Are you looking for the best electric ukuleles? Then, you’re in the right place.
A ukulele has long been the most intriguing miniaturization of a guitar. They’re compact and portable, and unlike electric and acoustic guitars, they have four classical forms. They are soprano, concert, alto, and tenor, with the largest ukulele being a baritone.
With a smaller size comes a smaller volume, and ukuleles are limited in a live setting. In addition, they are not easily audible over audiences and other instruments and are too small to mic up efficiently.
To solve this, electric ukuleles were invented to connect ukes to amplifiers to open up a new world of sonic possibilities.
Best Electric Ukuleles – Comparison Table
Luna Mahogany Series Tattoo Concert Acoustic-Electric Ukulele (Editor’s Choice)
It comes at a low price, and looks fantastic, with a Hawaiian style top, mahogany. The rest of the ukulele is laminate wood.
Build
The build quality is reasonable, and it feels light but relatively solid. The top has an appealing design that gives it a visual quirk, but it is a cheaper model, and the bridge, in particular, sacrifices quality. The bridge is partly glued and is known to come loose – nothing some more glue can’t fix but not great.
The ukulele has sawtooth fret markers but no side markers. The neck is smooth and thin. Playability is easy, and the ukulele fits nicely into the hands and body.
Tone
The tone, however, is ultimately flat and somewhat muddy. It’s what you expect for the price though really, it’s very reasonably priced!
If you want to experiment with electro-acoustic ukuleles, then it’s an excellent first option, but even then, the consensus is that other models from this guide play better.
Pros
- Original looks
- Reasonable sound at the price
Cons
- Poor quality bridge
Cordoba 15CM-E Acoustic-Electric Concert Ukulele
Back to Cordobas now. Cheaper than the 20CM-TE, the 15CM-E is a concert-sized ukulele with similar features as the 20CM-TE. However, it also has a passive Piezo pickup.
Build
It has an all Mahogany build, aside from the neck, and features an ivory-style rosette to add to its neat looks. Cordoba guitars generally look great, and this ukulele is not different.
It has a warm wood build, which is varnished well, and it appears soft and glowing. It’s comfortable to play in its classic figure of 8 shapes and is light and maneuverable, making it great for small-handed players.
The bridge is rosewood and couples well with the mahogany body to create a warm-toned instrument with some great full-bodied tones. The uke is well joined, and the seals are of good quality.
Tone
The piezo pickup is passive, meaning you don’t need a battery. The compromise is there’s no treble and gain controls, and you won’t find this ukulele effective at high-gain playing.
The pickup transmits a warm but occasionally somewhat muddy tone, and you’ll have to play quietly to keep the ukulele operating at the appropriate dynamics for amplified play. However, the frets are level and smooth. There’s no grating feeling as you run up the fretboard.
Overall, it posts a great effort in the budget range of electro-acoustic ukuleles and will be easy to play while remaining functional and good-looking.
Pros
- Cheaper than the 20TM model
- Great looks and solid build
- Aquila pre-strung
Cons
- Passive pickup has a flatter, softer response
Cordoba 20TM-CE Acoustic-Electric Tenor Ukulele
Cordoba have longed to make acoustic guitars they’re most often associated with, but they have a great line of ukes and electro-acoustic ukes that suit low to mid-range budgets.
Build
The 20CM-TE is a standard-shaped tenor ukulele with a solid mahogany build that feels tough and hard-wearing. The solid wooden top is a two-piece build and has a pleasing grain. Overall, Cordoba ukes feel great with hardwood builds that offer value for money.
With Aquila nylon strings and gear tuners, the 20TE-CM is kitted out nicely and has an active pickup that uses a 9V battery to power it. The guitar is weighted towards the body, which some will like.
The pickup control panel is situated on the body, and you can easily adjust treble and bass alongside the battery compartment. The uke is well joined throughout.
Tone
The tone of this uke is quite good. It’s warm and sweet instead of muddy and flat. Fingerpicking strings hard results in poppy sounds which jump out of the mix. It’s a great little electric ukulele that looks and sounds good at a great price.
Pros
- Good wooden build with few pieces for a warmer tone
- Aquila pre-strung
- Warm and sweet tone is pleasing at the price point
Cons
- Body weighted may cause issues for some
Vorson FLPUK2QM Electric Ukulele
Moving from an electro-acoustic uke to an electric uke, we have the Vorson FLPUK2QM. It’s a tenor length electric uke, and some think it looks rad! However, it’s part of a relatively small range of solid-bodied electric ukuleles on the market, and its niche format has some unique offerings.
