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Uke Bass

Jscriv

Jscriv

Feb 3, 2017
1,472
2,338
Tonawanda NY
#1
In the boredum of sitting around the house this last week or so, I've been looking at A LOT of gear online in-between practicing. At the same time being corona'd out of work I don't want to spend a bunch of money on something I really want. Any have any experience on this ukulele bass business? Pros/cons? Love it hate it?
 
#2
I bought a Ubass when they first came out. It was fun to noodle with, I used it on a gig or 2, then it just sat around. I went to put steel strings on it, and somehow during that process destroyed it. The action was way out of whack, I went to raise the bridge a bit, the piezo connection busted... and well, I now have a $400 piece of firewood a few feet from where I'm typing this out. And it won't even burn for long, lol.

Others have great experiences with them, and use them regularly :).

My suggestion - do it. But do it with one of these Rondo Music Banjos and Ukuleles . I honestly think they're just as good as the Kalas. The intonation isn't perfect on any of them that I ever played (Kaylas), and for most of us... they're a novelty. Fun for sure, but that fun disappeared quickly for me.
 
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#3
I've read a fair bit about them, and the consensus is...well, there doesn't seem to be one! I've tried a few Kalas and Gold Tones, and they do sound very cool (plugged in). I'm a bit put off by the quirks of synthetic strings, but certainly not everyone is, and now there are U-Bass-specific round and flat wound steel string offerings, too.

My take: If I were to buy a small bass of some sort, I'd go for one of the guitar-scale acoustic basses. I kind of like those special (spongy) D'Addario strings they use, and they have usable (with reasonable limits) acoustic volume. U-Basses, on the other hand, are really meant to be plugged in; and when you do, there's nothing else that sounds quite like them. So it really comes down to what you want the instrument to do/sound like/feel like.
 
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#4
fermata said:
I've read a fair bit about them, and the consensus is...well, there doesn't seem to be one! I've tried a few Kalas and Gold Tones, and they do sound very cool (plugged in). I'm a bit put off by the quirks of synthetic strings, but certainly not everyone is, and now there are U-Bass-specific round and flat wound steel string offerings, too.

My take: If I were to buy a small bass of some sort, I'd go for one of the guitar-scale acoustic basses. I kind of like those special (spongy) D'Addario strings they use, and they have usable (with reasonable limits) acoustic volume. U-Basses, on the other hand, are really meant to be plugged in; and when you do, there's nothing else that sounds quite like them. So it really comes down to what you want the instrument to do/sound like/feel like.
Click to expand...
I don't know what I want it to do. It might be novelty. Might be some bored GAS. What are these fuiatr scale acoustic basses you speak of? That also sounds fun
 
#5
Jscriv said:
I don't know what I want it to do. It might be novelty. Might be some bored GAS. What are these fuiatr scale acoustic basses you speak of? That also sounds fun
Click to expand...

It is possible that you might find one very inexpensively in the classifieds here...;)

I played a Hadean solidbody, in which I put lr baggs electronics, then a kala California 5 string, later modified with a fende bridge and kala steel strings, as my main Basses for about 2 years when my psoriatic arthritis was wreaking havoc on my ability to play. I made my own acoustic uke bass from a kids’ acoustic guitar before any of that. They are all fun and sound cool. I got the acoustic uke that’s in the classifieds on a whim a few years ago, and it does sound cool, but I don’t really use it anymore.
Now that my arthritis is doing better due to many changes I had to make, I’m able to gig with 30” scale Basses again.

I would like to make a longer scale uke bass one of these days from an acoustic guitar or something- the pahoehoe strings can stretch pretty far. As you’re breaking them in, you wind up trimming a few inches off as they stretch. I bet they could even go to 30” scale. Don’t try it with thunder guts though, they don’t stretch the same way and will “sausage” if you stretch them that far.
 
#6
I used to be a big cheerleader. I had lots of fun with them, and I played them exclusively for a period. But it wore off. The very tiny size. The unstable strings. The intonation challenges.

I found the sweet spot on small basses - with the current crop of guitar scale acoustic basses. Tons of fun to play, super stable, great intonation, while holding a Guitar in my hands, not a uke.

