RD Artist Technical Specifications

Body and neck

Maple body, three-piece maple laminate neck.

Electrics

Gibson RD Artist circuit schematic (1977). The schematic is correct for both the RD Artist bass and the RD Artist guitar. The moog circuitboards for guitar and bass are also identical, and some of the components differ, including two pots attached to the board, which have slightly different shaft lengths to suit the relative body sizes; 1 1/8" for the guitar, and 1 3/8" for the bass.

The RD Artist bass Moog circuit board and associated wiring. Note how the pickups join the board; a pin and socket attachement rather than a soldered joint. Presumably this is to prevent heat damage to the chips on the printed circuit board. Click for a larger version.

The expander sensitivity and decay time adjuster (the circular black components, botton left and top right) can be changed by rotating the central white section with a small screwdriver

The Moog circuit board has a user changeable setting in the back of the board, the expander sensitivity - this requires a small flat-head screwdriver to adjust. This obviously adjusts the sensitivity in the expansion mode, clockwise adjustment increases sensitivity to pick attack.

There is also one more setting on the top of the board, the decay time control. This is factory set, and inacessable to the user unless the circuit board is actually removed. The factory setting for this control might be, completely clockwise for bass, and half way round for guitar. Do you know differently?

Switches

The Moog board for both versions of the RD Artist is identical, although the associated wiring and switching obviously changes between the 1977 and 1979 versions. As can be seen below, the early versions had a 3-way switch (left), and in 1979 this was replaced by two 2-way toggle switches (right). Both images below show the switch from the front, and from within the control cavity. The old 3 way switch was mechanical unreliable and is prone to sticking, though relatively simple to fix with switch cleaner and fine sand paper.

Hardware

Gibson RD parts list (1981) - All the components listed with part numbers

A closer look at the RD Artist and its components

Machine heads Schaller BM, or Schaller M4
Pickguard Five ply - BWBWB
Truss rod cover Inscribed with 'RD ARTIST BASS' in block capitals
Bridge Gibson three point
Pickups Series V humbuckers