Uke group bass players roll call

katysax

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I know there are at least two of us and must be more here on UU who regularly accompany uke groups using our u-basses. Please comment in this thread if you are a uke group u-bass player.

Currently I am accompanying four ukulele jam groups that meet regularly. One of those groups also does some gigs and has additional rehearsals. I'm not really a bass player, and I've had no training on bass at all. My bass playing derived from being a guitar player who knew the notes on the fretboard.

It seems to me that playing uke bass with uke groups is a somewhat specialized kind of bass playing. It's sort of akin to playing bluegrass bass. My style is heavily influenced by bluegrass jams I've attended to play bass. My playing involves too much root/five and I'm trying to branch out and to try new rhythm patterns. The key though for us uke types is to fit in and not overpower or throw off the group.
 
I'm just starting with uke-bass for the ukulele club at my kids school. I'm working on what sounds good and it needs to be simple enough I can teach it to a gradeschool kid.

In terms of influence, I've found that tacky of 70s country music my father developed a taste for (and I heard a lot of) when I was growing up hasn't helped my tendencies when playing bass. I try to counteract by listening to the ukulele orchestra of great britain.
 
I've been playing uke bass with The CC Strummers for the last two years. Even though I played guitar for almost 50 years, I never learned "music" or theory, etc., just chords doing 95% rhythm guitar, I hardly even knew the notes on the fretboard. I learned by being shown notes and chords or looking a sheet for the chords. I had often been told I should take up the bass because I have a good feel and time, but didn't want to be encumbered by a large electric bass, forget about a stand up bass.

When Cali Rose, the leader of our group asked for volunteers to play bass, I looked up and found all the U-bass, small basses available and decided to go for it. At first I checked out various web sites for bass instruction, but because I wanted to get proficient quickly to play with the group, I took lessons from Denny Croy at McCabe's Guitar Shoppe in Santa Monica, CA. Certainly has been an eye opener for me. He started with the basic 1-5, but also showed me patterns for specific songs we were doing in the group, which in itself taught me more than I had learned in 50 years playing the guitar.

I do my own arrangements for each song (our song book is up to about 150 songs) and I'm now proficient at walkups and walk downs within the 1-5 set of notes, plus boogie licks for rock and blues songs, latin beats, and recently jazz walking with major and minor progressions. I'm very locked into patterns more than specific notes, but try to know where I am with that.

What I've also learned from Denny and Cali, and a lot of posts on the Talk Bass forum is that the bass should hold together the group, provide the beat and feel and drive it along, not be in the background. The better I get at that, the more praise I get from the group and the audience.
 
I occasionally play my U-Bass with a local ukulele group. There is another bass player in the group, and if he wants to be the bassist I am happy to play one of my regular ukes instead.

I also use my U-Bass when my cover band plays "unplugged". It provides a more woody upright tone than my electric basses without requiring the real estate of an upright.

I've been playing bass in church and local cover bands for around 25 years. Most of that was with electric basses, but some was on upright. The U-Bass is far easier to play in anything I've played before, and yet in that ease of playing there are different challenges. Playing fast is a challenge with the lower tension strings. Slides tend to pull the note out of tune. I cannot play exactly the same lines as I do on electric on every song, which presents the opportunity to be creative and come up with something new. I'm having a blast with the little thing.
 
I recently started playing bass with a uke band and I'm teaching two others so I'm not "lumbered" with the job full time. Since the introduction of the bass, the general opinion is the overall sound is tighter and fuller. I play whatever pattern fits the song, boogie, 1-5, single notes or chords with fills. My "job" is to keep the timing solid while rounding the sound out. It is usually good fun but if the beat falters, the bassist is first in the firing line. One down side is, humping an amp to rehearsals, no more care free turning up with uke and OnSong on a tablet.
 
One down side is, humping an amp to rehearsals, no more care free turning up with uke and OnSong on a tablet.

I specifically bought a really small Phil Jones Double Four 70w amp for rehearsal and small gigs, added a laptop battery and it's still very light, and sounds heavy duty, but it's over $500.

PhilJones DoubleFour300.jpg


What about playing uke bass with a heavy alternative group?

Not only do I buy bass ukes, I also convert small guitars to bass because I like having commercial looking basses that are small. I'm having this "metal" looking one done currently, ESP LTD F-Junior 21" scale guitar.

ESP Jr.jpg
 
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Barrytone,

The Blackstar Fly 3 Bass combo pack for $109 will work well for up to about 25 acoustic ukulele players. My advice is that you need the full two piece set and not the single one (which is $69). The two pieces fit easily in a briefcase or tote bag. They each weigh less than 2 lbs. They run for quite a while on double A batteries. The sound is a real bass sound.

The Phil Jones Double Four is an amazing amp weighing only 8 lbs that is probably the most ubiquitous among folks who play with uke groups. I have one and love it. It will work in just about any situation that I need short of a large outdoor gig or a gig in a really big hall. For rehearsal or friendly playing the Phil Jones is fantastic. BUT sometimes the Phil Jones is more than I need.

