A short scale Stingray is my ideal little bass, but if this Kala is cheap, it be pretty cool too. That said, 23.5” scale might be too little.
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Kala Solidbody
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
A short scale Stingray is my ideal little bass, but if this Kala is cheap, it be pretty cool too. That said, 23.5” scale might be too little.
I've often wondered if the scale would be too short for me, as well. Sounds good, though.
I only play 21" scale bass, this one is too big for me.
I find uke-sized basses to be more comfortable and I'm pretty tall. A flatter neck is better for these though, my Kala U-bass has a thin rounded neck and I find my thumb wrapping around the entire thing unconsciously
i've got the glarry version I bought for my daughter, nice little bass. in the right scenario it would be great. it could never be my main bass though. my daughter has upgraded to the passive short scale stingray, and it's a beast of a bass. It could easily serve as my main bass.
I have the Cream White one on my list for a while now. The perfect travel bass. Plus, they offer a Kala branded set of flatwounds made by LaBella.
kalabrand.com
kalabrand.com
Solid Body 4-String Sweet Cream Fretted U•BASS® - Kala Brand Music Co.™
Sporting a retro Sweet Cream finish, this four‑string U•BASS pairs an okoume hardwood body with a maple neck for balanced weight....
kalabrand.com
Stainless Steel Solid Body U•BASS® Flat Wound 4-String Set - Kala Brand Music Co.™
Kala Solid Body U•BASS® Flat Wound Strings by La Bella answer Kala’s need for a traditional electric U•BASS® string. Made...
kalabrand.com
I got my two Kalas when prices were cheaper. I have upgraded most of the components and the original plan was to defret one of them, but the pocket frets are so nice that it seems a shame to pull them out. But even though the prices are a little higher now I still think the Kala solid body basses are an excellent value and great for modding. Just wish they had more lefty options.
I've seen that pickguard before. Under a microscope in biology class.
The design team was asked for a prototype and they came up with a protozoan.
The design team was asked for a prototype and they came up with a protozoan.
Hey Cheese! It's Ken. Long time. As you remember, I retired from gigging quite a while ago now (6 years I think). Sold all my stuff and I was done. Long story, but I'm playing at home a bit and teaching a bit again. Done with gigging forever though. I actually bought a Kala 4 string solid body to start out with. Wasn't sure my old hands could handle a full scale bass any more and didn't want to pay much money in case it all went to heck.
It's a lovely little instrument. Surprisingly high quality wood work (thick slab board and nice neck construction). Even has a rotary truss rod adjustment, which is the best in my opinion. Fret work is great. Electronics not so much. I took it down to Gravity Strings and had new pots, input jack and a Nordstrand NP4 pickup installed. Really sounds good. The scale is amazingly the same as a Les Paul guitar. Easy to play. Tuners are cheap, but no direct replacements that are the right key size also. Not a big deal.
The only funky thing with the scale is a physics thing. Very short, very fat strings have strange overtones. So, it always seems to not be exactly in tune even though the tuner says it is. Only a problem on the E string above the 5th fret, so no big deal for most.
Anyway, after a year, my fingers felt good, so I bought a full size Fender P Player II. What a fabulous bass. I guess with all the CNC and robot stuff, these come out perfect. Playability as good as any boutique I've ever owned. Pickup is awesome vintage sounding. Really surprising. Same with the wood and fret work on the Kala. So, playing a full scale again. Hope you are well!!!!!
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Ken, it is good to hear from you again! I’m still playing at church. In fact we’re are interviewing a new keyboardist/choir director tonight. I am retiring from the university later this year, and I hope to have more time to play after midsummer. I actually have couple of Sadowsky’s now although they are budget models.
That Kala looks nice, but I will probably end up with a short scale Stingray.
Ken! You and I have exchanged a few PM's over the years, but mostly—like a lot of other Bergantino, Alleva-Coppolo, and Nordstrand fans here—I've quietly ingested all your content over the years. I've missed seeing your posts, but like you, I've sort of gotten out of playing as much as I did, say, 10–15 years ago. Good to see you posting a bit these past couple months. Hope all is well brother.
I've had some left arm and thumb issues since Christmas that have prevented me playing.
I work at a music store and found that the Taylor GS Mini bass was playable for me. I can do three fret stretches without needing my thumb on the back of the neck which hasn't been possible on even short scale basses (30" scale) lately.
The main problem (aside from the cost of them here at $1700 NZd) is they sound horrible plugged in. I tried a cheaper Cordoba version and it too sounded horrible.
I got the UBass Solid Body (black with white pick guard) shipped from one of our other stores to try out and I'm blown away by the quality of this for the price. I get a 25%staff discount so only paid $371 (NZd ..... around $210 USd).
Can't believe that they put in the effort on such a cheap bass...... it's rare to see this type of fret work on an instrument costing thousands of $$$
Overall the build quality is nearly faultless, particularly at this price point.
I played for a couple of hours with my band on Monday night for the first time in months and while it sounds infinitely better than the acoustic Ubasses and other similarly short scale basses there is a certain lack of attack and harmonics, but overall it was quite good. And best of all, it's allowing me to play again.
The only mod so far is a shielding job yesterday. It was very noisy and the shielding has improved it greatly. I'll probably replace the pots as they look very cheap.
I tried making a b/w/b pick guard yesterday, got the outline really good and then proceeded to muck up the pickup cutout.... there's two hours wasted. I've ordered some black car wrap vinyl and will try that when it arrives.
I work at a music store and found that the Taylor GS Mini bass was playable for me. I can do three fret stretches without needing my thumb on the back of the neck which hasn't been possible on even short scale basses (30" scale) lately.
The main problem (aside from the cost of them here at $1700 NZd) is they sound horrible plugged in. I tried a cheaper Cordoba version and it too sounded horrible.
I got the UBass Solid Body (black with white pick guard) shipped from one of our other stores to try out and I'm blown away by the quality of this for the price. I get a 25%staff discount so only paid $371 (NZd ..... around $210 USd).
I agree.
Can't believe that they put in the effort on such a cheap bass...... it's rare to see this type of fret work on an instrument costing thousands of $$$
This too! And it comes with a very good quality gig bag.
Overall the build quality is nearly faultless, particularly at this price point.
I played for a couple of hours with my band on Monday night for the first time in months and while it sounds infinitely better than the acoustic Ubasses and other similarly short scale basses there is a certain lack of attack and harmonics, but overall it was quite good. And best of all, it's allowing me to play again.
The only mod so far is a shielding job yesterday. It was very noisy and the shielding has improved it greatly. I'll probably replace the pots as they look very cheap.
I tried making a b/w/b pick guard yesterday, got the outline really good and then proceeded to muck up the pickup cutout.... there's two hours wasted. I've ordered some black car wrap vinyl and will try that when it arrives.
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