Kala U-Bass Scout, Mahogany Acoustic-Electric Bass Guitar - Natural Satin Reviews

This bass is a blast to play after you get used to it. I have used it live and it absolutely booms! The only thing is, it is listed as coming with a softshell case. This implies some rigidity, however it comes with the pictured gig bag which offers almost no protection. Still love the instrument though.

I asked my son to help me pick a bass, and he suggested a short scale since my fingers are short and so is my experience with anything besides piano and guitar. I've played bass a little and actually did try a regular short scale that looked like a junior bass guitar, but he found this and said I should give it a try. He demoed it for me and was all over the thing--of course, he's a guitar person, so it was to be expected! But I was surprised at how easy it was to play, especially for a piano person.
I love the strings and the fret size--totally different--takes a little getting used to, to lean toward the back fret for better intonation--and the fact that it's a hollow body, which means I can practice without hauling out the amp! It's about the size of a bass ukulele, but I don't know how the different ukes are tuned; this is like a regular bass.
What is disconcerting is what a big, deep bass sound comes from this sized instrument. And when it's plugged in, it's got the same full sound as any bass in our band. It's not for a solo bass player who likes to travel all up and down the neck, but 7 frets is about my limit anyway--more than enough for me. And at this great price, it was worth taking it home to find out if I'll like it. So far, so good!

Bought it for my wife. She absolutely loves it. The short size takes the strain off her shoulder. And it sounds great plugged up. The strings are a little different but after she played it a little while it was all smiles. Very good for what it is for. I would buy it again.

I am more than impressed by my new uBass! Many thanks to Cliff and the team at Sweetwater for this new acquisition. This tiny little instrument has impressive low tones like a stand-up bass, but in such a compact package. I had been waiting for the Nomads to arrive, but snapped the Demo Scout when it was posted on line. Those funky little rubber strings are so much fun!

I was amazed at the sound of this bass right out of the box. Very playable,lightweight,inexpensive,beautiful finish! If you want that upright growl and portability, then this bass is for you.

I gotta say… this little bass is a stunner. Have only had her a few weeks and already I'm having a great time.

Worried about the idea of rubber strings. It toluene out that they are just fine. At first they were sticking to the fingers while fretting, and slides were impossible. Then I put in some practice gloves and wa-la, she has become quite the little beast.

My other surprise is the built in tuner. This one is more accurate than any I've used on an acoustic guitar or bass.

A little off for the the fact that if the tuner is that while the tuner is on… the output level feeding the amp is dramatically reduced.

Not much to worry about. I'm giving UBass 4 and a half stars.

Fun little bass. I've had it for a couple weeks now and it's great. The only obstacle I'm trying to overcome is the strings. For some weird reason, the E string seems to go sharp and I'm constantly tuning it. Also because they're basically rubber, there is no ability to glide on the strings. I'm considering trying other string options though. Otherwise it's a great instrument, but I don't know if it will replace my full size basses.

I have had this U bass for like a month now. To play it acoustic sounds good but not great. However, when you plug it in to amp, is where this little thing stands out. It has a very rich, deep organic sound , think of a stand up bass, or think of the bass sound of Jah Wobble from PIL ... deep, deep bass. I think the rubber strings is part of what makes this bass sound so full and rich when plugged in. The only draw back I found to the rubber strings, is that it is difficult to slide on them. All in all , I am very happy with my purchase. Bye the way, I love the built in tuner.

Not really loud enough to hear when playing with other accustics and vocals so I plug into a jbl monitor and bring inbdood sounding bass softly not loud thing is easy to play and puts out a doo anplifies bass sound when amped

Cant walk by it without picking it up .my others are jeaulous..built good. well presented but not a fan of the strings at all gonna put some others on. see bout that.. deep bass growl when amped.really cool.strings are hard to tune and cause lot of fret buzz.(rubber) nylon ...

I missed out on acquiring a Guild Ashbory bass years ago. I've been looking at ukulele basses for several years now, and finally decided to add one to my instrument collection at the end of 2022. The Kala Scout cutaway UBass seemed to fit both my preferences and my budget (I also checked out Alvarez and Oscar Schmidt ukulele basses).
My UBass arrived with several problems which required two visits to the local repairman and then a return to Kala for factory service. High frets, exposed fret ends, uneven pickup response, and mystery buzzes in a few positions. After it came back from factory warranty service, the problems are resolved, and it is now ready to join into jams and rehearsals.
It has a unique sound that supplements (but does not replace) my electric basses and acoustic bass guitar. (I am undecided if it was a mistake to buy the fretted version. Friends have told me the fretless model sounds closer to an upright bass.)
It is difficult (nearly impossible) to slide on the polymer strings as they come new - I may try cautiously (‼!) applying FastFret or ArmorAll to the strings to find out if that makes sliding possible.
I installed a strap button at the neck heel. It is more comfortable to play with a strap to support it, although I was surprised by a tendency for neck dive – I thought the tuners were supposed to be ultralight…
Overall it is a fun LITTLE bass. We'll learn how to work well together in the years to come.

Ok - so I really wanted to love this bass. It is my first bass purchase, and I thought I liked the size, the polymer strings were enticing, and it has a built in tuner, and sounds REALLY GOOD plugged in. However - it is kind of uncomfortable to play, the frets slightly overhang the neck and are really sharp at the bottom of the neck on the unit I got. And those strings - feel WICKED STICKY. Like forget about sliding up them if you play guitar you know what I mean - they really slow my playing down, and when you try to slide up them it' slike a friction burn or something... I don't know. I am going to be sending mine back and getting an Ibanez - looks like a better fit for me.

Obviously you'll need an amp if you want anyone to hear it. Pretty good bass tones can be had once you get used to the rubber strings and high action. Fit and finish on the unit I received leave something to be desired. Most notably, the jack is weak. The cable does not snap in snuggly resulting in occasional signal loss when I move around.

I own a lot of ukuleles so know of the Kala name even though I have never owned one. Their reputation has always been that they are the best brand. Therefore, I was extremely surprised and disappointed to find that my UBass was built very cheaply and with many flaws. The sound, however, is fabulous.