Cordoba 20TM-CE Tenor Ukulele - Mahogany Reviews

I just received my Cordoba 20TM-CE tenor uke. Awesome sound- tuned easily- feels right.

It sounds a lot better than my old uke and I like how it can plug into an amp.

I bought this ukulele for my wife, as she wants to learn a string instrument this summer (review written in June '20). So far, she is thoroughly enjoying it! As an added bonus, my daughter is also playing the ukulele!

This is the first ukulele purchased in our house. Below are the reasons that I chose this particular ukulele:
1. It is available through Sweetwater. I had not purchased from Sweetwater before, but heard great things. This was a bit of a test run. Great customer service; glad I bought through Sweetwater.
2. Cut away design. I play guitar and regret purchasing an acoustic guitar that does not have a cut out for reaching the higher notes. I was not sure how important this feature would be with a uke, but I wanted to have the option. One month into observing my wife play, I am not confident that this is a necessary feature, but I do not regret the purchase.
3. Tenor uke. My wife has struggled with the strings/frets while trying a guitar. I wanted to purchase an instrument that would allow a little more room for finger placement. So far, I am glad that I made this decision.
4. Amplification option. My hope is that my wife continues to enjoy playing. She sings with our church's choir; if she wants to share her budding uke talents with the congregation, I wanted to have the option to amplify the sound so that the church organ doesn't drown her out. She mentioned to the church's Director of Music that she is learning the instrument; I suspect that it is only a matter of time before we are thankful that we have this option.
5. Existing reviews. This little guy already had high reviews. So far, this purchase has been a huge success!

All in all, the purchase and playing of the ukulele in my house has been an extremely positive experience. I hope that my experience helps you with your decision making.

I got this Uke for my wife but also wanted to try my hands on a new instrument (I also play keyboards, various saxophones). After thorough research, I decided on this Cordoba and found it to be an ideal uke to start with.
I predicted that later I can potentially hook it up with gear that I already bought (from Sweetwater of course!)- the Roland KC-110 amp and the X Vive Wireless guitar system. Although the sound from the uke is great without amplification, I have the option to play along with my friends to match the volume of their instruments.

The Cordoba 20TM-CE 20 is the ideal size for a uke in my opinion. The tone is also right between a classic uke and a nylon classical guitar. The build quality is excellent with beautiful aesthetics and the set up is right on. After the initial nylon string stretching ritual, it stays in tune with very minimal adjustment needed. I am very happy with this purchase and looking into getting myself a 6 string ukulele, a Cordoba Mini, or a Gui-lele. As always, the sales and support of Sweetwater always shine through with my every purchase!

I've never owned a Cordoba before and I am very impressed by this little uke. For the money, I do not think you will find a better quality little ukulele. I much prefer this to my soprano that is a different brand.

I have to start this review about the exceptional customer service at Sweetwater!! I ordered a Cordoba 20TM-CE in July of 2019. Unfortunately, the one I received had multiple problems with it. This is not a reflection on Sweetwater, but the way Sweetwater took care of the problem was outstanding!! I called my sales engineer Randy Poteete and told him of the problems, and my call was then directed to their guitar technician Cameron. I asked for suggestions on how I could fix the problem, but that did not alleviate the issues. With a call back to Cameron, I was sent a return label to send the ukulele back to Sweetwater. To my amazement, when I checked my email for the shipping label, Sweetwater was already shipping me a replacement….even before I returned the damaged on to them!! This is unbelievable customer service!! Sweetwater has consistently provided great customer service. A few days later I got a replacement. This one was perfect.
This ukulele has a beautiful sound! At times, it is almost harp like in how it sounds when it is played. The sustain with the instrument is amazing too. I play a lot of hymns with it and there is a wonderfully peaceful sound whose beauty has brought friends who have heard it to near tears. With the Christmas season upon us, I played the hymn Silent Night though my amp, using an effects pedal with a delay. It almost sounded as if I had heard the hymn as if it had been played from a bell tower of a church. One of the folks who heard it even proclaimed it angelic sounding!! I share these thoughts to give you an idea of how the instrument sounds…not for my glory!! This instrument stays in tune most of the time. If any adjustment is needed, it is minor at best. Considering that this is a nylon stringed instrument, and the fluctuations in humidity where I live, keeping this ukulele in tune has not been an issue. Having played this Cordoba now for the past 5 months, I can assuredly tell you that this is a beautiful sounding instrument!!

I purchased a Córdoba Tenor acoustic/electric guitar with a microphone and table stand and the necessary cables and a small amplifier. After making the order I received a call from a sweeterwater Sound rep. who called to make sure any questions I had about the components I was ordering were answered. Everything arrived in one well packed box in two days from the day of the order, and no shipping charges! Everything works perfectly and the pricing was very fair. I will buy from them again.

I received this ukulele as a gift a couple of months ago. It"s fun to play and looks beautiful. It stays in tune well and and sounds so good!

This is a quality product no matter where it"s purchased, solidly made with a beautiful matte wood finish. Crystal clear tones from the cords and an added advantage of being able to plug it into an amp for increased acoustics. Hearing great reviews about Sweetwater, we chose to purchase here, and we are so happy with that decision. Not having dealt with them previously, we had no idea the superior level of customer service we would receive. It"s rare today to deal w/ a company that communicates care. As soon as we ordered, we were contacted personally (phone call and email), to thank us for the purchase, ask how we heard about them and update us on the timing of our shipment. Who does that anymore? The rep left his name & contact info in case we had any questions or problem. We had no issues, but the sense of assurance in their responsiveness was well worth the chose to purchase from Sweetwater. The shipment was speedy and my son was playing the instrument within a few days of ordering. Thank you Sweetwater stellar customer service, keep up the good work!

I've been a musician for years and own a few guitars, a cello and an amazing mandolin, but I've almost exclusively played this little dynamo since I got it months ago. I haven't had any issues with it falling out of tune, sometimes going weeks without needing much adjustment. After testing many uke's, ranging from $100-500, this one stood out well above the rest. The sound was pristine compared to the other ukes I tested; I can't find a fault in the tonality I would alter. Not only was it acoustic electric (and through my amps it sounds great), but it came as my preferred cutaway. I've been very happy with cordoba's guitars and their ukes are just as good. Mine may be an exeptional specimen, but, knowing Córdoba, every instrument will be high quality. In my opinion, this is the best tenor ukulele for the money; I highly recommend it!

Ir has a great sound with or without amplifier. I restrung it with the low g string. The finish is great. I am impressed with everything about it. I have a lot of compliments on it.

I have been playing a ukulele for just 6 months, and have recently purchased the Cordoba mahogany acoustic/electric tenor model. I am impressed with its craftsmanship, sound and quality. I have a small amplifier, and it sounds as mellow and rich amplified as it sounds warm and full in acoustic mode. Cordoba is my brand for future ukuleles!

I'm kinda new to ukuleles, but it sounds really good and plays well. Easy to carry and travel with. Fun to play. I would recommend.

Just love my new ukulele. Great sound and after adding the low g string it sounds fantastic. Sounds good plugged in or not. I'm just a beginner on the ukulele, but it has quickly become the instrument I pick up first thing in the morning and right before before.

This is my 7th guitar and but my first Ukulele. I fell in love by how much care they put into making this guitar just by the look and feel of this beauty! I didn't even play it right away out of the box! All I did the first 5 minutes was to run my fingers and hands all over this guitar because it so darn perfect! Then i started strumming (learning my first Ukulele chords) and I did not put it down for 4 hours!

Before I decided on this purchase I tried around 20 Uke's within $100-$250 price range. This stood out the best. In tone and workmanship! Good job Cordoba!

The Cordoba 20TM-CE 4-string tenor ukulele is a beautiful little instrument! With the natural, medium-dark mahogany wood (semi-gloss finish), this uke is is nice to see as it is to hear! The volume and sustained resonance of its tones nearly rival that of a full-sized acoustic guitar, plus its option to plug into an amp allows for performance on an even larger scale. To those of you who have considered learning the ukulele but haven't tried one yet, I say, GO FOR IT! It's simple, fun, and lightweight, and there may be no better model with which to begin and/or continue than the 20TM-CE. The "tenor" classification means that it is just a bit bigger than a "soprano" and possessive of a slightly deeper, richer resonance (even though the notes are exactly the same, the lowest open string being Middle C). I have played other ukes within this reasonable price range, but none has matched the look and sound of this Spanish-made Cordoba. This is the one!

