They want me to play a Ubass!

[oysterphish]

I've started rehearsing with a band about two weeks ago. It's all covers for now. The drummer is killer and the vocalist does great, with a ukulele as rhythm. There's a keyboard player I have yet to meet, but am told he's amazing.
I really enjoy the set list. Great songs. We sound pretty good all things considered.
Thing is.... they want me a play a Ubass. That's part of the shtick.
I really dislike Ubasses. Hate the way they feel. I feel competent playing ANY bass, but not this. I don't mind a double. I really love me a good Jazz bass, and am loving a new MIA Fender PJ I just picked up. So moving from those to a uke just feels galling.
What you lot do? See where things lead with a Ubass in towe, or look elsewhere? Problem with that is, talent is tough to find in this small town. So, just grin and bear it?

 

[ModuMan]

U do U, man.

Seriously though, if you want the gig, be part of the team. Not your thing? It's fine! I'm of the opinion that it's best to play with anyone you can, ya never know what comes up down the road even if things don't work out in this project. People will remember you as someone they want to work with... or not.

 

[oysterphish]

U do U, man.

Seriously though, if you want the gig, be part of the team. Not your thing? It's fine! I'm of the opinion that it's best to play with anyone you can, ya never know what comes up down the road even if things don't work out in this project. People will remember you as someone they want to work with... or not.

Thanks. I'm leaning the same way. I just can't get over how much I've spent on basses and then abandon them for a Ubass. Hurts my heart.

 

[ModuMan]

Thanks. I'm leaning the same way. I just can't get over how much I've spent on basses and then abandon them for a Ubass. Hurts my heart.

Ha, understandable. But, the gigs should have it pay for itself right? Then put the following cash towards the bass of your choosing!

 

[Wasnex]

It's not really that big of a deal. If you like the people and like the music, play Ubass. If you find it offensive or degrading, maybe the group is not the right fit.

It's a relatively inexpensive instrument. I do understand it will feel a bit weird, but they actually can sound surprisingly good.

You could say no. Maybe they will be desperate enough to relent, or maybe they will decide to keep looking for a Ubassist.

 

[Iridescentone]

U do U, man.

Seriously though, if you want the gig, be part of the team. Not your thing? It's fine! I'm of the opinion that it's best to play with anyone you can, ya never know what comes up down the road even if things don't work out in this project. People will remember you as someone they want to work with... or not.

Agree. Take the job, see if it parlays into something more. Be the guy that "gets the calls".

 

[Wasnex]

Thanks. I'm leaning the same way. I just can't get over how much I've spent on basses and then abandon them for a Ubass. Hurts my heart.

Why do you have to abandon your other basses?

So many people seem to think you can only play in one group. This is not necessarily the case. Many pro musicians play in lots of groups. This is often a necessity to make enough money to get buy.

 

[KohanMike]

@DannyBGood, I only play bass ukes since 2014, but I gave up on the polyurethane strings because of how they feel and difficulty keeping them strung up, I now only using flatwound nylon core and also replacing the limited adjusting bridge/piezo pickup with a fully adjustable piezo bridge. I think you might find it much better than stock. I buy 21" scale violin/Hofner style and have them modified by Eric's Guitar and painted by Pat Wilkins. These are my current. If you want some detailed feedback, you might be surprised at how good a bass uke can sound.

 

[jdjk7]

I've started rehearsing with a band about two weeks ago. It's all covers for now. The drummer is killer and the vocalist does great, with a ukulele as rhythm. There's a keyboard player I have yet to meet, but am told he's amazing.
I really enjoy the set list. Great songs. We sound pretty good all things considered.
Thing is.... they want me a play a Ubass. That's part of the shtick.
I really dislike Ubasses. Hate the way they feel. I feel competent playing ANY bass, but not this. I don't mind a double. I really love me a good Jazz bass, and am loving a new MIA Fender PJ I just picked up. So moving from those to a uke just feels galling.
What you lot do? See where things lead with a Ubass in towe, or look elsewhere? Problem with that is, talent is tough to find in this small town. So, just grin and bear it?

Is this an instrument you would have to go and purchase? If so, do you think you could talk them into letting you use a GoldTone type of Microbass? It sorta looks the part of the Kala-type Ubass while also giving you 3-5 extra inches of scale length. The only thing different about the Mbass aesthetic is it has an acoustic guitar-style cutaway.

 

[Polfuste]

Question is: Are you pro/semi-pro and need this gig for income ?
If yes, you have to play what they want.
If not, second question is: are you ready to play anything just to have a gig because you place is musician empty ?
If yes, you have to play what they want. If not, you can politely decline telling them Uke is not your thing at all but they can still call you later if they think a classic bass could fill the need.
On my side, as a 30 years-playing hobbyist, at this step of my musical trip, i would decline the same way i would decline if some band would ask me to play a P bass instead of my Markbass because the look doesn't fit the band music style for them. I much prefer a band who is a nice mix of colors, influences and differences than everybody wearing the same clothes and "fit" the style..

