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Brubaker Brute Club

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#801
johnnybass01 said:
I think it is more along the lines of what lots of builders have done it is in the same realm of say lakland they have an import line And a u.s. Line and pricing reflects this . Same with even fender, MTD , and so on . I don't personally think Kevin is going to stop building custom's. He's just trying to make something close to what he builds that the mass's can afford. I don't think his custom sales will suffer at all . In my case I have two brutes do I still eventually want a custom brubaker bass YES and I will have it but when I get it would I want to gig it 5 nights a week probably not! Who would . But in the same respect would I feel bad about beating a brute up gigging all the time no. So I think he has hit the nail on the head for a lot if gigging bassist, most people who buy a brute will eventually want to get their hands on the real deal, and most will probably jump in feet first. In my case my whole brubaker experience came about through a friend who owns a KXB standard I played that bass and was in love with it , but I couldn't justify paying that much at this point in time , he told me about the brutes and I have been converted . I have done over 200 gigs with my brutes and have been nothing but happy about it.
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The most popular bass in the booth was a custom KXB-5 white jazz bass. There was a bidding war. I am positive Brutes won't lessen the desire for customs. Might actually increase it.
 
#802
mmbongo said:
My Streamer is actually very light :)
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I was more referring to the all-ovangkol or Ov / Bubinga basses...

Audiomarkj said:
Soooo. I guess it's goodbye to Brubaker customs. If these Brutes are as good as all this talk then why on Earth would anyone pay $4000.00 for a custom or extreme ? Has APInternational bought the rights to make copies of the customs ? I have a 6 string and a 5. I don't know what Kevin was thinking because when sales peak and the returns get low there is no returning to building $4000.00 customs when for 600 bucks and a electronic upgrade you are very close. Plus i figure used they will be about 550.00.
R.I.P Brubaker Extreme & Customs. :>{
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Lakland, Spector, Roscoe, Smith, Zon and Elrick don't seem to be suffering these symptoms....
 
#804
Just picked this up in a trade earlier this week :D JJX5 with upgraded Bart pups and NTMB pre. I replaced the strings with Ken Smith Compressors and did a setup, Wow, I can't believe how nice this bass plays and sounds, the feel of the neck and balance of the bass is amazing.

Anyone still giving out Squad numbers?

Here is the pic from the TBer I traded with I will post my own ASAP

jjx5.jpg
 
#805
basstones said:
Just picked this up in a trade earlier this week :D JJX5 with upgraded Bart pups and NTMB pre. I replaced the strings with Ken Smith Compressors and did a setup, Wow, I can't believe how nice this bass plays and sounds, the feel of the neck and balance of the bass is amazing.

Anyone still giving out Squad numbers?

Here is the pic from the TBer I traded with I will post my own ASAP

View attachment 247753
Click to expand...

Dave Tomasi was doing it, but I've stepped in a few times

So, welcome #27! Nice Brute!

Add and digest

J. Crawford - 1 (On Hiatus)
Supertanker - 2 (Retired)
a2zbassman - 3
orlando123 - 4
DaveTomasi - 5 (will be back)
JayCY - 6
coop - 7
vision - 8 (Retired)
stoneboy26 - 9
drpepper - 10
liquidsunshine -11
Billy Low - 12
Robear22 - 13
jjbb123 - 14
madsci918 - 15
zulujack - 16
johnnybass01 - 17
mmbongo - 18
skyj - 19
Marginal Tom - 20
Rowinsho - 21
ubnomnar - 22
TRichardsbass - 23
phillybass101 - 24
fuzzychaos - 25
othefool - 26
basstones - 27
 
#807
Audiomarkj said:
Soooo. I guess it's goodbye to Brubaker customs. If these Brutes are as good as all this talk then why on Earth would anyone pay $4000.00 for a custom or extreme ? Has APInternational bought the rights to make copies of the customs ? I have a 6 string and a 5. I don't know what Kevin was thinking because when sales peak and the returns get low there is no returning to building $4000.00 customs when for 600 bucks and a electronic upgrade you are very close. Plus i figure used they will be about 550.00.
R.I.P Brubaker Extreme & Customs. :>{
Click to expand...

I plan on purchasing a black or natrual Brute SC-5 and very soon after that hope to purchase a Black satin KXB Standard with birdseye maple fingerboard and white MOP block inlays and matching black satin headstock. There will be times for the Brute9s) and then there will be times when I have to take no prisoners and whip out the KXB Standard. The Standard is for guys like me who are not in the market for the extreme or even a custom but want the same electronics and the personal attention of Kevin. I am a brubaker fan all the way. Nothing else (to me) on the market sounds like a Brubaker. I was jamming on my Brute last night to Deodato's Night Cruiser (old school funk bass slapping) and said to myself, damn this bass sounds good. I can imagine what I'll sound like when I get my KXB5 Standard. Variety IS the spice and I could be a gear head :-)
 
#808
TRichardsbass said:
The most popular bass in the booth was a custom KXB-5 white jazz bass. There was a bidding war. I am positive Brutes won't lessen the desire for customs. Might actually increase it.
Click to expand...

That's the point isn't it? :D

drpepper said:
Dave Tomasi was doing it, but I've stepped in a few times

So, welcome #27! Nice Brute!

Add and digest

J. Crawford - 1 (On Hiatus)
Supertanker - 2 (Retired)
a2zbassman - 3
orlando123 - 4
DaveTomasi - 5 (will be back)
JayCY - 6
coop - 7
vision - 8 (Retired)
stoneboy26 - 9
drpepper - 10
liquidsunshine -11
Billy Low - 12
Robear22 - 13
jjbb123 - 14
madsci918 - 15
zulujack - 16
johnnybass01 - 17
mmbongo - 18
skyj - 19
Marginal Tom - 20
Rowinsho - 21
ubnomnar - 22
TRichardsbass - 23
phillybass101 - 24
fuzzychaos - 25
othefool - 26
basstones - 27
Click to expand...

