Best Electric Ukulele: Buyers Guide to Perfect Choice 2023!

Best Electric Ukulele

Introduction

You could be asking yourself why you’ll be keen on reading a guide to the very best electric ukuleles? Well, whether or not you’re after a cheap, easy-to-learn instrument, a cool new toy to add to your busking or live performance setup, or a compact stringed instrument that’s moveable enough to take a journey with, the ukulele ticks all these points.

The uke is a simple instrument, no matter the size of it. You will be even more used to them if you have previous experience with electric guitars. Also, for a great price tag, you will be able to snatch a great model that will last you a very long time.

What’s more, while it may be a simple instrument, the standard uke has been rising massively in reputation amongst musicians, and notably guitarists – younger and old – and is a typical first port of name for individuals eager to become familiar with their first stringed instrument.

What’s more, there’s no denying that the sound of a ukulele is sufficient to transport you to the Hawaiian beaches from the place the instrument originated – one thing that may no doubt appeal to those of us who reside in colder corners of the globe for many of the years.

Within the UK, the uke has made its approach into colleges to be used by school bands – a welcome progression from the excruciating recorder classes of old. And in Canada, we’re told that the ukulele has been a staple of music courses for many years.

Aside from getting your head across the high ‘G’ on the bottom string, electric ukuleles are comparatively easy for guitar players to learn, and they’re tuned in fifths as well. In this guide, we are going to share a few details on the best electric ukulele as something that is not that usual.

We are going to mention 10 models that we think are the best electric ukuleles and not acoustic-electric, which is a huge difference between the two versions. Let’s start easy first.

We just want to let you know that we’ll list these electric ukuleles in no particular order. They’ll be randomized as we don’t wish to sort them from best to worst.

Listed below are our Top 10 Best Electric Ukulele for 2023:

1. Risa T-Style Electric Ukulele SFG

For those who dig the look of the classic Fender Telecasters then you’re going to love these Risa Tenor Tele-style Electric Ukulele.

With regards to solid-body electric ukuleles, there are not a lot of choices however believe us when we say the Risa is perfect.

You possibly can see and really feel the standard and craftsmanship while you pick up these ukuleles for the first time.

This surf ukulele is attractive, with a superb end. As for its sound, you may configure it to your liking, both with a traditional ukulele sound or with different nuances akin to rocker for instance. Absolutely factory set for plug and play.

2. Aileen SG Style

The Aileen isn’t the most costly electric uke in the marketplace, however, for the value, it truly sounds fairly good when run through a good acoustic amp.

The general tone is sweet and full with a good quantity of clarity on individual notes. Chords sound wealthy and clean as well, and the tone knob – whereas pretty basic – does an honest job at letting you dial your sound to your liking.

As with most solid-body electric ukes, the Aileen SG doesn’t sound the best when it’s unplugged. It’s nice for a bit of dry practice, but it was certainly supposed to be hooked up to an amp – as if the aesthetics don’t already counsel.

3. Harley Benton Electric Uke-50C NT

The mechanics run flawlessly and hold the mood very well. The strings run through the saddle without hooking and the intonation is right.

Performed dry, it is rather quiet, which we like very much. We additionally really like the texture of the game.

The frets should not be completely sanded on the edge of the fingerboard, while you really feel them, it appears barely sharp.

However that doesn’t trigger any open wounds on the fingers and we don’t notice something while playing, so it’s positively within the green space.

The signal stage on the instrument socket is kind of high (positively useful for a mixer/PA), leaving the control on a PreAmp at 10 leads to a little bit of overdrive. The regulation itself works properly so far and turning it down isn’t an issue.

The tone management with a slight lock within the center position additionally works okay. From our viewpoint, the GT-100 with the nylon strings produces a good end result.

4. Risa Soprano Ukulele SC-Style BK

The workmanship is sweet, the pickups are flawless and the sound that comes out is unbelievable. Actually fat! The tuning stability is kind of good.

Ultimately, we have now to confess that we struck because of the look. However, we actually are pleasantly surprised by the sound of it and the way it performs on the whole.

The Risa Tenor Ukulele SC-Style BK is an Electric Tenor Ukulele with a strong mahogany body with an arched top, Mahogany neck, Richlite fretboard, 19 Frets, 2 Volume, and a couple of tone controls, 3-Way toggle swap, Enclosed Grover worm gear machine heads, and padded gig bag.

5. Mahalo Euk-200

MAHALO EUK-200 incorporates a body manufactured from solid mahogany with a cutout design and satin end, a neck manufactured from Okoume which is similar however lighter than solid mahogany, and rosewood building for the fretboard and bridge.

What makes this model the best electric ukulele is its superior capability to remain in tune as soon as the strings settle in.

This saves you the effort and time that will in any other case be spent on constant changes.

Upon buying, additionally, you will receive a gig bag, a 9V battery for the amp, and an instruction sheet guiding you on finding out how to use the jacks and knobs and the way to tune a ukulele.

6. Risa T-Style Electric Ukulele BSB

The excellent Risa T-Style Electric Ukulele BSB Ukulele is a benchmark that has admirable traits and an honorable worth for cash.

