Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Kala UBass Megathread, Part 2
- Thread starter smperry
- Start date
- Status
Third pic shows the Hipshots. I didn't take a pic of it, but yes there is a small gap between the tuner post and the securing nut, but I'm not really bothered by this though.
Fourth shows the back hatch. The magnets are nice and strong, so I don't think this will slip off easily. However, as you can see there is quite a bit of messy gluing visible.
Fourth shows the back hatch. The magnets are nice and strong, so I don't think this will slip off easily. However, as you can see there is quite a bit of messy gluing visible.
Attachments
Gaijinking, that binding is wild! I wonder just how many different factories make these things. I wonder if Kala even quality controls them. If they do, I wonder why the QC people don't drop a line upstairs that some are different. At least update the descriptions in the press releases and online. Even their pictures in their catalog show some of the differences that I have found that are still never described They are subtle. If you know what to look for, you Can see them. I. E. the Cali solids...some have an angled bridge with straight pickup, and some have a straight pickup with compensated saddles. There are many more differences.
All that said, I still love these. Especially my hollow mahogany fretless. I suspect Owen inspected it before it left his shop.
All that said, I still love these. Especially my hollow mahogany fretless. I suspect Owen inspected it before it left his shop.
Thanks for all the pics.
- Don't worry about the splinters.
- Your head joint looks like a head joint. Mine looks like crack.
Still, I'm keeping her. The bonding has begun.
- I think the binding looks awesome. Really.
I love the Mahoganies. Enjoy it.
[Hey folks, I had another surprise with mine that I forgot to mention - it was missing 3 of 4 grommets on the strings. Mine was definitely assembled by the proverbial hung over employee.]
- Don't worry about the splinters.
- Your head joint looks like a head joint. Mine looks like crack.
Still, I'm keeping her. The bonding has begun.
- I think the binding looks awesome. Really.
I love the Mahoganies. Enjoy it.
[Hey folks, I had another surprise with mine that I forgot to mention - it was missing 3 of 4 grommets on the strings. Mine was definitely assembled by the proverbial hung over employee.]
My stock strings only had a grommet on the E string. Seems like QC could be better, but I love mine. I'll spend some time Monday constructing my volume control cable.
How many people have a tuner with a little bit of space between the post lip and base? Is anyone aware of how that might be disassembled and addressed, or do I just live with it?
I'm having a bit of tuner problems actually, but it's not with the post lip and the base. There's too much tension when I'm trying to tune the A-string. It's been wound one too many times, and I'm afraid of going any further because it might break the tuner itself (rather than the string). Any suggestions UBassers?
Yes.
1. Read the whole megathread. I know it will take time, but there is a ton of information on the subject.
2. Re-wind that string. Take it off, pull it in further, and re-wind. You want to keep the A to no more than 3 windings on the post, and you definitely, definitely do not ever want the windings to overlap on each other at the bottom. That will bind up the tuner and surely break it.
What you're experiencing is what we have all experienced. Rewind that one, and you'll be fine.
All of the tuners on my U Bass are like that. I figure it's supposed to be that way. Here's a pic that show the gaps and another of the back of the headstock. Not really sure why that line runs across but it doesn't bother me at all.
Invalid Link Removed
After some playing in, I made this recording, replacing the previous bass track which was done with a truly POS ABG (now, thankfully, gone). HH model U-Bass with Aquila Thundergut strings; National resonator ukulele with Aquila Nylgut strings; inappropriate vocal:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Last edited by a moderator:
Got the replacement tuner installed, and finished stringing with Thunderguts, got all strings up to pitch, so far so good 
Also, was at GC today, for the sale, of course, and picked me up a Capo and a mandolin strap (thanks for the ideas Caeman).
No prob.
Got the replacement tuner installed, and finished stringing with Thunderguts, got all strings up to pitch, so far so good
What took you so long?
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Update. Ok. I'm bonding with this thing. Realized, duh, that these are metal tuners on the sub, so the snap fear is gone for me. Another issue though, which I'm hoping I can somehow remedy on my own. Is quality control starting to become an issue with these things?
Such a stupid issue too. The treble knob won't stay on. The posts are half circles, and whoever screwed the knob on screwed it in too tight and chipped the plastic. So the screw in the knob slips, and has nothing to grab onto. Problem is therefore in the post of the pot. Not the knob. Is there some glue like substance I can use to hold the knob on while not making it permanent? Or some other way to get a loose knob to stay on? I'd hate to have to return this for something so silly, but I also don't want a bass that has a knob falling off every 5 minutes.
Suggestions?
Such a stupid issue too. The treble knob won't stay on. The posts are half circles, and whoever screwed the knob on screwed it in too tight and chipped the plastic. So the screw in the knob slips, and has nothing to grab onto. Problem is therefore in the post of the pot. Not the knob. Is there some glue like substance I can use to hold the knob on while not making it permanent? Or some other way to get a loose knob to stay on? I'd hate to have to return this for something so silly, but I also don't want a bass that has a knob falling off every 5 minutes.
Suggestions?
I don't know what it looks like underneath, but maybe it's somewhere you could get a replacement for that entire knob assembly and put it in yourself.
I think QC is always going to be something to watch on basses at this price point coming from China. The buffers for this are - Kala inspecting every piece, which I'm sure they can't afford to do, and the dealer inspecting before shipping, which some do, some don't, and some do inconsistently.
I always hate sending something back. Even though that's not always the smartest approach.
If they had made a fretless SUB, I would have been joining you in SUB world. They look like a whole lot of fun.
was out ripping around on my sumo desert racer ( XR650R ) yesterday & stopped in at Tall Toad in Petaluma, have been interested in picking up a semi-hollow lately & i knew that they have a Epi Casady & a couple of Zenith's hanging on the wall. couldn't really find any love for either one of them after playing them for about 10 min each. ( & as you know if you're not feeling the love pretty much instantaneously, it goes back on the hook )
kept on looking around & found a couple of Kala's hanging with the mandolins. pulled down the fretless spruce top & played it acoustically,,, hmmmm,,, re-hung it & pulled down the fretless mahogany,,, asked the guy for a strap, tied it on & felt the love instantly,, asked him to see the padded semi-hard case, he goes in back & grabs it. & by that time i've taken it off & we pulled out the cheesy little backpack straps out & clip them on & i hand him my bank card.
i go & grab my kilamanjaro jacket & put it on & he helps me strap on the U-Bass, then over top of that i throws on my backpack & cinch it down.
i go out & threw on my helmet & kickstart the BRP to life, jumped on 101 south & hauled ass back to my place & stripped out of my riding gear & pulled out my pedalboard & practice amp
my pedalboard consists of a st-200 turbo tuner, comp, & a VT Bass,, had to re-string both the A&D strings right off the bat as there was too much string on the posts & even tho it has a slippery nut (
) it has sticky strings. so i pulled out some petroleum jelly & a Q-tip & lubed the strings / nut, now i get a nice smooth pull on the string thru the nut, while tuning
played it for a couple of hours & it won't take long at all to adjust to this little fretless thump-monster ( did i mention that this thing sounds incredible thru a VT Bass pedal )
laid it down & jumped on TB to see if anybody else has been buying these,,, did the search,,, 2 MEGA threads,,, awesome
did some quick skipping thru the pages & ordered a set of ThunderGuts for the hog
sorry for the long-winded post, but that was my day yesterday can't wait to take this thing to rehearsal
kept on looking around & found a couple of Kala's hanging with the mandolins. pulled down the fretless spruce top & played it acoustically,,, hmmmm,,, re-hung it & pulled down the fretless mahogany,,, asked the guy for a strap, tied it on & felt the love instantly,, asked him to see the padded semi-hard case, he goes in back & grabs it. & by that time i've taken it off & we pulled out the cheesy little backpack straps out & clip them on & i hand him my bank card.
i go & grab my kilamanjaro jacket & put it on & he helps me strap on the U-Bass, then over top of that i throws on my backpack & cinch it down.
i go out & threw on my helmet & kickstart the BRP to life, jumped on 101 south & hauled ass
back to my place & stripped out of my riding gear & pulled out my pedalboard & practice ampmy pedalboard consists of a st-200 turbo tuner, comp, & a VT Bass,, had to re-string both the A&D strings right off the bat as there was too much string on the posts & even tho it has a slippery nut (
) it has sticky strings. so i pulled out some petroleum jelly & a Q-tip & lubed the strings / nut, now i get a nice smooth pull on the string thru the nut, while tuning played it for a couple of hours & it won't take long at all to adjust to this little fretless thump-monster
( did i mention that this thing sounds incredible thru a VT Bass pedal )laid it down & jumped on TB to see if anybody else has been buying these,,, did the search,,, 2 MEGA threads,,, awesome
did some quick skipping thru the pages & ordered a set of ThunderGuts for the hog
sorry for the long-winded post, but that was my day yesterday
can't wait to take this thing to rehearsal- Status
