Kala Ubass Megathread, Part 1

[scotch]

I just got mine. So far my only gripe is getting it to tune up with the right amount of wraps on the post. I do tech/repair work and it took at least 2 people and many trials to get it to string properly. I am still going to have to redo the the G string.

It is a pita to restring and tune up! Once it settles in, much easier.

Mine was "high maintenance" for the first week, then relatively stable for about 6 months. Then the strings got stretched to the point where they were slightly loose/buzzy in the nut. (I had to "shim" the G-string slot with a piece of paper, worked great!)

I just restrung mine with new strings. I got about 7 months out of the factory installed set. Took about a week to 'settle' in again which involved 2 re-wraps on the G & D strings.


High maintenance? Yup. Worth it? Hella yup!

 

[cassius987]

I was psyched to finally try one of these last weekend in Boulder, CO, however I was really disappointed in the playability. Sound was good except for a couple of bad frets or something else causing the strings to fart out. However it was hard to play even a medium tempo walking bassline without running into lots of bad fretting... I'm sure part of this is technique but I still feel the instrument could have been a lot better. I think I'd rather have one of these in a fretless though.

 

[SBassman]

I'm about half way through reading the whole thread.

I'm very paranoid now about re-stringing myself - and about the cracking posts. I should have ordered a spare set of strings. I'm paranoid that while restringing with the original set I'm going to snap a string. I'm having too much fun to allow for any downtime on this thing. Gonna have to bite the bullet and take on the restringing soon.

If I was a pro depending on it, I'd want 3 of these: Main, backup, and third waiting to move into rotation.

 

[SBassman]

I was psyched to finally try one of these last weekend in Boulder, CO, however I was really disappointed in the playability. Sound was good except for a couple of bad frets or something else causing the strings to fart out. However it was hard to play even a medium tempo walking bassline without running into lots of bad fretting... I'm sure part of this is technique but I still feel the instrument could have been a lot better. I think I'd rather have one of these in a fretless though.

Ill bet almost all of that was technique. Yup you do need to watch what you're doing or the note will fart. But if you put in a little time it will get easy and natural.

 

[mccartneyman]

I just got mine. So far my only gripe is getting it to tune up with the right amount of wraps on the post. I do tech/repair work and it took at least 2 people and many trials to get it to string properly. I am still going to have to redo the the G string.

Kala has a restringing video on its website.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Kala has a restringing video on its website.

Curious if you've yet restrung yours? I have (a couple of times) and had the same experience as billbass. I put a lot of strength into pulling that D string, and it took a quite a while, and several tries. Finally got it to 2 wraps. A month later it's stretched itself back to almost 4 wraps. Not looking forward to doing it again, and wonder if anyone has any tips beyond the website video. I'm a pretty strong guy, and I absolutely can not string this thing with the ease the guy seems to on the video.

 

[aaarrbb]

Just got my Mahogany Fretted yesterday; already had to re-do the strings due to too many wraps on the posts, but no big deal.
Bought a Planet Waves Aloha strap and Acoustic Quick Release for the headstock, but can't get the one end over the button/jack.

Anyone finding a strap made for these situations? I would guess other acoustic/electrics share the same problem.

 

[scotch]

Curious if you've yet restrung yours? I have (a couple of times) and had the same experience as billbass. I put a lot of strength into pulling that D string, and it took a quite a while, and several tries. Finally got it to 2 wraps. A month later it's stretched itself back to almost 4 wraps. Not looking forward to doing it again, and wonder if anyone has any tips beyond the website video. I'm a pretty strong guy, and I absolutely can not string this thing with the ease the guy seems to on the video.

I stumbled on something that worked better the other day & took less strength. I'll try to do it again & video it...

It involved pulling the string close to pitch, putting it through the post laterally, then tucking the loose end under the taught end & turning the tuner key with one hand while directing the loose end in order to have one turn over the loose end & the successive turns under.
I should note that I use a pair of small vise grips to hold the loose end. More strength than fingertips to hold the stretched string!

This is how it looked after (G string):

 

[mccartneyman]

I've had my about a year and No, I haven't restrung yet, but I play it infrequently. I have one of the USA-made solidbody five strings coming soon.

 

[SBassman]

Hands-On with the Kala Hutch Hutchinson Signature Limited Edition uBass | uBass Appreciation Society

I know it's an old post, but -
count me as one person who'd prefer a cutaway model - with a traditional soundhole instead of those slits. Or just a very small soundhole. Never liked the look of the slits at all. [almost done reading the whole thread ]

 

[Downunderwonder]

Curious if you've yet restrung yours? I have (a couple of times) and had the same experience as billbass. I put a lot of strength into pulling that D string, and it took a quite a while, and several tries. Finally got it to 2 wraps. A month later it's stretched itself back to almost 4 wraps. Not looking forward to doing it again, and wonder if anyone has any tips beyond the website video. I'm a pretty strong guy, and I absolutely can not string this thing with the ease the guy seems to on the video.

