Brubaker B2

This is a 2003 Brubaker B-2 that I ordered specially. Mahogany body with a gorgeous Blue/Green (I call it peacock) flame AAAAA maple top. It also has a hollow sound chamber without F-hole, ebony board with shell inlays, Point trem, Duncans, locking sperzels and matching headstock. I have owned a lot of guitars and this one is just stunning. Also, has a coil splitter and three way switch for tons of tonal options.

This guitar will do it all for any style and I don't say that lightly. I play in a cover band that does all kinds of stuff and this is one of the only guitars that pulls it all off with little or no sacrifices. This guitar is the best match for high gain amps (Diezel, Roccaforte, Mesas, etc.) that I have ever heard. I have found that LPs and PRS can sound muddy through those types of amps. The Bru just cuts through like a laser beam. With the pickups in the middle position, nice "strat" sounds are right there. Kick in the humbuckers and you can whammy with the best of the Floyd-equipped crowd and this thing will not go out of tune.

Roll back the volume and this guitar cleans up like janitor in a drum. 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. It is like Jeckyl and Hyde.

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.

I have never played a bad Brubaker guitar. They are remarkably consistent and the workmanship is as good or better than any high-end builder out there. I think they are one of the best kept secret values on the market.

The neck joint is perfect, the finish is gorgeous (wild 3D flame effect), and the hardware is all high end.

One of the greatest things about the Brus are the necks. Don't get me wrong, I think PRS and Gibsons play nice but this is slightly different and for me it is really effortless. The frets are just the right height and the action allows me to get under them, bend and shake the shit out those strings with total control. I play 10s on this guitar and just about everyone says they feel like 9s!

I have no issues with the build quality or durability of this instrument. I am careful not to scratch the top but this guitar gets played real hard. You should always have a back up but I've never needed one. play 10s on this

Here is where you expect to get more from a small builder and Kevin Brubaker totally delivers! He and Jeff, his sales manager will really help you with the huge amount of options. There are tons of choices to be made here: body wood, type of top, pickups, body style, trem, hardware, neck shape, inlays, etc. You can literally come up with a guitar that is so personalized to you that it is perfect in every way. That is how I feel about mine. I have ordered other Brubakers and have always been extremely happy with the experience. Luckily I live fairly close to the shop (two hours) so I can drive down and pick them up! Its really cool to see how they are made and you get a real feeling for how much care, craftsmanship and just plain art Kevin puts into them. They are like his children.

I'm the first one to bitch about reviewers giving everything 10s as I have here, but I am so happy with this guitar I just can't find anything to nitpick about. I am a fussy prick, too. I have been playing over 20 years, professionally, on and off. I have owned tons of guitars and quite a few high-end ones over the last few years as I have been finally able to afford them. I'm talking, PRS, McInturff, Gibson Custom Shop, etc. The Brubaker is still my fav. My old LP, which was my #1 for many years just sits next to the drums now. These aren't cheap guitars but when you look at the cost of new Gibsons, PRS, and some of these really crazy expensive builders, I think the Brubakers are the best value going.

This is (to me) a very special custom guitar, hand made in 2001 by Kevin Brubaker in Westminster, Maryland. It's especially cool for me, not only because of how terrific the guitar is, but also because it has local roots in a number of respects. Kevin runs a small operation about 35 miles away from my house, turning out about 10 guitars and basses per month. He builds to his own personal standards rather than what you might call production line standards.

This is the first of the Brubakers that I collected (I now have 3 and it won't end there) and was originally intended for someone else, but I had the good fortune to have been in the right place at the right time when it became available.

The guitar is a 6 string, 24 fret solid body double cutaway electric guitar. The fast, thin neck is maple, with a birdseye maple fretboard and black 'petrified wood' dot inlays. This is the only guitar that Kevin has built (so far) that has this material for inlays. 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.

The body has a tasteful carve and the headstock design with it's signature carve is simply beautiful. It has 3 on a side chrome Schaller tuners (he's currently using Sperzels). The body is made from a locally milled and barn dried (that's right, it was cured in somebody's barn) Pennsylvania white ash, and is a lighter weight than the more typical swamp or Northern ash. The body is stained red and is finished with a clear, thin and flawless urethane type finish.

It has a fixed bridge and 3 Seymour Duncan Vintage single coil pickups with a 5 way blade selector switch. The control cavity cover is cut from the same body wood and shielded trem cavity demonstrates Kevins attention to meticulous detail.

