Dating a Magic Fluke

Jerryc41 · Jun 2, 2019

This post was inspired by Jim Hanks asking about the date his Flea was made. Although Magic Fluke does not (yet) have a database of serial numbers and dates, we could pout together a rough estimation on our own. If you are willing to post your model, date of acquisition, and serial number, I would be willing to coordinate all that info.

EDIT: Let's limit this to the Flea, Fluke, and Firefly.

Jim Hanks · Jun 2, 2019

I've just sent an email to Magic Fluke and will report back any findings.

José de Londres · Jun 2, 2019

When I first read the thread title, for a split second I thought you were taking your unnatural love of ukes to bizarre new heights...

Jerryc41 · Jun 2, 2019

Jim Hanks said:
I've just sent an email to Magic Fluke and will report back any findings.

This is their reply to me from two weeks ago.

"Your idea is a good one, one that I have contemplated and for the better part of the last year, I have been making notes about production and the serial numbers but have not gone so far as to document each, perhaps sometime down the road."

John Colter · Jun 2, 2019

My problem with dating has always been a fear of rejection.

John Colter.

Jerryc41 · Jun 2, 2019

ukantor said:
My problem with dating has always been a fear of rejection.

John Colter.

Not for me. I dated one girl, married her, and stayed married for 46 years. I don't want to press my luck and try again.

Jim Hanks · Jun 2, 2019

Jerryc41 said:
"Your idea is a good one, one that I have contemplated and for the better part of the last year, I have been making notes about production and the serial numbers but have not gone so far as to document each, perhaps sometime down the road."

I also asked how the s/n's work - like are they sequential across models or does each model have its own line.

Jerryc41 · Jun 2, 2019

Jim Hanks said:
I also asked how the s/n's work - like are they sequential across models or does each model have its own line.

From what I've seen of my instruments and those of people in our group, each model has its own numbering series.

This is what I have so far -

Flea 31121 2015
Flea 11163 2019/06/02
Flea 2019/05/31

Fluke 27530 2018/03/16
Fluke 27416 2019/05/15

Firefly 6056 2018/06/12
Firefly 4733 2016/05/16
Firefly 6101

kvehe · Jun 2, 2019

Fluke M10 concert - # 23497 - ordered from Groth Music 02/25/12

Flea M50 tenor - # 24304 - ordered directly from Fluke 02/28/12

Flea M30 soprano - # 23472 - ordered from Elderly 03/03/12

Firefly - # 1954 - ordered directly from Fluke 11/17/12

Jerryc41 · Jun 2, 2019

kvehe said:
Fluke M10 concert - # 23497 - ordered from Groth Music 02/25/12

Flea tenor - will add serial when I get home this afternoon - ordered directly from Fluke 02/28/12

Flea M30 soprano - # 23472 - ordered from Elderly 03/03/12

Firefly - # 1954 - ordered directly from Fluke 11/17/12

Thanks for that.

Ukecaster · Jun 2, 2019

I have a used concert Flea #31558, so I suspect it's from about 2016. I was told it was Hibiscus, so I guess that must be the color of the reddish top.

ksiegel · Jun 2, 2019

Acquired March 6, 2011
Fluke Tenor (2nd) model M22
S/N 20943

Shipped to me April 11, 2011
Firefly model M80
S/N 022

Jerryc41 · Jun 2, 2019

ksiegel said:
Acquired March 6, 2011
Fluke Tenor (2nd) model M22
S/N 20943

Shipped to me April 11, 2011
Firefly model M80
S/N 022

Thanks for that.

ghostrdr · Jun 2, 2019

My daughter's soprano flea was bought in December 2007. There are three numbers. M30. 224. 11671.
My concert flea was bought around January 2019. There are also three numbers. M40. 582. 31471.

I'm assuming the M numbers are the model numbers. I have no idea what the other numbers are. Both of mine have hardwood fretboards. maybe that's something?

Cheers,
Rich

Cluze · Jun 2, 2019

I mentioned this in the original thread that inspired this one, but I will put it here for the sake of completeness.

Flea M30 - SN 30646 - Ordered direct from Magic Fluke 13 March 2017, shipped ~30 March 2017.

(Blue laminate top soprano, plastic fretboard, Peghead tuners.)

Jerryc41 · Jun 2, 2019

ghostrdr said:
My daughter's soprano flea was bought in December 2007. There are three numbers. M30. 224. 11671.
My concert flea was bought around January 2019. There are also three numbers. M40. 582. 31471.

I'm assuming the M numbers are the model numbers. I have no idea what the other numbers are. Both of mine have hardwood fretboards. maybe that's something?

Cheers,
Rich

Thanks. I prefer the hardwood fretboards, an extra-cost option, currently $79.

ghostrdr · Jun 2, 2019

Jerryc41 said:
Thanks. I prefer the hardwood fretboards, an extra-cost option, currently $79.

I also like them because I can put a wound string without worry of wearing down the plastic frets.

KohanMike · Jun 3, 2019

I recently bought a Fluke from the Marketplace, tenor plastic walnut, M.20 26623 126.

This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 9 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 34)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers

Jerryc41 · Jun 4, 2019

Any more dates and numbers. I put this together - glad to add to it. I did the same thing for weights of sopranos, but the file (93 ukes) is too large to post here as a PDF. I'll find a way.

View attachment Magic Fluke Dates.pdf

ghostrdr · Jun 4, 2019

Jerryc41 said:
Any more dates and numbers. I put this together - glad to add to it. I did the same thing for weights of sopranos, but the file (93 ukes) is too large to post here as a PDF. I'll find a way.

View attachment 118671

Super interesting. Can we find a way to denote if someone bought the instrument used? Maybe with an asterisk by the date? I’m assuming we’re trying to figure out roughly when instruments were made. Thanks for doing this!

Dating a Magic Fluke

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

It ain't what you've got, it's what you do with it

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

UU VIP

Well-known member

Well-known member

Probably unknown member

Well-known member

Well-known member

UU VIP

Well-known member

Well-known member

Los Angeles, Beverly Grove West

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads