If you're not interested in getting an electro-acoustic ukulele that already comes with a pickup built in and just want to adapt your acoustic uke so you can take it on stage, then a separate and often removable ukulele pickup can offer a nice and easy solution.
Amplify Your Ukulele with a Pickup
You can either mount a separate pickup or install a pickup in an acoustic ukulele so that you can plug it directly into gear like a mixer, an audio interface or an acoustic guitar amplifier. Some ukulele pickups do need to be properly and permanently installed, like a piezo pickup with a separate preamp, but other pickups can simply be clipped on, like a contact pickup or soundhole pickup. Most of the time, ukulele pickups are passive, but there are also active models. 'Active' means that the sound is processed and preamplified before it reaches any external gear, like an acoustic amp. These preamps usually have controls for things like the tone and volume, and some will even offer effects like reverb.
Picking Out Your Ukulele Pickup
With a good pickup, ukulele players can count on a richer and more balanced amplified sound during gigs and recording sessions. The pickup that's best for you and your uke will depend on what you want to use it for and on your budget. Also, if you need to actually modify your ukulele to install a pickup, you need to bear in mind that the modifications can't be undone. So think long and hard before making the jump. If you're not sure and need some extra advice, then feel free to contact our Helpdesk and they'll be glad to put you in contact with one of our specialists. Otherwise, it can be worth having a chat with your local luthier (guitar builder) for some expert help.
