WAGWAD
Member
Anyone know what strings come on this bass?
Kamoa bass uke
- Thread starter ramone
- Start date
~dave~~wave~
Well-known member
^^^
Nickel flatwounds, like the classic bass guitars of the 60's.
http://ubassappreciation.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/the-new-kid-in-town/
The horse may be dead, but I'm going to say it again.
This isn't a bass.
It's either a piccolo bass or the bottom 2/3rds of a guitar.
Nickel flatwounds, like the classic bass guitars of the 60's.
http://ubassappreciation.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/the-new-kid-in-town/
The horse may be dead, but I'm going to say it again.
This isn't a bass.
It's either a piccolo bass or the bottom 2/3rds of a guitar.
And of course I had a hard strummer to keep up with last night. If you have someone who can play the guitar nicely, the bass baritone keeps up just fine. If you get paired up with a drummer/ guitar/ hero...the sound is just lost. Still, it is a pretty, full sound...totally different than a guitar. uBass comes out next week for the session!
bassfiddlesteve
Well-known member
I think this is an important point to get across. Calling it a bass is misleading. I assumed it was tuned like the U-Bass until I saw the demonstration video.
- Steve
quiltingshirley
Well-known member
I tried out a "bass" Kamoa at the store in Kaua'i last week and I just played regular chords with it and it sounded really good. Sam just gave it to me to try not plugged in so I could walk around. I was wondering if someone is already playing a bass role in Jam get togethers with a U Bass can the Kamoa just be played like you would another ukulele? I should have asked while I was in the store but I was too busy looking and trying everything else. I loved the sound and the strings were so easy to play.
UkeKiddinMe
Well-known member
I have logged many miles on the UBass. If anybody needs info or recommendations, PM me.
This is Not a bass.
A UBass, on the other hand, IS a real bass. That can do - anything.
Anyone here exploring the UBass world - do yourself a favor, throw the stock strings in the garbage, and
get some Aquila Thunderguts or Silver Rumblers. You'll thank me later. An unbelievable combination.
This is Not a bass.
A UBass, on the other hand, IS a real bass. That can do - anything.
Anyone here exploring the UBass world - do yourself a favor, throw the stock strings in the garbage, and
get some Aquila Thunderguts or Silver Rumblers. You'll thank me later. An unbelievable combination.
quiltingshirley
Well-known member
Maybe I'm asking the wrong question. I don't want a true bass, I just want a deeper sounding ukulele. Sorry for the confusion.
HeavyDuty
Active member
I'm primarily a bass player, and I think the Kamoa fills a need - it's a bass instrument relative to standard uke tuning.
Also, I happen to like the stock Pahoehoe strings, and so do most other UBass players. By all means experiment with different strings, but your comment is a little simplistic.
UkeKiddinMe
Well-known member
I was just offering encouragement to try the other alternatives. Yes, many people like the stocks. Usually those people, though, don't know about
the alternatives yet. The Aquila strings reach stability in a fraction of the time of the stocks, and they don't take a wrestling match
to put them on.
A whole lot of people who try the Aquilas never go back to the stocks.HeavyDuty
Active member
It is nice to have string options for the Ubass, I agree!
I was just offering encouragement to try the other alternatives. Yes, many people like the stocks. Usually those people, though, don't know about
the alternatives yet. The Aquila strings reach stability in a fraction of the time of the stocks, and they don't take a wrestling match
to put them on.
I have Thunderguts on my uBass and a spare set of Silver Rumblers in the case.
5150ukulele
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The Kamoa is essentially baritone uke, but instead of tuning same as the top four strings of a guitar, it's tuned to the bottom four.
A u-bass tunes the same as a bass guitar, using a baritone uke scale length and body.
So as a bass player, my perception is the Kamoa plays in the "piccolo bass" range, an octave above a "true uke bass."
Again, since it's tuned identical to a guitar, that's what it's going to sound like.
Bass players are frustrated lead guitar players, anyway.
I think I hear the potential of the instrument based on the video. I can imagine turning off the reverb, dialing in a more bassy tone and playing "real" bass lines on it.
But however real the bass lines, they would sound an octave above "real" bass pitch, right? Just like if a guitar were playing them.
Happens all the time. Why do you think there's a ukes for sale forum here?
Mim has a 14 day return policy, you pay return shipping, can't be more fair than that.
*****************
Good luck in your "true" uke bass journey, there's getting to be an embarrassment of riches in instrument and string options.
Speaking of which, have you tried Pyramid wound strings or any of the Aquilas on your u-bass?
What ~~dave~~wave~~ said .
Pretty much, IT'S NOT A BASS !
HeavyDuty
Active member
Pretty much, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
Think of the pitch of a bass relative to a guitar. Pleasing, right? The Kamoa is tuned to the same relative relationship to a uke.
5150ukulele
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Pretty much, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
Think of the pitch of a bass relative to a guitar. Pleasing, right? The Kamoa is tuned to the same relative relationship to a uke.
If it "Pretty much doesn't matter ", then I say call it a bariukecello . And I'll call my dogs a banana and my motorcyle a toaster oven . roflol
Nickie
Well-known member
I really like the idea of a radiused fretboard...if I can just learn to play my Ubass, and decide I really love it....hmmm
imperialbari
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I like the sound of the E3E demo video. I can play chords on ukes and guitars, but scalewise I think like a bass player. I like playing melodies on the UBasses because the strings are so kind on my old arthritic fingers. That goes for Pahoehoes, for Thunderguts, as well as for Silver Rumblers. I prefer the latter two for their better pitch stability, but there had been no UBasses, if not for the Pahoehoes.
PayPal helped me regain my money from a crooked eBay seller, so I could now buy the E3E, which is in a more melody relevant octave than the UBass. I even found an E3E for sale within the EU.
But I need to know what strings the E3E takes. I hardly can believe it takes standard flatwound bass guitar strings.
Wouldn't they be far too stiff to fret on the short upper frets?
The video suggests the E3E is easily fretted, but I really need very specific information about the strings. Also because I need to be convinced that I have easy access to replacement strings.
Fun seeing some guys known from other boards here also!
Klaus
PayPal helped me regain my money from a crooked eBay seller, so I could now buy the E3E, which is in a more melody relevant octave than the UBass. I even found an E3E for sale within the EU.
But I need to know what strings the E3E takes. I hardly can believe it takes standard flatwound bass guitar strings.
Wouldn't they be far too stiff to fret on the short upper frets?
The video suggests the E3E is easily fretted, but I really need very specific information about the strings. Also because I need to be convinced that I have easy access to replacement strings.
Fun seeing some guys known from other boards here also!
Klaus
pIUesso Latin
I just ordered the new Kala UBass Rumbler from HMS and it comes with Silver Rumbler Strings, the piezo pickup with active EQ and built in tuner...and it was a great price! I'm a bass player from way back and I can't wait to try out this little beauty! I always played short scaled basses (Gibson EBO and Fender Mustang) due to fairly short fingers. I think that this small bass and I are going to get along just fine! Also, getting old with a recent torn rotator cuff repair on one shoulder and pains in the other from a herniated disc in my neck, will make this little, light weigt bass a pure pleasure! I am stoked! :drool:
I just ordered the new Kala UBass Rumbler from HMS and it comes with Silver Rumbler Strings, the piezo pickup with active EQ and built in tuner...and it was a great price! I'm a bass player from way back and I can't wait to try out this little beauty! I always played short scaled basses (Gibson EBO and Fender Mustang) due to fairly short fingers. I think that this small bass and I are going to get along just fine! Also, getting old with a recent torn rotator cuff repair on one shoulder and pains in the other from a herniated disc in my neck, will make this little, light weigt bass a pure pleasure! I am stoked! :drool:
imperialbari
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Got my Kamoa E3E a couple of weeks ago.
Same dimensions as the acoustic UBasses but for smaller tuner buttons and (surprise!) a somewhat deeper body with a curved back. The UBass podcase cannot be closed fully with the E3E in it.
Feels a bit heavier than the solid mahogany and acacia UBasses.
Ordered a spare set of the original flatwound nickel strings. Their envelope tells the gauges to be .028, .040, .047, and .060.
Where the UBass strings that I know (Pahoehoe, Thunderguts, Silver Rumblers) don't cause calluses on the left hand fingertips, the E3E strings have given me quite noticeable calluses. The UBasses take exact finger positioning away from the fret to avoid a buzz, but they don't take much force to fret. The E3E calls for a much harder pressure on the string to get a clear tone.
