Kala Nomad U-Bass Demo and Review

[@angel-fc5dr]

absolute gold and super helpful ! gonna buy this instrument

[@stephencoxbass]

I'm glad I could help! Thanks for watching!

[@Elwooddudes]

Only had a go on one of these once… when I was buying a bass cab, someone kid my left this bass to plug in, to test the cab out…. It felt so fun all round! And sounded cool. Think it’s finally to buy one 🙂

[@stephencoxbass]

I remember the first time I saw a U-Bass, I didn't plug it in and kept thinking "Why would someone want this?" It wasn't until a friend of mine brought his fretless Rumbler to a show and let me play it for a minute that I really understood how cool the U-basses are.

[@prestonh.4436]

Very nice U-Bass! I also ordered Victor Wooten's transcriptions book.. Can't wait to learn a bunch of his songs!

[@stephencoxbass]

That's an awesome book! I still use it from time to time.

[@prestonh.4436]

@@stephencoxbass I'll probably try to learn a few and then take a break... My hands will probably hurt so bad 😂

[@stephencoxbass]

@@prestonh.4436 Start with the intro to Amazing Grace. It's not bad, you just have to be accurate with the harmonics. His bass is tuned up a 4th for that one, but just play it as written. It will technically be in a different key than his performance, but it will sound correct on its own.

[@prestonh.4436]

@@stephencoxbass Amazing Grace is in there? I LOVE that arrangement!

[@mikemcqueen990]

Great video

[@stephencoxbass]

Thanks for watching!

[@SethIzenzon]

Great Review as you always do. Round Wounds on the Wander to differentiate the two? I wonder if the price is going to go up on the Wanderer as a result? I will tell you I do like the look of the Thunderblacks on the Nomad. I also like the color of the Mahogany finish on the Nomad vs. the Wanderer. I know the Thunderblacks are just a color change vs. the regular gut strings so we'll see how the redone Wander looks with the Metal Round Round strings. I do love that they use the Rosewood accents and the Bone type nut. As far as the Tuner/Preamp, it's the same one I have in my Donner just labeled Ubass vs. Ukulele. with that said 3 things. 3 Quick Thought Type Things. LOL. 1) If this Nomad was available even at the regular list price point when I bought my Donner back in the fall of late summer of 2019, I would totally have bought the Nomad instead. 1) Even though my Donner is allot more fancier as far as the look in having an actual rosette and Binding, for the Thunderblacks (the look at least), and the fact that this model has a Truss Rod alone would be a reason, and 2) The quality of an actual Kala Ubass vs. Donner in general. 2) I wonder if Kala will ever make a Ubass Model that is offered with a set of the Flat Wound Metal Strings out of the box if you will eventually. They do the Round Wound. Why not the Flat? Interesting Question I would pose to them if nobody has already? 3) Is the person that runs the Kala Ubass line a Gypsy? LOL. What's with their model naming scheme LOL? Wander?, Journeyman?, Nomad? I feel like if I own one of them, I might as well be some kind of backpacker refugee going place to place, playing town to town, like they sing about in some of them Country type Western songs. LOL. My Donner and my OscarSchmidt by Washburn just have Model Numbers. No fancy model names as well as model numbers like the Kala Ubass's have, si I have to name them myself.LOL. With that said maybe on one of the live streams we should think of names for your Ubass's beyond the model names and maybe make a contest out of that? LOL. Allot of Musician's give their instruments names. If Willie Nelson can name his main Guitar he plays "Trigger"; if B.B.King can name his main Guitar "Lucille"; the possibilities are endless LOL. This could go so many wrong ways or be completely clean LOL. I'll start :) For your Personal Red Journeyman with flats I like the name "Betty". Thought? LOL. I'll see you Thursday on the Live Stream whatever you have planed. Even if it's just another no real plan one of them Questions and Hang live streams. Those are always spontaneous and depending on whom is in the room besides me, those can go in any direction and be as long as the short hour, or even longer as most have been these days. Finally: Cheers :)

[@stephencoxbass]

Hey Seth, Does the Donner not have a truss rod? I never knew that before...I would have guessed it would have one. I agree that making a line with flat wounds would be awesome! I hope they do that one day. As far as the travel name scheme...I think it makes sense: U-Bass is often marketed as a portable alternative to upright bass, so it's for bassists wanting to travel. And you're right...even the Scout fits the name scheme! As far as naming the U-Basses, maybe that would make a good live stream! Thanks as always for watching. Cheers!

