Flea/Fluke - Electro Uke's.

Hi folks.

I already have a Soprano Flea and was thinking about getting either a Concert Flea or Concert Fluke, but with a pickup already installed. The Fleamarket Music website lets you add the option to have one fitted when buying.

I wonder though if anyone has one of these already and can give some advice on their sound through an Amplifier. Also, would I need to buy a Pre-Amp as well?

Lastly, I notice that you can have a Rosewood Fretboard as another option. Are these worth having as opposed to the plastic one which is standard?

Many Thanks.

If you go for the fishman option i believe this has an onboard preamp with volume and tone controls. The K&K on the other hand is a passive system, although with a high enough output to be used without an external preamp. However, using an external preamp will make it sound better and give you more control over the sound.

Witters said:

Lastly, I notice that you can have a Rosewood Fretboard as another option. Are these worth having as opposed to the plastic one which is standard?

Click to expand...

The plastic fretboard is not bad in my opinion, but the rosewood looks better and some may prefer the feel. Some often heard objections to the plastic fretboard:
- you can't see the frets because it's all one color
- you can't use a wound low-G, and non-wound (fluorocarbon/Worth etc) can be a bit difficult to come by
- my personal slight disappointment: some fretwear after a few months of playing. It does not seem to get worse fast though, so maybe it's just the sharp edges mellowing out. No buzz whatsoever, but I have read stories about people getting their worn-out fretboard replaced (free service by Flea Market if you live in the US)

My general opinion is that these Flea/Fluke ukes are primarily about fun but while retaining good quality. Whether you want to invest in pimping it, is better left to your judgment.

Having typed all this out I realize you already have a Flea... sorry for the useless details.

Yes I've had a Flea for about 3 months. I heard a lot about it and ignored it because I just couldn't appreciate that the Fleas would be any good. However, nothing ventured as they say, so I bought one and was more than pleasantly surprised at how good they are.
Now, I want to try using an Amp with a Uke and the Fleas and Flukes look a good choice without splashing out on an all solid wood one.