Introduction a foreword about the best electric ukuleles:
Are you a guitarist who wants to expand their musical knowledge, but are not yet ready to commit to a completely new instrument?
Or do you feel like having a portable guitar in your backpack would make practicing while travelling much easier?
There’s a very cool solution. The electric ukulele is a very fun a versatile instrument! We have reviewed a lot of models and found the perfect electric ukulele for every level and budget. After we go over the different models, we’ll take a look at the instrument in general. But first, a quick summary!
QUICK RUNDOWN
If you are in a hurry these are our TOP 5 Picks:
- Canadian made, tenor size, electro-acoustic Ukulele
- Body - Canadian Wild Cherry Top, Back & Sides
- Solid Mahogany top
- Soft cutaway with 2Band EQ
- Controls: Volume, Tone, 3-way toggle
- Pickups: dual single coils
- AAA Grade Flame Maple Top
- Top quality 14:1 geared machine heads
- All solid acacia body
- 3 Band EQ built in tuner
Last Updated on
Table of Contents
Best Electric Ukulele Under $700
A short overview:
Godin isn’t just one of the best ukulele brands available, but a company that puts heart and soul into all of their instruments. This business-style can be heard and felt because all of their hybrid instruments have only the best of both worlds. And the electric ukulele is no exception!
Godin offers different electric ukulele models. Our top pick – the Godin Guitar 36080 Ukulele. If you are a pro, then you need to check out this amazing acoustic-electric ukulele and see for yourself why it is our favorite model on the list.
Build quality and design:
The specially-chambered Canadian Wild Cherry Top offers feedback-cancellation, which is really important for acoustic electric instruments. Other acoustic electric tenor ukulele reviews will praise this feature, as well.
This gorgeous MultieUke is a modern instrument with just the tiny bit of traditional features that it needs, alongside with the warmer sound and stunning visuals. The chambered hollow body makes this uke the perfect choice for unplugged venues and practice sessions, too!
Value for the money?
The price of this instrument almost enters high-end guitar territory. But luckily it does so for a good reason. This ukulele offers an unmistakable sound, fantastic build quality and an ideal mixture of different instruments.
While it is unique, it always feels familiar to other instruments, which results in an unmatched level of musicality. Studio, stage or bedroom – this is the ultimate acoustic-electric ukulele!
- Sound 99%
- Build Quality 98%
- Price to Value Ratio 100%
- Best electric ukulele for professionals
- Highly durable
- Amazing performance and sound
- Top-shelf features
- High-end look
- Expensive for beginners
A short overview:
Cordoba is by far one of the best brands of ukulele and as one of the best ukulele brands, only a high quality ukulele can be expected from Cordoba. Here we have a perfect example of modern technology meeting a classical rock instrument, featuring an acoustic ukulele body with electric ukulele technology.
The secret behind the big sound of the Cordoba 35T-CE is the combination of the right body features, like solid acacia top, back, and sides, and Cordoba’s Spanish heel neck joint and fan bracing, with a wider fingerboard for easy playability.
Build quality and design:
Cordoba’s ukulele electronics with with L.R. Baggs Five.O pickups a vibrant and realistic acoustic sound even when you play plugged in.
An active equalizer lets you set up your tone, but the small scale length and thick strings make sure that the ukulele always sounds bright and chrisp. If that is what you are searching for – perfect!
The Grover Tuners will make sure that this ukulele never gets out of tune and the ukulele has a soft cutaway that offers matchless playability. All in all, this resonant instrument is somewhat of an investment, but offers great results while looking beautifully at the same time!
Value for the money?
This hybrid instrument does everything it says on the tin and it does it fantastically. After you get used to the unique design, you will be able to put down the groove like never before!
The Grover Tuners, black TUSQ nut and saddle and the included Gig bag make this a fantastic investment for any recording and performing musician, but the fact that you can get a full-body acoustic guitar with similar or better performance for the same amount of money makes it seem slightly overpriced.
- Sound 92%
- Build Quality 96%
- Price to Value Ratio 92%
- Most unique electric ukulele
- Very durable
- Wonderful esthetics combined with great tone
- Somewhat overpriced
Best Electric Ukulele Under $200
A short overview:
Cordoba offers a nice mixture of affordability and quality. The best-selling 20TM-CE is a lightweight, stage-ready ukulele that has a wonderful acoustic sound, but can be ampilfied for bigger venues.
This is not a shredder’s axe, but a mellow and timid instrument which is modeled after traditional Portuguese ukuleles.
Build quality and design:
Completely handmade in soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone sizes, all ukuleles in the 20-series have a solid mahogany top, with mahogany back and sides, and are lightweight, yet stable.
CE stands for cutaway electronics which means that the ukulele very comfortable to play both acoustically and with an amp. Sadly the ukulele comes without strap pins which can be a big turn off for some players.
Value for the money?
