Of the various bass ukuleles which one would be the best without an amp?

JohnRC

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I have been reading a lot and watching videos and have a pretty good idea of the limits of an unplugged bass ukulele. But I would like to be able to practice and play at home without an amp.

I get the impression that some are better than others at this but do not have a clear idea of which one.

If I go in this direction are there any drawbacks?
Thanks,
John
 
You're right about the limitations of these small basses played without amplification. I have the original Kala U-Bass and it can keep up with maybe one ukulele strumming along, but with any more than that it will go unheard. As you say, it suffices well for practicing by yourself.

When I bought mine, Kala was the only option on the market. By now, there are several less expensive brands that are basically just plain copies of the Kala. And then there are a couple of brands that offer something a bit more original. These are the ones that I'd have a closer look at:

- Aquila ShortBassOne: similar to the Kala U-Bass, but with a bigger body and a longer scale

- Taylor Mini-Bass: similar dimensions as the Aquila, but with steel strings

- Ohana Bass OBU-22: steel strings and a 25" scale

I assume that due to the steel strings, the Taylor and Ohana have a bit more power. But one of their problems is that they use proprietary strings that may be hard to replace.

Good luck with your search, let us know what you end up with.
 
My Chennel Archtop by Jazz box ukes is the best I've heard unplugged.
 

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The Rondomusic.com acoustic bass ukes will work just fine. I bought one recently and use it without an amp all the time to practice. They run about $150 to $180. www.rondomusic.com, then type bass uke in the search box.
 
Any of the Kala or Rondo Acoustic/electric are loud enough to practice with. I like the Original Ubass sizes (20" scale) with Road Toad Pahoehoe strings for the mellow upright bass sound. The Ohana and other steel wound string versions might be louder, but have a more electric bass sound, it's "sharper".
 
I have an Ohana OBU-22. It has a very nice full acoustic tone. I like it better now with the custom flat-wound strings, which get rid of the round-wound string noise. They were very costly.
 
The Rondomusic.com acoustic bass ukes will work just fine. I bought one recently and use it without an amp all the time to practice. They run about $150 to $180. www.rondomusic.com, then type bass uke in the search box.

Curious: have you tried the Donner? It looks like Caramel is out of the bass uke business.
 
Curious: have you tried the Donner? It looks like Caramel is out of the bass uke business.

I was tempted to try a Donner, there were some for under $150 on ebay a month ago. But, I found a good deal on an older Kala Exotic Mahogany.
 
I was tempted to try a Donner, there were some for under $150 on ebay a month ago. But, I found a good deal on an older Kala Exotic Mahogany.

Looking up Donner, it has to be from the same Chinese factory that makes the bass ukes that Rondo imports.
 
Thanks to all of you for your input.
And season's greetings to you.
John
 
Little late but one thing I believe is that any hollow bass ukulele that you can hear well unamplified will have loads of feedback when you do amplify it. I had to put foam in mine to control the blooming booming! You need very little volume to practice in a quiet room by yourself.
 
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