What amps do I use for Ukulele playing?

31 Oct 2010

What amps do I use for Ukulele playing?

It may seem like a silly question, considering that the ukulele is an acoustic instrument, but I thought I would share with you how I like to amp my ukes.  It really depends on the situation though...  In both cases I either use a pickup inside the uke, or I mic the uke with an instrument mic  (I use a Shure SM series mics)

1. If I am playing an acoustic set alongside somebody with a guitar, then I will find that the ukulele needs a little lift - nothing much, but just a little extra oomph to help the uke compete.  In these scenarios I use my small battery powered pignose which is just the job.  Great tone - everyone should own a pignose


More on Pignose HERE


2. If I am gigging solo to a larger crowd, I need a proper amp with me.  I use a Marshall AS50R Soloist - its a beautiful sounding acoustic amp with twin speakers, chorus, reverb and two inputs (including a balanced XLR input for a microphone).  Its a superb amp and can easily fill a village hall with sound.  It also has an output if you wanted even more noise by feeding it to a house PA.  I adore this amp and if you are considering an acoustic amp, I'd struggle to suggest anything else.

The current model is, I believe, called the AS50D



More about the Marshall HERE

So there you have it - horses for courses, but there are always times when a bit of power doesnt go amiss with a ukulele.

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