The ukulele is a string instrument that employs four nylon or four courses of strings. Ukelele is a small, guitar-shaped instrument. The sound is produced by plucking and strumming the strings.
Ukulele is commonly used in places such as Hawaii though it originated in Portugal in the 19th century. It became greatly popular in the United States during the early 20th century and later reached the world.
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Here are the best bass ukuleles in 2024
- Kala U-Bass-EM-FS
- Hadean Acoustic-Electric Bass Ukulele UKB-22 NM
- Hadean Acoustic Electric Bass Ukulele UKB-24
- Oscar Schmidt Comfort Series Bass Ukulele
- Luna UKE Bass TAT Uke
- Kala Wanderer U-Bass
- Hilo 4-String Acoustic Upright Bass
- Alston Fretless Electric Acoustic Ukulele Bass
- Kala UBASS-JYMN-FS Journeyman Acoustic-Electric
- Donner DUB-1
Also Great | Editor's Choice | Budget Pick |
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Kala U-Bass-EM-FS
If you are a bass ukelele player and you want to look good when performing, then Kala’s UBass-EM-FS is ideal for you. It’s an electric acoustic bass that is 14 inches and has 16 frets. You can choose Kala’s UBass exotic mahogany or spruce.
Each model sounds different because there are different materials used. It is so handy that you can bring it when you travel. It sounds like a real-deal acoustic upright bass.
It can be wired up to your amp to amplify the sound since the input is just below the strings. If you connect it to your amp, you will get the sound that resembles the upright bass instrument.
Most bass ukulele players use Kala’s UBass-EM-FS not only because of its appearance but also based on the performance it provides. Since the quality is great, the value is also expected to be a little pricey.
- Easy to play and versatile to all ages
- A little expensive
Hadean Acoustic-Electric Bass Ukulele UKB-22 NM
To all the beginning bass ukulele players out there, Hadean’s Acoustic-Electric Bass UKB-22 NM is one of the most recommended bass instruments for you. It’s an early model from the UKB series. Its outward appearance and traditional design gained. Moreover, bass ukulele players love its great sound performance.
This electric bass ukulele is so good to use. It comes with a preamp for amplified use with the volume, the treble control, the bass, and the mid. They are known to provide increased accuracy of intonation, and they seldom go out of tune.
Another great feature about this bass ukulele is the tuner that simplifies the tuning process. The Aquila strings are included which absorb less moisture to ensure stability. These strings provide an excellent sound output; tuning and strumming will just be an easy task.
So, it will really be a perfect item for those who want to learn better.
- Sturdy and very durable
- Built-in preamp and tuner
- Not quite high-quality control
Hadean Acoustic Electric Bass Ukulele UKB-24
This is another of Hadean’s Acoustic-Electric Uke Bass from the UKB series. It has minimal improvements compared to the earlier version (UKB 22). The first difference between the two is the material used.
The UKB-24 also comes with a special preamp setting for the amplified use of the volume, midsection, treble, and bass. The tuning is also easy and accurate because it also has Aquila Nylgut Italian ukulele like the UKB 22.
Then, what’s the improvement? The difference between the UKB 22 and the UKB 24 is the tuner. A Chromatic tuner which has an LCD display is provided in UKB 24. It’s up to you to say if this becomes a better version of the first one.
- Quality materials and build
- Preamp works great
- Not so many improvements to the old model
Oscar Schmidt Comfort Series Bass Ukulele
Now, here’s a high-end acoustic-electric bass ukulele. Oscar Schmidt’s Comfort Series Bass Ukulele is made of durable materials. The design is pretty amazing for a ukulele bass. It is made from solid wood with an asymmetric design and a gentle rosewood fretboard construction.
This ukulele might be a good one but it comes with a set of plastic strings which could be good or bad for you. It will always depend on your skill level. If you are already a skillful one, you won’t like it because these strings don’t really sound too good.
The good thing about these strings is that it will make strumming easier. It means that beginners would appreciate them better. Besides, these ukuleles are designed so it’s comfortable for everyone to hold.
- Well built and design
- Handy to use
- Plastic strings are not sounding so well
Luna UKE Bass TAT Uke
In playing a bass ukulele, the design is also important aside from the performance. If you’re looking for an affordable yet quality bass instrument, Luna’s Uke bass is the one for you. It is made of different materials which cause its durability and for its beautiful outward appearance.
