Ukuleles were originally designed as fully acoustic instruments. Their beautiful, soothing tone was meant to uplift any gathering and inspire both players and audiences. However, ukes aren’t particularly loud, and their tone lacks the flexibility other stringed instruments have.
Those are just some of the reasons why electric ukuleles came to be. As a fan of technology and a lifelong ukulele enthusiast, I was thrilled when I got my first electric model. Ever since they came to the market, I started enriching my collection.
Quick Look: Best Electric Ukuleles
★ #1 Best Electric Ukulele Overall: Fender Fullerton Telecaster Ukulele ★
- Best Cheap Electric Ukulele: Caramel CS419 Soprano
- Best Electric Ukulele Under $1,000: Cordoba 25T-CE Exotic
- Best Electric Ukulele Under $500: Luna UKE15THC 15th Anniversary Concert
Today I want to share some of the best electric ukuleles I’ve had the pleasure of playing, and I also want to help you find the model that can cater to your needs. Make sure to check out the buying guide in the sections below.
What Is an Electric Ukulele?
An electric ukulele is essentially an uke model equipped with a built-in set of magnets. Certain high-end models also feature a preamp, but all electric ukuleles have a pickup built into their body.
Aside from the magnets, every other part of an electric ukulele is identical to the parts of acoustic ones. In fact, there aren’t any aesthetic differences either, except for the pickup on one side.
Performance-wise, electric ukuleles are significantly more flexible, as players can adjust the tone and volume of their instrument, which are the two main shortcomings of their acoustic counterparts.
See also: Best Acoustic Electric Ukuleles Buyer’s Guide
Things to Consider When Choosing Electric Ukuleles
Before we get to the reviews of the best electric ukuleles, I want to touch on some of the things that you ought to keep in mind when shopping. Size, tone, and sound are the most important things that separate the best models from mediocre and downright bad ones.
Size, Type and Tuning
Ukulele size dictates a variety of performance-based aspects. For example, beginners and children should stick with soprano electric ukuleles, as they’re the smallest and lightest. Teens and relatively experienced players may want to consider concert ukuleles, which are just a tad bigger and slightly heavier.
Tenor ukuleles are a bit bigger, and they also offer a fuller tone. I wouldn’t recommend an electric baritone unless your favorite songs are in D-G-B-E tuning. Most ukulele songs can be played on every other ukulele type because they should be tuned in G-C-E-A.
The Overall Tone & Sound
Acoustic ukuleles are limited in terms of sonic performance by tonewoods, and their tone can’t be dramatically altered in any way. Electric ukuleles, on another hand, can produce an array of different sounds due to the addition of magnets.
However, even the most versatile pickup system can’t completely redefine your ukulele’s tone. That’s why tonewoods are just as important when choosing an electric ukulele.
Basswood isn’t too common, but it’s an excellent choice as it’s both durable and well-balanced sonically.
Mahogany is a popular ukulele tonewood that’s characterized by a warm, mellow tone. Walnut, on the other hand, is very bright, and it offers excellent sustain.
Koa wood is a traditional ukulele tonewood that sounds a bit brighter than basswood, and it’s still pretty warm. Maple is one of the brightest-sounding ukulele tonewoods.
10 Best Electric Ukuleles
The market of electric ukuleles is fairly big, and most of the models I’ve played on aren’t spectacular in any way. However, there are quite a few models that I was positively surprised with, including these:
Fender Fullerton Telecaster Ukulele
- Dimensions: 1 inches by 11.1 inches by 3.6 inches
- Type: Telecaster
- What’s included: Standalone ukulele
- Material & finish: Spruce construction, butterscotch blonde finish
- Best for: Best electric ukulele overall
Fender’s iconic Telecaster was re-imagined as the Fullerton Electric Ukulele, which is arguably the most eclectic model on my list. It boasts a classic Telecaster design, Fender’s signature sound and tone, superb intonation, and a high level of playability.
✅ Unique design
✅ Beautiful aesthetics
✅ Fender’s signature tone
✅ Built to last
❌ Expensive
❌ Flimsy factory strings
Why I Recommend It
Fender’s Fullerton Telecaster feels, looks, and performs great, but it does cost a bit more than average. I recommend this uke to anyone searching for a well-rounded, quality electric ukulele.