It came with a custom fitted hardshell case and neck adjustment tool.

The only reason I don't give it a 10 rating is because it doesn't have one of Kevin's gorgeous tops. The thing is, the guy who wanted this guitar made originally, wanted to see this wonderful piece of ash that came from a nearby yard and I can certainly say I can see why. It's not a '10 top' for spectacular tops, but for a wood worker in love with the Maryland/Pennsylvania area, it's beautiful.

The ash and the single coils provide a range of tones that cannot be described with overused Fender and Gibson cliches. This Bru, like the others I have, have their own voices. Somebody else reviewing a Bru said it wasn't fair to compare the tone to other guitars, and that's exactly right. Brus have their own voice. Kevin has developed a guitar that doesn't imitate a Strat or Les Paul, though if that's what you're looking for (and you want something more art-worthy and finely crafted than a Strat or a Les Paul), the flexibility of the guitar, woods, pickups and electronics Kevin can apply to the job can permit having your cake and eating it too (as I found out with having Kevin custom build a K-4 Nashville Custom for me - check out my review of that guitar for a description).

The tone? 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. I had full, rich PRS hum and single coil (by virtue of splitting the coils) tones and bird inlays. I had 'gifted myself' with that PRS and it took only a couple of minutes of playing this guitar through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe to willingly part with it.

The guitar, being made primarily of white ash, is fairly bright with glassy and 'hollow' single coil tones. It's a wonderful platform for my principal style of play, classic rock and blues.

My rig (at the moment) consists of a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, TS-9 Tube Screamer (modified to TS-808 spec) and Morley Bad Horsie wah, though now I've added a Dano Cool Cat chorus into the mix and I run a second amp, a Vox AD60VT, out of the stereo out.

The action and pickups required no adjustment at all. It's setup up low and fast. The finish and workmanship is flawless. It really is remarkable.

There's no doubt, Kevins work is solid. He uses only the best parts, and I'll say it again, it's according to his standards, not market and artist [well compensated for] hype. I do not play out professionally, but travel weekly to setup and play and can't imagine why I'd ever having a problem with a Brubaker.

I cut and pasted this from my K-4 Nashville Custom review (with one editorial fix). I can't see a reason to say it a different way:

Customer support? That's easy. I haven't needed it and I doubt I will unless it's to swap some pickups. One of my friends has a couple Brubaker guitars and has had pickups swapped and action changed because he's always in a mad search for the ever elusive perfect tone and setup and Kevin cheerfully obliges. Kevin is very available. I've visited his shop a fair number of times and he will work with you on all the details to make sure you get exactly what you want. He says "Customer satisfaction is priority one." and the thing is, he really means it. 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.

Bang for the buck, you can't beat a small, up and coming craftsman. The craftmanship of this custom B-2, or any guitar coming out of his shop, is nothing less than the Xtreme guitars he builds, which include simply off the scale quilt tops (David Thomas McNaught caliber) and fretboards. The quality of Kevins guitars is nothing short of Private Stock, Custom Shop or Master Build and his work is thousands of dollars less for those comparable quality instruments. 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?), but because I can talk to the guy who's building my guitars, he 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.
I have been playing for 20 years and this guitar sits in the company of a Brubaker B-1, a Brubaker K-2 Nashville Custom, a Warrior Soldier, a Fender Custom Shop Setneck Strat and a custom made Warmoth guitar. Would I replace it? Darn right.

This Custom B2 was brought to life by Kevin Brubaker in his shop in Westminster Maryland.The sixteenth he made in 2001. Mahogany body,flame maple top,matching headstock,24 frets.Lindy Fralin at the neck,Duncan JB at the bridge.Volume,tone,3-way selector with coil tap.Maple neck with cocobola fretboard.Double cutaway,"The Point Classic" tremolo and locking Sperzels.Very comfortable fast neck custom sized for previous owner.High quality hard case.

I play in a blues and classic rock group and this guitar performs well in all situation; overdriven ZZTop to Bob Dylan ballads and everthing in between. I play through a Boogie Mark IV and a reissue Bassman run together with a Morley A/B switch. Effects include new TS9, Tech21 Comptortion,Dan Echo and a Bad Horsie wah.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 alot of guitars,many high end. This guitar is very versatile,the volume and tone controls are widely reponsive giving it great range.

