Kala UBass Megathread, Part 4

[slaerts]

fingerbun: sent you a Pm
Chad: I'll try a mail forwarding company first but keep you as a back up. Thanks.

 

[Peredur]

 

[Timmy-Watts]

Nice. Along the same lines as we are doing! Kala take notice. We like this conservative timeless shape.

 

[jburtonca]

Get some 1.8mm Spectra/Dyneema spear-fishing line and you're all set.

 

[jburtonca]

This works very well. Talc is very messy and inconvenient.

 

[BrandonA119]

I may be behind the curve but found Richard Bona playing a ubass.

 

[SBassman]

Get some 1.8mm Spectra/Dyneema spear-fishing line and you're all set.

Wow - that's really interesting.

Can you tell us more about what the strings sound like.
How do they intonate?
Is there enough tension for them to stay in tune?

 

[jburtonca]

Wow - that's really interesting.

Can you tell us more about what the strings sound like.
How do they intonate?
Is there enough tension for them to stay in tune?

The strings have more of an electric bass tone, which is what I was looking for in the SUB ( I also have a mahogany acoustic with Thunderguts). The tension is fine and the Dyneema/Spectra is extremely strong with virtually no stretch, it's rated at 350lbs. It stays in tune as well as any other metal strings.

 

[BrandonA119]

I have a set for sale, I strung the bass up and played it for 5 minutes decided I prefer the stock strings better.

$18 shipped.


PS i figured I could post this here? Since most ubass guys cant find ubass stuff in the classifieds..

 

[SBassman]

I have a set for sale, I strung the bass up and played it for 5 minutes decided I prefer the stock strings better.

$18 shipped.


PS i figured I could post this here? Since most ubass guys cant find ubass stuff in the classifieds..

That's a very good deal. Somebody grab it and do some testing.

Can you tell us anymore about the strings. I know you preferred the stocks, but, did the steel strings intonate well? How was tension?

 

[BrandonA119]

Tighter tension, intonation was fine. Little more sticky feeling but the tone was cool, just not MY thing.

 

[J Posega]

That's a very good deal. Somebody grab it and do some testing.

Can you tell us anymore about the strings. I know you preferred the stocks, but, did the steel strings intonate well? How was tension?

He's selling TG's, not Pyramids.

 

[SBassman]

He's selling TG's, not Pyramids.

Oops. Need to put my glasses on.

 

[JEBassman]

Well, my new UBass arrived Wed. night. I've been having fun playing it and getting adjusted to the small scale. I ordered the California, solid body UBass, four strings, with a fretted neck. The stock strings sound nice and full.

I see what others meant by the strings stretching out when they're new. Mine have been stretching quite a bit, and there are already too many windings on the tuning pegs, for the D and A strings. How soon should I remove these strings, and cut them shorter, then restring?

Is it better to restring now, or to wait longer before removing them and resizing?

Thanks in advance for your advice! I'll have a photo, after Hurricane Sandy is done with us.
Joel

 

[SBassman]

Well, my new UBass arrived Wed. night. I've been having fun playing it and getting adjusted to the small scale. I ordered the California, solid body UBass, four strings, with a fretted neck. The stock strings sound nice and full.

I see what others meant by the strings stretching out when they're new. Mine have been stretching quite a bit, and there are already too many windings on the tuning pegs, for the D and A strings. How soon should I remove these strings, and cut them shorter, then restring?

Is it better to restring now, or to wait longer before removing them and resizing?

Thanks in advance for your advice! I'll have a photo, after Hurricane Sandy is done with us.
Joel

Don't ever let the windings on the post overlap. When you run out of space on the post, take those suckers off, stretch, put em back on, and cut.

 

[JEBassman]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for your reply. I'm curious as to what's bad about allowing the windings to overlap?

Thanks, Joel

 

[SBassman]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for your reply. I'm curious as to what's bad about allowing the windings to overlap?

Thanks, Joel

It can lead to it binding up - and your tuner actually snapping.

 

[slaerts]

I do the re-wind as the first string gets to the bottom of the tuning peg. I do all four in one sitting. Stretch them as far as you can as you re-do it. They settle significantly after 2 weeks or so but mine have continued to stretch slowly after 4-6 months. I use a pair of long nosed pliers to grip the strings and hold the u-bass between my legs. So pliers in one hand pulling the string, bass between my knees and the other hand is gripping the string midway up the neck pushing the string towards the pliers. But be careful the black coating on the tuners is paper thin and scratches easy.

I could have cut somewhere betwen 4-6 inches off each string over the first 3 weeks of re-stringing, it was quite a lot.

 

[SBassman]

Note again, boys and girls, that this stretching months later is only a phenomenon of the stock strings.

If you'd like to leave this all behind, put some Aquila Thunderguts or Silver Rumblers on, and life will be much simpler.

 

[slaerts]

Note again, boys and girls, that this stretching months later is only a phenomenon of the stock strings.

If you'd like to leave this all behind, put some Aquila Thunderguts or Silver Rumblers on, and life will be much simpler.

We need to compile a fact list on these instruments. We also need to know that some people are finding the aquila and RS's tacky or stickier than the stocks and some others are using powder options to combat this. But each solution creates a new problem the powder is a bit messy.