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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 7

#2,421
Help. Kala solid body P Bass stock strings are very different from what Kala sells through La Bella. I've purchased 3 sets of La Bella round wounds to replace . The tone is much better on a new Kala Bass, no weird overtones. Not muddy etc.

The strings from La Bella are muddy and produce very unusable tones. Even the ball ends are different.

Can someone advise me on either what Kala basses come stock with, or another suitable replacement? The La Bella packs are garbage.
 
#2,422
New Solid Body 4 String UBass came in today. It is a prototype with mango top that I picked up from the Kala Reverb store. Plays and sounds decent out of the box. Only issue is intonation on the E string (and bridge is nearly maxed out on adjustment). Will be installing EMG GZR, Omega Bridge, Kala Flats, and Hipshot Ultralights when they come in. Fun little bass that I am enjoying more than the two acoustic electric UBasses I have previously owned.

IMG_4477.jpeg
 
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#2,423
oysterphish said:
Help. Kala solid body P Bass stock strings are very different from what Kala sells through La Bella. I've purchased 3 sets of La Bella round wounds to replace . The tone is much better on a new Kala Bass, no weird overtones. Not muddy etc.

The strings from La Bella are muddy and produce very unusable tones. Even the ball ends are different.

Can someone advise me on either what Kala basses come stock with, or another suitable replacement? The La Bella packs are garbage.
Click to expand...
None of these work? I expect they're what come stock on the solidbody basses.
kalabrand.com

Strings for Solid Body U•BASS® with Magnetic Pickup – Kala Brand Music Co.™

kalabrand.com kalabrand.com
 
#2,424
Mods completed.

IMG_4507.jpeg


IMG_4508.jpeg



EMG GZR Pickup
Hipshot Licensed Ultralights
Omega Bridge
Gotoh Straplocks
Kala Flats by LaBella

Bass plays and sounds much better now. Larger tuning keys make dialing in the tuning easier for me. GZR sounds great as always. Omega bridge let me fix the intonation issues without moving the bridge mounting screws (stock bridge was maxed out on E string causing some binding of the string and notes on the board to be sharp).
 
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#2,429
It’s super cool, so far into a few different preamps it sounds great and sits in its space very nicely. I am wondering how it will go in a live setting but I’m really liking the thunder blacks on here. They came stock. Not sure how old this is or if they are discontinued but I wanted both Fretless and the cutaway. I also bought silver rounds but I think I’m going to leave these strings on for awhile. I just did about 90 song practice routine with it and it sounded fantastic and it’s still in tune. . Kinda has the bit of rubbery sound from that classic Duran Duran and big fat tones of born under a bad sign. I put a filter on it and had killer synthy toan. Was challenging to get fast articulation for Phantom of the Opera but it usually is lol. So um yeah me likey cool ubass.
 
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#2,434
I made a discovery. This ubass has a dual action truss rod. Scratch that. It’s a single. It was just turned all the way out. Acted funny for a minute. But now a good bit less relief and it plays great. Today I will try the hpf pre with it. Cheers uke peeps
 
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#2,435
Did you know the Kala
Sonoma Coast Collection Sonoma Coast Ukulele Case comes in Bodega Blue, Goat Rock Gray, Russian River Red, and Vista Point Purple, each available in soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone sizes.
This is the blue in the baritone / ubass size with matching strap.

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#2,437
IMG_8727.jpeg
Hey all

I'm looking at a solidbody U-Bass, California made.

Its an older one as its got a 9v battery in the cavity

Photos indicate its got a fair degree of neckbow or high action. Maybe I'm naive but I was thinking there would not be much tension with rubber strings. Seller indicates just over 3/16" clearance at the 12th fret. I get it that string tension is low but that sounds huge. Do these have truss rods ? If this has one I guess you have to pull the neck to adjust ?

Bass looks gorgeous but the neck has me concerned.

Jeff
 
#2,440
I made an inquiry to Kala, this bass does not have a truss rod.
It looks like a nice bass but it definitly has a signifiant forward bow that will need to be addressed.
while the rubber strings are low tension, the additional gap will cause intonation issues.

I'm passing on this one. Its on reverb if anyone is looking.
 

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