Ah the Flea Ukulele - the one that really got me going with this instrument. Look what just landed..
Showing posts with label flea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flea. Show all posts
28 Feb 2019
22 Jan 2017
22 Jan 2017T09:51
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What Is My Most Played Ukulele? (It's a Flea Soprano)
I get asked this question rather a lot from readers. What is my most played ukulele? I always give them the same answer, so I thought it was probably about time that I recorded that fact in it's own Got A Ukulele post.
24 Mar 2014
24 Mar 2014T13:59
The instrument is part of their 5400 series which also comes in several other designs, and retail for about £35 over here in the UK. It sure is a striking uke design, but striking to me because it is a direct (and I mean direct) copy of the Flea ukulele designed by the Magic Fluke Company in the USA. The Schoenhut is made in China. Is that cool? I don't think so, but this review will not get into the politics of how this came about. All I will say is that Magic Fluke have announced that they came to an agreement with Schoenhut regarding the design, and it is not for me to speculate further on that - it is their business. One thing is for sure though, there are fans out there who are raving about these and those who are claiming they are the worst ukes on earth. Neither view will affect my own review, but I mention it as it seems to be a hot topic at the moment. It is worth saying though that some people are reporting no quality problems, and some are reporting a ton of them.
As a final point before we get into the body of the review, Schoenhut are marketing this as a 'toy' and not an instrument. I will give you my thoughts on that towards the end of this piece, but it is an interesting and important thing to note.
So from a visual perspective it is pretty much identical to the Flea. The body is a single piece of polycarbonate onto which a laminate wood top is fitted to make the sound chamber. The plastic seems to have a slightly different feel to the Flea original so I don't know if it is as strong as the Flea (a uke I have dropped from a great height and is still going strong). It was also quite scuffed out of the box.
The top though is VERY different. The Flea uses a laminate wood made from Australian Hoop Pine and is extremely thin. The Schoenhut on the other hand uses an excessively thick top. While we are here, I have no idea what 'Oak Mahogany' is, and think they couldn't make up their minds. No matter though because that bright orange grain pattern isn't wood anyway, the top is finished with a sticker or transfer of a wood design, over which the sound hole decoration is applied in black. The whole top is overly glossy to me.
I quite like the sound hole rosette, but would have preferred them to have left the large name logo off the front. It is also overly glossy unlike the Flea.
The bridge is a slotted type and looks very similar to the Flea. It is however lifting off the soundboard and I therefore have no idea on how long this will last. Looks precarious to me.
The neck is wooden like the Flea and very similar in shape. It is however finished in an overly thick gloss for my liking. It is also a wider shape when we reach the headstock, with the Flea having a far narrower taper. This is an issue to me as I found that when playing chords that use a lot of the first fret space, my hand is bumping into the headstock. It feels cramped, particularly evident on a chord like F minor.
The fingerboard is made of plastic and glued on to the wooden neck, just like the Flea, but again looks like a different sort of plastic. These moulded necks have the advantage of being super accurate in intonation, also helped by the use of a zero fret. No complaints in this regard, the Schoenhut is indeed accurate all down the neck. But a word about that material. One complaint people have levelled at Flea is the fact that their plastic frets can wear down over time. Mine is about five years old, gets played a LOT and is starting to show it. Sure, it can be replaced, but its a hassle. I took a small file and pressed it onto one of the frets on the Flea that I don't play too much and it left no mark. I repeated this on the Schoenhut and it left a noticeable dent in the fret. This suggests to me that the Schoenhut fingerboard will not last too long at all.
Fret markers are painted on in silver at the 5th, 7th and 12th, just like the Flea. The slightest touch of a nail on the Schoenhut markers though scratches them off as you may be able to see in the pictures.
Tuning is provided by friction tuners of an extremely cheap quality. Plastic on plastic friction, and they were incredibly sticky and extremely difficult to adjust to anything useable. Worse still one of the tuner buttons had sheared internally and turning it would not turn the post. That is terrible quality control. I fitted new pegs I had lying around just so I could play it and write this review. For the record the originals were also black, with silver, not gold posts. I have read some suggest they are Gotoh pegs - the certainly are not!
Finishing the deal are black, cheap nylon strings which were absolutely hopeless so I immediately re strung this with Worth Flourocarbons.
And there we have it. Very similar looks, but not quite an exact match to the Flea, let down in my opinion by the quality of materials (top, bridge, fingerboard and tuners) for my liking. But for such a saving on the Flea is that forgivable? I think it depends who the player is. For a beginner or a child, then I say no (marketed as a toy or not). If you are already a player and fancies a project or a bit of fun for £35, then maybe. But this is only half the picture, how does it play?
I have prepared a video review side by side with the Flea for you to listen to which will help you here (see below), but generally, it's quite a playable little thing. I say that when what I should say is 'its playable now I have replaced the tuners and the strings!'
Play on the neck feels very similar to the Flea, but is let down by that chunky headstock on the lower open chords and the feel of the gloss on the neck. Action and setup is identical to the Flea, but no surprises there as that is what the design is intended to do.
Sound wise, it really isn't too bad at all. I think it has similar volume to the Flea, but lacks some of the more complex harmonics of its rival. It has a thinner and boxier sound, but really, not as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, some people may not actually notice the difference. In short, it took some effort to get there, but it sounds surprisingly good.
So perhaps a review of two halves this one? Well, not quite. The quality control is a major bugbear for me, and I have no idea how long that fingerboard or bridge are going to last. Nobody wants those sort of issues.
And in coming to a conclusion on it, I have to return to the issue of who is buying it. Sure, if you know what you are doing, and prepared to deal with the pitfalls, it is a bit of a bargain (even though that £35 will become about £60 when you have bought new tuners and strings!). But for beginners and children, I cannot recommend this as I am not convinced you will get one without issues. Perhaps I was just totally unlucky, but I don't think so for one very simple reason. £35 does not buy a lot of anything these days and it was unlikely to be a miracle for that price.