Caramel CS419 Soprano Electric Ukulele Kit
- Dimensions: 75 inches by 11 inches by 4.9 inches
- Type: Soprano
- What’s included: Gig bag, three picks, replacement strings, replacement batteries, strap, built-in tuner
- Material & finish: Mahogany construction, natural finish
- Best for: Best cheap electric ukulele
The Caramel CS419 is an affordable beginner’s bundle that sounds surprisingly good considering its low price. It stays in tune well, and it’s equipped with a decently versatile 3-band EQ preamp. I have to admit, however, that I like the accessories more than the uke itself.
✅ Sturdy gig bag
✅ Reliable tuner
✅ Good intonation
✅ Excellent sound quality
❌ Mediocre durability
❌ Thick neck
Why I Recommend It
I recommend Caramel’s CS419 to beginners and uke players who aren’t too familiar with the ukulele as an instrument. It comes in a box with exceptional-quality accessories, and its tone is much better than you’d expect.
Cordoba 25T-CE Acacia Tenor Cutaway Ukulele
- Dimensions: 26 inches by 8.5 inches by 8 inches
- Type: Tenor
- What’s included: Standalone ukulele
- Material & finish: Solid acacia construction, gloss finish
- Best for: Best electric ukulele under $1,000
Cordoba’s arsenal of electric ukuleles mainly comprises high-end models, and it’s fair to say that Cordoba 25T-CE is their current flagship in this category. It excels in every field except affordability.
✅ Perfect intonation
✅ Remarkable sonic performance
✅ High playability
✅ Sturdy acacia construction
❌ Doesn’t include any accessories
❌ Expensive
Why I Recommend It
Cordoba’s 25T-CE is among the best-sounding electric ukuleles on the current market. It’s also one of the most playable and most robust models available for the buck. It’s fairly expensive, though, but it’s worth the dime.
Luna Guitars 15th Anniversary UKE15THC Concert Electric Ukulele
- Dimensions: 28 inches by 19 inches by 5 inches
- Type: Concert
- What’s included: Hard-shell case
- Material & finish: Mahogany construction, natural gloss finish
- Best for: Best electric ukulele under $500
Luna Guitars UKE15THC is a very special ukulele that celebrates 15 years since the brand’s founding. It looks absolutely amazing, its sound is warm and full-bodied, and it comes with a gorgeous and sturdy hard-shell case.
✅ Excellent playability
✅ Robust hard-shell case
✅ Great sound and full-bodied tone
✅ Versatile Fishman Kula preamp
❌ Twangy nickel-made factory strings
❌ Slightly heavier than average
Why I Recommend It
Luna’s UKE15THC is my recommendation for players looking for a great-sounding ukulele. Its complementary case simplifies the storage process and prolonging its durability, so the instrument will certainly last you for decades to come, given proper maintenance.
Eleuke Traveling Concert Electric Ukulele
- Dimensions: 83 inches by 5.12 inches by 4.33 inches
- Type: Portable concert
- What’s included: Gig bag, cable, strap
- Material & finish: Solid hardwood construction, natural finish
- Best for: Home practice and traveling musicians
Portable ukuleles are meant to endure the hardships of traveling, and Elueke model is my personal favorite in this category. It has a robust hardwood construction and is much smaller than average. It sounds great and holds its tuning for extended periods, although it’s fairly quiet.
✅ Sturdy hardwood construction
✅ Great intonation
✅ Small and portable
✅ Perfect for travels
❌ Quiet
❌ Pricey
Why I Recommend It
Most ukulele types aside from sopranos and sopraninos are difficult to pack, as they take up large amounts of space. If you don’t want to part with your uke when you’re on vacation, I recommend switching over to Eleuke’s Traveling Concert Electric Ukulele.
Kala MK-CE Concert Electric Ukulele
- Dimensions: 59 inches by 9.84 inches by 3.94 inches
- Type: Concert
- What’s included: Standalone ukulele
- Material & finish: Agathis body, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, satin finish
- Best for: Best sounding electric ukulele
With such a versatile composition of tonewoods, Kala MK-CE is unequivocally the best-sounding uke on my list. It sports a body made of high-quality agathis, a neck made of sturdy mahogany, and a rosewood fretboard.
✅ Versatile selection of tonewoods
✅ Excellent sound quality
✅ Remarkable intonation
✅ Superb playability
❌ A bit more expensive than average
❌ No accessories
Why I Recommend It
Each tonewood contributes to different aspects of any ukulele. Kala’s MK-CE contains some of the finest, and I warmly recommend it to any player who values sonic performance over aesthetics.
