Looking for a solid body bass.

JohnRC

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I have been playing a GT MicroBass and liking it very much. However, the head/neck dive bothers me a lot. I also have rotator cuff issues that means I have to wrap my upper arm with an Ace bandage.

The newer ( 2016) Kala California u-Basses appeal to me. But they are very expensive here and I have not found one anywhere. There is an older one, used, chipped in one store and I played for a short time. I will take it home for a longer play later this week.

What I found very quickly was that the balance was great and comfortable. The fret board is much smaller than the Micro Bass but I think I can adapt to that. The shop will drop the price because it has been sitting around for a while.

What I am concerned about is that it appears from my reading in UU and TalkBass that the changes in 2016 were significant and make the U-Bass a much better instrument.

Is this something I should consider carefully. I know Kohanmike has modified one or several of his basses. Is it worth getting the older one or holding out for the newer one?
Thanks in advance, John
 
I always suggest looking at the Rondomusic.com solid body bass ukes, they're priced well and pretty good all the way around. Go to the site and in Search, type "bass uke" to see what's available now. They have shorter ones like the Kala, and 23" scale like the Gold Tone (which was my first bass uke), but not always in stock.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 3 acoustic bass ukes, 8 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. http://www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: https://www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
I don't have experience with solid bodies, but I think the older acoustic Kala Ubasses are better than the new ones...
 
I have and play daily, a pre 2016 Kala Cali Ubass. Play it in live music venues. I love it. Intonation is good. Has a great sound. I feel it is worth the money I spent on it. If I can sell the two acoustic ubasses I own I am planning on buying a second one with the metal strrings.
 
Currently Frustrated

I am also looking and trying to decide between two older 4 and 5 string Kala SUB solid body ukes both fretted or the Fretless Blue Hadean over at Rondomusic.com.

I do not like the stock stretchy rubber band strings on my acoustic so I am looking at if I get a Kala solid body I'd put the silver round wounds on it. If I decide on the Hadean Fretless I think I want a flat wound but I don't know if they are available for it or if such a thing is made for the U-Bass and if they would work. Does anyone know? I really like the idea of a fretless. This string thing is what is holding up my decision. Well, there might be another thing.

In solid body instruments, I am a BIG FAN of humbuckers. In fact, I am restoring a vintage short scale EB3 Gibson. I would like whatever solid body small U-Bass type (as in scale) instrument that has a pick up the most like a humbucker. I hate the Fender hum. Single coils drive me insane. I have no idea what a piezo, Misi, Shadow or Baggs pickup is going to sound like in a solid body. Piezo is in the Hadean the rest have been all used in the older solid body Kala U-Bass.
 
I've been using LaBella flatwound steel strings on a few of my Rondo solid body ukes. The strings are 25" scale made exclusively for the Gold Tone ME 23" solid body bass, but they work on any bass uke. In some cases I've added an anchor plate on the back to accommodate the extra length if necessary. https://goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldtone/accessories/mbls

If you want a sub-short scale with standard magnetic pickups, SmallGuitars.com has a P-bass style that I bought a few years and in my opinion, is a very good choice. It's 24.7" scale and comes with round wound strings, but I changed them to the La Bellas. I also changed the tuning machines to standard bass size, added fret markers and had it painted surf green by Pat Wilkins. https://smallguitars.com/catalog/540-1-2_size_MB2_mini_bass_guitar_for_kids_and_travel_sunburst

Small P-bass done 800.jpg



8 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 9 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
Mike, I bet you have the best collection of Ubasses in the world! :shaka:
 
I like what you have done. It is more my style. I play rhythm in a band. I use a 4-string LP Risa and an 8-string Airline mandola to uke conversion, both solid body steel strings with low G tuning. I'm using a Boss ME80, a G10 wireless, and a SubNup to drop an octave when needed. My bassist has a couple songs that are too difficult for him to play and sing at the same time so he wants me to pick them up. My acoustic U-bass causes tremendous feedback because I have two 400 watt Marshalls behind me. One is for my keyboard and synth and the other for the ukes. Stages are so cramped sometimes that I can see myself knocking everything over with my EB3 Gibson (which I love) but when playing ukuleles all the time it feels like a landing strip. If I get this solid body U-Bass or small bass the only feedback nightmare is my banjolele. I don't think there is a fix for that.

