I unboxed this beast and was just absolutely floored by how beautiful the finish is and sounds every bit as good as it looks. I've never played the RR1 but I can't imagine the price difference is justifiable. I guess the only negative is that it needs to be setup once you unbox. Nbd

This guitar is fantastic for playing metal. I come from playing Kirk Hammett's KH602, which is great for metal as well. But I think the Rhoads sounds better with high gain.They both sound great, just different pick ups. The KH602 sounds gritter and darker; the Rhoads sounds cleaner and warmer. And it's light as a feather. There's no bulk. I was afraid of how the V shaped would feel while sitting down while playing, but really have no complaints. I don't own a tube amp (yet), and am using a Fender Mustang amp, and this thing chugs beautifully through it. The action's low, there's the extra couple frets, as well, not to mention the Floyd Rose, which keeps in tune. No noticeable fret buzz. I feel like I don't need to palm mute as heavily with this as much as the KH602. I got nothing bad to say about this guitar (or the Kh602, really). They're both killer for metal... and not bad clean, either.