This guitar came to me used from Kevin's sales manager Jeff.It needed no setup at all.It played and sounded perfect from the time I picked it up.I've had it for over a week,played it every day and see no need for adjustment. The top on this guitar is a marvel.Deep 3D flame that you could get lost in.Flame like this on a Les Paul would cost you 4K or more and I've never seen anything close on a Fender,Custom Shop included. I have scrutinized this instument and can't find anything to complain about. This is a testement to Kevin Brubaker's talent as a luthier.He is an artist creating world class guitars.

Rock solid workhorse,I expect will be in my stable as other guitars come and go.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Kevin and Jeff and I get the feeling they would do whatever it took to make a customer happy. Kevin runs a small personal operation paying attention to detail.

A good friend and myself met Kevin and were able to play a couple guitars he had recently completed,they were so impressive my friend purchaced one on the spot.That week I placed an order through Jeff to have Kevin fashion a new K4 model to my specs. The K4 should be ready Jan. '02.Meanwhile Jeff temps me with this B2 that was traded in for a new K4.After seeing it and playing it I just had to have it. These guitars are addicting.It's unfair to compare Brubakers to other guitars.They have a destinctive 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.

New in November 2001
-Mahogany Body
-AAAA Flame Maple Top with Matching Headstock
-24 Frets
-Mahogany Neck, Gloss Finish
-Birdseye Maple Fingerboard, Gloss Finish
-Seymour Duncan Pickups- 2 Humbuckers
-Volume, Tone (with push/pull coiltap), Three Way Switch
-Finish - Sapphire Blue
-Exposed Natural Binding
-Tremolo Bridge
-Gold Hardware
-Pearl Dot Inlays
-Hard Case (square old style)

Unbelievable sound
-Great for my primary style of blues
-Line 6 Flextone II amp
-No noise - EVER!
-Rich, bright sound
-3 distinctly differnt full bodied tones

Plays like butter right from the gate
-Pickups were at optimum heigth to capture every note cleanly
-Bookmatched top is "artwork of the highest order"
-Not a single flaw or imperfection - simply spectacular

This is my second Brubaker - judging by the first is will hold up forever
-the finish is durable 2K polyurethane
-solid as a rock
-would not be afraid to take it to a 3 hour gig

You can speak directly to the owner (unlike a lot of the other high line company's)
-No need to get it repaired
-2 years, but based on my experience with the company I think they would help you out as long as you didn't damage the guitar

Been playing 20 years
-68 SG, 92 Strat, 91 Tele, 68 Supro, 1998 Brubaker, (had lots of others Les Pauls, PRS, etc. - have lots of acoustics)
-Would buy this guitar again and again if - if anything happened to it my heart would be broken
-No comparison to any other guitar
-I had it built to my specs - its perfect
My first was a spectacular B-1 and this one is a spec built B-2. I cannot describe how much I like the guitar. First of all, it is a work of art. That alone would satisfy me on a variety of levels and would make the cost and the wait well worth having had a ?custom made masterpiece? built. As an avid guitar collector, I am acutely aware of finished product quality ? and this Brubaker is simply the finest example what high quality guitar makers are trying (but so often failing) to achieve. However, the most important feature of the guitar is its amazing sound! So many of the skilled musicians who have heard and played it in the last few weeks have made comments like ?It sounds so alive!? or ?Man, I wish my guitar was that bright!? I had it set up with a laminated maple fret board and fast action. 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. 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.

2001 Brubaker B-2 Custom in a beautiful Burnt Orange Maple Quilt Top. 24 Fret hardtail (strings thru bridge) with a Duncan JB in the bridge and Fralin Unbucker in the neck. 3 way switch with coil splitter on the tone control. Locking Sperzel tuners.

Double cutaway Pawlonia (real light and resonant) body with highly figured maple quilt top. Maple neck with Cocobola rosewood fretboard. The neck is wide and fairly thin. Real fast. The rosewood fretboard is thicker than on other Brubakers I have seen and the other I own. As a result, the bridge saddles are adjusted out pretty far. This is a good thing in my opinion as explained below.

This guitar (as with most Brubakers I have seen) is drop-dead gorgeous. Best components, wood and materials you can get.

This guitar is so alive and resonant. It is truly one of those special ones. My theory is that the combination of the light Pawlonia body, neck thru bolt-on design, Duncan 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.

