Kala UBass Megathread, Part 7

[HaphAsSard]

Pulling my hair out over the rubber strings. They pop out of the nut. Sent Kala an email and they recommended a Floyd Rose bar. See the attachment. The Hell is up with this? No way i can install this and fit the strings under it. Can anyone here help?View attachment 5255943

Do *all* four of them have a tendency to pop out? or is it just the low E? If the latter, can you try and refit it?
What you need, rather than a permanently-installed bar string guide (for which there'd be little room, objectively), is...an extra thumb gently but firmly pressing the string down closer to the headstock, right in front of the tuning post; or, better yet, a guitar capo placed beyond the nut after you've inserted the low E in the post slot: either way, the idea is that during the windage the string windings around the post are piled over the section of string coming from the nut. At the end, the downpressure against the nut should (hopefully) be enough for the string to stay put.

 

[Bodeeni]

The nut slots are usually too high on a stock fretless. Maybe there is room to go down and the bass will play better too. If not, a new nut is probably the easiest. I went to the Galli metal flatwounds and they sit in the nut more securely.

 

[HaphAsSard]

Pulling my hair out over the rubber strings. They pop out of the nut. Sent Kala an email and they recommended a Floyd Rose bar. See the attachment. The Hell is up with this? No way i can install this and fit the strings under it. Can anyone here help?View attachment 5255943

Do *all* four of them have a tendency to pop out? or is it just the low E? If the latter, can you try and refit it?
What you need, rather than a permanently-installed bar string guide (for which there'd be little room, objectively), is...an extra thumb gently but firmly pressing the string down closer to the headstock, right in front of the tuning post; or, better yet, a guitar capo placed beyond the nut after you've inserted the low E in the post slot: either way, the idea is that during the windage the string windings around the post are piled over the section of string coming from the nut. At the end, the downpressure against the nut should (hopefully) be enough for the string to stay put.

Uhm, I actually meant the fattest string, not the low E: in your case, the low B.
I concur with the post above in that the nut slots might use some deepening (inspect them and assess whether it be the case).

 

[mrperkolator]

@Gorilla Monsoon you could try Aquila thunderbrowns. I’m having the opposite issue. I think they sit too low and I can’t get rid of buzzing with a stock nut. I believe they are smaller gauge than stock strings. Other than buzz they sound good.

if I can find where the b string is, I can send them to you for price of postage. Send me a message if interested.

edit: I’m having persistent buzzing in first few frets no matter how high the action. So if someone has a great idea I’m all ears. I’m thinking too low in nut

 

[SBassman]

If you have a bass that you are switching from synthetic to metal or vice versa, it might need another nut cut.

Buzzing - experiment with a shim under the nut.

Too high - buy a couple of files, watch a couple of YouTube videos, and go for it. In advance of starting, seek an identical replacement so that you can undo if you cut too far.

Cutting nuts can be a bit scary if you have never done it before, but it's actually pretty easy.
That's coming from a person who overall is Not a Handy, Fix-it person.

 

[KohanMike]

The thing about the strings that’s hanging me up is the through body termination with the attached grommet.

Why would that hang you up? What's your concern?

 

[KohanMike]

@Gorilla Monsoon you could try Aquila thunderbrowns. I’m having the opposite issue. I think they sit too low and I can’t get rid of buzzing with a stock nut. I believe they are smaller gauge than stock strings. Other than buzz they sound good. if I can find where the b string is, I can send them to you for price of postage. Send me a message if interested. I’m having persistent buzzing in first few frets no matter how high the action. So if someone has a great idea I’m all ears. I’m thinking too low in nut

When I tested the new browns, I had the same problem, never could fix it, which solidified that I will only use flatwound nylon core.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

When I tested the new browns, I had the same problem, never could fix it, which solidified that I will only use flatwound nylon core.

Ive got a five string. I would be ok with EADGC, though.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

Why would that hang you up? What's your concern?

The ball end of the string needs a stable terminal point.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

If you have a bass that you are switching from synthetic to metal or vice versa, it might need another nut cut.

Buzzing - experiment with a shim under the nut.

Too high - buy a couple of files, watch a couple of YouTube videos, and go for it. In advance of starting, seek an identical replacement so that you can undo if you cut too far.

Cutting nuts can be a bit scary if you have never done it before, but it's actually pretty easy.
That's coming from a person who overall is Not a Handy, Fix-it person.

Retired machinist- given dimensions, i could duplicate the nut.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

Do *all* four of them have a tendency to pop out? or is it just the low E? If the latter, can you try and refit it?
What you need, rather than a permanently-installed bar string guide (for which there'd be little room, objectively), is...an extra thumb gently but firmly pressing the string down closer to the headstock, right in front of the tuning post; or, better yet, a guitar capo placed beyond the nut after you've inserted the low E in the post slot: either way, the idea is that during the windage the string windings around the post are piled over the section of string coming from the nut. At the end, the downpressure against the nut should (hopefully) be enough for the string to stay put.

