and crisp, with excellent snap for cutting
through a dense mix. And when com-
bined with the neck pickup’s fat bottom
end, the bridge unit’s razor-like qualities
produced a versatile, well-rounded tone
that would work for everything from blues
to rock and jazz-tinged fare. Although the
preamp got a little noisy onstage at a local
blues jam when I ran the bass through a
Peavey Basic 112 combo, this only hap-
pened when I favored one pickup or the
other. Of course, that’s perfectly normal
for a soloed single-coil—it’s quite difficult
to find a set of single-coils that doesn’t
pick up a bit of hum when panned too far
to one side.
The Verdict
The Brubaker Brute JJX- 4 is a well-executed bass with a versatile palette of modern-to-vintage tones, nice build-quality, a good
preamp, and a neck that is satisfying to
play. The instrument has great balance and
won’t wear one’s shoulder out with excessive weight. The JJX- 4 commands a musical
voice, and the pitches it produces are clear
and sustained. Overall, the JJX- 4 is a solid,
cost-effective bass at a very good price.
Buy If...
you are looking for a reasonably
priced bass with a versatile, modern
vibe that plays and balances well.
Skip If...
you are looking for $500 worth
of preamp and pickups in a bass
that costs under $1000.
Brubaker Musical
Instruments
Street $630
brubakerguitars.com
or use a mobile device to download
audio clips of the bass at
CLICKHere…
