Gibson RD
Encyclopedia
The Gibson
RD series solid body electric guitar
s were launched in 1977 as a complementary range to Gibson's existing guitars. They were designed to be brighter sounding than the existing models (such as the Gibson Les Paul
or Gibson SG
) and as such were longer scale (25½" as opposed to the more usual 24¾"), maple
-bodied, and with state-of-the-art pre-amplified (active) electronics. At the time Gibson was owned by Norlin who also owned Moog Music
. The active electronics were designed by Bob Moog
, shortly before he left his own company.
The best known and top of the line RD, the Artist featured active circuitry with switchable bright mode, treble and bass boost, compression and expansion. No passive mode. The electronics consisted of a 9v battery powering a circuit board the length of the body, accessible from the back cover. Also available as a bass
. The neck scale was shortened in 1979 to 24¾", a return to the standard Gibson scale used on other solid bodied guitars. The post '79 instruments are less desirable today than the original '77 Artist, which has become something of a modern classic. In recent years, RD Artists have become quite collectible among collectors and players alike.
RD Custom 1977-79
The Custom featured active circuitry with a switchable bright mode. The electronics consisted of a 9v battery powering a circuit board smaller than the artists, but still of significant size, accessible from the back cover. No passive mode.
RD Standard 1977-79/2007
The Standard was passive only, with none of the circuitry of the other two models. Also available as a bass
. The standard was reissued in Silverburst only, in a limited edition of just 400 guitars, as Gibson's 48th Guitar of the Week series of 2007.
of Led Zeppelin
used his 1977 RD Artist model to perform the song Misty Mountain Hop at the band's August 11th appearance at Knebworth.
Steve Khan used a Gibson RD Artist on his The Blue Man album (1978 CBS Records), crediting his thanks to Musitronics and Pat Alworth, Gary Aumaugher and Buck Munger of Gibson Guitars for their RD Artist Guitar.
John Williams, British classical guitarist, used a Gibson RD Artist on the very first 'SKY' album.
Dave Grohl
of the Foo Fighters
has used an RD Artist and an RD Custom.
Lenny Breau the late jazz great played a Gibson RD Artist.
Mikey Dees (Fitz Of Depression) Mikey Uses as his main Guitars, the Gibson RD Custom, and has been known to play an SG from time to time in the studio. He used both the RD and SG for the Foo Fighters track "How I Miss You", from the "Big Me" E.P. on which he was a guest player.
Alan Kendall of the Bee Gees played a Gibson RD Artist.
Tim Kasher of the Omaha, Nebraska and Saddle Creek Records band Cursive has been using one recently.
Krist Novoselic
, bassist for Nirvana
used a RD Artist bass throughout the bands tenure live and in the studio.
Nick Thieneman, bassist for Young Widows and defunct Breather Resist
uses an RD Artist bass live and in the studio.
Dav Byrne of Agonhymn plays a reissued 2007 model RD Standard.
Bill Spooner of the Tubes used an RD Artist in the 70's.
Frank Maudsley of A Flock Of Seagulls
.
Rob Dean from Japan also used a Gibson RD. It can be seen in the "Life In Tokyo" video.
Tom Botts from "Chivas Narves" plays a black 1977 RD Artist on all his albums.
Mick Murphy of Hypertribe and now with the band My Ruin uses an RD Artist to record with.
Gibson RD standard
Adam Clayton
from U2
can occasionally be seen using a Gibson RD Artist bass.
Martin from L.A. Rock uses a Gibson RD standard bass in shows.
Neal Tiemann from David Cook uses Gibson RD guitars almost exclusivelly.
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
RD series solid body electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s were launched in 1977 as a complementary range to Gibson's existing guitars. They were designed to be brighter sounding than the existing models (such as the Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
or Gibson SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
) and as such were longer scale (25½" as opposed to the more usual 24¾"), maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
-bodied, and with state-of-the-art pre-amplified (active) electronics. At the time Gibson was owned by Norlin who also owned Moog Music
Moog Music
Moog Music is an American company based in Asheville, North Carolina which manufactures electronic musical instruments. The current Moog Music is the second company to trade under that name.-R.A. Moog Co. and the original Moog Music:...
. The active electronics were designed by Bob Moog
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...
, shortly before he left his own company.
