Acoustic or Acoustic Electric?

mendel

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I am relatively new, so this question may have been asked and answered already. If so, I apologize for the repost. When deciding on a second ukulele, I am curious about the benefit of purchasing an electric acoustic, as opposed to a straight up acoustic. Of course, I understand that an A/E can be amplified. My real question is, can an A/E be played as an acoustic and still sound incredible, or does it only sound good when amplified?

What are your thoughts, UU brethren?????
 
My second uke is an electric acoustic.. I love the way it sounds acoustic.. I have no amp of my own yet.. I have plugged it into my sons guitar amp, but It's plenty loud on it's own sounds great. The benefit to having it is if you plan on playing in a venue that you will need it to be louder...
I like the idea of being able to amplify if I choose too, and plan on getting an amp sometime soon... especially if I want to play with my boys.. their electric guitars will blow me away...
I have to get a lot better though..
 
Most quality acoustics will sound just the same with an installed pickup. Very few examples exist where the pickups have a detrimental effect on the sound (unless you are professing to hear things the human ear can't; which people do; stupid people).

Break it down like this: Are you likely to play in a situation where you will need to be amplified? If so, will a microphone not be enough to pickup the uke's sound?

If you said yes to both of those, spend the extra money on installed electrics. Otherwise, spend more money on the uke.

~DB
 
I have an older Applause Acoustic Soprano which sounds great with pretty good volume.

I also have a 'newer' Applause Acoustic/Electric Soprano which is OK plugged in, but leaves
a lot to be desired as an Acoustic-only player.

I have added a passive pickup to an Acoustic Soprano without any noticable change in the
acoustic dynamics, ie it sounds the same as it did before the addition of the pickup.

I suppose the bottom line for me is, "It depends". If you have an opportunity to try before
you buy, at least you'll know what you're getting.

Keep uke'in',
 
In my opinion if somebody is getting an new ukulele, get a pickup installed right when ordering. You never know when you will want to plug in. Much better to have the seller or builder put the pickup in than try to find someone later. I have a KoAloha with a pickup. Fun to pay plugged in. I haven't plugged in my MB yet. But it sounds fabulous acoustic. Im sure it'll sound great plugged in too.
 
So it being electric doesn't muddle the acoustic sound when it with not plugged in ?
 
The answer is no.

Acoustics and Acoustic electrics sound the same.
Acoustic electrics are just acoustics with pickup.

If having the electronics has a detrimental effect on the sound at all, it is one that we can barely detect at all.
There is no benefit to sticking with acoustic-only because you believe having electronics will affect the sound :)
 
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