The Fly 3 has a lot of limitations. I don't know that it would work for busking (outdoors) or in any kind of amplified setting. It won't carry over drums. But if you are playing acoustic with a small number of people and want something portable and easy for rehearsals - give it a try. Most major retailers will let you return it if it won't do the job for you. I am using mine in place of the Phil Jones about half the time now, depending on the group I am playing with.

By the way the Fly 3 combo pack seems to be sold out just about everywhere but is still in stock at BH Photo Video. If you end up buying the pieces separately it is $20 more.
 
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When I get back to our group, I plan to start bringing my Chennell bass and use it with a Phil Jones D4 and Baggs preamp.
The Chennell is one of the best basses I've played in the 50 plus years of playing.
 
Patrick,

Is your Chennell one of the Arco basses. Those look very intriguing.
 
Thanks for the heads-up Katysax. I'll look into the Blackstar
 
Katy mine is from his arch top jazz ukes. Jazzboxukes.com. Look in Emporium section then scroll down to Xander.

His stand up basses are unreal especially the Argo basses. Chennell string instruments.
 
Last Thursday when I ordered the Fly 3 Bass from B&H it was on sale for $99. I opted for overnight delivery for $63 so I could have it for my hospital gig today, but B&H screwed up and didn't deliver it until yesterday, so they're refunding the $63.

The rig did a great job, very good bass sound and kept the volume on the lower side. It certainly sounds better than my 10w Chinese amp, which actually isn't basscentric as the Fly 3 is.
 
Sounds, no pun intended, like a great deal Mike. Will check it out. I think it was you who suggested the Phil Jones Double 4 amp. Best little amp I've had so far. Especially when using the computer battery with it.
 
Yep, PJD4 is my go to for rehearsal and all our small gigs, then my Carvin MB15 200/250 combo for larger gigs, adding a Carvin 115MBE extension cabinet for even larger gigs, and now the Fly 3 Bass for those roaming hospital gigs. I think I have the bases (pun intended) covered.
 
I agree, I don't play with a uke group but with a small acoustic band. We have no percussion. My main concern is to set a good beat/rhythm and harmonize well on the bass line. That does mean lots of roots and fifths, but there are opportunities for arpeggios, walking bass, etc. if you pay attention to the music. It does require some advance preparation with the music, but the more I do that, the easier it gets to do it on the fly.
 
I'm just starting out with Ubass, my main club has 2 bass players and the one guy is giving lessons, but they're on a day I have other commitments.

I've been playing along with another group, though...pretty basic stuff, I use the group to practice with, since it's hard to practice alone at home. I'm getting the hang of it and I think it sounds decent, but I don't do anything fancy, just throw in a few 5ths once in a while.

I have a Kala Rumbler and an Orange Crush 25, works good for what I do...
 
Been playing Ukulele bass in two local groups since being diagnosed with spinal cancer last year. I've been playing electric bass for twenty plus years in an electro pop three piece we formed at school. My best friends (and band mates) clubbed together whilst I was in hospital and bought me a Kala UBass. It's so light I can still play it comfortably. I miss playing my two Fender basses in the band, and it upsets me to even think about it, but the UBass has been a fantastic instrument. I look at it when its plugged in and still can't believe such a powerful sound can come from the thing. I managed to save up for a bit and got myself a Markbass Micromark 801 1x8 combo. I daren't even try to lift my normal SWR 300w gigging amp anymore. I bought a Hartke HD25 amp before Christmas last year, It's a lovely amp, sounds great, well built, but at over 10kg I was still struggling to lift it. The MicroMark is only 5.2kgs. It's tiny, with a 1x8 speaker. It's so loud too! Very simple controls, just two knobs, a volume and a variable frequency eq knob. I love the yellow and black styling too.


Although it has been heartbreaking to be diagnosed with terminal cancer, they say that good things always come out of bad situations. I would never have found the UBass, never have found my three beloved Ukes or made so many new friends both online here and at the two Ukulele groups I go to.


I have found I have simplified my playing quite a lot for the UBass, but thats no bad thing to learn playing in a new style. I have recently changed string type too, going from the UBass Rubber or Aquilla Reds to the UBass nickel wound nylon. I am finding myself more at home with these strings as they feel more like traditional electric bass strings. They still have the UBass bass and thud :)
 
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Our local uke group used to have a regular bass guitar player but his work changed and he can rarely attend now. UAS meant the wife and I had bought a Countryman bass uke so I started playing about six weeks ago. It's really revitalized my interest in playing although mostly just root and 5th at present, and the group have been very complimentary so far. To help me practice I play and sing the song normally and record it on my phone, then play it back while I work out the bass line, making notes on the song sheets where needed.

Amp-wise I wanted something versatile so I got a Laney AH40. It has multiple inputs so I can set up mic, uke, backing track etc.. and has plenty of power for the small village halls and nursing homes we generally play.
 
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