Favorite travelling uke?

Kampfer

Kampfer

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Hello everyone! I'm wondering what are all your go-to ukuleles when you are going on trips?
I usually use a laminate Soprano but I'm finding the fretboard a little too small as I usually prefer fingerpicking songs.
I'm considering a tenor neck flea for the size and durability but I want to see what other options are out there and it seems like a good idea to hear everyone's preferences :)!
 
I bring my Flea everywhere. It's safe in its gig bag even if I stuff it in an overhead bin or under a seat, and it even got swept up by a wave at the beach over the summer and survived. It's probably my favorite overall travel uke because it doesn't feel or sound cheap at all. If you want a size other than soprano and you don't want to blow a lot of money on a fancier travel uke, I'd strongly recommend a Flea.
 
My Risa flat soprano.
 
RISA Concert.
 
Realized recently if I had to travel I would be reluctant to take any of my current collection so I purchased a Blackbird Clara (concert). Made of eKoa (carbon fiber) it holds up under changing environmental conditions. It should arrive this week.
 
I alternate between my KoAloha and Kanilea. Usually I find I miss the one of the two that I did not bring with me.
 
any uke that sounds good but I don't have more than a 100.00 in. Flea or old silvertone soprano or mexican martin if Im going somewhere that theft is not a problem. My2cents
 
I just took a Fluke on a month long Australia trip that went from humid coastal cities, to deserts to mountains and rain forests. It was fine
 
I usually travel with either my Black Bear Sopranino or Captain Backpacker. Either one fits in my carry on bag.

Mitch
 
My Kiwaya KS-7; its a soprano and for a laminate the sound is great. I bought it as a blemished one with a bad ding so it was cheap and it's already dinged. The other one I usually take is the KoAlana Concert. It's less expensive than most of my other ukes and sounds and plays beautifully even if the cosmetics are a little funky. (Joins not done right, at least mine didn't split like happened to two of my friends).
 
I bought a Kala golden acacia tenor travel uke some time ago to take with me...it's surprising how much difference it makes just having it thinner. while a soprano would be more compact, I don't like cramming my fingers, so would have ended up taking a larger uke anyway. The Kala has excellent sound and volume.

However, shortly after that, I ran across a Flea I'd been wanting but not wanting to pay full price for, on ebay (Flea surfboard concert w/wooden fretboard), and it immediately took over the job as travel uke. The standard denim bag makes it easy to carry, it fits most anywhere, and has good enough sound and intonation that I don't feel like I wish I had something better with me. I don't care for peg tuners, but can put up with them during a trip.
 
I will travel with any or all of mine but I recently went to St. Louis for a business trip and decided I would take my flea in my carryon bag (if it fit), even though I planned on checking it. As you can see, it fit perfectly.
image.jpg
 
It seems that the consensus are leaning towards Flea and Flukes! Does anyone have any opinions whether a tenor Flea or tenor Fluke to be a better choice?
 
Martin OXK , without a doubt !
 
Kampfer said:
It seems that the consensus are leaning towards Flea and Flukes! Does anyone have any opinions whether a tenor Flea or tenor Fluke to be a better choice?
Click to expand...

Either is fine! The Flea has a smaller body and a more soprano-like sound, while the Fluke is bigger and a little boomier (concert-ish but not quite a tenor). The necks are going to feel identical so it really comes down to the body style you prefer.
 
For flying, I usually take my Kala thinline travel tenor, unless I'm going to be performing publicly (rarely), in which case I have a Kamoa carbon fiber case for my Kamaka tenor. I have a tenor flea and a Makala dolphin for things like hiking, camping, and going to the beach.
 
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