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Kala U-Bass Fretless Acoustic-Electric Bass Ukulele - Striped Ebony

Name: Kala U-Bass Fretless Acoustic-Electric Bass Ukulele - Striped Ebony
Brand: Kala
Rating: 5 (5 reviews)

Short-scale Acoustic-electric Ukulele Bass, Fretless, with Ebony Top, Back, Sides, Mahogany Neck, Rosewood Fingerboard, and Fishman Electronics - Striped Ebony

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Item ID: UBassEbyFL

Kala U-Bass Fretless Acoustic-Electric Bass Ukulele - Striped Ebony

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Kala U-Bass Fretless Acoustic-Electric Bass Ukulele - Striped Ebony

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Compact Acoustic-electric Bass with Huge Tone

Get amazing bass tone and exquisite looks with Kala's Striped Ebony Fretless U-Bass. The Kala U-Bass series is a truly unique line, offering players a compact instrument that puts out huge sound. Featuring a compact 21" scale, the U-Bass has made a name for itself as an instrument small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of a plane but big enough to fill a room with full bass sound. Many players, including those here at Sweetwater, have compared the tone and volume of the Kala U-Bass to that of an upright — big, full low end that is ideal for backing a variety of genres.

Beautiful tonewoods and tone

One of the standouts on this U-Bass is the gorgeous striped ebony top, back, and sides. The deep brown of the ebony is accented by reddish-brown stripes, giving it a truly mesmerizing visual appeal. Maple binding accents the entire body as well. And the fretless rosewood fingerboard is yet another visual delight that offers stellar playability and response.

Special strings, special sound

The secret behind the big sound of the Kala U-Bass is almost as cool as its small, ultra-portable format. It comes from the combination of the right tonewoods and Kala's unique polyurethane strings. These lightweight, large-diameter strings provide plenty of low-frequency oomph, which resonates with a deep, rich, and wooden quality that's reminiscent of the coveted upright sound yet colored with a uniquely musical U-Bass quality all its own.

Standout appointments and standout tone

Other standout appointments that add to the rich sound and stunning looks of the U-Bass Striped Ebony include a GraphTech nut and rosewood bridge that offer another layer of overall tone quality and aesthetic delight. In addition, custom Hipshot Ultralite tuning machines keep you in tune and are a nice visual enhancement to the ebony body. Finally, Fishman U-Bass EQ electronics kick out great amplified tone when you plug in. There's even a built-in tuner with Volume and Tone control — no more fiddling with clip-ons or tuner pedals.

Kala Fretless U-Bass Striped Ebony Features:

Compact 21"-scale acoustic-electric bass
Gorgeous striped ebony top, back, and sides look great and produce great low-end tone
Fretless rosewood fingerboard offers stellar playability and response
Lightweight polyurethane strings provide plenty of low-frequency tone
GraphTech nut and rosewood bridge support tone and look great
Custom Hipshot Ultralite tuning machines keep you in tune
Fishman electronics kick out great amplified tone when you plug in
Built-in tuner with Volume and Tone control makes staying in tune simple

Resources

Acoustic Guitar Buying Guide

Bass Guitar Buying Guide

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Tech Specs

Number of Strings: 4
String Type: Proprietary Polyurethane
Body Type: Acoustic Bass
Body Shape: U-Bass
Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
Color: Natural
Finish: Satin
Top Wood: Striped Ebony
Back & Sides Wood: Striped Ebony
Binding: Maple
Neck Material: Mahogany
Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay: Dots
Number of Frets: Fretless (16)
Scale Length: 20.375"
Nut Width: 1.75"
Nut/Saddle Material: GraphTech Tusq/Composite
Bridge Material: Rosewood
Tuning Machines: Custom Hipshot Ultralite
Electronics: Fishman U-Bass EQ
Strings: Road Toad Strings, Proprietary Polyurethane
Case/Gig Bag: Gig Bag
Body Length: 14"
Body Width: 10.25" lower bout, 7.75" upper bout
Body Depth: 3.25"
Overall Length: 29.37"
Manufacturer Part Number: UBASSEBYFL2006

