At least one of those sets of pads is for the battery snap.
One (if not both) of the axial components at the bottom is going to be a polarity protection diode. The trace connecting it directly to the dual pads in red suggests that is probably the battery snap.
It's a stock Dist+. Yes, we need to see the cap values and pot tapers to be 100% sure, but I do not believe you're going to find anything hidden on the other side.
Why in the world would the Randy Rhoads edition be a stock Dist+? .... well, because that's probably what he used.
It's certainly not the first time MXR/Dunlop has slapped a fresh coat of paint on a pedal and called it an artist model.
Yep, let's confirm 100%...but if it is just an era-specific stock D+...
It's going to be a slap in the face to everyone that weighted almost 2 years for a paint job!...and why Randy's sister suggested secret(s) to be revealed...if the secret is, it's just a stock pedal he used....it's again a slap in the face to people or they'll take it that way i think!
I built an EXACT CLONE of Randy's entire pedalboard and road case 5 years ago (see attached picture)! It has era-correct stock pedals in it and after creating and playing it and thru an era-correct 1979 JMP modified exactly like Randy's from the Marshall factory (thanks Kathy for the actual amp gut shots) and thru a Marshall 1960 cabinet with real Altec Lansing 417-8H speakers....I can tell you....it sounds IDENTICAL to his live tone!! meaning...there was no modifications beyond his one-wire amp mod and all of the pedals in the pedalboard were STOCK!! :O
The folklore of Randy and John Thomas opening up the pedalboard and D+ was "gooped" was nothing more than siliconing the signal cables in place after running them thru the jack holes and hardwiring them internally to make road worthy and was in fact, Stock! Lore also suggests they picked up some pedals from the store and ran it thru the loop but did not sound the same could be due to the fact of changes MXR made to the pedals, suck as IC or pot values and taper, or just component drift over the years.
There could have been additional modifications and buffers added and maybe into the earlier pedals in the chain of volume pedal, but again...from my passion in recreating the entire pedalboard, some people get wound up and say things sound the same and they don't, but it really sounds 100% correct and just hooked up in the signal chained outlined over the years by multiple sources, such as Wolf Marshall and others and if you want it right you need the following:
1. era-specific gear, meaning 1978-1980 pedals and 1979 JMP 100w, etc.
2. the guitar should be a 1974-ish Les Paul Custom with Gibson 74 pickups, meaning PAF style stock with Alnico II pickups and 50s setup.
3. The pickups have to be Memphis Historic Spec, Gibson Super 74's...PAFs with Alnico IIs. you can't use V's. you cant use EMGs. The weak magnets allow the strings to ring and give this "chugg" tone, like you hear on I Don't know.
4. The Marshall JMP has to be a 1979 era. Marshall changed the voltages over time (480, 540, 400) and other changes in values. Likewise, it has to be modified in the same way. The 2010 tribute is not done the same way! It's a very simple modification lifting one of the voltage divider legs and hooking to the one of the inputs. The settings need to the same for same gain and tone (this was noted in the 1959RR booklet and also in various videos and books).
5. The signal chain is guitar=>MXR D+=>MXR EQ=>Marshall 1959 (modded)=>Mashall cabinet with Altec Lansing speakers.
6. Stock era-correct MXR D+ with correct settings....basically everything turned all the way up.
7. Stock era-correct MXR EQ with Randy's settings (noted in videos and books)
8. Altec Lansing 417-8H Series II (this is noted in the Marshall 1959RR information gut shots with cabinet back open). These speakers are a MUST. Some twats suggest getting Randy's tone with Celestion's and other amps. LOL Ummm, no. You think it's correct, but the Randy HATED Celestions and called them dirty speakers. He liked all of the break up in the amp, not the speaker. The Altec also add a glassiness and ghost notes to the overall tone and probably make up 30% of the tone due to the aluminum caps.
9. Medium Fender pickups. They add to the overall tone and attack. I've tried various thicknesses and material.
The guitar with those pickups allow the strings to ring out and a sag effect. The amp modified like that give it more gain like a JCM800, but different because of the huge cathode cap and bright cap, giving it sizzle and flub. The D+ gives all that glorious tone and gain and sizzle on the top, the EQ takes that already medium gain amp, +40dB pedal gain and adds a mid bump boost to the tone. Likewise, it shelves off the bottom tightening it up and rolling of a little on the top-end. Finally, the Altecs add that glassiness and ghosting!
That's it and just used in the order and settings to give the overall tone. The overall tone cannot be achieved without all of this. It's sum of the wholes! So, it does not surprise me as we go down this rabbit hole again that the secret is....there is no secret and the D+ is just an era-correct stock pedal!! :O
