I’m looking for fix for poly fretboard on Fluke. When I bend strings…..they ping on first and second string. Upon examination, I see a indentation on zero fret on these strings. When I bend the string pulls out and pings. I was skimming This thread and found a reference yesterdY but can’t find it today. Anybody know if sanding the indentation on zero fret will help. Of conversely, add glue and powder to even out the ridge. I’ve reached out to MFC….waiting for reply. I started another thread on topic and got a rep,y that MFC send out some rubber tubes to run string thru when in nut slot. Suggestions of pics of fixes? Thanks
The Magic Fluke Company Appreciation thread
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ScooterD35
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Two things for my fellow Magic Fluke aficionados…
For anyone that is also on Facebook, I invite you to come join the growing Magic Fluke Community group over there.
www.facebook.com
And… my main jamming buddy took delivery the other day on a tenor Koa Fluke with all the bells and whistles. Mi-Si pickup, PegHed tuners, side sound port and position markers, Grip Strips, and one of the most stunningly beautiful premium Koa tops I’ve ever seen on a Fluke. Here it is in the wild, alongside my Connecticut vintage Fluke with a standard Koa top.
For anyone that is also on Facebook, I invite you to come join the growing Magic Fluke Community group over there.
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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.
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And… my main jamming buddy took delivery the other day on a tenor Koa Fluke with all the bells and whistles. Mi-Si pickup, PegHed tuners, side sound port and position markers, Grip Strips, and one of the most stunningly beautiful premium Koa tops I’ve ever seen on a Fluke. Here it is in the wild, alongside my Connecticut vintage Fluke with a standard Koa top.
Ping fixed on Fluke. Phyllis sent me email promptly. Suggested putting a small rubber tube over string in slot to cover zero fret ( that is where grove is) or some kind of padding. I posted another thread where I show pics of a small piece of electrician tape under the string as it passes over zero into string/nut groves. Problem solved. Black electrician tape is not noticeable at all. I do have a spare poly fretboard but no need to change.
Here is my take after getting a Fluke 8 years ago. I would get wood fretboard with laminate soundboard and stock friction tuners From factory. I’d likely get Grover open back and replace immediately. I do like the pegheds I got and installed after the fact but with exchange in Canada , all the options really take the Fluke into a price range I’m not comfy with. I’d love all the bells and whistles with solid top but we get ha meted here.
As it sits now, my laminate with poly fretboard and pegheds and sounds good. I still will likely send it in for wooden fretboard when I have the extra cash. It’s not necessary as poly plays fine but I’d like the Uke better with wooden fretboard. I’d have to pay freight each way but since it was a Father’s Day gift, I’d likely invest.
Here is my take after getting a Fluke 8 years ago. I would get wood fretboard with laminate soundboard and stock friction tuners From factory. I’d likely get Grover open back and replace immediately. I do like the pegheds I got and installed after the fact but with exchange in Canada , all the options really take the Fluke into a price range I’m not comfy with. I’d love all the bells and whistles with solid top but we get ha meted here.
As it sits now, my laminate with poly fretboard and pegheds and sounds good. I still will likely send it in for wooden fretboard when I have the extra cash. It’s not necessary as poly plays fine but I’d like the Uke better with wooden fretboard. I’d have to pay freight each way but since it was a Father’s Day gift, I’d likely invest.
ScooterD35
Well-known member
Just a bump for the sake of bumping…
Scooter
Scooter
ScooterD35
Well-known member
Here’s a clip of Jim Beloff on Antiques Roadshow having his letter from George Harrison appraised.
video.nhpbs.org
Scooter
Antiques Roadshow | Appraisal: 1999 George Harrison Letter | Season 26 | Episode 3 | NHPBS
Appraisal: 1999 George Harrison Letter
video.nhpbs.org
Scooter
Does that interfere with its ability to stand up?A followup on my Fluke experience. I added a strap button to the end of the fluke and the heal of the neck, as I do with all my ukes when necessary, but I placed it near the upper edge (when in playing position), which exacerbated the rotating problem. In analyzing, I realized I should have put the button on the lower side of the bottom, which works much better now.
