Tom Morello holds Randy Rhoads' iconic guitar

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has shared his experience of being permitted to hold the historic Jackson Concorde guitar used by the late Randy Rhoads. Morello, who was instrumental in Randy Rhoads' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame via the Musical Excellence Award, noted that the instrument had previously been kept in a secure location.

Morello explained that while Rhoads’ family, including his mother, had previously maintained strict restrictions on the instrument, he was eventually invited to see it when it was in transit to and from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although he was not permitted to play the guitar, Morello described the encounter as an emotional moment, noting that the leather guitar strap still retained the scent of cigarette smoke from 1982.