Kala Exotic Mahogany U-Bass & Strings Review
Kala U-Bass Review
Round Wound vs. Rubber Strings
Overview
In this review, we will look at the pros and cons of the Kala Exotic Mahogany U-Bass with Kala silver round wound strings. As an added bonus, the second video on the right will compare metal round wound strings to the traditional rubber strings.
The Pros
This U-bass is a very good looking instrument! The exotic mahogany creates quite an appeal with it’s stripes and texture. The biggest pro of this U-Bass compared to others is that you can order it with either round wound or rubber strings. For someone switching from electric bass guitar to U-Bass, round wound (metal) strings are very similar and take little getting used to. They can be slapped and tapped with ease and support harmonics very well. If you opt to order this U-Bass with rubber strings, you can expect to hear a warmer tone compared to the brighter metallic round wound strings.
The “Shadow” pickup in this U-Bass works very well and supports a lot of low end when plugged in. The U-Bass also comes with a built in tuner and a padded gig bag with backpack straps.
The Cons
Although these strings (round wound) are easy to adjust to, they still have 2 quirks: They roll when you try to bend them; and the E and the A strings are hard to slide on. The only other con is that in a live setting, the shadow pickup seems to lack midrange: It has plenty of lows and highs, but the mid range limitations make the tone a bit thin sounding.
The Bottom Line
I would recommend this U-bass for bass players switching over to U-bass (or looking for a portable alternative to the bass guitar), for ukulele players looking to play some bass lines, and for children interested in playing any bass guitar type instrument. The ease of playability makes it versatile for all ages, and the round wound strings provide a solid sound that has an upright bass tone quality.
Street Price: $399.99
Amazon Links
Kala Exotic Mahogany U-Bass (Includes: Gig Bag & Built-in Tuner)
Kala Exotic Mahogany U-Bass Bundle (Includes: Gig Bag, Tuner, & Polishing Cloth)
Kala Round Wound U-Bass Metal Strings
Kala Rubber U-Bass Strings
Article by: Stephen Cox