BRUBAKER
JJX- 4
BY RICHARD WAGOR
Brubaker Musical Instruments has a reputation for exotic woods, innovative designs, and high-quality builds. Kevin
Brubaker has been making handmade,
custom basses and guitars since 1997, and
his custom basses are endorsed by a number
of heavy-hitting players. Three years ago,
Brubaker began working on the import
Brute series, which aimed to offer many of
the features of his handcrafted KXB and
NBS series basses at a price that’s more
accessible to the greater bassist community.
These instruments are available as both
4- and 5-string models, with MJX or JJX
pickup configurations, and here we take a
look at the Brute JJX- 4.
basswood body, a satin-finished neck, and
A Lasting First Impression
The Brute JJX- 4 arrived in a sturdy hard-
shell case with a nicely padded handle that
makes transporting the instrument surpris-
ingly pleasant. Opening the case, I found a
svelte instrument with a gloss finish over a
a unique and quite attractive flamed-maple
pickguard.
Brute by Brubaker
J-bass-style pickups
3-piece maple neck
Basswood body and
flame-maple pickguard
Blend control for
pickup balance