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.

Here is where Brubakers simply beat everything out there. These are completely hand-made. Even the necks are made from scratch. The attention to detail is very evident. 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. You can't really compare these 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 weigh better than Gibson, even the custom shop (I have a '58 Historic LP reissue that I love too).

The finish is flawless. Very deep and rich looking. The burnt orange goes out into an almost black edge. I probably would not have made the edge black but I didn't custom order this guitar. Everyone who sees it flips.

OK I own a lot of nice guitars. I am very fortunate to be able to do so and don't take it for granted. I've been playing seriously for over 20 years. There was a time when I couldn't afford nice guitars. I gigged with a cheap Ibanez LP copy for over 7 years.

My point is this: Guitars are meant to be played not just looked at! If it looks great but plays like shit or sounds like shit, who cares. If you are afraid to put a few scratches or nicks on it then don't buy it. This Brubaker looks wonderful but I play the hell out of it. I don't abuse it and treat it real nice but I don't baby it when I'm playing. This is a serious players guitar that happens to look real nice and expensive too.

Kevin Brubaker is the nicest guy and best luthier you will ever meet. I actually had ordered my first Brubaker from him when this one became available. I fell in love with it and bought it before the one I ordered was finished. I'll review that one later.

Kevin and Jeff, his sales director, will work with you to build the exact guitar you want. The options are staggering. The kind of service they give you is non-existent with any other manufacturer. I won't go into everything they did for me or how much of a pain in the ass I probabaly was to them but they are the best.

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. Each is a work of art too.

Customer support is old world service and craftsmanship. Kevin pours his heart and soul into these guitars and it truly shows. Some big names are using these. I predict others may follow.

These are not cheap guitars but they are worth every penny. I have waited a few months before writing this review to avoid that "initial buyer's love" that creeps in when you first get a piece of gear. I have bought and sold other guitars while I have had this one. I have had offers to buy it and I will not sell the Burnt Orange. This speaks for itself.

This is a new 2001 custom Brubaker B2. 24 fret, dual seymor duncan humbuckers. Select switch is a 3-way. Volume, and Tone + coil tap.
The body is Ash with a quilted maple top, Maple neck with eboney fret
board. Bridge is a point-tech. locking tuners.
Finish is a dark purple, with natural binding. Unit came with a custom
hard case.
The coolest feture of this guy is what they call "Neck-thru-bolt-on" deisgn. This is really cool. Check the web site...

This is the best looking guitar I own by far.

I play this thru a Meas tri-axis pre-amp. It has tons of
high end and sustain, very bright sound. I have only noticed any noise with the volume at the full stop. This is a great guitar for
the Fuzz/crunch type sounds.
It can generate a nice full tone, but maybe not as warm as my strat.

Action was a bit fast for me, needed to adjust it up a tad, Pickup
were adjust well. Craftmanship on this guys was outstanding. This
is what I like the most. I Have looked it over for a month and yet to find a flaw in the finish.

I dont play live (yet) but this is a well build guitar. Only thing I
dont like are the strap buttons. I like locking straps and the buttons dont
work well.

Believe it has a 1 year warranty, but really cant remember. I got this
basically by e-mail. They responced quickly to any questions I had.
This is my first custom built unit, so I was pretty lost. They helped
me made some really good decesions.

Have been playing for ~ 3 years. I have collected a Americian strat,
a Gibson Nighthawk, Have a Martin Acoutic, and a Godin LGS. All of this is good gear. I really play this new guitar the most. It a toss up between this Brubaker and the strat. I use the Strat for blues, and
the Brubaker for Rock. I would replace this in a hart-beat if something happened to it.

Brubaker B-2 built in 2000
Mahogany body with flamed maple top;saphire blue
Lindy Fralin single coil in neck position, Seymour-Duncan
humbucker in bridge position with 3 way switch,locking tuners,rosewood fingerboard on wide-thin neck with
medium-jumbo frets.
Point Technology tremelo
Hard shell custom-fitted case.

Fralin single coil bright; really cuts through.
Duncan HB has tons of overdrive & distortion.
I would probably prefer 3 pickup configuration instead of 2

Action

very low & fast.
Perfectly bookmatched top
no visible flaws.

Durable guitar that should last for years.

