Uke Bass/U-Bass - Round Wound vs Rubber strings???

KevinTJH

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Are there many Uke/U-Bass players on this forum?

I’ve just picked up a Kala Journey U-Bass recently to add some bottom end elements to a ukulele rock album I’ll be recording.

I’m tossing between which strings to use.

Which do you prefer and why?


PS:I should add that I’m not aiming for it to sound identical to an electric bass guitar. The unique tone of a U-Bass is the main reason I’ve decided to use it instead as part of keeping the ukulele theme.
 
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I know that Kala now makes a U-Bass model with steel round wound strings yet they are not interchangeable with the regular polyurethane strings. You need to make sure you use the right strings on the right instrument.

The steel strung instrument is acoustically louder than the polyurethane instrument however its pitch is an octave higher than the polyurethane instrument. The polyurethane strings give the instrument a double bass sound while the steel strung instrument has much more attack yet an octave higher.
 
My main’s a 25” fretless GoldTone Microbass with Thunderguts. I really like the sound of the flooby synth-rubber strings, and that’s why I play mine. Others hate ‘em and only play wound strings. You’ll need to try to find your own preference. It took some time to get used to the feel, but now they don’t bother me. I’m playing slightly longer than typical uke scale so the tension’s a bit better there than on my 20” bass, and the instrument is still easier to manage than a full scale ABG. I don’t mind the scale length, but I don’t enjoy wrangling the body of a dreadnaught guitar, and a typical ABG is even bigger.

I really like the idea of the Journeyman, and I tried a round wound version in a store but just didn’t like the feel on a 20” scale instrument. I liked them better on a 23” Ohana, but preferred the synth-rubber sound. Again: YMMV.

As anthonyg suggests, the intonation will be different for flooby strings and metal-wound strings, so you may have issues switching to a different kind than your bass came with. In the other hand, ubass intonation is often a bit wonky in the high frets so you may not notice a significant difference in the money zone.
As anthonyg suggests, the intonation will be slightly different for rubber and for wound (not-steel: “metal” ubass strings are mostly nylon or similar core and won’t trigger a magnetic pickup).

The octave is the same contrabass tuning as a bass guitar for most uke bass strings regardless of material - E1A1D2G2. Luna defies convention and calls this a bari-bass. Luna tunes their wound string E2A2D3G3 version (same D3G3 as a baritone uke) a “bass”, but seems to be unique in this terminology. Another reasons friends don’t let friends buy Luna ;)
 
When I first started playing bass uke 6 years ago, I bought a Gold Tone GT MicroBass 23" that had Aquila Thundergut cream color polyurethane strings. I bought 23" because when I tested a Kala, I found it to be a little too small. I also found that the Thunderguts were "sticky" making them noisy too. In researching, I discovered Road Toad Pahoehoe black that are much smoother, but take longer to settle in.

As I accumulated more bass ukes, I tried a set of Pyramid round wound with nylon core, which Kala also sells, and no matter how carefully I played, I couldn't prevent them from rattling on the frets. I even tried a set of the recent release from another company, same outcome, so I will never use that kind. I actually don't like round wound, when I played guitar for almost 50 years before, I used flatwounds.


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 4 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 39)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
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I've tried a few different UBASS strings and bass guitars of all sizes in general.

My favourite to use on any UBASS style instrument are the original Pahoehoe black polyurethane strings.
Their downside is that they take a while to settle and stay in tune, but long term I prefer their warm tone and slick feel.

Other rubber string, such as Aquila Thundergut and those awful strings that come on an Ashbory Bass get rather sticky and hard to play well.
Aquila Thundergut has a stronger output tone and quicker to settle than Pahoehoe, but that sticky feel is a deal breaker for me.
And having to use powder like talc each time is messy and inconvenient.

I have limited experience with Aquila Thunder RED Bass strings. A 5-string set I had utilised a Red string from the thickest string while the other 4 were White. The feel of the Red string is quite slick and pleasant, but I have yet to try a full set of Reds only on an instrument.


As for wound or steel strings. If you want to use metal wound strings, just get an actual bass guitar.
There exists short scale bass guitars, like the Samick 1/2 size Corsair bass - and also some short scale acoustic basses out there from various companies.
 
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Thanks for the responses, guys!

The steel strung instrument is acoustically louder than the polyurethane instrument however its pitch is an octave higher than the polyurethane instrument. The polyurethane strings give the instrument a double bass sound while the steel strung instrument has much more attack yet an octave higher.
I’m a little confused why the poly strings would be a full octave lower in pitch. Aren’t they both the same thickness but just different material?
I really like the comparison video that this guy does of the two with a Kala U Bass:
https://youtu.be/AXaHMow4fxQ

As for wound or steel strings. If you want to use metal wound strings, just get an actual bass guitar.
There exists short scale bass guitars, like the Samick 1/2 size Corsair bass - and also some short scale acoustic basses out there from various companies.
I’m actually a little more inclined towards the “double bass” rubbery sound. The wound strings just sound too much like a regular bass guitar and I already have 3x 32-34” scale bass guitars so I didn’t really get the U-bass with the intention of having it sound similar to them.
The Aquila Thunder Red sounds tempting. Are they good quality poly strings?
 
Thanks for the responses, guys!


I’m a little confused why the poly strings would be a full octave lower in pitch. Aren’t they both the same thickness but just different material?
I really like the comparison video that this guy does of the two with a Kala U Bass:
https://youtu.be/AXaHMow4fxQ

There is a MASSIVE difference in thickness and mass between the polyurethane strings and the steel wound round strings with the polyurethane strings being MUCH thicker. After thinking about it I seriously doubt that you could even manage to mount them the wrong way around.
 
