New Solid Spruce top Fluke by MFC

M3Ukulele

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I was just checking out the MFC site as I have a tenor - Walnut Fluke and thought a solid top would be nice. The Koa ones are fairly expensive and I like the snap and sparkle and clarity of spruce anyways. Has anyone played one of these new solid top Tenor Flukes?
 
Haven't played one, but seems the spruce tops are the same price as the koa ones. $318 for a base koa or spruce Flea, and $338 for a koa or spruce Fluke.
 
I was just checking out the MFC site as I have a tenor - Walnut Fluke and thought a solid top would be nice. The Koa ones are fairly expensive and I like the snap and sparkle and clarity of spruce anyways. Has anyone played one of these new solid top Tenor Flukes?

I too noticed the spruce top models just last week, but am not sure how long they have been out. Yours is the first post about them that I've seen here on UU, so you might be waiting a little while for folks to actually notice and buy one before you can get an opinion from hands-on experience.

I have a Koa tenor Fluke and, 2 tenor Fleas, one walnut w/birch rosette, and another with the standard birch top, as well as a LAVA concert Flea with the standard birch top, so I'm not really looking for another just yet, but if they made one with a Cedar Top, I'd be scrounging funds to get one ASAP...:)

As you might be able to tell, I'm a big fan of The Magic Fluke Company, and actually had a chance to hang out with Jim Beloff this past weekend at the UKE NJ 3! festival.

Jim Beloff's sister and brother-in-law are the owners of The Magic Fluke Company, and Flea Market Music (his company) was one of the vendors at the uke-fest, and when Jim and his wife Liz performed during the concerts on both Fri and Sat nights, he played a Fluke, and she played a Flea. It was great.

There's a new thread I created over in the 'Regional Get Togethers' section of the forum if you want to see some photos...
 
Booli I know you are correct....... spruce hasn't been out long enough to get out there but thought I would ask. If you ever play on, I'd like to hear your opinion on the solid Koa to spruce. Spruce is my go to top currently.
 
Booli I know you are correct....... spruce hasn't been out long enough to get out there but thought I would ask. If you ever play on, I'd like to hear your opinion on the solid Koa to spruce. Spruce is my go to top currently.

Sure thing!

and if you get one before me (which is highly probable right now), please keep me in mind as well! :)
 
Thread revive! Would love to hear any thoughts for anyone out there that has played them.
 
I too noticed the spruce top models just last week, but am not sure how long they have been out. Yours is the first post about them that I've seen here on UU, so you might be waiting a little while for folks to actually notice and buy one before you can get an opinion from hands-on experience.

I have a Koa tenor Fluke and, 2 tenor Fleas, one walnut w/birch rosette, and another with the standard birch top, as well as a LAVA concert Flea with the standard birch top, so I'm not really looking for another just yet, but if they made one with a Cedar Top, I'd be scrounging funds to get one ASAP...:)

As you might be able to tell, I'm a big fan of The Magic Fluke Company, and actually had a chance to hang out with Jim Beloff this past weekend at the UKE NJ 3! festival.

Jim Beloff's sister and brother-in-law are the owners of The Magic Fluke Company, and Flea Market Music (his company) was one of the vendors at the uke-fest, and when Jim and his wife Liz performed during the concerts on both Fri and Sat nights, he played a Fluke, and she played a Flea. It was great.

There's a new thread I created over in the 'Regional Get Togethers' section of the forum if you want to see some photos...

You lucky devil! I didn't even get to talk to them when they were here two years ago, they were mobbed by ukers! I didn't know Liz played! Jim and Liz are two of the greatest ambassadors of the ukulele in the Universe!
 
Stills trolling for anyone who has played a solid adirondack top fluke. Also,I have poly fretboard......how much better is the rosewood fretboard!
 
Stills trolling for anyone who has played a solid adirondack top fluke. Also,I have poly fretboard......how much better is the rosewood fretboard!

The Adi-Spruce was everything you would expect from it, especially if you ever come to appreciate the fullness and sweetness of an Adirondack Spruce top on a guitar. If I wasn't already set to fulfill my want of a Koa Fluke coupled with the chance to select my own Koa top, I would have gone the Adi-Spruce route. No doubt, when I am ready to do my next order, it will be for the Adi-Spruce.