Company was very friendly' & easy to deal with

I have been playing for 25 years and own 10 guitars.
This one is by far my favorite.
much nicer than my PRS.

See Overall Rating ! This guitar is awesome!
blonde quilted top
black cherry flame top
Natural quilted top
red flame

to name a few......violet coming!

Exceptional! See Overall rating!

sings!!

See Overall Rating ! This guitar is unbelievable!


THE BEST!
THE FEEL IS SO GOOD!

See Overall Rating ! Wonderful!

See Overall Rating ! Great!

I heard about the name Kevin Brubaker over a year ago from a guy I did business with on Ebay. At the time I was buying Ibanez Jems for playing and just collecting guitars. I was also in the market for a custom guitar with my own specs and looking for something different. I was getting tired of assembly line guitars and wanted something more personal. That?s when Mr. Brubaker came into the picture. One of his business associates sent me a brochure and that?s when the beginning of a love affair with the Brubaker guitar started. After viewing the brochure I spoke to a Brubaker business associate about the guitar and I also spoke to the builder himself about guitars and I wanted to know what he uses in his guitars. He is a pleasant person to talk to and listens to what you are looking for in a guitar. I talked to him about the neck I wanted and the exotic wood tops, pickups, hardware and body style. (Brubaker has the B1 and B2. The B2 is the one made but if you want the B1 it?s a special order.) The result was a beautiful hum -single-hum tremolo guitar with a satin finish maple neck and unbelievable quilted top. What impressed me the most was the craftsmanship and quality instrument I received. The quilted top was so beautiful and so real I felted I could touch the deep valley and peaks. Besides his outstanding craftsmanship his desire to try different finishes and woods really caught my attention. He likes to experiment with different colors and the choice of wood and tops he uses only bring out the best in sound and in the final finish.
But that is only part of the story, the best was yet to come. When I got home and open the case (by the way the cases are beautiful) and viewed the guitar from a few feet away I was in guitar heaven. Then I picked it up and plugged it in. It was awesome and incredible! The sound was amazing and fat and most important it sang! Then there was the overall feel of the guitar. I didn?t want to put it down. The feel was great, no better then great, silky smooth. I usually leave 3 or 4 guitars on stands at home so I can switch whenever I want. Yes the stands occupy different Brubaker guitars and not Jems, Fender, or Gibsons or Paul Reed Smiths. I have in my possession 6 Brubaker guitars and one Bass. Yes, Mr. Brubaker is not just a guitar and bass luthier but an innovator with amazing desire to build great guitars. I believe Mr. Brubaker is a great luthier and will be a reckoning force in the guitar world. For the money the quality and craftsmanship is unbelievable. I was told he is in the middle of a new run of 8-12 guitars and basses. I am starting to foam at the mouth because I have my eye on a violet guitar. I am sure Mr. Brubaker will exceed my expectations and produce an incredible new run. In closing all I can say is Kevin, thank you for the great guitars and like the old gentlemen?s saying goes ? I tip my hat to a great luthier and guitar innovator?.

My guitar has the most beautiful Navy Blue AAAAA Quilted Maple top, with 24 fret Flamed Cocobola Fretboard. It has a volume and a push pull pot for the tone which taps the Seymour Duncan '59 in neck and JB in bridge. It is sort of a PRS type style but it is much more than that. Any one can make a guitar that looks like another guitar but, Kevin Brubaker is an artist. To say that this guitar is anything short of a work of art would be blasphemy. As far as hardware it has a hipshot hard tail bridge with schaller locking tuners. It comes with a form fitting hard shell case.

The sound of this guitar is very versatile. It is quite warm when you need it to be or bright when you need it. It is a great rock guitar which is my main style. This guitar is absolutely mean! I couldn't ask for more from a guitar.

This is where this guitar really shines. Kevin sets them up great! The top is perfectly bookmatched and there are no flaws in the guitar anywhere that I can see. The action is so low I think I might even have to raise it so that I don't get too spoiled. The neck feels like nothing else I have ever played before. From what I hear Kevin Brubaker spends lots of time on sanding the neck to make sure that it feels right.

I would gig without a backup because I have never broken a string on a electric guitar(knock on wood).

Great support. I actually wound up buying another guitar in the first place but, I wasn't completely satisfied with it(completely my own fault because I just bought it without researching what makes sounds different woods make) and they returned that one and gave me full credit towards this one.

