Love them or hate them, some “replica” basses really hit the mark, and reader Scott Hayes sent us a perfect example of how it should be done. “The bass is a ’65 inspired p bass with a light relic (closet queen) built by Paul Slagle of Pittman Guitars,” Hayes shares. “The photos are taken by Victor Vega. The Neck was hard to capture but it’s amazing – it starts off as a soft v from 1 to 5th fret and morphs to a flatter C shape. It’s lovely and it’s a very comfy 8 lbs.”
It’s no wonder Slagle’s creation hits all the right notes; he’s been in the music business his entire professional life. “As a player, I have filled the slot in bands as a guitarist, singer, bassist, doubled on keyboards, and yes, even as a drummer,” the luthier writes. “Toured as a pro player, and also a pro touring FOH Mixer with gold and platinum selling artists. All the while, in between all that, I would be working on instruments, be it on my own doing work for others, or have a job at some boutique guitar company. I have worked for several respected builders, such as Michael Tobias and James Tyler and many others.”
Slagle, who is also noted as one of the top finishing and restoration luthiers in the Southern California area, built the bass’s gorgeous neck out of a highly figured piece of maple. Its alder body is finished in an aged nitrocellulose Dakota Red, which makes a nice contrast to the cocobolo fingerboard. The custom aluminum filled side markers also continue the red motif. The builder opted for a vintage-voiced split-coil built by Pacific Northwest Guitar Pickups as well as Hipshot tuners and a Fender vintage bridge.
