Electric Ukulele

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proctor.sm

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Hi guys, I'm trying to build my own electric tenor ukulele at school, and I'm finding it impossible to source the electronics. I want to build a hard
bodied ukulele, so a pickup to amp design wouldn't work. I've seen people modifying guitar electronics, but I have no idea where to start, please
help?!?!?!?!
Avidly waiting for replies, :drool:
Sam
 
Are you trying to make an 'ukulele with steel strings and magnetic pickups or normal strings and a UST/SBT pickup?
 
Last edited:
Thanks so much guys, you don't know how helpful you have been, I'm
going for steel string so the magnetic pickup idea would be for be :)
 
I'm planning to use a humbucker, does anybody have any ideas on which one to buy?? Also, any other electronics that I will need... sorry for being such an amateur! If anybody has any pictures on the wiring stages of their build? as this is the stage that I have no idea to do... :(
Thanks
 
As far as I know there are no pre-made magnetic 'ukulele pickups, let alone a humbucker one. You might be able to make a mando pickup work depending on the width/output: http://sjryder.com/pickups.htm. Or you could wind your own: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Music_p004.shtml.

What kind of wired setup do you want to have when it's finished? A volume control? Volume and tone control? You could probably get away with just a pickup and a jack, but if you went that far you might as well add at least a volume knob. Do a google image search for "pickup wiring diagram" and you'll have all kinds of material to work with. BTW, do you know how to solder? You might want to get a soldering iron and practice a bit while you wait for/build your pickup.
 
Thanks, but using a Mandolin pickup, would this not change the tone a
lot? And yes, I can solder. I think that I'm going to buy a ready made
pickup.
 
Hippie Guy said:
What kind of wired setup do you want to have when it's finished? A volume control? Volume and tone control? You could probably get away with just a pickup and a jack, but if you went that far you might as well add at least a volume knob. Do a google image search for "pickup wiring diagram" and you'll have all kinds of material to work with. BTW, do you know how to solder? You might want to get a soldering iron and practice a bit while you wait for/build your pickup.
Click to expand...

I would like to have a volume and tone control when I've finished.
 
proctor.sm said:
Thanks, but using a Mandolin pickup, would this not change the tone a
lot? And yes, I can solder. I think that I'm going to buy a ready made
pickup.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't think it would make a huge difference. Tonally, the mando and uke are roughly in the same area, so if the mando pickup was spun specifically for that instrument, it might sound a little different than a pickup spun for a uke. The instrument is going to have much more weight on how it sounds than the pickup will.

But I wouldn't worry; most of those electric pickups that people are selling look to be half of a P-Bass pickup anyway, and people get good results out of that.
 
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