Regarding your question about the fretboard:
Given the choice I would opt for the Rosewood fretboard over the polycarbonate board as I did with my custom Koa Tonor Fluke order. While the polycarbonate board works fine and I would be more than content having one, the fact that upgrade cost is not overly prohibitive and I do prefer the traditional feel of the wood and fret wire and to some extent the look of the rosewood fretboard over the polycarbonate, I chose the rosewood option. Therefore my opinion is unless your absolutely sure the polycarbonate is what you want, you'll probably be left wondering if you should have upgraded. So if you feel you may want to avoid that future second guessing, if you can swing it I would go for the Rosewood fretboard from the start.
 
My Walnut Fluke with poly keyboard and upgraded Pegheds is pretty durable and nice to just throw in the car but it may hit the marketplace soon cause I'm really wanting to try this Ukulele with a solid Adi top. Pegheds are a must and next purchase I would try rosewood fretboard. Thanks for sharing.
 
Anyone play one of these spruce fleas yet? I think it may be a great combination as the fleas have quite a bit of mids in the sound. It may give move sparkle and pop to the sound.
 
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I second that question. Has anybody played one of these Adirondack spruce Flukes? Do they sound that much richer than the usual laminate spruce Flukes or does the synthetic back make them sound pretty similar?
 
If you're thinking of using a wound "Low G" string, get the Rosewood fret board. The synthetic frets won't hold up well to the wound string.
 
I am trying to save up for a Flea with a spruce top and wooden fretboard, as an upgrade from my 'natural' Flea with the poly fretboard, but have not played one yet, nor heard one in person.

*-fingers-crossed -*

I am very much sold on these instruments and have not found any other brands that have as good intonation, nor feel as good in my hands...and I have played, owned and re-homed many other makes and models of ukulele over the years.
 
I have looked around online and have not found any comments, reviews, or sound clips of the spruce flea or fluke. As I mentioned above, it seems as if the snappiness of spruce may work well on these instruments. After all this time, has anyone had the chance to play one?
 
I have looked around online and have not found any comments, reviews, or sound clips of the spruce flea or fluke. As I mentioned above, it seems as if the snappiness of spruce may work well on these instruments. After all this time, has anyone had the chance to play one?

As I recall a few folks here on UU have posted that they had bought one since this thread was last active, but I dont have a link to those threads, however there is a sound sample of Corey playing one on HMS here:

https://www.theukulelesite.com/shop...olid-spruce-top-tenor-with-gig-bag-herco.html
 
I have a Koa tenor Fluke and, 2 tenor Fleas, one walnut w/birch rosette, and another with the standard birch top, as well as a LAVA concert Flea with the standard birch top, so I'm not really looking for another just yet, but if they made one with a Cedar Top, I'd be scrounging funds to get one ASAP...:)

Did you get the upgraded tuner option on any of your Magic ukes? If not, how do you find the standard ones?
thanks! (I'm considering a Flea...)
 
I just sold my Concert Fluke Spruce here on UU. I have a Concert Fluke Koa in order. I've had the Koa in Tenor size too. I love their hardwood fretboard and as others have mentioned, you need it for any wound strings (Fremont low G for example). I had pinging problems after awhile on the poly fretboard. I think their hardwood topped ones are great. I leave them out so they're the ones that get played the most. Made in the USA by real nice people too.
As to pegheads if you don't like friction tuners then get the upgrade. I've never had any issues with their standard tuners though
 
I just sold my Concert Fluke Spruce here on UU.

How would you compare the spruce top to their standard top or the koa? Do you notice much of a difference? As I mentioned, it seems that it might bring out the highs a bit as these seem to be a bit more in the mid to low frequencies. Was that the case?
 
Did you get the upgraded tuner option on any of your Magic ukes? If not, how do you find the standard ones?
thanks! (I'm considering a Flea...)

My koa tenor Fluke was bought used from another UU member and already had the PegHeds.

My Lava concert Flea which was bought new from Uke Republic, prior to the above koa Fluke, had the cheap friction tuners, which I replaced as soon as possible with Gotoh UPT-L tuners since after 35 yrs of playing guitars with geared tuners, I simply refuse to be tormented by the herky-jerky function of friction tuners.

Other folks LOVE and rave about friction tuners, and that's fine, but I refuse to use them (I hate them and they hate me), and will not spend to 'test' the supposed really nice ones which cost as much or more than the PegHeds or Gotoh UPT-L (~$60 per set).

All of my other Fluke and Flea ukes (I have 5 different ones in total) have the Grover 9NB (~$15 per set) open geared tuners which I have modified to fit with a dremel tool and installed myself.

For more info on all this, with photos and lots more, go here for the Magic Fluke Company megathread.

For a NEW instrument from Magic Fluke Company, I'd definitely spend the extra for the PegHeds. They work great, look nice and weigh very little on the headstock.
 
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