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 4
- Thread starter smperry
- Start date
- Status
I'm with you. My love for this bass has grown so much that - I'm going to reject gigs where it is not welcome. It's all I want to play. It sounds that good. It's that much fun.
Stock; have been sub'd to this thread, and caught all of the discussion, but am holding out for some genuine flatwound strings, with more tension, to put on it.
I just spent some time goofin around on a hog fretted today at a store. I had posted awhile back that I was worried about possible intonation problems on these fretted versions. I found it to be a bit out of tune as I climbed up the neck, but it was nothing that couldn't be manipulated by finger pressure. Essentially, If you have the time and ear to shift a note in tune on a fretless, it's not much different to adjust tension over a fret ON THESE BASSES. I don't feel that way about larger slab basses. Anyway, it made me feel better about getting a fretted at some point.
Many years ago I worked hard on several movements from Bachs cello suites. On bass trombone.
There are double and triple stops, but these are not the reason for my transcription for UBass (really for any bass in EADG-tuning) of these last movements from the G major suite. I like the music. Thats why I do it.
The high and low notes are important effects with Bach. In the original key C is the lowest note, and I find it a great pity if the relative octave is changed. Hence I chose the key of C major.
That gives a range from F on the E string through A at the 14th fret of the G string.
I had entered the standard notation before the discussion about tablature came up, so I added a tablature staff.
My choices of strings and frets of course are personal and some may disagree. My main goal has been as few shifts of position as possible.
The high resolution .pdf-version (3 pages) is here:
Link Removed
Klaus
PS: The second menuet originally wass written in G Dorian, even if we would analyze it to be in G minor. It was old practice to notate minor keys with one flat less or one sharp more than we would do today. I have kept that old practice, so that the second menuet looks like written in C Dorian.
There are double and triple stops, but these are not the reason for my transcription for UBass (really for any bass in EADG-tuning) of these last movements from the G major suite. I like the music. Thats why I do it.
The high and low notes are important effects with Bach. In the original key C is the lowest note, and I find it a great pity if the relative octave is changed. Hence I chose the key of C major.
That gives a range from F on the E string through A at the 14th fret of the G string.
I had entered the standard notation before the discussion about tablature came up, so I added a tablature staff.
My choices of strings and frets of course are personal and some may disagree. My main goal has been as few shifts of position as possible.
The high resolution .pdf-version (3 pages) is here:
Link Removed
Klaus
PS: The second menuet originally wass written in G Dorian, even if we would analyze it to be in G minor. It was old practice to notate minor keys with one flat less or one sharp more than we would do today. I have kept that old practice, so that the second menuet looks like written in C Dorian.
Attachments
So is it correct to assume that there is no such animal as a lefty fretless U Bass in any woods? Kala's site seems to confirm this, but I'm hoping they just don't bother updating it with such a trivial detail. Although weeks of fruitless searching would appear to indicate it's the case.
Anyone know better? : )
Anyone know better? : )
You might want to write to or call Kala.
You always have the option to buy a lefty and defret it.
Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
- 6,944
- 2,081
- 51
- Disclosures
- Please see Profile for Endorsement disclosures
caeman said:
Unless you run into really stubborn frets! The radius on nail clippers is a little too small. Best to use the right tool for the job!
Truth is, a pair of sharp & shallow chisels with about 1" width are very handy for prying out frets without chipping the board. I start with heat, then use the chisels & then use the fret pulling tool to finish the job.
I've done over a dozen refrets now. I've been apprenticing part-time on my free days at home. Working on refretting a Teisco this afternoon, actually.
Not that nail clippers can't work, just that the small radius and short 'blades' aren't ideal for fret removal. Can it work? Sure! Heck, if the frets are loose enough needle nose pliers could work. Nail clippers are not gonna work all the time. Not a great idea- in my opinion.
+1, thanks Klaus.
Really adds some class to this thread to have Bach transcriptions for u-bass.
I'm woeful trying to actually play them, of course, but that first chord in measure 4 is a keeper- 8-10-x-10 plucked with thumb and first two fingers.
Cello version in the original key of G starts at 3:15.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_eJ8HOZ7kQ
Thing is that getting the frets out is only half of the job, the easier half. I know I'd be up for the rest but I'm dubious the result would be satisfactory. Talk about voiding the warranty! : )
But, alas, it does appear that either a defret or switching a right fretless are my only options, and as less painless as the switch may appear, in this case it likely isn't, given that it doesn't seem I can just reposition the bridge, I'd need to get a lefty with piezo from Kala. From what I can tell, and I'd love to be corrected, the piezos in the U Bass bridge are not an easy swap job. Does anyone know for a fact if the bridge can be repositioned without issue?
If anyone in the NYC vicinity has already done either (as in not theoretically : ) ) shoot me a PM!
I would think that a defret is significantly easier than switching a righty to a lefty.
Also - write to Kala on this. Maybe they can help.
Been awaiting reply from them, but I can't be too impatient given the time of year. One thing about posting on TalkBass: you get responses immediately, even at 3AM my time (from people in my neighborhood!) I can never stop myself from asking here as well anyway! : )
spigmu said:
I have changed out a pickup...but not a bridge. The newer pickups are a straight line across. The bridge is angled. I have an old one with a straight bridge. The pickup was intonation compensated. But I needed a new pickup and got one that was straight across. Still great intonation with stock strings.
...but I'd think a defret is easier.
Had a little issue Saturday with the demo set of strings. I put the brass collar back on and instead of a little sharp crimp I squeezed the whole collar with with needle nose pliers. Now the whole collar is gripping it instead of one little place. Seems stable. I was worried about a very thin spot in the string, probably where it previously was coming out of the hole, so I pulled it through past that point. It was already trimmed for 2-3 initial wraps around the tuner post, so I had less to work with. So far it is still holding but for safe measure I double-wound it through the slot. Seems to be holding.
The tension is very tight. More than I remember the ThunderGuts being. Wierdly, the thinner strings are very tight, the A seems pretty normal, and the E, while tight, seems low and flubby. The A and E are noticeably stickier than the D and G.
The diameter makes the action feel higher, but I checked the neck curvature with the stocks, nothing, and with these, and it has not budged at all. The tension is not affecting the pull on the neck in the least-and I have a first run model with the very thin neck and no truss rod.
I know these are brand new, but the tension difference is something to get used to, unless you already play on ThunderGuts. Also, until I can find some way to lubricate the thicker strings, I will not be using this on an entire gig yet. For a straight ahead acoustic rock (dotted quarter-eighth :||) it could be very usable. On a 4/4 jazz gig with a solo in every tune, where I would need to hear a thumpy pulse and be able to get around easily, at least initially, I could not get over the stickiness just yet.
But they show promise. And when they have the brass collar thing worked out, as I understand there may already be a better design in the production sets, the tuning stability is tops. If you are playing a quick transitioning gig and it sits on the stand for 5 tunes before you pick it up and Bam-go time. These strings are great.
I play this in a jazz setting, at lower volumes, usually with time to tune if needed. And I tend to go for that slick, thumpy thing the stock strings bring, even with the headache of all the re-stringings and tunings.
Saturday I will give it a proper gig test and report.
The tension is very tight. More than I remember the ThunderGuts being. Wierdly, the thinner strings are very tight, the A seems pretty normal, and the E, while tight, seems low and flubby. The A and E are noticeably stickier than the D and G.
The diameter makes the action feel higher, but I checked the neck curvature with the stocks, nothing, and with these, and it has not budged at all. The tension is not affecting the pull on the neck in the least-and I have a first run model with the very thin neck and no truss rod.
I know these are brand new, but the tension difference is something to get used to, unless you already play on ThunderGuts. Also, until I can find some way to lubricate the thicker strings, I will not be using this on an entire gig yet. For a straight ahead acoustic rock (dotted quarter-eighth :||) it could be very usable. On a 4/4 jazz gig with a solo in every tune, where I would need to hear a thumpy pulse and be able to get around easily, at least initially, I could not get over the stickiness just yet.
But they show promise. And when they have the brass collar thing worked out, as I understand there may already be a better design in the production sets, the tuning stability is tops. If you are playing a quick transitioning gig and it sits on the stand for 5 tunes before you pick it up and Bam-go time. These strings are great.
I play this in a jazz setting, at lower volumes, usually with time to tune if needed. And I tend to go for that slick, thumpy thing the stock strings bring, even with the headache of all the re-stringings and tunings.
Saturday I will give it a proper gig test and report.
Attachments
+1, thanks Klaus.
Really adds some class to this thread to have Bach transcriptions for u-bass.
I'm woeful trying to actually play them, of course, but that first chord in measure 4 is a keeper- 8-10-x-10 plucked with thumb and first two fingers.
Cello version in the original key of G starts at 3:15.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_eJ8HOZ7kQ
Transcriptions always call for compromises. Where the cut is placed between the original and the accessibility for the player doesnt happen by divine order, but has to be adapted in the given situation. Feedback is very valuable for the editor.
I sometimes tend to lean too much towards the original, because I know the performance traditions enough to fake some difficult passages. In situations where a teacher is involved he/she will pencil in solutions for the student. The problems come up with players striving to play the ink verbatim.
In bar #4 of the original the bottom fifth is played on the open middle strings and the melodic line is played on the top string. On the UBass there are no open fifths, and the passage cant even be played on adjacent strings.
Harmonically the main point is the appoggiatura F in the melody which has a fourth (sus) clash with the bass C and a minor seventh clash with the middle G. Ideally the C and G both should be sustained through the resolution of the appoggiatura. However things get much easier if the middle G is cut after the 1st beat of the bar. It will stay in the listeners imagination especially as it returns as the bass note on the third beat of the bar.
Most often errors in my editions are plain errors, and then I correct them, when they are found by myself or by others. Here we are in a grey zone of interpretation, where some prefer doing their own faking. Hence I have kept my original arrangement and added a revised version, where I have adapted that said bar #4 as outlined above here. If I get more feedback, I may incorporate wishes in one or more revisions of that file.
Fingerings can be applied after a plenitude of approaches. That is why I prefer standard notation, where the player does his own fingerings. I have made a very few fingering changes in the first few bars, but honestly I could do fingering revisions on that file until doomsday (which I wont do). I hope players reading tablature know the system well enough to do their own re-fingerings.
Link Removed
Klaus
Attachments
It's official: Kala responded they make no lefty fretless. Thems that want must pick which of the two surgeries to partake in.
- Status
