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Brubaker Brute Club

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#621
Something I noticed last week...

Tried a set of .050 - .135 on my brute, and the E and B strings were 'no go' in the bridge. Even stringing the narrow part of string into the bridge and not using the slots the ends of the strings were still to large. (I know there are larger than normal)

Dremeled the two out a bit and both are fine now.
 
#622
stflbn said:
Something I noticed last week...

Tried a set of .050 - .135 on my brute, and the E and B strings were 'no go' in the bridge. Even stringing the narrow part of string into the bridge and not using the slots the ends of the strings were still to large. (I know there are larger than normal)

Dremeled the two out a bit and both are fine now.
Click to expand...

Yeah the bridge really needs tapered strings. I replaced mine with a Hipshot B style which fixed that issue and gave me a stonger low end.

And while we're talking about preamps, I've got an Aguilar OBP-3 on the way for my Brute. Still struggling to find 'that' tone, hopefully this will do it!
 
#623
Yeah i hear you on the strings, I am a fan of circle k strings (some don't like them ) but they use tapered B & E and i have a 142 on one of mine and a 136 on my other one, i just like the balanced tension strings they offer and the B string is piano like in clarity. by far the best b string I have played and i don't have to play lightly with it either i can really dig in.
 
#624
johnnybass01 said:
Yeah i hear you on the strings, I am a fan of circle k strings (some don't like them ) but they use tapered B & E and i have a 142 on one of mine and a 136 on my other one, i just like the balanced tension strings they offer and the B string is piano like in clarity. by far the best b string I have played and i don't have to play lightly with it either i can really dig in.
Click to expand...

I used GHS Progressives on mine before the bridge change, look at the taper on that .135! Circle K's work great as well, they are just a bit pricey for me :)

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#625
Are the Hipshot bridges direct screw on replacement for the Brutes? Same hole patterns? Now that Ive widened mine that's likely the last thing to get changed.

I'm finding that I'm using the Brute with more low end dialed in than I expected. Especially if favoring the MM pickup. That pickup has quite a bit of presence to it... more than I expected.

Bass is fine for my needs as is, but I'm finding I like it enough that I'll probably 'fiddle' with it. May consider a move to a Bart preamp first, and if that doesn't settle my brain possibly a different MM pickup, but I'm hesitant to do that as I really like the slap tone of the bass... just feel the preamp could use more 'meat' at times compared to how my Big Al with broken in D'addario XL's thumps.
 
#626
stflbn said:
Are the Hipshot bridges direct screw on replacement for the Brutes? Same hole patterns? Now that Ive widened mine that's likely the last thing to get changed.
Click to expand...

No, they do not use the same bolt pattern. I just drilled new holes. Pretty painless!

I feel I need more 'grind' from my preamp. I've got plenty of meat! I just need some hair on the top end.
 
#627
Hey fellow TBers, I need opinions on changing the pickups and preamp from my MJX-5. Would it be okay to put in a combination of Nords and Barts? I'm planning to switch out the MM pups to Nord MM5.2 and the Jazz neck pup for a Bart 59 jazz pup. Also, I'm thinking of changing the preamp to Seymour Duncans STC-3A or 3P. I'm kinda torn between the active pickup and passive pickup models. Any help here? Thanks.
 
#628
JayCY said:
Hey fellow TBers, I need opinions on changing the pickups and preamp from my MJX-5. Would it be okay to put in a combination of Nords and Barts? I'm planning to switch out the MM pups to Nord MM5.2 and the Jazz neck pup for a Bart 59 jazz pup. Also, I'm thinking of changing the preamp to Seymour Duncans STC-3A or 3P. I'm kinda torn between the active pickup and passive pickup models. Any help here? Thanks.
Click to expand...

For preamp I recommend I really like the Aguilar OBP-3 if you like things on the aggressive and punchy side. And I'm not saying that just because I have one for sale :) It's a great preamp...but not for the 'vintage' guys.

And I'm kind of confused about your question about choosing active or passive pickups...Nord or Bart does not make active pickups. If you want active pickups, you want EMG.
 
#629
I'm sorry I didn't clarify the pickups issue. The Duncans preamp has two models - one for active pickups and vice versa. Since you've mentioned that Nord and Barts are passive, you've already answered my question. Thank you.
My main question would be - Is it good or okay to put 2 different pickups from different brands which I meant Nords and Barts into the same bass? I wanted to change my neck pup to a Nord too but Nordstrand doesn't have the ones that could fit into the MJX neck position.
 
#630
No reason mixing them shouldn't work. Bart does have a drop in for the neck position, I know that first hand! However, Bart also has a drop in for the bridge position....why not get the matching Bart bridge pickup and mate them with a Bart preamp?
 
#631
Thanks. I wanted something more "unique" than what normally most Tbers would do. :) Also, I have a budget to comply as well. In fact, the stock preamps were from artec right? The Blend pot isn't really a blend pot - more like a pickup selector. What would you recommend for preamps around USD100? I'm not gonna place my bet on a Bart NTMB.
 
#632
JayCY said:
Thanks. I wanted something more "unique" than what normally most Tbers would do. :) Also, I have a budget to comply as well. In fact, the stock preamps were from artec right? The Blend pot isn't really a blend pot - more like a pickup selector. What would you recommend for preamps around USD100? I'm not gonna place my bet on a Bart NTMB.
Click to expand...

