Cordoba 25 TK-CE Ukulele Review

Howdy!

Today we are looking at a very nice Cordoba 25 TK-CE ukulele. I am not sure what the 25 stands for, but the T is for tenor, the K is for the solid Koa top and back, the C is for the cutaway body and the E is for the electronics. There is a lot in a name, I guess.

I am impressed by the sound and the build quality of this ukulele, and even more by the price, which is quite reasonable for what you get. It is a classy-looking ukulele, with a clear satin finish, and classy body binding. There are also nice touches like the inlaid wood rope pattern in the rosette and the bridge.

The neck is mahogany with an ebony fretboard and a wenge headstock veneer. The tuners are gold-plated (ick), and seem like they do not hold terribly well. It might be the stretch from new strings that are on this one, so I will keep an eye on it. The bridge is made of ebony with a synthetic saddle.

The electronics package includes a piezo pickup and a Cordoba pre-amplifier with a volume control and 2-band equalizer.

These ukuleles are handmade in Portugal (not China) and the workmanship on this one is excellent: all of the joints are solid, and the fretwork is nice. The frets are level and the edges are neat. It one is in great original condition, with no modification or repairs. I believe it was made in 2008, judging by the date code inside.

So, this Cordoba is a nicely-made ukulele that is made with solid materials. But, it sounds good and plays well too! It has a sweet, balanced tone. It is has impressive volume when plucked hard, and has a nice low-end tone. It is pleasant to play, and would be great to gig with. It seems a bit heavier and more solid-feeling than my Kala ukuleles, coming in at almost 2 pounds.

These ukuleles come with a nicely padded Cordoba gig bag, but if you buy their humi-case they will upgrade you to a lifetime warranty. I might need to find one of those cases.

The MSRP for the Cordoba 25 TK-CE is $480, with a street price of $379.99. You will not find a better solid koa ukulele with electronics for the money.

Mahalo!