In the video, there is quite a lot of 60 cycle hum. Not sure that the bass is to blame here, but this was one of my problems with the mahogany acoustic that I used to own.
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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 7
- Thread starter olitoon
- Start date
Hey Gorn,
Bluebird and I talked about this about a year ago. I converted a 26 scale classical guitar to a 5 string bass using road toad poehoehoes. There was a good 6 inches of poehoe string at the end of the headstock from each string and this was roadtoad's standard 5 string set. Recently I replaced the classical guitar tuners using the same cable-tie system that bluebird mentioned. I fitted a cheap e-bay set of bass tuners to the headstock and drilled holes in the tuners to fit the thicker roadtoad strings. I think I still have a picture somewhere. Works fine, I'm now honing in on the pickup system. I'm heading towards an undersaddle system.
Have a look
Nicely done. But I want them on a 34" scale. I've been in touch with Owen from road toad about a set that would be long enough but I never heard back.
Hi guys, first post on this topic. My brother bought me a mahogany ubass for my birthday this year (what a guy!) and while I've tinkered with it unplugged, I hadn't plugged it in until recently, where I discovered that the E is totally dead compared to the other 3 strings. Mine seems to be the newest version of exotic mahogany ubass with the pickup bonded to the saddle.
Can anyone suggest a remedy? Apologies if this has been discussed before!
Can anyone suggest a remedy? Apologies if this has been discussed before!
You may try restringing the E string. Try loosening the truss rod about 1/4 turn also if your bass has one. Could be a shim under the bridge. You may want to simply lift the pickup out of the bridge and reseat it.
I don't think there is a shim. I've had the saddle out and back in, changed from the standard strings to pyramid roundwounds (which are coming off again!), so just the trussrod suggestion to try - although I can't see how that'd help, but I'll try it. My initial thoughts were either badly cut saddle slot or faulty pickup. I may try shiming the pickup myself...
It might be a busted pickup. It's not uncommon. Kala would probably send you a new one if you called them. Though I don't know if they'd ship it to Ireland for free (if that's where you are).
Was the Estring still dead even when you use the pyramid strings? If that's the case then it probably would be the pick up.
I picked this up here on TB!
I'm still in the honeymoon phase but it's been a lot of fun! I can't wait to try it out with some bands.
I was a little worried about the intonation since its fretted but the intonation is great on this one.
The B string is excellent which is more than I expected.
My only nit pick was that I missed having a pickup to rest my thumb on so I made my own and stuck it on there.
Feels great now.
Link Removed
I'm still in the honeymoon phase but it's been a lot of fun! I can't wait to try it out with some bands.
I was a little worried about the intonation since its fretted but the intonation is great on this one.
The B string is excellent which is more than I expected.
My only nit pick was that I missed having a pickup to rest my thumb on so I made my own and stuck it on there.
Feels great now.
Link Removed
Thanks guys. I'm really quite infatuated with this bass. The sound!!!! The fun factor!!!! Even the build quality seems to be very good on this one. I just can't seem to put it down. I'll go into my home studio with one thing in mind, and end up just jamming on this thing instead. 
So far I'm really happy. I really like the added low end control with my FDeck HPF 3. IMO, for the gigs I'll be doing with this, the HPF will be key to helping this bass be a real usable instrument. The low end on these things seems limitless!!!! Which, sounds just awesome at low volumes but I'd imagine will take a large house P.A. systems subs for a ride without an HPF.
Anybody had any experience with these in a large house P.A.? How did it play with the subs?
So far I'm really happy. I really like the added low end control with my FDeck HPF 3. IMO, for the gigs I'll be doing with this, the HPF will be key to helping this bass be a real usable instrument. The low end on these things seems limitless!!!! Which, sounds just awesome at low volumes but I'd imagine will take a large house P.A. systems subs for a ride without an HPF.
Anybody had any experience with these in a large house P.A.? How did it play with the subs?
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
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Yup. Many times. Places like Arrowhead Stadium, Texas Stadium and Madison Square Garden. It's a pretty amazing experience to move that much air with a 6-figure pa!
Keep in mind that when you play medium to large venues, you're dealing with high-level professional audio crews. They use their own highpass filtering (if necessary). They want to get a full range source at front-of-house. I did a couple months with an acoustic opening act on Taylor Swift tour. They did not high pass my U-Bass. I used a Fishman belt pack preamp plugged into a passive Radial di. Kept it simple!
Cool! Thanks. I had a laugh at your comment about sound men in medium to large venues being "Professional" and "high level". In a perfect world that would be true. It's not my world though...
Even with that in mind, I'd think an HPF would save your own stage amp from excessive cone excursion and allow you to get a better stage sound if using one of these Ubasses. I've you amplify that U bass to the levels of a drummer I'd think the low end would be problematic.
