Gibson unveils the Krist Novoselic Signature RD Bass

Gibson has announced the release of the Krist Novoselic Signature RD Bass, to mark the 20-year anniversary of Nirvana's seminal album Nevermind.

The announcement follows Fender's recent unveiling of the Kurt Cobain signature Jaguar.

The Kirst Novoselic Signature RD Bass features a pair of noise-cancelling single-coil Seymour Duncan pick-ups with independent volume controls and a master tone pot. Check out full spec and details in the press release below.

Also check out our recent retrospective Nevermind anniversary features - the story of Nirvana's Nevermind and our interview with Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg.

PRESS RELEASE: To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's breakthrough Nevermind album, Gibson USA is proud to introduce the Krist Novoselic Signature RD Bass.

Through his distinctive playing with groundbreaking grunge band Nirvana, to his post-Nirvana bands Sweet 75, Eyes Adrift, and Flipper, Krist Novoselic has distinguished himself as a bassist of formidable tone and unmistakable style.

Able to hold down a firm bottom end that glues a song together while simultaneously shining as a centre-stage musician in his own right, Novoselic helped to establish a standard for the sound, feel, and style of alternative-rock bass playing of the past two decades.

To honour this musician's impact on the sound of contemporary rock, Gibson USA presents the Krist Novoselic Signature RD Bass, an instrument primed with unparalleled playability and powerful contemporary tones, all dressed in an alternative style that countless modern bassists will appreciate.

Finished in Ebony Black nitrocellulose lacquer, the distinctive lines of the RD body shape cut a figure that definitely stands out from the crowd, too.

The Krist Novoselic Signature RD Bass begins with a body and glued-in neck of solid maple, a tonewood known for its ability to add punch, clarity and sustain to the sound of any guitar.

It is shaped in the image of the RD guitars and basses first introduced by Gibson USA in the 1970s, with a rounded, offset body style reminiscent of the iconic Gibson Firebird guitar and Thunderbird bass.

The sustain and thundering resonance of the Krist Novoselic Signature RD Bass are further enhanced by a strings-through-body design with solid three-point bridge, and a gently back-angled headstock to maintain optimum string pressure in the PLEK-cut slots of a Corian nut.

Meanwhile, formidable Grover "Shamrock-key" tuners keep your pitch tight and true, however hard you hit it.

The comfortably rounded neck profile with a depth of .860" at the 1st fret and .960" at the 12th is paired with an exotic obeche fingerboard with 20 frets and a 12-inch radius, all crafted to enhance a playing experience that is every bit the equal of the superior tone and construction of this outstanding bass.

To optimize the power, punch and clarity of the Krist Novoselic Signature RD Bass' natural resonance and sustain, Gibson USA uses a pair of Seymour Duncan Bass Lines STK-J2n and STK-J2b "Hot Stack" pickups.

Designed to offer the precision and harmonic richness of single-coil pickups, with the noise-cancelling properties of humbuckers, these Seymour Duncans provide unparalleled tones and impressive versatility.

An independent volume control for each enables you to dial in your preferred balance of bridge and neck pickup for any playing situation, while a master tone control allows fine-tuning of your instrument's voice.

Add it all up, and the Krist Novoselic Signature RD Bass is a total monster of versatility and performance for today's master of the low-end.

Each one includes a Gibson hardshell case and owner's manual, and is covered by Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 Customer Service.

RRP $2,199

Information taken from official press release, for more visit Gibson.

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Si Truss

I'm Editor-in-Chief of Music Technology, working with Future Music, Computer Music, Electronic Musician and MusicRadar. I've been messing around with music tech in various forms for over two decades. I've also spent the last 10 years forgetting how to play guitar. Find me in the chillout room at raves complaining that it's past my bedtime.