NBD Ubass with TORT!

Just got back from a trip to Kauai where my wife helped me pay for this wonderful little Islander Pako FM (by Kanelea) Bass Ukulele. I've never been a fan of tort pickguards on basses, but for the binding on this instrument, it really looks great!. And, it's fun to play as well. This is a well made instrument with lots of attention to detail and at the same price point as the most common major brand (and I got a nice deal). Flamed mahogany with nicely bookmatched parts.

 

That's the most tort I've ever seen in one place!

 

You bring up a good point, and I actually was hoping that the store would have some less expensive alternatives for comparison. However, as a gift, my wife wanted to contribute to the cost and I had some cash from selling another piece of gear, so I wasn't hurt too badly financially. The final assembly and finish of this bass is done in Hawaii instead of China, so I'm sure that makes a difference in the price. The out the door price including a padded gig bag was $400. Others have high recommendations for the Hadean and now Kala has several lower priced options too. I would have been happy with one of those, but my sweet wife encouraged me to go for this really nice one. And, I have to say that I have no buyer's remorse.

 

Yes, they are sticky, especially the A and E strings. Forget about using a pick! There are other string options available now including regular round wounds. Kala uses a black string material on theirs which is supposedly less sticky. I checked with the manufacturer to make sure this neck would handle round wounds if I ever wanted to go that route and they assured me that it would be no problem. Then it would sound much like an acoustic bass with round wound strings.

 

Ha! May have to test it with a dirt pedal.

 

I got it from Scotty's Music in Lihue. I actually bought a tenor ukulele from them 8 years ago. They were the only shop on the island that I could find with bass ukes. They had a couple of Kalas as well. But, they didn't have any of the less expensive ones that are on the market now. They are great people and don't pressure you to buy. I had to go away and think about it overnight before I made my decision.

 

There's lots of information on the Kala Ubass Megathread. Seems that the talcum powder really is a thing. Kala UBass Megathread, Part 7