
“This fiddle is ‘Really Dope!’”: Gibson CEO strongly hints return of the discontinued RD
NAMM 2025: Since becoming Gibson’s CEO in 2023, Cesar Gueikian has been digging through the Gibson archives. Just last year, Gibson resurrected the cult classic ‘80s Victory and made the 1950s pipe dream, the Theodore Standard, a reality. Now, it seems the Gibson RD might also be making a comeback.
Gueikian teases the model in a new Instagram video. As he plays on an RD, the caption reads: “This fiddle is ‘Really Dope’! I’ve already played it 14 times this month of January 2025 through a 2-channel top-secret Mesa amp solo; without pedals!”
READ MORE: Musical Mysteries: Who was the first guitarist to put a Floyd Rose on a Les Paul?
Originally released in 1977, the Gibson RD line, short for ‘research and development’, offered a selection of guitars and basses. Some believe it was discontinued due its the active electronics, which aimed to appeal to both the synthesiser and guitar market. The electronics allowed switchable bright mode and treble, as well as a bass boost option on some models.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Cesar (Gibson) (@gueikian)
Despite the guitar being taken off the market, many musicians still sing its praises. Back in the early days of the Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl used a Gibson RD Standard with a Tobacco Burst finish.
There are plenty of old recordings of Grohl riffing with the RD – including a full festival set in 1996 at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco. According to audio engineer Bradley Cook, it’s also likely that Grohl used his RD on the iconic 1997 track, Everlong.
Grohl’s Nirvana bandmate, Krist Novoselic, also loved using a Gibson RD bass. Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page also used a Gibson RD Artist at two Knebworth dates in 1979. More recently, some of Ghost’s faceless riffers love knocking out an RD on-stage.
While it’s certainly early days, with NAMM 2025 around the corner, we’re sure Gibson will be sharing more news in the coming weeks.
The post “This fiddle is ‘Really Dope!’”: Gibson CEO strongly hints return of the discontinued RD appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net