Luna’s Uke bass TAT features a mahogany body, a spruce top, and a rosewood fingerboard. All of its hardware is black that truly adds to the impressive physical beauty of the Luna Uke bass TAT.
But, it doesn’t only give a good impression about it looks for its artistic design; this bass ukulele also has a solid performance. Speaking of performance, Luna Uke bass is tuned a whole octave higher when compared to the standard ukuleles.
This is due to the strings that are thin and they are made of flat-wound metal. Your money will be paid off for its wonderful performance.
- Quite affordable
- Beautiful design
- Good sound
- And quality strings
- A bit too dense metal strings
- Harder for beginners to play
Kala Wanderer U-Bass
The Kala Wanderer U-Bass Ukulele is an all-mahogany short-scale bass uke. Thanks to its mahogany top, back, sides, and neck, the sounds from the Kala Wanderer are nothing but full and rich velvet.
If you’re looking for a uke with a true bass, then this is the option you need to look out for. On top of its premium wood body is a beautiful satin finish, completing the overall look of the ukulele.
And while the nut and saddle may be made out of plastic, the Kala Wanderer comes with a custom black diet cast tuner. Its strings are Aquila Thundergut, reassuring the comfort and easy playability of the Kala Wanderer.
Acoustically, this guitar sounds like a dream but when plugged electronically, it is open to a multitude of possibilities. I highly recommend the Kala Wanderer for the musician who is looking for the best quality woods on a ukulele.
- Beautifully built ukulele made with high-quality select woods
- Produces a full and rich sound
- A true baritone ukulele
- Comes with strings that are comfortable and easy to play with as well as a useful gig bag
- The plastic strings may not be the best choice for some users
- Strings sound weird with the electronics
Hilo 4-String Acoustic Upright Bass
Here’s another deluxe mahogany guitar that is worth the attention of any ukulele fan. The Hilo Acoustic Upright is a 4-string baritone ukulele. It is a bit larger than your usual uke, complementing its big and booming bass sound. This ukulele is made with top-notch mahogany wood with a matching light mahogany finish.
What I like about this ukulele is the fact that it comes with real frets on its wooden fingerboard, making it a friendly uke for beginners to play with. Along with this, this Hilo uke also comes has good quality geared machines, adding to the reliability of its sound quality.
In short, this is the ukulele you’d want to get if you want something uncomplicated yet luxurious. Additionally, it is reasonably priced as well. It is quite affordable as well when placed side by side with other mahogany ukuleles. That being said, it is one of the best sounding mahogany guitars within its price range.
- Made with top-notch quality wood with a beautiful finish
- Produces a rich and thick bass sound Very affordable
- Considering its overall quality
- Inconsistent craftsmanship quality
- The quality of the tuners needs more improvement
Alston Fretless Electric Acoustic Ukulele Bass
At first glance, it’s hard to ignore the unique appearances of the Alston ukulele. This 30” electric acoustic wears a butterfly wood body topped with a beautiful satin polish.
Its rosewood fingerboard with 16 fret marks and bridge saddle promises complete comfort and easy playability. And finally, the abalone inlay rosette adds to the uke’s distinct style.
Tonally, this Alston ukulele bass sounds beautiful both as an acoustic or through its electronics. It comes with an EQ, a built-in tuner and two lithium batteries. And then it has geared black machine tuners and Aquila strings that assure full and rich tones.
I also love that it comes with a small open gate on its body’s lower back, giving users an easy time for string replacements or re-installs.
- Sports a beautiful design and made with top-quality components
- Sounds great both electronically and acoustically
- Provides easy string replacements or re-installs
- One of the more expensive options on the list
Kala UBASS-JYMN-FS Journeyman Acoustic-Electric
Looking for a ukulele for gigging? True to its name the Kala Journeyman is the best ukulele for travel. With only the best mahogany woods for its top, back, and sides, one can only expect lush and deep baritone sounds from the Kala Journeyman.
Besides, just one look at the Kala Journeyman and you know that it is a headturner. It wears a unique and stylish design with its cream binding, f-holes, and cutaway – but this bass ukulele isn’t just a marvel to look at; it’s a feast for the eyes and a wonder to play with as well.
Though it comes with a plastic nut and saddle and a standard headstock, the Kala Journeyman still never fails to produce a high quality sound. Apart from gigging, I also think that this bass uke makes a great instrument for practice.
