Help! Electric Ukulele or Bass Uke Not Working? Trouble Shooting Guide

[@christiancollins5191]

Not all heros wear capes but they do help me trouble shoot my uke!! My E string on one of my fender ukes refuses to get picked up on the amp😑. I tried replacing the batteries as a last ditch effort but no luck.. P.s I'm going to search every inch of the globe until I find your shirt!😅

[@janetmacleod9544]

This is a much needed video, I had to do find out by trial and error still having some problems but always works eventually think a lose connection as often it doesn’t play and suddenly blasts out. Annoying. Sure others will find this helpful too thank you.

[@UkuleleWales]

Thanks Janet, I can't believe how many times I've had that little panic and it always turns out to be something simple!

[@davidpickett]

Hi Rachel, I have an electro acoustic Kmise base uke. I forgot to take out the jack plug when I had finished playing. Having left it plugged in over a weekend this flattened the battery. Lesson learnt always unplug your instrument when you have finished playing😀

[@UkuleleWales]

Yes, I learnt that lesson a long time ago with active bass guitars. You think it's better to leave them plugged in ready to play but definitely NOT.

[@himalayas5908]

@@UkuleleWales I have the same issue and same bass! but the wires actually did come loose! I know its 3 years too late but do you know where I can go get help? Who to go to? Or who to call?

[@Siddartha-nw7pm]

Thank you so much 🙏😃 So simple solved all my selfmade Problems!

[@zoidify666]

Great video thankyou! I've been through this and felt like an idiot LOL. Turns out my little amp was just too quiet as it's only 5w but it works better with my electric uke rather than my electro-acoustic. Eventually I hope to get a Fisherman Mini when my situation improves.

[@UkuleleWales]

Yes, I've lost count of that feeling of panic, only to discover something simple. The Fishman mini is a great amp, I'll do a review of it soon.

[@shirld1946]

Thank you. Another great and informative lesson we will all probably find useful!👍

[@UkuleleWales]

Thanks Shirl. Hopefully you'll never need to use it.

[@erickissinger436]

Unfortunately , my problem with my new aklot Tenor Ukulele is that if I slowly slid the battery pack in I would get a connection and all would work. But soon as I pushed the pack into the locked or snapped in position the battery would stop being connected. Still trying to work this out. It is a connection issue. I am dying to play through my amp!!

[@UkuleleWales]

That doesn't sound great Erik. Is it a new instrument to you? Maybe worth contacting the sellers as it shouldn't be like that. Has a small piece of the plastic asing broken anywhere meaning the battery isn't being held in place once the cover is in place?

[@erickissinger436]

@@UkuleleWales Well Aklot ukuleles contacted me again and help me out in a big way to correct my problem. I just want to say the people who sell Aklot are super at making things right if there is something wrong!! I must say I am truly happy with this ukulele and now I am having the time of my life finding tunes to play. Very enjoyable indeed!!

[@danianderson4436]

Where’d you get the pink solid body?

[@UkuleleWales]

Hi, Amazon, from the seller Musoo. They don't do this colour any more but still do some bass ukes.

[@tomgleason5546]

I left mine plugged in and figured the battery was dead. I replaced the battery and it still doesn't work. I hope the electronics aren't fried or something. I love my new bass uke! I want my tuner and pickup back, but it might be a goner.

[@UkuleleWales]

Sorry about the delay in replying. Did you get it sorted in the end?