[@SethIzenzon]

@@stephencoxbass As far as I can tell, My Donner does not have a Truss Rod. I wish :( My Oscar does. :)

[@AnotherAlly]

I just watched another video of yours...the Journeyman. These sound great.

[@stephencoxbass]

Thanks for watching! Which one is your favorite so far?

[@AnotherAlly]

@@stephencoxbass I like the Journeyman red/orange look. Love the Mahogany look, too. I'm a guitar player recording at home and a nice sounding compact fretboard seems very enticing. Wish I could try one out locally to see if it's for me.

[@AnotherAlly]

And the fact that it can generate sound unplugged is great for practicing.

[@stephencoxbass]

@@AnotherAlly It's certainly a good idea to play one...they take a bit of getting used to due to the piezo pickups. All of them amplify string noise like on an acoustic electric guitar, so you have to EQ it out or play very intentionally. It's not too bad, but it is noticeable.

[@AnotherAlly]

@@stephencoxbass Thanks, for the advice. I've had an electric/acoustic guitar for decades...Washburn... made in the USA (an older model), so I can appreciate the nuances of an acoustic instrument. I like the idea of its compactness. My hands aren't huge, so anything smaller will be easier to play for me.

[@Hic_Rhodus]

Stephen your KZbin channel is a treasure trove! Can I ask... is it possible (and straightforward) to put flatwound strings on the Nomad in place of the rubber strings?

[@stephencoxbass]

Thank you, Hic! It's possible to put flatwounds on the Nomad. The only issue that might happen is with the nut: it may leave the strings with slightly higher action than you want. I would try it without altering anything first, but you may need to alter or replace the nut to have a better string height for the flats.

[@Hic_Rhodus]

@@stephencoxbass 👍

[@rasmillion]

Check graph-tech out, they make a nut for this I am sure.

[@blarkey]

Hi, Appreciate your videos. Just bought one and like it. But the action gets quite high going up the neck, so would challenge you on not needing truss rod adjustment. Wrote to Kala and reply was "generally the action is 3.5-4 mm at the 12th fret". Will try to adjust, but hope buzzing doesn't start.

[@stephencoxbass]

If you adjust it, make very small adjustments at a time. I wish you luck.

[@palashchoudhury5565]

ThankQ

[@stephencoxbass]

You’re welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@vn5197]

Hi! Thank you for your helpful reviews of the Kala series 😊 Do you plan on doing one for the Scout?

[@stephencoxbass]

You're very welcome! At the moment I am limited to what U-Basses are in stock at Uke Republic. If they get any Scouts in, I will. Thanks for watching!

[@vn5197]

@@stephencoxbass Oh, I see! I've decided to get myself a Nomad (your input has been very helpful!) and I was curious how all the others compared. Looking forward to an update when/if it becomes possible! Cheers 😄

[@stephencoxbass]

@@vn5197 The next one I have coming up in 2-3 weeks is the Ohana bass ukulele in the background of this video. Thanks for tuning in, and congrats on your Nomad!

[@vn5197]

@@stephencoxbass Thank you! And awesome, I'll definitely be checking that out!

[@tedrkillian]

Hi! I just bought one of these and I have a pressing question. Is it possible to switch to flat-wound strings on this instrument? I am pretty happy with it as a basic entry-level instrument. But, I am finding the "rubbery" strings to be kind of problematic. I do not want to put more strain on the neck and bridge than they can stand. But I think that I really would prefer strings that I can slide around on without pulling them out of tune. What do you think?