Well I know exactly what you mean, that's the reason I went with SGD Pickups in mine. Just wanted something different!

I also wanted a cheaper preamp and went with the EMG BQS Control which is $108 at BestBassGear, plus you can get your TB discount there so it may be around $100. This is probably the most underrated preamp out there. Compared the Aguilar OBP-3, the EMG is a little more polite and the EQ works differently. The EMG uses a shelving type EQ instead of a frequency boost, so really it's a bit more useable but does not have the extreme levels of the OBP-3. The EMG also has a mid sweep control which is nice.

Keep in mind that the Bart pickup is cheaper than the Nordy which will help with your budget :)
 
#633
mmbongo said:
Well I know exactly what you mean, that's the reason I went with SGD Pickups in mine. Just wanted something different!

I also wanted a cheaper preamp and went with the EMG BQS Control which is $108 at BestBassGear, plus you can get your TB discount there so it may be around $100. This is probably the most underrated preamp out there. Compared the Aguilar OBP-3, the EMG is a little more polite and the EQ works differently. The EMG uses a shelving type EQ instead of a frequency boost, so really it's a bit more useable but does not have the extreme levels of the OBP-3. The EMG also has a mid sweep control which is nice.

Keep in mind that the Bart pickup is cheaper than the Nordy which will help with your budget :)
Click to expand...

Haha. Didn't know someone like you out there who thinks along the same frequency. Glad to hear out from you. I think I'm gonna go with the EMGs. Victor Wooten's trusted brand for many years. How do I get the TB discount? I'm also clueless on the wiring setup - Newbie here). Do I need 5 pots? Because the Brute only has 4 pots. How do I add in the volume control and a blend control?
 
#634
Let me jump in here with a couple thoughts/suggestions.

First, do you have one of the original run Brutes, or a 2nd run newer one? The original 1st run used the Artec pre. Don't think the new ones do (not sure what brand they are though). The new ones shouldn't have a problem blending your pups, nor should most of the first run as they were able to resolve that problem after the first few months after they were released. You can tell by the serial number. Is it handwritten or stamped on the back of the headstock?

If you still have blending issues I would contact Kevin or who you bought from and they may help you resolve the issue. That is, only if you'd like to try and stay with the stock pre and just swap out the pups.

Also, if you're set on the MM Nordy, I would highly recommend the Delano JMVC series at BBG for your J-style neck pup. They are punchy as heck, and have the exposed magnets to match the Nordy.

As far as a new preamp goes, Most of the ones out there are great, but they all have their own flavor. Check TB classifieds and you may be able to find a higher end one at a great price.
 
#636
a2zbassman said:
Let me jump in here with a couple thoughts/suggestions.

First, do you have one of the original run Brutes, or a 2nd run newer one? The original 1st run used the Artec pre. Don't think the new ones do (not sure what brand they are though). The new ones shouldn't have a problem blending your pups, nor should most of the first run as they were able to resolve that problem after the first few months after they were released. You can tell by the serial number. Is it handwritten or stamped on the back of the headstock?

If you still have blending issues I would contact Kevin or who you bought from and they may help you resolve the issue. That is, only if you'd like to try and stay with the stock pre and just swap out the pups.

Also, if you're set on the MM Nordy, I would highly recommend the Delano JMVC series at BBG for your J-style neck pup. They are punchy as heck, and have the exposed magnets to match the Nordy.

As far as a new preamp goes, Most of the ones out there are great, but they all have their own flavor. Check TB classifieds and you may be able to find a higher end one at a great price.
Click to expand...


I have the original one - used it for 2 faithful years now :). The serial number was handwritten. But it will be a huge problem sending it back over to Kevin because I'm from Malaysia. So it would be better to swap them out. Delano sounds like a good idea. I only have some concerns on the EMG BQC system. 2 stacked pots and no blend pot with only 2 additional volume pots. I'm not sure how to make a blend pot and 2 vol pots for the individual pickups makes it more difficult to adjust while playing.
 
#637
JayCY said:
I have the original one - used it for 2 faithful years now :). The serial number was handwritten. But it will be a huge problem sending it back over to Kevin because I'm from Malaysia. So it would be better to swap them out. Delano sounds like a good idea. I only have some concerns on the EMG BQC system. 2 stacked pots and no blend pot with only 2 additional volume pots. I'm not sure how to make a blend pot and 2 vol pots for the individual pickups makes it more difficult to adjust while playing.
Click to expand...

I'm almost positive that the EMG pres come with a Blend pot option as opposed to the dual vol pots. Send BBG an email and they would be able to tell you for sure, and set you up with the right preamp for you. From experience, they have quick responses and great customer service.
 
#640
Yeah you should be able to do a blend + volume with the EMG, that part is just the volume controls. You will have 5 pots, though...I just drilled an extra hole. I needed to do that anyway for the mini-switch for the bridge pickup.

I would also go with the Delano neck pickup if you're going to use the Nordy bridge pickup. It would drive me nuts having one covered pickup and one exposed! Otherwise you can get the Barts which drop in and you'll save quite a few bucks. The Bart neck pickup is around $50 less than the Delano. I'd RATHER the Delano, though..I just couldn't justify the price :)
 
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