Kala UBass Megathread, Part 3

[Timmy-Watts]

I have shipped to Canada, Oz and the UK several times. The shipping is slower, but never more than 10 days tops. Don't let one bad experience ruin everything.

Maybe I should move to Italy. I'm in Ohio and it took USPS 9 days for my new Ray from California. Here are the new recent additions to the stable. I think they have the same Daddy???

 

[bryanspkr]

Maybe I should move to Italy. I'm in Ohio and it took USPS 9 days for my new Ray from California. Here are the new recent additions to the stable. I think they have the same Daddy???

Congrats. It wasn't lost!!
About Italy. It seems the grass is always greener...
I love Italy. Toured there, have friends there. Just a hop, skip and a jump. But things are crazy there too. Don't kid yourselves. Theres is some crazy s**t burecratically, politically and otherwise.

 

[caeman]

But Italy has hot former-models running for office.

 

[bryanspkr]

But Italy has hot former-models running for office.

Ahh, the women! Belissima! And they know that "the smaller the bass, the bigger the.... "
But watch out for the brothers, uncles fathers cousins.... Husbands!

 

[scotch]

Couldnt help myself today. Bought a fretted Mahogany U-Bass! I love my fretted spruce & have been on the lookout for a fretless mahogany, but I couldnt pass this one up! (pics forthcoming...)

I make it a point to play every U-Bass I come across. Im guessing I've played about 10 or so now. Quality control varies quite a bit along with intonation, etc... and I like to see how each bass differs.

Anyways, I walked into a Nashville area shop I had never noticed before (its only been around about a year apparently) & they had a single mahogany model with no price marked. It played really great, sounded great & had much better intonation than most that Ive played! I lucked out & walked out with it & the foam/firm case for LESS than I paid for my Spruce a year ago! Score!

I'm gonna work on side by side clips featuring both basses with stock strings and Thunderguts. Hopefully this week! More to see the difference myself to help make decisions ( keep both, sell one, maybe defret my spruce, etc...) I'll keep you all posted...

 

[SBassman]

Couldnt help myself today. Bought a fretted Mahogany U-Bass! I love my fretted spruce & have been on the lookout for a fretless mahogany, but I couldnt pass this one up! (pics forthcoming...)

I make it a point to play every U-Bass I come across. Im guessing I've played about 10 or so now. Quality control varies quite a bit along with intonation, etc... and I like to see how each bass differs.

Anyways, I walked into a Nashville area shop I had never noticed before (its only been around about a year apparently) & they had a single mahogany model with no price marked. It played really great, sounded great & had much better intonation than most that Ive played! I lucked out & walked out with it & the foam/firm case for LESS than I paid for my Spruce a year ago! Score!

I'm gonna work on side by side clips featuring both basses with stock strings and Thunderguts. Hopefully this week! More to see the difference myself to help make decisions ( keep both, sell one, maybe defret my spruce, etc...) I'll keep you all posted...

Excellent.

Interesting to hear about the different basses intonating differently. More reason to get assimilated into the fretless world.

 

[scotch]

Clips in the next week or so...

 

[Sub41]

What a lovely couple they make...congrats on the new bass.

I haven't played a fretted model yet, but played a fretless mahogany today and found the intonation (if that's even possible on a fretless) to be considerably different than on my spruce top. I'm referring to when the note is to pitch in relation to the distance from the fret lines. Mine seems a bit more off, primarily the E being quite sharp near the fret line, than the model I played today. I wonder if I brought the nut slot down a little if it would help.

 

[Timmy-Watts]

What a lovely couple they make...congrats on the new bass.

I haven't played a fretted model yet, but played a fretless mahogany today and found the intonation (if that's even possible on a fretless) to be considerably different than on my spruce top. I'm referring to when the note is to pitch in relation to the distance from the fret lines. Mine seems a bit more off, primarily the E being quite sharp near the fret line, than the model I played today. I wonder if I brought the nut slot down a little if it would help.

I found something by accident last week. If you wind the string around the post a few times when re-stringing it will get a subtle twist in it. If you put it in the tuner and wind it by hand it stays straight. The strings seem to behave differently when straight rather than twisted. Maybe a simple re-string would fix it. I would leave the nut alone unless it is just way too high. Part of the appeal is the low tension and higher action. It gives the string room to move without hitting anything else and gives you more thump.

 

[hopturn]

+1 to the string test solution. Makes a HUGE difference. I also don't wrap the strings. I pull them through the tuner slots with a pair of vice grips and the bass's own weight stretch them a little, then tighten by hand. Less wraps the better IMO.

 

[scotch]

Btw, regarding cables with built in volume control:

I've given up on cables with a volume pot. Impedance issues, etc.. Honestly, all I want to do is be able to silently mute with my headstock tuner. Planet waves has a perfect solution! I've been using this with great results!

Totally silent switching, no pops.

Full disclosure: PW endorser. I'd still recommend these for this use either way.

 

[J Posega]

I've got to finish my (admittedly crappy) prototype cable with volume control built in. My soldering iron bit the big one, but I'm hoping to finish it soon.

Honestly, I haven't played my U-bass out or even plugged in, save for one gig about a month ago. It's mostly used for playing around the house.

 

[scotch]

They kinda look better this way, eh?

(compared to):

 

[scotch]

String type/bass model comparisons. Draw your own conclusions!

I took the time to record clips today. What a chore! Changing strings, setting up session, bah! And all for free!

Anyhow, signal chain identical in each clip (bass-Fishman Bii preamp w/eq set flat-GT Brick-MBox2Pro). I endeavored to play as consistently as possible in each clip (volume, right hand position, technique, etc.). There are interesting differences in each clip! Using a Planet Waves Strobe Tuner (not in signal chain).

SPRUCE w/ Pahoehoes



SPRUCE w/ Thunderguts



MAHOGANY w/ Pahoehoes



MAHOGANY w/ Thunderguts



SPRUCE w/ Hybrid (E,A Pahoehoes, D,G Thunderguts)




I'll tell you what, I won't comment on tone (you all be the judge), but Thunderguts are just plain way easier to install and get in tune!


Need to re-use some short Pahoehoes? Small brass tubing to the rescue!

 

[caeman]

Good job on the testing and recordings, the speak for themselves.

My interest lies in the spruce top and I preferred the pahoehoe sample. It has more depth, more thump. The TGs are too bright in their sound.

 

[scotch]

Keep in mind there is zero eq, compression or post processing. These are the raw, uncompressed .wav files direct from the ProTools session. All gain settings the same in each example (Brick, Fishman, etc.).

 

[caeman]

Understood. In raw form, the pahoehoe's have a more pleasing sound to my ears.

 

[SBassman]

Different strokes for different folks.

Great job on this.

Me - I Greatly prefer that Thundergut tone. I can turn that into Anything. I can Not turn that Pahoehoe tone into anything.

Don't get me wrong. They are both good. But, I find that Thundergut tone much more versatile, even, and focused.

 

[SBassman]

I just went back and focused on spruce v.s. hog -
and I'm surprised to conclude - I like the spruce better.

 

[caeman]

Good man! Spruce is king.