Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Geo Kitta. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Geo, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I feel ‘taking a risk’ applies to my daring to live a full creative life. As in, being an artist is a risk. I never thought of it that way and frankly still don’t, but I know many people in the work-a-day world would feel that way. I think if I would have been more aware of what a risk being an artist was/would be it may have caused reflection. Luckily I was very idealistic. I didn’t know an artist ‘mentor’ until I attended art school at the Kansas City Art Institute, KC/MO. That 4 year (undergraduate) experience was game-changing for me. I was with my peers from all across the US, and exposed to instructors/professors with life experience as artists. I later attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago for graduate work, rented studio’s and exhibited work in Chicago. What was always most important to me through it all was keeping my internal creative flame burning.

These days I’m focused on playing/recording music, designing/creating custom bass guitars and creating custom gilded & otherwise finishes for guitars through Gildaxe. I play bass in two SF bands which I very much enjoy. It fulfills that part of my creative spirit, as a musician and entertainer. It would have been a similar risk to stake my claim as a musician early on (started as a 13yr old) but I focused on art more, all the while playing in bands in KC & Chicago.

So looking back, many risks big & small were taken and probably because I was driven – I overcame them all!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My involvement with Gildaxe now over 10 years ago started with offering gilded finishes on guitars. Gold-leaf, Silver-leaf, Copper-leaf and a varied selection of other metal-leafs inspired Gildaxe (“axe” being a musician knick-name for a guitar) and that evolved into designing and building custom bass guitars. As a player I make my custom basses for players. They need to look good but they also need to play well. I have designed & build basses for professional players and amateurs alike looking for a unique and great sounding instrument. Seeing a bass I made being played on stage, on TV and in music video’s makes me most proud. But knowing that someone who bought one of my creations loves that bass and plays it for their own creative enjoyment – that’s also pretty special.

If I had to describe my ‘brand’, I would say unique, quality construction, well designed both aesthetically and functionally – all with a bass-player in mind. Frank Lloyd Wright was quoted; Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union. And bass players and guitarists are pretty different animals as similar as they sometimes can be. I started out as a bass player in 1966 mostly by chance, but I know now that I was meant to be a bass-player – so I feel I can offer bass players a very special instrument tailored specifically to their needs.

Along with making full-custom basses, I also do restoration on vintage basses. This stems from my love of the history of guitars/basses & the craft of their construction. That and wanting a vintage bass in need of some TLC to continue offering itself to new players. They always have a unique character with time/age that is hard to reproduce.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

This is often said, but I have to be frank and say that not everyone can be an artist. I don’t mean to sound elitist – as that is not what I’m saying. To me, that phrase is like saying everyone could be an athlete or a scientist – it’s a calling from within. However, I do think everyone can discover their own personal form of being creative. Being creative is at the core of any artistic endeavor, and it’s also at the core of one’s function in life. Anything anyone does can be done creatively – I truly believe this. There’s ‘creative solutions’ to problems, but there is also being open to discovery in daily life inspired by creative thinking. Another saying that amuses me is saying someone has “an over-active imagination”. I’m ‘guilty as charged’ and prefer that to a ‘lack of imagination’ any day! Imagination & creativity are best buds.

Part of creativity is the weight of doing something well. It can be a lift considering some jobs/involvements – but doing something well will benefit both the end result and the energy put into doing whatever it is. As in – the doer will feel good about a job well done. Think of teachers you’ve had that were inspirational.., or not. Or that repairman who fixed your garage door who was friendly and competent, doing his job well. It turns a needed function into a pleasant human interface. You may strike up a conversation and learn something new. I feel creativity has a hand in that – making that extra effort to be nice to help get through a day of work.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Continuing on the topic – I feel very lucky to have been gifted with an artist soul/eye. I see things through that lens without needing to ‘try’ and see. It can be as basic as appreciation of a fleeting moment, really engaging with art, with music, with theater/performance and (for me) fully embracing creating art and/or music. Trust me, it’s not been financially rewarding, I’ve survived my whole adult life doing a ‘day-job’… creatively. (see above) I never felt being an artist had anything to do with money and never judged art by how much it cost – that’s when art becomes commerce. Having said that, I’m happy for those artists who have been able to navigate art as a business successfully. Gildaxe allows me to create art that is used to create art.
Being creative, being an artist is who I am – I didn’t really choose it, I just knew it since birth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.gildaxe.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAHuodp_nJw&list=OLAK5uy_nY0bfi5AKQkc1DCXC7n_rybMRZv1ki3Y4&index=14
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/you/tracks
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQ2vLFXNUk

  https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2021/05/24/bass-of-the-week-gildaxe-devil-magnum/

  https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2023/04/10/bass-of-the-week-gildaxe-jupiter/

Image Credits

I took one pic and my partner took the other – no need to credit