New to bass but getting a custom bass uke.

KohanMike

Los Angeles, Beverly Grove West
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I just found this section of the UU forums. I started playing ukulele a year ago, but played guitar for about 50 years. I've contemplated the idea of learning the electric bass many times before, especially with the encouragement of a very accomplished guitar player friend, but I just didn't like the idea of carrying around that big instrument and amp.

Now that so many small acoustic bass ukes are out, I decided I'm going to take it on. I'm taking lessons now with Brad at U-Space in Downtown LA and have handled the Kala U-Bass, Tanger and Gold Tone MicroBass in his store. I found that I don't really like the configuration of the Kala with only 16 frets, and the others that are 35-36" long with 20 frets are just a little big for me, so I'm having a custom bass uke made by Bruce Wei in Vietnam (he made me a great gypsy jazz uke I received a couple of weeks ago).

This is the detail I sent him, and it includes a custom made case, for $480. It has 18 frets, is about 1.5 inches longer than the Kala and about 4 inches shorter than the Gold Tone, in my opinion just right. I'm having the fret board extended around the sound hole to be a thumb rest. It's all solid acacia koa with binding that matches the Aquila Thundergut strings.

Below that is a comparison of a Kala, my Bruce Wei custom and a Gold Tone MicroBass.

U-Bass & bag.jpg

U-Bass group2.jpg
 
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Well, now I'm having UBAS (ukulele bass acquisition syndrome). I was getting a bass lesson today and decided to buy the Gold Tone MicroBass they had in the store. Even though it's that much bigger than the Kala, it is very nice. Got a good deal, and I'm having a custom gig bag made like the one for my custom bass, which will fit my 13.3 inch tablet, music stand and a small bass stand. (Yep, I'm nuts.)

Bass bag stand.jpg
 
Dang Mike, Love it bigtime. You never cease to amaze me with your custom stuff. really cool and looking forward to seeing the photos.
 
Thanks Pat, I assume you're talking about the custom bass, and the two custom bags. The custom bass should be ready in about a month or so, hopefully both bags can be ready too, the smaller bag with my custom bass could very well fit in the larger bag, all shipped at once.
 
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