(ubass) solid(thomann) vs laminated(kala)

Hello !
I am going to buy a fretless ukulele bass and I can't decide between those two models:

Kala Exotic Mahogany
https://kalabrand.com/collections/e...ic-mahogany-fretless-acoustic-electric-u-bass

Thomann ukulele bass
https://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_fretless_bass_ukulele.htm

First I wanted a laminate ubass for less "care", being able to play outside on summer... But I see the thomann solid wood with that lovely raw look..!
I think there is nothing about the thomann ubass on the internet. Maybe it's a new model or a not popular one.

So my questions : what do you think about the thomann one ? Am I right to think I shouldn't go outside with a solid wood ubass, but that it's ok with a laminated one ? What about sound quality solid vs laminated ?

Thank you for your time

Edit: I will play mainly unamped.

Fraiteless, there is a forum for Bass questions elsewhere on this site (I think you click on "Forum", then "Music-Related Boards", and then you'll see one for "Bass." (or something like that). You might get more responses if you post there. Good luck with your question.

Thomann is a retailer based in Germany, they are not specifically manufacturers.

I have bought branded kit from them but an own brand instrument, no not for me.

You will know what you get with Kala.

Fraiteless said:

Edit: I will play mainly unamped.

Click to expand...

I am happy to be proven wrong, but unamped ubass is unexciting to me. There's not enough space to generate appreciable volume making acoustic tone basically meaningless. I'm not saying it's useless - quiet practice and all that - just not where the instrument really shines. I'd go with the "you know what you're getting with Kala" comment.

I wouldn't be concerned about playing a solid instrument outside. There are a lot of porches which would be very lonely if people didn't play their solid bodied instruments outside!

I just don't leave my instruments (solid or not) outside. I always bring them inside and put them away once I'm done playing. I'd watch for extreme temps and humidity, but anything too nasty for the instrument to play in is probably too nasty for me to play in YMMV, especially if you live somewhere less moderate than I do.

I'm another Kala fan. I haven't tried the EM U-Base, but I have an EM tenor and it's quite good for its price range and better than the solid wood tenors I've heard in that price range.

Bass forum is over here, BTW: [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Tahoma,Calibri,Geneva,sans-serif]https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/forumdisplay.php?26-Bass
I suspect most everybody who reads it reads the general forums as well.

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I was going to point out as well that bass ukes without amplification are only good for your own practice. Are you planning to play with others? If so, you'll need some kind of amp. I play ukulele with a small acoustic group in the park on Sundays and one of them brings a U-bass, I loan him my little Blackstar Fly3 Dual Bass rig I use when I play bass uke roaming hospital rooms. I also play bass uke with a seniors group of 30-40 twice a week in a large multi-purpose room with a Phil Jones Bass Double Four amp.

You also don't need to baby solid wood, it can take it as long as you keep it in a case when you transport it, and don't play in a rain or snow storm, or a long time in blazing sun.

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This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 9 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 34)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers

Thanks to all of you for all your answers !
I know ubass is quite quiet unamped but that's what I'm looking for, to be able to play at night in an apartment. I may buy a small amplifier one of these day (like the blackstar fly3). I might have some fun with my Usb interface too.
Indeed I feel safer buying kala instead of thomann. And same for laminated over solid...
Is that ok of I copy past my first message to bass forum ?

Fraiteless said:

Is that ok of I copy past my first message to bass forum ?

Click to expand...

Yep, you can do that. I always post my bass threads in Uke Talk because I believe far more people who might be interested are here than frequents the Bass forum.

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This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 9 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 34)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers

I took the kala from a local shop ! Can't wait.