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Kala U-Bass Zebrawood Acoustic-Electric Bass Guitar - Natural Satin

Short-scale Acoustic-electric Ukulele Bass with Zebrawood Top, Back, and Sides, Mahogany Neck, Walnut Fingerboard, and U-Bass Electronics - Natural
$279.00

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Kala U-Bass Zebrawood Acoustic-Electric Bass Guitar - Natural Satin
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Big Bass Sounds in a Compact Package

Get ready for a huge bass sound in a not-so-huge package with the Kala U-Bass Zebrawood. Owing to its compact 20-inch scale, this Kala U-Bass Zebrawood is a perfect travel companion that’s ideal for playing around the campfire, busking in the streets, and bringing on vacation, so you don’t have to miss a single day of playing! Featuring an eye-grabbing zebrawood body and top, a mahogany neck, and a walnut fingerboard, the Kala U-Bass Zebrawood is exceptionally balanced with a room-filling sound that belies its diminutive size. And, when it’s time to plug-in, you’ll be blown away by its natural-sounding U-Bass electronics. Bass players at Sweetwater sure were! For a unique bass with a tone that doesn’t quit, check out the Kala U-Bass Zebrawood.

Exquisite combination of tonewoods

This U-Bass has a gorgeous zebrawood body, which exhibits well-defined lows and highs, similar to maple but with darker overtones. The U-Bass Zebrawood comes outfitted with a satin-finished mahogany neck capped with a walnut fingerboard that feels great in your hand and provides an incredibly comfortable playing experience.

Custom Kala electronics with active EQ make this U-Bass a real live performer

Kala's custom electronics give this U-Bass a vibrant and realistic sound when you play plugged in. An active equalizer makes tweaking your tone a piece of cake, effortlessly meeting the needs of even the most demanding venues. What's more, Kala even equipped this U-Bass with an onboard tuner — an essential part of any musician's live kit.

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 Aquila's Thunderblack 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.

Kala U-Bass Zebrawood Ukulele Bass Features:

  • Compact 20-inch-scale acoustic-electric bass
  • Gorgeous zebrawood body exhibits well-defined lows and highs, similar to maple but with darker overtones
  • Fretted walnut fingerboard offers stellar playability and response
  • Aquila Thunderblack strings assure superior intonation, great feel, and powerful sound
  • Graph Tech NuBone nut and composite bridge support tone
  • Custom black die-cast tuning machines provide stable tuning
  • U-Bass electronics deliver natural-sounding amplification
  • Built-in tuner makes tuning quick and convenient

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Tech Specs

  • Number of Strings: 4
  • Body Type: Acoustic Bass
  • Body Shape: U-Bass
  • Left-/Right-handed: Right-handed
  • Color: Natural
  • Finish: Satin
  • Top Wood: Zebrawood
  • Back & Sides Wood: Zebrawood
  • Neck Material: Mahogany
  • Neck Shape: C/D
  • Fingerboard Material: Walnut
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Celluloid Dots
  • Number of Frets: 16
  • Scale Length: 20"
  • Nut Width: 1.75"
  • Nut/Saddle Material: NuBone/NuBone
  • Bridge Material: Walnut
  • Tuning Machines: Black Die-cast
  • Electronics: U-Bass Active EQ with Tuner
  • Strings: Aquila Thunderblack
  • Case/Gig Bag: Gig Bag
  • Manufacturer Part Number: UBASS-ZEB-FS

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

True Joy

Most fun I have had with an instrument in years! Still amazed at the sounds this thing can make. So far I have run it through both my full stacks, the Peavey TNT that hangs out in the house, a Crate from the 80s or 90s, and even a Roland Bass Micro-cube and it is a blast with each rig. Going to have to get a fretless Kala U-Bass next and try the Aquila Thunderbrowns I picked up. I can't wait. This zebra wood U-Base has a wonderful warm tone and is gorgeous as a frivolous benefit.
Music background: Hobbyist bassist between projects focused on fun
Rated 4.5/5

Fun instrument

Few instruments I have owned are as fun to play as this U-Bass. I've had mine for over a year. Sweetwater service is second to none; I had an issue with the pickup on mine and they sent me another one, no questions asked. The Zebrawood is very attractive and it's easy to move around on the little fretboard. It's also nice to be able to practice without an amp.

Having played electric bass on and off for years, the U-bass took me some getting used to. You must have a very light touch and it magnifies any sloppiness in your technique due to the Piezo pickup and rubber strings. I struggled for a while with getting a good recorded sound out of mine until I tried the fretless effect on my Korg effects box. This doesn't make it sound fretless, but it does a great job of eliminating the string noise inherent in the Ubass. I also use a little compression and cabinet emulation to get a big fat sound with a bit of an upright bass character. It shocks the hell out of people when I play it with a small band through my little Fender Rumble 40. As a middle aged player, this rig is easy on my old back, and I can carry the works in one hand.
Rated 4/5

Almost great.

This thing is really well made, and it's very good looking. The sound is amazing. It sounds more like my string bass than my fretless bass ever did, and that's just through my practice amp. It does have two minor problems that are apparently very common on ubasses. First, the volume is not balanced between the strings. The D string is quite a bit louder than the G string. It's not as noticeable below the fifth fret, but gets very noticeable higher up. There is a fix for this that I came across online, but it involves sawing the saddle into four separate pieces, and I'm not sure I have the skills for that. The other problem is some serious fret buzz on the E string, bad enough to affect the clarity. The other three strings are clear, but the E is off. If I press down hard halfway between the frets, the buzz is reduced a bit. In my extensive shopping, I did come across a number of reviews that were glowing, so I imagine some of these instruments don't have these flaws, but I'm 0 for 2 at this point.
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