The action is smooth and slinky – it’ll be pleasing to electric guitarists and ukulele players alike.
Build
It’s a classic LP-style build with laminate wood and two single-coil pickups with a 3-way switcher. It gives you some great control over your tone.
Unusually it came strung high-G and unwound steel strings which aren’t great, and many replace the strings with a low-G. You have to have steel strings, and many uke players won’t be used to that! They’ll feel very sharp if you haven’t adapted to playing steel string instruments before.
Tone
While it isn’t suitable for any traditional ukelele-like playing, it is an entirely credible little ukelele that can pack a punch when amplified with its two pickup setup. The pickups aren’t bad – not too much hum and noise, but a warm amp will get the most out of the guitar.
Pros
- Design is undoubtedly original and cool
- Capable of loud amplification
Cons
- Non-traditional and has a high G
Epiphone Les Paul Acoustic-Electric Ukulele
It is a superb product by Epiphone, and for a Les Paul-styled uke, the Epiphone branding combined with the low price makes this an attractive product.
Build
The top is made of good-quality maple, and the tuning heads are well made with a 1:14 tuning adjustment scale. The rest of the uke is made from mahogany, and the ukulele is concert size for a slightly deeper and more full sound than a soprano. The opinion is divided on how the Les Paul uke looks, some think it’s tacky, and others think it’s great – it’s not a serious uke after all, but is more than a novelty.
Whether you like it or not, this ukulele has some attitude, and the Epiphone brand supplies quality hardware at a price. It has a piezo pickup, which is passive, requiring no battery. However, sound quality ultimately isn’t excellent when it’s amplified.
The neck is thin and particularly slithery, and you can play the guitar in quite a slinky way, which is a lot of fun.
Tone
The tone is a bit one-dimensional, though, and you wouldn’t want to bring this out, gigging over other options on this list. But, on the other hand, it does, maybe, lean towards the novelty side of miniature guitars and Ukuleles.
Its passive pickup is as cheap as it gets, and it does show – it’s a shame, as it doesn’t allow any loud, gutsy sound to come through.
Pros
- Very cool little Les Paul design
- Hardware is above average
- With modification, it has the potential to be a great uke
Cons
- The stock tone is below average
- Some tacky elements out of the box
Aileen SG Style Electric Ukulele
This sure looks cool – SG styling, solid body, and no pickup insight. That is because the Aileen runs a passive pickup. It’s very cheap, and SG owners will probably eye it up as something they need to add to their collection, especially at a price.
Build
It has nylon strings, which are unusual for a solid body, and has volume and tone knobs. The pickup is passive and low gain. It’s hard to crank a good amplified tone out of this without a perfect amp.
Tone
It has enough clarity to articulate itself at practice volume, but the intonation with this ukulele generally leaves you wanting. In addition, amplification creates some unwanted artifacts, and the tone is generally muddy and flimsy.
This ukulele looks very originally styled and quirky. It doesn’t weigh as much as a real musical instrument. So many people buy it as a novelty or as a gift.
At a price, it’s what you expect it to be – a fun instrument that is great for beginners and children. The tone is bright enough but has many overtones and unwanted noise.
Pros
- It has its quirks; some sound better than others – there’s some of these arrive with many defects.
- Very cheap
Cons
- Nylon combined with a solid body and passive pickup means minimal definition in tone
Vorson FSUK1BK Style Electric Ukulele
This ukulele is priced reasonably, and Vorson is well known for creating products that hit hard for the money. This one is not an exception, and for an ultra-cheap electric ukulele, it’s well worth a look.
Build
The front is made from lovely maple, and it has level frets. The intonation is excellent, and it’s easy to tune. Some like to lower the bridge’s action and say it brings this cheap little ukulele to life. The Strat shape is fantastic and familiar. With decently geared tuners, it keeps its tuning for longer than many expect.
Tone
It has two single-coil pickups with a 3-way selector, and when cranked, it does sound like an electric guitar with satisfyingly trebley sounds that suit shreddy riffs and picked play. It has steel strings, so it conducts its tone with a bit of energy, though this will be hard to get used to if you’re a nylon-string player.
Pros
- Vorson excels in these electric uke models, and it ticks similar boxes to the FLP QM.
