A Tool for Stringing a U-Bass Style Bass Ukulele

Bill Rayner · Feb 22, 2017

I thought I would share with you a technique I came up with for stringing a hollow-body bass ukulele which I recently made. This uke, unlike the U-Bass, doesn't have a trap door in the back. I had considered some other approaches, including one or two that I read about in Ukulele Underground, but I wasn't quite happy with any of them. Maybe others have done this before, but here is my method anyway.

The following two photos tell most of the story, but further pictures and information are available from my website, at http://6course.blogspot.ca/p/techniques.html.

Stagehand · Feb 22, 2017

Well done.

lauburu · Feb 23, 2017

Very cool.
I have 2 methods.
1. I thread a very fine wire through the bridge holes then retrieve it through the soundhole, wrap it around the string and pull them both back through the bridge hole.
2 Ask my wife to feed the strings through. Her hands are small enough to get inside a UBass. An unexpected benefit which I didn't realise when I married her.
Miguel

Bill Rayner · Feb 23, 2017

Good that you can get your #1 to work for you, Miguel. I tried that using fishing line, but was unsuccessful. As for your #2, grandchildren are good for that too! Thanks for your comments.

Rrgramps · Feb 26, 2017

Good techniques for the awkwardly strung UBass. Mine has a trap door and is easier to access. Keep losing the door though.

How about the tuning peg end? I've pulled the stings as tight as I can, but they seem to stretch so much that the post gets way too many windings; even tried pliers. My knot doesn't hold well for the thicker bass stings, and the treble strings don't hold too well either.

Bill Rayner · Feb 26, 2017

My 4 strings are wrapped around 2 to 3 1/2 times, so that hasn't been a problem for me. I recall that I had to pull them pretty hard before locking them into the tuners. I used Thunderguts, not Kala U-Bass strings - I don't know if that would make any difference re stretching.

The Thunderguts seem to be thicker. As an unrelated point, this obscures the view of the fretboard (if that matters - I haven't really made my mind up about

that), especially with the E-string.

lauburu · Feb 26, 2017

this obscures the view of the fretboard

This does not matter as the bass player should not be looking at the fretboard.
The job of the bass player in a uke group is
1. to add a new musical dimension and
2. to look cool
It's very hard to look cool when you're hunched over looking at the fretboard all the time.
BTW I may have put those 2 points above in the wrong order
Miguel

Rrgramps · Feb 26, 2017

lauburu said:
This does not matter as the bass player should not be looking at the fretboard.

It's very hard to look cool when you're hunched over looking at the fretboard all the time.
BTW I may have put those 2 points above in the wrong order
Miguel

Yes! Beginner's may find it necessary when starting out looking at the frets or markers, especially if they are alone and learning new stuff. Eventually though, eye contact with the audience during a performance is important. Yet, an occasional expert (webmaster even) disses any and all ukuleles without side dots. Sometimes I look at my fret-less bass at the start of a song.

A Tool for Stringing a U-Bass Style Bass Ukulele

Bill Rayner

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Bill Rayner

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