[@tomgleason5546]

I figured it out! It needed two batteries stacked on top of each other. Never seen that kind of thing before.😂

[@RafaelPena-w1y]

I bought a Harley Benton Ubass Mahogany and then a glarry electric bass amplifier GB-20. And have been unable to get any sound from it. How do I connect it to get the electric sound? I tried using a mixer on my computer and I tried using a bass amplifier with a straight plug. How did you get the sound as I'm unable to afford a Fender and have a gig in a week LOL? so far the only solution I'm thinking is having a mic near the bass to pickup the sound.. Any setup or walkthrough on how to get the electric sound? Or is it simply I have to get a specific amplifier for acoustic amp? *** after watching this video, I ran through the checklist, I switched on the amp, I turned off the Turner, I put it into input, volume is up, cable is working and makes the humming sound, and when I turn on the tuner on the bass the humming stops but no sound, I changed the batteries

[@UkuleleWales]

Hopefully you have solved the issue, sorry it’s taken me so long to reply. If you haven’t fixed it, you need to work through things logically. Make sure amp is plugged into power, check the tuner on the bass ukulele is turned off, is the bass plugged into the correct input etc. 👍

[@RafaelPena-w1y]

I reached out to manufacturer and they had me record myself and configured it was a faulty bass and will be sending another one with the confirmed active electrical connections tested before being sent lol. I think the last step about reviewing with a professional to check the jack is what would have been needed

[@UkuleleWales]

@@RafaelPena-w1y Good to hear they are sorting it out. 👍

[@mrs.wreadstokids9531]

I have an Ohana electric ukulele, and an Acoustic brand a 15 amp. I went through all of your troubleshooting steps, and I am still getting no amplified sound from the ukulele. I have already returned one amp, thinking it was defective, and have also returned a ukulele, thinking the wire was loose. I now have a new amp and new ukulele, and no luck. Any other suggestions?

[@UkuleleWales]

Okay, if both the ukulele and amp have been changed I would look at other factors. I presume you have checked the cable? There is power going to the amp? If there is a tuner on the uke it is turned off? You have checked the battery in the uke? The volume / gain is turned up on the amp? You are plugged into the input, not headphones? Is there a mute button on the amp? The volume is turned up on the uke? What amp and uke is it please and where did you purchase them? I know it's a big list but I have done ALL of these things in the past and if both the uke and amp have been changed this would be my check list.

[@mrs.wreadstokids9531]

I tried every single one of your trouble shooting tips. I have tried two different plug in chords. I have returned both the uke and the amp and have received new ones. Anything else I can try?

[@UkuleleWales]

@@mrs.wreadstokids9531 I really can't think of much more sorry. What make are they? If you got them from a shop, can you take them in and get them to try them?

[@mrs.wreadstokids9531]

Yes to all your questions. Here is a new one to add to your list...bad outlet or bad surge suppressor. I switched out the surge suppressor and now it is working! Who would've thought?

[@UkuleleWales]

@@mrs.wreadstokids9531 I'm so glad you solved it in the end, well done you!

[@dorthea8991]

I tried EVERYYTHINGGG. I was sooo frustrated. I thought my brand new ukulele was already broken. Then my dad came. He asked me "Are the batteries placed the right way?". Then I new..... I am stupid donkey....

[@UkuleleWales]

We've all done it, at least it's working now.

[@silviogames]

hey I just tried everything and still not working so it turns out I got the wrong type of cable. it has two black stripes on the tip which short circuits the preamp and then it turns off. maybe this info is useful to somebody :D I was very confused because when plugging the cable in and turning of the tuner the amp would play the bass for less than a second then the ukulele would turn off due to the short circuit so I knew I does work in theory

[@UkuleleWales]

Great info, yes sounds like you were using a stereo cable. Always look for the single blac line is what I tell my students in school.

[@jcpadstow]

Sooooo helpful!

[@UkuleleWales]

Very glad I could help, Thanks.

[@bmn]

Amazing!!

[@UkuleleWales]

Thanks

[@JoyceeFiddles]

The tunet light indicates the battery connection is ready to go but that isn't happening. I have new batteries, placef correctly, still no joy. MAHOLO BASS UKELELE,

[@UkuleleWales]

I hope you have solved the problem by now (sorry about my late reply), if not, are they flat batteries or square 9v? Have you turned the tuner off before playing as this will mute the sound. Is everything else working eg, amp, cable. I know I'm asking all the questions I ask in the video but it's just worth trying. Last question, is it a new instrument or did it work perviously?