Is this a fake 70's RD?

[sun baked snow cave]

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-guitar/city-of-t ... nFlag=true

The neck looks real enough although if it is real it must have been refin'd. Also the big cover on the back is a completely different size and shape to every other RD I have come across. Switching is different being on the top instead of the bottom, missing guard aswell.

Thoughts?

[Ancient Astronaught]

Neck volute, weird bridge and tailpiece, headstock binding yet no neck bindings...... Doesnt seem typical gibson, but it could be a custom shop order.

BUT

Where's the serial number?!?! I didn't see one on the back of the headstock.

[Holy Schnikes]

The bound headstock (with fancy inlay) and unbound neck + block inlays is correct for a 70's RD Artist. The serial may have been covered/removed with the refin.

The one thing that really bothers me is that rear control cover. I've seen the huge cover in the Moog equipped RD and a smaller cover on the Custom like this one here:

http://guitarbyvito.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... r.html?m=1

I've never seen any RD control cover like the one you posted.

[benjuro]

The one thing that really bothers me is that rear control cover.

Headstock and volute look legit, but that cover is weird.
Might be the refinish or the missing pickguard but the curves of the horn and non-cutaway side of the body also look slightly off...
I'm more used to the lines of my '77 RD bass though, might just be me.

[Fuzzy Picklez]

I'm almost 100% sure that's the RD that was hanging on the walls at Cask Music for a while. He was asking something closer to $2000 at the store.

I believe it's just been really heavily modded, but it was a bit of a dog anyway. I wouldn't bother.