BRUBAKER
CUSTOM GUITAR
HAND BUILT BY
KEVIN BRUBAKER
2001
K-4
“Nashville”
THE ORIGINAL “K” SERIES
THE ULTIMATE ARTFUL ELECTRIC GUITAR.
FROM MY PERSONAL COLLECTION.
I have a lot of guitars in my collection. Many are “mass
brands” but my favorites are “personal brands”.
Personal brands are those unique guitars that have been built by
the hands of an independent builder, many times working alone, who is building
with his/her hands what his/her mind has already created. And as it is being
built, the guitar becomes a “personal brand” because it is the person who is
building it. And for me, I just hear more depth in the sound and tone
these guitars produce. They are special.
THIS PERSONAL BRAND.
If there were a CUSTOM GUITAR BUILDERS’ HALL OF FAME, Kevin
Brubaker would have gotten in on the first ballot fifteen years ago. That’s I
bought my first BRUBAKER and it was perfect. In fact it was so good, that
I commissioned Kevin to build two one off sets of guitar/bass for my sons who
graduated from high school in 2000.
Kevin has become quite successful and renowned since then,
especially for his incredible bass guitars, but he should be known just as well
for his guitars. They are that good. You can go to Kevin’s website
to see more about his current products but I think the best way to describe
them is by using a list I compiled of owner/player comments found online that I
have coined as “50 Ways Why You Love Your Brubaker Guitar”:
1. “I have never played a bad
Brubaker guitar.”
2. They are remarkably
consistent and the workmanship is as good as or better than any high-end
builder out there.
3. I think they are one of
the best kept secret values on the market.
4. The neck joint is perfect,
the finish is gorgeous, and the hardware is all high end.
5. One of the greatest things
about the Brubaker guitars are their necks. They are simply amazing and
play as fast as you can move your hand. And comfortable like none other.
Play and play again and my wrist and fingers just don’t get tired.
6. The frets are just the
right height and the action allows me to get under them, bend and shake those
strings with total control.
7. A completely effortless
guitar to play thanks to its incredibly smooth neck, frets, and fretboards.
8. Really the best guitar for
using the volume knob that I have ever tried. Through a clean amp, the tones
are very complex and great sounding. I have never played a guitar that does a
better crystal clean and killer focused distortion.
9. One other thing is the
tone control- it really works unlike some other guitars. If you run it wide
open, you will get really convincing Tele sounds. Back it off and things fatten
up real nicely. I have found that with my Brubakers there is definitely a sweet
spot you have to find depending on what amp you are using but it will kill no
matter where you are.
10. Kevin Brubaker always makes me extremely
happy with my experience of owning one of his guitars and you get a real
feeling for how much care, craftsmanship and just plain art Kevin puts into
them. They are like his children.
11. I am so happy with this guitar I just can't
find anything to nitpick about.
12. I think Brubaker guitars are the best value
going.
13. The neck joint is called a neck thru bolt
on. The neck basically disappears 7 inches into the body of the guitar
and is bolted in with 4 countersunk large screws. To me this ‘deep
pocket’ is a great alternative to a set neck, regular bolt on, and through the
body neck. It gives incredible sustain.
14. The body has a tasteful carve and the
headstock design with it's signature carve is simply beautiful
15. Kevin is the Master of perfect guitar
details. For example, the back covers for the trem system and for the
controls cavity are made of the same wood as the body and are perfectly cut to
fit securely and perfectly. These covers used a single screw in the
center to attach them and it works great. And they are not flimsy-they are good
thick wood. Also, each control cavity is fully finished and shielded.
16. The action and pickups required no
adjustment at all. It's setup up low and fast.
17. The finish and workmanship are flawless.
18. It really is remarkable.
19. Each Brubaker has its own voice so it
really isn’t fair to compare their tone to other guitars. Kevin has built
an innovative guitar that does not imitate a Strat, Tele, or LP. But
those sounds it can make if you can play the notes.
20. I guess the best way to describe it is this
way: I had a flamed PRS Custom 22 (with birds) that I traded even up for this
guitar.
21. If you can't get him on the phone, he'll
call you right back. He answers email within a day. He is terrific
to work with and is an honest and dedicated craftsman.
22. The quality of Kevin’s guitars is nothing
short of Private Stock, Custom Shop or Master Build.
23. I consider myself very fortunate to have
been able to get into Kevin's guitars relatively early, not just because they
might be good investments someday (like a mid-80s PRS?)
24. Kevin really cares about how I like and
play his product, plays himself, and in the final analysis, his guitars just
flat out have the tone and playability that just outperforms anything else.
25. Kevin is an artist creating world class
guitars. The Brubaker sings no matter what I put between it and an amp. This B2
has an incredibly clear crisp tone that I have not experienced in any other
guitar I've played, and with 30 years playing behind me there have been a lot
of guitars, many high end. This guitar is very versatile, the volume and tone
controls are widely responsive giving it great range.
26. Kevin Brubaker guitars are addicting. It's
unfair to compare Brubakers to other guitars. They have a distinctive voice all
their own. I've tried to be critical but I can't see any musician worth his
salt playing one of these guitars and not coming away wanting to own one
27. “Plays like butter right from the case.”
