$1200 is too much for a factory foreign bass I'd be buying sight unseen. Bummer, I really was excited too. Hopefully the true price point is lower.
Good luck to any buyers!
Good luck to any buyers!
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Brubaker Brute Club
- Thread starter J. Crawford
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I already had that discussion with Kevin. Generally speaking, lowering a price after introduction would be tolerated in the event a prodcut doesn't sell. Raising a price appreciably for a succewssful one would not. It would take years to do what you just proposed... a 50% increase.
So what do you think is better?
As far as what sells more, he expects to sell more of the lower priced Brutes. The SC's are a pretty big step up instrument-wise. And surprisingly, some people actually know what Brubakers are, at least a handful
. And if the Brutes take off he'll be ever better known. That's how that works.I guess I don't subscribe to what appears to be your idea of more successful. Why? Because I don't know where you got your sales figures from if you have them and more important, I'm wondering what margins you based your determination on?
Ask Kevin why he doesn't use Nato in his high end basses and you'll have your answer
Tell me how you know he hasn't and you'll have yours.
Fact of the matter is you don't know what woods Kevin has used nor what they cost. Right?
Third row down, third bass from the left... anyone remember that?
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Materials are critical in shaping the sound he gets with his instruments, that doesn't mean woods that didn't work for other instruments can't yield very good results in another design. The above bass worked great and was probably the impetus for the Brute.
Look, it's tradition for this line of conversation to propel itself on TB, I'll just leave you to it.
Brad, would YOU spec out a bass for yourself made of Nato since wood does not matter?
I'll answer that question with a question...how many high end bass makers have LOWERED their prices over the years? Even Brutes have gone up in price. There's a reason you don't start with the sky and come down later. Imagine if the 5 or so folks here who want a SC bought one for $1200...then after 3 months the price comes down to $800 talk about some upset folks. That would also kill the resale, but maybe that's the idea?
Hope none of this reads too blunt. I'm writing it with a smile...
First, who said wood doesn't matter?
I said what difference does it make if it works? Of course I can't stop anyone from only reading the bolded part and ignoring the context.
These types of conversations rarely go well because you get people apparently reading what they want to read vs. the actual words/content. I've explained why whatever wood used on the Brutes was picked... more than once. So anyone who refuses to believe what I said on that matter really has nothing to discuss with me. Believe what you need to believe. It has nothing to do with reality.
On the matter of would I pick Nato for a custom... why the heck not? If I heard it sound the way I wanted it to sound on another Brubaker (or whatever I was considering), absolutely. Bottom line, you're the one hung up on not using a particular wood, not me.
I have a fretless made of Catalpa. Kevin told me that another luthier had mentioned that he tried it and didn't care for it at all. OTOH my fretless has phenomenal tone.
Of course I'm taking Kevin's word that it's Catalpa, it has a Spalted Maple top and is painted black. If I found out it was basswood instead, it wouldn't change my opinion of my bass at all. But by the wisdom displayed here, some of you would probably change your minds.
Like I said, I don't get it. But the beauty of it all is that I don't have to.
BTW the bass in the pic is made out of countertop from Home Depot. Still plays and sounds fine.
Thanks for avoiding the very specific question I asked. I really am tired of these circular discussions. You just laid out another ridiculous (per real life) scenario). Yes, the Brute SC is priced "sky high" per your standard... based on the price you're guessing at. Yes, in three months they could give them away at your local bank for opening a passbook savings account. ANYTHING could happen. So let's say that's the Brubaker plan. Because unless you see that as a real possibility...
wow.
You win. I hope you find whatever you're looking for. I have, many times.
Later.
BTW the bass in the pic is made out of countertop from Home Depot. Still plays and sounds fine.
Now that I wanna play!
Speaking of avoiding questions...what's the price on the SC Brute? That was supposed to be determined before NAMM.
LOL. You're really firing on all cylinders. What's with all of the confrontational BS? Not that I mind of course... I just don't get it.
I don't know what the price is. I'm at home, not at the NAMM show. I don't recall saying it would be determined before NAMM. And I don't know what they decided on the final pricing. Still think I'm avoiding the question?
LOL. You're really firing on all cylinders. What's with all of the confrontational BS? Not that I mind of course... I just don't get it.
I don't know what the price is. I'm at home, not at the NAMM show. I don't recall saying it would be determined before NAMM. And I don't know what they decided on the final pricing. Still think I'm avoiding the question?
Little jumpy, aren't we?
I wasn't specifically asking you, Brad...I was just asking. I assumed somebody would know an answer by now.