Really dry hands.

The amount of force isn't so great, you get it from levering/twisting your hand, not just brute yanking, but you need a good grip all the same. Next time I'm going to try rubber gloves, but you're welcome to have a crack and let me know.

 

[SBassman]

Rubber gloves sounds like a good idea. Like some sticky latex medical gloves.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I'll try a condom and let you know how it goes.

 

[CaballoViejo]

Curious if you've yet restrung yours? I have (a couple of times) and had the same experience as billbass. I put a lot of strength into pulling that D string, and it took a quite a while, and several tries. Finally got it to 2 wraps. A month later it's stretched itself back to almost 4 wraps. Not looking forward to doing it again, and wonder if anyone has any tips beyond the website video. I'm a pretty strong guy, and I absolutely can not string this thing with the ease the guy seems to on the video.

You know what I'd do if I were you? Nothing. Not yet, anyway.

I'd dispute what Kala says in the U-Bass Owner's Manual, that there "should be two wraps around each string post for optimal performance'', as this fails to take into account the different thicknesses of the four strings, which obviously affects the number of times each of them can wrap around a post. What they say might hold true for the E and A strings, but in my experience you can easily get away with three or four wraps around the D string post and four or five around the G string post before you need to start thinking about restringing. This works fine for me:

I think the most important thing is to not allow any string to wrap around below the flange at the bottom of the string post, as per the bottom illustration on Page 3 of the Owner's Manual (see below [my additions in red]), because if you do that you run the risk of the post breaking if the string becomes jammed in some way, e.g. between the flange and the threaded nut (a definite possibility with the D and G strings), and you keep trying to tighten it.

I suspect that Kala, with their "two wraps" commandment, want to minimise any future string post breakage by trying to make sure no U-Bass owner allows the strings to go anywhere near the bottom of the posts. Fair enough, but I wouldn't take it as gospel.

 

[SBassman]

I just did my first restring. Major pita. My fingers are bleeding. Serious. On the plus side I have lots of wrap room now and I believe I hear a difference. The factory stringing was a mess.

Some lessons learned:
- I needed a second pair of hands to hold the bass while I pulled
- I'm afraid I will yank the bridge off someday
- Need a spare set asap. Even more paranoid now about a string snapping.

That was - no fun at all. Yet - worth every bit of the hassle. I love this bass.

 

[SBassman]

I'm surprised there hasn't been more preamp talk here. While kala says one isn't necessary I think the right preamp will make some serious magic with this bass. Anybody want to tell us what signal chain of theirs makes some magic?

 

[scotch]

I'm surprised there hasn't been more preamp talk here. While kala says one isn't necessary I think the right preamp will make some serious magic with this bass. Anybody want to tell us what signal chain of theirs makes some magic?

Well,... a preamp isn't necessary until you either use a really long cable or plug into an input with less than @500k ohms!

I've found on some sessions that an impedance mismatch with the piezo will produce a sub-sonic hum that is really annoying!

In the studio (and sometimes live) I use an Empress ParaEQ as a preamp. The parametric works great for me & I can really tweak the U-Bass' tone to where I want it.

Live, if I'm travelling 'light', I'm using a Fishman BII belt-clip preamp. Sounds great & very simple!

I have also gotten great results from an inexpensive ART TubeMP as a di. Really, really great match with the U-Bass! My old Raven Labs PHA-1 headphone amp/preamp also works wonderfully. Same for my tube Aguilar di.


For some reason, the Avalon U5 has exhibited that subsonic hum I talked about earlier. Not sure why, but it just didn't 'play nice' with the piezo pickup. Also, any tube pre with a lot of gain or sensitivity hasn't been ideal. My EBS ValveDrive sounds nice & warm, but breaks up too quickly with the U-Bass for my taste. An older Chandler tube mic pre/di also sounded too saturated to me.


My favorites (so far) are the Empress ParaEQ, Fishman and ART TubeMP.

 

[SBassman]

Great post. Thanks.

 

[CaballoViejo]

On the plus side I have lots of wrap room now and I believe I hear a difference.

You believe the number of wraps makes a difference to the sound, i.e. the fewer the wraps the better the sound? Does this mean you think Kala's "two wraps around each string post for optimal performance" thing is to do with the sound? I'd be interested to know if anyone else here thinks that. I think it's purely a reaction to all the string post breakage that was happening earlier on.

 

[SBassman]

You believe the number of wraps makes a difference to the sound, i.e. the fewer the wraps the better the sound? Does this mean you think Kala's "two wraps around each string post for optimal performance" thing is to do with the sound? Does anyone else here think that?

No. I'm not saying it has anything to do with quantity of wraps. But I think twists and other Stuff going on can affect intonation and tone.