What is it about uke basses make them ukuleles?

bborzell

bborzell

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Nothing, in my mind. I guess one might think that the scale length is one factor, but uke scale lengths are all over the map so that does't seem to make sense.

Tuning is certainly not the basis for the uke bass bassness. They all seem to be strung with the typical EADG setup.

There seems to be alot of talk about when different scale lengths and body sizes trans morph one person's super tenor or baritone uke into a tenor guitar and various other philosophical permutations, but is nobody the least confused by the marketing approach that appears to have very short scale basses suddenly called bass ukuleles (or ukulele basses)?
 
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Kala states it's a baritone ukulele body with the tuning/register of a bass guitar. The marketing aspect of this one seems fairly solid.

That said, I don't consider it a uke either.
 
Kala calls it a U-Bass...don't think they ever call it a ukulele. It's just a ukulele sized bass.
 
It is what it is..names are arbitrary. A "bass" that is the size, shape and appearance of an ukulele can be called UBASS.

A Ubass by any other name would sound just as sweet
 
One Bad Monkey said:
The marketing aspect of this one seems fairly solid..
Click to expand...
This. Think about it. The main demographic of people who would be interested in a bass of this size are ukulele players so marketing it with "uke" somewhere in the packaging makes good sense.
 
I think it is the ukulele 'scale' of it. Compared to a UBass, a bass guitar is enormous.

I play in a ukulele group, playing a ukulele bass is acceptable in a way that a bass guitar wouldn't be.
 
Ohana has 4 different models that they clearly call ukulele basses. The newest one looks even less like a uke and more like a short scale bass. I own a Ric 4001 as well as a resonator bass. One is considered a long scale bass and the other a not as long (Ric is 34.25" and the reso is 30"). Some short scale basses are 26-27".

The new Ohana with steel strings that is advertised as a bass uke has a scale listed at 24.5-25.5" depending on which listing is accurate.

http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/OBU22.htm

That is a short scale bass; it ain't a ukulele unless market speak means more to people than the English language does.
 
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Soprano Didgeridoo

LUE308.jpg
 
bborzell said:
It ain't a ukulele unless market speak means more to people than the English language does.
Click to expand...

We live in a society where they place more emphasis and clout on commercials and print ads over actual facts, so of course market-speak is going to mean more.

dilbert-marketing.jpg
 
I think it is a ukulele bass if it is shaped like a uke (acoustic guitar shaped) with nylon strings, although I think the Ohana has steel strings.

I play a Guild B-50 acoustic bass guitar. Although I play it with our uke group I don't consider it a ukulele bass because it has phosphor bronze steel strings. However it would work OK in a concert situation because it does not clash visually with the more proper ukuleles. I like mine because it is large enough to have an acoustic presence without an amplifier.
 
bborzell said:
Nothing, in my mind. I guess one might think that the scale length is one factor, but uke scale lengths are all over the map so that does't seem to make sense.

Tuning is certainly not the basis for the uke bass bassness. They all seem to be strung with the typical EADG setup.

There seems to be alot of talk about when different scale lengths and body sizes trans morph one person's super tenor or baritone uke into a tenor guitar and various other philosophical permutations, but is nobody the least confused by the marketing approach that appears to have very short scale basses suddenly called bass ukuleles (or ukulele basses)?
Click to expand...

The U-Bass is a baritone uke body/design but string and tuned like a bass guitar.
I think they call it uke bass because it's a smaller bass marketed to ukulele players
who are used to small instruments rather than the gigantic bass guitar (that thing is miles long looking up on that neck
for a 5"5 guy like me) so they made a bass for uke players to feel more comfortable playing. Also I would imagine it may
be fun for a bassist who wants a travel sized bass as well. I as a uker would feel more comfortable playing a U-bass over a normal
bass or one of those giant sized stand up basses I'd need a step ladder for.

It's just a great marketing idea, why shouldn't a uker be able to add bass into their set up
with out having to adapt to a giant sized instrument?

I think the uke is an ever growing instrument now theirs steel string electrics, now U-basses
pocket sized ukes etc etc I personally consider it a uke or at least ukifed bass.

And remember the uke is already an adaptation of another instrument....it's just adapting more over the years
as it's becoming more mainstream (again).
 
iamesperambient said:
It's just a great marketing idea, why shouldn't a uker be able to add bass into their set up
with out having to adapt to a giant sized instrument?
Click to expand...

Ukers who want to play bass, but do not want to play a long scale, can simply play a short scale bass. The steel string Ohana Uke Bass is about 1.5" shorter than most short scale basses that have been available to folks, including uke players, for decades. The fact that a ukulele manufacturer makes a short scale bass does not make that instrument a ukulele bass or bass ukulele. It's simply a short scale bass made by folks who also make ukuleles.

The U-bass is an even shorter scale, but, to their credit, Kala calls it a short scale bass not a bass uke or uke bass as does Ohana. The "U-Bass" name is an understandable reference to Kala's uke making background, but they don't seem to be trying to create another class of ukulele. They know that they make a very short scale bass.

In my view, language is important enough that marketing brainstorms should rank rather low when it comes to defining instrument classes. Others are apparently fine with having our points of reference being defined by ad writers; I am not.
 
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bborzell said:
Ukers who want to play bass, but do not want to play a long scale, can simply play a short scale bass. The steel string Ohana Uke Bass is about 1.5" shorter than most short scale basses that have been available to folks, including uke players, for decades. The fact that a ukulele manufacturer makes a short scale bass does not make that instrument a ukulele bass or bass ukulele. It's simply a short scale bass made by folks who also make ukuleles.

The U-bass is an even shorter scale, but, to their credit, Kala calls it a short scale bass not a bass uke or uke bass as does Ohana. The "U-Bass" name is an understandable reference to Kala's uke making background, but they don't seem to be trying to create another class of ukulele. They know that they make a very short scale bass.

In my view, language is important enough that marketing brainstorms should rank rather low when it comes to defining instrument classes. Others are apparently fine with having our points of reference being defined by ad writers; I am not.
Click to expand...

I think the fact that the U-Bass has rubber strings is very important. I took up bass after guitar when i was younger and ended up with giant blisters from those massive metal strings. I assume the ohana ones have thinner strings, but regardless i think the idea of a bass voiced instrument designed to many uke players specs. I would much rather play bass with rubber strings than metal the technique of bass playing would kill my fingers on metal strings. JUst my opinion.
 
iamesperambient said:
I think the fact that the U-Bass has rubber strings is very important. I took up bass after guitar when i was younger and ended up with giant blisters from those massive metal strings. I assume the ohana ones have thinner strings, but regardless i think the idea of a bass voiced instrument designed to many uke players specs. I would much rather play bass with rubber strings than metal the technique of bass playing would kill my fingers on metal strings. JUst my opinion.
Click to expand...

Thete are a wide variety of bass strings including flat wound, ground (half) wound and taped. Any of these strings can be easy on the fingers. I have a fretless Rickenbaker that has never seen the abrasive bass strings that you experienced. They are not particularly fun unless you play very regularly and condition your fingers
 
I played an acoustic bass guitar once, it was horrible. It made me never want to play a bass guitar again..... now a uke sized bass on the other hand.... hmmmmmm
 
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