The Next Chapter of Bass Innovation

Bunny Brunel’s collaboration with ESP represents the moment where decades of exploration reached their most refined expression. By the time he entered this chapter, his design philosophy was no longer evolving—it was established. What he required was not experimentation, but execution. ESP, with its meticulous craftsmanship and precision manufacturing, provided exactly that.

For the first time, Brunel’s instruments achieved a level of consistency that matched his internal standard. The integration of Aguilar electronics introduced a more organic, transparent tonal response, allowing his fretless voice to speak with clarity and depth. The construction itself reached a level of precision that could only be described as surgical. Fingerboard leveling, weight distribution, and overall balance were executed with such accuracy that the instrument no longer felt like something he had to adjust to—it felt resolved.

This was not a period of discovery. It was the perfection of the blueprint.

And yet, it was within that perfection that something became clear.

Even at the highest level of manufacturing precision, Brunel reached a realization: true control could not exist within the boundaries of a traditional endorsement. The instrument had been refined. The design had been proven. The sound had been achieved. But the process—the full authorship of that sound—remained just out of reach.

Then the world stopped.

The global pandemic, while devastating on every level, created a moment of stillness that forced reflection. For Brunel, it was not simply a pause in activity—it was a moment of clarity. After decades of collaboration with some of the most respected names in the industry, the path forward revealed itself with unmistakable certainty.

Everything he had done had been preparation.

The early experimentation with Gibson and Alembic. The long, defining partnership with Carvin. The precision and refinement of ESP. Each chapter had contributed something essential. Each collaboration had brought him closer to a singular understanding: the only way to fully realize the instrument he heard in his mind was to take complete ownership of its creation.

A signature model is a collaboration.

An invention is a legacy.

With that realization, Brunel has entered his most ambitious chapter yet. Rather than aligning with another manufacturer, he is now stepping into the role of independent creator—overseeing every detail from concept to completion. Wood selection, electronics, construction, balance, response—nothing is left to interpretation. Every element is intentional.

This is not a departure from his past. It is the natural conclusion of it.

At the center of this new chapter is the continued evolution of the BBEUB, an instrument that already challenged the conventions of both electric and upright bass design. Now, under his full direction, it will move beyond innovation into complete realization. Alongside it, a final series of electric basses—refined through decades of experience—will emerge as the most uncompromising versions of his vision ever produced.

What began as a search for the perfect instrument has become something more profound.

It is no longer about adapting to the instrument.

It is about defining it.

And for the first time, every part of that definition belongs entirely to him.

The Instrument Redefined

Bunny Brunel’s journey through instrument design is not a series of endorsements—it is a progression toward authorship. Each chapter, from early experimentation to long-term collaboration and eventual refinement, served a purpose. What once appeared as separate partnerships now reveals itself as a continuous line of development, each step bringing him closer to a complete understanding of the instrument.

The bass, in his hands, was never fixed. It was questioned, reshaped, and ultimately redefined.

Through Carvin, the instrument found its modern voice. Through ESP, that voice was perfected. And now, through independence, it becomes fully realized.

This is the distinction.

A signature bass reflects a moment in time.
An invention carries forward.

By stepping into full control of his designs, Brunel is no longer contributing to the evolution of the bass—he is directing it. The BBEUB and the forthcoming series of instruments represent not just the culmination of decades of experience, but the beginning of a new standard, one defined by precision, intention, and complete creative ownership.

In the end, the goal was never simply to build a better instrument.

It was to remove everything that stood in the way of expression.

And in doing so, Bunny Brunel did not just refine the bass.

He reimagined it.