It’s A RoguBass!

I came across THIS VIDEO on YouTube recently. This guy built his own uBass from a Rogue Baritone Ukulele, Pahoehoe strings, a Belcat EQ and some odds and ends.

For those of you that don’t know, Rogue is the house brand of online musical instrument retailer Musician’s Friend. They produce inexpensive guitars, basses and ukuleles in Asia.

This RoguBass is a valiant effort, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Also, it’s hard to tell how it turned out because the recording is terrible (with feedback and distortion throughout).

I give him an “A” for effort and “C-” for execution.

Kala Gets Pinned for Valentine’s Day

Kala’s Pinterest Boards.

Kala has opened up a Pinboard, joining the image-heavy social media site Pinterest.

The company now has 10 boards, including one dedicated to the uBass. It also features a board of uBass Players.

At this point, Kala has 164 Pins and 16 followers.

For those of you not familiar with Pinterest, it’s a social media site that enables users to post images and videos–known as pinning. Anything pinned (it could be your own stuff or something you find on the Internet) on Pinterest can be re-pinned by users. Anything that’s pinned is always linked back to the original source.

Check out Kala’s Pinterest boards and follow them. If you’re not a member, sign up, it’s free.

There’s a Rumble in Petaluma Tonight*

*With apologies to Brian Setzer and The Stray Cats

It looks like the new Rumbler uBass is having a major influence on Kala’s Acoustic uBass line. Apparently the entire line is being refreshed with the same EQ and tuner electronics as the Rumbler.

The company’s uBass Web Site sports the new models. Updated photos should get posted soon.

The original solid Mahogany uBass is getting the Rumbler electronics, as does the Exotic Mahogany model. The Hutch Hutchinson Signature also is getting the Rumbler electronics and tuner.

It’s nice to see a refresh of the uBass line. Since the Rumbler sells for $399, it would be nice if Kala would lower the price of the updated models. Though I doubt they will.

I’m looking to get my hands on a Rumbler soon. Then again the Hutch Hutchinson with an EQ sounds really, really interesting. It would be a nice compliment to my acoustic HH.

Hmmm…Decisions, Decisions.

UPDATE: According to Mark Milazzo, Kala’s Branding Manager, the entire line of Acoustic-Electric uBasses will be updated with Rumbler-like electronics – that’s EQ, Shadow pickup and tuner – for 2013.

The Rumbler, however, features slightly different electronics than the other models. Its electronics package is proprietary to Kala, Milazo said.

He also noted Kala plans to hold the line on pricing for the updated models. They should have the same street prices we see now.

Playing a Little Bass

Hutch Hutchinson, Abraham Laboriel, Bakithi Kumalo and Steve Bailey jamming at the Kala uBass Day.

Wow! Just, Wow!

This is what’s possible with a uBass in the hands of a master. And in this case, the uBass is in the hands of not one, but three, masters.

Check out this video from last month’s Kala uBass Day at the Berklee College of Music. Here, Hutch Hutchinson, Abraham Laboriel, Bakithi Kumalo and Steve Bailey jamming together with three uBasses and a Warwick six-string bass.

It’ll blow you away.

Kala to Debut New uBass Model at Winter NAMM

Kala Brand Music Co. plans to unveil it’s newest uBass model at the Winter NAMM show

The Rumbler. Photo courtesy of and © Kala Brand Music Co.

next week.

Called The Rumbler, the new uBass sports Silver Rumbler strings, a Mahogany laminate body and a built-in active EQ with tuner.

According to Kala:

The Rumbler design integrates a specially designed Kala electronic system with a Piezo pickup and is equipped with an active EQ with built in tuner. Each bass is strung with Kala Silver Rumbler Strings™ which are proprietary U-BASS strings designed and manufactured exclusively for Kala Brand Music by Aquila strings.

The new uBass also features die-cast uBass tuners, a Mahogany neck, Rosewood fretboard and bridge. It’ll come with a padded gig bag.

And the best part is it’ll sell for $399US.

New Chinese uBasses May be Coming Soon

A China-based guitar manufacturer called Legpap Co. Ltd. is poised to begin exporting its four acoustic/electric uBass models to the U.S. soon. The company, based in Guangdong, has been in the business of making guitars and Ukuleles for the past 11 years.

Legpap uBass Models. Photo © Legpap Co. Ltd.

While it exports all over the world, Legpap instruments have yet to make any sort of impact on U.S. shores. But with the success (and brand recognition) of Kala Brand Music Co.’s uBass models, it seemed inevitable that imitators would eventually follow.

Legpap has five models of uBass on its web site: the Mahogany Plywood UB-M1 NS and UB-M2 NS; the Koa Plywood UB-K1 NS and UB-K2 NS; and the Spruce UB-SS NA. All models are 20″ scale and feature Rosewood fingerboards, Nato necks and on-board Belcat UK-300t preamps. They also come equipped with Aquila Thundergut strings.

It’s hard to tell what the quality of these instruments are from just looking at the photos

Rear view of the Legap UB-K1 uBass

on their web site. And their uBasses look suspiciously like Kala’s acoustic uBasses–even down to the access panel on the back of the instruments.

But, hey, according to the company, they can create miracles and should be trusted:

LEGPAP will meet what you need, think of what you worry. It can create miracle for you.
LEGPAP would continually investigate the new products and provide the sincere service to you. Please trust us.

There’s no word on when (and if) these instruments will actually make it to the U.S. and how much they will cost.

And not to be outdone, Kala will bring at least one new model of uBass to the Winter NAMM show next week.

Stay tuned for more info.

New Forum Dedicated to the uBass Goes Live

We know you live and breathe the uBass. So you might as well just admit it.

If you love playing the uBass and want to discuss everything about it with like-minded musicians, the new uBass Forum is the place for you.

The uBass Forum is a dedicated discussion board for uBass players and those who like ukulele bass in general. We started the forum so we could have a dedicated forum to talk about all things uBass, without anything else getting in the way. And it’s nit restricted to just Kala uBass topics either. Anything  having to do with a ukulele bass from any manufacturer is fair game.

Forums include those dedicated to the Kala California Series, Kala Acoustic uBass, Kala S.U.B. Series, Strings, Repairs, Electronics, music and TABs, Recording and live gigging.

If you feel the need to speak uBass, then head on over to the uBass Forum and start a thread or two.

We are looking forward to some scintillating discussion about the uBass.