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RD artist


Rodent

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Posted Yesterday, 11:29 AM

 

Hello all,

I have just signed on to this forum, mainly as I have an RD Artist, I think 77? and I'm trying to bed down exactly which model it is.

the reason for my confusion is some of the 'trusted' books I read give varying description's. Let me give the details.

Burst, gold hardware,25.5" scale, TP-6 tailpiece, Moog electronics, Ebony with block inlays, Peghead with pearl f style logo, etc.

now the 'Blue book' only talks about the RD Custom/custom 77, having Moog. and the Artist as just having active electronics.

Vintage guitar price guide has the RD Artist77 as being released in 1980. my serial # is 70939029. making it a '79' the guitar did come with '77' tags, and I think because the scale is 25.5" that it is an Artist 77.

Am I just to except the fact that these books cannot, thro scale of research they have to do, that they are not going to get all correct?

Hope someone out there will have an idea.

look forward to using this forum from here on, as I have a few vintage Gibson's I have been trying to get details on, and not been able to get answers else where.

Regards from Australia

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I believe that you do have a 1977, I have the same guitar in "Fire Burst". Yours looks to be "Vintage Sunburst". If I recall correctly, the first year was the only year that they had the longer scale neck & they went to two mini toggle switches to switch the compression & expansion where ours are switched with one three position switch. My case is the same as yours also.

 

4gKt55zl.jpg

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I believe that you do have a 1977, I have the same guitar in "Fire Burst". Yours looks to be "Vintage Sunburst". If I recall correctly, the first year was the only year that they had the longer scale neck & they went to two mini toggle switches to switch the compression & expansion where ours are switched with one three position switch. My case is the same as yours also.

 

4gKt55zl.jpg

Thanks Grog, good to get more info on this.

Another contradiction that has come up, in,'1001 Guitars to dream of playing before you die' The author suggests the Custom was the model with a longer scale. I do not think this is right, as mine is an Artist, and it has a 25.5" neck.

Also in the, 'Gibson Shipping Totals 1937-1979' RD-77 (it does not say whether an Artist or Custom). 7 shipped in 1977, and 114 in 1979.

it would be nice to look at the pot dates, but I'm not prepared to pull the Moog board out to get to them. I'm going to except my serial # as being 1979. All the electronics are working well. on that, apparently the pickups are Gibson series VI humbuckers, i think especially for these guitars. This i got from an article in 'Vintage Guitar mag, about the 1978 Artist.

You could be correct on the longer scale year, I'm just going to have to keep looking into it. And i have to accept that the previous owner might have changed items??

Thanks again, and love the your bass. another guitar on my bucket list!!!!

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I looked in my copy of Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars and the scale length was wrong in there also. Jules from Fly Guitars has posted most of the old catalogs, here is one on the RD.

 

http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/gibson/catalogues/1978_RD_1.php

Yes, have just looked at Gruhn’s info, also the link you gave me. The RD77 is the closest, BUT, it didn’t mention the TP-6 tailpiece.

Also looked at the ‘Interactive Gibson Bible’, and the RD Artist79 looks close, but wrong scale again.

I’m heading to work for a couple of weeks, and while away, I am going to make a spreadsheet in xcel using all books/articles comments, so I can see on one sheet what matches what!

‘My brain hurts’🤬🤕🤪 but good fun.

Thanks again

Rodent

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