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 8 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 33)
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I ultimately got rid of the Fluke, didn't like the feel of the neck at all. I never stood it on it's end, I always hung it on a holder attached to my music stand.
I just wanted to say thanks to this thread as well as my other questions on separate threads I purchased a firefly and boy do i love it. At first I thought magic Fluke Co was weird, but then I tried the firefly and it was great! Thanks to this forum I purchased one. roblox t utorials mobdro
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A few years back, I had both a Magic Fluke Flea and Firefly soprano ukes with plastic fretboards, both of which I eventually sold. They - the Flea especially - are the only ukes I've sold and miss.
Last week, I again got myself a Firefly but this time with a hardwood fretboard as I noticed one on sale on a reputable uke shop. I'm still in awe how good these instruments are. The Firefly doesn't rival those vintage banjo ukes in tone but otherwise it's so fun and comfortable to play. So much so that I have to promise myself I'll get a Flea with a hardwood fretboard as well as soon as I find one available.
Last week, I again got myself a Firefly but this time with a hardwood fretboard as I noticed one on sale on a reputable uke shop. I'm still in awe how good these instruments are. The Firefly doesn't rival those vintage banjo ukes in tone but otherwise it's so fun and comfortable to play. So much so that I have to promise myself I'll get a Flea with a hardwood fretboard as well as soon as I find one available.
NUD for me, a Flea arrived and I can now appreciate what everyone’s talked about. My thanks to this thread for talking me over the edge, I’m rough on things and this seems built for me. It sounds and plays great to me.
If it helps anyone, compared to the Flight TUS I had and gave away, IMO the Flea
1. Sounds better (the Flight was brighter sounding if you like that, the Flea a bit more mellow and rounded sounding)
2. Is a little less slick (the Flight’s plastic body was a slippery bar of soap, maybe the Flea shape fits me better, but the Flea has a tiny bit of texture that grips my shirt and is noticeably easier for me to hold)
3. Has slightly better fret shaping for plastic frets (the plastic frets seem slightly taller, easier to bar chord for me, maybe related to action as well)
4. Is lighter weight (matters to me for hiking, 20 oz for a soprano Flight vs 15.1 on the kitchen scale, that is a lot of plastic)
5. Has a better feeling neck (which I know is subjective and some disagree)
6. Can stand on its end (LOL, but I’m already using that)
6. Is more expensive
Ymmv, like a lot of things, you pay a lot to get incremental improvements, my initial impression is that it’s great, I’m very happy.
If it helps anyone, compared to the Flight TUS I had and gave away, IMO the Flea
1. Sounds better (the Flight was brighter sounding if you like that, the Flea a bit more mellow and rounded sounding)
2. Is a little less slick (the Flight’s plastic body was a slippery bar of soap, maybe the Flea shape fits me better, but the Flea has a tiny bit of texture that grips my shirt and is noticeably easier for me to hold)
3. Has slightly better fret shaping for plastic frets (the plastic frets seem slightly taller, easier to bar chord for me, maybe related to action as well)
4. Is lighter weight (matters to me for hiking, 20 oz for a soprano Flight vs 15.1 on the kitchen scale, that is a lot of plastic)
5. Has a better feeling neck (which I know is subjective and some disagree)
6. Can stand on its end (LOL, but I’m already using that)
6. Is more expensive
Ymmv, like a lot of things, you pay a lot to get incremental improvements, my initial impression is that it’s great, I’m very happy.
SweetWaterBlue
Well-known member
I owned 2 Fleas years ago, but sold them both. I only bought the second one because I am a sucker for a good deal, and thought I would give it another try.
Things I liked a lot about the Fleas:
Stuff I didn't like:
Things I liked a lot about the Fleas:
- It had incredible intonation, due I think mostly to its zero fret and low action made possible by the molded plastic fretboard, which could be made very precisely. This is opposed to many other Ukes subject to the vagaries of assembly and wood being a non-homogeneous material.