How'd I get booted from the list?
 
#809
I think that it is a valid and good concern that Kevin's custom shop remain pre-eminent. All the big boys in that class, Tobias, Spector, Dingwall, Zon, Kubicki, you name them, have all launched either imports or mass production models of their basses. It has never slowed down custom orders, as far as I know. When the mass market version is nearly identical to the custom, then yes, maybe your high end suffers. Why buy a Sadowsky NYC when even Roger himself says his Japanese product is as good? Why buy a US Lakland if you can get a Skyline for half? But all those basses look identical or are nearly so.

Tobias has a KZ series that is darn near identical to his MTD US line. So far no ill effects, and as you know by other threads here I spent some time with him at NAMM.

The Brutes, while having some characteristics in the Brubaker family (headstock, similar "neck-thru" design), they do not sound exactly like a custom, nor do they have any of the tell tale custom trademarks. People buy Brubaker basses because of the amazing things he does with wood (he is the ONLY boutique maker who makes exotic fingerboards) and his US, custom instruments have perfect fit and finish.

Here is what I'll ask everyone here before they go into hysterics. Please go to my YouTube Channel, TRICHARDSMUSIC, and go to Malcolm Halls YouTube Channel PLENTYSTRINGS, and compare the sounds of the Brutes to the sounds of the white KXB-5. I am sure you can easily tell a difference. After you do, post your thoughts here.

I see Brutes as my "divey beer bar" bass, and custom as my "church, large concert tour, corporate event and recording bass. That way, when I'm somewhere I don't want to worry about my bass, I still have the same FEEL. Not sound, but FEEL.
 
#810
pablomigraine,

My apologies, but I searched this entire thread and could not find any request by you for a number. If an oversight has occurred, I ask your forgiveness.

A warm and somewhat overdue welcome to pablomigraine!!! :hyper: And a special thanks to Roy for his support. :bassist:

J. Crawford - 1 (On Hiatus)
Supertanker - 2 (Retired)
a2zbassman - 3
orlando123 - 4
DaveTomasi - 5 (will be back)
JayCY - 6
coop - 7
vision - 8 (Retired)
stoneboy26 - 9
drpepper - 10
liquidsunshine -11
Billy Low - 12
Robear22 - 13
jjbb123 - 14
madsci918 - 15
zulujack - 16
johnnybass01 - 17
mmbongo - 18
skyj - 19
Marginal Tom - 20
Rowinsho - 21
ubnomnar - 22
TRichardsbass - 23
phillybass101 - 24
fuzzychaos - 25
othefool - 26
basstones - 27
pablomigraine - 28

pablomigraine said:
That's the point isn't it? :D



How'd I get booted from the list?
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#811
Twenty Eight? SWEET. That's my Birfday!


DaveTomasi said:
pablomigraine,

My apologies, but I searched this entire thread and could not find any request by you for a number. If an oversight has occurred, I ask your forgiveness.

A warm and somewhat overdue welcome to pablomigraine!!! :hyper: And a special thanks to Roy for his support. :bassist:

J. Crawford - 1 (On Hiatus)
Supertanker - 2 (Retired)
a2zbassman - 3
orlando123 - 4
DaveTomasi - 5 (will be back)
JayCY - 6
coop - 7
vision - 8 (Retired)
stoneboy26 - 9
drpepper - 10
liquidsunshine -11
Billy Low - 12
Robear22 - 13
jjbb123 - 14
madsci918 - 15
zulujack - 16
johnnybass01 - 17
mmbongo - 18
skyj - 19
Marginal Tom - 20
Rowinsho - 21
ubnomnar - 22
TRichardsbass - 23
phillybass101 - 24
fuzzychaos - 25
othefool - 26
basstones - 27
pablomigraine - 28
Click to expand...
 
#814
DonovanBankhead said:
Here's a quick video I took:

Brubaker Brute Singlecut HEADLESS - YouTube
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Is it just me or do the singlecuts sound a little..."unflattering"? I'm not hearing that Brubaker clean and pristine snap from those vids. I hear plenty of mids but not much bottom and highs, I know they're video cams but compared to the other vids they just not sounding like a bass I'd buy. One question, are they passive? They sound like it, cool I guess for some.
 
#815
Ok did some research...thats how Kevin likes HIS tone, I saw him doing a killer solo on one of the high end Brubakers and it sounded the same. Great player by the way. I would love to hear someone do a video review of the singlecuts eklectronics package. I am so looking to get one of these.
 
#816
Lo end PUNCH said:
Ok did some research...thats how Kevin likes HIS tone, I saw him doing a killer solo on one of the high end Brubakers and it sounded the same. Great player by the way. I would love to hear someone do a video review of the singlecuts eklectronics package. I am so looking to get one of these.
Click to expand...

Remember, these were recorded on the NAMM floor which is the crappiest place to hear what's going on with any piece of gear.
 
#820
From what I heard yes , maple fingerboards will be available , and videos don't do justice the bass's tone at all it is right there very clean and uncolored letting the wood speak . There are always those that like upgrading pickups so if that's what they want to do so be it , I like it stock and will probably leave mine stock whenever I get one , but I'm on the list for one when they arrive .I am actually changing up my red brute to stock second generation brute pickups from the bartolinis and audere pre, call me crazy I just seem to like the aggressive tone they have better .
 
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