The B and A were problematic. The instrument came with a new set of strings; the G is about an inch short of the tuner, and is clearly a different gauge from the old G string, and when i TRY to tune it, the resulting tension is waaaaaay too low. The string just flops around. Honestly? I dont know how folks play the rubber strings. You cant even tune them. Its a joke. The thought that Kala’s own people directed me to a string bar that CLEARLY could NEVER work kinda grinds my gears. I think they all commute in one volkswagon, all 11 of them. This is a clown show.

 

[mrperkolator]

If you have a bass that you are switching from synthetic to metal or vice versa, it might need another nut cut.

Buzzing - experiment with a shim under the nut.

Too high - buy a couple of files, watch a couple of YouTube videos, and go for it. In advance of starting, seek an identical replacement so that you can undo if you cut too far.

Cutting nuts can be a bit scary if you have never done it before, but it's actually pretty easy.
That's coming from a person who overall is Not a Handy, Fix-it person.

I’ve created my own —since you can’t buy one — notched strait edge and gave it a full fret job. I’ve shimmed the bridge saddles and that helped some, but I haven’t tried shimming nut. I was about to go back to pahoehoe to fix. I’ve done a nut before once and it turned out good (I think…no fret buzz on fretless).

thunderbrowns sound good, but the trouble with my setup… and they loose a bit of that pahoehoe thumpy thing. I guess I’m weird for not wanting ubass to sound like my electric bass.

 

[KohanMike]

The ball end of the string needs a stable terminal point.

I still don't understand the concern. I've had multiple solid body string-through bass ukes, none had issues with the 'terminal point' of the holes, they are very stable. It seems to me you're overthinking the entire thing.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

I still don't understand the concern. I've had multiple solid body string-through bass ukes, none had issues with the 'terminal point' of the holes, they are very stable. It seems to me you're overthinking the entire thing.

Thank you- yes, i am quite capable of that very thing.

 

[bherman]

I have a set of flat wounds that came installed on a U-Bass but its evident to me that the tension is too high for this particular bass - there's too much pressure on the top and its resulting in a bit of caving in. So I'm going to switch to a set of standard Pahoehoe strings. Let me know if anyone wants to trade for a set of Black Pahoehoe sets, new or in like-new condition.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

I have a set of flat wounds that came installed on a U-Bass but its evident to me that the tension is too high for this particular bass - there's too much pressure on the top and its resulting in a bit of caving in. So I'm going to switch to a set of standard Pahoehoe strings. Let me know if anyone wants to trade for a set of Black Pahoehoe sets, new or in like-new condition.

This is my fear with conventional strings on these instruments.

 

[bherman]

This is my fear with conventional strings on these instruments.

I imagine the solid bodies can handle them just fine, but the acoustic ones are really not built for them

 

[KohanMike]

This is my fear with conventional strings on these instruments.

I used conventional bass flatwounds on my solid body with no problems. But the Kala/Galli flatwound nylon are made specifically for bass ukes. They have only slightly more tension than the poly strings. I find the flatwounds to sound a lot like the poly strings, and never get sticky, especially in humid weather. The only difficulty is finding a fifth one. I would contact Galli, I'll bet they have them.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

I used conventional bass flatwounds on my solid body with no problems. But the Kala/Galli flatwound nylon are made specifically for bass ukes. They have only slightly more tension than the poly strings. I find the flatwounds to sound a lot like the poly strings, and never get sticky, especially in humid weather. The only difficulty is finding a fifth one. I would contact Galli, I'll bet they have them.

Thank you! I’ll give it a try. I’ve emailed them. These are custom orders.

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

Galli Strings answered my email, but i cant order the strings with any confidence. Their site offers 20” sets, but 23” sets are a special order, with no particular way to communicate that i want the 23” strings. Its not like i can call them- they are in Italy, and clearly the email thing isnt working. They answered my email but offered no concrete way to order these strings. They are $78 a set, God knows what they want for shipping, and im simply not going to order strings online and specify that i do not want THIS set of strings, but rather the 23” set. In short- theres no way to order these strings online with them; there is no “box” to check. I never thought it possible that a goddam set of strings would stand between an instrument being even remotely playable, or being firewood. Kala is a joke. They should be able to provide support. Instead, they had me piss away $18 on a string bar that ANYONE with even remote knowledge of these things KNOWS would NEVER work, and I’ve spent another $36 on rubber strings through Sweetwater that are probably the same strings i have that wont work because the G string doesn’t even reach the tuning peg. Im pissed. Thats an understatement.