[@stephencoxbass]

As far as I know, the flatwounds will work just fine on the Nomad. Thanks for watching!

[@ChulLeeSung]

Can I change the strings to D'Addario strings for the GS Mini Bass? I'm considering this affordable model, but the sound of rubber strings is not to my liking

[@stephencoxbass]

Kala and a few other brands have round wounds specifically made for u-bass. I recommend using ones specially designed for this scale length. Thanks for watching!

[@rebeccamyers7483]

How does it compare with the Kala bamboo ubass? Have you done a video on that model?

[@stephencoxbass]

The Bamboo model has a slightly brighter tone. Between the two, I liked the Bamboo better, but both played well. Here's my review of it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnKWioWKnpifeZo

[@rtharrington6]

@@stephencoxbass I had the very same question, so thanks for your answer @stephencoxbass . I'm not able to get my hands on the two in person to compare until about 2 weeks from now. It sounds like you like the tone of the bamboo better, but I'm also curious what's your take on size, playability compared across these two. Also, would it be worth spending a bit more for one of the other Kala models? I'm already a ukulele player, playing mostly on a tenor, but have never played a bass.

[@hide1986]

Which kala ubass would you recommend? Including fretless model😊

[@stephencoxbass]

I’m not sure if there’s just one, but one I like a lot is the fretless ebony model with flat wound strings. Thanks for watching!

[@OlaOla-so3il]

Thank you for your great videos! Can you do a review please just play each ubass after each other please?🙏

[@stephencoxbass]

That’s a cool idea…which models, they have so many!

[@SteveV74]

Hello, I just got this bass as a gift from my wife, this will be my first Uke bass…any advice on strings? Are there different brands and gauges? Are Kala strings the only ones available?

[@stephencoxbass]

There are Aquila strings if you like the polyurethane ones. They have several: Thunder reds, thunder blacks, thunder guts, and thunderbrowns. Galli strings worked with Kala to make the flatwound strings, and Galli also makes nylon round wounds. As far as metal round wounds, Kala isn't the only brand, but they are the only ones I've tried so far. As far as gauges, there are some options...but what I know is mostly from one string type to another (flatwounds are a bigger gauge than round wounds, and polyurethane are the biggest). One thing to note is that you might need to alter or replace the nut if you change string type. I have a U-bass intended for round wounds, and had to file the nut under the E string to make the groove wide enough for the flatwounds. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching!

[@juanfelipearteaga9022]

Hello bro first of all your content is amazing. I have a question. I bought a Kala Nomad like the one in your video but I want to change the strings for metal ones (Ka-bass-4). Would I have a problem with it?...would my U-bass be damaged?...should I make any changes to my U-bass to change the strings?...thanks for the answers bro.

[@stephencoxbass]

Thank you! You might have to switch the nut out and potentially adjust the truss rod, but it should not cause damage. You could ask in the Ubass Freaks Facebook page if anyone has replaced these strings on that particular model to see if they have any suggestions. Thanks for watching!

[@peedrowchan-man102]

Hey Steven, thanks for all the great reviews you do on U-basses! Around 2/3 through the video you said that with the Nomad, they fixed the issues with the Wanderer (gut strings). I am interested in the wanderer with round wound strings as you mentioned. Do you know if that newer version has any of the issues you spoke of?

[@stephencoxbass]

I bet the issues I referred to wouldn't affect the round wounds at all, but I imagine they have improved the Wanderer as well. It mainly had issues due to the lower tension causing a wider string vibration that hit the frets. Thanks for watching!

[@peedrowchan-man102]

@@stephencoxbass Response appreciated! Thanks for all the variety of styles of playing you compare as well. I am not seeing any flat wounds for sale, but I think I’ll be happy with the Wanderer with Rounds. Cheers!

[@stephencoxbass]

@@peedrowchan-man102 I hopeyou enjoy it! Cheers!

