Looking for the perfect amp for your ukulele? You’ve come to the right place! We’re here to help you find what you’re looking for – and to get you everything you need so you can take your ukulele playing and turn it up to 11!
When it comes to amplifiers, there’s a lot of noise out there. Can you use a guitar amp with a ukulele? What features should you be looking for? How many watts do I need (and what even are watts)?
We’ve gone ahead and cut through that noise for you – putting together this article to help answer your burning questions about ukulele amps, and to show you some great products that we have available to you, the ukulele player!
So if you’ve got a good grasp on the basics and/or just want to skip ahead and read about the stars of the show, here is a list of our top amp choices!
Kala Mini Tweed 5-Watt Amp
Blackstar Fly 3 Acoustic Amp
Orange Crush Mini 3-watt Amp
Laney Mini Stereo Amp
Fishman PRO-LBT-500 Loudbox Amp
Orange Crush Acoustic 30-Watt Amp
For those of you who are here for answers, it’s time to get amped up, cause here they come!
Can I Use A Guitar Amp For A Ukulele?
This is one of the most frequently asked (and searched) questions people have when shopping for an amp for their ukulele, and the short answer is YES! Electric ukuleles use the same 6.35mm audio cords that electric and acoustic-electric guitars use, so the cords and amps work interchangeably.
However, many amps are specifically designed for electric guitars, which operate differently than acoustic-electric instruments sonically. So unless you have a true hard-bodied electric uke like this one, you want to make sure you are looking at amps that are meant for acoustic-electric instruments – which is to say, an acoustic instrument that is fitted with a pickup of some sort.
Understanding Amp Wattage – a Brief Explanation
All amps, whether made for electric guitars or a speaker’s microphone, have wattage. Long story short, the number of watts your amp has is directly proportional to how loud it can get before the sound will start to break up, and how full the instrument sounds. The higher the number of watts, the more faces you can meet with your beautiful, sweet melodies. So well higher is completely synonymous with better, it will generally signify a more capable amp.
What to Look for in an Ukulele Amp
There is no one set answer to this question. What to look for in an amp ultimately depends on what you’d like to use it for.
For example, if you are looking to play with other musicians in a live setting – you’ll want to make sure your amp has enough wattage to be heard amongst the other performers. Or maybe you’re looking to perform by yourself for an audience, and want to be able to sing and play at the same time – you’ll want an amp that has at least two channels (and an MLR mic cord input). Looking to play or perform outside? You will need an amp that can run on batteries of some kind. Just looking to play at home in your bedroom while you are learning? You’ll probably want an affordable amp that’s not too loud.
So when looking to get an amp, first take some time to consider what you are hoping to use it for.
The Best Ukulele Amps on the Market
Alright, you’ve made it this far, now it’s time for the really fun part! Listed below are our top amp choices (ordered by price – lowest to highest).
Kala Mini Tweed 5-Watt Amp
The Kala Mini Tweed 5-Watt Amp is the most affordable amp on our list, coming in at $79 dollars.
It has great portability for the price and comes with both an AC adapter and the option to power it with 9v batteries. It also comes with an auxiliary port so you can plug a phone in and play music through it. This amp is great for playing in your room or outside for a small group, but won’t provide you with a lot of power and volume. It also has limited knobs for adjusting the tone.
I would recommend this amp for beginners, or as a secondary amp for the more advanced player looking for something to throw in a bag and take with them for fun.
Blackstar Fly 3 Acoustic Amp
For the same cost as the Kala Mini Tweed, the Blackstar Fly 3 offers a few more knobs for adjusting tone and even has an echo knob.
The Fly 3 also runs on AC power or batteries including an auxiliary input and a headphone jack. It has more tone options than the Kala Tweed, but less wattage. It’s also a little less stylish (in my opinion).
Much like the Kala Mini Tweed, the Fly 3 is best for beginners or those looking for something portable.
Orange Crush Mini 3-Watt Amp
Yet another tremendous portable option, the Orange Crush Mini amp has much in common with our last two entries, but look at that color!
Again here we have the option of using the AC adapter or 9v batteries, a headphone jack, and an auxiliary port, but what separates the Orange Crush mini is the built-in chromatic tuner and the speaker output. The speaker output allows you to plug this amp into a larger speaker to get a bigger sound.
The added tuner feature makes this one our top choice for beginners.
Laney Mini Stereo Amp
Stepping up a bit in price ($149), the Laney Mini Stereo Amp offers much the same as the previous amps, but with a few nice feature upgrades.
The biggest differences here are that the Laney uses AA batteries instead of 9v ones, and has an LSI port. An LSI port allows you to connect the amp to a phone or a tablet – via that device’s headphone port – so you can use an effects app to add digital pedals to your amp. If you are interested in this, I recommend you look into LSI connections and check your devices to see if they are compatible.
This amp is great if you’re tech-savvy and can get the most out of the LSI port.
Read more: How to play the E chord on your Ukulele
Fishman PRO-LBT-500 Loudbox Amp
With the Fishman Loudbox, we are entering a different level of an all-together amp.
This is a professional-level amp, and the price reflects that ($369.95). But with this amp, you’re jumping up from 3-5 watts to 60. From an auxiliary port to Bluetooth connectivity. Plus, the Fishman Loudbox has more effects (chorus and reverb knobs), and a separate channel and an XLR input for a microphone with its own tone controls.
This is our best recommendation for those who want to sing while they play, and who are looking to perform for an audience.
Orange Crush Acoustic 30-Watt Amp
Our last and most expensive option is the Orange Crush Acoustic 30-Watt.
With this amp, you get two channels, one for an instrument and one for a microphone with an XLR input. You get the power of a professional amp with the battery-powered portability of one of the smaller amps mentioned earlier. And, come on, look at that color!
So there you have it, our top 6 options for ukulele amps. I hope this article helped you find what you were looking for!
For more lessons on chords, techniques, and songs, make sure to get plugged into our site www.ukelikethepros.com. We offer you a bunch of great ukulele content that comes hand-in-hand with an awesome ukulele community that will get you amped up for your ukulele journey.
