Bass of the Week: Scopel P-Board Bass
I love it when luthiers think outside the box with the woods they use for their instruments. A recent trend has been to recycle old skateboards to create instant mojo, and Brazilian bass builder Antonio Cesar Scopel nailed it with his P-Board bass.
Inspired by the Fender Precisions from 1951 to 1957, the P-Board’s body is made entirely from used skateboards joined by nuts and bolts. Its maple neck is on the slim side with 20 frets and a compound radius of 7.5 inches to 10 inches.
For electronics, Scopel went with a Hot Rails humbucker that can be switched into series and parallel operation. An acrylic thumb rest allow for anchoring and comfort. Hardware includes a string-thru stainless steel bridge made by Scopel himself with wooden saddles.
Check out this demo of bassist Tofik Ferdinian playing through The Police’s “Message In A Bottle”:
Scopel Guitars P-Board Bass Specs:
| Body: | Used Skateboards |
| Body Thickness: | 1.77″ in the center to .78″ on edges |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Nut: | 1.5″ |
| Frets: | 20 |
| Fingerboard Radius: | 7.5″-10″ |
| Bridge: | Scopel “String Thru” stainless steel bridge |
| String Spacing at Bridge: | 17mm |
| Pickup: | Hot Rails Humbucker |
| Controls: | Tone, Volume, Selector Switch (Series / Off / Parallel) |
| Total weight: | 9.2 lbs |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