Being a metal strung electric, that permits using magnetic coil pickups for amplification and this comes with a pair of cream-faced 4 pole humbuckers made specifically for Risa.

Once more, very much like the electric guitar model, supplying you with the choice of a brighter bridge pick-up sound, a warmer neck pickup, or certainly, both.

They’re set in black plastic surrounds relatively than just dropped in a gap and look nice.

This lovely ukulele is an instance of playability. All of the know-how that the Risa model has acquired since its creation is mirrored in this product.

This Risa T-Style Electric Ukulele BSB model presents extra consolation and flexibility. It’s sophisticated to make it extra ergonomic.

7. Vorson FSUK-1 S-Style Electric Ukulele

This electric tenor-sized instrument has two passive single coil electromagnetic pickups that depend on the induction produced by the metal strings to supply a signal that’s amplified by an amp.

It produces warm well-balanced tones, because of the three-way toggle for the pickups, quantity, and tonal management and sealed gear tuners which have been die-cast for strength and longevity.

The ukulele comes with a cable and a canvas gig bag for handy storage and transport.

Clients recommend changing the included metal strings with better high-quality ones and filing the sharp fret edges before playing the instrument.

In any case, they just like the amplified sound, sustain, shredding capacity, strap buttons, the black shiny end, and the number of intonations facilitated by the 19 frets.

8. LAVA MUSIC U 23 C Freeboost BK

LAVA Music brings a progressive electro-acoustic concert ukulele with the LAVA U 23 Inch FreeBoost. This uke is made up of a one-piece AirSonic carbon fiber development with a specifically developed BreatheNet vocal bar construction.

The result is an extremely snug body form and a crystal clear sound, which brings out the dynamics in your playing. The design is trendy, elegant, and very secure. The same goes for the provided Space Case.

This futuristic suitcase has a clear lid. The groups of Double Acoustics and LAVA Music have developed the L2 Mini Preamp together.

This preamp permits you not only to amplify the ukulele but additionally to have the ability to use the built-in effects, both plugged in and unplugged!

You get access to reverb, delay, and chorus to present your sound in an additional dimension.

Charging is completed via the provided USB cable. One other sensible element is that the fingerboard has a slight radius, which will increase the ease of playing. In brief, with the LAVA U, you may give your music a brand new impulse!

That is the only electro-acoustic ukulele that we’ve got on this list, however, we determined to place it in because we believe that it’s best to play it on the electric side than to the acoustic one.

9. Ziegenspeck E-Uke Concert

This electric concert ukulele has a scale size of 383 mm and it has a solid mahogany body, for which a lightweight flamed oak was chosen as the top material.

The specialty of this instrument is the simplicity of the color scheme, which consists of a warm mahogany body and the light tones of the oak and the linden neck.

An optical frame is created by black traces, bindings, and inlays across the instrument. The fingerboard in a contemporary design is constructed from sustainable bamboo and adapts very well to the top and headstock.

The instrument will likely be handed over to the long-run proprietor in a Ziegenspck gig bag. The gig bag has hooked up a badge, which is constructed from identical wood as the instrument in it.

10. Harley Benton DC-Ukulele CH

With its cherry-colored end, the Harley Benton DC-Ukulele CH seems like an electric guitar model made well-known by a certain Australian rock band.

The DC-Ukulele CH has a basswood body and a maple neck loaded with a fretboard made from purpleheart.

However, despite the short soprano scale size, this distinctive instrument has a full complement of 18 frets. A pickup with volume and tone management is also on board.

The finish is significantly better than what you may see in the photographs and you’ll truly see some wood grain. There are not any sharp fret ends, the neck is straight and it intonates completely till the 15th fret.

After plugging in and working it via a pedalboard, there is no such thing as additional noise. The piezo pickup is kind of harsh on the high end, so by using a band EQ controls pedal to roll off the highs, you may be in the proper spot.

What Is an Electric Ukulele?

An electric ukulele is actually a uke model geared up with a built-in set of magnets. Certain high-end models additionally have a preamp, however, all-electric ukuleles have a pickup constructed into their body.

Apart from the magnets, each different part of an electric ukulele is identical to the elements of acoustic ones. In actual fact, there aren’t any aesthetic variations either, apart from the pickup on one side.

Efficiency-wise, electric ukuleles are considerably extra versatile, as players can modify the tone and volume of their instrument, which are the two predominant shortcomings of their acoustic counterparts.

The electric ones can have very different features from the regular acoustic ones. Something like inbuild tuners, cast tuning machines, satin finish, solid build quality, and more.

The only thing extra is the pick-up that will transfer the electric power signal into the amp and then out to the world.

What to search for when selecting an Electric Ukulele

In this part, we’ll go over a few of the key attributes to keep in mind as you shop for an electric ukulele. We want you to learn from the research about what matters for sound and really feel.

Some of what we focus on is a personal desire, so getting your hands on quite a lot of instruments to check out is actually necessary.

Size

Not like guitars, electric ukuleles range in size. They fall into four main size categories. The smallest is the soprano. It’s about 21 inches long. A soprano is mostly too small for a grownup to play comfortably.

