Ashbory and Kala U Bass players....
 

Quick question for those of you who play either or both of the above, how long are the strings in a fresh pack? I have a project idea that would use the same strings, but was hoping to go a little longer scale. Are you trimming the strings at all when you install them, or are the made to fit exactly right out of the package?

I have an Ashbory and put the "Pahoehoe" black polyurethane strings on it. (The regular silicone has a tendency to spontaneously bust on the G string.) They were way, way long, I trimmed, put on, trimmed again, put on, and still have too much on the tuner... LOL.

The regular Ashbory strings (which do in fact spontaneously break) are longer than needed out of the box as well. And that's before the stretching process. Maybe I'll try those Pahoehoe ones - do they work well on an Ashbory? The 18" scale is pretty dang short - I'll bet 21 or 22 would feel more workable.

I love the sound, a bit brighter than the silicone, less thump, but still sounds more like an upright than any thing else I've ever played.

Thanks, I may give those a try. The goal is to convert an old crappy Washburn acoustic guitar into an over sized uke bass. If it turns out good, I may hunt down a small body acoustic (00 or something like that) to convert.

There are Pahoehoes available for different scale lengths. The 18"s work great on the Ashbory as it states that's what they are for.

Yes, I was having trouble finding someone to build me a 5 string acoustic u-bass ( i don't like the look of the electric 5 strings by kala) out of frustration I bought an old classical guitar and ordered a set of 5 string pohoes. I didn't even get to buying a piezo element for the job. By the time the strings arrived I found a guy to do the building. The 5 string poehoes are recomended for 23-25 inch scale instruments so perfect for converting an acoustic guitar which is around 25 scale.

It turns out the classical guitar was an old MIJ guitar that sounded quite nice. I'm now teaching my daughter how to play guitar. My 23.5 scale hula bass with 5 strings is in the process of being built by scott at grove guitars.

I'm now looking for a 1/2 size cello to convert to a BEAD mini-upright bass using the kala strings I have.

FYI when I bought my kala acoustic u-bass the strings stretched a lot over the first 3 weeks. I suspect I've cut about 8-10 inches from them, so even if they seem a bit short you may just have to stretch them a bit.

And best of luck!