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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 6

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#821
selowitch said:
I'm considering buying a UBass at some point, but I'm worried about the intonation issues and volume string-to-string. Is there good reason to hesitate?
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The newer ones with the slanted bridge saddle seem to have decent intonation, but consider a fretless and it's no issue whatsoever.

There have been a few reports of string-to-string volume issues that were due to pickup problems, which Kala has addressed. I got one of the newer ones with the built-in preamp, and have had no such issues.

If you're concerned, my advice is to try before you buy, or buy from a dealer with a good return policy/reputation (i.e. Sweetwater).
 
#823
I got mine from Sweetwater too. Very good to work with. I haven't had time to play mine. In retrospect, I should have gotten a frettless. I also would not have gotten an acoustic version. Mine will just sit in the case un played like new. I live in a rural area, no one to sell to. I am saying this not to whine, but to say try before you buy or use during the returnable period so you know if you want to keep. I like my used ashbory with med tension pahoehoe better than the fretted $550 hog. I forgot how easy it was to hear and adjust to an upright having not played one for 20 years. Fretless small scale is even easier and easier to me than adjusting to playing away from the frets unlike any other fretted instrument I have played. Just an opinion. And, had I not plucked up the used ashbory, I would not have known and would have been fine with the hog as it really is top notch!
 
#825
You know, i hardly ever touch a regular longscale bass anymore! My fretless hog has become my go to bass. The sound guy at my church likes it better than any other bass he has mixed, and its the only bass that I can actually hear myself when i'm onstage playing it cuts through so well! My T-bird sits in the stand waiting for his chance to be played, but it never seems to come anymore! Lots of complements from the congregation also! I recently tried a set of Pyramids, but they lasted about 6 hours before I went back to the Paehoehoes. On the fretless it gives it the Mwaaah! sound like a true fretless, but it doesn't have the punch of the stock strings. The nut slots are too big so I put some paper in the slots to take up some slack and that helped. You will definitely want a new nut if you are going to use the Pyramids. I may try again later or save them for when I get a fretted version sometime. I was thinking of getting a fretted Sub sometime, but also been eyeballing the Goldtone MB. I like the upper fret access that I don't get with my fretless hog. Plus a slightly longer scale with some Paehoehoes would make an awesome combo! Anyone have experience with the fretted Goldtone! I'm curious about the intonation.
 
#826
1stname bassist, have you seen this review and sound clips of the Gold Tone Micro Bass, it is a fretless he is playing but .... Sorry I did not get to look you up while I was in Fort Myers but mom kept me quite busy while I was there. I was in FL for 7 days then flew back here with mom for my brothers funeral for 2 weeks. Then we flew back to FL for 9 days and then back to Seattle. I will be back in 3 or 4 months so hopefully we will get to meet up then. I just ordered the Micro Bass in lined fretless as that is what I like, having come over from the full sized big bass.
 
#827
Is there anything you can do to fix a uBass's intonation up the neck? My buddy got one whose A string goes almost a full half step flat by the time you reach the 12th fret. The rest of the strings are, for the most part, fine in these regards.
 
#830
Sorry I missed seeing you Bluebird. And yes I have been checking out the Goldtone! Very nice looking bass and i'm considering a fretted version as I already have a fretless U-bass. Goldtone is coming out with a solid body version of the Microbass they said hopefully in 4 to 6 weeks. Nice looking from what I saw of the prototype on the U-tube video. Also saw on ebay a cigar box bass with thunder guts for sale. Kind of a neat looking little bass! Maybe i'll build one someday. Deltagroove guitars is the one selling it. They also sell necks and parts to build your own cigar box whatever you dream up!
 
#833
3234718 said:
Godspeed brother. I wish you luck on your quest for the mythical thunder reds. Keep us apprised.

If you manage to actually purchase a set, please PM me. I'll send you dough for an extra set for me.
Click to expand...

Seeing you are from Queens, if there is any way to help, I will. :)

[Grew up in Queens - Rosedale. Moved north to the Hudson Valley when I got out of college.]
 
#834
Hey Guys,
I got a F-deck series 3 and am wondering how you are using yours. I know a few people have said they are amazing.

I was playing with my u-bass through an i-amp Doubler and am getting minimal change. The volume works and so does the freq adjustment knob, the difference is just minimal. My thoughts so far...
1. The doubler has a hpf built into it and therefore the effect is minimal?
2. I'd notice the difference through a PA more than an amplifier?

Loving my ubass still. We had a jazz band come visit our school the other day and I just happened to have it with me. They invited some of the children up to improvise with them and at the end I went up and thanked them and told the upright player I almost went and got my ubass to join in for the last song.

Turns out he'd been in at the local music shop that day and tried to check one out but the only one they had was broken. So he asked if he could borrow mine for the next session. I got to hear them play 2 songs to test it out while the kids were all gone and they were great. This guy was all over the fretboard and neither of us noticed any intonation problems. He used it for the second session and loved it and got to try it out in gig conditions. Kala need to start paying me commission.
 
#835
I am the thread killer!

I'm currently using my u-bass in my classroom. One kid in the class is totally against singing and dancing but has started getting guitar lessons. So to get him involved in a class music project I've got him playing a one note bass line while the class sings and I strum the acoustic. the u-bass is a perfect size for an 10 year olds hands and now I don't have to put up with sour looks when we practice as he is now keen to do it.
 
#836
I ordered a five string set of Thunderguts that come with a Red B string for my Micro bass. I bought them because the micro is 23" scale and the 5 string Ubass is 23". It turns out that the the 21" set would have probably fit fine.

Anyway I put the red B string on the micro out of curiosity, just for a few minutes. Wow, this strings have such a strong punch and fundamental. Even tuned to B they had decent volume and so much lows. I am very impressed and really looking forward to them being released. I was very suprized how small they are, the red B string is only slightly bigger than the A string of the thunderguts. I did some really really quick acoustic recordings of the red string tuned to B and and to D. Its not much but I thought some folks might find it interesting. You can hear them here. I play a little phrase on the red string then groups of 2 notes 2 on the red string and 2 on the thundergut E string, they sound kind of similar in the recording but in person the difference was more noticeable.



redthunder1_zpsb722ff9f.jpg
 
#838
3234718 said:
How does the red string feel compared to the thunderguts? Are they sticky?
Click to expand...

The red string feels quite a bit different thunderguts. They are not sticky but almost just a tiny bit greasy. It seems like they had a really nice feel under the fingers and where very easy to slide on. They are kind of heavier and more dense and have a slight roughness to them. To me they almost feel a bit more like a smooth rope than a pice of plastic.
I feel fairly confident that they will become my string of choice when they are released. The fundamental punch was quite addictive and fun, and the feel under the fingers was great. For now I am getting along fine with thunderguts. I have some issues with stickiness and squeaking, but they seem to come up after playing for a long time and I usually only play for around an hour. I don't slide on the E and A and I don't drag my fretting had across the strings when changing positions. So I am ok with them but I am defiantly looking forward to trying the reds.
 
#839
Im considering a fretted Micro bass because I already play a fretless U-bass, but my concern is the thunder guts. I tried Silver Rumblers on my u-bass but didn't like how they felt and also the horrible squeaking they produced for me when amplified. I haven't tried Thunderguts, but I have read that their is little difference between them and the SR's. I'm wondering how well the paehoehoes will work on the micro bass. Goldtones website said something about using different strings other than thunderguts would void their warranty if I remember right.
 
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