Two years ago, we checked out a Gildaxe bass that combined a vintage Ovation neck with a custom body to make something brand new. Now designer Geo Kitta has shared the Gildaxe Juniper, a 32-inch scale bass that is all custom designed and built. The bass oozes with vintage vibes as it takes its cues from the ’60s Italian Meazzi Hollywood Jupiter.
“The body is of a single slab sliced in two of Honduran mahogany which was extensively chambered, coupled to a flamed torrified maple neck with an ebony fingerboard with 22 frets, which was Plek’d. The neck was built to my specs by master luthier Dan Ransom/SF. I fabricated and polished the aluminum pick-guard/control plates/pu surrounds and scored securing an actual ’63 Jupiter string-stop/cover.”
Kitta fit the bass with two “Vox”-like single coil pickups with a custom ebony five-way selector switch. The settings offer the neck pickup, the bridge pickup, both pickups, series/parallel mode, and a kill switch.
“The tone control is a Stellartone ToneStyler Bass Six offering great tonal options,” Kitta adds. “The outstanding finish was executed by master finisher Pat Wilkins/SoCal. As a real bonus – I acquired a rare ’60s Meazzi [hard shell case] in mint condition that this bass fits like a glove.”
