King's power

Confession - I had no patience when it comes to the older King Crimson releases. I couldn't pin it down to a particular dislike but I simply couldn't click with any of those albums. Then I came across The Power to Believe. This happened in 2003, where I was too busy checking out the dark arts of Norwegian & Swedish acts mostly. Yes, I'm a big fan of instrumentals & despite not being fully instrumental, the KC materials simply didn't appeal. What made The Power stand out from the rest of its predecessors? Heavy guitars. That's right, the band actually incorporated a more aggressive overdriven / distorted tones in this final studio adventure & it's ace to say the least. Sad that KC won't further the prog wave any more but I rest in the knowledge that something's brewing post-KC.

SPB

After days of adjustments / re-adjustments, this Squier P-Bass is ready to be returned to its owner. I usually take more time to re-string & set up a bass due to the neck issues. Once the neck is relieved of string tension, it will bow. After re-stringing, it will auto-straighten itself in accordance with the fresh string tension. At times, the neck will return to its correct nature but that's a very rare feat. This is unlike re-stringing a guitar where the neck is not physically vulnerable to changes in tension due to its shorter length. 

After talking to the owner before the re-string / setup started, I convinced him to try a set of flatwounds in view of his preference for a warmer overall tone. Also, this is his chance to experience how smooth & skin friendly flatwound strings are. Diligent wiping after play means the strings would last longer than an average wound set. On that note, check out the discounts for Rotosound strings at Swee Lee.

In brief: Kala Waterfall baritone ukulele (solid mahogany)

I am documenting this appraisal from a guitar player's perspective because I am a guitar player & this is a guitar blog after all. I purchased this ukulele for a simple reason - it features a guitar tuning (top 4 strings of the guitar: E / B / G / D) therefore I need not re-think my playing while handling one.

LIKES

• solid build
• smooth tuners
• ergonomic body edge design
• truss rod included
• warm tones

DISLIKES

• some evidence of patchy fretboard stains
• dark inlays against a dark fretboard

The thing about baritone ukulele is that, the size is almost that of a travel guitar so handling one is a familiar affair when you are a guitar player first & foremost. KALA is indeed one of the leading ukulele brands & the quality on show here is above expectations. I'm just a wee bit annoyed by the patchy stains on the fretboard which are more visible from a playing perspective. Also, I hope the manufacturer re-thinks the application of inlays which are too close, colour-wise, to the fretboard hue. The tones coming from this one are warm & favours the fingerpickers more so than the strummers; thanks to the all solid mahogany body for the most part. I particularly like the rounded body edges which make playing very pleasant compounded by the satin finish so that sticky feeling when your sweating arms & hands are in contact with the instrument is a highly unlikely affair. 

Also, coming from the guitar camp, I wish the frets are a little beefier to supplement quick single note runs during solos but then again, this is a ukulele to begin with, extended solos belong to the electric guitar so quit whining.

Special mention goes to the good people at Ukulele Movement for the very non-intrusive shopping experience.

Final rating: 89%

KALA Wave Series Baritone all solid (mahogany) ukulele

• List: $479
• Availability: Ukulele Movement
• Bag included

Pics: KALA

Devil's Monday

I'm taking every opportunity to remind everyone that some of your guitar's default mounting ring is unable to frame Seymour Duncan pickups, especially the TB models. Just a gentle reminder that SD widened the pickup's dimension (length) in addition to the pole pieces spacing to accommodate the F-space.

This version you see above, was provided by the manufacturer to specifically fit the TB pickups. The entire pickup passes through easily.

61st

It's the nation's 61st birthday. I'm not much of a birthday person, I don't even celebrate mine so the nation's birthday is a non tangential affair. Yes, I am a proud citizen of this country & I love the nation but I continue to be estranged from the current narrative. I have stopped watching the National Day parade on TV because I see the people who are making my life miserable here, smiling away.

However, this year, one of the songs (still wondering why more than one song was needed this year) composed for the nation's birthday actually features a guitar. The tune's catchy & puts people in festive exuberance unlike the other song that meddled with melancholy. I do not wish to be specific but IYKYK.

Kala u (3)

After a few days of playing, one of the KALA Baritone ukulele strings snapped. It's most probably due to sharp edges at the nut. Ordered this pack from Swee Lee & would like to appreciate their efforts in making such strings available despite them not having any baritone ukulele in their inventory.

These are ball end strings so it removes the math of tying, winding & securing the strings at the tail end while keeping things visually presentable. My only grip here is that the strings should be of a single colour instead of the four different ones you see here.