Kala UBass Megathread, Part 2

[caeman]

Look like my U-Bass has itself a gig. A second band I am joining that will play out once a month or so on Sundays -- The Bible Blues Band -- is more blues-oriented and the sound of the U-Bass worked soooo well. It got compliments.

 

[SBassman]

Look like my U-Bass has itself a gig. A second band I am joining that will play out once a month or so on Sundays -- The Bible Blues Band -- is more blues-oriented and the sound of the U-Bass worked soooo well. It got compliments.

Excellent.

 

[hopturn]

Hope you guys are right. Sweetwater called me today saying the fretted was finally in, but the fretless was still on back order. I choose to wait it out...oh, the pain!

 

[Timmy-Watts]

Hopturn,
Trust me, the waiting is worth it for the fretless. I played mine side by side with a new hog fretted. It lasted about 10 seconds and I put the new one down.

 

[Slapstyle]

Any opinions on Spruce vs Mahogany fretless? All the youtube vids I can find feature the Mahogany one, which I prefer the look of, but from shopping around there's about a hundred dollar difference to step up to Mahogany and not everyone is carrying it.

Thoughts from current owners? Anyone tried both?

 

[caeman]

I own the spruce top because I liked the look. It seems to sound just fine, as it gets compliments everywhere I have play it.

 

[Timmy-Watts]

I love the Hog. It has seemingly better tuners and they tout the "solid" wood, whereas it seems the spruce is laminated. They say the darker wood sounds darker. But I've never played the spruce.

 

[bryanspkr]

I have both. Like the spruce better. I think it has a bit more presence in the mix. In the low end hump. Though the mahog is a more even and slightly darker sound. This instrument has enough "dark" though. Mahog is a better instrument, but the sublty is lost for me in practical use. I chose the Mahog to be my BEAD.

 

[miiitch]

does that mean you are downtuning your ubass?

just found out that the SUB models arrived here in germany i´m so much looking forward to getting one

 

[caeman]

Solid or laminate is not an issue for me. There are many examples of good quality laminate tops. Gretsch, for example, has used laminate tops for decades on their high-end.

 

[bryanspkr]

does that mean you are downtuning your ubass?

just found out that the SUB models arrived here in germany i´m so much looking forward to getting one

No, low B string

 

[bluecab]

I mailed Ryan Haugh from Kala, asking for a fretless replacement neck for my fretted Cali4 solidbody.
What he answered is really frightening:
'Unfortunately we don't part out pieces for the custom shop ubass.'
You can get any bolt on neck for any Fender Bass, and Kala says no?
What do you think about that?

 

[caeman]

Makes sense to me. They have production farmed out to someone else.

 

[bryanspkr]

Do you still get that woody, upright bassish tone with the Spruce? Got any sound clips?

Subtle difference. A little more pronounced upper bass hump through the amp. Works better through a speaker that doesn't have it built in. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
If you want to save the money, I think you can be happy with the spruce. If you don't stress the tuners they are just as good.

 

[Rugaar]

bryanspkr--How's BEAD working? That's my main tuning and I've been wondering how it'd work on this. Also, where'd you find the strings? I haven't seen them anywhere. Thanks.

 

[SBassman]

I don't think we want to state that the low end tuners are the same as the Hipshots. We have citings of multiple failures with the low end tuners. I'm waiting myself for a replacement tuner for my fretless.

If I was starting over, and purchasing an acoustic, it would be a Hog.

 

[hopturn]

Do you still have to worry about string windings with the Hipshots?

 

[bryanspkr]

Do you still have to worry about string windings with the Hipshots?

That was my point. A trapped or not moving string can break the better tuner too (the string will stretch too). Either way you don't want to put unneccesary stress. The non hipshots are no problem if you follow the same proper care, though a maybe a little less idiot proof. There should be no reason to break a tuner. We are not talking high tension strings either.

 

[Slapstyle]

So what are people doing wrong to break tuners?

 

[Timmy-Watts]

Do you still have to worry about string windings with the Hipshots?

Yes. Regardless of the tuners, the strings stretch and have to be tuned up to pitch regularly. It might be a time or two of restringing to cut off excess slack before they settle. I've done each bass once. A couple on my five twice.