Well If batteries were of main importance (which it seems not), I was going to suggest a rebuild project using the electronics of the Roland. Some people get a lot of fun and satisfaction from the process of building and using what they make. It can be fun. But I think other solutions may be better applied in this case.
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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 2
- Thread starter smperry
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Well If batteries were of main importance (which it seems not), I was going to suggest a rebuild project using the electronics of the Roland. Some people get a lot of fun and satisfaction from the process of building and using what they make. It can be fun. But I think other solutions may be better applied in this case.
all,
from a beginner or returning after a 16 year absence perspective, how impossible is it to learn how to play a fretless?
hopturn said:
+1 for fretless....another assimilation!
+1 Sweetwater
+1 the fit, finish, and tone
-1 fret fart
We win
axesword said:
The fretless bass guitar? Kinda tricky IMO until you spend some hours with it.
The fretless U-Bass? Like Buttah! I think most on here, myself included, will tell you to take the plunge. Even after a hiatus, I don't imagine this instrument would be hard to pick up. In many ways IMO it's easier than the fretted and string to wood sounds and feels great!
Just got a call from my local music store that the UBass I ordered is "IN" and ready to be played. I really just ordered it so I could get my hands on it.
They had a fretted in their warehouse and said they'd order it and sell it if I didn't want it. They would NOT order a fretless without a hefty deposit. I think I'm gonna prefer a fretless but will try playing the fretted in store. Will report back after lunch!
They had a fretted in their warehouse and said they'd order it and sell it if I didn't want it. They would NOT order a fretless without a hefty deposit. I think I'm gonna prefer a fretless but will try playing the fretted in store. Will report back after lunch!
CanaDave, go fretless. I originally got a fretted because all of my other basses are fretless and thought the short scale would pose a problem without frets. It's easier to play and sounds better. I've had a fretted one. The fretless Ubass is the better instrument.
Next question then,
My local fav place, The Sound Source, doesn't carry the Behringer ADI21, and neither does Sweetwater, apparently. I'll just get it from Amazon unless somebody else here knows of a good vendor who has it and deserves the business (small as it is).
Michael
My local fav place, The Sound Source, doesn't carry the Behringer ADI21, and neither does Sweetwater, apparently. I'll just get it from Amazon unless somebody else here knows of a good vendor who has it and deserves the business (small as it is).
Michael
Played the "Hutch Hutchinson" model which looks-wise isn't my favourite (no, that "u" in favourite ain't no typo eh)... honestly I wasn't blown away by the instrument. I own an Ashbory so I kind of knew what to expect.
Tone is nice, but there's a fair bit of weird string noise, I suppose I'd get used to that and perhaps get the silicone spray people have discussed.
One thing that playing the UBass convinced me of is that at least the fretted model will not sonically approximate an upright.
Fretless is definitely the way to go, but I'm not sure when I"ll get the chance to play one for any length of time. What are people's impressions of the fretless in terms of a sound for playing Jazz?
I have to say I'm not certain that for $500 it fills a gap in my instruments that needs to be filled. It would probably be a very good replacement for my Ashbory and be much better for pulling out at a gig, but is it worth selling the Ashbory and buying the Kala? Maybe. Maybe I should just try the Pahoehoe strings on the Ashbory first, although the 2" difference in scale and the relative ease in getting proper intonation might just make the Kala worthwhile (plus the UBass looks cooler!)...
All in all what it means is I can now wait before I make a decision.
Tone is nice, but there's a fair bit of weird string noise, I suppose I'd get used to that and perhaps get the silicone spray people have discussed.
One thing that playing the UBass convinced me of is that at least the fretted model will not sonically approximate an upright.
Fretless is definitely the way to go, but I'm not sure when I"ll get the chance to play one for any length of time. What are people's impressions of the fretless in terms of a sound for playing Jazz?
I have to say I'm not certain that for $500 it fills a gap in my instruments that needs to be filled. It would probably be a very good replacement for my Ashbory and be much better for pulling out at a gig, but is it worth selling the Ashbory and buying the Kala? Maybe. Maybe I should just try the Pahoehoe strings on the Ashbory first, although the 2" difference in scale and the relative ease in getting proper intonation might just make the Kala worthwhile (plus the UBass looks cooler!)...
