Cheap Fretless Bass Ukulele - Batking UBass Review

Cheap Fretless Bass Ukulele - Batking UBass Review
Batking bass ukulele review and demo.
Batking (brand) / Musoo (Amazon) / EastenSound (Ebay) are the company that I bought my "Pinky" solid body bass ukulele from.
I have been given this fretless ubass to review as a free instrument but on the understanding that I could give an honest review and no video would be produced if I felt the instrument did not meet certain standards.
Features of Batking bass ukulele:
Unlined Fretless Bass Ukulele
F Hole & Cutaway Design
Standard 1/4" input & balanced XLR connection
Cheap Fretless Bass Ukulele:
00:00 Batking bass ukulele intro and review statement
00:54 Where has this cheap ubass come from?
02:30 Fretless F-Hole Batking bass ukulele - are they worth it?
03:20 Playing a fretless bass uke
03:53 Bass ukulele specs and features
08:07 Suggestions for improvements to bass ukulele and more specs
09:40 Adding a strap to the bass ukulele and plugging into amp
10:14 Demo of the cheap fretless Batking Bass Ukulele
13:47 Look at tuner and ukulele inbuilt EQ
16:11 Does it play well or is it playable?
17:17 Bass ukulele case / gigbag
17:42 Conclusions and my opinion on the cheap fretless ubass
Website: ukulele.wales/
T-Shirts & Merch: www.redbubble....
Ukulalien Play Along Channel: / ukulaliensukuleleclub

[@TADASHIYOSHIDA-jx3fd]

Very beautiful and clear pronunciation ! And good play & comments. So very easy even for me, Japanese ! With the review and promotion by you, I could understand how the bass is good but cheap. I decided to buy it. Thank you very much !!

[@UkuleleWales]

Thank you very much! 😊

[@Cederuiter]

I fell in love with this fretless bass ukulele and wanted one after watching your review. It was then at around € 150.00 on Amazon. I didn't buy it then and recently I looked it up again. It was now at € 230.00 (about 200.50 Pounds). I decided to get it now, before the price would rise again... Today I received it. I went to my regular guitar store (they sell a few ukuleles as well as many guitars) and asked them to put the strap button on the neck and put in the batteries of the pre-amp. The man who does repairs and changed the batteries was quite enthousiastic about this cheap bass ukulele. He asked me how much I payed for it and when I mentioned the price he said that that was really a bargain and definitely worth the money. I have to get used to fretless, but I thought if double bass players and cello players can do it, as well as violinists, I should be able to do it too. The dots on the side of the fingerboard help a lot! I really love this beautifully looking instrument and I have been playing already and it is not as difficult as I thought. I also like the weight of this bass. It is quite a bit lighter than my fretted bass (J&D). Thank you very much for this review!

[@UkuleleWales]

So glad to be helping and really good to hear your guitar store were impressed by it too. You’ll get the hang of fretless, it’s just all about listening to what you are playing. Have fun with it. 😎

[@michaeljanikowski3740]

Very nice review. I have a Kala ebony fretless U-Bass, and this one seems to sound just as good at about half the price. Thanks.

[@UkuleleWales]

Cool, Thanks Michael. Yes, the sound from it is very good considering the price. I'll have to do a proper comparrison with my Kala fretless.

[@MariUSukulele]

In my experience there are quite a few of these 'no-name’-low-budget U•Bass replicas out there that are more than decent instruments! And not just for a beginner! Fair game, thorough review. I said it before, you are a good speaker! DANKE from 🇩🇪

[@UkuleleWales]

Thank You MariUS, yes it is hit and miss but there are some great low budget instruments, I just wish they were consistent in quality. Greetings to Germany. 😊

[@dangerman4749]

most thorough presentation ive seen on any instrument. have been thinking of buying a uke bass for some time. many thanks.

[@UkuleleWales]

Thank You Frank, so glad it may have inspired you. I do love looking at different instruments.

