This thread is motivating me to try something I've been thinking about. I've got a Rickenbacker baritone guitar. I've been thinking of tuning it BEADGB (BEADF#B) and using it as a bass guitar with the uke group since the UKEs are pitched high enough that it would still provide a nice rhythmic floor. The bottom five strings would be used like a five string bass and the top two strings could be used to pick out some melody lines. I actually think a guitar pitched bass line would be quite nice paired with ukes.
Kamoa bass uke
- Thread starter ramone
- Start date
Tele295
Well-known member
I played one the other day, and re-tuned it in regular baritone intervals. Not sure what the actual pitches were, as I just tuned it to itself. It sounded pretty good that way, real nice for my fingerstyle tunes I usually play on my tenor.
Forestrung
New member
Alternative to the Kamoa
Hi,
I've been playing bass and uke for a few years now and I've played the Ubass and the Kamoa with a uke group.
The Kamoa is a really cool instrument, but I'd not call it a bass as such, it is definitely an octave higher than a true bass. However, you can play some pretty nice chords and diads on it. For playing acoustically they are NEARLY loud enough, but still need plugging in really. I'd recommend them if you already have a EAB or bass uke - but it just not quite the same instrument if you need a lower end sound.
By the way, Ive been building and selling bass ukes for a little while now. Just set up a website with video comparison with the Ubass - take a look:
www.buzzardsfieldbasses.co.uk
Let me know what you think.
(Have some fretted and fretless Kamoas on order too...)
Hi,
I've been playing bass and uke for a few years now and I've played the Ubass and the Kamoa with a uke group.
The Kamoa is a really cool instrument, but I'd not call it a bass as such, it is definitely an octave higher than a true bass. However, you can play some pretty nice chords and diads on it. For playing acoustically they are NEARLY loud enough, but still need plugging in really. I'd recommend them if you already have a EAB or bass uke - but it just not quite the same instrument if you need a lower end sound.
By the way, Ive been building and selling bass ukes for a little while now. Just set up a website with video comparison with the Ubass - take a look:
www.buzzardsfieldbasses.co.uk
Let me know what you think.
(Have some fretted and fretless Kamoas on order too...)
~dave~~wave~
Well-known member
This is an interesting concept that hadn't occurred to me, but worked well on the Kamoa when I tried it.
There are a couple of options for tuning.
Starting with the standard tuning of EADG, by dropping the top two strings a half step to E A C# F#, you have standard uke intervals, in "A" tuning.
The strings are high enough tension to do a dropped tuning to DGBE, baritone tuning (an octave down).
Works well for melody lines and arpeggios.
Strummed open chords sound a bit muddy, but are still in the range of the bottom four strings of a guitar.
Playing chord inversions further up the neck sound good to me.
I quickly found myself wishing the upper bout was cut away for better access.
The nickel flatwounds are comfortable, squeak free, with more sustain and volume than petrochemical strings.