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Reviews

4.9

Customer Photos & Videos

I love this bass! I've had it for just over a month now. I have been playing a Kala Spalted Maple U-Bass for 4 years, and it is great. Based on info available on the internet, I had the distinct impression that all rubber string Kalas play and sound basically the same. After all, they use the same construction, and there's not much tonewood involved to work with. But I was intrigued that the better models come with better tuners and better electronics. I also wanted to go fretless. So this Striped Ebony model had my name on it. Amplified sound: As expected, out of the box it sounded pretty much the same as the Spalted Maple model when played through my Fender Rumble 40 combo amp. I attributed any differences mostly to the Road Toad Pahoehoe strings vs the Aquila Thunder Blacks I have on the Spalted Maple, although the electronics probably make a difference too. But, after a month of daily playing, the sound has opened up. Everything is fuller, more powerful, and more controllable. The E string sound in particular is now amazing. It's quite a big change. I'm not sure what to credit for the improvement, probably a combination of factors. I don't think it's string break-in though because... Unamplified I do find the Road Toad strings to be pretty dead sounding compared to the Aquilas. And that hasn't changed in the month of playing. Still a dull plunk is all I get, especially on the E string. That said, I don't expect that any rubber string U-Bass is ever going to be a good acoustic instrument - an amp is a must. The control of my sound with the Fishman electronics is definitely better. The tone controls on the Spalted Maple did so little that I ignored them. With the Fishmans I get real control over a wide range. And between the better tuning mechanisms and the Fishman electronic tuner, it's much easier to dial in accurate pitch. I no longer need a clip-on tuner. Finally, as others have pointed out, the build quality on this model is also better than the lesser models. It's a real beauty.

It's hard to believe that an instrument with such a short scale can have such a beautiful bass tone, but this one does. It sounds great acoustically and plugged in. The Fishman electronics are the great quality you expect. The U-Bass is beautiful and fun to play.

I began looking at entry-level basses for my grandkid's birthday and came upon and bought a Kala Scout fretless. The Scout has incredible sound but has many fatal flaws that I feel would not make it a long-term (>6 month), reliable instrument. The Scout returned to the Sweetwater basscamp and I happened upon this Kala.

This model is very close to a professional instrument and corrects all the shortcomings of the above model. Sonically, I probably couldn't tell the two apart, both have great sound and in my opinion better than my full size fretted bass. It's a solid instrument and don't fear the fretless aspect. How do you think McCartney got all those sounds when few people were aware of fretless guitars in the 60s? This is my first fretless, after over 60 years of playing with fret and I had zero trouble adjusting my fingers, they just went to the right fakefret, sometimes without my knowledge! I recorded a song using both a fuzz pedal and "clean" and if I may say so, I was so pleased I'm considering going back to rerecord some songs I used a standard bass on, like the Kinks' "Sunny Afternoon". The thing is a pleasure to play to the point I wish all my guitars were fretless... except for one special 41 year old acoustic which is priceless to me.

The fit and finish is first-rate, the Fishman pickup, which is clearly NOT a piezo, is very good, the battery is a standard 9V, there are no frets to buzz and I feel like my fingers glide up and down the fretboard where at times I start intuitively playing the melody in place of the conventional bass part. It puts LIFE into recordings as well as into a small 50w bass amp I have. The tuning machines are SOLID, strings appear easy to change from below deck and the "pre-amp"(how pretentious) knobs stay at full blast for me. Why cut bass or treble frequencies?

For me, it's all about the stable sound and whatever it's size, brand or inlaid diamonds, that's for "dedicated followers of fashion".(R. Davies) I may have to find a fretless electric 6 string so I can play seriously or improvise sounds Brian Wilson might envy. This bass is a 100% keeper!!

I have had this KALA bass (Striped Ebony) for about 6 months now, and absolutely love it. I was looking for a "as close as possible" Upright bass sound for playing Bluegrass, Western Swing and some Country & Country Gospel tunes. Previously I've experimented with tape and Flat wounds of various types and brands on my Long, Medium & Short Scale electric basses and although sounding "close" to an upright, it was never quite there.

Now, with the KALA and the Pahoehoe strings (that it came with), I have that solid, punchy Upright bass sound that I was looking for, without the cumbersomeness of an actual double bass, and it is So lightweight, you hardly know it's there, which is particularly great if your playing a gig and having to stand while playing. If your looking for a lightweight and compact bass with Big Upright sound, look no further than this KALA U-Bass or any of the KALA U-Basses.

I will also say, that I bought this particular model (Striped Ebony - top of the line) because it is equipped with the world renowned Fishman electronics and pickup. Dealing with Sweetwater Sound has been terrific through multiple other purchases over the last few years now, and has become my "go-to" for all my musical needs.

Thank you, Sweetwater & Loui for the fabulous service and knowledge that you provide for all musicians, through employees who actually care about their patrons needs... a Very rare, valued and greatly appreciated trait in an otherwise and increasingly non-caring business world. Please, don't Ever lose those value's.. it's what makes Sweetwater, such a "standout" and Special place to do business with in the world of music.

Ive had this just over a week, and for the first week I did not have access to an amp. It took a bit of getting used to. Especially the strings. Eventually they started to hold their tune and I started to enjoy this bass. Unamplified it is certainly loud enough to practice on your own, it is relatively well set up and in tune with itself. Which is just as well as there is no way to fine tune the instrument, other than filing the nut i don't know what you could do to set up this thing. Unamplified I found the E string a bit dead, but once I plugged in the E string woke up and this baby came alive and I started to have a lot more fun. I am very impressed with the amplified tone. Full and smooth with no obvious weakness, and I haven't moved the eq one way or another (yet).