This ukulele is very high quality. It has a very nice sound to it. It's also very well crafted. The only problem I had was that the packaging wasn't very protective, but the ukulele did arrive to my house safely and without any damages. :)

Nothing but good things to say about the tone, fit and finish of this nice tenor uke. It has plenty of rich acoustic sound, and the transducer sounds quite good - much more convenient than worrying about a mike. I'm currently writing a piece (a Tango) for uke and string orchestra, and I may seriously consider using the built in pickup for the performance. While I haven't heard the Cordoba models with more expensive tonewood tops, I think most musicians would agree that mahogany has a very pleasing sound, and at this price, it's hard to beat.

Feels solid when i play it. Makes me want to play it more Excellent pickup sound. I'm a newbie to ukulele but been playing guitar for over 20 years.

After playing this instrument at two gigs this last weekend and rehearsals in between, I’d like to offer my initial opinions.

It is advertised as being handmade, and definitely appears well made: all the joints are smoothly fitted and polished. There is not a poor joining to be found anywhere. The neck fits well onto the body, with the seam between the heel and the back of the body nearly indistinguishable by feel. The fretboard is smooth and fast — there are no sharp fret edges anywhere to hang up your fingers. In short, this is a sturdy instrument. It does not feel flimsy or poorly built in any way. Plus, it’s got a beautiful light/dark wood inlay around the soundhole and across the tie-bar on the bridge.

Surprise of all surprises, however: upon close inspection, it appears this little Cordoba has been made with a SOLID top! Wow! If mine eyes are not mistaken, the top of this lovely little uke is indeed a solid piece of mahogany. Which, for those of you not in the know, is a very good thing. Solid tops sound better with age, whereas laminates sound exactly the same twenty or thirty years down the road as they did when you bought them (great, if you buy a good quality laminate, poor if you buy one that sounds lackluster). And this little Cordoba is rocking the solid mahogany: it is leagues above my old Lanikai LU-21 series tenor in terms of sound and resonance. I strung it today with a low wound G string (my preferred ukulele tuning) and it really hums. Rich like an alto voice, but not dark in any way. This is still an ukulele, and it keeps the sprightly sound in the treble end.

Speaking of strings and sound, this instrument comes from the factory with Aquilas (again, my preferred type of nylon string, and the new ukulele industry standard). The intonation is about as “on” as you can get with a fretted stringed instrument. The action is just right, too. Many ukuleles come with high actions (the distance the strings sit above the frets) — many of them sky-high — but this one appears to have been fine tuned from the factory. It plays like a much more expensive instrument.

If I could pick on anything, it would be the electronic pickup. It’s a fairly standard under-saddle “active” setup (requiring a 9v battery) with bass, treble, and volume controls. Very reliable and nothing too exciting. The drawback is that on a poor amplification system, it makes the ukulele sound very thin and “plinky.” On a better PA system, you can get an amplified sound very similar to the actual sound of the instrument, which is fine if you own said better system… but if you’re dealing with whatever your venue hands you, it can definitely be a mixed bag. The amazing part of it is, this Cordoba loses none of its resonance to the unit and associated cords inside the body. Typically, the rule of thumb is that if you wire an instrument for amplification, you are going to lose much of the natural resonance of the body cavity — and the smaller the instrument, the worse this loss becomes. Not so with this little uke. Somehow, it maintains its rounded sound despite the loss of space!

It is very obvious that Cordoba is committed to excellence. They’ve been a top name in nylon-strung and classical guitars for ages, only recently adding ukuleles to their line of products. Their experience with nylon strung guitars really shows in this “miniature:” the 20TM-CE is a polished work of art from its hand-inlayed soundhole and bridge to the resonance it carries. The only drawback is the less than state of the art electronic system. I give it a firm 4 and 1/2 stars because it is well worth the money.

This replaced a Lanikai Tenor Koa AE uke that was returned to the manufacturer 3 months after I bought it. Poor customer service with Lanikai meant I looked at other brands; the Cordoba came out tops - cost was 2/3rds of the Lanakai, and quality of fit and finish was much, much better. Sound it excellent, and I think I prefer the mahogany over koa, but that's a personal preference. My next uke will most likely be another Cordoba, maybe a baritone

This is my first ukulele and I couldn't be happier! The tone is great unplugged and the ukulele looks beautiful (love the feel of the satin finish). It sounds great plugged in as well. I play regularly at a large church and our sound engineer loved the sound of this thing out front. In addition, the gig bag is really really nice. My only complaint is that it does go flat in between days playing it, but from what I know this is common with ukuleles (and doesn't impact how I feel about it overall). From the research I did before purchasing this instrument, and having it now, I'd say that this uke can't be beaten it it's price range.

