Kala Limited Edition U-Bass (4-String, Fretted, Acacia) Reviews

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Customer Reviews

Alex
from USA
March 27, 2012Music Background:
Bass player in a band but also play various other instruments.

Kala U-Bass (Acacia)

I play bass in a band but once in a while we get together and play ukes and mandolins. I thought it would be a blast to bring a bass uke along to one of those occasions so I picked one of these things up. I did try it at home with my small practice amp and was very impressed with the tone. It took a bit to get used to the feel of the strings because it feels a bit like playing stretched gummy worms. Once a year we get together for a 5 day jam with some other friends and I took this bad boy along. After playing one of my other basses for a bit I told the guys that I had a new toy that I wanted to show them. No one knew in advance that I had purchased this Uke bass. When I first brought it out it got a few snickers and a "Are you serious?". I then plugged it into my Ampeg 6x10 cab and proceeded to blow everyone away. I even had to turn down the volume on the head because the boom that came out was louder than the Gibson SG I had just finished playing. And they are right when they say it has a very close resemblance in tone to an upright. After that it removed all doubt from my fellow band mates and friends. A couple of guys were even talking about picking one up they were so impressed. Overall I am very happy with this instrument and for the price you can't go wrong! To date I have no complaints with this purchase.....one of my "better" investments!

A. Bautista
from Boston, MA USA
February 18, 2012Music Background:
Bass, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Singer, Hobbyist

Great Little Ukulele Bass!

If you play ukulele and want to start learning bass, this is your instrument! Light, compact and includes a hardfoam case to boot? Yes, please!

If you are a bass-player and need a bass that's portable and easy to bring around, this also fits that bill.

Although the strings take a little getting used to, it still packs a punch. The shadow pickup within the U-Bass picks up literally any vibrations from the tip of your finger touching the strings, to light scratching on the body of the U-Bass itself. This lends perfectly to experimenting with different sounds and using them to your advantage. It DOES offer traditional P-bass like sounds, but it mostly comes from the way you actually play rather than messing with the tone knobs (because there is none on this beauty!). The very sensitive nature of the pickup may bother some people (as it does with me at times -- hence the 4 stars), but it is what it is. Sometimes I feel like just playing it unplugged, but it doesn't provide much volume when it's not hooked up to an amp. So unless you're REALLY loud, it'll be hard to hear, especially when playing with a group of ukulele players or acoustic guitarists.

The strings will take a while to get acclimated to tuning (2-3 weeks or so), and you'll need to stretch them out to prevent from putting too much tension on the tuners, but this is an easy fix.

All-in-all, this bass will definitely surprise you. I know it did for me!