 

[themickster]

I've started rehearsing with a band about two weeks ago. It's all covers for now. The drummer is killer and the vocalist does great, with a ukulele as rhythm. There's a keyboard player I have yet to meet, but am told he's amazing.
I really enjoy the set list. Great songs. We sound pretty good all things considered.
Thing is.... they want me a play a Ubass. That's part of the shtick.
I really dislike Ubasses. Hate the way they feel. I feel competent playing ANY bass, but not this. I don't mind a double. I really love me a good Jazz bass, and am loving a new MIA Fender PJ I just picked up. So moving from those to a uke just feels galling.
What you lot do? See where things lead with a Ubass in towe, or look elsewhere? Problem with that is, talent is tough to find in this small town. So, just grin and bear it?

Be yourself and do what works for you

 

[Slevage]

I've been playing with a Uke guy for about 15 years. Sometimes as a trio/quartet, sometimes with 30 or 40 uke players in tow (a uke club)- talk about schtick!
I often play EUB or DB, but they are fine with whatever I bring to the gig.
I owned a used U-bass for 3 hrs-hated it.
Good luck with your situation. Maybe some other unique bass would satisfy them and you. A small EUB or unique acoustic BG? I knew a guy with a nice carbon fiber instrument (wasn't cheap).

 

[HaphAsSard]

I really dislike Ubasses. Hate the way they feel. I feel competent playing ANY bass, but not this.

Is there a specific aspect you dislike the feel of?

If it's the polyurethane strings, those can be replaced with more conventionally-feeling ones. Nyloncore flatwounds, as said by @KohanMike above; nyloncore roundwounds (some Kala models now come stock with these, and of course they can be retrofitted onto any uke bass); there's even a set of steel-core nickel roundwounds out there, the UBS162 made by Dogal. It's very expensive, but it has to: the stranded-braided-rope-core construction is not cheap to produce.

If the source of discomfort is definitely the scale and/or the general size, the Gold Tone MBass25, mentioned by @jdjk7 above, is as big as a guitar. The longer scale (basically what you get when you play a 5-string bass from the 5th fret up) opens up options for strings, as well, including entirely conventional, metal-on-metal strings. OTOH, they don't look like ukuleles (more of a mini-dreadnought shape), nor do other basslets of similar scale and size (many have a parlour shape).
The Ortega KT-Walker V2 is an exception, with a fairly compact, ukelelesque body, and 24.8" scale:
Home - Ortega Guitars
The Cordoba Mini Bass MH-E is 22.83" scale (similar to a long-scale bass capoed at the 7th), which puts it halfway between uke-bass and guitar-scale bass territory:
Mini II Bass MH-E - Cordoba Guitars
There may be others. Stop by the guitar scale acoustic basses thread, and devote an afternoon to browse it until something visually suitable comes up.

Can you enquire into what the band wants exactly? does it have to be a 20-odd inch scale uke bass? specifically a Kala?

 

[Old Blastard]

If I liked the song list and the people and everything but the Uke bass, I might just go with it for the hell of it and see if the rest of the experience is worth the mini bass. I have two dozen basses but a uke ain't one.

yet.

 

[MotorCityMinion]

I dis-like the appearance and feel. The shtick, nah leave that to Tiny Tim.

 

[micguy]

My suggestion:

You haven't met the keyboardist yet. Not sure why, but...I'd definitely wait until AFTER I met that person - if they're not someone you want to deal with, and you've bought a bass you're not likely to use elsewhere.....

 

[buldog5151bass]

My only tnought: gigs are getting tougher to find. Why notgive it a try, with the reasonable explanation that you wanted to play with them and make sure everybody wants you before dropping the $$$. If you like it, it's worth doing.

 

[pcake]

it will probably take some adjustment to get used to a 13" shorter scale, but the metal wound strings should help with the feel.

i'd go for it myself if i liked playing with the band and the gigs were good.

question - does it have to be an actual kala ubass or can you get a hadean? and does it have to be hollow body or can it be a solid body?

Rondo Music Bass Guitars

 

[MarkM13]

I would just say, "Nah, I'm good with my regular bass; you're covering the uke thing just fine". If they push it firmly but politely respond, "I will not be playing a uke, if that's a must I"m not your guy". This lets them know to drop it or find someone else.

 

[chris_b]

. . . . The drummer is killer and the vocalist does great, with a ukulele as rhythm. There's a keyboard player I have yet to meet, but am told he's amazing. I really enjoy the set list. Great songs. We sound pretty good all things considered. Thing is.... they want me a play a Ubass. That's part of the shtick.. . . .

If the band is as good as you say, my reply to them would be, "Ubass? How many?"