They produce a brilliant, inviting sound. The following dimension up is a concert ukulele, which is 23 inches lengthy.

This dimension is a favorite because it suits my arms and we like the sound. As the dimensions will increase, the sound of the ukulele will get deeper and warmer.

At 26 inches lengthy, the tenor ukulele has a protracted fretboard that’s comfy for folks with massive hands. At this level, the ukuleles grow to be just a little harder to move. The largest dimension is the baritone ukulele. It’s 30 inches lengthy.

Baritone ukes have a special tuning. The natural tuning for a baritone ukulele is similar to the 4 highest strings on a guitar, DGBE.

That makes it a simple entry-level if you have acoustic guitar expertise. In distinction, the opposite three varieties are tuned GCEA.

Body Type

The ukulele depends extra on its acoustic sound than the guitar because it has a unique and great tone. Meaning many electric ukuleles have a hollow body.

A hole body permits the instrument to resonate and challenge sound acoustically.

Selecting between a hollow-body model and a strong one comes all the way down to what sort of sound you wish to create. A hole electric uke model is a middle ground.

The electric ukulele sound from the amp combines with the acoustic tone for a singular sound. A solid body electric ukulele will make nearly no sound without an amp.

Personally, we favor ukuleles with a hole in the body because that’s where you may actually hear the distinction between the ukulele and guitar.

Tonewoods

The development and materials for the ukulele additionally range based on its body type. For instance, the tonewoods that make up the body could have a big effect on acoustic sound.

Nonetheless, the impact on the amplified sound is small. Likewise, bigger ukes are likely to have deeper acoustic sound. This impact is much less pronounced for a solid-body instrument.

It’s best to take into account that a hollow-body electric ukulele is more portable. You may play it without an amp. Notable tonewoods embody koa for a warm sound or rosewood for extra brightness.

Try them out in person in case you can, because totally different woods can sound utterly different through the entire range of notes.

Sound

Many components combine to create the sound of every electric ukulele. A few of them are inherent to the instrument and can’t be modified, just like the wood within the body and neck. However, others are simple to change.

The pickups have a huge effect on the tone, depth, and coloration of the ukulele’s sound. Altering them for a special set just isn’t hard – a music or guitar retailer can assist, and you may even study to do it yourself.

Strings have an effect on the sound as well, and they’re very simple to swap out. Once you look for ukulele models, think about the features of the instrument that you can’t alter.

For instance, pickups affect the sound more than wood, however, because you may at all times get a brand new set of pickups, you must pay extra attention to the wood.

Keep in mind that the amp you select may even have an effect on the sound, plus any tone pedals you select to add.

Construct Quality

We like to recommend that you try to find out about brands, supplies, and development techniques. These signal the standard of the instrument.

It’s a good suggestion to take a brand new or used ukulele to a music retailer for a tuneup and inspection if you purchase it.

It’ll most likely be out of tune. Examine the texture of the strings as well. Strings are simple to exchange.

We favor heavier strings, so we at all times hold a couple of sets of the favorites around. You must know that it’s going to take a week or two for the strings to stretch out to their regular extent. Till that occurs, they’ll detune quickly.

Familiarize yourself with some key design choices for ukes. For instance, if the producer connected the neck and body along with an inferior joint, that may harm the resonance and sustain of the ukulele over time.

Select a Value Range

We predict a budget of $50 to $100 is good for many newcomers.

In our expertise, most ukes within the $50 to $100 range are fairly well-made instruments that sound good and are snug to play. You’ll be able to definitely spend more, but it surely’s not essential to get an incredible newbie ukulele.

These are instruments that you can play for a very long time without feeling like you have to improve.

Plus, for those who ever move up to a more expensive ukulele, your previous uke will make an incredible backup for camping, journey, or loaning to buddies.

What to Count on as You Spend Extra

What’s the advantage of spending just a little extra on your first uke? There’s not a single reply to this question, however as you increase your funds you’ll begin to see the next:

• Higher general craftsmanship and playability
• Fancy beauty options like binding, inlays, and rosettes
• Unique woods and materials
• Stable wood top, back, and sides (for improved tone)
• Electronics for playing via an amp

At a certain value level, you’ll end up within the realm of high-end, US-made ukuleles from corporations like Martin or Kamaka.

These are a few of the finest ukes money can buy, however, they’re significantly more expensive than mass-produced import products.

Conclusion

Well, we came to the end of this great guide on the best electric ukuleles that are on the market right now. To own an electric uke is a great option if you do live acts.

Also, the electric ukulele reviews that we have listed above will help you with your choice.

Even if it is not the best ukulele for beginners, if this is your go-to unit to start with, you will have no problems learning the craft. The main differences are listed above, from which you will be able to pick the best one for you.

From Rosewood fingerboard, solid spruce items, tuning machines, or Aquila nylgut strings, you will be able to find both expensive and cheap electric uke.

When it comes to electric ukes, all that matters is that you have a quality amp to produce great sound. Anyway, they are easy to play and you will get used to them very easily.

If you think that we missed an important ukulele or point when it comes to such ukuleles, feel free to shoot us a comment below and we will try to update our content to satisfy the needs of the readers.