[@LukeMaynard]

What a fantastic review. It's not often people take this much time and care with "budget" instruments, but it's very VERY helpful for those of us on limited budget who only need an instrument like this on occasion. Your sound setup is great too. It's not just there to maximize how good this can sound. It preserves the negatives too, which I really appreciate. As far as standup bass alternatives go, this is a very nice cheap alternative to the Gold Tone fretless minibass with the same sort of strings for about twice as much. One thing I will note is that it doesn't naturally sustain like a full size double bass; how could it, at this size? If you are keeping this, or if viewers want to try one, I think having a nice compressor pedal between the bass and the amp would really make a world of difference in terms of giving it the right sustain, as well as evening out some of the volume differences in the strings, if any. Right now Strymon are doing some very nice top-end digital compression pedals. They're big, and beautiful, and very expensive. But something like the 4-knob Keely compressor, which is hugely common and much cheaper, might do the trick too. Thanks for the review!

[@UkuleleWales]

Thank You Luke for your lovely comment. I’m glad you appreciate the reviews, I know some people are not so keen on the cheaper instruments but I do feel it is very important to give a good honest review of them as it is often someone’s first instrument. Yes, as an double bass player myself I totally agree about the sustain, I do sometime us a compressor but I tried to avoid using pedals for reviews so I’m giving the true instrument sound. I’ll have to dig my pedals out as I seem to have ignored them lately! 😊

[@anapaolaizquierdo]

I got one for my bday. It’s my very first ubass. I’m so glad you find it ok. I had some doubts but now I’m confident it was a good affordable choice. Thanks a lot.

[@UkuleleWales]

Great to hear Paolo, hope you are enjoying playing it. I think for a chaper bass it's a great buy.

[@loree3212]

Nice to see a fretless, advantages, disadvantages? Appreciate all the bass videos!

[@UkuleleWales]

I was about to say great idea for a video Loree then remembered I've actually done one! LOL In summary though, fretless harder to play because you have to be very precise where you put your fingers down but fretless also (to me anyway) sounds so much more like an upright bass. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqbCi3h9ZtCHrdU

[@will2Collett]

I like that the pick up is under the bridge/saddle. It sounds smooth and so cool. Nice, very nice.. Thanks so much.

[@UkuleleWales]

Glad you like it! 😊

[@NOTshaneplaysbass]

just bought this one on amazon. the unlined fretless and F holes are very attractive!

[@UkuleleWales]

Congrats on the new bass. Yes it is a real looker with the plain fretless fingerboard! 🥰

[@sharronbdavies]

Great honest review Rach. I love the look of it, might take a look at putting it on a wish list 😉 xx

[@UkuleleWales]

Put it on the wish list Sha, seriously, you'd love it. Hope you are feeling much better now, been thinking of you. xx

[@patrickmchenry5525]

Great review….going to pick one of these up now and try it out. Thanks!

[@glynluff2595]

I have been asked to comment on cheap bass Uke. This excellent video has been forwarded .

[@UkuleleWales]

Glad to be helping, Thanks 😊

[@hegemonycricket2182]

Thank you for the great review! I am looking for a fretless bass uke but i dont necessarily want to spend a bundle. I like the XLR out, nice feature. Sounds like a winner!

[@UkuleleWales]

Glad it was helpful and even though I think the price has gone up a bit, I still think it’s a great bass! 👍

[@spinnersue17]

You're spoiling us with videos this week Rachel x

[@UkuleleWales]

LOL, Thanks Sue. Piling them in whilst I can.

[@spinnersue17]

@@UkuleleWales 😃

[@drewmackillop]

Just ordered one on eBay your review was perfect thank you 👊

[@UkuleleWales]

Hope you enjoy it! 😎

[@ning_cai]

Always love your ubass videos... this one indeed looks very much like my Journeyman!

[@UkuleleWales]

Thank You! Yes it does look very similar to the Journeyman, has yours got the roundwound strings?

[@ning_cai]

@@UkuleleWales yes indeed... I got it just this year and it seems they've phased out the original rubber strings!

[@matttondr9282]

Nice review, thanks! This definitely looks and sounds lovely for such a cheap instrument.

[@UkuleleWales]

It really is Matt, I was nicely suprised by it. Plus it is a looker too!

