Brubaker vs Valenti

Played a Valenti the other day. The guy used to work at Sadowsky, and you can tell.
Got a hot-rodded Brubaker Brute that has been my "go to" road bass recently.

 

You talking about a USA Brubaker or a Brute?

Valenti and a USA Brubaker are high on my 'must try' list! I'd be stoked for either one.

 

Never played a Valenti, but I've got a couple Brubakers for sale...

(linked in my sig)

 

I've never had a Brubaker. I can't talk negatively about Kevin's work and I don't really know if either are "better, it's more of what you prefer.

My Valenti #154 is my favorite bass I've ever owned. I wanted a "Super J" and this one really delivers. Neck has not moved since I got it and the temperature has changed a few times drastically here.

Oh, and I do all of those things listed above but slapping.

 

I have Valenti #139, VTP5. It Freakin kills. It's the first 5 string I've liked after searching for 16 years.

 

I don't know how you can pidgeon hole Valenti into 1 sound. Nino builds superb basses for a very reasonable price. The range of pickups, electronics and other options is so wide that his creations can sound like a 'ray or a J......whatever you want. There is no "Valenti tone".
He will use Sadowsky pickups, Lakland pickups or many others.

 

Ehh... I have 0 interest in a Brubaker. This is not a slight at the company or Kevin but the modern thing is not my cup of tea. I think Kevin's finish work is out of this world and his designs are very cool. There's definately a place for them and people love them. I wouldn't mind trying his KXB (?) J bass as it's more up my alley.

I'm a "Fender" type guy. I wanted something Fender doesn't offer so I went with the builder who offered that.

I agree.

 

This is what I would have said.
He'll build whatever you want.
You can look at my profile to see what else I have, but, I could live out my days with the Valenti hollow J5, and the RV5 clone.

 

I've never played a Brubaker, so, no comment on that, but below are the Valenti I currently have.
He's super easy to work with on a build; I've had four others as well. All were very well crafted.

 

Two totally different worlds, but quality of builds is equal. I think of Valenti as Sadowsky done one better. Tones are different too. Think one classic on steriods, the other extreme. Two great builders no matter how you slice it.

 

Valenti basses "don't have any one given tone."
A Valenti's tone will depend on how you spec it out.
He uses Sadowsky, Nord, Aguilar pickups and preamps, or, whatever else you want.

 

Chef I love the "Fender Thinline" style f-hole on the j Valenti. Super cool.

 

Thaaaanks
That's really my favorite bass at the moment.
Nord singles, Sadowsky preamp, Sadowsky Blue Stainless strings on it.
Love it. It's pretty to just stare out too.

 

I've played several Valentis, they're very nice Fender style instruments. I like and own many Fender style instruments including a couple of my Brubakers which nail the Fender Jazz vibe.

Between the brands they're two very different types of builds. US Brubakers are built from scratch. You can choose any woods, any scale length, any neck width, finish, etc. Have a radius you prefer? No problem. As far as flexibility goes Kevin has built basses from three to twelve (non-octave) strings. Lots of versatility in tones too, anything from a P bass to instruments that hit so hard they scare some players.


Four main body styles, a double cut (NBS), a singlecut (KXB), a Jazz style (JXB) and the Phoenix, a fairly radical singlecut. And other custom one-offs. You can also get a bass with multiple interchangeable preamps, they swap in less than a minute. The combination of massive clean sound with super low action takes most folks by surprise. Of course you can raise the action and turn them down if you prefer.


My six string JXB-6 Custom was modeled after my 78 Fender Jazz... Same scale length, heavier Maple body and we lined up the pickups so that they're in the same position as my Fender when the dual coils are split... It sounds eerily like my Fender would with six strings. And when the coils are all on it goes big. My KXB-6 on the other hand doesn't sound like a Fender... and this particular one wasn't built with that in mind.

So there isn't one Brubakers sound or look or feel, they're all variations on a very high quality instrument. That's why I own and gig predominantly with them. I play pop, gospel, classic rock, jazz, progressive rock, funk, r&b, country, show tunes, whatever, mainly fingerstyle but I can and do slap when the gig calls for it. Mainly sixes and fives, fretted and fretlesses, active and passive. They all kill IME.

 

Brad is the ultimate authority for Brubakers. I would add that your tone can be dependent on the preamp settings and also the settings on your rig. I play a Brubaker KXB and my tone is different from amp to amp but, it can be adjusted to my preference.

Just my 2 cents

 

True. Whoever picks the woods at Brubaker sure has an eye for it.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Valenti makes bodies or necks in house like Brubaker if that makes a difference. Kevin does everything from scratch right there in the shop. Of course, they generally cost more.

 

Kevin's working on getting the US-built JXB Standards on track. Should put them in the low to mid $2K price range.