Everyone's mileage will vary.

I agree with Joe Nerve on the recommendation. Take the Rondo path, and explore it at low cost while still having a quality instrument.
 
#8
You might want to take a look at the ones that use flatwounds instead of rubber strings.
I find uke basses somewhat amusing, but many people seem to like them just fine.
Having two excellent acoustic basses, I simply have no use for them.
They sound okay, though. Don't get me wrong. I'm not even a fan of short-scale basses, so...
 
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#10
Jscriv said:
What are these fuiatr scale acoustic basses you speak of? That also sounds fun
Click to expand...
Here's the dedicated thread.
Guitar Scale Acoustic Basses

When compared to the guitar-scale basslets discussed in the above-linked thread, the shorter scale of uke basses may feel limiting to some, but they still have the widest choice of string types going for them:
U•BASS® Strings – Kala Brand Music Co.
This other megathread on Kala's original acoustic ukulele bass has a lot of info and reports about alternative stringing solutions:
Kala UBass Megathread, Part 7
 
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#11
I had a fretless Kala one for a while. At first, they were a nice novelty, but it wore off. They got a decent upright sound (bit better than a fretless electric, but not really as good as the real thing). At loud volumes, I had some feedback problems. I thought the intonation wasn't horrible, and I was able to play with a band OK with it. visually, it doesn't match with the huge sound you can get out of them (lots of lows, like an upright through an amp). It turned a lot of heads when I played it.

But it sat in the case for too long, so I sold it a few years ago during a purge.
 
#12
ArteK said:
I had a fretless Kala one for a while. At first, they were a nice novelty, but it wore off. They got a decent upright sound (bit better than a fretless electric, but not really as good as the real thing). At loud volumes, I had some feedback problems. I thought the intonation wasn't horrible, and I was able to play with a band OK with it. visually, it doesn't match with the huge sound you can get out of them (lots of lows, like an upright through an amp). It turned a lot of heads when I played it.

But it sat in the case for too long, so I sold it a few years ago during a purge.
Click to expand...

Oh, and I thought the Kalas were expensive ($450?) for what they could do.
 
#14
I have owned two Kala U Basses. The first one was one of the early models and, while it played well and sounded great, it had some issues/kinks that needed to be worked out. So, about a year ago I bought a new one and Kala seems to have addressed the issues that I had and this one works perfectly for me. I have a regular gig in a small room with a maximum of 30 people that I play with a couple of acoustics, the U Bass is perfect for this setting. I can grab my bass in one hand, my Eden 1x12 amp in the other and go. The rubber strings take some getting used to and you have to check the tuning often (it has an on-board tuner) but I really like it and can get very close to an upright sound out of it.
Long story short, I would buy another if I needed to - shoot, I did buy another...
 

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#16
Ken Morgan said:
Bought a flat wound Kala for the wife to learn to play (she’s a petite woman with incredibly small hands)... it was scheduled to accompany my Starfire 2 bass to a gig when...

the earth cancelled everything.
Click to expand...

When the earth lets up, Rondo now has metal string uke basses that are very inexpensive. I have been tempted to take one out for a spin, but, I can't possibly justify it when I am about 1 inch from unemployment.
 
#17
I bought one used about 4 years ago.

Played it for 2 hours, listed it, sold it and only lost about $18 shipping.

The super short scale wasn’t for me.
I have 35” and 34” basses, and often play
DB and EUB (41.5”).
 
#19
My experience with a Goldtone micro has been great. I originally got it because of a weekly gig I was doing. The space we set up in was tiny. Even my regular electric took up too much room. I got the 25 scale which is just a bit bigger than the Kala and made it a bit easier to play. Besides using it for tight stage set ups I use it as an alternative to my upright. It’s been a great addition for me.
 
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#20
Kala makes metal strings that have a nylon core. They give you the feel of metal strings, but the low tension the UBass requires. I really like mine. Its a challenge due to the short scale and small spacing. But its great for travel. I also use mine when I sometimes play with a ukulele group.
 
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