one is simply a version of the MXR Distortion+"⁹. His understanding was that "each of those pedals has some slight parts variances - but you're mostly paying for the different cosmetics"⁹.

The cosmetics are the obvious difference. The pedal carries the black and white polka dot design synonymous with Rhoads, on both the enclosure and the box, with his signature on the pedal itself⁴. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley described the finished product as having "the double RR painted in gold at the bottom of the pedal, and 'Randy Rhoads Special Edition' emblazoned on the top"¹⁰. Karlsson felt "the polka dots design of the Randy Rhoads edition makes that version a little more visually appealing" than its companion Malmsteen release⁹.

History and versions

The pedal had a long road to release. It was announced in December 2022⁴, with Guitar World reporting at the time that a Randy Rhoads signature MXR Distortion+ pedal would be released the following year¹¹. It was revealed in 2022 that Kathy Rhoads and MXR had been working together on the pedal "for quite some time"⁴.

In January 2024, Kathy Rhoads unveiled the design for the first time in an Instagram post, saying, "I personally got to design and choose every detail alongside Jimi Dunlop"⁴. The same month brought a delay: "Due to unforeseen circumstances the MXR Distribution+ is delayed until mid-spring"⁴, and the pedal was not shown at NAMM 2024. Guitar World noted it "has faced a series of delays since it was announced in December '22"¹².

An August 20, 2024 release date was finally set¹², and MusicRadar confirmed the launch: "MXR has finally launched its Randy Rhoads Distortion+, a limited edition signature pedal"¹⁰.

The timeline since then:

• December 2022: First announced¹²
• 2022: Revealed that Kathy Rhoads and MXR had been working together on the pedal "for quite some time"⁴
• Mid-spring 2024: Release date after a delay; the pedal was not shown at NAMM 2024⁴

The Special LTD is "another limited-run take on the polka dot Distortion + model"¹³, and Gearnews notes "The Distortion + is based on the same pedal Randy used"¹³.

Who designed it

MXR's engineers spec'd Randy's vintage Distortion+ with the direct involvement of his sister Kathy Rhoads⁵. Dunlop's own account of the project says "our MXR engineers worked directly with sister Kathy Rhoads to ensure that this tribute would be equipped with all the correct components"¹⁴, and the development work included dissecting the "chip pan" pedalboard⁴. Kathy Rhoads herself credits the collaboration with Jimi Dunlop on every detail of the design⁴.

What reviewers said

Published reactions were mixed. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, writing after the launch, was lukewarm on its usefulness for his own rig: "This one would have been a nice-to-have - but surplus to requirements really for me," adding that most of the tone in a Rhoads-style setup comes from the Plexi⁹. He also noted the limited edition numbers were "not properly disclosed"⁹.

The strongest endorsement came from a player, not a reviewer. Phil Demmel, in the video accompanying the release, recalled his first reaction to hearing Rhoads' playing⁸:

Guitar Player's coverage of the release quotes Phil Demmel on first hearing Randy Rhoads' playing, describing a sound that was abrasive yet smooth, sparkling, and articulate even at high gain⁸.

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