Bass Ukulele

Bass Ukulele

The baritone uke was created in the 1940s and was the largest ukulele available for decades until the bass ukulele came and took the throne. These huge ukes actually resemble guitars and even manage to produce a similar pitch. While the baritone has a scale length of 19 inches, bass ukuleles greatly exceed that with models available which are over 21 inches long. Generally, a bass uke will have 15-16 frets but there are fretless versions available.

Road Toad is accredited with the first bass uke but few were sold because they were extremely expensive by the standards of acoustic instruments. When they were for sale, not many people knew where to buy them and those that located bass ukes were surprised by the price as they often cost around £500 or more. Add in the price of cases and the bass uke remained an unattainable instrument.

It seemed as if the bass uke would remain in existence merely as a cool novelty item until Kala created the uBass, a 4 string bass uke which is built on to a baritone body. This particular creation has a scale which is 20 inches in length and contains 16 frets in total. This is the ultimate travel bass ukulele and it meets all airline carry-on requirements.

An increasing number of bass ukes have polyurethane strings. Therefore, you need to be aware that the strings will feel slippery during your first few plays. Some ukes have strings that are up to 60% thicker than standard ukulele strings so playing this instrument could take some getting used to. Yet bass players know that thicker strings lead to a fuller and richer sound. Some ukes also have a removable plate which can be taken off to show the back of the bridge. This enables you to take the strings out after removing the bridge. You can now purchase a Kala uBass and similar bass ukuleles for less than £300.