The demo video emphasizes the melodic singing qualities of the two upper strings. Played over a bass amp (EBS Session 60) the low notes have a very warm and full bass quality.
To me there is some confusion in the nomenclature of this thread. UBasses (and bass guitars) are contrabass instruments. The E3E is a bass instrument able to cover most of the vocal bass range.
On their FaceBook wall Kamoa recommended me using an octave pedal to make the E3E work in the contrabass range. They chose the bass range with flatwound strings because of a better intonation compared to the synthetic strings in the contrabass range. I tend to agree. The octaves between the open strings and the 12th fret notes are way better on the E3E than on the UBasses. But then I have found the UBasses being much better in tune with themselves if I tune the 12th fret notes and then avoid any open strings, which all come out flat with this method of tuning.
Also contrasted to some complaints over the UBasses that their output is too weak at least my sample of the E3E has a huge output from its preamp. I was disappointed with the chorus type sound, when I first plugged the E3E into an amp with the same settings as for the UBasses. The TC preamp simply was overloaded.
Also plugging it directly takes care with the gain to avoid overloading.
I have put in a Fish&Chips equalizer pedal as first station with the sole purpose to attenuate the signal drastically. Doing this at the E3E volume slider brings it down where an unintended touch will shut it off completely. My ears also sense a loss of overtones with the slider in that position.
I don't regret buying the E3E, but I still have to find a good solution to the problem with more low frequent attack noise than from the UBasses. A low pass filter killing everything below 80Hz would be fine. And I haven't yet found the sweet EQ spot where the two lower strings sing freely around the 12th fret and the upper strings don't overload badly at the same time.
Klaus
Same dimensions as the acoustic UBasses but for smaller tuner buttons and (surprise!) a somewhat deeper body with a curved back. The UBass podcase cannot be closed fully with the E3E in it.
Feels a bit heavier than the solid mahogany and acacia UBasses.
Ordered a spare set of the original flatwound nickel strings. Their envelope tells the gauges to be .028, .040, .047, and .060.
Where the UBass strings that I know (Pahoehoe, Thunderguts, Silver Rumblers) don't cause calluses on the left hand fingertips, the E3E strings have given me quite noticeable calluses. The UBasses take exact finger positioning away from the fret to avoid a buzz, but they don't take much force to fret. The E3E calls for a much harder pressure on the string to get a clear tone.
The demo video emphasizes the melodic singing qualities of the two upper strings. Played over a bass amp (EBS Session 60) the low notes have a very warm and full bass quality.
To me there is some confusion in the nomenclature of this thread. UBasses (and bass guitars) are contrabass instruments. The E3E is a bass instrument able to cover most of the vocal bass range.
On their FaceBook wall Kamoa recommended me using an octave pedal to make the E3E work in the contrabass range. They chose the bass range with flatwound strings because of a better intonation compared to the synthetic strings in the contrabass range. I tend to agree. The octaves between the open strings and the 12th fret notes are way better on the E3E than on the UBasses. But then I have found the UBasses being much better in tune with themselves if I tune the 12th fret notes and then avoid any open strings, which all come out flat with this method of tuning.
Also contrasted to some complaints over the UBasses that their output is too weak at least my sample of the E3E has a huge output from its preamp. I was disappointed with the chorus type sound, when I first plugged the E3E into an amp with the same settings as for the UBasses. The TC preamp simply was overloaded.
Also plugging it directly takes care with the gain to avoid overloading.
I have put in a Fish&Chips equalizer pedal as first station with the sole purpose to attenuate the signal drastically. Doing this at the E3E volume slider brings it down where an unintended touch will shut it off completely. My ears also sense a loss of overtones with the slider in that position.
I don't regret buying the E3E, but I still have to find a good solution to the problem with more low frequent attack noise than from the UBasses. A low pass filter killing everything below 80Hz would be fine. And I haven't yet found the sweet EQ spot where the two lower strings sing freely around the 12th fret and the upper strings don't overload badly at the same time.
Klaus
bassfiddlesteve
Well-known member
I was just offering encouragement to try the other alternatives. Yes, many people like the stocks. Usually those people, though, don't know about
the alternatives yet. The Aquila strings reach stability in a fraction of the time of the stocks, and they don't take a wrestling match
to put them on.
I like the sound and stability of the Thunderguts but found them too sticky, so it's back to the stock strings for me.
- Steve