Fender Grace VanderWaal Signature Ukulele
- Dimensions: 28 inches by 8 inches by 4 inches
- Type: Soprano
- What’s included: Standalone ukulele
- Material & finish: Sapele construction, walnut finish
- Best for: Most versatile electric ukulele
The Fender Grace VanderWaal Signature Ukulele is made of high-quality sapele and has a glossy walnut finish. It’s remarkably light, it sounds great, and it’s equipped with Fishman’s Kula pickup system. On top of that, it’s fairly petite and very easy to play.
✅ Sapele construction
✅ Lightweight and small
✅ Great intonation
✅ Durable
❌ A bit pricey
❌ No accessories included
Why I Recommend It
Grace VanderWall won numerous awards with this very ukulele, and she’s still using it years after her debut at America’s Got Talent. I warmly recommend it to players who are looking for a well-rounded electric ukulele model.
Ibanez UEW13MEE Electric Concert Ukulele
- Dimensions: 44 inches by 19 inches by 5 inches
- Type: Concert cutaway
- What’s included: Nylon bag
- Material & finish: Ebony body, okoume neck
- Best for: Best professional electric ukulele
The Ibanez UEW13MEE is a robust electric uke that’s best suited for seasoned veterans. It’s made of remarkably durable ebony and okoume, and its sonic performance is absolutely stunning. It’s fairly heavy and demanding in terms of maintenance, though.
✅ Built to last
✅ A loud and powerful tone
✅ Complimentary gig bag
✅ Stays in tune
❌ Heavy
❌ Difficult to store
Why I Recommend It
I recommend Ibanez’s UEW-13-MEE to professional touring ukulele players mainly because it’s significantly sturdier than average. It’s also equipped with an advanced preamp system that will certainly come in handy, regardless of the quality of setup you’re playing on.
Caramel CB207 Baritone Acoustic Electric Ukulele
- Dimensions: 5 inches by 13.18 inches by 5.4 inches
- Type: Baritone
- What’s included: Gig bag, polishing cloth, cable, truss rod, replacement strings
- Material & finish: Acacia construction, natural finish
- Best for: Best baritone electric ukulele
Caramel CB207 is a sturdy, great-sounding baritone electric uke. It’s equipped with a versatile 3-band preamp system and comes pre-strung with a set of high-quality nylon strings.
The box also contains a variety of neat accessories, such as the polishing cloth, truss rod, gig bag, and replacement strings.
✅ Versatile bundle of accessories
✅ Tremendous sound quality
✅ Stays in tune well
✅ Robust acacia construction
❌ Weighs a lot
❌ Not well-suited for beginners
Why I Recommend It
Intermediate and professional players will certainly be able to appreciate the massive tone of Caramel’s CB207. Even though it weighs a bit more than average, it offers a thundering, reliable performance at all times.
Luna Heartsong Spruce Electric Concert Ukulele
- Dimensions: 22 inches by 8 inches by 3 inches
- Type: Concert
- What’s included: Gig bag
- Material & finish: Spruce construction, natural finish
- Best for: Best Intermediate electric ukulele
Luna Heartsong is an excellent-quality ukulele made of spruce wood. It’s well-rounded, durable, and equipped with Fishman’s Kulu pickup system. Its tone is characterized by strong bass and dominant mids, but you may want to replace its factory strings.
✅ Versatile performance
✅ Made of high-quality spruce
✅ Sturdy gig bag
✅ Decent intonation
❌ Flimsy factory strings
❌ Heavier than average
Why I Recommend It
I recommend Luna’s Heartsong to experienced ukulele players. Its sonic performance is fairly versatile, and it’s not overly expensive. It also sports a USB output, which will allow you to record your songs on any compatible device.
Electric Ukuleles Aesthetics & Build
Electric ukuleles are designed differently than plain acoustic ukuleles, although there are numerous similarities between them too.
The most notable difference is the pickup/preamp system built into one of the sides of an electric ukulele, while the most prominent similarity is that both types are designed in a similar fashion.
With that in mind, the most important elements of an electric ukulele are the tonewoods, the finish, and hardware.
Wood
The most impactful factor of an electric ukulele’s sonic performance is the combination of tonewoods it’s built with. Each piece of wood produces a different kind of sound and overtones.
If you aren’t too familiar with the sonic qualities of electric ukulele tonewoods, here’s a quick description of each:
- Mahogany: A warm-sounding tonewood that’s typically used for ukulele necks. Due to its flexibility, it’s not uncommon to see entire ukulele models made of this tonewood.
