Learning Ukulele with Curt
Bass, UBass, Bass Guitar
Everyone should be able to play a bit of bass. So, grab a bass or a UBass and get going. It's actually pretty simple to get started. And, will actually make a better ukulele player and an all around better musician.
13 October 2026
Learning the 4 String Bass Guitar Fingerboard
Learn the four string bass guitar fingerboard and finally get the names of the pesky notes under control. This is the same tuning that is used in the Kala UBass and instruments based on the original Road Toad bass created by Owen Holt and licensed by Kala.
Road Toad Music
Road Toad Music produces quality handcrafted ukulele and bass instruments. Among the ukulele that Owen makes are a line of "bass" ukes. I played a few at the 2006 New York Ukulele Festival and they are amazing. You can't believe the sound that comes from these. Owen also designed the Kala UBass.
C. F. Martin & Co., Inc.
Martin's steadfast adherence to high standards of musical excellence, mixed with experienced management, has largely accounted for the company's remarkable longevity. Marketing methods and product mix have changed at Martin over the years, but the company attitude towards guitar building has never varied. In the preface to the 1904 catalog, Frank Henry Martin explained to potential customers, “How to build a guitar to give this tone is not a secret. It takes care and patience. Care in selecting the materials, laying out the proportions, and attending to the details which add to the player's comfort. Patience in giving the necessary time to finish every part. A good guitar cannot be built for the price of a poor one, but who regrets the extra cost for a good guitar?” Almost eighty years have passed since Frank Henry Martin authored this statement of policy, but it still is an accurate expression of Martin's ongoing commitment to quality.