rd_artist Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Kirst Novoselic signature bass Well this seems interesting,too bad they won't have it in sunburst the real thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matbard Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 This bass is awesome. A more closed-vintage spec of the RD line than the guitar currently on sale. Perhaps the major concern is about the pickups choice: a couple of Gibson humbuckers would have suited it better, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkolo Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Looks like it should be nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd_artist Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 They should have went with the Mark V pickups, it's a passive pickup in the interview with Krist he said that his original RD was muddy sounding and his Artist model had an issue with moog circuit board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaolee Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 My brother, who is a committed Jazz Bass guy, saw something about those and was intrigued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincentw Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 I have not plugged one in yet...but i can tell you the one I held had some weight to it. I believe the body is solid Maple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassilisk Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I had a '77 RD Artist and it certainly was a serious hunk of wood, all maple, so if they kept the spec this will follow. The neck was a little clubby but not uncomfortably so. I'd be curious to know whether they maintained that or slimmed it down (modernized it). I didn't go for the Mood electronics suite very much (it certainly made for some interesting tones) but I must say I really did like the sound of the pickups themselves. Very clean and full, like a P bass but not, and they sat in the mix very well. I hope whatever they've put in this reissue achieve similar results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I'd really like to hear an all maple Gibson. I wonder if Guitar Center will actually stock one of these. In the 70s, I had a Ric which was all maple, and I loved it back then. I was in Akron a couple of weeks ago and played a new one, and wow - I really did not like anything about it - not the neck, the way it played, and especially the sound. It seemed to put out a ton of mids that I could not correct with the eq on the amp; I could not make that thing sound good. One great thing: I don't miss my Ric anymore. So this new all maple Gibby will be interesting. I hope it sounds as great as it looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincentw Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I had a '77 RD Artist and it certainly was a serious hunk of wood, all maple, so if they kept the spec this will follow. The neck was a little clubby but not uncomfortably so. I'd be curious to know whether they maintained that or slimmed it down (modernized it). I didn't go for the Mood electronics suite very much (it certainly made for some interesting tones) but I must say I really did like the sound of the pickups themselves. Very clean and full, like a P bass but not, and they sat in the mix very well. I hope whatever they've put in this reissue achieve similar results. I haven't felt a neck on an original, but this neck feels similar to a P-bass neck...with a volute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassilisk Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 I haven't felt a neck on an original, but this neck feels similar to a P-bass neck...with a volute. Sounds like they stuck to the original spec (or close to it). On a lateral note (my 2 cents), I've found that Fender has added variations within itself, so saying something feels like a P (which was pretty self explanatory at one point) is no longer that obvious. It's become "P like" vs a J for example (and they have their own variations). I get pretty confused because the new stuff all feels a little different unless you pick up one of the RI's. It seems each decade has produced a profile - from what I can see the LP's (guitars) are similarly shaded. Anyway, the '77 RD I had was P-ish with a rounded profile, but being basically flat boarded made it easier to handle. I did like it but GAS is a pernicious thing, so between the weight and the size of it overall it had to go. It sure did sound good though. Like I said, I hope this RI retains that part of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincentw Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Good info. I have a 1998 P-bass and a 2008 P-bass both USA and the necks are very similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassilisk Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Good info. I have a 1998 P-bass and a 2008 P-bass both USA and the necks are very similar. Yeah, I would think those would still be pretty close. The USA Standards have gotten back to the more traditional shape people expected from the 70's. But, for example, you play an '83 AmStd and the neck has the width of a 60's (1 3/4") with the thickness of a 70's (clubbier vs flat C). I had an '83 Std and 2 Elite II's with that profile and I had to flip them all because they were actually uncomfortable. Large enough that my hand hurt after a gig(I have short fingers). I had a P Deluxe that seemed to meld somewhere between a J and a P. I have no experience with the MIM or Squier stuff so I can't comment of where they are in all this. I currently have a '76 P. I also have a '70 Tele (which was meant to be like a reissue of the '51) and the '76 profile is noticeably thicker. The flatter profile of the Tele shows another aspect of where the P was originally. Ultimately it's whatever sells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassilisk Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Kirst Novoselic signature bass Well this seems interesting,too bad they won't have it in sunburst the real thing. I finally had a chance to try one of these last night at GC. The action could've been better. I can't understand why they do not routinely check their instrument's setup. I picked up 3 basses besides this and they were not in the best presentation mode at all. The action on one of the vintage pieces [north of $8K] was basically unplayable. I would think that if you want people to drop some real money on a new instrument you'd have everything presented in its best light. That's for another thread. Anyway, it was on the high side but workable. Having said that, it is still a serious piece of wood. The neck profile felt very true to the '77 Artist I had. Meaty, but not uncomfortably so - I liked it. The fit and finish looked pretty good too (black doesn't show blems easily anyway). Soundwise: I was playing at a reasonable store/room level through an Ampeg and the J Basslines/passive VVT setup sounded pretty good. Like a Jazz bass, but it did remind me of the Artist running without all the Moog circuits kicked in. Rolling off the tone knob gave a similar tone. Overall impression, not a bad bass at all. I don't know that I'd drop $1500 on one, but down the line a used one would be a good value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beate Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 May i pick up this thread with just a question: the bridge of the RDs is the traditonal 3 point bridge. Therefore it is possible to mount strings through the body as well as direcly in the bridge. This would lead to a very different loading of the body by the string tension. Does anyone of the (former) RD owners know if there is an audible difference between the two mounting options (aside from the intonation problems inherent to the bridge if strings are mounted there)? Will that affect attack or sustain? (Background: for people being able to use a drilling machine that might be an easy improvement for other instruments with that kind of bridge) THX Beate who would consider buying an RD reissue bass if it was short or medium scale, had a more friendly color (natural maple or sunburst...) and better pickups. Well, at least the latter could be easily changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd_artist Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 I have strung my RD both ways and I can't say that there is any noticeable difference in tone or sustain, I prefer to string through the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassilisk Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I agree. I've strung numerous basses both ways - there was no noticeable difference other than the PITA created by going through the body and having to find suitable strings that were long enough. I prefer through bridge because for me there is no realized benefit going through the body. Once the string breaks over the saddle at a sufficient angle it doesn't matter whether it's through the body or not. On a parallel - same for nut material. Once a nut is properly cut and the instrument set up you will not hear a difference between materials. Of course there are people who say they hear a difference. Your mileage may vary as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beate Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Thanks for the replies. So i may conclude that the single but important point for string thru is the intonation problem of the 3d bridge when bridge mounting is used. Or is it mounted in the RD such that the saddles need to be adjusted closer to the pickup side of the bridge than it is in the EB-Basses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd_artist Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 I have never had an intonation issue with the 3 point bridge, I have 2 other basses with the 3 point bridge and they are intonated just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beate Posted December 23, 2011 Share Posted December 23, 2011 I have never had an intonation issue with the 3 point bridge, I have 2 other basses with the 3 point bridge and they are intonated just fine. Mhmm, intonation problems on the lower strings seem to be pretty well known. They are, of course to some degree dependent on the strings. On my EB3-clone (the white one on my avatar picture) they are pretty severe for the E using d'Addario halfrounds and not significant using Pyramid Nickel roundwound. All of the shortscales. Our Epi Explorer intonates just fine as well. In the net reports mostly seem to concern (original) EBs and the SG bass. Anyway, the most imortant question has been that on the effect of the string mounting option on the sound on RD basses. Back to those: i like the shape. Mostly in its all maple variant. That's why will build my own replica, however shortscale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 I believe the body is solid Maple. Is it really solid maple?? THat would make an incredibly heavy bass. Awesome body style for a bass. I think it looks so much better than the RD series guitars. Seems to suite a bass much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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