Kala UBass Megathread, Part 2

[SBassman]

Ha, no, too small. For each string, there is a cavity in the back where the string end is supposed to hide so it doesn't jut out beyond the body. A knot is too big to fit inside the cavity (at least on the E and A strings), giving you this nasty sticky-out string end.

The stock strings that came with my bass have a new end fastener, BTW. No little red grommet thingy.

Can you post a pic?

 

[Hothersale]

Can you post a pic?

Sure... when I get my bass back from the luthier! I took it in on Friday because the A string was very buzzy compared to the others -- it would buzz a bit on the first five frets no matter how softly I played. Hopefully it just needs a good fret dressing. She is going to lower the nut action a little too.

 

[Ozonbass]

I'm in. Had my Ubass for about a couple of months now. Was pretty frustrated by the stretchiness of the strings (even trimmed the G thinking I could get it back on...@dumbassme).

New G string later....stretched everything out good and the thing is incredibly fun to play! After reading the thread, I've got a pair of Thunderguts on the way. Gonna unveil it at rehearsal next week.

 

[SBassman]

I'm in. Had my Ubass for about a couple of months now. Was pretty frustrated by the stretchiness of the strings (even trimmed the G thinking I could get it back on...@dumbassme).

New G string later....stretched everything out good and the thing is incredibly fun to play! After reading the thread, I've got a pair of Thunderguts on the way. Gonna unveil it at rehearsal next week.

Keep in touch in the thread. If I didn't have a way to have dialog with others on this bass and the strings, I wouldn't be having the same positive experience. This is a bass where it's essential to exchange notes with others.

Let us know how you do with the Thunderguts.

 

[caeman]

Indeed. This bass requires a slight modification to one's normal finger-style technique.

 

[bigchiz]

Inside on one line print is KA-UBASSFL, the the "FL" being a little offline compared to the rest, like it was stamped later. Guessing FL means fretless.

Below that is 1107. And staggered down a little and to the right is 1992, as if the 1992 were a subscript.

Read in another thread over at ukulele underground that the Kala numbers are for year and month. That would mean 2011, July. Bought it in October and the dealer said it was "hot off the press". Any idea what the 1992 represents?

 

[kevwalker]

I haven't commented in quite a while (but I have been checking in with you guys as a lurker). The main problem was that, while my lovely wife bought me a 'hog for my birthday in April 2011, I unfortunately let my little UBass sit...and sit...and sit in its case. (I know, I know! You may proceed to boo and throw tomatoes!) Of course, I noodled with it initially, but it wasn't tuned perfectly. (Too many wraps!) And I couldn't find the time to hassle with stretching the strings. Plus, I couldn't seem to find a suitable strap. And I wasn't quite ready to gig with it. Yadda yadda yadda.

Well, last night I finally tackled the restretching, and was delighted to find that the intonation was OK. It may have "failed" the quartz tuner test at the 12th fret with a tad bit of flatness, but it passed the ear test. If I can't hear flatness or sharpness, I don't worry about it. I also became reacquainted with the quality issues of my UBass. Frankly, none of them are worth mentioning except for the nut. There is a small gap between it and the fretboard; the nut leans toward the headstock slightly. When I first received the bass, I was loath to return it, because it was such a long wait to receive it in the first place! And since the intonation is acceptable, I'm not going to worry about the nut, either.

As far as a strap is concerned, I have found the perfect one for me. It is the Neotech Mandolin Strap available on Amazon or Musician's Friend.

http://www.amazon.com/Neotech-80010...LBQ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326237373&sr=8-1

I was not especially eager to drill a strap-button hole in my instrument, at least not yet, and this strap has a loop for the headstock end, and a leather tab for the end-pin jack. Both have quick disconnects, so you can leave them on the bass. There's even a felt pad attached to the inside of the end-pin tab so that the metal grommet does not scratch your bass. I did have to use some scissors to make the "stick" part of the "lollipop-shaped hole" on the leather tab longer. (Strap holes never seem to be large enough to accommodate the size of end pin jacks.) The part of the strap that rests on your shoulder is narrow neoprene, but the rest of the strap is super-thin, and the whole thing is black, so it is pleasingly unobtrusive. The UBass is such a small instrument, I didn't want the strap to overpower its appearance.

So that's my update. I have band practice on Saturday and a gig later this month, so I'll let you know how it goes. Prediction: Audience members will smile, point, and say, "What the heck is that thing?"

 

[Hothersale]

Not really U-Bass related, but I thought this was too cool not to share: Invalid Link Removed

 

[kevwalker]

As I have started playing my UBass for real (see my earlier post), the one thing that continues to really bother me is the piezo-amplified sound made by my hand rubbing around on the top. I don't see being able to change technique all that much; I can't play the bass like I'm playing the game "Operation", touching the strings but not the instrument. I brought this up before, when I got the bass in April, and someone mentioned that it was a particular problem when recording. I'm not so concerned about that, but I am concerned that this sound will be audible at times during gigs. What has been your experience, and what do you do to minimize the unwanted sound? Also, do the solid bodies suffer from the same issue?