And that brings me on to perhaps my biggest issue with it - the concept of it being a 'toy'. I personally don't like ukes being touted as toys in any case as I think it just devalues them and reinforces the stereotype as 'joke instrument'. But are they really toys? They are priced at a level that puts them a little more expensive than the likes of a Makala Dolphin, and more than the Korala Explore, both of which I think are great. If its a toy, why not cheaper still? Is the toy reference a handy get out clause. Baz from Got A Ukulele thinks its bad, so what - it's just a toy!!!
And besides, if it is a toy, then is that an excuse for it to be badly made? Toy does not have to mean 'crap'.
Mainly though if you want to buy your child a ukulele, then buy them a ukulele not a toy. Something like the Dolphin or the Korala are cheaper, and in my experience more reliable. Better still, talk to your child and get them something like a Lanikai LU11 which is about the same price as this uke when you take into account string cost and tuner price.
So do I recommend it. Well if you want a project, then knock yourself out, but if you are a beginner or buying for a child I would recommend caution.
Does sound ok though. Intriguing!
STOP PRESS!!! Before you take account of the scores below - I have now given this more play, and my fears about the fretboard were proved true. This will soon become an unplayable uke. AVOID!
See http://www.gotaukulele.com/2014/07/schoenhut-ukulele-long-term-test-and.html
PROS
Price
Sound (when properly setup and strings changed)
CONS
Quality control
Thick top
Overly glossy
Concerns over fingerboard hardness
Bad tuners
SCORES
Looks - 7
Fit and Finish - 4.5
Sound - 7.5
Value For Money - 6
OVERALL - 6.3 out of 10
VIDEO REVIEW
Read More »
Schoenhut Oak Mahogany Ukulele REVIEW
Straight up with another ukulele review so quickly after the last. Doing so as this one is putting the cat amongst the pigeons on social media and a few people are keen to see my thoughts. The Schoenhut Oak Mahogany Ukulele.
The instrument is part of their 5400 series which also comes in several other designs, and retail for about £35 over here in the UK. It sure is a striking uke design, but striking to me because it is a direct (and I mean direct) copy of the Flea ukulele designed by the Magic Fluke Company in the USA. The Schoenhut is made in China. Is that cool? I don't think so, but this review will not get into the politics of how this came about. All I will say is that Magic Fluke have announced that they came to an agreement with Schoenhut regarding the design, and it is not for me to speculate further on that - it is their business. One thing is for sure though, there are fans out there who are raving about these and those who are claiming they are the worst ukes on earth. Neither view will affect my own review, but I mention it as it seems to be a hot topic at the moment. It is worth saying though that some people are reporting no quality problems, and some are reporting a ton of them.
As a final point before we get into the body of the review, Schoenhut are marketing this as a 'toy' and not an instrument. I will give you my thoughts on that towards the end of this piece, but it is an interesting and important thing to note.
So from a visual perspective it is pretty much identical to the Flea. The body is a single piece of polycarbonate onto which a laminate wood top is fitted to make the sound chamber. The plastic seems to have a slightly different feel to the Flea original so I don't know if it is as strong as the Flea (a uke I have dropped from a great height and is still going strong). It was also quite scuffed out of the box.
The top though is VERY different. The Flea uses a laminate wood made from Australian Hoop Pine and is extremely thin. The Schoenhut on the other hand uses an excessively thick top. While we are here, I have no idea what 'Oak Mahogany' is, and think they couldn't make up their minds. No matter though because that bright orange grain pattern isn't wood anyway, the top is finished with a sticker or transfer of a wood design, over which the sound hole decoration is applied in black. The whole top is overly glossy to me.
I quite like the sound hole rosette, but would have preferred them to have left the large name logo off the front. It is also overly glossy unlike the Flea.
The bridge is a slotted type and looks very similar to the Flea. It is however lifting off the soundboard and I therefore have no idea on how long this will last. Looks precarious to me.
The neck is wooden like the Flea and very similar in shape. It is however finished in an overly thick gloss for my liking. It is also a wider shape when we reach the headstock, with the Flea having a far narrower taper. This is an issue to me as I found that when playing chords that use a lot of the first fret space, my hand is bumping into the headstock. It feels cramped, particularly evident on a chord like F minor.
The fingerboard is made of plastic and glued on to the wooden neck, just like the Flea, but again looks like a different sort of plastic. These moulded necks have the advantage of being super accurate in intonation, also helped by the use of a zero fret. No complaints in this regard, the Schoenhut is indeed accurate all down the neck. But a word about that material. One complaint people have levelled at Flea is the fact that their plastic frets can wear down over time. Mine is about five years old, gets played a LOT and is starting to show it. Sure, it can be replaced, but its a hassle. I took a small file and pressed it onto one of the frets on the Flea that I don't play too much and it left no mark. I repeated this on the Schoenhut and it left a noticeable dent in the fret. This suggests to me that the Schoenhut fingerboard will not last too long at all.
Fret markers are painted on in silver at the 5th, 7th and 12th, just like the Flea. The slightest touch of a nail on the Schoenhut markers though scratches them off as you may be able to see in the pictures.
Tuning is provided by friction tuners of an extremely cheap quality. Plastic on plastic friction, and they were incredibly sticky and extremely difficult to adjust to anything useable. Worse still one of the tuner buttons had sheared internally and turning it would not turn the post. That is terrible quality control. I fitted new pegs I had lying around just so I could play it and write this review. For the record the originals were also black, with silver, not gold posts. I have read some suggest they are Gotoh pegs - the certainly are not!
Finishing the deal are black, cheap nylon strings which were absolutely hopeless so I immediately re strung this with Worth Flourocarbons.
And there we have it. Very similar looks, but not quite an exact match to the Flea, let down in my opinion by the quality of materials (top, bridge, fingerboard and tuners) for my liking. But for such a saving on the Flea is that forgivable? I think it depends who the player is. For a beginner or a child, then I say no (marketed as a toy or not). If you are already a player and fancies a project or a bit of fun for £35, then maybe. But this is only half the picture, how does it play?