All in all what it means is I can now wait before I make a decision.
- Another option is Thunderguts on the Ashbory. That's what I'm using on them, and it's no contest. Those stock Ashbory strings were beyond horrific, IMHO. The Thunderguts sound great on the Ashbory.
- As for selling the Ashbory to get a Kala: I now have my hands on each. They are very different instruments, and they sound significantly different. The resale value on an Ashbory - the new/stock models anyway - probably isn't very high, so maybe your best bet is to try a Kala without selling the Ashbory and then make your decision.
- I definitely prefer the scale of the Kala to the Ashbory. I think Fender should do another twist on the Ashbory, with
2 more inches of scale, and body and headstock shapes that don't look like they fell from space. That bass, with
Thunderguts as stock strings, would be a big seller.
- The Ashbory wins - over a Kala acoustic anyway - the electronics contest. At a very low price point, you get an excellent pickup, along with volume, bass, and treble controls. Niiiiice.
Now that I have received one endorsement, I'm gonna push the heck out of my U-Bass at my gigs and see if I score a Kala endorsement!
What endorsement do you already have?
[QUOTE="CanaDave"
One thing that playing the UBass convinced me of is that at least the fretted model will not sonically approximate an upright.
Fretless is definitely the way to go, but I'm not sure when I"ll get the chance to play one for any length of time. What are people's impressions of the fretless in terms of a sound for playing Jazz?
I have to say I'm not certain that for $500 it fills a gap in my instruments that needs to be filled. [/QUOTE]
CanaDave, please get some good speakers or headphones. Then go to YouTube and search "Tim Watson Kala U-Bass" and you will find a couple dozen videos of me playing my ubasses at gigs. With the right playing and rig I have found a great niche of playing one bass on what would have otherwise been a doubling gig. It really fills in the gaps between the doghouse and the slab. It overlaps both so far that I only bring the Hog to many of my gigs now. and as you can tell, I am very partial to the fretless. The stock strings open up in tone over time and even more approximate an upright.
One thing that playing the UBass convinced me of is that at least the fretted model will not sonically approximate an upright.
Fretless is definitely the way to go, but I'm not sure when I"ll get the chance to play one for any length of time. What are people's impressions of the fretless in terms of a sound for playing Jazz?
I have to say I'm not certain that for $500 it fills a gap in my instruments that needs to be filled. [/QUOTE]
CanaDave, please get some good speakers or headphones. Then go to YouTube and search "Tim Watson Kala U-Bass" and you will find a couple dozen videos of me playing my ubasses at gigs. With the right playing and rig I have found a great niche of playing one bass on what would have otherwise been a doubling gig. It really fills in the gaps between the doghouse and the slab. It overlaps both so far that I only bring the Hog to many of my gigs now. and as you can tell, I am very partial to the fretless. The stock strings open up in tone over time and even more approximate an upright.
Oops. I put my above response in the quote. Accident. Mind is still on the 2 basses I just got today.
Thanks for the responses I'm really enjoying this forum and Talkbass generally.
On the Ashbory, there's something wrong with it, it distorts sometimes, especially on the D and G strings, so I'm gonna have someone take a look. I don't want to hijack this Kala thread but I might post my troubles on the Ash thread. BTW I picked the Ash up last night after an hour with my new cheapo AEB and man I really enjoy that little guy!
I'll probably end up with a fretless UBass at some point.
On the Ashbory, there's something wrong with it, it distorts sometimes, especially on the D and G strings, so I'm gonna have someone take a look. I don't want to hijack this Kala thread but I might post my troubles on the Ash thread. BTW I picked the Ash up last night after an hour with my new cheapo AEB and man I really enjoy that little guy!
I'll probably end up with a fretless UBass at some point.
I have an iPod. Most people, maybe some of you, have a smart phone. I believe it is our responsibility to spread the U-Bass word. YouTube is so full of demos that sound and play like crap. This thing can sound great and I feel personally responsible to share that for other people like me who basically have to buy these sight unseen from the Internet. here is a video from a gig this week:
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