 

[caeman]

My right-hand stays fairly still while my fingers move, so I haven't noticed too much being able to hear my hand scraping the top, especially while playing.

 

[kevwalker]

I should have mentioned that I mostly play with a pick.

 

[scotch]

I should have mentioned that I mostly play with a pick.

You're playing your U-Bass mostly with a pick, or thats how you play bass in general?

 

[caeman]

What kind of pick? Someone else mentioned using a felt pick with good results. Maybe consider trying finger-style to get rid of the surface hand-scratching?

 

[scotch]

Of course there's no ''right'' or ''wrong'' way to play a U-Bass, but I can't help suggesting to approach it more fingerstyle. Primarily for tone, but also because it would likely minimize 'sleeve' noise if your forearm is brushing against the top while picking.

Playing the U-Bass really does require technique and approach changes. Ymmv, naturally!

 

[kevwalker]

I generally play all basses with a pick. On the rare slow song, I will play finger-style, but after 30 years of trying, I have never become proficient at it. I just purchased some Dunlop 1mm nylon picks which work well with the UBass. Can't really hear any clicking. But I pretty much have to rest the side of my hand on the top of the instrument while playing, and that causes the problem. Maybe I'm worrying over nothing (my guitarist and drummer are loud), but if it is a problem once I start gigging with it, I may have to consider the solid body (if surface noise is not an issue with that model).

 

[kevwalker]

Can anyone with a solid body tell me what happens when you rub your hand on the top? (No dirty jokes, please! . Is it quiet? Silent? Thanks everybody for helping.

 

[caeman]

I have noticed that the piezo is HOT. I have mine -20db padded going into my churches PA. Maybe you could try padding the signal gain, but boosting output volume -- EQ pedal, acoustic preamp. The lower gain might ignore the scraping.

 

[scotch]

I generally play all basses with a pick. On the rare slow song, I will play finger-style, but after 30 years of trying, I have never become proficient at it. I just purchased some Dunlop 1mm nylon picks which work well with the UBass. Can't really hear any clicking. But I pretty much have to rest the side of my hand on the top of the instrument while playing, and that causes the problem. Maybe I'm worrying over nothing (my guitarist and drummer are loud), but if it is a problem once I start gigging with it, I may have to consider the solid body (if surface noise is not an issue with that model).

Understood.

The finish on the acoustic U-Bass is definitely thin and not super smooth! If something is brushing against the top while playing, I could see that making some noise. Will it be audible in 'the mix'? I have no idea in your situation. I know that playing fingerstyle (or even thumb strokes) has caused no audible problems when playing live or even in the studio for me.

I often play bass guitar with a pick as well! I like the technique & it suits much of the material I'm asked to play. On the U-Bass, however, it just doesn't seem intuitive- creating more isuues than it solves in a way...

You might try putting a soft flannel cloth between your hand & the instrument? Or, perhaps, the solidbody would work better for you! Honestly, a thicker and more glossy finish on the top of the U-Bass might also yield quieter results. Just a few ideas.

 

[kevwalker]

Thanks for the confirmation, Chad. I thought the piezo was hot, too. Your suggestion does give me some ideas, although I virtually never go into a PA except in a festival-type situation. For bar gigs I use one of my bigger rigs, and for Praise Band, when I'm playing bass rather than acoustic guitar, I use a small Carvin combo. I'll play around with gain and EQ settings and see what happens. Also, I'll try turning off the horn on my larger cabs. Again, I should stress that I haven't yet gigged with the UBass, so perhaps I'm fretting (bass humor!) over nothing.

 

[kevwalker]

Understood.

The finish on the acoustic U-Bass is definitely thin and not super smooth! If something is brushing against the top while playing, I could see that making some noise. Will it be audible in 'the mix'? I have no idea in your situation. I know that playing fingerstyle (or even thumb strokes) has caused no audible problems when playing live or even in the studio for me.

I often play bass guitar with a pick as well! I like the technique & it suits much of the material I'm asked to play. On the U-Bass, however, it just doesn't seem intuitive- creating more isuues than it solves in a way...

You might try putting a soft flannel cloth between your hand & the instrument? Or, perhaps, the solidbody would work better for you! Honestly, a thicker and more glossy finish on the top of the U-Bass might also yield quieter results. Just a few ideas.

I agree that the finish is part of the problem. For recording, I might consider using one of those blue foam blocks that my kids use as a violin shoulder rest. I would be reluctant to do that for a gig, though, because it would kind of ruin the bad*ss appearance of this bass!

I'm really digging the Dunlop nylon pick, and I look forward to using it on my other basses. As I approached bass from the guitar, I started the "bad" pick habit from the get-go. I can play with my fingers, but they're not particularly strong or fast--the pick is waaay faster for me. On the UBass, I don't really detect any string noise using this pick, but with my fingers, there are some squeaks and groans.