New ramp, new camera...

[7string]

A very cool group of basses.

Can I ask why the Brubaker has 2 screws in the middle of the back of the bass ?? I did look at their website but there was no mention of it.

 

[damianerskine]

beautiful collection! nice taste. Joe Zon has also (on the subject of ramps) been making adjustable ramps! Very cool... Ray Riendeau has one and a student of mine just had one put on his bass while on a tour (swung into the shop).
I played a Brubaker that Steve Jenkins owns at NAMM a few years ago. Steve brought me over to check it out. It played wonderfully. Steve keeps his action CRAZY low and the thing just sang from top to bottom (that's one of the things I love about Zons) but the Brubaker was really impressive feeling.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I feel stupid admitting this but... are you saying the ramp is some kind of a finger/thumb rest?

BTW, your basses are beautiful.

Don't feel that way. It's easier to understand when you actual try to play a bass with one on it.

Think of it more as a finger stop. Your finger doesn't stay in contact with it like a rest, after you pluck it bounces back off above the string and you're ready to pluck again.

 

[Brad Johnson]

beautiful collection! nice taste. Joe Zon has also (on the subject of ramps) been making adjustable ramps! Very cool... Ray Riendeau has one and a student of mine just had one put on his bass while on a tour (swung into the shop).
I played a Brubaker that Steve Jenkins owns at NAMM a few years ago. Steve brought me over to check it out. It played wonderfully. Steve keeps his action CRAZY low and the thing just sang from top to bottom (that's one of the things I love about Zons) but the Brubaker was really impressive feeling.

I'd like more info on Joe's ramp. The bass in my avatar (older Legacy Standard fretless 5) is still one of the best fretlesses I've ever played or owned (hey, I can get some decent pics of it now).

Steve brought his bass back in and had a shorter neck built for it. It's now 33" scale and is way too easy to play. The 33" scale basses have become pretty popular, they sound pretty much the same, the low B's still kill. Sleek Elite has a killer Alder bodied 33" single cut coming with a wild top and matching covers on Nordstrand Big Singles (and knobs) along with an Audere preamp. Light, fast, and tons of punch.

 

[Brad Johnson]

A very cool group of basses.

Can I ask why the Brubaker has 2 screws in the middle of the back of the bass ?? I did look at their website but there was no mention of it.

Bolt on basses usually have the neck set down into a 3 sided neck pocket (2 sides and the bottom). Kevin uses a 4 sided (2 sides, top and bottom) pocket that's set 8" into the body. He puts screws at the both ends of the pocket but in reality the pocket is so tight he doesn't need any.

It's basically a mortise and tenon joint.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortise_and_tenon

 

[7string]

That's a real clever way of attaching the neck and one which I've never come across before.

Thanks for taking the time to answer the question !!

 

[Brad Johnson]

Brad, you're Brubakers kill me man. Great basses.

Thanks, Andy. This latest one has crazy punch. I used to think I had a preference for Ash but I've found I really dig my all Maple basses too and after playing the Alder one it just added more variety to the picture. I have one more bass coming believe it or not, after a recent barter deal and I have to figure out what that'll be. At the moment I'm stumped.

 

[Brad Johnson]

That's a real clever way of attaching the neck and one which I've never come across before.

Thanks for taking the time to answer the question !!

No problem. The neck joint really does seem to give a great combination of neck through sustain with bolt-on punch. No downsides to it as far as I can tell.

 

[emjazz]

Thanks, Andy. This latest one has crazy punch. I used to think I had a preference for Ash but I've found I really dig my all Maple basses too and after playing the Alder one it just added more variety to the picture. I have one more bass coming believe it or not, after a recent barter deal and I have to figure out what that'll be. At the moment I'm stumped.

Man, you're killing me.....very nice problem to have.

My Ristola (swamp ash body) has made me believe that I much prefer harder body woods. I want the notes to jump out of the bass, not be absorbed.

Brad, how have you're experiences been with the basses that Kevin has made with ash bodies and necks? Have you had a chance to try them? Has Kevin done mahogany bodies? Was the neck on Steve's bass maple or ash? Every time I see him he's hanging at one of our gigs and he doesn't have his bass....sorry, a lot of questions.

I keep thinking over and over about a mahogany body with a hard ash neck.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Man, you're killing me.....very nice problem to have.

My Ristola (swamp ash body) has made me believe that I much prefer harder body woods. I want the notes to jump out of the bass, not be absorbed.

The notes really jump out on my all Maple basses. Not as much with the Audere-equipped six but the Bart/Bart and Bart/Aggie basses really pump.

Brad, how have you're experiences been with the basses that Kevin has made with ash bodies and necks? Have you had a chance to try them?

Yes... for me it's too bright, like going way beyond Wenge.

Has Kevin done mahogany bodies?

Not sure if he's done one in Mahogany/Ash. He has done Spanish Cedar/Ash and he likes it.

Was the neck on Steve's bass maple or ash?

Pretty sure it's Ash body/Ash top with a Maple neck/board.

Every time I see him he's hanging at one of our gigs and he doesn't have his bass....sorry, a lot of questions.

I keep thinking over and over about a mahogany body with a hard ash neck.

Ask away, hope I can help.

So far I haven't tried an Ash-necked bass that I really preferred. So far Wenge is as far as I want to go in that direction and it can be tricky not going over the top with the brightness/articulation. My MTD has an Ash body and Wenge neck/board and after switching to nickel strings and really working on my technique I "tamed" it to my satisfaction.

 

[emjazz]

The notes really jump out on my all Maple basses. Not as much with the Audere-equipped six but the Bart/Bart and Bart/Aggie basses really pump.



Yes... for me it's too bright, like going way beyond Wenge.



Not sure if he's done one in Mahogany/Ash. He has done Spanish Cedar/Ash and he likes it.


Pretty sure it's Ash body/Ash top with a Maple neck/board.



Ask away, hope I can help.

So far I haven't tried an Ash-necked bass that I really preferred. So far Wenge is as far as I want to go in that direction and it can be tricky not going over the top with the brightness/articulation. My MTD has an Ash body and Wenge neck/board and after switching to nickel strings and really working on my technique I "tamed" it to my satisfaction.

Thanks so much Brad. I've been thinking maybe a mahogany body with maple neck/ebony board for some clarity, evenness and growl. I'm also curious about cherry for a body wood. It should be somewhere between mahogany and alder, which sounds really nice to me.

I had to take out the Audere in my own bass. When I changed the preamp to something else (ACG filter based preamp made by John East...stunning pre) I found that the Audere had made my bass a bit too flat (somewhat dull) and took away from the upper harmonics in each note. The notes pop more with the new preamp....now for a different body wood.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Thanks so much Brad. I've been thinking maybe a mahogany body with maple neck/ebony board for some clarity, evenness and growl. I'm also curious about cherry for a body wood. It should be somewhere between mahogany and alder, which sounds really nice to me.

I had to take out the Audere in my own bass. When I changed the preamp to something else (ACG filter based preamp made by John East...stunning pre) I found that the Audere had made my bass a bit too flat (somewhat dull) and took away from the upper harmonics in each note. The notes pop more with the new preamp....now for a different body wood.

I go back and forth on the same decision. My Audere setup has output on par with a passive bass in two of the Q positions. My other Maple basses run much hotter and have more punch too. The Audere's not bad, it's just, like Ash neck, not my first choice. Actually the bass sounds great once I've set the gains up on whatever I'm running through, I just get the feeling there's more there tonally than what I currently get.

 

[emjazz]

....I just get the feeling there's more there tonally than what I currently get.

I was getting sooooo frustrated with my Ristola, to the point of thinking that I'd have to sell it. I didn't want to do that because Brian is a friend and the bass was built so well. I was on my third set of pickups and realized that the constant had been the Audere. Since I've switched it out I've been elated with my bass. Again, I know that the body wood is not quite for me, but other wise I can't imagine this particular bass sounding better. The Audere is a fine product but it just wasn't for me.

 

[madsci918]

Yeah, the 33" scale neck that Kevin made for my bass completely helped to alleviate (then completely eliminate) some tendon problems that I was beginning to have in my left forearm from the 34.5 inch scale it originally was scaled at. It sounds amazing and it's as comfortable to play as my Fender Jazz bass. It is an instrument that continues to inspire me whenever I pick it up.

Another thing I will say about Brubaker's basses...they are ridiculously well-balanced.

I think people need to be aware of this scale length issue....There are all these crazy scale lengths now by all the great bass builders. However, not everybody has the natural reach to play them. I found out that I didn't in the middle of a tour with Vernon Reid over in Europe when my left arm felt like all the muscles and tendons were being ripped to shreds.

So be sure to stretch, people...

-Steve Jenkins
www.stevejenkinsbass.com
Link Removed