RD Models
RD Artist 1977-82The best known and top of the line RD, the Artist featured active circuitry with switchable bright mode, treble and bass boost, compression and expansion. No passive mode. The electronics consisted of a 9v battery powering a circuit board the length of the body, accessible from the back cover. Also available as a bass
Gibson RD bass
The Gibson RD guitars were designed at the Kalamazoo plant and launched in 1977. The design team consisted of Chuck Burge , Tim Shaw and was overseen by Bruce Bolen. There were two bass models, the RD Artist and RD Standard, plus 3 guitar models...
. The neck scale was shortened in 1979 to 24¾", a return to the standard Gibson scale used on other solid bodied guitars. The post '79 instruments are less desirable today than the original '77 Artist, which has become something of a modern classic. In recent years, RD Artists have become quite collectible among collectors and players alike.
RD Custom 1977-79
The Custom featured active circuitry with a switchable bright mode. The electronics consisted of a 9v battery powering a circuit board smaller than the artists, but still of significant size, accessible from the back cover. No passive mode.
RD Standard 1977-79/2007
The Standard was passive only, with none of the circuitry of the other two models. Also available as a bass
Gibson RD bass
The Gibson RD guitars were designed at the Kalamazoo plant and launched in 1977. The design team consisted of Chuck Burge , Tim Shaw and was overseen by Bruce Bolen. There were two bass models, the RD Artist and RD Standard, plus 3 guitar models...
. The standard was reissued in Silverburst only, in a limited edition of just 400 guitars, as Gibson's 48th Guitar of the Week series of 2007.
Notable RD players
Jimmy PageJimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
used his 1977 RD Artist model to perform the song Misty Mountain Hop at the band's August 11th appearance at Knebworth.
Steve Khan used a Gibson RD Artist on his The Blue Man album (1978 CBS Records), crediting his thanks to Musitronics and Pat Alworth, Gary Aumaugher and Buck Munger of Gibson Guitars for their RD Artist Guitar.
John Williams, British classical guitarist, used a Gibson RD Artist on the very first 'SKY' album.
Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
of the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
has used an RD Artist and an RD Custom.
Lenny Breau the late jazz great played a Gibson RD Artist.
Mikey Dees (Fitz Of Depression) Mikey Uses as his main Guitars, the Gibson RD Custom, and has been known to play an SG from time to time in the studio. He used both the RD and SG for the Foo Fighters track "How I Miss You", from the "Big Me" E.P. on which he was a guest player.
Alan Kendall of the Bee Gees played a Gibson RD Artist.
Tim Kasher of the Omaha, Nebraska and Saddle Creek Records band Cursive has been using one recently.
Krist Novoselic
Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
, bassist for Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
used a RD Artist bass throughout the bands tenure live and in the studio.
Nick Thieneman, bassist for Young Widows and defunct Breather Resist
Breather Resist
-History:Breather Resist formed in 2002 and recorded 8 songs, 4 which were on handmade demos. These 8 songs became their first EP, "Only in the Morning", released on Deathwish, Inc.. Their first LP, Charmer, was released on Jade Tree Records in October 2004, having been produced by Kurt Ballou...
uses an RD Artist bass live and in the studio.
Dav Byrne of Agonhymn plays a reissued 2007 model RD Standard.
Bill Spooner of the Tubes used an RD Artist in the 70's.
Frank Maudsley of A Flock Of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls are an English New Wave band originally formed by brothers Michael "Mike" Score and Alister "Ali" James Score , with Frank Maudsley , Michael Kuby , H.J...
.
Rob Dean from Japan also used a Gibson RD. It can be seen in the "Life In Tokyo" video.
Tom Botts from "Chivas Narves" plays a black 1977 RD Artist on all his albums.
Mick Murphy of Hypertribe and now with the band My Ruin uses an RD Artist to record with.
Gibson RD standard
Adam Clayton
Adam Clayton
Adam Charles Clayton is a musician, best known as the bassist of the Irish rock band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965...
from U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
can occasionally be seen using a Gibson RD Artist bass.
Martin from L.A. Rock uses a Gibson RD standard bass in shows.
Neal Tiemann from David Cook uses Gibson RD guitars almost exclusivelly.
External links
- Gibson RD series– Information, statistics and schematics for the three Gibson RD models.
- RD Guitars– Images and information about the RD guitars from Gibson.