28. “Pickups were at optimum height to capture
every note cleanly out of the case.”
29. “Not a single flaw or imperfection-simply
spectacular.
30. I’ve been playing 20 years -68 SG, 92
Strat, 91 Tele, 68 Supro, 1998 Brubaker, (had lots of others Les Pauls, PRS,
etc.) but would buy this guitar again and again.
31. If anything happened to my Brubaker, my
heart would be broken-until I could get another one-and then I would still miss
mine.
32. I cannot describe how much I like my
Brubaker guitar. It is a work of art.
33. As an avid guitar collector, I am acutely
aware of finished product quality – and this Brubaker is simply the finest
example of what high quality guitar makers are trying (but so often failing) to
achieve
34. However, the most important feature of the
guitar is its amazing sound! So many of the skilled musicians who have
heard and played it have made comments like ‘It sounds so alive!’ or ‘Man, I
wish my guitar was that bright!’.
35. It is actually intimidating to have a
guitar that is faster than my fingers. In every respect this is simply an
experience no musician should miss.
36. For anyone who has yet to encounter the magic
of a Brubaker – life’s too short not to have the best musical instrument
available in the world.
37. My Brubaker is drop dead gorgeous as is
every Brubaker I have seen. Absolutely no quality drop.
38. And is here is how, and why, Brubakers
simply beat everything out there.
39. They are completely hand-made. Even the
necks are made from scratch.
40. The attention to detail is very evident.
41. The Headstock is Quilted Maple and matches
the body perfectly. There is a spot in the headstock where 3 different kinds
and shades of wood meld together. Simply beautiful.
42. You can't really compare Brubaker guitars
to mass-produced guitars- it isn't fair to them or Brubaker. Suffice it to say
that PRS, which is arguably the best mass-produced guitar, doesn't come close.
I'm not knocking PRS because I own them and like them. Quality is far better
than Gibson, even the custom shop (I have a '58 Historic LP reissue that I love
too).
43. The finish is flawless. Very deep and rich
looking.
44. This guitar is so alive and resonant. My
theory is that the combination of body wood, neck thru bolt-on design, pickups
and the higher distance of the strings from the pickups (due to the bridge
saddle adjustment) make this sound so good. You can get pick harmonics and all
kind of wild overtones all over the place on this guitar. No muddiness as with
a lot of humbucker equipped guitars here. This is a guitar that is capable of
giving you all of the tonal nuances a strat can deliver while in humbucker
mode- I have not played any other guitar that can do this.
45. I'm playing it through a Marshall Jubilee
head, a '68 Fender Super Reverb and a Zinky Mofo head. It sounds great through
everything. I play everything from clean '50's stuff through Ozzy and this
guitar can do it all. Most people seem to play hard rock with these guitars but
the clean really sets it apart from the Les Pauls and PRS's I have.
46. A Brubaker is a serious guitar player’s
guitar that is also beautiful and perfect in its detail.
47. Kevin Brubaker is the nicest guy and best
luthier you will ever meet.
48. I am convinced there is not a better
handmade guitar out there. PRS, Gibson or Fender custom shops can't touch the
quality, playability and sound of these instruments.
49. Each is a work of art too.
50. Customer support is old world service and
craftsmanship. Kevin pours his heart and soul into these guitars and it truly
shows.
THIS GUITAR.
I own several Brubaker guitars in my collection and have
selected a few to offer for sale to Players and Collectors. All of them are
from the 1999-2001 period and were hand built by Kevin himself (most came from
his shop before it burned and he moved to a new building). They feature
the unique “deep pocket bolt on neck” construction that makes each of his
guitars sustain for so long and to carry incredible tones through the neck and
body.
This guitar is one of the original BRUBAKER K4 “NASHVILLE”
Series guitars. It was built by Kevin in the 2001. The Serial
Number is 2001-21 PROTO.
It is a HOT GUITAR that sounds loud, clean, raunchy, et al-all
at the same time.
BODY: ASH, Semi-hollow.
PICKUPS: DUNCAN P-90’s
NECK: Maple, finished in satin black.
FINGERBOARD: Ebony.
TUNERS: Sperzel Locking
FINISH: GOLD.
KNOBS: 1 Vol. 1 Tone
SWITCH: 3 way selector.
BRIDGE: Fixed, string through body, individual adjustable
saddles.
FRETS: 24
HAS EXCLUSIVE BRUBAKER NECK SET TECHNOLOGY where neck is bolt on
but recessed further into body of guitar to increase resonance.
OHSC.
CONDITION.
Overall, this guitar is in VERY GOOD condition. This
guitar has been held as a collection piece and not played since I have owned
and played little before then.
GUARANTEE.
Money back guarantee.
You have three days after receiving this guitar to try it
out. Play it, hold it, look at it, smell
it, and whatever else you do with a guitar.
If you decide it is not for you, please ship it back to us in same
condition as received and I will refund your money. (shipping cost to return it
to me is to be paid by you per Reverb rules).