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Are Gibson RDs really that rare?

#21
JoshuaTSP said:
Yeah? hearsay?

I wasn't that impressed with mine when I got it.....to be completely honest. I got the same feeling I got when I played my first warwick. It hangs differently on a strap and the ergonomics are a way different experience than your typical Fender.

I've spent more time with my RD Standard and am starting to like it more and more. I keep tweaking the setup, and making it more playable. :bassist:
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hahaha!

you know i've got to mess with you man. i'm glad you're liking the bass. :p
 
#23
madbassplaya said:
hahaha!

you know i've got to mess with you man. i'm glad you're liking the bass. :p
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I better like it.....I've got the Artist coming on Friday.

stflbn said:
Yup... any time i've strapped on most 'popular' gibson basses i've always had the same impression of 'what the hell' regarding the weight and the submarining of the neck.
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I wonder why people like the thunderbird so much more than the others?

It has all of the "negative" Gibson characteristics? :confused:
 
#24
I have a '78 RD Artist that plays great. Yes. It's heavy, I have never gigged it, mainly because of the shape of it's body. It's more of collectable/sentimental thing for me to own one. I am thinking about recording with it in a few weeks just to see what happens.
 
#26
Back in the mid 80's I went into a local music shop that dealt mainly in used gear. I was looking to get rid of a Kramer Duke and the shop had 2 basses that really caught my eye- an RD Artist and a T-40. I bought the T-40 because it was cheaper but I was really GASing for the Gibson for a long, long time. And I dont remember ever seeing one in a store again for years.
 
#27
I am a newie so i will talk from that place.....Recently I bought a RD Artist from 1978 in mint contition and 100% original. In my humble opinion this is an OUTSTANDING instrument. Is well known this bass is very heavy, but the sound is terrific.
 
#30
Ah, a new mahogany RD guitar re-introduced-

Link Removed

Could a mahogany bass version be coming next?

Maybe we should write to Gibson asking them to make one?
Mahogany with TB pickups, ebony Fret board.
 
#32
JoshuaTSP said:
I'm thinking about selling my Standard and Artist. :(:(:(
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Well, you started this thread. Would you mind to tell why you consider selling them?

I have an RD Artist guitar and an RD Artist Bass. When I got the guitar I had a few problems with it - the neck felt sticky and it was my first guitar without trem, so I had to adjust the height of the stop tailpiece several times until the strings felt good for me. I liked the electronics enough to consider buying the bass version. I wanted one with ebony fretboard. Years later I found one on ebay. While the guitar is not heavy, the bass sure is. And I had problems with it at first too. It really was a bit difficult for me at first to get used to the 34 1/2" scale, and I had to order XL strings for it. Recording with it I found that I really liked the sound of it. I took it to band rehearsals and the result was great too. The sound is transparent, no mud at all. And I don't feel that it is neck heavy. The music I play is a mix of different styles (my own songs, mostly in a 70's style, either with pick or fingerstyle), that does the RD well. Since I haven't been a fan of Nirvana I didn't expect the bass to give me the cool vibe of some music or player I admire ;)
 
#35
Hamerguy said:
Well, you started this thread. Would you mind to tell why you consider selling them?

I have an RD Artist guitar and an RD Artist Bass. When I got the guitar I had a few problems with it - the neck felt sticky and it was my first guitar without trem, so I had to adjust the height of the stop tailpiece several times until the strings felt good for me. I liked the electronics enough to consider buying the bass version. I wanted one with ebony fretboard. Years later I found one on ebay. While the guitar is not heavy, the bass sure is. And I had problems with it at first too. It really was a bit difficult for me at first to get used to the 34 1/2" scale, and I had to order XL strings for it. Recording with it I found that I really liked the sound of it. I took it to band rehearsals and the result was great too. The sound is transparent, no mud at all. And I don't feel that it is neck heavy. The music I play is a mix of different styles (my own songs, mostly in a 70's style, either with pick or fingerstyle), that does the RD well. Since I haven't been a fan of Nirvana I didn't expect the bass to give me the cool vibe of some music or player I admire ;)
Click to expand...

I've been tossing around the idea. Mostly going "yes, no, yes, no, yes, no" etc. Just because I have too many basses, not because they're bad....because I haven't grown attached to them yet.

I certainly like the MOOG electronics. The bright mode is exactly like you said....very clear and no mud.
It's also nice to have more of a vintagey tone with bass and treble controls.
The comp/expand mode is cool too, but not as usable.

The Standard is alright too......a Jazz with HBs and that Gibson feel.

I have yet to try either with the band....since both needed work, and we're taking a little time off.
We tune to C standard.....and it does an okay job on that low string too.

So....mostly thinking about selling because I could use the money, I have too many basses and they're big archaic heavy boat anchor of a forward leaning, jut out to the left basses.:D

That said, I'm probably going to hang on to them for while. :)
 
#37
As I've posted elsewhere, I scored an RD Artist for $350.00 in 1898.
I bought it from a Pennsylvania shop via e-bay.
One of my co-workers sent me an e-mail that I needed to check this bass out. I looked at the photos and sent him an e-mail to the effect of "Oh great, another weird Gibson bass". I was the proud owner of a Gibson T-bird at the time. That's what I'm playing in my pic.
Anyway he called me and said, "Don't argue with me. Just buy it!!!" He had previously owned one.
So I bought it and have never regretted a moment of owning it.
 
#38
I had a black RD Standard and absolutely hated it. I loaned it to someone and never really cared that I didn't ever get it back. That's how much I disliked it. Of course, I also had a cr*p amp at the time and it was wayyyyy heavy for a skinny lad (at the time), so maybe I would have liked it better now...


Nah.
 
#39
stevieg said:
As I've posted elsewhere, I scored an RD Artist for $350.00 in 1898.
I bought it from a Pennsylvania shop via e-bay.
One of my co-workers sent me an e-mail that I needed to check this bass out. I looked at the photos and sent him an e-mail to the effect of "Oh great, another weird Gibson bass". I was the proud owner of a Gibson T-bird at the time. That's what I'm playing in my pic.
Anyway he called me and said, "Don't argue with me. Just buy it!!!" He had previously owned one.
So I bought it and have never regretted a moment of owning it.
Click to expand...

So just a few years after this thread was started then, eh? ;D
 

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