![]() They are intended to replicate a similar sound and also look and feel like the bigger instrument. A steel-string electric ukulele is understood to have a magnetic pickup and it’s usually made from a solid piece of wood with no body cavity.Įssentially, these hybrid ukulele are built in a similar style as an electric guitar. This is where steel-string electric ukuleles come into play. Steel strings exert many times the pulling force of nylon strings and an ukulele needs to be designed to handle the extra tension otherwise it will break when you tune it up. Piezo pickups can hear the vibrations of steel strings and amplify them, but the entire point of a steel string uke is usually to create a more electric guitar sound instead of a traditional ukulele sound.ĭO NOT put steel strings on a normal ukulele. Since traditional ukuleles use nylon-style strings, magnetic pickups are never used in acoustic-electric ukes. By this token, a magnetic pickup will NOT create sound with nylon strings. It creates a magnetic field that steel strings vibrate within to create an audio signal. Magnetic PickupsĪ magnetic pickup, on the other hand, is similar to what you would find in an electric guitar. The instrument is built to create acoustic sounds without being plugged in, but it also has the option of being amplified. This style configuration is usually called an “acoustic-electric” ukulele. When you see an ukulele that looks like a traditional ukulele but it has a plug-in, it almost always has a piezo pickup. These output a low volume, but fairly accurate representation of what they “hear.” This style converts the vibrations of the ukulele into an electrical signal via compressed crystal molecules. The first – and more common – is the piezo pickup. In this article I’m going to try and break down the characteristics of each along with providing some info on the more obscure steel-string electric. ![]() There are two different styles of ukulele pickups and both work with different technologies. It has a pickup and it will create an electrical audio signal that can be output for external use.īut in our new landscape of ukulele understanding we need to have a more distinct definition. ![]() In the traditional sense, an electric ukulele is simply one that you can plug into an amp. These stick-on pickups are fine if you just you want a cheap and easy way to electrify your uke, but if you plan on performing live or recording, I don’t think they’re the best choice.There’s a fair bit of confusion surrounding electric ukuleles since “electric ukulele” can mean several different things. They get the job done, but the sound is never as good as professionally-installed pickups. In my experience, these pickups are OK but not great. Most are simple stick-on transducers that you attach to the top of the ukulele with double-stick tape or a tacky putty. There are a handful of DIY pickup options available online. Having a skilled tech install a quality pickup can easily cost over $100, which is more than many people paid for their uke in the first place.įor many players, the best option is simply to buy a new ukulele with a pre-installed pickup. In many cases, it may not make financial sense to pay for an aftermarket pickup installation. So, should you install a pickup in your existing uke, or invest in a new ukulele that already has a pickup installed? Should You Install a Pickup or Buy an Acoustic-Electric Uke? I think these sound amazing, but you’ll probably want to turn to a pro for the installation. There are a number of different types of pickups, and they all have various pros and cons.īrad Bordessa over at Live Ukulele has written what I consider the definitive guide to ukulele pickups, so for more on this topic, I’d check out his article.įor what it’s worth, my favorite ukulele pickup is the K&K Aloha Twin. It’s possible to amplify a non-electric ukulele by adding a pickup. If you don’t want to break the bank or just want a second uke to goof around with, these models seem to be a pretty safe bet. The overall quality of Aklot ukes are hard to beat for the price, and the glowing customer reviews seem to indicate I’m not alone in that opinion. My Aklot is beautifully made, plays like a dream, and sounds amazing. The Aklot ukuleles above are the highest-rated cheap electric ukes available online.Īt first, I was leery of their ultra-low price point, but after I purchased an AKT26 tenor (no pickup), I was convinced.
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