There is a MASSIVE difference in thickness and mass between the polyurethane strings and the steel wound round strings with the polyurethane strings being MUCH thicker. After thinking about it I seriously doubt that you could even manage to mount them the wrong way around.

Depends on what steel wound round strings you are referring to.
Standard bass guitar steel strings are tuned in the same octave as the standard polyurethane strings for UBASS instruments.

That being said, I am aware of 'non-standard' metal strings for UBASS instruments that tune the instrument an octave higher like a piccolo bass (or 4 lower strings of guitar).
 
Depends on what steel wound round strings you are referring to.
Standard bass guitar steel strings are tuned in the same octave as the standard polyurethane strings for UBASS instruments.

That being said, I am aware of 'non-standard' metal strings for UBASS instruments that tune the instrument an octave higher like a piccolo bass (or 4 lower strings of guitar).

Well the only steel round wound strings that I have seen on a U-bass style instrument were the piccolo bass strings . I have never seen regular steel bass strings on a U-Bass and I've seen a few starting with a Luna, recently a Kala and from memory there was one other , slightly longer scale uke bass that I played yet it still had the piccolo bass strings on it.
 
I know that Kala now makes a U-Bass model with steel round wound strings yet they are not interchangeable with the regular polyurethane strings. You need to make sure you use the right strings on the right instrument.

The steel strung instrument is acoustically louder than the polyurethane instrument however its pitch is an octave higher than the polyurethane instrument. The polyurethane strings give the instrument a double bass sound while the steel strung instrument has much more attack yet an octave higher.

The round wounds on Kalas are the same octave as Kalas with Pahoehoes, and a regular bass guitar. There's also a flatwound string available. The issue with changing from Poly to steel is that the steel strings are thinner, so the nut should be changed. Also, you may want to lower the action since the steels need less room to vibrate.
 
The round wounds on Kalas are the same octave as Kalas with Pahoehoes, and a regular bass guitar. There's also a flatwound string available. The issue with changing from Poly to steel is that the steel strings are thinner, so the nut should be changed. Also, you may want to lower the action since the steels need less room to vibrate.

Ok, well I stand corrected. I have played a steel strung Kala U-Bass and I remembered it being like the Luna U-Bass style instrument but maybe I'm wrong. The steel strings are still thinner than the polyurethane strings.
 
I forgot to mention that I've also used Aquila Thunder Reds, but they're only slightly less sticky and I find that color is important to me too, how well strings match the bass. I do use creme color Thunderguts on 3 of my basses because they match better than black Pahoehoe. So far the Thunder Reds, nor when I tried Pahoehoe bright Rasta red and yellow, looked right.

I also use solid metal flatwounds on all my mini solid body magnetic pickup basses and a couple solid body Hadean piezo under saddle, MBLS MicroBass that La Bella makes for Gold Tone. My favorite over all.
 
Ok, well I stand corrected. I have played a steel strung Kala U-Bass and I remembered it being like the Luna U-Bass style instrument but maybe I'm wrong. The steel strings are still thinner than the polyurethane strings.
Yea I believe it might be a different type of U Bass that you’re referring to.
I decided to take a photo of my Kala Journeyman next to one of my regular standard tuned bass guitars, and I’m beyond shocked that the Kala has even slightly thicker strings! I can definitely confirm that they are both tuned to the same octave.
My photobucket account has expired so I’ve attached the photo here instead.

I forgot to mention that I've also used Aquila Thunder Reds, but they're only slightly less sticky and I find that color is important to me too, how well strings match the bass. I do use creme color Thunderguts on 3 of my basses because they match better than black Pahoehoe. So far the Thunder Reds, nor when I tried Pahoehoe bright Rasta red and yellow, looked right.
Absolutely! I think the red strings would look great on my red U Bass.
So you would recommend the Aquila Thunder Reds for both sound quality and aesthetics?
 

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Absolutely! I think the red strings would look great on my red U Bass. So you would recommend the Aquila Thunder Reds for both sound quality and aesthetics?

I guess I wasn't clear, the Thunder Red color has not matched any bass I have, I used them for a short while because they came on the Aquila ShortBassOne I bought from Aquila and replaced them with steel flatwound. Actually, I just sold my Red Journeyman, but specifically used the Thunderguts because the creme color matched the binding so well. It came with the Kala round wound metal nylon core that I hated. I personally think the Thunder Red color clashes with the Journeyman red. I always prefer Pahoehoe over Aquila, the Thunder Reds and Thunderguts are only OK for me.

Kala My Journeyman 900.jpg
 
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I forgot to mention that I've also used Aquila Thunder Reds, but they're only slightly less sticky and I find that color is important to me too, how well strings match the bass. I do use creme color Thunderguts on 3 of my basses because they match better than black Pahoehoe. So far the Thunder Reds, nor when I tried Pahoehoe bright Rasta red and yellow, looked right.

I also use solid metal flatwounds on all my mini solid body magnetic pickup basses and a couple solid body Hadean piezo under saddle, MBLS MicroBass that La Bella makes for Gold Tone. My favorite over all.

Are the Thunder reds similar surface to the white thunderguts?

In my Aquila 5 string set, only the lowest B string was red. It had a satin, slippery feel, identical to Aquila red strings for Ukulele.
 
Off topic. I got rid of the U-Bass and got a Taylor mini-bass. I’ve been very satisfied with the GS.
 
Off topic. I got rid of the U-Bass and got a Taylor mini-bass. I’ve been very satisfied with the GS.

Likewise I got rid of my U-Bass and got a Hofner shortscale violin bass with flatwounds and haven't looked back :rolleyes:
 
Are the Thunder reds similar surface to the white thunderguts? In my Aquila 5 string set, only the lowest B string was red. It had a satin, slippery feel, identical to Aquila red strings for Ukulele.

I think the Reds are slightly smoother than the Guts and slightly thinner.
 
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