Best Strings for Kala Ubass (and other Ukulele Basses)

fernandogardinali

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Hey,

Which one you people think are the best strings for the ubass? I think the standard set is Pahoehoe, but I know there is an Aquila set (Thundergut) and Worth also makes a string for this purpose (http://www.worthc.to/bass-e.html).

I experimented only the Pahoehoe set that comes with my spruce top fretless Ubass and the unplugged sound is almost dead. I also noticed that the strings stretch a bit.

Anyone experimented any of these other models of strings?
 
Hi Fernando,
I have had a set of Aquilas on my U-bass about two weeks. The A D and G strings are a little louder, but the E string is still weak unplugged. They stretch some, but not nearly as much as the Pahoehoe strings that came on the bass. They don't roll as much, either.
I like the tone better plugged in than the Pahoehoe strings. Hard to describe, maybe not as muddy, or more clear sounding.

I did not know about the Worth strings. Thanks for sharing that.

Bill
 
Don't expect any strings to make the UBASS perform as an acoustic instrument though.
It is primarily an electric instrument, designed for plugged in sound.
 
Anyone can reccomend me a good portable amp for the Ubass? We have some ukulele meetings here in Brazil and I think the ubass would be great to play with. I tried with a cheap Honey Tone but it didn't work very well.
 
Some people like the little battery powered Roland Cube bass amp but every one that I've tried broke up at even medium volume levels. I like the Fender Rumble series bass combos. Even the smaller models in this series have a good sound and they are affordable too. I use a Gallien-Krueger MB-150S with my Kala U-Bass, but that's a pretty expensive amp.

What ever you choose, I would stay away from using anything that is not a dedicated bass amp.

- Steve
 
Another vote for the Fender Rumble amps I have the Rumble 30 and have played through the Rumble 15 Both sound great with the Ubass.
UbassRig.jpg
 
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Hey, bassfiddlesteve, are you talking about the Roland MICRO CUBE BASS RX? I've been wanting to try that with the spruce Ubass.

For the past month I've been enjoying the spruce top Ubass on the couch unplugged. Have short nails and kind of use the edge of them when plucking, plucking is done between the sound hole and bridge.

The bass adds a lot to our bi-weekly uke jams. Helps keep people in time and the depth in sound adds contrast, making the other instruments stand out.
 
Hey, bassfiddlesteve, are you talking about the Roland MICRO CUBE BASS RX? I've been wanting to try that with the spruce Ubass.

Yes, that's the one. I tried it in a music store on two occasions, once with a U-Bass and one with a Fender Jazz Bass. While the overall concept is great and the drum machine and amp models are fun, the output was low and when I turned the gain past the halfway mark I got distortion. At that price I'd rather forego the battery option and bells & whistles an amp with more power. Maybe something like this.

- Steve
 
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I just received the Aquila Thundergut and installed on my ubass. My impressions:

1) They sound better, less muddy than the pahoehoe
2) The "ball end" is crappy. It is a improvised piece of plastic. I don't believe it will hold the strings on the bridge
3) They are thicker than the pahoehoes. It's hard to see the scale.
4) They are a bit louder
5) They are hard to slide
 
Fernando,
I much second your opinion on the Aquilas, not much of an upgrade to the factory ones, and the tension is not improved either, has anyone tried the ones by Worth?

I just received the Aquila Thundergut and installed on my ubass. My impressions:

1) They sound better, less muddy than the pahoehoe
2) The "ball end" is crappy. It is a improvised piece of plastic. I don't believe it will hold the strings on the bridge
3) They are thicker than the pahoehoes. It's hard to see the scale.
4) They are a bit louder
5) They are hard to slide
 
Some people like the little battery powered Roland Cube bass amp but every one that I've tried broke up at even medium volume levels. I like the Fender Rumble series bass combos. Even the smaller models in this series have a good sound and they are affordable too. I use a Gallien-Krueger MB-150S with my Kala U-Bass, but that's a pretty expensive amp.

