Ashbury Bass Ukulele - anyone got any experience with them?

[Mornats]

I tried a Kala bass uke up in Newcastle over Christmas and though it sounded immense and was fun to play. The £450 pricetag was a bit much for me to handle though. Wasn't too sure about the sticky rubber strings though.

So, I popped into my local Hobgoblin and saw an Ashbury Bass Ukulele: http://www.hobgoblin.com/local/products/GR35060/ashbury-bass-ukulele/ - had a go unplugged and it was real nice. Had a nice double-bass ish sound. They're only £199 too and come with flatwound strings.

Anyone got one and reckon they're worth it?

[Mornats]

I tried a Luna bass ukulele yesterday and it was absolutely rubbish, especially when compared to the Ashbury so I'm suspecting that the Ashbury is quite decent.

[sarah thomas]

These: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashbory_bass are the business, IMO. You should be able to pick up a second hand one for about £100. I went from ukulele to one of these and then onto the wardrobe.

[kristo]

So are they tuned like a Ubass, or are they an octave higher to be played with Ukes? I like the look of these but thought it was a rebranded version of this:

http://www.southernukulelestore.co.uk/Product/843/Kamoa-E3E-Bass-Ukulele-Brown-with-Active-EQ-and-pod-case

[Marc S]

I had an Ashbory (note the different spelling, with the "o"), like Sarah mentions
I really didn't get on with mine though
I didn't like the rubber strings

The E used to pop out of the nut (so I wrapped an elastic band around it, just beyond the nut)
But it went out of tune all too easily
Never really got on with the intonation either - but maybe that's just me

It did have a very big sound though, and was pretty DB-like

If you go for one of those Ashburys for £199 - let us know how you get on
I'd like something as a really small, porable travel bass - so I'd like to try one myself......

[Mornats]

I much prefer the look of the Ashbury over the Ashbory basses (the latter look like malformed toys to me - sorry!) but I've not played an Ashbory bass.

So so far I've had a go of a Kala u-bass (very nice to play, nicely built and sounds immense) but I hate those rubber strings.

I tried the Ashbury bass that had flatwounds on and built quality and playability seemed up there with the Kala with the added bonus of having nice strings. It sounded great too but I've not played it plugged in yet.

As I just mentioned I also tried a Luna u-bass which was simply dreadful (and at £250, more expensive than the Ashbury). It had a cheap gloss finish to it, played awful and sounded poor. It did have a P width neck on it which some may prefer but I felt was wrong on an instrument that was so short.

All of them are tuned as a u-bass (EADG) and not as a uke and I'd plan to play one as a bass substitute.

So I'm still leaning towards the Ashbury as a grab-n-play instrument at home that I can jam along to music with without plugging in and without disturbing the neighbours. I could probably record it through my condenser mic too, as well as through plugging it into my audio interface.

I'm still struggling to justifying the expense of one but I'll let you know how I get on if I do buy one.

[gjones]

By the way, the Thomann bass ukuleles are in stock once more.

[oggiesnr]

I have taken the plunge and bought an Ashbury Bass.

I thought long and hard about it as it's not a true bass being an octave higher (there's a reason for those horrible plastic strings on the Kalas etc) however as I intend to use it with a Uke group it does its job.

Build quality is good as is the amplified sound however it is also loud enough to play acoustically with a number of other ukes without an amp. It sounds like a bass not a guitar and is playable through any of the small guitar amps (Roland micro box for example) but also works with my Ashdown. On mine the action is good and the intonation is true at the twelveth fret.

Being a folkie I just can't leave well alone so I'm actually tuning it DADG which means I can use it in a session as a melody instrument if I want to and that low D is awesome.

Overall well worth the price (even with the latest price hike).

[chris_b]

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1422646346' post='2675195']
I tried a Kala bass uke up in Newcastle over Christmas and though it sounded immense and was fun to play. The £450 pricetag was a bit much for me to handle though.
Anyone got one and reckon they're worth it?
[/quote]

Jon Banks of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain is holding one in the promo pics but doesn't seem to play one on gigs.

He gigs a proper acoustic bass guitar.

[casapete]

I've had my Countryman bass uke for nearly a year now, love it!
Plays (pretty much! ) in tune, sounds great and didn't cost an arm and a leg at £139.
Can't see the Kala being worth £320 more TBH. Great way of dipping your toe in the uke ocean.
http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Countryman_U_bass.html

[bassmansmith]

I know this is an old post, but I thought I’d state my experience for those that are reading this and thinking of buying an Ashbury. As other people have noted they are nice looking, nicely made basses. I had one for 2 years and thoroughly enjoyed playing it. However, sadly the tuning started to slip. Initially I thought it may be the machine heads but on further inspection the steel strings were pulling through the wooden bridge, damaging the bridge and body of the bass. The only way to repair it would have been to remove the back, which for a circa £250 uke bass wasn’t worth it. Sadly, I had to bin it.