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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 7

#1,661
i have had battery problems also.
i checked my batteries with a battery
tester they checked out fully charged.
seems the battery clip was a bit wanky
i called kala they sent me a new Shadow pre amp/tuner and battery clip... i replaced the battery clip
and it has been fine since. YMMV.

my big problem is the end pin jack loosens up a lot. been humidifying it seems to help.

yes to Duracell.
 
#1,662
8E61CB91-E337-42F2-9E08-9484213236FA.jpeg
Really enjoying my NUBD! Kala California Fretless with tons of “Mwah.” I started with a nearly identical Hadean fretted solidbody last week, but my 12 year old daughter “claimed” it and has been learning rapidly ever since - making me proud. Sounds like a win/win to me!
 
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#1,663
mrjp said:
i have had battery problems also.
i checked my batteries with a battery
tester they checked out fully charged.
seems the battery clip was a bit wanky
i called kala they sent me a new Shadow pre amp/tuner and battery clip... i replaced the battery clip
and it has been fine since. YMMV.

my big problem is the end pin jack loosens up a lot. been humidifying it seems to help.

yes to Duracell.
Click to expand...

Thanks to everyone who replied concerning batteries, I appreciate it.

mrjp, I am not very technically proficient. Is the battery clip the thing that you put batteries in? And the Shadow pre amp/tuner...I guess this is the plastic thing that we push on and off in order to activate the tuner?

When you say it has been fine since you replaced it, does that mean that batteries have lasted longer?

Thanks again!

John
 
#1,664
jfh2424 said:
Thanks to everyone who replied concerning batteries, I appreciate it.

mrjp, I am not very technically proficient. Is the battery clip the thing that you put batteries in? And the Shadow pre amp/tuner...I guess this is the plastic thing that we push on and off in order to activate the tuner?

When you say it has been fine since you replaced it, does that mean that batteries have lasted longer?

Thanks again!

John
Click to expand...

get a battery checker... when the unit stops working test the batteries and yes to both your questions .

where mine seemed like the batteries died it was the battery clip the thing the batteries go into and and slides into the bass.
 
#1,665
I rarely have to change the batteries in my active bass ukes. I use name brand because when I used no-names, they didn't last as long. But I don't play them every day because I rotate between 28 basses. Playing 1-2 hours everyday and have to change the batteries in 5-6 weeks doesn't seem that unusual.
 
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#1,666
I've had my Kala Nomad about a month and am on third set of batteries. No paperwork came with the U-bass. I've looked at online manuals that say there is one coin size 9 volt, but mine has two. Is there an off/on function somehow? Do the batteries drain while not played? Anybody else have the Nomad model?
 
#1,667
TheCapt said:
I've had my Kala Nomad about a month and am on third set of batteries. No paperwork came with the U-bass. I've looked at online manuals that say there is one coin size 9 volt, but mine has two. Is there an off/on function somehow? Do the batteries drain while not played? Anybody else have the Nomad model?
Click to expand...

When there's no cable in the bass jack, the battery is off. There is no on/off switch that I'm aware of. Have you watched if you're leaving on the tuner? I have a few bass ukes with batteries, so I had my repair/builder add an on/off switch to the ones that have the battery compartment separate from the preamp. My Kala Journeyman has the battery in the preamp, so I just pop out the battery holder.
 
#1,672
TheCapt said:
Thanks. I always leave the cable plugged in, so I'll unplug it from now on to see if that works.
Click to expand...

Absolutely that's why, don't leave the cable plugged into the bass when you're not going to use it. You can test your tuner if it turns off. Turn it on and watch it for a few minutes.
 
#1,673
Hello. Thanks again for all the precious input and comments re: batteries.

I left my tuner on, Journeyman unplugged, and saw that even two minutes later, the red light for the tuner was still on. Therefore, it seems pretty clear that the battery was draining. It did not shut off automatically.

I’m going to be careful about this. I’m pretty sure I never left it on, but I will be extra careful in the future.

I’m starting to think, after listening to all the experiences on this board, that my Journeyman isn’t abnormal. These things, it seems, just eat batteries. I’m going to be sure to have an extra set of batteries ready every month. And buy them in bulk, I guess.

John
 
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#1,674
jfh2424 said:
Hello. Thanks again for all the precious input and comments re: batteries.

I left my tuner on, Journeyman unplugged, and saw that even two minutes later, the red light for the tuner was still on. Therefore, it seems pretty clear that the battery was draining. It did not shut off automatically.

I’m going to be careful about this. I’m pretty sure I never left it on, but I will be extra careful in the future.

I’m starting to think, after listening to all the experiences on this board, that my Journeyman isn’t abnormal. These things, it seems, just eat batteries. I’m going to be sure to have an extra set of batteries ready every month. And buy them in bulk, I guess.

John
Click to expand...
Most active preamps use a switching jack, if there’s a plug in the jack, the preamp is running.
 
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#1,675
So, after a few days of battery change, the Journeyman started misbehaving. The tuner stopped working altogether, among other things. I wrote to Kala a few days ago. They said they would look into it and asked for my proof of purchase as well as my mailing address. Maybe they will send me a new Journeyman (just kidding!).

I really hope this can be sorted out, because I really like my Journeyman.

We will see!

John
 
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#1,676
jfh2424 said:
So, after a few days of battery change, the Journeyman started misbehaving. The tuner stopped working altogether, among other things. I wrote to Kala a few days ago. They said they would look into it and asked for my proof of purchase as well as my mailing address. Maybe they will send me a new Journeyman (just kidding!).

I really hope this can be sorted out, because I really like my Journeyman.

We will see!

John
Click to expand...
Not to assume this is your situation, but I had bought a used Kala U-bass off craigslist awhile back and the owner said the tuner would sometimes work and sometimes not. When I got there and looked at the bass, I found they had one of the batteries in upside down ( +/- to -/+ ). I switched the batteries to the correct polarity connections and it has worked fine ever since. I had a bit of trouble keeping the batteries in the clip while trying to insert it and dropped them a couple of times, so I always double check the polarity. Just a suggestion of something to check. YMMV. I hope it's an easy fix!
 
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#1,679
jfh2424 said:
So I got a reply from Kala yesterday. They said that they will send me a new tuner and battery clip. Wow, that is pretty awesome after sale service! All it took was an email explaining the situation and a proof of purchase.

This is a company that seems to really stand behind their product. At least in this case, this is true.
Click to expand...
That is great CS and I wonder if this is a problem known to Kala with two examples in the previous few threads?
 
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#1,680
I don't know. I do know that they responded right away, diagnosed the problem immediately, were very courteous and offered to replace the parts before I even asked, free of charge. No hassles or anything. All they asked for was a proof of purchase, which I gave them.

So I suspect that this is not the first time they have heard of this. But I can't guarantee it.

Very impressive for an instrument that is, relatively speaking, inexpensive. Now, if big name brands would act this way too, it would be a huge improvement. I have had my issues in dealing with these supposedly "superior" brands. As I am sure most of you have, too.

This CS will go a long way towards me purchasing something else from them in the future.

John
 
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