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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 6
- Thread starter smperry
- Start date
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Apparently, Kala seems to keep the secret about his California acoustic...
But a five strings acoustic could be a great idea !
But a five strings acoustic could be a great idea !
I asked them if it would be longer scale like the us solid body and the answer was half it's a secret/half we don't know yet. My guess is they have a few ideas and prototypes but nothing final yet.
I don't understand how a nut can be worth $85? I often get given my nut blanks, if not then it costs about £2
Unfortunately I can't afford a U-Bass. I'd absolutely love one, they play and sound great, but as a student I just don't have the money. To show how much I want one, look back a few pages at the one I made. Certainly not a Kala U-Bass! To me, the U-Bass is worth every penny, and even if someone could offer a cheaper alternative I'd still save for the Kala because they're great!!!
Someday I'll be joining this thread, with a Kala Uke-bass.
Joe
Do you really want a fretted U-Bass? I wonder why there is no fretless Rumbler.
Somebody should set up a poll in another thread. I don't think I have the ability to do so. Poll would be:
If you have played uke basses before, what did you prefer - fretted or fretless?
I think that would be interesting.
Personally, I swung full circle on that. Started with a fretted, was intrigued with fretless, liked it for a while, eventually came to hate it
and I looped permanently back to fretted.
I'd much prefer fretless, but I'd be only too happy to defret (I've done it before). I play double bass, and have two fretless electrics, and now I find fretted quite hard to actually enjoy. I don't play electric much now, just the feel of an acoustic instrument is worth it to me, so the U-Bass is the perfect instrument when I don't want to slug it out on the double bass.
Snowed in on Sunday, I made a GarageBand ukulele version of Strawberry Letter 23 for Ukulele Underground.
Some folks might be interested to check out in the slap and pop twang sound of Pyramid strings on a S-U-B.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylrEJUndCds
Kala now specifies two distinct Pyramid sets for either acoustic or solidbody, the S-U-B strings are properly wound to fit through the body and across the bridge and nut.
Everything on the web site is discounted through year end.
There's a Kamoa piccolo bass uke with envelope follower filter early in the vid, and riffing straight against the Kala at 1:50.
My chops are rusty for this style of playing, I seldom pop or use my thumb.
The video is a total pantomime.
*****
The tenor uke riffing was done with Aquila red strings.
I heard Mimmo was injured when an extruder blew up in his face, I have no idea if that has any bearing on his red bass strings being late to market.
What I can tell you is that his original red uke strings were too elastic and prone to breakage, but he stood behind them, mailed replacement strings from Italy to anyone who complained.
He then completely changed the formula for the string compound, brought the new version to market, and I've been using them happily for over a year with no breakage or stretching.
My point is that if and when his red bass strings are released, they could well be worth the wait.
He may have learned the value of waiting until a new product is fully baked to unleash it on the public.
*****
Still lobbying for a black nylon tapewound version of the Pyramids like they do for Beatle basses.
Some folks might be interested to check out in the slap and pop twang sound of Pyramid strings on a S-U-B.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylrEJUndCds
Kala now specifies two distinct Pyramid sets for either acoustic or solidbody, the S-U-B strings are properly wound to fit through the body and across the bridge and nut.
Everything on the web site is discounted through year end.
There's a Kamoa piccolo bass uke with envelope follower filter early in the vid, and riffing straight against the Kala at 1:50.
My chops are rusty for this style of playing, I seldom pop or use my thumb.
The video is a total pantomime.
*****
The tenor uke riffing was done with Aquila red strings.
I heard Mimmo was injured when an extruder blew up in his face, I have no idea if that has any bearing on his red bass strings being late to market.
What I can tell you is that his original red uke strings were too elastic and prone to breakage, but he stood behind them, mailed replacement strings from Italy to anyone who complained.
He then completely changed the formula for the string compound, brought the new version to market, and I've been using them happily for over a year with no breakage or stretching.
My point is that if and when his red bass strings are released, they could well be worth the wait.
He may have learned the value of waiting until a new product is fully baked to unleash it on the public.
*****
Still lobbying for a black nylon tapewound version of the Pyramids like they do for Beatle basses.
My new UBass (Mahogany Spruce Top Fretless) arrived last night. Joy!
So far, it plays beautifully. I had a quality snafu with a Kala concert uke years ago, so I was a bit hesitant, but it looks like they have improved significantly since. I'm getting used to playing a fretless again, but I certainly don't regret going that route. This thread and its predecessors have been quite helpful in fueling my purchase, so thanks to all who have contributed thus far.
So far, it plays beautifully. I had a quality snafu with a Kala concert uke years ago, so I was a bit hesitant, but it looks like they have improved significantly since. I'm getting used to playing a fretless again, but I certainly don't regret going that route. This thread and its predecessors have been quite helpful in fueling my purchase, so thanks to all who have contributed thus far.
Got my first (fretless solid mahogany) U-Bass last week, haven't touched a 'normal' bass since, picked up my percision yesterday and to my surprise I could hardly play it for the first 5 minutes. The strings were way too thin and the frets were clanking like crazy...love the U-Bass for at home, now I practise a lot more since I don't have to break out the amp and bass and cables!
I'm not a pick player, but a buddy of mine who is couldn't do it. Super low tension isn't really conducive towards good picking.
As it turns out, there is store not far from me that has three in stock. A solid fretted, a hollow fretted, and a hollow fretless. So today I tried them out with all settings at neutral. Those are the bassiest instruments I've ever played. So much bass I reduced the bass control on the amp to hear them better. I wish now, though, I had asked to try out another amp for comparison.
Welcome to the "club" of happy fretless 'hog owners. My experience has been much the same as yours...
I rarely use a pick on any bass, much less my U-Bass. Having said that I did, as an experiment, try a few types of picks. Nylon/plastic picks are too stiff and very "clingy" on my Thundergut strings. The only pick that did work was a very soft and flexible felt pick. The harder and less flexible felt pick was not good. I personally don't think pick playing is what the U-Bass is all about, but if you like that sound and feel, why not.
Jeff
I saw a Kala U-Bass in another thread and I thought/think its sweet looking, so I asked about it, but I didn't get a reply from the OP. So I did a search and found this thread, and thought this would be a good place to ask.
What gage are the strings are on the Kala U-Bass, how do the strings feel (are they steel, nickel, other?) and how much do the strings cost $ per pack?
EDIT: Also, is it fretted?
Thank you
What gage are the strings are on the Kala U-Bass, how do the strings feel (are they steel, nickel, other?) and how much do the strings cost $ per pack?
EDIT: Also, is it fretted?
Thank you
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