Brubaker Guitars Introduces JXB-Standard Bass with Interchangeable Preamp System
Brubaker Guitars has unveiled the JXB-Standard, which is a production model of their custom JXB. “With the same classic lines and signature bolt-thru technology, this bass lives up to the Brubaker name,” the company writes.
The bass comes in two combinations: ash body with a maple fingerboard or alder body with a pau ferro fingerboard. Each version is fitted with a maple neck, and block inlays: black for the maple fingerboard and pearloid for the pau ferro.
Electronics include a pair of Brubaker Alnico Exposed Pole pickups and a Brubaker 2-band Active EQ, but this is where things get really interesting. The new JXB comes with the company’s Brubaker Interchangeable Preamp System, or BIPS. The system allows for switching out the entire electronics and control section in a matter of seconds to switch out for a different voicing.
“Bassists change their preamps when they want a different tone (more aggressive, more mellow, rounder, sharper etc….),” luthier Kevin Brubaker writes. “Since changing a preamp is not easy, many bassists will bring two or more basses to a session so they will have a range of tones on familiar basses. Now with the BIPS it would be possible to bring one bass (your favorite jazz bass w/ BIPS) and just swap the preamp.” Brubaker is working with Bartolini, EMG, Nordstrand, Sadowsky, Ken Smith, Darkglass to work their preamps into BIPS compatible units.
See the process in action:
The Brubaker Guitars JXB-Standard will be available with prices of $899 for a four-string and $999 for a five-string. Additional BIPS units will be available ranging between $150 and $300.
Brubaker Guitars JXB-Standard Bass Features:
| Body: | Ash or Alder |
| Neck: | Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Maple or Pau Ferro |
| Frets: | 21 |
| Inlays: | Block |
| String Spacing: | 18mm |
| Pickups: | Brubaker Alnico Exposed Pole |
| Electronics: | Brubaker 2 Band Active EQ with BIPS |
| Additional BIPS Preamps By: | Sadowsky, EMG, Darkglass, Bartolini, Nordstrand, Ken Smith, Aguilar |
| Pickguards: | Blistered Maple |
| Tuners: | Hipshot Licensed Tuners |
| Colors: | Natural, Black, Sunburst |
Looks interesting, and nice to see that it’s reasonably priced.
All we need now is a way to make frets sink into the neck so we can have Fretted / fretless and multiple pre-amps all on one instrument.
I definitely want one.