- Build quality is particularly good at the price
Cons
- None really – feels good to play and sounds decent at a price
How to Select the Best Electric Ukulele
Types of Electric Ukuleles
Electric ukes allow us to connect our ukuleles to amplifiers, solving the volume issue and giving us an output for recording and effects. There are two types of electric ukuleles:
- Electro-acoustic ukuleles. These, like electro-acoustic guitars, have the hollow body and either passive or active pickups for amplification.
- Electric ukulele. These have solid bodies and look like mini electric guitars. These will more often have active pickups.
What Body Is The Best For Electric Ukuleles?
When shopping for any guitar or ukulele, the different traditional wood types affect sound considerably, and the price too!
For ukuleles, Koa, Acacia, or Mahogany are the most common. Again, the solid wood build has the best resonance, and the fewer pieces there are to your guitar’s body, often the better it will sound.
Mahogany is an excellent place to start. It has the excellent resonant quality and is hard-wearing. Over time, the humidity will warp hardwoods, but wood will often age well, and the sound may improve.
Laminate or plastic ukes are also popular as they’re hard-wearing and cheap. Plastic is seldom a better option than wood, though for musical instruments. Plastic’s resonant qualities aren’t as good as hardwood, and plastic can still warp.
All ukes in this review and the vast majority under $200 are mahogany-based builds. However, much more expensive than that is too. A tremendous all-around wood for instrument builds; it will provide that warm wooden tone to cheaper and more expensive ukuleles.
The big thing that affects tone is how the mahogany is assembled and how well joined any pieces are. That commonly influences a ukulele’s tone even though many are made from mahogany – cheap and expensive.
What Strings Are The Best For Electric Ukuleles?
In terms of strings, steel strings are infrequently used on an electro-acoustic uke but more often on an electric one. On the other hand, nylon is traditional and provides a fuller sound that best complements a uke’s tiny body.
Tenor uke players sometimes choose to change the high G string for a Low G to increase the instrument’s depth of scale. Aquila Nyglut strings are the traditional go-to and ship with many ukes.
Geared Tuners or Peg Tuners?
- Geared tuners grip the string better than peg tuners. As a result, the strings are less likely to slip. They have a ratio of 1:14 to 1:18, meaning they’re more accurate and allow tuning to conventional intonation easier.
- The peg tuner is more traditional but is less linear for tuning to conventional intonations.
For custom tunings, the peg is better suited and more sensitive.
Most ukuleles use gear tuners for their effectiveness and ease of tuning.
Electric or Electro-Acoustic Ukelele?
The two kinds of electric uke are distinct from each other. First, the electric uke is a hard-bodied instrument. There’s no hollow body, like a conventional electric guitar.
These will use active pickups more often, and the solid body allows you to play pretty aggressively if you please. Shredding on a ukulele is just relaxed and fun for any guitarist!
You’ll get less noise from the body and a more accurate, electric sound for loud amplification with a solid-bodied electric uke.
The electro-acoustic uke is what most people think about when thinking about a uke you plug into an amp. It has the same construction and body type as a standard acoustic uke but features pickups and output for amplification.
You’ll often find electric tuners and treble and bass settings. In addition, you’ll either find active or passive pickups on an electro-acoustic uke. Active pickups require a 9v battery and are ‘hotter than passive pickups, as the signal is pre-boosted, meaning high volumes are achievable when amplified. Passive pickups require no battery and are looser-sounding pickups that are suitable for lower volume amplification.
So, now we’ve rounded off a few points about different types and parts of ukuleles, let’s move on to the conclusion.
Conclusion: the Best Electric Ukulele
It’s a relatively diverse selection of electric and electro-acoustic guitars we have here. They range from incredible replica-like models based on the Fender Strat, the Gibson SG, and the Gibson Les Paul to more traditional electro-acoustic true ukuleles.
Your choice will naturally depend on what you want within this selection, but the Cordobas must be recommended for more traditional choices.
They’re built with good faith to traditional designs and tone, are attractive, come with Aquila strings, and you have the choice between a Tenor with an active pickup for hotter play or a Concert with a passive pickup for gentler play.
Out of the replica bunch, the Vorson pair make a splash in the budget electric ukulele market. Their build quality is quite remarkable, and they’re bold little machines that pack a real punch at medium-high volumes.
We’d recommend them over the Epiphone that rates a more novelty addition to a collection than a serious instrument. The Aileen SG where the quirky build can’t compensate for its lackluster tone.