Thanks for the info. You have been very helpful!
 
If you’re thinking fretless, there is a Savannah available for $200 on talkbass right now. I can vouch for the seller as I got my Gold Tone ME from him. And you should be able to put the La Bella flats on it like Mike has done.
https://www.talkbass.com/posts/21736975/
 
What is wrong with the site, I replaced the image of my basses on the server I use but no matter what I do, the old image is the one that shows in my post. I refreshed the screen, deleted and re-uploaded the image my server checked and it's the correct one, I've deleted the link and re-did it, I've deleted the post and remade it, it's not in the Manage Images section only on my server, I've logged out and back in. THIS IS AGGRAVATING!!

Hey, it finally replaced the image about 10 minutes later. Is that what's happening now, what a pain in rear.
 
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Mike, I bet you have the best collection of Ubasses in the world!
I'm kinda thinking so myself. Not to hijack the thread, but in case anyone is inspired, here's my collection of sub-short scale basses.

Bass Collection All 900.jpg



8 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
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Thanks, Jim Hanks! I just saw this. I had already sent him a PM I wanted to know overall length and weight. It puts it in the same price range as the Hadean when shipping is added. Right now I am torn between all three because I am really intrigued with fretless. Is it wrong to want a fretless that sounds like an electric? The SmallGuitars.com P-bass in black is still in the running with round wounds but I think I need to find bass tuners like Kohanmike. They look like 1970ish old style Schallers. I definitely would have more money in the P-Bass but it sounds so good. I wish I could listen to the Hadean and the Savannah with the flat wounds. Neck dive is a concern. I know he said the Savanah has it. Does the Hadean or the Small P-bass have a problem with neck dive?
 
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Thanks, Jim Hanks! I just saw this. I had already sent him a PM I wanted to know overall length and weight.

It puts it in the same price range as the Hadean when shipping is added. Right now I am torn between all three because I am really intrigued with fretless. Is it wrong to want a fretless that sounds like an electric?

The SmallGuitars.com P-bass in black is still in the running with round wounds but I think I need to find bass tuners like Kohanmike. They look like 1970ish old style Schallers. I definitely would have more money in the P-Bass but it sounds so good.

I wish I could listen to the Hadean and the Savannah with the flat wounds. Neck dive is a concern. I know he said the Savanah has it. Does the Hadean or the Small P-bass have a problem with neck dive?
I'm not seeing a PM from you HighD. The SmallGuitarsP-bass is 31.5 inches full length and about 5 pounds, the Savannah Lightning is 33.5 inches and about 6.5 pounds.

If you want fretless electric, that's your prerogative.

I just realized the tuners on my P-bass were stock at that time. The new ones use guitar tuners.

My P-bass does not have much neck dive, but I always use leather straps with rough inside to hold the bass in place.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
Mike, I think he meant PM to my talkbass contact about the Savannah fretless for sale over there. We all know you aren’t selling any of yours. :nana:
 
Yes, I sent a message over in TalkBass. Your friend got back to me after I had finished reading up on fretless basses. I am now scared completely away from them. I need more hours on a regular bass or a U-bass or any kind of fretted bass. I have not given up but I am now going in the fretted direction.
 
Yes, I sent a message over in TalkBass. Your friend got back to me after I had finished reading up on fretless basses. I am now scared completely away from them. I need more hours on a regular bass or a U-bass or any kind of fretted bass. I have not given up but I am now going in the fretted direction.
Ah, I misunderstood. I actually had a fretless but lined acoustic bass uke for a while and although it wasn't that difficult to play in itself, I found it was awkward to go from fretted to fretless, and the bass was difficult to change strings, plus the neck was too wide, so I shelved it and bought a Hadean acoustic walnut cutaway.


8 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 10 solid body bass ukes, 7 mini electric bass guitars

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children's hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/videos
 
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