Tradfusion Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 (edited) Stumbled across this by accident and now I'm intrigued...[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNPx6RS8PiM"]Kala UBass[/url].. fair bit of chat about these over on talkbass so I was wondering if anyone closer to home is using a Ubass? I play some trad Irish sessions that this would work great on, just the size and handiness alone is great but they actually sound decent as well in a funny double bassy kind of way... Edited September 20, 2010 by Tradfusion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 [quote name='Tradfusion' post='962556' date='Sep 20 2010, 07:05 PM']Stumbled across this by accident and now I'm intrigued...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNPx6RS8PiM... fair bit of chat about these over on talkbass so I was wondering if anyone closer to home is using a Ubass? I play some trad Irish sessions that this would work great on, just the size and handiness alone is great but they actually sound decent as well in a funny double bassy kind of way...[/quote] Several threads on these already: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60595&hl=ukulele"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=ukulele[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=91933&hl=ukulele"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=ukulele[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93168"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93168[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradfusion Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 [quote name='EssentialTension' post='962565' date='Sep 20 2010, 07:09 PM']Several threads on these already: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=60595&hl=ukulele"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=ukulele[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=91933&hl=ukulele"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=ukulele[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93168"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93168[/url][/quote] oops sorry I didnt realise this is old news... oh well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 [quote name='Tradfusion' post='962582' date='Sep 20 2010, 07:15 PM']oops sorry I didnt realise this is old news... oh well [/quote] Well, old news and ongoing news too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradfusion Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 [quote name='EssentialTension' post='962587' date='Sep 20 2010, 07:18 PM']Well, old news and ongoing news too. [/quote] I just know I'm going to end up with one of these...serious GAS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 It is indeed old news, but really they are the bomb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 (edited) I've tried a UBass. It felt awful to play and I hated the tiny scale. If you love them, fine, but I think they're just a gimmick. Edited September 20, 2010 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradfusion Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 [quote name='chris_b' post='962874' date='Sep 21 2010, 12:40 AM']I've tried a UBass. It felt awful to play and I hated the tiny scale. If you love them, fine, but I think they're just a gimmick.[/quote] Wow, thats the first really negative post I've seen on these! I wish I could try one out but that wont happen too soon here in the west of Ireland! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobpalt Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 I bought one a couple of weeks back that was faulty (didnt work!) when it arrived, and for the not inconsiderable money, to be honest, felt quite cheap and basic. I know they are fun to play and sound good (I had played a fully functioning model a few days before!), but was not impressed when I had a close look at mine. Got an immediate refund when I sent it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskit_case Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 I purchased one several months back now, but ended up selling it on again via BassChat. I really liked the sound, but couldnt really reconcile the cost. When you think that the UBass is based on a Baritone shape Ukulele the cost seems excessive for rubber strings and different sized tuners. I would have thought now Kala and ashbory have shown the way that other manufacturers would have moved into this area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 [quote name='basskit_case' post='963097' date='Sep 21 2010, 10:49 AM']I really liked the sound, but couldnt really reconcile the cost. When you think that the UBass is based on a Baritone shape Ukulele the cost seems excessive for rubber strings and different sized tuners.[/quote] How much do you think it should have cost? My Kala Baritone uke cost £300. If you think that's excessive, it's a world of difference from a £150 uke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 IMO, expensive bit of kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskit_case Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 [quote name='dlloyd' post='963122' date='Sep 21 2010, 11:14 AM']How much do you think it should have cost? My Kala Baritone uke cost £300. If you think that's excessive, it's a world of difference from a £150 uke.[/quote] Having owned and played the Spruce top UBass it didnt feel like an £340 instrument. The Solid Spruce top UBass cost £340, cannot find the price for a Baritone but a Kala Solid Spruce Top Tenor can be brought for £180. I appreciate we are not comparing like with like and the requirements for a Electro-Acoustic Bass will be different from a Electro-Acoustic Ukulele. It just seems to me that they have added a "novelty factor" premium to the UBass, the lack of any viable competitor would suggest that the can charge what they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 [quote name='basskit_case' post='963151' date='Sep 21 2010, 11:39 AM']Having owned and played the Spruce top UBass it didnt feel like an £340 instrument. The Solid Spruce top UBass cost £340, cannot find the price for a Baritone but a Kala Solid Spruce Top Tenor can be brought for £180. I appreciate we are not comparing like with like and the requirements for a Electro-Acoustic Bass will be different from a Electro-Acoustic Ukulele. It just seems to me that they have added a "novelty factor" premium to the UBass, the lack of any viable competitor would suggest that the can charge what they want.[/quote] Which begs the question of how much Kala actually charge (rather than what you can find them for) There isn't an rrp for the Spruce top baritone with pickup on the Kala website, but the plain old acoustic one is $270. From the tenor instruments, there appears to be a $120 upcharge for a pickup, so we could reasonably expect rrp on an electro-baritone to be $390. The rrp on the UBass2 is $469, so around an $80 difference. It doesn't look like the blame for the price jump lies with Kala. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 (edited) As an aside, my baritone (solid acacia) also has an rrp of $469, but is for sale at the Southern Ukulele Store at £280. Edited September 21, 2010 by dlloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 There a solid body version coming out. Maybe that will be a bit cheaper as it might be less expensive to produce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradfusion Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 [quote name='7string' post='963300' date='Sep 21 2010, 01:48 PM']There a solid body version coming out. Maybe that will be a bit cheaper as it might be less expensive to produce.[/quote] saw the demo for the solid body on youtube, I still prefer the hollow uke body, it just looks quirkier as a bass! If I let the dust settle on this GAS attack I will probably end up not bothering with the UBass...like all my other whims of fancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Hmmmmmmmm............. I've been thinking about this. Is it expensive? It is more than normal tenor Ukes yes, but if I bought a solid one of those (rather than ply) and then added the machines and a pick-up and paid someone to do that (because I certainly could not) it would be pretty close to the same price, but without the resale of the actual kosher model. We all know that you can mod something as much as you like, but the re-sale is never going to keep up with the extra money you have put in. Is it a toy? When it is plugged in and has a decent buffering pre-amp in front of it? Totally not. Is there a slight change in technique? Yes, it is a different instrument, I would not expect to pick up something which was so radically different in proportion and instantly be able to do everything I can do on a normal bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodl2005 Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 [quote name='basskit_case' post='963097' date='Sep 21 2010, 10:49 AM']I would have thought now Kala and ashbory have shown the way that other manufacturers would have moved into this area.[/quote] This is MY thought too...... How good etc will be the $499 Question eh??? I like the sound of 'em, & playing one at my Jazz/blues gig would be fun.... as I use an uprite or an uprite sound, when I'm lazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Found this on YouTube. I posted it in a build diaries thread but thought it would be good here as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 I just did a gig with these guys (as a dep) [url="http://www.clera.org/saesneg/clerorfa.php"]http://www.clera.org/saesneg/clerorfa.php[/url] playing the ubass. These are HARDCORE folk players. They could not get enough of the ubass. It is a totally valid instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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