- They were practically indestructible and weather resistant
- The company was very customer friendly
- I liked the feel of the neck and easy playability
- It will stand up on its own without a stand
- It fit in my suitcase for business travel with its gig bag
- They were quite popular with YouTube up-and-comers (most of whom have faded from the scene now) when I got started over a decade ago. Here is a YT Playlist I assembled at the time (about 95 videos from 11-13 years ago)
Stuff I didn't like:
- While not as expensive as they are now, they were still kind of expensive. I bought mine used
- I wore grooves in the plastic fretboard of my first one within about 3 months. I played it 2-3 hours a day. To the company's credit they made replacing the fretboard easy and relatively inexpensive.
- I did not like the sound. It always seemed to have a low frequency drone to my ears. I came to think this was a characteristic of most pineapple shaped bodies.
- At the time, the soprano/concert models I owned had a saddle molded as part of the bridge. That meant you could not replace it, and could not install an under-saddle pickup.
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Jerryc41
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I must admit that I love Fleas and Flukes - the Firefly, too. I agree that the price is a bit high. I hate the plastic fretboard, and the $75 price for a wooden board is not realistic. I've replaced a couple of fretboards with standard wooden ones, but that requires moving the bridge. The bridge is attached with nails or screws, so removing it is a chore. I don't like the soprano sizes. I find concert and tenor more comfortable. Another area for improvement is the tuners. I've put geared tuners on several, and they work much better.
I still keep my eyes open for a lower-price Flea or Fluke. Another thing - it's not difficult to cut a sound port in the side.
Mercury59
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This is one of my favourite ukes. A bog-standard soprano Flea, sporting a now, very faded, hibiscus print. I've had it for over 10 years. It's gone on every family holiday, including to Hawaii. It stands on the TV console, so it's never far from reach. Collected a few dings and scratches along the way, plus the tuners are somewhat corroded, but it still plays like a dream. A testament to its build and design. Looking to put a fresh set of light-gauge fluorocarbon strings on it soon.
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Just a fan
Well-known member
Dang! Trying to figure out why I love my Fluke so much when I have "nicer" ukes lying around. I love the barky sound, the way it sets in my arm, the feel of the neck, the portability (played it everywhere from Walt Disney World to Amish country) and anyone who sees it asks: what is THAT? I'm dreaming of selling the other ukes and getting a fully tricked out Fluke made (Koa wood, pickup, geared tuners, wood fretboard, side fret markers). Am I nuts?
Do it!
ScooterD35
Well-known member
It looks like you’d be spending about $750, but I say go for it! The ukulele heart want’s what it wants. I play my Magic Fluke instruments far more than any of my other Ukes.
Scooter
CPG
Well-known member
If you like the sound and feel you’re not nuts. MFC makes high quality, gig worthy instruments. And to top it off they are a great company run by some really lovely people. I love my Flea. I personally like my traditional wood sopranos better, but the flea is it’s own thing with its own sound and I love it.
Just stumbled upon the hiking documentary movie with a hiker playing a Flea, the same Mile, Mile and a Half movie mentioned a couple of years ago here:
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/threads/flea-at-14-000-feet.131748/
Good stuff, the guys make some nice music by the campfire and at the summit towards the end. Makes me want to go hiking with mine!
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/threads/flea-at-14-000-feet.131748/
Good stuff, the guys make some nice music by the campfire and at the summit towards the end. Makes me want to go hiking with mine!
Captain Simian
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I just checked and it’s on YouTube.
Ukecaster
Well-known member
Have seen a few new Fleas for sale on eBay recently with some different rosette designs, like these. The first is called Yin-yang. I like it! 2nd one is Lotus, and 3rd is Starburst. These engraved rosette designs can be ordered custom for $39 extra, although I don't see the Lotus there. I assume these were custom ordered by the dealer. Which do you like?
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