Joe Kruse has spent the past eight years working with Carl Thompson and two more years in Roger Sadowsky’s shop. Now he’s striking out on his own with MBJ Guitars, which focuses on unique short-scale designs and killer wood combinations. The luthier gave us the rundown on his Nutsy bass, which is our bass of the week.
“I used mahogany and pistachio for the body. I’ve only recently started using the pistachio, but I’m already in love,” he explains. “For the neck, I stuck to my standard mahogany with a 32-inch scale ebony fingerboard with 24 frets but made this one a set neck. It’s got simple passive controls with an added kill switch and a single Kent Armstrong MM pickup. Hipshot ultralites and an A style bridge finish off the hardware on this bass.”
Kruse has obviously picked up a lot of great skills and advice during his time studying the art of bass building, which he credits in part to the Thompson and Sadwosky. “Learning this craft is an unending process and I look forward to the whole journey. These two shops are full of beautiful learning experiences.”
MBJ Guitars Nutsy Bass Photos:
