Hadean Acoustic Electric Bass Ukulele UKB-24

This feels like a nice instrument to have for its portability. The sound is clear and the right volume for an intimate setting. As a beginner, I learned bass with this first, then bought a full-sized, six-string, electric bass. I always describe that as going from driving a sedan to figuring out a semi-truck. I play with both now. The ukelele is much easier, but has a little less versatility. The synthetic rubber strings run out of energy, ergo sound, much faster than wire, coiled strings (four second notes at the longest). People will remark at the tone and pitch of the strings because of their rubber band quality and how deep they actually sound for the small size—most people like it.I always play mine sitting down. When plugged into an amp, the audio cable doesn’t necessarily get kinked or jammed. Most of the time I play mine acoustically.An ukulele shoulder strap would be a nice-to-have (I don’t have one), but only necessary for playing while standing.It’s a good buy. I may have just gotten a different wood stain or color.

I requested a return. I printed the label. I boxed the instrument. Then, I had second thoughts...When I opened the box, I noticed that the batteries had already been inserted. The strings were taut. The instrument was in relative pitch. The A string was starting to have double winds on the post. (That happens where tightening the string fills up the post and the further tightening is possible only by having the string wind on top of itself.) All of this together screamed, "REPACK!" Which was a little off-putting, but the instrument seemed clean, so what-the-heck...just go with it. Then, I turned on the tuner, which didn't respond to any of the strings. And that led to the first three sentences of this review.But...something prompted me to have another look. I stuck my hand inside the sound hole. The connections seemed solid (although I can;t be sure that things didn't shift a bit). And for no particular reason, I used a clip on tuner to tune the instrument. I found that the tuner was working fine once the strings were in the neighborhood of where they were supposed to be. So, if you get one whose tuner appears to be non-responsive, try using a tuner, app, or website to get a rough tuning and then see if the tuner comes to life.These first impressions aside, It's a very nice instrument. It sounds great unamplified. Mine is very resonant. However, like any instrument made of wood, there can be dramatic variation If yours sounds like mine, you'll be thrilled. It sound fine amplified, too! :-)Minimal fret buzz. I've played another brand that was nothing but fret noise that I apparently mistakenly attributed to thick strings and a short scale. This instrument has the same strings short scale, but minimal buzz.If you can handle any initial speed bumps you might encounter, you'll end up with a fine instrument.It has been reported that the backs of all Hadean bass ukuleles have a panel that can be used to access the strings for easy string changes. This one has the panel. However, it is held on by 4 screws that are not flush with the back. They're rough and scratchy. It shouldn't be a problem, but personally I'd rather forego the panel for a smooth back. Kala holds its panels on by magnets, but I can understand why Hadean uses screws at this price point.A NOTE ABOUT THE STRINGS: When Kala first released their U Bass, there were many reports about tuning pegs snapping when the strings were double wound around the post. There has been plenty of time since then for the problem to be corrected, so it may be that this is no longer an issue. I corrected my double winds by, for each string in turn, loosening it to remove it from the post, clipping the end, and rewinding. (In retrospect, I'm sorry I didn't take before and after photos.) However, for all I know, this may have been totally unnecessary.

I purchased this uke bass as an experiment. This was, at the time, the least expensive uke bass on Amazon. When it arrived, I was not impressed with the packaging (all cardboard boxes), but the bass was undamaged despite a few dings on the box. The instrument itself is, I think, rather pretty. The preamp/tuner came with batteries. It sounded pretty good in acoustic mode, but I was unable to get either the built-in tuner to work properly, and no signal was getting to my amp.After changing batteries, I opened the bass (it has a nice access door on the back) and checked wire connections. Everything seemed solid. I contacted the seller, Rondo Music, and they gave me the option of returning the bass or having parts sent to me for a DIY repair. I opted to have them send me a replacement preamp and bridge pickup. The replacement parts arrived in three days, I installed them, and voila! it works fine now. Thanks for the good customer service!I am generally pleased with the sound and construction. The notes are true up to the 12th fret. The Aquila strings feel good and play well. This is NOT the greatest uke bass in the world, but for the price, it is an EXCELLENT value.

Sweet little bass. I make my living playing music and I tell you, I really love this little bass. Plugged in shes got a rich, sweet, big bottom end and once you get used to the tactile difference of the strings- playing a full size bass seems lesser somehow. My opinion, anyway. Theres a little adaptation needed because the strings are crazy pliable... so accidentally bending out of tune is easily done... the onboard tuner isn't as sensitive as I would like but it certainly does the trick on the fly. Over all it feels decently made and very much worth the low price. Intonation and set up are decent out of the box. The string tune slower than traditional basses... they have a ton more stretch and give so reaching your tuned note takes more twists than what you're used to. That's not a fault of the bass- but the nature of the type of strings it uses. On a side note, It has made my 7 year old daughters desire to play bass a reality as well. I think, someday I will upgrade to a pricier Kala and happily give this one to my daughter. Seriously though, well worth the coin spent and a fun addition to any musical menagerie 😁