Buying a Ukulele
Choosing which ukulele to buy can be a very challenging and time-consuming process. Like buying anything these days, there is so much choice out there and when it comes to buying a ukulele, there are so many things to consider. The first things you will probably want to think about are the brand, the size (typically soprano, concert or tenor) and whether you want to get a laminate or solid-wood instrument. After that, things like tone, volume, playability, and perhaps appearance will also have a bearing on your decision.
Do I need to buy an Electro Ukulele?
However, what I have found from talking to ukulele players at festivals this year is that a common consideration now is whether or not to buy a ukulele with a pickup. Electro Ukuleles are becoming more and more popular and if you are thinking of performing publicly or simply want to be able to plug in at home, then it might be worth adding this to your list of considerations when you make your next purchase.
At Noah Ukuleles, due to this increased demand for electric instruments, I have now made an electro option available in all of the ukuleles which we make – the Monkeypod, Mahogany and Rosewood / Spruce Series. For an extra £70, you are able to have a Fishman Sonitone pickup fitted to your uke whic means you can plug your ukulele direct into an amplifier. Apart from feeling slightly heavier due to the weight of the pickup, these will play and sound the same acoustically as their non-electro counterparts.
For anyone interested in how a Noah Electro Monkeypod ukulele might sound, here’s a lovely video of Tricity Vogue performing onstage at the recent Uke East festival in Norwich.