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 6
- Thread starter smperry
- Start date
- Status
Welcome to the non-club. Are you aware of all the quirks of the ubass? Perusing the 6 megathreads is always a good idea for a new ubassist.
It's a process. The e and a aren't much if a problem, but you're gonna have to restring the g and d several times before they're stable. It's important for them to have as few winds around the post as possible by the time they've reached stability, which in my experience has always been about two weeks. Use this meathod for the d and g:
String it up to tune, wait a few days and repeat. Make sure not to cut the strings till the final restring just because its easier if you have more string to grab on to. If you've done well, by they time they hold their tuning, you'll have at most 3 wraps around the g post and 1 or 2 around the d. The e and a you'll only have to re do once or twice because they obviously stretch much less, but those should only have one or two wraps. That way you can keep the strings on for a good long time with plenty of room to tune up before there's none left. At that point they would have stretched to the point where the intonation will be off and you'll have to replace them anyway.
Or you can avoid all this and use thunderguts or silver rumblers, though many find, myself included, that they're annoyingly sticky.
OK guys and gals, here's an update on my fretless hog that I recently bought. I fixed the buzzing in the 8-11 fretline areas by having my luthier sand the fretboard. After that, it plays very well. The E string still has less sustain than the other strings, but its volume when plugged in is OK. The back has developed a crack between the magnetic cover and the side, which suggests that the wood wasn't dry enough. The luthier said that this crack is harmless and we should not try fixing it just yet but look how it will behave in a year.
The thing that bothers me though is that most of the times I cannot get the tone I like out of it. At home, it sounds best through my Boss Loop Station connected to the line input of my 15W Crate bass combo (I posted a clip eariler, I think it was in Part 5). But I could not get a likable sound through larger combos at two rehearsal places - in fact, the tone was outright horrible. I tried using Behringer ADI21 as a buffer, but it didn't work well. Are there any *cheap* preamp/DI/whatever options that don't involve spending hundreds of dollars but can get me the tones similar to those I'm hearing on the Internet?
The thing that bothers me though is that most of the times I cannot get the tone I like out of it. At home, it sounds best through my Boss Loop Station connected to the line input of my 15W Crate bass combo (I posted a clip eariler, I think it was in Part 5). But I could not get a likable sound through larger combos at two rehearsal places - in fact, the tone was outright horrible. I tried using Behringer ADI21 as a buffer, but it didn't work well. Are there any *cheap* preamp/DI/whatever options that don't involve spending hundreds of dollars but can get me the tones similar to those I'm hearing on the Internet?
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
- 6,944
- 2,081
- 51
- Disclosures
- Please see Profile for Endorsement disclosures
I have gotten very good results with the folowing super-cheap preamp/buffers:
ART Tube MP (sounds surprisingly good and has 1/4" and xlr outputs)
Fishman Bii (small, battery or dc adapter powered and fits on a strap or belt)
Both can be found new or used for less than 50 bucks!
I keep a Bii in my U-Bass gig bag at all times. Just in case I need it- integrates quickly and easily into any setup!
The ART is a remarkably decent studio preamp/di as well! Real tube tone for less than 50 bucks. I don't use mine very often, but when I need an extra preamp in a pinch it always surprises me how good it sounds for being so cheap!
Hey guys I'm about to make the purchase on the UBass. I normally use a Sadowsky external pre on electrics; wondering if you guys think it would go any well with a UBass or should I look into an acoustic pre?
Hey Soong,
I should have mentioned the other day. I've got a fishman platinum eq-di, lr baggs paracoustic and a sansamp paradriver. I've also got a F-deck on the way. You can check them out when you come visit. Out of the 3 I own the fishman works best for me, though the baggs is a very close second. A lot of guys like the f-deck too, I'm hoping it works well.
I should have mentioned the other day. I've got a fishman platinum eq-di, lr baggs paracoustic and a sansamp paradriver. I've also got a F-deck on the way. You can check them out when you come visit. Out of the 3 I own the fishman works best for me, though the baggs is a very close second. A lot of guys like the f-deck too, I'm hoping it works well.
standard bass tuners, modified. see http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f57/question-about-ashbory-tuners-u-bass-project-968062/#post14060518
Thank you scotch,
I tried a B-II at a store yesterday plugged into an Orange combo with good results. The overall tone is rather thick and defined, and the Bass and Treble sliders work well, giving me the necessary control over just the right frequencies for this instrument.
I might just buy it soon.
I'm putting my exotihogany fretted in the classifieds if anyone's interested. It's just sitting in it's case all sad and unplayed.
I just tried traveling with a S-U-B as a carry-on, but halfway through the trip was told that I'd have to buy another seat for my "guitar". I ended up unscrewing the neck and putting the parts in a checked suitcase.
I may end up disassembling/reassembling it with some regularity. Would it make sense to put threaded inserts in the neck and use machine screws instead of wood screws to minimize the wear??
I may end up disassembling/reassembling it with some regularity. Would it make sense to put threaded inserts in the neck and use machine screws instead of wood screws to minimize the wear??
I own a fretless/spruce U-bass and have been very happy with it. I am curious about a S-U-B or even a California model. I want to know what I gain/lose going from the acoustic U-bass to the solid body platform.
Would I get more sustain out of these models? Or is it more a question of the type of string you use?
Would I get more sustain out of these models? Or is it more a question of the type of string you use?
Gain- playing up the neck past the 12th fret
Sustain- I don't notice much difference with the same strings.
To me, the characteristic sound of these basses is somewhat a "dead string" thump. Works for a lot of musical styles, but not all.
A compressor / sustainer effect might help.
For more sustain, there are the Pyramid copper-over-silk roundwounds.
I'm very happy with them on my fretted spruce.
Not designed for use on S-U-Bs, but there's a guy on here with a work-around solution.
- Status