And yes, they were supposed to have it determined by NAMM. I talk to people too
Little jumpy, aren't we?
I wasn't specifically asking you, Brad...I was just asking. I assumed somebody would know an answer by now.
And yes, they were supposed to have it determined by NAMM. I talk to people too
Not at all jumpy
. I mentioned avoiding questions, then you did. So who were you referring to as far as avoiding questions then?So far I'm answering all of the questions that I can, even the repeat ones. Like I said...
I used to get hung up on the wood thing too. Years ago I had a MIM Jazz made of alder (because that's all I could afford at that time). I was always under the impression that it was inferior, sound-wise, to the MIA's made of ash, simply because of the wood used. I later got to try a friend's MIA side by side and I found that I liked the sound of the alder over the ash. Now that's just one man's opinion, but it worked for me. Also, the alder body was noticeably lighter then that particular MIA.
Now if I had never A/B'd the two, and found out that alder does not equal inferior/worse/cheap . . . whatever. Anyway, I would have never have bought my Dingwall Afterburner, which has an alder body (and retails new for over $2500 I might add), and would have missed out on a great, great, bass (sounds incredible and weighs under 8#'s)!
The same goes for my Brute. I heard/read that they sounded great, especially after an electronics upgrade, so I bought it. And you know what, they were right!! Now is it equal in build quality, and similar aspects, to my maple body USA KXB-5?? . . . No. But, I don't believe it's inferior in sound or play-ability to the others, just a little different. And I try to give my Brute equal time with my other, "high-end," basses. Again, it works for me.
Quick analogy . . . bare with me a sec . . . the wood thing reminds me of going to a library to pick out a book. You grab one you that catches your interest, read the cover/jacket and become even more interested, but then you flip it open and refuse to even give it a try because you didn't like the font the author/publisher chose to print it in. It may have turned out to be, to you anyway, the best read you ever had . . . but you'll never know, will you?
just my 2 cents
Now if I had never A/B'd the two, and found out that alder does not equal inferior/worse/cheap . . . whatever. Anyway, I would have never have bought my Dingwall Afterburner, which has an alder body (and retails new for over $2500 I might add), and would have missed out on a great, great, bass (sounds incredible and weighs under 8#'s)!
The same goes for my Brute. I heard/read that they sounded great, especially after an electronics upgrade, so I bought it. And you know what, they were right!! Now is it equal in build quality, and similar aspects, to my maple body USA KXB-5?? . . . No. But, I don't believe it's inferior in sound or play-ability to the others, just a little different. And I try to give my Brute equal time with my other, "high-end," basses. Again, it works for me.
Quick analogy . . . bare with me a sec . . . the wood thing reminds me of going to a library to pick out a book. You grab one you that catches your interest, read the cover/jacket and become even more interested, but then you flip it open and refuse to even give it a try because you didn't like the font the author/publisher chose to print it in. It may have turned out to be, to you anyway, the best read you ever had . . . but you'll never know, will you?
just my 2 cents
Well I got a chance to play both of the singlecut brutes today at namm.all I have to say is wow if you have played a kxb standard you won't feel a whole lot of difference that sc5 as it has been called feels much more high end than it is going to cost. And as far as pricing goes I am not sure Tom Richards will know more but I can say for sure even at 1200 if that is where it ends up you would be hard pressed to find something in that price range that feels & sounds as high end as it does. The brute series has been taken to a new level even the standard models feel better to me than the early ones. I talked for a while with Kevin about the whole wood debate, from what he said the painted bodies are alder and I think he said the sc5 will be ash and available with maple fingerboard .but don't quote me.the headless 5 was really nice and had a hipshot bridge. This was my first time meeting Kevin and all I can say is he is a great person and an incredible luthier. It is all I am going to play from here on. Also that satin black finish on the back of the neck is super fast .
Awesomeness. I'd love to find a way to play one! I'm glad to hear about the wood upgrades! I forgot about the headless model, how bada$$ is that??
I know a lot of like to tinker with pickups but these are I think the third generation pickups in the sc5 and they are the bomb. I feel no need to upgrade at all even my recent jjx5 sounds mean and will stay stock the sc5 has all that but seemed even sweeter tone wise and the neck even faster like a brute on steroids. The merlow finish is also sweet along with being satin to. I love satin finish
I was hoping for the same. It's surprising how few 6 strings there are with more traditional pickup layouts (i.e. jazz pups). Honestly, with the exception of Brubakers I'm kind of weary of basses with humbuckers. The only real option for me aside from the KSD 6er (which I don't dig the look of) would be a custom bass :/.
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