Gibson RD Artist bass experts for info please

[DJJazzV]

I just got this bass from my brother today. After some research, I think I found out a lot of info about it so far. Looks common for the active electronics to be ripped out. I'm pretty sure the fingerboard is ebony, it's quite heavy, and the neck is in great shape.
Could any experts suggest what to do with the bass in it's current state? Try and bring it back to original state? Move it along as is? Is there anything obviously special about this particular bass? Shut up, and just play it? Anything else?
Thank you in advance.

 

[Fly Guitars]

What you've got looks fairly unmolested, but finding the original Moog boards and pickups will not be easy at all.

A correct bridge and scratchplate will be much easier.

Personally, i'd get it up and playing - and keep an eye on ebay and the like for spare parts - but don't expect them to turn up soon.

There will be a few extra screw holes if you ever get all the parts, but I'd still do it.

Good luck

 

[schwartzbass]

I bought a blonde one that had the original pickups and no electronics and i played it that way untill I finally found a wiring harness and moog electronics on ebay, It took a while but eventually they come up. In your case you'll need pickups too. At the same time I found an all original black one and once I restored the blonde one I sold it. I would put an original bridge back on yours they're abount $50 and you can find new old stock pickguards on ebay also. They are great basses with or without the moog electronics. Plenty of bottom end and a nice crisp 2 pickup tone but it took me months to get over shoulder pain from the weight of it.
good luck

 

[Mystic Michael]

Could any experts suggest what to do with the bass in it's current state? Try and bring it back to original state? Move it along as is? Is there anything obviously special about this particular bass? Shut up, and just play it? Anything else?

Experts? Well, I used to own one of these babies for the better part of 1978-79, when they first came out on the market. Do I qualify?

FWIW, mine was the black on black model, ebony board, standard mahogany set-in neck on mahogany body, etc. etc. Heavy. Really heavy...

It's kind of hard to advise you on what to do with it. What do you usually do with a new instrument? Does it "speak" to you in any way?

As far as electronics are concerned, it's a blessing in disguise that you don't have to deal with the original Moog preamp & effects. A noble experiment, and an interesting one for 1978, but ultimately pretty impractical in actual application. Contemporary preamps are generally much, much better and more reliable...

This much I will say for it: It is an exceptional hard rock bass. All that wood, and that massively thick neck in particular, makes for mega attack and sustain that just won't quit. If it were me, and I actually wanted to keep it, I'd have it fitted out with high-quality new pickups and preamp, as well as new hardware, and just play it - without any concern as to "authenticity" of its components or its vintage value.

Funny how some guys now in their teens and 20s are lusting after an RD Artist as one of the coolest basses ever built...when at the time Gibson was selling them new, they didn't exactly go over very well; reason why Gibson bailed out on it as quickly as it did.

Ah, the warm glow of vicarious nostalgia...as viewed through rose-colored glasses...

MM

 

[fu22ba55]

As far as electronics are concerned, it's a blessing in disguise that you don't have to deal with the original Moog preamp & effects.

+1

I've got two, one with and one without Moog pre.

Don't waste your time looking for an original Moog pre. It's a fool's errand.

I'm currently outfitting mine with some SGD Sidewinders (pups) once they arrive. (100% passive, no pre).

Active schmactive. If you're an active guy, then sure... throw a current pre in there with your favorite pups. But the magic in the RD is in the neck and scale length.

(And the weight has never bothered me. It's been my #1 bass for the last 10 years, and two two-hour rehearsals a week are a walk in the park. Man up.)

 

[lowphatbass]

I'm not an expert, but I would make a cavity cover for the back and plug the existing holes. I've seen holes like that plugged with brass(it wears/mellows nicely and looks like it's been there a while)or black plastic.

 

[DJJazzV]

All great responses! Thank you so much!!! Exactly why I asked. Looks like perhaps the best thing to do would be find an original bridge, original pickguard (just ordered a NOS one on ebay, even though the one on it seems like a perfect fit that someone went through a lot of work to make and fit), maybe original pickups, fill in the empty holes with non-connected pots, knobs, & switches (just for looks), put some fresh strings on it, and start playing it! The weight doesn't bother me. It seems like it could be a very beefy toned bass. The neck and fingerboard are in great shape, and that's always the most important to me anyway. I haven't even checked if it works in it's current condition yet. Might even sound great now.
Thanks again!

 

[fu22ba55]

Looks like perhaps the best thing to do would be find an original bridge (if it's not original), maybe original pickups

The original pups are very weak / low without the pre, so if you go that route you'll need some kind of pre to whack your amp hard enough.

That's why I'm putting aftermarket pups in mine.

The pups are just standard guitar humbucker size. Rio Grande makes a PitBull bass humbucker that fits, and SGD Lutherie (member here on TB) makes pups that fit as well. I think there are some passive EMGs that fit too, which might be what you currently have in there.

 

[xXxTWO FACExXx]

What's the serial number on it

 

[schwartzbass]

the first one that i had that had the original pickups minus the moog board and still had a lot of balls. I filled the holes with a dummy switch. If you keep yours eyes open, those board do turn up. I found one and won the bid at 400 bucks and I still made money on it when I sold it. I think those sunburst models are the rarest.

 

[DJJazzV]

This is kind of fun trying to learn about this bass. More research and checking is digging up more stuff. My brother insists that I brought this bass home from a garage sale about 20 years ago. I certainly don't remember doing that! Anyway...

Couple of oddities:
1. The serial number is faintly stamped for the first half of it. It looks like it starts with "7332", and there is a heavy stamp in the middle of the back of the headstock that looks like "BGN".

UPDATE: Just found that BGN stands for "Bargain". Here is the data on that: "The worse Gibson reject is the "BGN" stamp, designating that instrument as a "bargin" guitar. These were only sold to employees at substantial discounts. This stamp is also seen on the back of the peghead. Sometimes the "BGN" is stamped vertically with the "N" below the "G" which is below the "B". BGN instruments weren't acceptable to Gibson as sellable to the public.
All second instruments are usually worth less than the same guitar that is not a second (given condition as the same). BGN instruments are worth less than a second instrument because these tend to have some fairly serious cosmetic flaw."

2. The tuners were changed to Schaller, and the original holes were filled in very nicely.

3. 2 extra holes in the body??? Comparing it to other photos of Gibson RD Artist basses, they only have 7. Mine has 9 holes. There is also an empty side jack.

4. The trussrod cover in my photo is white. That made me check it, and someone had just flipped it over. Odd, but the black side is also blank. Could just be a replacement like the pickguard. I also verified that there are original screw holes for the original pickguard.

5. Barely any fretwear at all. Great shape, actually. Odd why the change in bridge and tuners. It couldn't have been played that much, I guess.

Thank you again to all for the responses.

 

[Mystic Michael]

I'm currently outfitting mine with some SGD Sidewinders (pups) once they arrive. (100% passive, no pre).

Rio Grande makes a PitBull bass humbucker that fits, and SGD Lutherie (member here on TB) makes pups that fit as well.

I've got a couple sets of SGD wide-aperture humbuckers in my Carvin Icon 5s. Wonderful pickups. I enthusiastically recommend them...

MM