Bass of the Week: How Gildaxe Crafted This One-of-a-Kind Vintage-Inspired Bass
We first featured Geo Kitta’s basses with the Gildaxe Devil Magnum, which combined a 70s Ovation Magnum neck and a custom-designed and sculpted body. This week, we’re checking out his latest creation that similarly uses old parts to make something new.
“My JIOSONIC IV was instigated/inspired by purchasing a NOS ‘60s Japanese bass loaded pickguard and control plate,” Kitta explains. “The pickguard and control plate were from one of many badged short-scale basses made in the ‘60s. I decided to make a medium-scale around those parts with a narrow fb to correspond/align with the short-scale pickup pole spacing. I also incorporated a ‘60s MIJ string-stop/tailpiece and found a (new) bridge that looked vintage relative. The heart-shaped paddle tuners are ‘80s Ibanez, and I installed lumen fingerboard dots and aluminum side position dots. Pat Wilkins did the beautiful understated satin finish which complimented the milky white pickguard.”
As if that wasn’t enough, the bass was designed to stand upright on its own with the Dunlop Strap-Lok system and a strap attached.
Gildaxe JIOSONIC IV Bass Specs:
| Scale: | 30″ |
| Construction: | Bolt-on |
| Body: | Jelutong |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Fretboard: | Maple |
| Frets: | 21 |
| Pickup: | NOS ‘60s MIJ Pickups |
| Controls: | Volume, Tone |
| Bridge: | Vintage 60s |
| Tuners: | Ibanez |
| Weight: | 7lbs 6oz |
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.
