NorthSands

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1447954020' post='2911823'] Well you'll be in a perfect position to do this if you can find a new board for yours... let us hear before and after. Or should that be after and before..? [/quote] Ha, good point! Will do...

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1447878893' post='2911235'] I really don't understand why people felt the need to rip it out - you don't [i]have[/i] to use the Moog stuff (expansion/compression/bright) and on its own it's a perfectly workable, 2 band EQ active bass. [/quote] I'd love someone to do a side by side comparison of an RD with and an RD without the Moog board to see how different they sound!

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1447867079' post='2911106'] They were pretty complex and experimental electronics. Originally I think they had a built in Compressor for the neck pickup, Expander for the bridge pickup (both just turned on/off by the same switch), plus a treble boost switch. the controls were VV plus treble and bass (the opposite way around to a MusicMan). All powered by one 9v battery - which didn't last long. To the OP, as above, looks like you have a very simple pre-amp circuit in there, which is because the original pickups were very low output (so as not to overdrive the Moog circuit). Good luck finding a board to go in there though, I don't think there is any difference between the two versions (3 way switch / 2x toggle switch) it's just the wiring that goes in to them. Also, as mentioned above, when you get a circuit board, don't solder the pickups straight on to it because you'll more than likely overheat the ICs on the board. Lovely Bass btw [/quote] Cheers for that, most useful!

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1447759846' post='2910024'] A small booster preamp of some sort? Would explain why the bass only works with a battery in. Only 4 wires going into a sealed unit - +ve (red), -ve (black), signal in (yellow), boosted signal out (white)? [/quote] Yeah, I think that may be the answer - done a bit of reading up and apparently without the Moog board the output of the pickups alone is pretty weak, so the preamp booster was a common(ish) mod. Here's the rest of it - I didn't really want a maple one, but sometimes you have to go with what fate decides. It's definitely growing on me! Plays and sounds great, maybe due a setup to lower the action a little but otherwise I love it:

There's a closer up view of it - I'm not familiar with active electronics at all so any thoughts welcome:

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1447756070' post='2909982'] Ahh, careful though! That board is for guitar, not bass. According to Fly Guitars that causes a headache with the pot shafts (the ones which are soldered to the board), the guitar ones are a 1/4" shorter. [/quote] Well spotted!! Thanks for that - wil give this one a miss. That Fly Guitars site has been well visited over the past few years, ha - great resource. Any thoughts on my existing wiring though, this looks like it may have something to do with the active circuit:

[quote name='paulnb57' timestamp='1447755030' post='2909968'] VVTT is Volume, Volume, Tone, Tone... So, volume and tone for each pickup and a selector switch... [/quote] Of course, thanks!!

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1447753722' post='2909949'] Bit of a small pic but it looks like it's been done VVTT to me and the switch furthest from the pots is pickup selector (wired after the volume pot). Future irritation for you (apart from sourcing an RD Moog board of course) - the pickups connect to the original board with connectors which have been cut off yours. [/quote] Shrunk the image as an attachment for some readon - try this: 'Scuse the electrical ignorance, but what do you mean by VVTT? There's a board on ebay US at the mo, would that be all I need? I'm assuming I can work around the lack of connector by joining the relevant wires, or is it more of a complex situation? Cheers! Here's the link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gibson-RD-Artist-1978-1979-1989-Moog-Electronic-Control-Pots-Harness-Wiring-/321914666413?hash=item4af39bfdad:g:nZwAAOSwo6lWPlm4

Finally picked up an RD after many years of waiting for the right one - bit of a project bass, but it was priced accordingly so that's fine by me. Anyway, I was aware it had the Moog circuitry removed at some point, but strangely enough it still seems to be active, ie it won't work without a 9V battery connected. Here's a pic of the wiring, can anyone make any sense of it? Not had a chance to check the pickups, but assuming they are the original Gibson ones. [attachment=205201:IMG_5862.JPG] It sounds great, but will be returned to stock configuration at some point.