NBUD

[tauzero]

Arrived today - a Batmanking bass uke, which looks very similar to the Ebay picture:

 

 

Also included: a soft case (as seen), adequate for avoiding little dents, and a hex key. I was a little puzzled by that, as Mrs Whelsh Ukulele Lady said in her Youtube review that it didn't have a truss rod, but they've obviously listened to her and put one in - or at least put a truss rod cover on, maybe there isn't a truss rod under it.

 

On top is a preamp section featuring a tuner (appears accurate), volume control, and 3-band EQ. Around the bottom is a socket plate with a 9V battery tray (battery not included), 1/4" jack socket, and XLR output. The strings are a different feel to the silicone strings on my Ashbories - not grabby like those are.

 

I've had an initial plunk around and tune up. It all seems nicely put together. If you shake vigorously, the cable between preamp and socket plate does bang around, but I don't think that's a particularly real world test. In these post-Harley Benton days, I suspect that expectations of budget/economy/cheap instruments have risen far beyond what they once were, and I'd say that this lives up to those heightened expectations. A tiny niggle is that there's slightly too much A string wound onto the tuner, so it's starting to overflow. I could do with taking about a turn and a half off. Also it could do with a strap button on the neck end of the body - putting one on the treble string side of the heel, as Mrs Whelsh Ukulele Lady recommends, would avoid having to tie the strap to the headstock. Which reminds me, I should do that to my bouzouki too.

 

I have yet to plug it in and check out the electric sound, which will also give a chance to compare these strings with the old silicone rubber Ashbory ones.

 

For under a hundred quid (with a couple of voucher codes), it's very impressive.

[mcnach]

Mine also came with a few too many turns of string on the A tuner post :shrug:

 

Fun little bass eh? Amazing how well built it seems to be.

 

 

[lemmywinks]

Mine arrived on the 23rd, the A string was also bulging off the tuner post so took a bit of length off it. There's a few little construction foibles like the A string nut slot needing smoothing out and a little bit of tear out on one of the bridge holes, nothing major. Mine also has a truss rod, sounds very good amplified and the onboard tuner is pretty accurate.

 

 

What's the colour on you guys' ones like compared to the listing and the Ukulele Wales lady's? Mine seems a shade or two lighter, not quite the dark stain she has.

[mcnach]

12 hours ago, lemmywinks said:

Mine arrived on the 23rd, the A string was also bulging off the tuner post so took a bit of length off it. There's a few little construction foibles like the A string nut slot needing smoothing out and a little bit of tear out on one of the bridge holes, nothing major. Mine also has a truss rod, sounds very good amplified and the onboard tuner is pretty accurate.

 

 

What's the colour on you guys' ones like compared to the listing and the Ukulele Wales lady's? Mine seems a shade or two lighter, not quite the dark stain she has.

 

 

Mine looks much like the picture above.

[tauzero]

2 hours ago, mcnach said:

 

 

Mine looks much like the picture above.

 

Same here.

[Richard R]

Is that this one,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363555959883

 

 

[mcnach]

2 hours ago, Richard R said:

Is that this one,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363555959883

 

 

 

 

That's the very same one I got. Same seller. He was just advertising for a bit more, so I got mine for £135. 

 

Love it. Now that the tuning is pretty stable it's a lot of fun. It took several days of constant retuning to get there, 'though.

 

Warning: I like it a LOT... but it's making me look at the Gold Tone 23" solid body basses with lewd (not literally, but you know what I mean  )... I might get one of those too. They can take standard flatwound strings too. Labella makes a set specifically for the Gold Tone basses.

 

[lemmywinks]

1 hour ago, mcnach said:

 

 

That's the very same one I got. Same seller. He was just advertising for a bit more, so I got mine for £135. 

 

Love it. Now that the tuning is pretty stable it's a lot of fun. It took several days of constant retuning to get there, 'though.

 

Warning: I like it a LOT... but it's making me look at the Gold Tone 23" solid body basses with lewd (not literally, but you know what I mean  )... I might get one of those too. They can take standard flatwound strings too. Labella makes a set specifically for the Gold Tone basses.

 

 

You'll most likely be able to put the D'Addario EXPPBB190GS as used on the Taylor GS Mini basses on that as well, they're for ~24" scale. Like a bass version of the wrapped classical guitar strings..

 

Although it's a fun toy and I've been playing it a lot I'll probably move the Batking on at some point for something that can take more conventional strings.

[Richard R]

On 30/12/2022 at 13:10, lemmywinks said:

Although it's a fun toy and I've been playing it a lot I'll probably move the Batking on at some point for something that can take more conventional strings.

Let me know when you do. If I've not bought one by then I'll take if your hands.

[lemmywinks]

2 hours ago, Richard R said:

Let me know when you do. If I've not bought one by then I'll take if your hands.

 

 

Will do.

[mcnach]

On 22/12/2022 at 23:28, tauzero said:

Arrived today - a Batmanking bass uke, which looks very similar to the Ebay picture:

 

 

Also included: a soft case (as seen), adequate for avoiding little dents, and a hex key. I was a little puzzled by that, as Mrs Whelsh Ukulele Lady said in her Youtube review that it didn't have a truss rod, but they've obviously listened to her and put one in - or at least put a truss rod cover on, maybe there isn't a truss rod under it.

 

On top is a preamp section featuring a tuner (appears accurate), volume control, and 3-band EQ. Around the bottom is a socket plate with a 9V battery tray (battery not included), 1/4" jack socket, and XLR output. The strings are a different feel to the silicone strings on my Ashbories - not grabby like those are.

 

I've had an initial plunk around and tune up. It all seems nicely put together. If you shake vigorously, the cable between preamp and socket plate does bang around, but I don't think that's a particularly real world test. In these post-Harley Benton days, I suspect that expectations of budget/economy/cheap instruments have risen far beyond what they once were, and I'd say that this lives up to those heightened expectations. A tiny niggle is that there's slightly too much A string wound onto the tuner, so it's starting to overflow. I could do with taking about a turn and a half off. Also it could do with a strap button on the neck end of the body - putting one on the treble string side of the heel, as Mrs Whelsh Ukulele Lady recommends, would avoid having to tie the strap to the headstock. Which reminds me, I should do that to my bouzouki too.

 

I have yet to plug it in and check out the electric sound, which will also give a chance to compare these strings with the old silicone rubber Ashbory ones.

 

For under a hundred quid (with a couple of voucher codes), it's very impressive.

 

 

 

How's the battery life on yours?

 

Mine seems to be always on. Not a huge deal as the battery compartment is pretty nice and easy to access... but not great.

 

I'll have to check the socket, I wonder if they installed a mono rather than a stereo one, so no switch.

[tauzero]

6 minutes ago, mcnach said:

How's the battery life on yours?

 

Mine seems to be always on. Not a huge deal as the battery compartment is pretty nice and easy to access... but not great.

 

I'll have to check the socket, I wonder if they installed a mono rather than a stereo one, so no switch.

 

Don't know - it's in my office, aka bedroom 4, which I haven't spent any time in since retiring at the end of 2022. Haven't plugged it in yet anyway.