The Gibson RD Standard Bass Guitar

The RD standard bass was launched with the active RD artist in 1977, and sold just over 900 instruments to 1979 when production ceased. The standard was the passive model and featured two newly designed Gibson series 3 humbuckers. The body was solid maple, with a three-piece laminated set maple neck. Fingerboards were either maple (for the Natural models) or Ebony (for the Black models).

The RD standard first appeared in the 1978 catalogue, along with the RD artist bass, and a range of RD guitars. The standard featured a volume control for each pickup, a master tone control and black speed knobs. The pickups were described as 'explosive' in the 1978 catalog. Being all-maple gave the RD guitars a distinctly brighter sound than many of the older Mahogany Gibson basses, and their very original styling was a major contrast to the very much fifties and sixties bias of the EB series basses.

The RD standard came in natural and ebony. Thanks to Brandon Howell for the ebony RD picture.

Extra long scale strings suitable for the RD artist bass D'Addario ECB80SL Chrome FW Super Soft/Long Bass Strings (D'addario Chromes Stainless Steel Flatwound Super Long Scale - Super Soft) D'Addario EXL220SL XL Bass Super/Soft Super/Long String Set (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound Super Long Scale - Super Soft) D'Addario EXL170SL XL Soft Super Long Bass Strings (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound Super Long Scale - Soft) D'Addario EXL165SL XL Soft/Regular Super/Long Electric Bass String Set (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound Super Long Scale - Regular) D'Addario ECB81SL Chromes FW Soft Super-Long Bass Strings (D'addario Chromes Stainless Steel Flatwound Super Long Scale - Soft) Thomastik-Infeld JF364 Jazz Flatwound Long Scale 4-String Bass (Thomastik-Infeld JF364 Jazz Flatwound Long Scale 4-String Bass) D'Addario EXP170SL Coated Soft Super Long Scale Bass Strings (D'addario Coated Nickelplated Steel Super Long Scale) D'Addario EXL160SL XL Medium Super Long Bass String Set (D'Addario Bass Strings Nickel Wound Super Long Scale - Regular)

Sound Clips

These sound clips are recorded directly into a mobilepre preamp. Recorded with round wound strings, and played with a pick. Each clip is around 350KB in size. My favourite setting is the fourth, with the tone turned down on both pickups. These recordings are done with low gain, but this bass really growls when you turn the gain up a couple notches.

• Both pickups, tone on 10
  Typically warm maple sound
• Bridge pickup only, tone on 10
  The bridge pickup gives the bright highs and midtones
• Neck pickup only, tone on 10
  The neck pickup gives a rich bass sound
• Both pickups, tone on 0
  This has a honky Rickenbackeresque vibe. Lovely maple.