What ever you choose, I would stay away from using anything that is not a dedicated bass amp.

- Steve

I am just learning bass with the U-bass.
I have been playing in very small groups.
I have been using my Roland Micro Cube (not bass model), like Steve said it does break up at volume.
He is also a much better player than me, so he is probably really playing.
I have found the MC to be ok when set on "Mic" and just enough gain to get the sound with the volume at mid.
Turn all the effects off. I like the MC because it is so light and portable.
If I ever was to gig with the U-bass I would definitely want a bass amp.
 
the Ampeg BA-110 is hard to beat as a small combo.

I am just learning bass with the U-bass.
I have been playing in very small groups.
I have been using my Roland Micro Cube (not bass model), like Steve said it does break up at volume.
He is also a much better player than me, so he is probably really playing.
I have found the MC to be ok when set on "Mic" and just enough gain to get the sound with the volume at mid.
Turn all the effects off. I like the MC because it is so light and portable.
If I ever was to gig with the U-bass I would definitely want a bass amp.
 
I have Thunderguts on my Hutch Hutchinson U-Bass right now, and they're nice but they are missing a little bit of the boominess that the Pahoehoe had. As Mark from Gollihur Music mentioned, the Thundergut strings tend to make the U-Bass sound a little more like a traditional electric. I'm thinking of stringing the bottom two (E,A) strings with the Pahoehoe and the top two (G,D) with Thundergut to get the best of both worlds. It will look odd, but it IS going on a U-Bass.

As for strings making the U-Bass louder, the Thunderguts ARE louder than the Pahoehoe, but since the body isn't anywhere near the size that it needs to properly project the lower frequencies, it's never going to be to the point of playing this thing strictly unplugged. I use a Phil Jones Bass Briefcase for amplification, and it sounds fantastic but is probably over most peoples' budget (especially since it costs more than an acoustic U-Bass).
 
That is a great suggestion, for me particularly the E-string on the Aquilas is an issue.

I have Thunderguts on my Hutch Hutchinson U-Bass right now, and they're nice but they are missing a little bit of the boominess that the Pahoehoe had. As Mark from Gollihur Music mentioned, the Thundergut strings tend to make the U-Bass sound a little more like a traditional electric. I'm thinking of stringing the bottom two (E,A) strings with the Pahoehoe and the top two (G,D) with Thundergut to get the best of both worlds. It will look odd, but it IS going on a U-Bass.

As for strings making the U-Bass louder, the Thunderguts ARE louder than the Pahoehoe, but since the body isn't anywhere near the size that it needs to properly project the lower frequencies, it's never going to be to the point of playing this thing strictly unplugged. I use a Phil Jones Bass Briefcase for amplification, and it sounds fantastic but is probably over most peoples' budget (especially since it costs more than an acoustic U-Bass).
 
After getting a comment from the drummer at church yesterday that my U-Bass "sounded like Noel Redding's tone in the Jimi Hendrix Experience," I decided to switch back to the Pahoehoe strings. The Aquilas are nice, but the more electric-sounding tone and inability to slide at all were two things for me that I just can't have with this instrument. After fighting with the old Pahoehoes (that shrank back to half their size) to get them back on the instrument, it sounds more like what I had originally intended it for.
 
Some people like the little battery powered Roland Cube bass amp but every one that I've tried broke up at even medium volume levels....

Yay, I'm not the only one that feels that way about them, then. :)

It takes a fair amount of power to push a clean bass sound. My UBASS sounds quite good through my Hartke Kickback 12 (dang I wish they still made the kickback series as I'd like a 15) and amazing through my big rig (400 watts into a GK Goldline 4 X 10). I have yet to find a bass amp smaller than the Hartke Kickback 12 that has made me happy playing any bass through it.

John
 
Same here. Sounds great through a hartke 350w head and 4x10. I have an old fender 15w combo bass amp w 1x12 that is very clean and handles the ubass nicely withheld playing with acoustic instruments.
 
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