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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 4

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#681
Have a new set of TGs on the SUB.
Sounds great.

Not looking for upright tones with this bass, looking for modern, tight tones, and she's now delivering. I can dial in a nice growl that works well with some of the material I am currently playing.
 
#685
One list member from NZ reported on the customs and the red tape costs attached to imports from the US. I have told about the same when it comes to imports to the EU.

I have been lucky in a few instances that small letter sized imports like nut files bought from the US eBay have sailed unnoticed under the custom’s radar. But you cannot count on that. And paying maybe 20% of the total price to an inspection fee in my eyes is disproportionally high.

If I ,say, imported a Cali 5-string UBass, because they apparently are not marketed here, then that fixed rate inspection fee would be easier to swallow up.

Klaus
 
#687
I very much agree!

Actually they are carried by some dealers, even in my country. But the selection is modest. In my country I only have seen the fretted mahogany acoustic version.

And with a German dealer I have a suspicion that they have some older versions without the truss rod, which they sell at the same high price as the versions with the truss rod. And they do not mention that development in the models. I would not be happy if getting a fretless acacia with no truss rod and paying the same or more than I did when I bought the fretted from the UK.

In the same way the selection of strings is very modest. Not to speak of parts like those bought for the custom projects.

Klaus
 
#690
Need to chime in RE: truss rods, etc.

I have pulled, bent, twisted and tightened the neck and put on high tension strings on my first production run hog. The neck does not move in the least. there is not difference between no strings and silver Rumblers tuned GCFBb. But...

The neck is nice and slim with a modern C shape (very comfortable) while the newer ones with truss rods have a fat D neck. And I can imagine only needing a truss rod for possible future incarnations of higher tension steel strings. But even then it is only like a 10" neck. Just sayin...

My custom in progress will sport 5 strings and be slim, with no truss rod :-)
 
#691
A very relevant posting from Tim!

I have large hands and as often said play with extended fingerings. My pinkie is strong enough to hold the Pahoehoe E string down up to the 12th fret. To me the thickness of the neck is not the main problem. I know it is part of the whole UBass concept, but for me the flaring towards the heel is the problem. The cut-off version might be a little helpful, but the heel is the same.

And then the need for truss rods may vary with local climates. Already now, early in the fall season I have had to loosen the rod nut on my Ovation guitar. The pitch of the instruments with settled strings raises between sessions.

I cannot tell about a change in action height of the UBass, at least it is high enough.

There is a phenomenon with the pitch of the Pahoehoe strings that puzzles me. It sags between sessions, which I find normal, and I tune up to A=440Hz. But as I have the tuner on the line between my preamp and the EBS, I have noted that the pitch raises ever so slightly during sessions. I see two possible causes. Either the strings contract because of the moderate heat of my fingers. Or the neck reacts to the moisture of my hand. The latter reason appears more likely and might speak for the relevancy of a truss rod.

Klaus
 
#692
imperialbari said:
There is a phenomenon with the pitch of the Pahoehoe strings that puzzles me. It sags between sessions, which I find normal, and I tune up to A=440Hz. But as I have the tuner on the line between my preamp and the EBS, I have noted that the pitch raises ever so slightly during sessions. I see two possible causes. Either the strings contract because of the moderate heat of my fingers. Or the neck reacts to the moisture of my hand.
Click to expand...

I'm no physicist or chemist, but my intuition is that it's the strings reacting to being played more than the neck.


On another note, my Silver Rumblers have shipped, may have them by the weekend. :bassist:
 
#698
All this fretless talk is making me consider defretting my spruce.

I'm wondering if you Silver Rumbler test subjects can comment on them now that you've had them on a little longer; are they as sticky/grabby as TG's? I find that (don't be grossed out) licking my fingertips keeps them plenty slippery whilst playing, but if I didn't have to, then that'd be cool
 
#699
TheEmptyCell said:
All this fretless talk is making me consider defretting my spruce.

I'm wondering if you Silver Rumbler test subjects can comment on them now that you've had them on a little longer; are they as sticky/grabby as TG's? I find that (don't be grossed out) licking my fingertips keeps them plenty slippery whilst playing, but if I didn't have to, then that'd be cool
Click to expand...

While I agree that TG's and Sliver Rumblers are a little more 'sticky' than Pahoehoes... I have come to the conclusion that physiology must be a BIG factor! I dont have any problems with Aquila's various nylon formulas, but others have varying degrees of problems. Makes me think that skin ph might be a contributing factor?
 
#700
TheEmptyCell said:
All this fretless talk is making me consider defretting my spruce.

I'm wondering if you Silver Rumbler test subjects can comment on them now that you've had them on a little longer; are they as sticky/grabby as TG's? I find that (don't be grossed out) licking my fingertips keeps them plenty slippery whilst playing, but if I didn't have to, then that'd be cool
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the SR's lasted 2 weeks on my hog fretless. One song on one gig. An easy song. My accompaniment style is kinda complex. I shift up and down positions a lot and play a lot of muted ghost notes and skip notes. That was not possible for me on these strings. They were so sticky that my attacks had too thick a sound ("thunk" instead of "bohm") and Everything felt bogged down. That is strictly IME. Many people who are replacing a straight ahead electric bass style with the U-Bass love ThunderGuts and these probably even more. I just couldn't be as smooth and agile as usual, so I switched back to stock.

Re: fretless. You will not regret it.
 
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