I have prepared a video review side by side with the Flea for you to listen to which will help you here (see below), but generally, it's quite a playable little thing. I say that when what I should say is 'its playable now I have replaced the tuners and the strings!'
Play on the neck feels very similar to the Flea, but is let down by that chunky headstock on the lower open chords and the feel of the gloss on the neck. Action and setup is identical to the Flea, but no surprises there as that is what the design is intended to do.
Sound wise, it really isn't too bad at all. I think it has similar volume to the Flea, but lacks some of the more complex harmonics of its rival. It has a thinner and boxier sound, but really, not as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, some people may not actually notice the difference. In short, it took some effort to get there, but it sounds surprisingly good.
So perhaps a review of two halves this one? Well, not quite. The quality control is a major bugbear for me, and I have no idea how long that fingerboard or bridge are going to last. Nobody wants those sort of issues.
And in coming to a conclusion on it, I have to return to the issue of who is buying it. Sure, if you know what you are doing, and prepared to deal with the pitfalls, it is a bit of a bargain (even though that £35 will become about £60 when you have bought new tuners and strings!). But for beginners and children, I cannot recommend this as I am not convinced you will get one without issues. Perhaps I was just totally unlucky, but I don't think so for one very simple reason. £35 does not buy a lot of anything these days and it was unlikely to be a miracle for that price.
And that brings me on to perhaps my biggest issue with it - the concept of it being a 'toy'. I personally don't like ukes being touted as toys in any case as I think it just devalues them and reinforces the stereotype as 'joke instrument'. But are they really toys? They are priced at a level that puts them a little more expensive than the likes of a Makala Dolphin, and more than the Korala Explore, both of which I think are great. If its a toy, why not cheaper still? Is the toy reference a handy get out clause. Baz from Got A Ukulele thinks its bad, so what - it's just a toy!!!
And besides, if it is a toy, then is that an excuse for it to be badly made? Toy does not have to mean 'crap'.
Mainly though if you want to buy your child a ukulele, then buy them a ukulele not a toy. Something like the Dolphin or the Korala are cheaper, and in my experience more reliable. Better still, talk to your child and get them something like a Lanikai LU11 which is about the same price as this uke when you take into account string cost and tuner price.
So do I recommend it. Well if you want a project, then knock yourself out, but if you are a beginner or buying for a child I would recommend caution.
Does sound ok though. Intriguing!
STOP PRESS!!! Before you take account of the scores below - I have now given this more play, and my fears about the fretboard were proved true. This will soon become an unplayable uke. AVOID!
See http://www.gotaukulele.com/2014/07/schoenhut-ukulele-long-term-test-and.html
 |
| Schoenhut next to my original Flea |
PROS
Price
Sound (when properly setup and strings changed)
CONS
Quality control
Thick top
Overly glossy
Concerns over fingerboard hardness
Bad tuners
SCORES
Looks - 7
Fit and Finish - 4.5
Sound - 7.5
Value For Money - 6
OVERALL - 6.3 out of 10
To understand my review scoring and see this result in context - visit my review page at
VIDEO REVIEW
2 Jun 2012
2 Jun 2012T11:06
Enjoy - click on photo for larger image.
Back row L-R - Makala Dolphin soprano, Mahalo U50 Soprano, Pono MHC Pro Classic concert, Kanile'a K1 Tenor, Brüko No.6 soprano, Koaloha Pikake soprano, Magic Fluke Firefly banjolele, Mainland concert, Vintage VUK20N soprano.
Front row L-R - Magic Fluke Flea soprano, Magic Fluke Fluke concert, Clifton (Lidl) soprano, Mahalo Flying V, Antonio Lemez Canarian Timple (ok, the last one isn't a uke, but let me off!)
No doubt over the years ahead, the collection will change, but most of these are keepers.
Read More »
The current ukulele collection
Ukuleles come and ukes go, and whilst I have owned others in my time, I thought I was overdue taking a photograph of the current crop.
Enjoy - click on photo for larger image.
Back row L-R - Makala Dolphin soprano, Mahalo U50 Soprano, Pono MHC Pro Classic concert, Kanile'a K1 Tenor, Brüko No.6 soprano, Koaloha Pikake soprano, Magic Fluke Firefly banjolele, Mainland concert, Vintage VUK20N soprano.
Front row L-R - Magic Fluke Flea soprano, Magic Fluke Fluke concert, Clifton (Lidl) soprano, Mahalo Flying V, Antonio Lemez Canarian Timple (ok, the last one isn't a uke, but let me off!)
No doubt over the years ahead, the collection will change, but most of these are keepers.
25 Sept 2011
25 Sept 2011T14:43
I did a tally and figured that there have been about 15 or 16 ukes in my possession over the last couple of years. Not all stayed with me and some have been sold or traded, but I thought I'd share with you the current crop from cheap to pricey.
First up in the cheap category is my uke of choice when recommending an instrument to a beginner with a limited budget - the Makala Dolphin Soprano. I actually gifted the red one in the review to my Nephew, but this purple one is technically my daughters, though I love playing it!
(above - Makala Dolphin Soprano)
With a proper setup and Aquila strings, I really don't think that these can be beaten (for the price). I've owned plenty of other ukes in the bargain price range, like a Mahalo and a Vintage though the least said about those the better! I did however own a Lanikai LU21 which I would also highly recommend to beginners.
Moving on, I got hold of a Flea Soprano from the Magic Fluke Company. These are unusual ukes in many ways, their shape, the plastic bowl back, the plastic fingerboard. What they do deliver though is great sound and zero issues with setup due to the nature of their construction. If you are fed up with instruments that buzz or have dodgy action I would highly recommend these.
(above, Flea Soprano in Purple)
I soon decided that I both wanted to move up a ukulele size and try a concert, but also wanted a solid wood uke. I had dabbled with my first solid wood uke which was a soprano by Brüko (highly recommended) but wanted a bigger size. This led me to the fabulous Mainlandbrand of ukes and I purchased an all solid mahogany concert model with a divine slotted headstock. Mainlands start their lives being put together in the far east to keep costs down, but are hand finished and setup by Mike in the USA. The sound is super sweet with a bell like chime and it has looks to die for. A google search or forum search for mainland ukes will show you that Mainland owners are a real community, and rightly so, they are marvellous instruments and in my opinion about as good as you can get for the price.
(above - Mainland Mahogany Concert)
I then took a diversion into a type of uke that I think every player should try at least once, a Banjo Uke, or 'Banjolele'. You can pay some serious money for a banjo uke but I wanted something cheap with a good reputation and went with the Ozark 2035. It's a no frills banjo uke but is very well made and has a great tone. I do, however find it uncomfortable to play due to it missing the more traditional wider resonator on the back and a tone ring, but it does sound good. I don't get to play it as much as I would like though as my friends play traditional ukes, and strumming this is overkill on the volume front!
(above - Ozark 2035 Banjolele)
My love for the Flea ukulele I mentioned above soon had me hankering after a big brother in the shape of the Fluke Tenor ukulele. I say tenor, and thats what it is billed as, but to me the size feels more like a halfway house between a concert and a tenor. The increase in size of this uke over the Flea really shows in the sound which is richer and warmer. It is on equal terms with the Flea in setup and playability, and that larger flat base makes this the perfect uke to always have on hand, standing up beside by sofa!
(above - Fluke Tenor)
I write so much about ukes that it wasn't long before I came to the scary realisation that I really needed to own a hand made Hawaiian ukulele, known as the K Brand Ukes. I also figured I didn't own a traditional tenor scale instrument so settled on a Kanile'a K1 tenor uke. Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy. It's buying a uke of this quality that really shows where that extra money goes. The sound and looks are out of this world, it really is so beautiful. This has become my go to ukulele for fingerpicking.
(above - Kanile'a K1 Tenor, satin finish uke)
The Hawaiian bug bit and this was soon followed by a purchase of a K brand soprano in the shape of a Koaloha Pikake soprano. I wanted a bright, loud, traditional sounding soprano and this uke has it in spades. I remain to be amazed at the volume from this tiny thing (easily the loudest of all my ukes) and it's my choice of uke now for gigging with friends as it provides a sharp clear sound that cuts through our mix of instruments perfectly.
(above - Koaloha Pikake Soprano)
The latest uke in the house is not actually mine, but it's worthy of a mention. Fairly recently my wife decided to start playing uke and her progress was astounding. She is now playing with us live and as an anniversary present / a 'well done', I bought her her own ukulele as she had been playing my Mainland. I think I made a good choice in the Pono MHC Pro Classic mahogany concert. This is one pretty instrument, impeccably made and with a fantastic sound.
(above- Pono MHC Pro Classic Concert)
So there you have it, a snapshot. There will be more I am sure, and perhaps some of those above will be sold or traded (though I doubt I'll ever be saying goodbye to the Hawaiian ukes), but that is part of the fun in playing uke - the addiction to buying them!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Read More »
The current ukulele collection
It struck me that new readers of this blog won't have seen the very earliest reviews and news about ukes in my household... And who the heck searches back over years of blog posting?
I did a tally and figured that there have been about 15 or 16 ukes in my possession over the last couple of years. Not all stayed with me and some have been sold or traded, but I thought I'd share with you the current crop from cheap to pricey.
First up in the cheap category is my uke of choice when recommending an instrument to a beginner with a limited budget - the Makala Dolphin Soprano. I actually gifted the red one in the review to my Nephew, but this purple one is technically my daughters, though I love playing it!
(above - Makala Dolphin Soprano)
With a proper setup and Aquila strings, I really don't think that these can be beaten (for the price). I've owned plenty of other ukes in the bargain price range, like a Mahalo and a Vintage though the least said about those the better! I did however own a Lanikai LU21 which I would also highly recommend to beginners.
Moving on, I got hold of a Flea Soprano from the Magic Fluke Company. These are unusual ukes in many ways, their shape, the plastic bowl back, the plastic fingerboard. What they do deliver though is great sound and zero issues with setup due to the nature of their construction. If you are fed up with instruments that buzz or have dodgy action I would highly recommend these.
(above, Flea Soprano in Purple)
I soon decided that I both wanted to move up a ukulele size and try a concert, but also wanted a solid wood uke. I had dabbled with my first solid wood uke which was a soprano by Brüko (highly recommended) but wanted a bigger size. This led me to the fabulous Mainlandbrand of ukes and I purchased an all solid mahogany concert model with a divine slotted headstock. Mainlands start their lives being put together in the far east to keep costs down, but are hand finished and setup by Mike in the USA. The sound is super sweet with a bell like chime and it has looks to die for. A google search or forum search for mainland ukes will show you that Mainland owners are a real community, and rightly so, they are marvellous instruments and in my opinion about as good as you can get for the price.
(above - Mainland Mahogany Concert)
I then took a diversion into a type of uke that I think every player should try at least once, a Banjo Uke, or 'Banjolele'. You can pay some serious money for a banjo uke but I wanted something cheap with a good reputation and went with the Ozark 2035. It's a no frills banjo uke but is very well made and has a great tone. I do, however find it uncomfortable to play due to it missing the more traditional wider resonator on the back and a tone ring, but it does sound good. I don't get to play it as much as I would like though as my friends play traditional ukes, and strumming this is overkill on the volume front!
(above - Ozark 2035 Banjolele)
My love for the Flea ukulele I mentioned above soon had me hankering after a big brother in the shape of the Fluke Tenor ukulele. I say tenor, and thats what it is billed as, but to me the size feels more like a halfway house between a concert and a tenor. The increase in size of this uke over the Flea really shows in the sound which is richer and warmer. It is on equal terms with the Flea in setup and playability, and that larger flat base makes this the perfect uke to always have on hand, standing up beside by sofa!
(above - Fluke Tenor)
I write so much about ukes that it wasn't long before I came to the scary realisation that I really needed to own a hand made Hawaiian ukulele, known as the K Brand Ukes. I also figured I didn't own a traditional tenor scale instrument so settled on a Kanile'a K1 tenor uke. Oh boy. Oh boy oh boy. It's buying a uke of this quality that really shows where that extra money goes. The sound and looks are out of this world, it really is so beautiful. This has become my go to ukulele for fingerpicking.
(above - Kanile'a K1 Tenor, satin finish uke)
The Hawaiian bug bit and this was soon followed by a purchase of a K brand soprano in the shape of a Koaloha Pikake soprano. I wanted a bright, loud, traditional sounding soprano and this uke has it in spades. I remain to be amazed at the volume from this tiny thing (easily the loudest of all my ukes) and it's my choice of uke now for gigging with friends as it provides a sharp clear sound that cuts through our mix of instruments perfectly.
(above - Koaloha Pikake Soprano)
The latest uke in the house is not actually mine, but it's worthy of a mention. Fairly recently my wife decided to start playing uke and her progress was astounding. She is now playing with us live and as an anniversary present / a 'well done', I bought her her own ukulele as she had been playing my Mainland. I think I made a good choice in the Pono MHC Pro Classic mahogany concert. This is one pretty instrument, impeccably made and with a fantastic sound.
(above- Pono MHC Pro Classic Concert)
So there you have it, a snapshot. There will be more I am sure, and perhaps some of those above will be sold or traded (though I doubt I'll ever be saying goodbye to the Hawaiian ukes), but that is part of the fun in playing uke - the addiction to buying them!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
28 Jan 2011
28 Jan 2011T18:43
The instrument was unveiled at the NAMM musical instrument show recently, and I think it looks great. It has that typical Flea slotted head, is based on a soprano scale banjolele, and has an 8" remo head. What I like the most is the lack of the normal tensioners that you see on banjoleles, with a more unique drum looking mechanism to hold the head tight.
Have a look for yourselves in this video from NAMM brought to you by Ukulele Underground. Jim Beloff of the Magic Fluke Co talks us through the Fluke Banjolele.
Read More »
New Ukulele alert - drool
As my readers may well know as well as me playing a banjo uke (an Ozark cheapie) I am also a huge fan of Flea and Fluke ukuleles. Imagine my delight to hear that the two things had come together?
The instrument was unveiled at the NAMM musical instrument show recently, and I think it looks great. It has that typical Flea slotted head, is based on a soprano scale banjolele, and has an 8" remo head. What I like the most is the lack of the normal tensioners that you see on banjoleles, with a more unique drum looking mechanism to hold the head tight.
Have a look for yourselves in this video from NAMM brought to you by Ukulele Underground. Jim Beloff of the Magic Fluke Co talks us through the Fluke Banjolele.
8 Oct 2010
8 Oct 2010T11:48
Fluke Ukulele - Review
Well it arrived! The other day I pulled the trigger on a Fluke Ukulele on ebay (used). I have wanted a Fluke for some time, but suppliers in the UK seem to be hard to find. I already own a Flea (as you will find on my reviews page above) but have always wanted the big brother (or is that sister? ukes are surely female).
Arrived today and its in great condition
Like the Flea it has the unique Magic Fluke Co construction - its a very thin laminate Australian hoop pine top on a bowl shaped polycarbonate back rather like those used on Ovation guitars. The idea is to help sound projection and this presumably explains why they can get away with a laminated top. The neck back is maple as is the unusual headstock, but the fingerboard and bridge are moulded polycarbonate as well. This all makes it sounds like a toy, but it certainly isnt! As you can see from the picture, I went with the natural finish top which I like. Some people say it looks like a lute - and I suppose it does in a way. This is the concert model with 15 frets. It arrived with what look like Aquila strings on.
Check out that flat base too - no need for a stand!
The thing about the one piece poly fingerboard is it is super accurate - there are no seperately fitted frets. This means that intonation is always gonna be spot on - they are all identically made - a bit of a genius idea in my opinion. When ordering new from Fluke, you can specify a wood fretboard with metal frets, but I've always thought that was kinda missing the point of these instruments.
Tuning at the unique looking headstock is via friction tuners - I know a lot of people dislike friction tuners but honestly, the ones used on Fleas and Flukes are great. Frankly, I think that geared tuners would look odd.
So, you are never going to have trouble with set up on a Fluke - really nice instrument, but how does it sound?
Well strings will have a lot to do with it, and as I say above, this came with Aquilas. I went through a lot of string testing on my Flea and ended up thinking Aquilas were a bit overkill - in the end settling on Worth BM's. I obviously need to go through same testing with this Fluke, but as it stands now it does sound lovely.
Volume is around the same level as the Flea (I was expecting more), but that is still louder than most ukes. It really does stand above the Flea though in warmth. Its got that real characterful Flea chime to the strum, but just has a fuller more complex sound. (not running the Flea down at all there - this is, just, well, better!). I will be playing around with string options on it though and will report back
So easy to play too, light, nice to hold and the longer neck is noticeable nicer to use.
To top it all off, the Fluke, like the Flea, comes with its own branded gig bag. The Flea bag is a thin zippered affair - the Fluke gets a funky padded thing that you put the uke in from the top and close with a drawstring - very nice - shoulder strap too!
So, all in all, this is, as I expected, a 10 out of 10 instrument. Its got bombproof construction, unique looks, great sound - what more could you want. I am a happy man!
SCORES
Looks - 8
Fit and finish - 20
Sound - 8.5
Value for money - 7
OVERALL - 8.4
Having owned this uke for a couple of years now - you can also read my Long Term Test - does it still stand up?
Read More »
Arrived today and its in great condition
Like the Flea it has the unique Magic Fluke Co construction - its a very thin laminate Australian hoop pine top on a bowl shaped polycarbonate back rather like those used on Ovation guitars. The idea is to help sound projection and this presumably explains why they can get away with a laminated top. The neck back is maple as is the unusual headstock, but the fingerboard and bridge are moulded polycarbonate as well. This all makes it sounds like a toy, but it certainly isnt! As you can see from the picture, I went with the natural finish top which I like. Some people say it looks like a lute - and I suppose it does in a way. This is the concert model with 15 frets. It arrived with what look like Aquila strings on.
Check out that flat base too - no need for a stand!
The thing about the one piece poly fingerboard is it is super accurate - there are no seperately fitted frets. This means that intonation is always gonna be spot on - they are all identically made - a bit of a genius idea in my opinion. When ordering new from Fluke, you can specify a wood fretboard with metal frets, but I've always thought that was kinda missing the point of these instruments.
Tuning at the unique looking headstock is via friction tuners - I know a lot of people dislike friction tuners but honestly, the ones used on Fleas and Flukes are great. Frankly, I think that geared tuners would look odd.
So, you are never going to have trouble with set up on a Fluke - really nice instrument, but how does it sound?
Well strings will have a lot to do with it, and as I say above, this came with Aquilas. I went through a lot of string testing on my Flea and ended up thinking Aquilas were a bit overkill - in the end settling on Worth BM's. I obviously need to go through same testing with this Fluke, but as it stands now it does sound lovely.
Volume is around the same level as the Flea (I was expecting more), but that is still louder than most ukes. It really does stand above the Flea though in warmth. Its got that real characterful Flea chime to the strum, but just has a fuller more complex sound. (not running the Flea down at all there - this is, just, well, better!). I will be playing around with string options on it though and will report back
So easy to play too, light, nice to hold and the longer neck is noticeable nicer to use.
To top it all off, the Fluke, like the Flea, comes with its own branded gig bag. The Flea bag is a thin zippered affair - the Fluke gets a funky padded thing that you put the uke in from the top and close with a drawstring - very nice - shoulder strap too!
SCORES
Looks - 8
Fit and finish - 20
Sound - 8.5
Value for money - 7
OVERALL - 8.4
Having owned this uke for a couple of years now - you can also read my Long Term Test - does it still stand up?
5 Oct 2010
5 Oct 2010T20:42
So, pray tell, what is your new ukulele?
Since posting the sad news that I am selling the Bruko, the reason is I pulled the trigger on another ukulele...
What is it, I hear you cry - well, its not a huge step up, but its a uke I've been after for a while, but just seems to have disappeared from UK stockists..
Its another uke from the Fluke company - and it is an actual Fluke - concert scale in natural finish.
I so love my Flea Uke as you will have read on here, but have always wanted the bigger brother. They are such great ukes, and perfect for taking to gigs or just down the pub as they are pretty much bombproof. I found a deal on a used on on ebay, and it should be here very soon.
Its gonna look like this one:
Obviously, full review to follow - but I just know its gonna be good. They are brilliant instruments.
Read More »
What is it, I hear you cry - well, its not a huge step up, but its a uke I've been after for a while, but just seems to have disappeared from UK stockists..
Its another uke from the Fluke company - and it is an actual Fluke - concert scale in natural finish.
I so love my Flea Uke as you will have read on here, but have always wanted the bigger brother. They are such great ukes, and perfect for taking to gigs or just down the pub as they are pretty much bombproof. I found a deal on a used on on ebay, and it should be here very soon.
Its gonna look like this one:
17 May 2010
17 May 2010T15:04
The different shapes are, in the main, cosmetic, although you will get some variance with tone with different bodies. So some examples of body shapes...
1. STANDARD - also known as the "guitar shape" or figure of 8 shape. These themselves come in a variety of shapes some fatter at the bottom "bulge", some symmetrical., for example:
And I suppose you would also include the good old Flea in the Pineapple category (I suppose)
And I would put the Fluke Uke in this category
4. others and oddities - there is so much you can put in this mixed bag, so below are a few examples
First - the flying V!
This next one is a style I like - called the Vita shape
Then we can start getting REALLY weird!
Read More »
Ukulele beginners tips - shapes
Whats in a shape? Well, as you begin your hunt for a ukulele, you will notice that all ukuleles are not the same - aside from the traditional shaped uke, you will also find some oddities in the musical instrument stores.
The different shapes are, in the main, cosmetic, although you will get some variance with tone with different bodies. So some examples of body shapes...
1. STANDARD - also known as the "guitar shape" or figure of 8 shape. These themselves come in a variety of shapes some fatter at the bottom "bulge", some symmetrical., for example:
and
 |
| Add caption |
2. Pineapple shapes
Traditional hawaiian shapes - often styled on the top with texture of pineapple skin, and often a spiky topped headstock, such as
and
And I suppose you would also include the good old Flea in the Pineapple category (I suppose)
3. Boat Paddle shapes - shaped like (you guessed it) boat paddles.
Such as
And I would put the Fluke Uke in this category
4. others and oddities - there is so much you can put in this mixed bag, so below are a few examples
First - the flying V!
and how about a Les Paul?
This next one is a style I like - called the Vita shape
But really, what matters is you get one you like - they all do the same thing really!!
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4 May 2010
4 May 2010T11:03
By way of background, the Flea is a USA made instrument, and is the little brother (or sister) to the Fluke Ukulele. What sets these ukes apart is their design. The back of the instrument is plastic / polycarbonate, and the top is a laminated australian hoop pine. The neck is a nice smooth maple finish with a distinctive headstock, and it is fitted with quality friction tuners.
The fingerboard is a one piece moulded piece of plastic, with integral frets. This seems to be the biggest point of concern with those people considering buying a Flea, but I really dont know why. If you are really fussed, the Company do make a rosewood fingerboard model with metal frets, but why would you bother? This plastic fingerboard is comfortable to play, light, and most importantly of all, its intonation is absolutely spot on - there is no way a fret can be mis-seated on this instrument - it is just naturally accurate.
There are also similar concerns raised by some over the plastic back - to them I would just point them in the direction of the superb Ovation Balladeer guitars - really really nice pro-instruments with, yes, you guessed it, a man made curved back.
So, back to mine - it is finished in a painted purple colour (called Poi-ple by the Fluke Co), and arrived with shiny black hilo strings which I really didnt get on with. Tuners needed a tighten but since that first tighten I have had no problems with them whatsover - i have read that they are made by Gotoh, which may explain it.
I changed the strings for Aquilas, but have since also played around with Martins and Worths - all good - and all better than the Hilos it arrived with.
My model is soprano scale, but you can get them with concert scale necks. The sound for such a small, simple, laminated instrument really is extraordinary - it is loud - certainly as loud as any other uke in my collection, and bright and bouncy. There are zero issues with intonation and action (as I say above), and plays beautifully.
The are also really really tough - I have knocked mine over and dropped it - not a mark and still bang in tune. These are therefore highly recommended for gigging or camping etc.
Slight gripes - the wooden top is actually slightly recessed into plastic body, so where I rest my arm on the top when playing it leaves a red line on my arm. Also, with two years play now, the reslilence of the top finish leaves a little to be desired, and it has polished up in places where my arm has rubbed - oh well, some would call that "patina".
Comes with a zippered padded gig bag and small booklet of uke chords.
I can honestly say, would never change my Flea, and am on the lookout for a Fluke. It just plays so well, is always in tune, and is dead reliable. Would I buy one again - yes I would. Should you buy one - well, if the Flea is in your price range, I would strongly recommend it.
Enjoy!
UKULELE SCORES
Looks - 8
Fit and finish - 10
Sound - 8
Value for money - 7.5
OVERALL - 8.4
Read More »
Flea Ukulele - from the Magic Fluke Company
I do get asked a lot on the Uke Underground forum for my views on my Flea by the Fluke Co, so thought I should probably type out a proper review.
I've had my Flea now for about 2 years, and adore it. It cost me a little over £100 back then, and they seem to be available in the basic form for about £120 now over here.
By way of background, the Flea is a USA made instrument, and is the little brother (or sister) to the Fluke Ukulele. What sets these ukes apart is their design. The back of the instrument is plastic / polycarbonate, and the top is a laminated australian hoop pine. The neck is a nice smooth maple finish with a distinctive headstock, and it is fitted with quality friction tuners.
The fingerboard is a one piece moulded piece of plastic, with integral frets. This seems to be the biggest point of concern with those people considering buying a Flea, but I really dont know why. If you are really fussed, the Company do make a rosewood fingerboard model with metal frets, but why would you bother? This plastic fingerboard is comfortable to play, light, and most importantly of all, its intonation is absolutely spot on - there is no way a fret can be mis-seated on this instrument - it is just naturally accurate.
There are also similar concerns raised by some over the plastic back - to them I would just point them in the direction of the superb Ovation Balladeer guitars - really really nice pro-instruments with, yes, you guessed it, a man made curved back.
So, back to mine - it is finished in a painted purple colour (called Poi-ple by the Fluke Co), and arrived with shiny black hilo strings which I really didnt get on with. Tuners needed a tighten but since that first tighten I have had no problems with them whatsover - i have read that they are made by Gotoh, which may explain it.
I changed the strings for Aquilas, but have since also played around with Martins and Worths - all good - and all better than the Hilos it arrived with.
My model is soprano scale, but you can get them with concert scale necks. The sound for such a small, simple, laminated instrument really is extraordinary - it is loud - certainly as loud as any other uke in my collection, and bright and bouncy. There are zero issues with intonation and action (as I say above), and plays beautifully.
The are also really really tough - I have knocked mine over and dropped it - not a mark and still bang in tune. These are therefore highly recommended for gigging or camping etc.
Slight gripes - the wooden top is actually slightly recessed into plastic body, so where I rest my arm on the top when playing it leaves a red line on my arm. Also, with two years play now, the reslilence of the top finish leaves a little to be desired, and it has polished up in places where my arm has rubbed - oh well, some would call that "patina".
Comes with a zippered padded gig bag and small booklet of uke chords.
I can honestly say, would never change my Flea, and am on the lookout for a Fluke. It just plays so well, is always in tune, and is dead reliable. Would I buy one again - yes I would. Should you buy one - well, if the Flea is in your price range, I would strongly recommend it.
Enjoy!
UKULELE SCORES
Looks - 8
Fit and finish - 10
Sound - 8
Value for money - 7.5
OVERALL - 8.4
28 Apr 2010
28 Apr 2010T12:07
How do cheap ukes compare in sound?
The obvious question - can cheap be cheerful? Answer - not always - see my video test, which I think makes it quite clear that some cheapies (ie the Mahalo) are rotten, but some are great (such as the Makala)
If you dont want to shell out big bucks - fun can be had for a low outlay - just choose wisely!
Read More »
If you dont want to shell out big bucks - fun can be had for a low outlay - just choose wisely!
20 Apr 2010
20 Apr 2010T10:01
** IMPORTANT NOTE! This is a VERY old post. Things have changed. And things are constantly changing. It was written before I was writing regular reviews. I thought about updating it, but I'd be updating it every year.
Generally speaking, buying a uke is like buying any musical instrument. Go too cheap and you will end up with something that may hinder your learning and put you off, not a good thing!
I appreciate however that not everyone has lots of cash, and certainly not cash to blow on something they are not sure of. Heck, ukes can cost more than £500 but how low can you go?
A quick search of eBay will show a variety of brightly coloured ukes in the £15 - £20 range. Do beware. I bought one of these and it really is pretty ropey.
Step up a level into the £30 £50 range, and you are in to the level that I would recommend for beginners who really can't spend much. Look for Makala ukes for example ( including the brilliant Dolphin series), or others from Makala. Bear in mind that these entry ukes won't be solid, and will definitely benefit from changing strings to aquilas ( so budget another £6 ). They may also need a tweak to set up such as slight lowering of action. This will be a breeze if you are a guitar nut, but complete newbies need to take care, take advice or possibly pay a luthier.
Moving up into the £50 - £100 bracket and you start to get more improvements in quality, and some solid woods. This is though the category to take care with. We are getting into more serious money, and sadly there are more bad ukes here that shouldn't in my view command higher prices. In my view look for Kala, lanikai, ohana and Baton Rouge. If you can reach 100, check out entry level Bruko. Great all solid handmade ukes! All ukes in this range may still need action checking and may benefit from better strings.
Up a step again into the £100 - £200 category and your choice widens considerably. I think this is the range where you really can get ALL the uke you need without going boutique / pro. All of my upper end ukes are in this range. Wooden ukes will tend to be all solid in this range, and whilst still made in Asia probably finished in USA, such as brilliant Mainlands. Very nice Kala and Ohana ukes in this range too as well as the standard model Fleas and Flukes ( everyone should own one! USA made)
Higher still and it's a case if 'where do you stop'. You are looking at upgraded versions of the above in fancy woods, or with pickups fitted, or into beautiful hand made Hawaiian instruments!
So, what did I do in the early days? Simple!
Mahalo - horrible horrible, sub 20- junk waste of money
Vintage - £20 - kinda junk, works, 'sort of'...
Lanikai - £50 - nice sound, stayed in tune, well set up.... Sold to fund...
Flea £120 - brilliant and unique, can't really go wrong
Bruko £100 - solid wood
Mainland £160 - concert scale, solid, beautiful, bought to compliment Flea with warmer tone and longer scale neck.
Beyond that I ended up with about 60 ukuleles at one point!
Hope this helps if you are confused. Email me if you have any questions. Above all, select a couple of models, research them ( ukulele underground site forum is your friend here) and try if you can to play them ( saying that, I never have myself!)
Good luck! Go buy one, you know you wanna!
Read More »
Ukulele Beginners - What to spend? How cheap is cheap
** IMPORTANT NOTE! This is a VERY old post. Things have changed. And things are constantly changing. It was written before I was writing regular reviews. I thought about updating it, but I'd be updating it every year.
Instead - I would recommend looking at the full review list which is organised into price categories.. Anything scored over 8 out of 10 is recommended one way or the other. Higher the score the better
FULL REVIEW LIST! https://www.gotaukulele.com/p/ukulele-reviews.html
A common question this one, and I was here 2 years ago myself. Thought i'd share my experiences.
Generally speaking, buying a uke is like buying any musical instrument. Go too cheap and you will end up with something that may hinder your learning and put you off, not a good thing!
I appreciate however that not everyone has lots of cash, and certainly not cash to blow on something they are not sure of. Heck, ukes can cost more than £500 but how low can you go?
A quick search of eBay will show a variety of brightly coloured ukes in the £15 - £20 range. Do beware. I bought one of these and it really is pretty ropey.
Step up a level into the £30 £50 range, and you are in to the level that I would recommend for beginners who really can't spend much. Look for Makala ukes for example ( including the brilliant Dolphin series), or others from Makala. Bear in mind that these entry ukes won't be solid, and will definitely benefit from changing strings to aquilas ( so budget another £6 ). They may also need a tweak to set up such as slight lowering of action. This will be a breeze if you are a guitar nut, but complete newbies need to take care, take advice or possibly pay a luthier.
Moving up into the £50 - £100 bracket and you start to get more improvements in quality, and some solid woods. This is though the category to take care with. We are getting into more serious money, and sadly there are more bad ukes here that shouldn't in my view command higher prices. In my view look for Kala, lanikai, ohana and Baton Rouge. If you can reach 100, check out entry level Bruko. Great all solid handmade ukes! All ukes in this range may still need action checking and may benefit from better strings.
Up a step again into the £100 - £200 category and your choice widens considerably. I think this is the range where you really can get ALL the uke you need without going boutique / pro. All of my upper end ukes are in this range. Wooden ukes will tend to be all solid in this range, and whilst still made in Asia probably finished in USA, such as brilliant Mainlands. Very nice Kala and Ohana ukes in this range too as well as the standard model Fleas and Flukes ( everyone should own one! USA made)
Higher still and it's a case if 'where do you stop'. You are looking at upgraded versions of the above in fancy woods, or with pickups fitted, or into beautiful hand made Hawaiian instruments!
So, what did I do in the early days? Simple!
Mahalo - horrible horrible, sub 20- junk waste of money
Vintage - £20 - kinda junk, works, 'sort of'...
Lanikai - £50 - nice sound, stayed in tune, well set up.... Sold to fund...
Flea £120 - brilliant and unique, can't really go wrong
Bruko £100 - solid wood
Mainland £160 - concert scale, solid, beautiful, bought to compliment Flea with warmer tone and longer scale neck.
Beyond that I ended up with about 60 ukuleles at one point!
Hope this helps if you are confused. Email me if you have any questions. Above all, select a couple of models, research them ( ukulele underground site forum is your friend here) and try if you can to play them ( saying that, I never have myself!)
Good luck! Go buy one, you know you wanna!
26 Nov 2009
26 Nov 2009T18:41
Introduction to my Ukes - Part 1 - My Fluke Flea - in Purple. Wonderful instrument - plastic back, laminate top, plastic (yes plastic) fretboard - but it has a wonderful wonderful sound all of its own.
really decent Uke.
Read More »
Introduction to my ukulele collection
Introduction to my Ukes - Part 1 - My Fluke Flea - in Purple. Wonderful instrument - plastic back, laminate top, plastic (yes plastic) fretboard - but it has a wonderful wonderful sound all of its own.
really decent Uke.
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