At the start of the year, Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian all-but-confirmed the firm’s latest archive-raiding revival project when he posed on social media playing a Gibson RD – an unsung electric guitar from the 1970s that has developed something of a cult status over the decades.
Now, Gibson has officially announced the return of the RD, which has been added to the core Gibson Custom lineup nearly 50 years after the unique-looking six-string was first developed.
It is, naturally, a faithful reboot of the flagship model, which means it not only comes packing that uber-distinct body shape, it also offers the functional oddities that made the original RD such a stand-out model in the Gibson lineup.
Specifically, it offers a 25.5” scale length, which is longer than Gibson’s preferred 24.75” scale length. The shorter scale is utilized for everything from Les Pauls and SGs to ES-335s and beyond, so the extended scale length here makes the RD a particularly notable release.
25.5”-scale Gibsons aren’t unheard of – the Victory models, for example, all have them – but they certainly are a rarity.
As Gibson itself explains, “Not only is this the first Custom Shop-built RD model, but it is also the first 25.5” scale length solidbody core model offered by Gibson Custom.”
Naturally, that slightly longer scale length has been tuned to accommodate humble drop tunings, with Gibson badging its returning RD as: “A cult classic is reborn, perfect for drop tunings and monster riffs”.
To facilitate the build, the RD calls upon a mahogany body with multi-ply top binding, a mahogany neck with a comfortable Medium C profile, and a bound fingerboard with 22 frets.
There are all the Custom accoutrements you’d expect, too, including mother of pearl block and split diamond inlays, gold hardware, and 490R and 498T pickups.
Now, the RD – which stands for ‘Research and Development’ – might be an acquired taste for some, but it’s had some rather notable champions over the years. Dave Grohl played one during the early Foo Fighters days and, as the story goes, used one to track Everlong.
Members of the Tobias Forge-fronted Ghost also adopted the RD, while Krist Novoselic favored the bass variant.
The RD Custom is available now for $5,799.
Head over to Gibson for more.
In other Gibson news, the firm just officially launched Warren Haynes’ long-awaited P-90 signature Les Paul.
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