You really get what you pay for. The ukulele has everything that a good instrument needs to have but lacks strap pins and the gig bag is not included in the price.
If you need a good ukulele but are not willing to spend a lot of money on it, this is a choice you will not regret.
- Sound 88%
- Build Quality 85%
- Price to Value Ratio 90%
- Stable and durable build
- Nice cut away
- Exotic woods and traditional craftsmanship
- Lacks strap pins
- Some report neck bending issues after a few months
- Requires setup – not playable right out of the box
Best Electric Ukulele Under $150
A short overview:
This Quilt Maple ukulele looks like a real metal axe, just smaller. Considering the low price, it must be said that the magnetic pickups, the electronics, the adjustable truss rod and the bridge all work together to deliver amazing sound of an electric guitar packaged in a small body.
If you don’t want to stray too far from the familiar, this LesPpaul electric ukulele is the perfect instrument for you.
Build quality and design:
The low-end parts work quite well considering the low price. The strings are very similar to guitar strings and the whole instrument feels like a steel string acoustic or electric guitar.
The only thing that feels like an ukulele is the size of the instrument. You either like it or you don’t.
Value for the money?
This is definitely a practice instrument only and you should rather avoid performing live or recording with it. But it isn’t the worst of its kind either.
It can be an amazing gift for beginners or children, but even long term shredders will appreciate the beautiful finish of this neat toy.
- Sound 84%
- Build Quality 87%
- Price to Value Ratio 95%
- Very affordable
- Guitar like Les Paul design
- Single coil pickups, strap pins and rest of hardware
- Pickups could be of slightly higher quality
- Not the best tone
- This uke comes with re-entrant (high G) tuning while a low G may be better considering the model
Best Beginner Electric Ukulele
- Sound 80%
- Build Quality 85%
- Price to Value Ratio 92%
- Affordable and valuable electric ukulele
- Cool Les Paul Design
- Includes Gig Bag
- Not perfect for the studio
- Low-End PVC bridge
- No tone or on board volume controls
Best Electric Ukulele Under $100:
A short overview:
This hidden gem is a perfect gift for any beginner, kid or teen who has a wish to start with a stringed instrument. The concert size is perfect for smaller hands, but it makes this instrument very portable.
This can be important for traveling guitarists who want something for practice only.
Build quality and design:
While not the highest quality of the instrument, it gets the job done and looks amazing while doing so. It may appeal more to younger audiences who will be smitten by the nature inspired design.
Anyhow, this model is surprisingly well made for the price. Consider it a toy if you want, but it is a very good toy!
Value for the money?
For the price it would be surprising if you could get a really good instrument. This is a perfect entry level ukulele which will determine whether or not you want to stick with music or not.
- Sound 77%
- Build Quality 75%
- Price to Value Ratio 90%
- Most affordable electric ukulele
- Nature inspired visual appearance looks astonishing
- Bone nut and saddle are very good
- Low end instrument
- Tuners slip from time to time
- Comes without gig bag and batteries
Buying Guide – Things to Consider
An electric ukulele is a ukulele which is electrically amplified, which means that it has a pickup similar to a guitar pickup. Some models have a hollow body and when not plugged in, they can still play acoustically. Others have a solid body and are much quieter than a standard ukulele, so they are perfect for late-night practicing in a hotel.
Electric ukuleles come in the same four standard sizes as acoustic ukuleles, which also means that they come in at least four different tunings, all similar to the highest four strings of the guitar.
Besides the four standard sizes, it is possible to get some unorthodox models, like the bass-uke. You can get more information about other sizes and their benefits in our baritone ukulele and tenor ukulele articles.
As already mentioned, an electric ukulele will have the added benefit of being able to play through an amp. This is a big advantage for both studio-recording and larger venues where just a small acoustic instrument won’t cut through the mix.
With amps and pedals, you can produce sounds comparable to those of the electric guitar, but the open strings will usually play in a higher register, resulting in a high-pitched lead sound and bright, sharp chords.
In short, an electric ukulele is a perfect backup instrument and practice instrument for a guitarist, but it can also be beneficial for bassists, mandolin players, or even complete beginners who’ve never played a stringed instrument.
CONCLUSION
Buying an electric ukulele can be a big investment if you want to get a high end instrument. Make sure to get something with good reviews and to ask your friends or colleagues for advice before making the final choice.
But always trust your feeling – the instrument has to be comfortable to you and it has to appeal to your style and needs.
Lower end instruments tend to follow the rule ” you get what you pay for ” . This can be a double edged sword. If you are buying a cheaper instrument, worry more about it being comfortable than sounding good.
This is especially important for beginners who will learn to get better sound of their gear with time, but need to spend many hours practicing.
If you’re buying an electric ukulele, you might consider a small, portable amp, too!
Make sure to take a look at our baritone ukulele guide, too, because it will give you more information on ukuleles and a few suggestion for both acoustic and hybrid models, too! And as always, keep on rocking!