Thanks for the extra comfortable shape and easy fretboard, even beginners can enjoy playing some tunes on this uke.
- A well-built quality ukulele made with top-notch select woods
- Sports a beautiful and unique design
- Stands out from other ukuleles
- Promises comfort and easy playability
- A great practice guitar
- Quality assurance needs more improvement
- Some users have reported issues with the position of the strings
Donner DUB-1
The Donner DUB-1 is a limited edition professional-level baritone uke. It is 30 inches in size with its body and neck made with high-quality mahogany for a rich and bright sound. The DUB-1 comes with an EQ and a preamp for amplified use, featuring volume, bass, mid, and treble control.
It has 18 brass frets with accompanying fret position marks at the 5th, 7th, 10th, and 12th frets on the neck – perfect for beginners who are still practicing their chords. Together with the comfort and easy hold, both advanced players and beginners will find that the Donner DUB-1 is always a treat to play.
I also like that the DUB-1 comes with Aquila Nylgut strings, assuring the accuracy and stability of its tunes. Plus, it also comes with an integrated tuner in case further tuning is needed.
Overall, I would recommend this bass ukulele as a practice uke. It’s easy to hold, simple to learn songs with, and most of all, comfortable enough for long hours of practice.
- Sports a beautiful and classic design
- Made with select high-quality woods for richer and brighter sound
- Stable tuning
- Accurate tone
- Sounds wonderful acoustically and with electronics
- The low string creates a lot of buzz
Main Types of Ukulele
Soprano Ukulele
The soprano ukulele is 21 inches long and has 12 to 15 frets. It is the most common and standard type of ukulele. It just makes a real classic ukulele sound.
Some people with large fingers have trouble playing this type of ukulele because the frets are closer together. However, it is the most affordable when it comes to price.
Concert Ukulele
The concert ukulele is another standard type which is 23 inches long and has 15 to 20 frets. Its body is bigger and its neck is longer that makes it easier to handle. It is like the soprano that makes a typical and classic ukulele sound but some would consider it to have a fuller sound.
Tenor Ukulele
The tenor ukulele is 26 inches long and has at least 15 frets. Its sound is more like a classical guitar where the tone is fuller compared to soprano and concert ukuleles.
Most professional ukulele players choose tenor sized ukuleles because it has more frets, and it produces a rich full sound.
Baritone Ukulele
The baritone ukulele is at least 30 inches long and has at least 19 frets. This has the deepest tone and sounds among the four standard types of ukulele. However, this is the least popular ukulele for its size and size that is more similar to a guitar.
Bass Ukulele
The bass ukulele is as long as a baritone ukelele which is 30 inches. There are bass ukuleles that are available in a fretless version. The bass ukulele is just like a small version of a bass guitar.
The outward appearance and sound of these bass instruments are very much the same. But there are some features a bass ukulele has that make it unique. A bass ukulele normally uses polyurethane strings which are thicker than the traditional ukuleles. Compared to a bass guitar, a bass ukulele is handier.
Sopranino/Piccolo Ukulele
The sopranino ukulele which is also known as the piccolo ukulele is the smallest of this family of an instrument. It is 16 inches long with only around 10 frets.
The sopranino ukulele is usually tuned an octave above the baritone ukulele. It is manufactured by a number of large instrument companies so it is widely available.
Sopranino is one of the main types of ukulele since it has a great difference among the other types of ukuleles. However, it is not commonly used. It is usually viewed as a novelty instrument.
Banjo Ukulele
The banjo ukulele is also called the banjolele. It has the string set-up of a soprano ukulele, but with the body of a banjo. The banjolele features a fretted neck, prominent tuning pegs, and synthetic or natural calfskin heads.
This instrument became reasonably popular in the 1920’s, and more models of the hybrid instrument are currently being manufactured. The banjo ukulele retains some of its classic banjo sound, with a definite ukulele undertone.
What is the best bass ukulele?
Ukuleles’ popularity isn’t surprising after all. Ukuleles are easy to learn and play. Besides, they are easy on newbies’ fingers.
You have already seen our top 10 best bass ukuleles. Now, you just have to decide which one would be best for you. You need to experience it yourself and see what really works for you. Each model has its own strengths.
There are models that suit beginners while others would be good for those who are already skillful. Some are not so budget-friendly but they would be worthy of your money. Others are good for beginners. One thing is for sure, all of them, especially the Kala U-Bass-EM-FS, are the best in this category.