It's good to hear of someone with big stage experience not necessarily needing a HPF!
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scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
- 6,944
- 2,081
- 51
- Disclosures
- Please see Profile for Endorsement disclosures
I haven't had problems with sub frequencies and my amplification on stage. Pretty much every bass amp ever built already has a HPF built-in, afterall. ;-)
I've done a ton of those State Theatres up in Canada, too. I played a lot of U-Bass on a few Paul Brandt tours.
I own an F-deck (series 3) and have tried it with U-Bass. It does the job great. I just don't actually ever need it though. Big stages & small, I kinda want as much bottom with my U-Bass as possible. I think it's what sets it apart (other than the look). I do use the F-deck with my upright more often. Maybe 50% of the time.
I've done a ton of those State Theatres up in Canada, too. I played a lot of U-Bass on a few Paul Brandt tours.
I own an F-deck (series 3) and have tried it with U-Bass. It does the job great. I just don't actually ever need it though. Big stages & small, I kinda want as much bottom with my U-Bass as possible. I think it's what sets it apart (other than the look). I do use the F-deck with my upright more often. Maybe 50% of the time.
http://www.thomann.de/es/aquila_corde_91u_thunder_reds_gdae_tuning.htm
http://www.aquilacorde.com/modern-instrument-sets/modern-instrument-products/2811/thunder-reds/
Thomann decided to list these in the uke strings category, who knows why...
I bought mines from [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Anyway, they are finally out. I have them, and love them.
********Disclaimer: I don´t consider myself a real bass player at all (But I´m a sax player and teacher, musician for the last 20 years)********
That said, I´ll post MY opinions here:
They are louder than original paehoes. Unplugged (sofa + tv time) you can actually ear the E string.
They are stiffer, and I like this very much. The ubass feels more serious for me, more predictable. Feels easier to pla y in tune (I play a fretless acoustic mahogany ubass).
The tone is different from paehoes too. They can sound double bassy if played near the fretboard, but then you loose the stiff factor. Played near the bridge the tone is nice unplugged. Played throught an Aer 60 (acoustic instrument amp, not a bass amp at all) they have a rich tone of their own. Less armonics and squeaks than thunderguts. No need for a pre with this setting at all.
They are a little sticky. But not as much as thunderguts at all. I only noticed it when trying to play a couple of consecutive notes fast. When playing moderate to fast walking bass lines (quarter notes) they don´t feel sticky at all.
I doubt about how will time affect their playability, it is a new blend material.
They feel rough, the fatter the string, the rougher they feel. Not smooth like paehoes at all. A little "sandy"? Slides are harder for the left hand but not as much as with thunderguts. I forgot it after a couple of minutes enjoying their sound.
Luxury package: Think about those ridiculously expensive chocolates that some people buy...
In conclussion I love them. They sound loud, they have a nice tone plugged and unplugged and I like the stiff feel very much. I don´t think I´ll go back to paehoes any soon...
Now I´ll wait for more reviews from real bass players, other than Magnus
http://www.aquilacorde.com/modern-instrument-sets/modern-instrument-products/2811/thunder-reds/
Thomann decided to list these in the uke strings category, who knows why...
I bought mines from [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Anyway, they are finally out. I have them, and love them.
********Disclaimer: I don´t consider myself a real bass player at all (But I´m a sax player and teacher, musician for the last 20 years)********
That said, I´ll post MY opinions here:
They are louder than original paehoes. Unplugged (sofa + tv time) you can actually ear the E string.
They are stiffer, and I like this very much. The ubass feels more serious for me, more predictable. Feels easier to pla y in tune (I play a fretless acoustic mahogany ubass).
The tone is different from paehoes too. They can sound double bassy if played near the fretboard, but then you loose the stiff factor. Played near the bridge the tone is nice unplugged. Played throught an Aer 60 (acoustic instrument amp, not a bass amp at all) they have a rich tone of their own. Less armonics and squeaks than thunderguts. No need for a pre with this setting at all.
They are a little sticky. But not as much as thunderguts at all. I only noticed it when trying to play a couple of consecutive notes fast. When playing moderate to fast walking bass lines (quarter notes) they don´t feel sticky at all.
I doubt about how will time affect their playability, it is a new blend material.
They feel rough, the fatter the string, the rougher they feel. Not smooth like paehoes at all. A little "sandy"? Slides are harder for the left hand but not as much as with thunderguts. I forgot it after a couple of minutes enjoying their sound.
Luxury package: Think about those ridiculously expensive chocolates that some people buy...
In conclussion I love them. They sound loud, they have a nice tone plugged and unplugged and I like the stiff feel very much. I don´t think I´ll go back to paehoes any soon...
Now I´ll wait for more reviews from real bass players, other than Magnus
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