Gerald Ross
Well-known member
I review this new ukulele bass from Ohana - the OBU-22. 25.4" scale, metal strings, Fishman pickup/preamp.
It's a winner!
It's a winner!
Review - Ohana OBU-22 Ukulele Bass - by Gerald Ross
- Thread starter Gerald Ross
- Start date
Jon Moody
Well-known member
Did you have that at the Mighty Uke Day?
I liked the demo; nicely done!
I liked the demo; nicely done!
bonesigh
Well-known member
Yeah, nice review Gerald 
I've never actually played bass but have wanted to learn so I got the Kala UBass and it just hasn't grown on me. I just can't get used to the strings. I've thought of buying some metal strings for it but perhaps I'll just sell it and get one of these Ohana's!
I've never actually played bass but have wanted to learn so I got the Kala UBass and it just hasn't grown on me. I just can't get used to the strings. I've thought of buying some metal strings for it but perhaps I'll just sell it and get one of these Ohana's!
Thanks for the review. Seems like a great alternative to the UBass.
OP
OP
Gerald Ross
Well-known member
I did not have this with me when I performed at Mighty Uke Day in Lansing, Michigan a few weeks ago. I know that Elderly Instruments in Lansing is carrying this uke and had one in stock.
KnowsPickin
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Nice instrument. I was particularly taken aback that it has a serviceable acoustic sound when unplugged.
I play a Guild B-50 (later called the B-30). It truly has a decent acoustic presence, although the lower bout of its jumbo style body is 18" across. So it would not fit in an overhead. Also, the Ohana has those nice electronics. My Guild has only a passive pickup.
I'm not even sure if Guild still makes them.
Thanks for the Ohana review!
I play a Guild B-50 (later called the B-30). It truly has a decent acoustic presence, although the lower bout of its jumbo style body is 18" across. So it would not fit in an overhead. Also, the Ohana has those nice electronics. My Guild has only a passive pickup.
I'm not even sure if Guild still makes them.
Thanks for the Ohana review!
strumsilly
Well-known member
thanks for the review. which Fishman amp is that? I have a loudbox mini, but yours has a lot more dials, is it the standard loudbox. they make some nice amps, I love mine.
OP
OP
Gerald Ross
Well-known member
strumsilly,
It's the Fishman Loudbox Artist. It has two channels as opposed to the single channel Mini. I just used it yesterday on a gig. I had my uke in channel one, lap steel guitar in two and my iPhone with my steel guitar backup tracks in the AUX input (with volume control). The gig was in a huge open-air atrium and the amp filled the room with the volume set to around 4 (out of 10). Nothing else needed.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LoudboxArt/
It's the Fishman Loudbox Artist. It has two channels as opposed to the single channel Mini. I just used it yesterday on a gig. I had my uke in channel one, lap steel guitar in two and my iPhone with my steel guitar backup tracks in the AUX input (with volume control). The gig was in a huge open-air atrium and the amp filled the room with the volume set to around 4 (out of 10). Nothing else needed.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LoudboxArt/
strumsilly
Well-known member
the mini has 2 channels, but a smaller speaker, less power, and not as many bells and whistles. I got mine at at half of what the artist is selling for.
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OP
OP
Gerald Ross
Well-known member
ooops, my mistake. You are right the mini does have two channels.
Gillian
Well-known member
After playing a Kala U-Bass for two years, I was just gifted an OBU-22. It is a different animal. The larger scale was no problem, but no amount of twiddling of either the Ohana's EQ(bass, middle treble, "notch" brilliance, or phase) or the settings on my 30W Laney bass amp could overcome the distortion and feedback. So now it is at a luthier's having the electronics checked. After playing it a bit and looking down the neck he said it needed setting up, so not every one of these come set up correctly from the factory. If the problem is in the electronics, then back to the store it goes for an exchange. If the electronics are OK, then I'll pay to have it set up correctly. If that doesn't help, then the problem must be that my amp isn't adequate enough to handle the Ohana.
And if THAT is the case, then Ohana should say something like "In order to sound decent, you need to purchase an amp with the specifications like the Fishman Loudbox Artist ($550)."
And if THAT is the case, then Ohana should say something like "In order to sound decent, you need to purchase an amp with the specifications like the Fishman Loudbox Artist ($550)."
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Gillian
Well-known member
Addendum to above thread;
The uke's Fishman EQ works fine, and I will have it professionally set up BUT, the problem was the little Laney 30W amp. It just couldn't handle the frequencies at mid to high volume coming off these bronze strings.
So....the solution was to buy another amp. After soliticing recommendations and considering prices, I chose the Fender Rumble 500. Although twice the physical size (2 10" speakers, 500W) of the little Laney, it doesn't weigh much more.
Now my Ohana OBU-22 sounds reeeal nice.
The uke's Fishman EQ works fine, and I will have it professionally set up BUT, the problem was the little Laney 30W amp. It just couldn't handle the frequencies at mid to high volume coming off these bronze strings.
So....the solution was to buy another amp. After soliticing recommendations and considering prices, I chose the Fender Rumble 500. Although twice the physical size (2 10" speakers, 500W) of the little Laney, it doesn't weigh much more.
Now my Ohana OBU-22 sounds reeeal nice.
Great Review! Thanks for the video. I was very curious about this new entry by Ohana. Looks like it would be a great addition to any group.
–Lori
–Lori
Gillian
Well-known member
Another thing I've discovered about this bass uke---you had better like the bronze round wound strings that come with the OBU-22 because there are no other bass strings out there that will fit.
Short scale bass strings are not short enough for this bass uke. The taper on the Ohana's strings start at around 26", while the taper on the short scale bass string starts at around 32". Too long to be used on this uke. I wanted to put a set of smooth flat-wound short scale D'Addario bass strings on the Ohana because I don't care for the scratchy bronze wound strings, but no can do...
Short scale bass strings are not short enough for this bass uke. The taper on the Ohana's strings start at around 26", while the taper on the short scale bass string starts at around 32". Too long to be used on this uke. I wanted to put a set of smooth flat-wound short scale D'Addario bass strings on the Ohana because I don't care for the scratchy bronze wound strings, but no can do...
