Post by Wrnchbndr on Jul 31, 2022 22:45:11 GMT -5
Been lookin at U Basses for a few years and even built a couple of experimental instruments workin from the concept of the Taylor GS Mini using their very unique strings made by D’Addario. I have never been a fan of buying an instrument on the internet and have no sympathy for those who do and end up not liking them or finding them less than what they should be. You should pick one up and play it to determine whether or not there is a potential to actually love it. You should also never buy an instrument from a store with a promise that they’ll set it up later.
All that geezer grumpiness aside, I just bought a micro (ukulele) bass off of Amazon for not a lot and its actually a decent instrument. Its the “Donner DUB -1 30 inch Acoustic Electric Bass Ukulele Mahogany Body w/ Gigbag. I gotta say that its significantly more than I expected. It has the correct tuning machines for the weirdo rubber strings. It has a basic yet correctly unique piezo bridge pickup to use with those rubber strings. It even has a dual adjustable trussrod in the neck - probably not necessary and you seldom see a trussrod in any ukulele but its got one. Its not set up poorly either. My only complaint is that the output jack doesn’t hold the plug as firmly as I’d prefer but I can fix that with a Switchcraft jack if it bothers me enough. The output from string to string is reasonably balanced. The problem with knock-offs of Kayla U Basses and many less expensive acoustic basses is that in order to make the piezo sensitive enough, with a regular piezo, you end up with lots of noise any time you tap or even touch the top with your fingers. The better instruments find a way to isolate the piezo to the strings and minimize noise from the top. The cheaper piezo and preamps also have really wild untamed dynamics making you should really sloppy. I suspect that there is a bit of compression happening either on purpose or by accident.
I’m just sharing that I got a really good instrument for not a lot. Its a U Bass that I’m gonna have some fun with. I have no idea what the quality control level for this company is so your results may vary. For the money involved I took a chance and got lucky. I might buy another one.
If you’re curious about a U Bass, play one at a local music store. Its a unique bass that has a few quirks that require adaptation.
All that geezer grumpiness aside, I just bought a micro (ukulele) bass off of Amazon for not a lot and its actually a decent instrument. Its the “Donner DUB -1 30 inch Acoustic Electric Bass Ukulele Mahogany Body w/ Gigbag. I gotta say that its significantly more than I expected. It has the correct tuning machines for the weirdo rubber strings. It has a basic yet correctly unique piezo bridge pickup to use with those rubber strings. It even has a dual adjustable trussrod in the neck - probably not necessary and you seldom see a trussrod in any ukulele but its got one. Its not set up poorly either. My only complaint is that the output jack doesn’t hold the plug as firmly as I’d prefer but I can fix that with a Switchcraft jack if it bothers me enough. The output from string to string is reasonably balanced. The problem with knock-offs of Kayla U Basses and many less expensive acoustic basses is that in order to make the piezo sensitive enough, with a regular piezo, you end up with lots of noise any time you tap or even touch the top with your fingers. The better instruments find a way to isolate the piezo to the strings and minimize noise from the top. The cheaper piezo and preamps also have really wild untamed dynamics making you should really sloppy. I suspect that there is a bit of compression happening either on purpose or by accident.
I’m just sharing that I got a really good instrument for not a lot. Its a U Bass that I’m gonna have some fun with. I have no idea what the quality control level for this company is so your results may vary. For the money involved I took a chance and got lucky. I might buy another one.
If you’re curious about a U Bass, play one at a local music store. Its a unique bass that has a few quirks that require adaptation.
