Kala Exotic Mahogany Acoustic-Electric U-Bass Natural

Volume unless you plug it in is 0. The crickets drown it out. I have electric solid body basses that are acoustically louder than these. If you want something you'd like to hear off amp look elsewhere. I wasn't happy having to pay 65$ return shipping, I plan to take my business elsewhere because of this.

Using for jams, practice, and small venues

this bass is just cool. tuning requires lots of turning at first but gets better after a while. forget bending a note, oh you can bend the string but the note seems to say "no, I don't think so pal" but it says it in such a cool way that you comply and get on with some enjoyable bass playing. came with a nice bag to put it in and that where mine is right now. The U-Bass also functions nicely as an idea.

Sound better then my steinberger bass.

I love this instrument so much, I've even named it! We play for Round & Square Dances and the people are absolutely amazed at the richness of sound that comes out of such a little bass. "Katie Kala" is so easy on my Arthritis and my fingers. Learning curve was almost nonexistent. Took a while to get the strings stretched enough that it would stay in tune, but that was O.K. Loved, loved, loved the built-in tuner. Every musician who has see it, and heard me play it, wants one. IF Guitar Center stocked at least one of these U-Bass guitars, so potential buyers could see it and try it, I think there would be a run on them that would scare you. The big drawback right now is that no music stores stock them and, because nobody wants to buy "a pig in a poke", people are afraid to order them. You talk about "small venues", but I took a chance and ordered one because we had seen one played at a Bluegrass Festival at Mickey's Mountain. This is a very LARGE venue and the sound was incredible! I understand that your stores might not cater to Bluegrass and Traditional Country musicians but, we're out there and we DO buy instruments, amps, strings, etc. Get on the train, guys, before it pulls out of the station. This is a market you need to target a little more aggressively.

As above, the only thing not to enjoy about this product is that the tuner on the one I received is not functioning properly. Guitar Center has always been great about standing behind products, yet having to return it and wait for a replacement is an unpleasant inconvenience to say the least.