To make the longer story at least somewhat shorter, my wife has moved back home to Honolulu to take care of her ailing mother. I came out to the island for a month to take care of my wife while she recovers from some surgery. (She's doing fine, thank you!) I knew I'd have plenty of time on my hands so I brought a bass to play while I'm here, which I've played daily, but (gasp!) I've been playing my ukulele even more, and really having fun with that.
Well, having had my curiosity piqued by reading the various threads here about the Kala U bass, and with Jenni getting around a lot better, we thought it would be fun to check one out, so after a couple of minutes on the internet and the phone, we were off to the Easy Music Center on King Street where they had one fretted and one fretless in stock.
Truth is I've never really enjoyed test driving instruments at the music store, but I had a blast playing that little uke bass! It played great, and sounded fantastic, with a real woody, organic tone that evoked an upright more than anything else. It took a little getting used to the sticky strings and the short scale, but it was an absolute gas to play, I had a huge smile on my face the whole time and within 10 to 15 minutes almost every one of the music store staff and more than a few of the customers, each and every one with the same big smile, had passed by to look at it and comment on how great it sounded and how cool it looked, with all that fat bassiness flowing out of what is after all and for all intents purposes and appearances AN UKULELE!!!!
So Jenni says "you should get it." Oh, I don't really need a new instrument, let's think it over, come back again some other time, we've got a lot of extra expenses right now, blah blah blah, she's hearing none of it, won't take no for an answer, pulls out the card and says "sold."
My wife is the nicest, prettiest, kindest, most generous example of womankind in the known universe. I am in awe of her awesomeness. I live with a saint. Saint Jenni of Pearl City, I salute you!
Here's the new bass with its joyous new owner
here it is along side my concert sized ukulele
and here with the beautiful and talented St. Jenni the Magnamimous! (View is from Aiea Heights, Ford Island and Pearl Harbor in the background.)
Well, having had my curiosity piqued by reading the various threads here about the Kala U bass, and with Jenni getting around a lot better, we thought it would be fun to check one out, so after a couple of minutes on the internet and the phone, we were off to the Easy Music Center on King Street where they had one fretted and one fretless in stock.
Truth is I've never really enjoyed test driving instruments at the music store, but I had a blast playing that little uke bass! It played great, and sounded fantastic, with a real woody, organic tone that evoked an upright more than anything else. It took a little getting used to the sticky strings and the short scale, but it was an absolute gas to play, I had a huge smile on my face the whole time and within 10 to 15 minutes almost every one of the music store staff and more than a few of the customers, each and every one with the same big smile, had passed by to look at it and comment on how great it sounded and how cool it looked, with all that fat bassiness flowing out of what is after all and for all intents purposes and appearances AN UKULELE!!!!
So Jenni says "you should get it." Oh, I don't really need a new instrument, let's think it over, come back again some other time, we've got a lot of extra expenses right now, blah blah blah, she's hearing none of it, won't take no for an answer, pulls out the card and says "sold."
My wife is the nicest, prettiest, kindest, most generous example of womankind in the known universe. I am in awe of her awesomeness. I live with a saint. Saint Jenni of Pearl City, I salute you!
Here's the new bass with its joyous new owner
here it is along side my concert sized ukulele
and here with the beautiful and talented St. Jenni the Magnamimous! (View is from Aiea Heights, Ford Island and Pearl Harbor in the background.)