[@jeffknighton6599]

Cool review, very thorough. Appreciated the Jaco!

[@UkuleleWales]

Thanks Jeff, glad you enjoyed.

[@RobVespa]

Thanks for the review. This has a nice sound. I'm going to look through your videos to see if there's a bass ukulele/short scale bass that you recommend above others. I love that this sound isn't far removed from a double bass. All the best.

[@RobVespa]

My fretless bass ukulele arrived! Now I need to buy a battery for it... I rewatching this video to see if you mention the battery type. Aside: Mine cost more, it doesn't have an XLR port and the fingerboard has small fret lines painted on it (they're faint and only a centimeter or so long from the left side). Ah. The bass I received doesn't take a 9V. It takes a small round unspecified battery (the compartment seems quite cheap and somewhat flimsy). I've written Batking, but haven't heard back yet. If anyone else out there happens to have the same model and would let me know what battery it takes, it'd be appreciated. Solution (courtesy of KZbinr Rich Evans after a search): Place two CR2032 batteries in the compartment, both with the plus (+) side facing up. I never would've guessed this in a thousand years!

[@UkuleleWales]

Glad it was helpful! First question really is what type of bass are you looking for. Rubber strings? Metal strings? Electro acoustic> Solid Body? Magnetic pick ups or piezo. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. 👍

[@shirld1946]

Sounds great. My electro-acoustic is similar to this bass. Mine has f-holes and the cutout. It's a Hadean that looks a lot like the Kala Mahogany Journeyman. It's good to know the brand name of the "pinky". If I ever want a solid body bass I'd love that one.

[@UkuleleWales]

Very cool, I didn't realise Hadean did one of these too, I'll have to take a look. Musoo Pinky also comes in yellow I think, just sayin!

[@shirld1946]

@@UkuleleWales Yellow is good too!

[@loree3212]

I have 2 Hadean basses plus the Kala. The Hadeans are very nice for the price and play well.

[@MusicalJeanAz]

I have the Hadean that looks similar to this. It wasn't fretless but I took all the frets off so it is now. Didn't like fret buzz with frets on a ubass. Love it now. Nice review.

[@TheNMbluegrasspicker]

That thing is amazing looking

[@adrianevans1764]

Just bought one - 117.99 - no longer have the balanced output and 9v battery. Just two watch batteries. Wood not as dark looking as yours. Action a bit high up the top of neck but overall very good value.

[@UkuleleWales]

Glad you are happy with it Adrian and interesting to hear they have removed the balanced output, a real shame.

[@markbartlett7553]

Fantastic review thank you ! In fact it was so good I'm going to buy one !!

[@UkuleleWales]

Glad you enjoyed and hopefully you are now an own of a bass ukulele.

[@MrHunte87]

Nice to hear Birdland. This ukelele reminds of the Kala U Bass Journeyman. Its would be great to compare them both if you have one.

[@UkuleleWales]

Unfortunately I don't have a Journeyman but aggree they do look very similar and would be great to compare. LOVE Birdland, one of my all time favourites.

[@MrHunte87]

@@UkuleleWales based on your great review I'm going to buy the bass you reviewed. I have a Musoo 5 String already and love it.

[@stuartpplace6502]

they do the same in fretted too. nice vid content.

[@UkuleleWales]

Yes they do. Not bad at all for a cheaper brand. 👍

[@julesV1223]

Fun to watch, Rachel. Fretless Bass Uke ("The Batking") vs. Pinky ("The Batqueen"). I think Pinky the Queen wins by a fret! But then, I do have a bit of a thing for Pinky, as you know. LOL

[@UkuleleWales]

Loving the name battle names! Think Pinky wines by about 12 frets though just for coolness factor. Cool looking Batking mind!

[@bluzikmusic]

Thanks for the review. When you tested each string I though the A string was slightly quieter than the others.

[@UkuleleWales]

I did notice a very slight difference but when I changed the strings I pressed firmly down on the saddle where the A string sits and it seemed to solve the issue. 👍

[@stoneyrunva]

Love your videos in spite of the background flashing numbers over your laptop.

[@UkuleleWales]

Thanks, apologies if the decible reader is annoying, it does help though to give an idea of the sound volume sometimes.

[@duncanbarker1885]

Thanks for the review of this u bass. I picked one up at the weekend and haven’t put it down yet. Diolch Yn Fawr

[@UkuleleWales]

So glad you are enjoying the bass, I really do think they are excellent value and love mine too! Diolch by fawr iawn 😊

[@ukulelainer2238]

Cost today in US on Amazon - Batking fretless ubass, 30 inch, Electric Acoustic Bass Ukulele With Gig Bag -$175.99 dollars Cyber Monday Deal on Amazon today 11/28/22.

[@UkuleleWales]

That was a good deal.

[@billmumbo2697]

Looks good value. I cheat! mine has fret markers and I've deliberately grown my stomach to exactly the correct proportions so the ukulele tilts to just the right angle thus allowing me see the fret marks (but don't tell anyone else!)...sssh!

[@UkuleleWales]

Bill, again you are on top form young man, although I suspect I could say the same thing about resting the bass! LOL

[@TenFalconsMusic]

These have shot up in price and are now £200 in Amazon. 😯 I was keen to get one straight away as £125 sounded reasonable, but I have to pass on it at it's new price.

[@UkuleleWales]

Totally agree, they have shot up in price. £125 was a great price, I would have my doubts when they are much higher.

[@tobiasware]

Love the shape. I don't know about going fretless though, I don' trust my ears!

[@UkuleleWales]

Fretless is scary Tobias without a doubt! Very cool shape though I and I do love the fact it is completely unlined - even more scarier! LOL

[@brockshirley9846]

Just bought a batking and love it. Wondering if you have any videos on getting a good tone through an amp? P.S. Love your videos!!

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi, I have done this video a while ago about getting better tones on your bass generally. I'll try and look at amp tones in the future. Thanks kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGGzYXyQnrmVgrs

[@donnahill6663]

I really appreciate your videos. Thank you so much! About this particular bass ukulele, in your string comparison video you mentioned you may move the thunderbrowns to your "nice kala ubass" indicating you do prefer that instrument over this one. Is this because the kala is a better bass and, if so, is this because of cosmetic reasons or sound & playability reasons? I looked for a comparison video & couldn't find it. Sorry if I simply missed it.

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Donna, the Kala is a better bass ukulele as it has a better pick up / eq system but actually cosmetically I prefer this one. I have put the Thunderbrowns on the Kala and unfortunately had a bit of an accident with this bass so need to repair before I put more strings on it . 👍

[@donnahill6663]

@@UkuleleWales Thank you!

[@kingstumble]

Very good and useful demo. Just one point: Do the side dots align with where the frets would be if it had any(!), or are they in the spaces between the frets as they would be on any fretted bass--or guitar?

[@UkuleleWales]

Thanks. The dots vary on fretless, in this case they indicate where your fingers should be (roughly) but I have other fretless basses and the dots are where the frets would normally be. Just need to check when you start playing different ones.

[@nortbulinga]

i love the look of this fretless 🦇🦇

[@UkuleleWales]

I agree, I think this is a great looking bass, I love the plain fingerboard.

[@TheQuietpanda]

Lol when you sayd f hole I fort you was being rude but then looked at where you was pointing lol

[@UkuleleWales]

LOL!

[@cchavez248]

What does shamai shammai?? mean?

[@UkuleleWales]

Hello, how are you. 😊

[@LarryKohlruss]

THe difference un high end cnabge on the EQ, will be more noticeablr, depending on strings. With rubber strings, I highly doubt you would hear much. Siver wound, you wound brights, you would hear the most. It would be the same as on the guitars I have had. Although, I have not used rubber strings. The rubber, I would assume, would mute and bright sounds.

[@UkuleleWales]

Great comment Larry. TBH, I normally ignore the inbuilt EQs on the basses and use the amps to dial in a better tone.

[@rolandjullin]

Hi Rachel, thank's for this interesting review. Do you know if left-handed model is avaible ? Best regards from France

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Roland, I don't know of a lft-handed version of this bass but I do know there are LH versions of other basses. will let you know if I hear of one in this model.

[@frankjost3750]

As an Upright Player, I naturally combine my Ring Finger with my Pinky. I'm trying to use them separately on a Bass Guitar, but haven't mastered it. I noticed that you use them together. Does that cause any issues?

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Frank, no. I tend to play the bass uke with exactly the same fingering system as I do upright bass. I do only have little hands but I’m fairly sure I could reach the notes but having played bass for so long I don’t really intend to change now and have no issues playing this way.

[@davewebb9452]

My bell brass resonator is called Pinky. We should find someone with pink drums and start a band.

[@UkuleleWales]

I'm up for that Dave! LOL

[@annaboada7093]

I thought about getting this one last December, but when they told me it was fretless and without marks I got scared (never played bass before), and went for my black B-stock Kala Journeyman instead (gig bag not included). I wonder if they all come from the same Chinese factory, LOL! I love the shape, they are very comfortable to play. I wish there was a white one, but I definitely love mahogany.

[@UkuleleWales]

Probably the right choice if you hadn't played bass before Anna, I would always recommend starteding with a fretless unless you are used to playing other string instruments such as violin or cello. I'd love to know if they are coming from the same factory, interesting though as I don't think Kala does an unlined fretless. Does the Journeyman have an XLR output, I could see one in pics?

[@annaboada2865]

@@UkuleleWales no, it doesn’t have it. I bought mine directly from a Chinese factory, and I recall seeing pictures of other ubasses models, including this fretless one.

[@rajgill7576]

Is there a fretted equivalent to this? Also seeing the same product her existed some places for $60 brand new or $150-$200. I'm assuming the $60 has to be a scam

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Raj, I haven't seen any that cheap so I would be very wary of those. Kala do a Journeyman which is very similar to look at and is fretted but it is more expensive, normally around £300. kalabrand.com/collections/journeyman/products/journeyman-u-bass I'm not aware of a fretted version in this make.

[@iHeartUkes]

Love your videos sister!

[@UkuleleWales]

Thank You, much appreciated.

[@judithporche4778]

I play soprano uke and tenor uke would I have any trouble finding notes as it is fret less. I have ordered one on e bay

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi, it is a very different instrument to play compared the soprano and tenor ukes, the main thing is with a fretless, is listening to every note and because of the small scale, it does need to be accurate but it is certainly possible. Please feel free to ask away if you have any more questions.

[@rob1733]

Sorry if this has been answered.. There are so many comments! This U Bass is still good value. Any chance it can be used acoustically, say accompanying a guitar around a campfire?

[@UkuleleWales]

You can hear it acoustically but it may be a bit quiet for an acoustic guitar outside as they are not very loud acoustically. 👍

[@rob1733]

@@UkuleleWales Thank you! I've bit the bullet anyway. Can't wait to try it out!

[@markragsdale5862]

Thank you for the great review! I just ordered one! However, upon visiting the Aquila site, I am unable to locate the strings. Do you have a source or any ideas? Cheers!

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Mark, here is the link to the Aquila site - aquilacorde.com/musica-moderna/corde-ukulele-basso-ashbory-bass/

[@doghouse010]

Thank you for your video! Can I ask does this have a truss rod in the neck?

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi, no this bass doesn’t have a truss rod. I definitely wouldn’t put metal strings on it either.

[@thewonkyembouchure]

I just took receipt of my Batking fretless, and unlike Rachel's iteration, a truss rod is hidden under a small wooden cover (three screws) on the headstock.

[@Cederuiter]

@@thewonkyembouchure Thanks for this comment. I was wondering what that three screw thing on the headstock was for (I received my Batking today).

[@thewonkyembouchure]

@@Cederuiter You're welcome! I just replaced the Batking strings with Aquila Black Thunders. The Aquila's have a firmer tension and feel less sticky. Changing them was tough on the fingers; a firm stretch was required. Enjoy your playing!