[@johndobbins1105]

What amp would be best for a ubass with rubber strings? I bought my first ubass three years ago and ended up selling it within a few months due to the squeaking string noise. I bought a Nomad last week and I really want to amplify it, but I don’t want it to sound like crap. Any suggestions would be much appreciated

[@stephencoxbass]

It's more about the eq settings than the amp as long as it's a bass amp. I recommend turning the high/treble knob down a lot to get rid of some of the string noise. I found that putting the flat wounds on mine got rid of almost all the string noise.

[@rastabooze9668]

Hello. Do you need less power to press the strings with the Thunderblacks than with Round Wound Strings?

[@stephencoxbass]

Yes, the polyurethane strings are all easier to press than the metal strings. Thanks for watching!

[@rastabooze9668]

@@stephencoxbass thx man!!

[@johndobbins1105]

Are the Kala flatwounds compatible with the nomad?

[@stephencoxbass]

Yes, though Kala recommends replacing the nut.

[@olivierchateau6802]

Hi, Not a good english, sorry. Which flatwound is compatible with the nomad u bass ? Gallistrings EADG? Ty for all u bass vidéo ;)

[@stephencoxbass]

The Galli/Kala Flatwounds should work great.

[@olivierchateau6802]

@@stephencoxbass thank you very much for your answer and vidéo u bass.

[@sotunesmusic]

Hi. Just wondering which uke bass to get? Do you know if theres much different between the Nomad and the Scout and which one would you recommend? Thanks

[@stephencoxbass]

Sound wise I doubt there's much of a difference, although I have yet to play the Scout. It has a cutaway, though, which is nice if you plan on playing the highest frets much.

[@prestonh.4436]

Been thinking about buying this bass. Thoughts?

[@stephencoxbass]

It's a good one, very bassic (pun intended) and straight forward. What are you wanting out of it compared to your current one?

[@prestonh.4436]

I’ve got a Hadean and a Journeyman with flat wounds. The Hadean is a good instrument but the Kala will be better quality. Plus U-Basses are just awesome.

[@stephencoxbass]

@@prestonh.4436 I think the Hadean and Nomad are fairly similar. The Nomad will be a bit better, but it might be good to have a fretless U-Bass or one with a fairly different set of strings.

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

I'm starting a new job soon, maybe I'll be able to afford a Kala U-bass for Christmas with my salary.

[@stephencoxbass]

I hope you can!

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

@@stephencoxbass thank you very much

[@avielp]

The accoustic sound is REALLY nice. All the amplified sounds...I don't care for that

[@stephencoxbass]

I think it’s pretty good over all, but nothing beats the acoustic for sure. Thanks for watching!

[@steve69xd51]

BASS

[@stephencoxbass]

U-BASSically get the idea!

[@steve69xd51]

@@stephencoxbass HAHAHA

[@skywipe1949]

@@stephencoxbass Nice one. 😁

[@bartmuz]

slapping on ukulele - as always sounds poor

[@stephencoxbass]

For someone who doesn't like slap on ukulele, you sure do like leaving comments on my videos :D I don't mind, though. Thanks for watching!

[@bartmuz]

@@stephencoxbass cause I like all other expression / articulation U use - except of slapping - for slapping i definitely prefer normal bass gt :-)

[@stephencoxbass]

@@bartmuz Thank you! I agree that on full scale bass I enjoy the sound of slap a bit more, but I still enjoy it on the U-Bass as well. What is your favorite technique on U-Bass?

[@TheBenweber]

Sorry, can’t watch with the mask Lol

[@stephencoxbass]

I'm sorry you find it so scary.

[@michaelbrohl1625]

Why ?

[@louiem337]

You introduced this demo without a face mask on in the beginning then you put one on when you started to play the instrument, really? What's your point? SMH

[@stephencoxbass]

Some of the filming was done while another person was in the room, some was not.

[@Palatard]

@@stephencoxbass ROFL

[@michaelbrohl1625]

What's YOUR point ?