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NBBBDB!!! (Brubaker Brute content)

mmbongo

mmbongo

I have too many basses.
Inactive
Aug 5, 2009
25,372
30,975
54
Upstate, South Carolina
#1
That's right, NBBBDB! New Brubaker Brute Bass Day, Buddy!!!

I've actually had this for almost a month now, but it's time to reveal it.

The quick story is that I've been scouring the earth for a killer 5 string with 19mm spacing for under $1000. The Brute kept coming up in discussions, so when this one popped up on Ebay for $289 I had to jump on it. Best jump I've ever made.

She now sports Bartolini pickups, an EMG preamp, and the final touch came in today...chrome/black pearl knobs. So after all the upgrades I've got right at $600 in this baby. After owning many $2000+ Laklands, Spectors, Zons, etc...who knew the best thing I've ever played would be made overseas.

Dare I say..this might even play a little better than my coveted Warwick Streamer. It's that good. I think it's because the neck is so perfect. Also what amazes me is the responsiveness. Play light and it has a dark thump. Dig in and it snaps your head off. Basically it's just like my Streamer just in a 5 string package, and I never thought that would be possible.

The fretwork is perfection, and unlike most other imports, the tuners, bridge, and nut are top notch and do not need to be replaced. I am on the fence about changing the hardware to black, but I don't think I will now. May also get one of Kevin's fancy pickguards someday.

Please check out a Brute if you ever have the chance. You will be amazed. Trust me.

And here she is...nothing fancy, but she sure is sweet :)

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#2
Dude!!! That is a KILLER deal you got there and it's gorgeous!

I was the same way about the neck - it's probably the best bass neck I've ever played on. It's really surprising how good it is.

Now you just gotta post some soundclips of those Barts and the EMG pre - my curiosity is killing me. :bassist:
 
#3
I still can't believe these basses are $600 brand new. A guy from work brought his new Stringray 5 over so we could check out each others new babies, and it literally made him sick to his stomach when he played my Brute because it was just that much better :)
 
#5
Did the Bartolinis make a big difference? I definitely need to get that upgrade. The electronics lack a little something but the bass feels and plays so amazing it's definitely worth it.

And...where did you get the replacement knobs?

Killer bass. I have one of the custom pickguards and it makes the bass look so awesome.

IMG_0888.jpg
 
#6
I like that pickguard! What does he charge for those, $250? I promised Kevin I would buy one from him in the future since he helped me out so much with this bass that I didn't even buy from him.

The Bartolini's made a HUGE difference. I was okay with the stock pickups, but I knew they could be better. With the stock setup, there was just not much character there. No matter what everything just sounded kinda plain. Not bad, but nothing special. The Barts really bring out lots of character. It just really responds to different playing styles and plucking positions. It's hard to describe until you feel it. I tried to make sound clips but they all sucked. I'll keep trying though. For the price I paid for the bass, I ordered the Barts without hesitation. But even on a brand new Brute it would be worth it. You'd have $850-ish in a bass that would be at home next to most $2000 basses.

As for the knobs, here's the exact listing I got them from. They showed up like 2 days after I ordered, so I recommend this guy without hesitation:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...ewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_600wt_905
 
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#10
Allright allright, I made a sound clip!

Pardon my crude playing, it's just totally improv. I just hooked the DI from my GK amp to my mixer, then to the line in on my computer, so nothing fancy at all. The sound of the bass comes through pretty well though.

So if you missed it, this is my Brubaker Brute with Bartolini single coils and an EMG BTS Preamp. Here I'm running the bridge pickup full and the neck pickup about 90% and no EQ-ing except for a little mid cut on the amp. Strings are Curt Mangan nickels.

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