• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Kala UBass Megathread, Part 7

Yep, it’s the pickup. I’ve had the same problem with the pickup on a few of my Rondo Hadean basses, the pickups seem to be the same as Kala or very similar. I had to get new ones from Rondo.
On my two Hadeans I sawed the bridge saddles apart so each one can sit on its piezo crystal separately - now they are all equal. The design of these pickup/bridges really can't work well IMO - it requires too high a precision in the parts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Temcat
Has anyone tried a Journeyman with the roundwounds? I'm down to the Journeyman or the Ibanez PNB14E for my small acoustic bass.

I like that the Ibanez is available in fretless. I'd like to get my hands on one.

Just to confuse your issue - have you looked at the Luna "Uke-Bass"? It's tuned EADG, but an octave higher. As a result, the (flatwound) strings aren't nearly as floppy. It has fairly good acoustic volume for practicing, but when it's plugged in it sounds like a real bass. This Youtube demo shows the difference well. Invalid Link Removed

ukebasscbk.jpg
 
On my two Hadeans I sawed the bridge saddles apart so each one can sit on its piezo crystal separately - now they are all equal. The design of these pickup/bridges really can't work well IMO - it requires too high a precision in the parts.

Probably. I have the same saw, will try it and let you know.

IT WORKED!! I just did it on my modified Hadean and hot dog, the string volume is now balanced. Thanks so very much.

Hofnelele decal bass 750.jpg
 
IT WORKED!! I just did it on my modified Hadean and hot dog, the string volume is now balanced. Thanks so very much.

View attachment 3097801
Very cool, good to know about this - thanks to both of y’all for posting!
So, you cut the saddle in the middle, between the A and D strings? Does that Uke have a separate pickup, or is the pickup glued to the saddle? Wonder if this would work on my Kala Rumbler which has pickup and saddle in one piece... also wonder if there would be further benefit in making three cuts so that each string has its own saddle...
 
The four part plastic saddle sits in a metal holder, which together sits in the wood bridge. On the Hadean there are black clips on each side of the saddle, sliding those out releases the plastic saddle from the metal part that has the pickup element in it. I cut the plastic in four parts so that each string uses its own pressure. After tuning, I did have to finagle one of the pieces to sit firmly in the metal holder.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cavemanbass
Did anybody try Galli UBX 810 Blacknylon or Dogal UBS162 metal strings? Any review or audio sample, or comparison with, for example, Pyramid? I could not find much online.
Nice! Had no idea these existed before now!
Therefore my answer can't but be: I'm afraid it's a no to all questions, but sincere thanks for the post.

1) The Link Removed, inasmuch as my interaction with machine translation is working, are said to be with "tensions comparable with those of a classic set of bass strings".
Invalid Link Removed
They're also nickel-wound, but it doesn't say on what. My working hypothesis is these are Ubass-scale steel-core rounds, and would work on either a fretless instrument played with a liberal attitude towards what fretlines mean, or a fretted one whose bridge saddle is not too difficultly repositioned: in any other case intonation would be bad.
I may be completely wrong about the above - the core might not be steel but instead something synthetic with high density (bringing the string tension to standard bass territory) but also high flexibility (making the string intonate fine on a fretted, stock U-bass) - so I also wait for updates.

2) The Link Removed is super-duper-interesting! I'll copypaste the blurbs from the product and the product line pages, in their respective entirety:
UXB 810 BLACKNYLON SPECIAL STRINGS: Ukulele Bass strings – Black nylon tape wound on synthetic core, the correct tension, the comfortable softness assure fast and stable intonation with powerful performances.
Unique strings with a strong consistent sound. This synthetic core string wound with black nylon is a new revolutionary project never introduced before. It changes the way of playing the Ukulele bass, making its sound brighter and more powerful. A truly innovative string with sonority very similar to the timbre of the double bass. The Ukulele Bass UXB810® strings are designed and manufactured at our headquarters in Italy.
I've actually been waiting for shortie strings with a synthetic core and surface. I even posted something to that effect in the past.
What I wish existed is nyloncore bronzes with a clear nylon wrap. Yeah, I'm weird that way.
I'm very curious and really want to try them sometime. Not sure how soon it's gonna be.
 
Last edited:
This is what I found about Galli UXB 810.

Does anyone know what is the white thing on the saddle? I thought about a protection for different tension, but in other photos or videos there is nothing on the bridge.
I asked them on their Facebook page but they're closed for summer. I also wonder about the acoustic volume (will they sound more than Thunder Reds?).
 
Last edited: