Travel Ukuleles

sam13

sam13

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Hey All,

Just wondering if you have any thoughts on travel ukuleles ... kind of thinking something I can put in the luggage ... it is light, indestructible, and it plays well with great tone.

Tenor size.

Anything else other than the Flea and the outdoor?

Thanks!

sam13
 
All my ukes travel with me but I would never put them in luggage. I hand-carry them.

Portability is one of the best things about these instruments.
 
I preordered the new Outdoor Uke in tenor. Indestructible? Maybe the best out there. Great tone? Yet to be seen but I'm not expecting miracles. They do have a sample on their website but I find video samples difficult to judge accurately. I wanted something that I could absolutely not worry about when car camping without having to case it, and the outdoor uke fits that bill. We got in on the deal and got a free soprano by pre ordering the new Tenor size. Should be here in maybe another 5-6 weeks or so.

I imagine a fluke or flea would travel very well.
 
One thing I never get about the ukes that are branded as 'travel' (i.e. the slim lines like the Kala range) - how the hell does that slim body make all that much of a difference? It's still uke scale???

For me - if I want something decent to travel with - a Flea - fits in hand luggage and sounds great. If I am going somewhere more inhospitable, or camping, or beach etc - Makala Dolphin - if it gets trashed, i will buy another.

But really though - ukes are pretty portable whatever you carry!
 
Something that is a little different is a Risa stick. That is something I would put in a suitcase - compact and indestructible. I really like mine in many ways. Of course, it is virtually silent without some sort of amplification, but I have used a little travel speaker with a Line6 PocketPod.

I also have a Kala travel soprano that feels and sounds great, to me, and I am a tenor guy.
 
bazmaz said:
One thing I never get about the ukes that are branded as 'travel' (i.e. the slim lines like the Kala range) - how the hell does that slim body make all that much of a difference? It's still uke scale??? ......
Click to expand...

I prefer to play tenors, although I have a Makala dolphin/shark or two for inhospitable places. If I'm going somewhere where I need a good ukulele, I'll bring my Kamaka tenor as a carryon in a hard case. But when I just want to travel with something to play for myself, what I like about the Kala thinline travel tenor ukulele is that I can slide it and its gig bag into my backpack and carry by backpack on the plane as one of two pieces of luggage. I couldn't do that with a full-thickness tenor in a gig bag. So for me, a thinline "travel" tenor can have an important purpose.
 
I've been tossing my Fluke in the car trunk and bringing it on trips for almost a decade now with no problems, and I once brought it to Hawaii.
 
All great suggestions ... thanks. I am leaning towards the Fluke ... however, at a local music retailer I noticed that it was kind of poorly built ... the tuners were not great ... any Flea/Fluke players have upgraded their tuners ... any other enhancements? Fremont Black Lines?
 
greenie44 said:
Something that is a little different is a Risa stick. That is something I would put in a suitcase - compact and indestructible. I really like mine in many ways. Of course, it is virtually silent without some sort of amplification...
Click to expand...

If you're a little bit handy, you can make your own like I did. "Stick" like but with enough volume to be heard on its own. I put mine in checked luggage over six flight legs with no concerns.

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com...ustic-Electric-Travel-Uke-40-amp-2-Hours-Work
 
Kayak Jim said:
If you're a little bit handy, you can make your own like I did. "Stick" like but with enough volume to be heard on its own.
Click to expand...

OK, so the home-made stick is pretty awesome, but if you don't go that route I'd give Bruko a look. Mine travels well, and I'm not gentle with it.
 
I'm going to an island soon and plan to bring a Kamaka. I personally want the best sounding uke that is not a custom.
 
Flea concert, strung with Martin strings. Nearly indestructible. So the tuners aren't "nice." They do the job and if you happens to break one you can replace it at little or no cost from Flea Market Music. The sound is just fine. I've had mine to Australia, Haiti,, Arizona, and California from the Midwest. I did break a tuner clearing security in Australia. That could have been avoided if I was paying attention.

If you think you'll want a performance-quality sound then you have to figure out how to travel with a performance-quality instrument. For that you might have to get a Blackbird Clara.
 
I don't know if any of the other people in the conversation have ever been in the military where you pack things tightly. You have said you wanted it to fit in a certain area with something else beside it. The shape of the Flea and Fluke are probably the worst dimension one could imagine for compactness. The thin line models are great for packing and playing.

You asked about better tuners for Flea/Fluke. They have as an option PEGHEDS. www.pegheds.net .All four tuners are only a bit more than an ounce. They can also be put onto other instruments to reduce weight and width of the head end.. Leolani I think, makes a compact tenor. I have been impressed with their products for both sight and sound. Have you considered a compact concert?
 
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