Looking for a way to amplify my uke......

jjdejd

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
Messages
281
Reaction score
4
Location
PA & FL
without drilling a hole in the body. Just interested in a little more volume when playing at home. Noticed the clip on versions as well as the Kremona. Not sure if the one that installs under the strings would work, because my ukes have tied knots on the strings vs the loop type bridge / saddle setup. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Merry Christmas to all. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
If you go to e-bay and type this in the search terms:
Piezo Contact Microphone Pickup For Guitar Violin Banjo Mandolin Ukulele

you will find many places willing to ship you a pick up for a ukulele for under $5 including shipping. (it comes direct from China and has a "buy it now" option)

I have ordered a replacement for a UK 2000 from china because I broke the clip on the battery cover for my Lanikia but I have not ordered one of these I don't know how they work but for less than $5 shipped it might be worth a try. Let us know if you are happy with the quality or not.
 
Kremona UK1 slips under the strings at the tie bridge. Couple this with a Behringer ADI 21 to shape the sound before the amp. You are good to go for just a little over $100.
 
i use a clip on cherub pick up

here is a UK link i think the same thing goes under different brands, if you get one that looks like it i'm sure it's pretty much the same thing

http://www.djmmusic.com/p-4843-ukul...nGrQkJKtX2EbHtHt0-sUPXVqguC5hPY7PWxoCJ2Dw_wcB

i clip it to the headstock - you might need to try different positions there to get the best sound - or sometimes to the bridge. it's great for home use

it's literally just a couple of quid - less than five bucks
 
Kremona UK1 slips under the strings at the tie bridge. Couple this with a Behringer ADI 21 to shape the sound before the amp. You are good to go for just a little over $100.

I like the UK1, but I don't have much room between the bridge and saddle to insert the pickup. My strings are tied with a knot and are very close to the saddle on my KoAloha and Sailor Brand. It looks like the pickup width would interfere with the bridge. Maybe the clip on would work better. My Kala has the strings tied and looped like the demo in the UK1 video.
 
Perhaps a microphone and an amplifier?

Some acoustic amps, such as the Fender Acoustasonic range have an XLR(mic) input for putting in a mic.

A decent dynamic microphone would make a good companion. Furthermore, you can also use it to amplify your voice.
 
I use a Lavalier mic secured by a hair tie at the wrist and elbow. This puts the mic just above the sound hole for a nice natural sound. No holes drilled.
 
I use one of these. They are miniature condenser mics and fix on with a Velcro pad. I use the M500 which is attached in the same way as shown for the banjo.

Otherwise I suggest a small diaphragm condenser mic. If you get one that takes a battery, you don't need to worry about phantom power.
 
Last edited:
The Cherub clipon pickup works great, clipped on to the headstock. Using the preamp section of an active DI box like the Behringer ADI 21 will help you with the tone and control, along with removing the piezo quack:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/373653-REG/Behringer_ADI21_V_TONE_ACOUSTIC_ADI21.html

373653.jpg


IMG_13634.jpg


Ric
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom