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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 2
- Thread starter smperry
- Start date
- Status
So are there numbers still being passed around on this Kala UBass Megathread? I forgot to ask for one when I posted the pic of my Acacia UBass.
I believe some here have had good success ordering
right from Aquila USA:
Aquila Nylgut Ukulele Strings, wholesale source for retailers and dealers
Not really. The person who originally started the thread as a club eventually decided he didn't want to give out numbers any more. We then converted the thread to a megathread.
Just looking to share info and help each other out with this amazing bass. We don't need numbers.
Not really. The person who originally started the thread as a club eventually decided he didn't want to give out numbers any more. We then converted the thread to a megathread.
Just looking to share info and help each other out with this amazing bass. We don't need numbers.
Excellent! I really like that mentality actually.
That's quite a saving. Thanks for the tip.
Gotta say that there's something somewhat disconcerting about the warning: "DO NOT STRETCH THESE STRINGS FOR ANY REASON!" Peg winder. Check.
TGs didn't arrive today, either but there's always tomorrow.
A quick update from someone still using the stock Ubass strings. I've had my mahogany hollowbody Ubass for about 5 months now with the stock strings the entire time. I probably average about an hour a day playing time with this bass. I had the standard "you touch it you tune it" experiences with the stock strings for the first 3 or 4 months.
On month 2 I restrung the "D" string to eliminate a few wraps. Within a couple of weeks I was right back to where I started on the number of "D" string wraps (about 5). Said the heck with restringing to reduce wraps and figured I'd try the play to fail approach.
So here I am now on month 5 and all my strings have nearly perfect stability from day to day, rarely requires more than a tweak of the tuner to get in tune. The "D" string still has about 5 wraps on it, not getting any worse and still wrapped around the correct part of the tuner post (the string hasn't dropped down below the post to the headstock).
One of the best investments I've recently made in the Ubass is a $30 Snark clip on tuner. It's dead accurate (faster and more consistant) than my Korg in rack tuner or my Digitech multi function pedal tuner. Kind of make me wonder if all the tuning grief I was seeing early on was as much a function of the tuner inaccuracy as the string flex. If you haven't tried one of the Snarks yet, give it a try, it is the perfect match for the Ubass - small, dead accurate, ultrafast, don't even need to be plugged in to use it, and dirt cheap. I think I paid more for my strap.
On month 2 I restrung the "D" string to eliminate a few wraps. Within a couple of weeks I was right back to where I started on the number of "D" string wraps (about 5). Said the heck with restringing to reduce wraps and figured I'd try the play to fail approach.
So here I am now on month 5 and all my strings have nearly perfect stability from day to day, rarely requires more than a tweak of the tuner to get in tune. The "D" string still has about 5 wraps on it, not getting any worse and still wrapped around the correct part of the tuner post (the string hasn't dropped down below the post to the headstock).
One of the best investments I've recently made in the Ubass is a $30 Snark clip on tuner. It's dead accurate (faster and more consistant) than my Korg in rack tuner or my Digitech multi function pedal tuner. Kind of make me wonder if all the tuning grief I was seeing early on was as much a function of the tuner inaccuracy as the string flex. If you haven't tried one of the Snarks yet, give it a try, it is the perfect match for the Ubass - small, dead accurate, ultrafast, don't even need to be plugged in to use it, and dirt cheap. I think I paid more for my strap.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
I think I might start a kala ubass string change support group. The D string on my acoustic started with 2 wraps, and now 6 months later, has way to many. Yet I fear taking it off and wrapping it again. First, because last time it took me about 7 tries and a lot of muscle, second, cuz I'm scared I'm going to snap a tuner, and third, because the intonation is now perfect and I'm concerned that restringing is going to throw it off. I must face my fears. A support group may be an order.
Have some nerve, Joe.
See what I did there? 
Take a guitar capo and clap it on at the second or third fret. Now, unwind the D string off its tuning peg, er, machine. Hold the string taught, with a light pull on and put it back in the tuning machine slot, then turn once. It should now be stuck in place. Remove guitar capo.
Takes me 2 minutes now.
See what I did there? Take a guitar capo and clap it on at the second or third fret. Now, unwind the D string off its tuning peg, er, machine. Hold the string taught, with a light pull on and put it back in the tuning machine slot, then turn once. It should now be stuck in place. Remove guitar capo.