I have been playing for about 6-7 years and I am fully satisfied with this guitar. If it was lost I wouldn't think twice about buying another because I know that Brubaker would make sure that I am satisfied and that is a strange and refreshing thing in this day and age. I compared this guitar with a lot of PRS's and Warrior and I decided on Brubaker because the support was excellent and it is a great guitar all around. A top such as the one like I got would cost 5k plus on a PRS no kidding.

US made, 2000 Brubaker B2 solid flame pawlonia, featherweight, with 24 fret birdseye maple fretboard handstained red to match the guitar. This was an Xtreme custom shop model. Double distortion humbuckers with a get out of my way bypass mini-switch. Coil tap on tone knob. Locking Schaller tuners, satin neck finish, neck through bolt on. Excellent, fabulous guitar.

Punchy, massive, bright. Deep clear, rich, articulated tone. Really incredible. Gives new life to old presets. Makes anything I use sound better. Using Rocktron Taboo Twin, Pod. This really smokes the tube amp too. Budda Superdrive 18. Can do it all, but I am not trying to copy strat counds or les paul sounds. I want my sound and I get it from this guitar. If I wanted a strat, I'd have one.

Absolutely perfect as can be. I am so happy I wrote a review. I bought the guitar vecause I saw a review of them on this site.

The hardware is oversized, so even the controls can be accessed with a dime. Very smart. It seems solid. The neck is sturdy--and though bolted on, it is really set--without glue. I saw him remove this neck and it is really solidly in there--6 inches deep! The necks are handmade for eahc guitar. No pre-fab necks.

The owner answers the phone, when he can. Otherwise they get right back to you. No problems, just anxious questions, as I ordered this and was very excited to go pick it up. I got to watch it come to life, as the plant is about an hour away. I don't mean to be overzealous in my praise, but I had the best expecrience and love this guitar. I'd like others to discover them.

I have handled many of these guitars, as I am in his area. I can always tell his necks. They are distictive and feel like an expensive guitar should feel.

See Brubaker web site for details.

I like these puppies so much I had Kevin Brubaker make three of them for me in matching color. All three have maple neck (no rosewood) and fixed bridge.

Guitar 1: 3 Fralin Blues Specials single coils
Guitar 2: 2 Seth Lover humbuckers
Guitar 3: Seymour Duncan JB (bridge) and 59 (neck) humbuckers

These guitars are exactly what I wanted because Kevin made them that way for me.

The tone of these guitars blows away anything else I have played, including the PRS McCarty Limited Edition I owned with brazilian rosewood neck. This is the real deal folks. I play through a Dr Z MAZ 18 Jr head running through a MESA 2x12 vertical cab with Celestion Blues. THE SOUND IS TO DIE FOR. People hear it and ask "how do you get your guitar to sound so cool, mon?". "I have never heard a guitar sound so good". "Man, that thing sounds mean and sweet at the same time...how is that possible?"

The Seth Lover's are my favorite. Just make sure you get them potted. Otherwise they will squeal at you at high volume/gain. When I found this out, Kevin got them potted for me.

Without question the best worksmanship of any guitar I have owned (including PRS, G&L, and fender Custom shop). The electronics cavity is a work of art. Everything is painted with shielding paint, including the inside of the pickup cavities!!! Look for this on your $5000 private stock PRS and tell me when you find it. Kevin also made the color just for me from pics I sent him. Cool!

This guitar will live longer than I will.

I've worked with Kevin to design all three of the guitars. If something isn't just right, he iterates with me to make it right. Tell me, have you ever talked to the person who made your PRS, G&L, or Fender? I think not. I talk regularly with Kevin and Dr Z. So can you if you buy their stuff. THIS IS A NO BRAINER FOLKS.

These guitars are it for me. I will own them the rest of my life and die happy. I have owned about 35 different guitars and about 50 different amps in my day (I am 40). I could have bought anything. The Brubaker, Dr Z, Celestion Blue combination is simply the best I have ever had. More importantly, I am now FULLY satisfied, and have NEVER before felt like this. The key to this is getting exactly what you want. This is why Kevin built my guitars, Dr Z custom made my amp (5U4G rectifier and higher gain than stock), and why I replaced the Vintage 30's in the MESA cab with Celection Blues. Take this approach and you won't keep continually pouring money into equipment (as I have done over last 20 years), and you'll die happy.