the new u bass aquila strings are here

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mimmo

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ello to everyone,
I would like to show an amatorial movie you can see the new aquila Bass uke strings.
I am sorry if it is in italian only.
I will do soon an english version.
However you can hear the difference between the traditional black polyuretane strings and our new white strings (no polyuretane or silicon rubbers: someting of new here)
Ciao
Mimmo italy :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbbm8JBs3og&feature=player_embedded
 
Awesome! I was just yesterday thinking about making a bass uke out of a Rogue baritone, and was looking for strings for it. Thank you for the video, you have convinced me which strings I WILL buy now. Aquila's are the best!

Thanks again,
Dan
 
Thanks for that video.

I gotta tell my wife what I want for Christmas now.
 
Molto Bene'
 
sounds great!
 
Very cool. I almost never play my UBASS mostly because the rubbery strings drive me nuts. I'll be looking forward to trying these!
 
Wow.

Is it going too far to say that I think ukulele basses have a more attractive sound than other basses (electric, standup, acoustic, etc.)?

I've never had any interest in picking up any sort of bass, but watching videos of people playing the U-Bass by Kala and other makers, I really wish I had the money to throw down for one right now.
 
I want them! I've got a baritone sized mold, and I'll happily make a Compass Rose Bass-U for those strings. They sound very clear...better note definition than the standard ones. When?

Rick Turner
Compass Rose Ukuleles
 
modern day ukuleleist said:
Wow.

Is it going too far to say that I think ukulele basses have a more attractive sound than other basses (electric, standup, acoustic, etc.)?

I've never had any interest in picking up any sort of bass, but watching videos of people playing the U-Bass by Kala and other makers, I really wish I had the money to throw down for one right now.
Click to expand...

This is footage from NAMM 2011. If I thought I had a prayer of ever playing U Bass like that, well, I don't have a prayer.

 
modern day ukuleleist said:
Wow.

Is it going too far to say that I think ukulele basses have a more attractive sound than other basses (electric, standup, acoustic, etc.)?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is going to far. :)

Seriously, speaking as an (electric) bass player, the UBASS has some pretty severe shortcomings. The biggest is that there is simply no way to get decent sustain out of it. Those big rubber strings just die very shortly after you pluck them. Slides are also rather dicey because the rubbery strings tend to "grab" your finger tips. Playing slap on it is pretty much out, as well. In fact, in the clip that somebody posted right below you, you can see what I mean about this last thing. The guy is playing a slap style and on a steel-string bass that would have had the signature percussive metallic "tap and twang" of slap playing.

Not saying the Kala is a total dog, I've kept mine even though my wrist has recovered so I mostly play my five-string, now. It's just not "above and beyond" other basses by any means.

They are popular with doghouse players, though, because the fretless ones, especially, sound an awful lot like a doghouse bass.

John
 
OldePhart said:
Yes, it is going to far. :)

<snipped> In fact, in the clip that somebody posted right below you, you can see what I mean about this last thing. The guy is playing a slap style and on a steel-string bass that would have had the signature percussive metallic "tap and twang" of slap playing.

John
Click to expand...

That guy is Bakithi Kumalo, and although I'm sure he was paid to endorse the Kala UBass, he clearly enjoyed playing it, and IMO, slap or not, it's pretty impressive what he's doing.

In the same way you can't do everything with a uke, you can't do everything with a u bass, but my point in posting was to show that there may be plenty of merit in the u bass concept.
 
Dougf said:
In the same way you can't do everything with a uke, you can't do everything with a u bass, but my point in posting was to show that there may be plenty of merit in the u bass concept.
Click to expand...

Oh, I've no argument with that. Like I said, I've kept my UBASS even though I bought it primarily because I needed something short scale when I was having problems with my left wrist and that's no longer such an issue.

What I was taking issue with was the previous poster who was gushing about how it was better than an upright, a full scale electric bass, or anything else that goes thump in the night. LOL

John
 
Great to see an alternative to the OEM strings. I'll try them when I switch strings next.


Rick Turner said:
I want them! I've got a baritone sized mold, and I'll happily make a Compass Rose Bass-U for those strings. They sound very clear...better note definition than the standard ones. When?

Rick Turner
Compass Rose Ukuleles
Click to expand...

Geez, a Compass Rose bass uke. That would be an amazing instrument!!
 
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