Kala U Bass should it be considered as a Ukulele

[Jim Yates]

Hope this doesn't drive some of you nuts... a mini soprano mini bass ???

New genre... Bassino.... is a tiny bass in a sopranino shape.

https://www.anticaukuleleria.com/allegro-bassino/

The frets are so close together that it seems it would be useful only to someone with very tiny fingers.

 

[Paul1973UK]

Thank you. Looks beautiful. Would love to hear how it sounds.

I wanted to hear it too, so i watched the video at the bottom of the linked page, unfortunately it was drowned out by the accompanying sopranino!

 

[Nickie]

This could be a matter of semantics....
Our band is called the Ladies of Uke....there are 4 ukulele players and one Ubass player....we call her the "bassist".
The UOGB has a Ubass player....
I guess it's what we wanna call it.

 

[Nickie]

The frets are so close together that it seems it would be useful only to someone with very tiny fingers.

It would have to be fretless.

 

[Kimosabe]

Okay, I listened. Beautiful instrument, the Allegro Bassino. Listen and see if you like the sound. I think it’s surprisingly loud for its size. The bloke playing seems to have no trouble getting his fingers around the frets. To me it seems most appropriate for a Renaissance setting, not the Donald Duck Dunn grooves I try to approach on my electric solid body Kala ubass.

 

[WebParrot (s2)]

Okay, I listened. Beautiful instrument, the Allegro Bassino. Listen and see if you like the sound. I think it’s surprisingly loud for its size. The bloke playing seems to have no trouble getting his fingers around the frets. To me it seems most appropriate for a Renaissance setting, not the Donald Duck Dunn grooves I try to approach on my electric solid body Kala ubass.

Re: demo sound… I believe it’s plugged in.

 

[WebParrot (s2)]

Interesting... just left the KalaBrand.com website and looked for their marketing info on their U Bass... They don't claim it to be an 'ukulele, and under their product categories, under 'Ukulele, the "bass" isn't listed. Instead it's a category of its' own.

"The U•BASS® by Kala is the Original, short-scale bass developed and brought to the market in 2009. Used by bass artists around the world - live and in the studio. The portable U•BASS® makes a great addition to any bassist’s arsenal. Recognized as one of the music industry’s most innovative products, the U•BASS® has received multiple BEST IN SHOW awards from publishers, retail leaders and review websites." blah blah blah...

 

[Arcy]

Interesting... just left the KalaBrand.com website and looked for their marketing info on their U Bass... They don't claim it to be an 'ukulele, and under their product categories, under 'Ukulele, the "bass" isn't listed. Instead it's a category of its' own.

What is a U•BASS®? [The Original Ukulele Bass Instrument Explained!] - Kala Brand Music Co.™

The U•BASS® came thumping and flying onto the scene in 2009, taking the bass world for a spin. Musicians of all kinds...

kalabrand.com

What is a U•BASS®? [The Original Ukulele Bass Instrument Explained!]​

 

[WebParrot (s2)]

What is a U•BASS®? [The Original Ukulele Bass Instrument Explained!] - Kala Brand Music Co.™

The U•BASS® came thumping and flying onto the scene in 2009, taking the bass world for a spin. Musicians of all kinds...

kalabrand.com

I didn't see that in their blog. However, they only reference it ('ukulele-wise) parenthetically and when the scale is described as that of a baritone uke. All the other descriptive and demonstrative characterizations are to that of getting a bass in a smaller package.

 

[ElvishParsley]

I've always thought of it as a bass ukulele. Partly because I've always heard it mentioned in the same breath as other ukuleles, and seen it displayed with other ukuleles. But also because "bass" isn't a family of related instruments in the same way "ukulele" is. It's a pitch range. Many families of instrument have a bass version: tubas, recorders, clarinets, balalaikas.... It just happens that there's some overlap of players and music between the double bass (violin family) and the bass guitar (guitar family).

 

[ukulelekarcsi]

In the end, they're all funny guitars, aren't they?

 

[donboody]

It should be considered as a ukulele, thank you.

 

[Cluze]

In the end, they're all funny guitars, aren't they?

Nah. They're all just really weird lutes!

 

[Paul1973UK]

For such a friendly community y'all discriminate a lot haha

Hi, My name's Paul and i love Ukulele's (even if they are a bass)... but i love Banjolele's MORE! 🥰
(Please don't shun or evict me)

 

[ElvishParsley]

Nah. They're all just really weird lutes!

Seriously whacked-out ouds?

 

[Ed1]

Nah. They're all just really weird lutes!

Yep. As has been pointed out in the past, there are no ukulele police. So, if there is no ukulele justice department, I'm guessing there is also no ukulele legislative department. Isn't the ukulele just a Renaissance guitar?

A ukulele by any other name would sound as sweet.

 

[Jag-Stang]

I suppose as I started this topic, here is what I get from it. A U-bass much like many other instruments is a bastard coming from two different parents, much like the banjo when it combines with other instruments for instance a banjo mandolin is part of two instruments, as is the banjo ukulele or the more current term banjolele. These instruments are bastards they are not pure bred but they certainly are still instruments. They take on parts of other instruments but are I suppose the “mutts” of the instrument family. We still love them they just aren’t pure breds.
It becomes a which came first the chicken or the egg question. Plenty of opinions but no clear answers.