Gibson RD Artist electronics clones?

[Andrew]

Hi everyone, sorry if this has been covered before, I did a search and didn't find anything about it.

Curious if anyone makes a clone of the active preamp and/or pickups in the Gibson RD Artist bass? Figured if anyone would know it'd be here.

[uwe]

You mean the full enchilada, with compression and expansion? Not that I'm aware of. Nobody ever seemed to see a market and Gibson's reissues of RD guitars and basses have wisely stayed way from a "Moog Board Reloaded" electronics reissue.

[Alanko]

You could track down a BYOC compressor and expander circuit, potentially, and then use trimmers in place of pots?

[Granny Gremlin]

You mean the full enchilada, with compression and expansion? Not that I'm aware of. Nobody ever seemed to see a market and Gibson's reissues of RD guitars and basses have wisely stayed way from a "Moog Board Reloaded" electronics reissue.

I question the wisdom in that!  Though we've had this debate before.

Alanko, I don't think BYOC (or any other similar company/site) even have an expander kit.  You'd have to mod a compressor or build from scratch.  Also, there was something really nice about the Moog comp that most pedal compressors don't do (basically all the classics or derivatives, 3 knobs or less; more modern boutique stuff can come closer) - it tames the transient peak more vs just giving more sustain/treble; faster attack.  I a built Dynacomp/Ross copy and it's just not the same.  Most other options are Optical comps, which are known for their slower attack.

There is the EH Steel Leather expander.  Haven't tried it so can't compare to the RD/Moog, but it's an option.  From the demo's I've seen it'll give you the Seinfeld theme sound; only slap n poppers seem to demo the damn things.

[uwe]

One of these daze, Jake, you'll explain to me what the life-deadening compression and the all roundness in sound-defeating expansion mode were good for - except draining the battery a little quicker! 

[TBird1958]

Dead batteries in toys = unhappy Queen 

[Granny Gremlin]

Frauline, no matter how fresh the battery, RDs don't vibrate.

Come now Uwe, I already have, and recently too.  Though I only recently discovered that in addition to power chord riffage/rythm guitard replacement, apparently the expander would be great for a neu-funk hipster dufus band.

The bit of the hard rock spectrum between post hardcore and metal (inclusive) seem to like it too:



Dude even looks a bit like a cleaner cut Novoselic (certainly got the height; similar moves too).  He plays a natural RD Artist exclusively.

[Andrew]

I have the new Tech 21 dUg Ultra 1000 amp and my buddy brings his RD Artist over to play through it and it sounds PHENOMENAL with that amp. Very Entwistle-like in the best way.

Of course you can't get a lefty RD Artist so I was hoping someone cloned the guts so I could make a left handed bass with them in it (i'm not a fan of flipping basses).

[neepheid]

Jules has the schematic on his website, on you go

http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/bass/RDartist_techinfo.php

[Highlander]

I like my Artist... no PCB, one pup, no frets, one pot...

Sounds wonderful...

[Granny Gremlin]

I like my Artist... no PCB, one pup, no frets, one pot...

Sounds wonderful...

She's certainly pretty; well done.  I had to resist in your thread, but if it's coming up over here:

What are you gonna put in there (you must put something in there... you don't you don't have to lose the bare bones option)!

[Highlander]

Consider her "chambered" Jake ... either that or semi-acoustic ...

[Granny Gremlin]

UNACCEPTABLE!

(though I am interested what those full size Artist humbuckers sound like without the electronics - that's what you got in there right?)

[Highlander]

Yes indeed...

I also had one (peeled) inside a TB cover in the PC for some years...

Once I get some proper recent recordings sorted I'll post them... they do sound rather nice...