[@davidbrown9132]

Hi ima bass player by trade and have a fretless. I recently bought a pono uke and i love to play along vids you posted. They are helping so much. Im now wanting to sell my acoustic bass and get a ubass. Im looking to spend around £2-300. Could you give me any advice ? Regards David

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi David, fab to hear you are enjoying your Pono uke. Kala are probably the largest seller of Bass ukuleles and have quite a few models in their range. I'll post a few links below to various bass / uke / music shops just to give you an idea. Most have the rubber strings but some do have nyloncore roundwounds. Please feel free to ask if you want more info. www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Kala.html www.southernukulelestore.co.uk/shop-by-size/bass/ www.gear4music.com/Acoustic_Guitars/Bass-Ukuleles

[@mynameisnotcory]

Watching this while listening to some weather report in the background lmao😂

[@UkuleleWales]

Great comment and taste in music too!

[@adolfovy]

Excuse me what is the tuning on this U bass?

[@UkuleleWales]

Like a regular bass guitar - E A D G 👍

[@LowCMusiq]

Is it normal to get a lot of fretboard buzzing? Just got one of these and the amount of buzzing when playing lower notes is just too bothersome

[@UkuleleWales]

Not sure where the buzzing is coming from as there are not frets on this model. Could it be something loose or do you think it’s the strings?

[@LowCMusiq]

@@UkuleleWales It was coming from the strings rattling against the fretboard, specifically when pressing lower notes. Fixed it by elevating the saddle, and changing strings. Thanks!

[@ccaa7674]

Does something like the Ubass exist that is full size bass? Basically an acoustic bass with these special kind of strings.

[@UkuleleWales]

Great question, not that I am aware of apart from the Ashbory bass but I am going to look into it and will answer you in an upcoming "answers" video.

[@ritastern1680]

Thank you, for the video. Do not need a amp to play a bass uke?

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Rita, it is possible to play the bass uke without an amp but it is very quiet compared to say a guitar or regular uke. Great if you are just playing at home by yoursefl but difficult to hear if any other instruments are playing too.

[@rafbass]

Interesting. I didn’t like the low end. It seems distorted in a negative way to me :(

[@UkuleleWales]

It is a cheap bass ukulele and these were the original strings. Not the nicest sound but I don't recall them distorting too much, have you listened using headphones, always better for bass. Might be worth having a listen to the same bass but with Thunderbrown strings. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH3Lh2yJhbipgpo

[@totallySafeUsername]

The fretless is so cool! Do you think I could put round wound strings on it and play at a campfire with no amp? Sorry, it's a big ask.

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi, honest answer is I don't know. The bass doesn't have a trussrod so that would make me a little concerned. I know kala use round wound (nylon core) on their journeyman u-basses which are a similar model to this but they do have a trussrod. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[@Theslavedrivers]

@@UkuleleWales Yes - the other U-Bass authority out there (Stephen Cox) says the same - only change to roundwound if there is a trussrod.

[@stephenmaycock2901]

I'll take a look for a fretted version. Has anyone got one as it is certainly in my budget

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Stephen, I don't think I have seen a fretted version of this model, but if I do come across one I'll let you know.

[@FedSentōJūJutsuMex]

Hola, que tipo de batería usa?

[@UkuleleWales]

Hello the ukulele needs a 9v battery 👍

[@mikec2660]

is bass ukulele tuned the same as regular bass ?

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Mike, yes, exactly the same as bass.

[@judynpeterjones3307]

Not a bass player, but that does sound good!

[@UkuleleWales]

Thanks Peter, I agree.

[@Garyu712]

I want to buy a cheap UBass for my 2yrs old son, is it good choice? I’m playing Sire bass but never touch UBass

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Gary, possibly 2 years old is maybe a little bit young. If you mean 12, it's a great smaller bass instrument, I would say though that for a beginner, a fretted bass is probably a little easier to master first.

[@jayplayzhomeforgamers2edit366]

Hi miss

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi Michael, hope you are keeping well. See you in school.

[@Finland0_0]

epic

[@UkuleleWales]

Thanks

[@Finland0_0]

:)