1979 RD Artist (or the luckiest so-and-so in the world)

neepheid · September 12, 2011, 07:43:30 AM

I have a very lovely wife who has bought me a 1979 RD Artist (two switch Moog). I have looked longingly at these ever since I got into Gibson basses but always shied away from the cost vs. my bass playing skills. However, my wife recently got a financial boost and decided to treat me. I am a very lucky man.

Pics to come, it's a little grubby and needs a good clean (lacquer feels rough in places due to the accumulation of dust/dirt and the machine heads will need a good coke soak), but with fresh strings on it sounds great and all the Moog stuff is working. Some chump had confused one of the machine screws that goes into the threaded insert for the battery cover with a pickguard screw and tried to jam it into the threaded insert - no permanent damage done thankfully. The only missing thing is one of the 5-0-5 speed knobs has obviously been lost and replaced with a standard 0-10 one. Anyone got a spare?

Chris P. · September 12, 2011, 08:18:23 AM

Wow, cool! There's a great one on UK eBay. An RD Artist, with the Moog electronics removed. So lighter, passive and only 650 pounds. Tempting, but I don't have the money at the moment.

Highlander · September 12, 2011, 02:40:34 PM

I've seen that lady first-hand - on display in a (great) shop in Devon and has been for some time, iirc - lots of mojo...

My Swede-ish buddie... I may have one of those 5-0-5's in the shed, redundant from my (abused) RD, so will check and come back to you...

neepheid · September 12, 2011, 03:53:02 PM

Quote from: Chris P. on September 12, 2011, 08:18:23 AM
Wow, cool! There's a great one on UK eBay. An RD Artist, with the Moog electronics removed. So lighter, passive and only 650 pounds. Tempting, but I don't have the money at the moment.

I felt sad when I saw it

neepheid · September 12, 2011, 03:56:04 PM

Quote from: BUFF on September 12, 2011, 02:40:34 PM
I've seen that lady first-hand - on display in a (great) shop in Devon and has been for some time, iirc - lots of mojo...

My Swede-ish buddie... I may have one of those 5-0-5's in the shed, redundant from my (abused) RD, so will check and come back to you...

Wow, that would be amazing, hope you find it

patman · September 12, 2011, 04:44:48 PM

You are a lucky man.

Highlander · September 20, 2011, 01:58:13 PM

Bumped this so I remember to go looking...

Where's the pics, Matt...

neepheid · September 20, 2011, 03:38:42 PM

Quote from: BUFF on September 20, 2011, 01:58:13 PM
Bumped this so I remember to go looking...

Where's the pics, Matt...

Heh, I've got some free time tomorrow. Now that it's cleaned up and relatively shiny (not trying to turn back time, just make it look the best it can) I'll get the camera out. Mind you, having said that I might replace the pickguard screws - some of them are pretty sorry looking - rusty, no chrome at all.

Highlander · September 21, 2011, 03:33:14 PM

I went black with my replacements - control found and pm'd...

neepheid · October 04, 2011, 12:48:49 PM

I do apologise for the delay in getting pics together, I've been really busy helping my wife get her studio in the shed together (shedio?). My RD is now complete again thanks to Ken providing the hen's tooth that is the 5-0-5 speed knob.

Highlander · October 04, 2011, 02:37:31 PM

Very nice indeed... glad to have been of service...

Now, did someone mention sheds...?

Pilgrim · October 04, 2011, 04:28:48 PM

Quote from: BUFF on October 04, 2011, 02:37:31 PM

Now, did someone mention sheds...?

Don't encourage him.

Highlander · October 05, 2011, 11:12:00 AM

Big_Stu · October 05, 2011, 11:18:49 AM

Quote from: neepheid on October 04, 2011, 12:48:49 PM

Look at that!!!!!!! Yeah, but ...... look ..... look ......... look at that!!!!

neepheid · November 19, 2011, 04:47:26 PM

My most insincerest apologies for blowing on about this but I've just finished playing my Gibson RD Artist until the sweat was pooling in my headphones and I smell a bit funky. I have a big grin on my face. I've had mud, I've had some crazy fuzzy distortion from my bass trainer because the compression setting turns 10 volume in approximately 13 (given that 7 with compression is like 10 without) and I've had some mad, zingy stuff with expansion and bright mode together. It does everything in between as well. I played some Madness, some Selecter, some Rancid and some Charlatans. I played a bit of band stuff. Then I just messed about for the hell of it - because this is the kind of bass which invites you to just flick some switches and have a go.

I absolutely love this bass. It's as mad as a box of frogs, can be sublime and ridiculous simultaneously and probably the best bass Gibson ever made. I doubt we will ever see its like again, not properly anyway.