This ukulele is pretty great for the money. It's much better than a beginner model. Not like an expert ukulele. I say that because I'm pretty experienced with instruments and it's pretty hard to find a good one for this price. Having owned it I might recommend a different model though. Here is why. Overall it is well put together I thought. There is some buzzing from some frets/strings. The bridge was poorly set up. I'd take it off and set the action by sanding the bottom but that's another story. It sounds great but it's kind of quite. If anyone is talking in the room you shouldn't bother playing it. But it's electric you say? Well, mine is just horrible plugged in. The electronics are very poor quality. So no, I wouldn't ever recommend plugging it in. I have very nice acoustic amps. None sound even ok with this. That's why I recommend a different model. Just get one without electronics. The electronics break up the sound and make instruments sound much worse and quieter when unplugged. Also if you don't need a cutout, the non-cutout ones sound better acoustically. I think if you find the right model you will be very happy until you've progressed and addiction has set in. Then buy a $5-600 ukulele. Then keep playing. Until then this or one of its counterparts from Cordoba will be great.

I've purchased many items from my friends at Sweetwater and just had another great experience. I am a keyboard player and percussionist and decided to try my hand at uke. Purchased the Cordoba 20TM-CE 20 Tenor acoustic/electric...great tone and beautiful craftsmanship. When I plugged it in, however, there was an annoying low-end hum. I called Justin and after a brief discussion to diagnose the issue, a replacement was on the way- it arrived 24 hours later. This one is perfect in every way!

Thank you Cordoba for making a beautiful instrument. Thank you Justin and Sweetwater for being an outstanding, customer-first place to do business!

Sound good feel good to pro or amateur.litle heavy but not to bad. Sound great

I am a professional drummer and only began playing ukulele about eight months ago. The tone and quality of the Cordoba 20TM-CE, in my opinion, is as good or better than some that are in the $2K range. I've checked it over very closely and can find no flaws what so ever. Not that I can play most of the chords I really enjoy this instrument and my musician friends say wow!, a drummer that knows chords. I highly recommend this Uke. You will not be disappointed.

This is a lovely little instrument, great for the gigging guitarist looking to add a bit of character to songs and arrangements. It holds its tune well, the action is solid, and the tone is bright and sweet.

Well made instrument. Excellent finish, gears nice and smooth, just not enamored with the sound. Doesn't carry nearly as well as I had hoped. This is my first Tenor and maybe my expectations were a little higher than they should have been. I did not have an opportunity to test drive a Cordoba or compare with others before I purchased. That being said, even tho I am a bit disappointed I am not sure if it was my expectations or the instrument,as this is obviously a quality Ukulele. I am thinking seriously about a second tenor and will do some more investigating before investing. If so, given the opportunity, I may want to revise this review afterwords.

Don't waste your time or money. This is a cheap ukulele made in China. You can see the beads of glue on the edges, poor craftsmanship where they didn't even cut the bridge piece to the right length. Scratches on the finish the sound is very cheap and empty, an obvious factory produced Chinese instrument. So disappointed, I don't get how anyone could leave a good review, spend a little more and get something hand made, or spend less and get the same quality as this piece.

The first cordoba electric ukulele I ordered came smashed. So it needed to be replaced. when I got the replacement it was a couple months before I got an amplifier. When I plugged it into the amplifier it did not work. A musician friend of mine took off the Uke side controls and had to fix the inner workings. Now you can hear it from the amp. but still none of the controls work. If you have it plugged into the amp and you use the controls on the Uke the sound stops coming out of the amp From the amp.

This thing is totally unplayable. It sounds good but the action is horrible. I would have to spend a half a day getting it right and then I might mess it up. Anyway I should not have to rebuild it after paying good money for it. If anyone decides to try it pleasa do not buy it for a kid. I have been playing guitar for years and my fingers were screaming after a short time with it. This sucker is on it's way back before I el ka bong it over my fence post.