Any (very) inexpensive pre-amps I could use for a ukulele?

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Garnett

Member
Joined 2006
#1
It's been a while since I visited, and I still know next-to-nothing about amps, and I'm hoping someone could point me in the right direction...

I need a pre-amp for a passive pick up on my ukulele, and I have next to no budget. I vaguely remember reading about some very low-cost headphone amps that were built around Altoids tins - I think it was a penguin amp.

Can anyone offer me some guidance on a very low cost, pre-built option - if any such thing exists!

Thanks a lot.
 
#3
Thanks @turk 182

I'm very new to playing music and amplification and I'm looking for a way of boosting the volume of my acoustic uke, in real time, "live" so to speak, and also in recordings.

I bought an inexpensive (are you noticing the theme?) clip-on contact mic pickup from Amazon.

Thanks for the recommendation - I'm based in the UK which tilts things a bit. I don't yet really understand the function pedals offer, so apologies for my basic questions. A pedal acts essentially like a pre-amp?

A while ago, while reading about another aspect of playing altogether, I read positive things about a Behringer ADI-21 pedal - would this do a similar job to the FX10 Bi-FET?

Again, sorry for the basic questions. Thanks for your help already.
 
#6
bansuri said:
Why do you need a preamp? What amp is it you want to drive with it

Did you try to connect it to your Stereo or sound-card?
Click to expand...
Thanks bansuri. The pick-up should arrive today so I will give that a go.

I had assumed I needed to run the output of the passive pickup into a prre-amp before running it into anything else.

I envisage wanting to run the signal to:-

  • A portable, battery-powered speaker, just for fun
  • into headphones when I'm practicing
  • into my computer for some recording
  • Possibly my phone also, for recording, and for Yousician (the app I'm using to learn, which "listens" to your playing and tells you whether you're getting it right or wrong)
 
#7
JMFahey said:
@Garnett: it uses 2 AAA batteries so it is NOT passive but active.

If active it can drive about anything so no preamp needed.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm. I may have made an error here. I can see that just as you say, the product page states it requires batteries, but I completely missed that, and was going off the pictures and assumed it was a passive pickup (which is what I wanted).

I'm unsure now - all the pictures suggest to me that it is a passive pick-up and I think the reference to batteries is an error.

Thanks for your reply! I need to read more carefully. I shall let you know what arrives!
 
#8
no it's likely an electret element which requires a voltage source to operate but with no listed impedance saying it will drive just about anything is a little misleading, once it arrives trying it with all the widgets you intend to use will determine if a pre-amp is needed.


the Behringer ADI-21 pedal may well have enough gain for your needs and as it provides more tonal variation it may prove better...if you can see if a local music store or fellow local musicians have the units and would be willing to let you try them before you make a purchase.


try before you buy is not possible with online retailers....
 
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#9
Garnett said:
Thanks @turk 182

I'm very new to playing music and amplification and I'm looking for a way of boosting the volume of my acoustic uke, in real time, "live" so to speak, and also in recordings.

I bought an inexpensive (are you noticing the theme?) clip-on contact mic pickup from Amazon.

Thanks for the recommendation - I'm based in the UK which tilts things a bit. I don't yet really understand the function pedals offer, so apologies for my basic questions. A pedal acts essentially like a pre-amp?

A while ago, while reading about another aspect of playing altogether online baritone ukulele tuner, I read positive things about a Behringer ADI-21 pedal - would this do a similar job to the FX10 Bi-FET?

Again, sorry for the basic questions. Thanks for your help already.
Click to expand...
Hello. I'm guessing here but does it magnify the sound when you use a pick up with the uke? I don't see a plug in to go directly to the amp so one would need a pick up, right? Or do I have it all wrong? Do they really make a big difference on an acoustic uke using a pickup vs not having one? What would be a good/decent inexpensive pickup to use assuming the above is correct? Thanks.
 
#10
Garnett never got back to report his experience with what he ordered.

there's lots to pick from when you google ukulele pickups and very inexpensive ones at that, i have no recommendations to make as i have not tried them personally. a local musician i know has an LR Baggs system on his uke that he swears by.
 
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