- Rosewood: Even warmer than mahogany, rosewood is commonly used for ukulele fretboards. This tonewood somewhat hinders the higher overtones, adding a bit more bass to the tone.
- Koa: A well-balanced tonewood that traditional ukuleles are made of. Its versatility allows it to shine as a standalone tonewood, and it performs great with any other type just as well.
- Maple: The brightest-sounding tonewood that is remarkably stable and sturdy. It sits better in electric ukuleles than acoustic models.
- Ebony: Remarkably bright, beautiful, and expensive, ebony is commonly used on fretboards.
Finish
The finish of an electric ukulele is not as important as the tonewoods, although it’s still pretty impactful. Light-duty finishes such as gloss and satin have almost no bearing on the performance of a ukulele, but coats of paint add a bit of extra weight.
Hardware
The hardware of an electric ukulele is identical to acoustic ukuleles with the addition of the pickup/preamp system. Fender and Fishman electronics are some of the finest on the market, although certain lesser-known models are pretty decent too.
Buying New vs Used
Electric ukuleles require more diligent maintenance, so I don’t recommend buying a used model unless you’re low on cash. Unused second-hand electric ukuleles are a different story, though, so feel free to consider these as viable options.
Frequently Asked Questions:
In case you’re still unsure about the look, sound, and feel of the best electric ukuleles, let me answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding electric ukuleles:
How Much Do Electric Ukuleles Cost?
In truth, there are dozens of cheap ukuleles and a handful of models that cost more than $1,000, so the average price of an electric uke doesn’t give the most accurate estimate. Most models I’ve played that are at least decent cost around $200, while better-sounding ones are $500 and above.
What Are the Best Electric Ukuleles?
In my opinion, Fender and Cordoba make some of the best electric ukuleles. Let’s have a quick recap:
Fender Fullerton Telecaster: Best Overall
The Fender Fullerton Telecaster is a great-sounding professional ukulele that seamlessly combines beautiful aesthetics and a unique tone with superb intonation and playability. It’s great for everyone who can afford it, even though it’s not the most expensive model on the list.
Caramel CS419 Soprano: Best Cheap Electric Ukulele
Beginners on a cash-strapped budget may want to consider this beautiful bargain of an instrument. Aside from being available at a dirt-cheap price, the Caramel CS419 feels pretty great and sounds surprisingly great. It’s relatively flimsy, though.
Cordoba 25T-CE: Best Electric Ukulele under $1,000
“Absolute masterpiece” would be the words that best describe the Codoba 25T-CE. This electric uke is made of exotic acacia tonewood and offers unprecedented durability, flexibility, and a completely unique tone.
Where Are the Best Electric Ukuleles Made?
Some of the finest, sturdiest, and best-sounding ukuleles are manufactured in the United States of America, while Europe takes second place.
What Are the Best Sounding Electric Ukuleles?
Cordoba 25T-CE is one of the best-sounding high-end ukuleles, but it’s arguably too expensive for most people. A bit more affordable runner-up is the Kala MK-CE Concert Electric Ukulele.
Where to Buy Electric Ukuleles
The most popular way for shopping for electric ukuleles is online, mainly because local music stores don’t offer as much versatility and diversity in their inventories. Here are some places you should check out:
Amazon
Amazon is my go-to online marketplace, which I visit whenever I need any music instrument or accessory.
Aside from searching through their huge range of products, I’ve also developed the healthy habit of checking out the reviews of other people who’ve bought the same instrument or accessory, which have been incredibly helpful so far.
Online Music Retailers
Sweetwater and Guitar Center are the places I look for ukulele instruments and accessories whenever I can’t find specific models on Amazon. The prices are pretty much the same, so the main difference is in the catalog of goods you can expect to find.
Your Local Music Store
If neither Amazon, Sweetwater nor Guitar Center has the ukulele you’re after, you should check out your local music shops. The worst thing that could happen is that they don’t have the electric uke you were looking for, or that it costs a bit more than you imagined.
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In Conclusion
I hope you liked my review of the best electric ukuleles. If you feel that I’ve left out certain models, keep in mind that I’ve only shared experiences and thoughts about models I’ve actually played or at least tested. Feel free to add to the list in whichever way you please.
This buying guide should be a great help, especially if you’ve never played an instrument before, but bear in mind that everyone values different things.
Beginners should look for a playable instrument, intermediate players should demand a great tone, and professionals should look for the full package of sonic performance, versatility, durability, intonation, and dependability.