Takes me 2 minutes now.
Here is an easy solution:
The Taylor V cable with Built-in Volume Control.
Yep, great solution. Avoid the John Pearse equivalent, though - I bought it and not only is the tone control completely useless for the Ubass (perhaps an impedance mismatch) but the cable is cheap and flimsy feeling. I'll be turfing it for the Taylor soon.
That's actually not a bad idea, though when I Googled for prices it seemed a bit high ($44 - $80).Here is an easy solution:
The Taylor V cable with Built-in Volume Control.
Although $80 seems way high, note that the shell of the connector has to be purpose-built (can't just use an off-the-shelf Mogami end). Plus the quality looks far higher than the Pearse. I'd pay $45.
Sweetwater has the 250k ohm version for $40.
Taylor V-Cable (250k 18-feet) | Sweetwater.com
This would seem to be the version needed for the U-Bass, not the 500k version.
Taylor V-Cable (250k 18-feet) | Sweetwater.com
This would seem to be the version needed for the U-Bass, not the 500k version.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Got my solid body a couple of hours ago. In all honesty, and not wanting to throw a wrench into this wonderful thread, I'm a bit underwhelmed. I'm not too sure it's going to fit all that well into the band situations I was hoping it would, and I think think the acoustic alone is enough to fill my ubass desires. Intonation on this one is in, it definitely needs to be restrung though. Lots of wraps to get it in tune.
One of the things that's actually having a lot of weight in my decision whether to keep this or not are the tuners. One of them seems a little less sturdy than the rest, and I have concerns now about it snapping. If I WERE to use this for a gig, and didn't have a nother bass with me (something I could see myself wanting to do), it would be all over should the tuner snap. Which seems like a good probablility. Hmmm....
I don't know. Going to sit with this a few days. Might be worth having for the novelty. I'm willing to pay return shipping on this one if I don't keep it. We'll see. It's a great bass. Just not different enough tone wise from the other.
One of the things that's actually having a lot of weight in my decision whether to keep this or not are the tuners. One of them seems a little less sturdy than the rest, and I have concerns now about it snapping. If I WERE to use this for a gig, and didn't have a nother bass with me (something I could see myself wanting to do), it would be all over should the tuner snap. Which seems like a good probablility. Hmmm....
I don't know. Going to sit with this a few days. Might be worth having for the novelty. I'm willing to pay return shipping on this one if I don't keep it.
We'll see. It's a great bass. Just not different enough tone wise from the other.
So, what's the deal with the snapping tuners on these things?
They're made of plastic, right? Is there some reason why they don't just make them out of metal?
I plan on buying a fretless California solid body fiver in the future, but I really don't want to put up with snapping tuners on an +$1000 instrument.
They're made of plastic, right? Is there some reason why they don't just make them out of metal?
I plan on buying a fretless California solid body fiver in the future, but I really don't want to put up with snapping tuners on an +$1000 instrument.
We've had just two failures that I know of in the past month, but they happened to occur on the same day.
I don't take complete blame for my tuner failure, as I had been warned ahead of time not to get too aggressive with them, I thought I was not cranking on them.
There is a hollow metal pin inside the plastic, but its pretty thin, and where I had the failure was the junction between the vertical pin (business/string end) and the horizontal (tuning gear) part. Its either the metal pin walls are not strong enough, or the weld/connection is not strong enough, either way, poor result.
Kala CS says make sure the nut holding the tuner in place is very snug, but don't overtighten the bottom screw that holds the tuning gear in place.
I don't take complete blame for my tuner failure, as I had been warned ahead of time not to get too aggressive with them, I thought I was not cranking on them.
There is a hollow metal pin inside the plastic, but its pretty thin, and where I had the failure was the junction between the vertical pin (business/string end) and the horizontal (tuning gear) part. Its either the metal pin walls are not strong enough, or the weld/connection is not strong enough, either way, poor result.
Kala CS says make sure the nut holding the tuner in place is very snug, but don't overtighten the bottom screw that holds the tuning gear in place.
Kala solid-body Ubass for sale in Phoenix. I have no connection to the seller -- just thought this might be of interest.
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