Flea/Fluke Question

[Jerryc41]

When I had the Magic Fluke people put a new fretboard on a Fluke, they gave me saddles of different sizes to account for the difference in thickness between the plastic and wooden boards. When I got home, I noticed that one of my other Flukes has the saddle molded into the bridge.

So, what I'd like to do is determine when they switched from molded to separate saddles. All I would need is model, number, and type of saddle. I'm sure there is a certain amount of overlap, but I'll post the results. Of course, you can follow along as people post.

EDIT: Also, if you haven't given me info about model, serial number, and date of purchase (old or new), I can add that to the database I'm compiling. Thanks.

 

[KohanMike]

My tenor walnut Fluke with plastic fretboard has a replaceable saddle, M.20 26623 126.

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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, 11 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 35)

• 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

 

[kkimura]

Booli might know this.

 

[frolicks]

Why not ask this to MFC directly? I once sent a message with a question regarding a specific instrument/ukulele model, and I received a very nice and extensive answer from Dale Webb. He was very helpful.

And as a side note: my 2012 tenor Flea has a separate saddle.

 

[Jerryc41]

Why not ask this to MFC directly? I once sent a message with a question regarding a specific instrument/ukulele model, and I received a very nice and extensive answer from Dale Webb. He was very helpful.

And as a side note: my 2012 tenor Flea has a separate saddle.

Thanks. If you can tell me the serial number, I'll add it to the database I'm compiling.

They don't yet have detailed info about all their products and serial numbers in one place. An instrument with an earlier serial number was made before a later one, but they don't have a database of when a particular uke was made and what its specs are. Coordinating all that info might happen some day. Maybe they would know when they switched to separate saddles, but I'm not going to bother them with the question. Magic Fluke is a small operation with just a few people working there, and I don't want to take up their time with my questions. We can get a rough idea from members ' responses. I didn't realize that they had made bridges with molded-in saddles until a few days ago.

 

[Cluze]

Soprano Flea (M30), plastic fingerboard, serial number 30646, purchased directly from Magic Fluke Company March of 2017.

Saddle/bridge are a single integrated piece of plastic, not separate.

 

[Jerryc41]

Soprano Flea (M30), plastic fingerboard, serial number 30646, purchased directly from Magic Fluke Company March of 2017.

Saddle/bridge are a single integrated piece of plastic, not separate.

Well that's interesting. It's a newer Flea with an integrated saddle. I wonder if only Flukes got separate saddles.

EDIT: From more looking online, it seems that the new ones all have molded-in saddles. That would make sense with the zero-fret fretboard.

 

[frolicks]

Thanks. If you can tell me the serial number, I'll add it to the database I'm compiling.

If you‘re talking about the Magic Fluke Dates thread, I already posted it there. Anyway, here it is again:

It’s a Tenor Flea in green (UKALYPTUS) M52, 23511, bought in November 2011, directly from MFC.

I have to check with the other instruments from MFC I own about the saddly/bridges, but will be able to do so only tomorrow evening, as I‘m out of station right now. Will let you know.

 

[Jerryc41]

Thanks. Yes, I have your S/N from your previous post. You probably know that they don't make the tenor Flea anymore. You have something unusual.

 

[frolicks]

I know, Jerry, I noticed a while back that the option to choose a tenor neck for the Flea model disappeared from the Magic Fluke website. When I ordered this, it was a regular option. I‘m just not sure if they just removed the option from the site due to the low number of orders from customers, or if they really stopped making the tenor Fleas altogether. I would guess that they still might build a custom tenor Flea if someone really wants one.

Anyway, I can confirm that all the models I mentioned in the other thread do indeed have a two-piece bridge (with a separate saddle). Whereas the standard red soprano Flea my daughter plays (occasionally...) has a one piece bridge. The same with the standard concert Fluke I use at work (I work with small childred as an early childhood teacher, focussing on music, as you might have guessed...).

Both the tenor Flea as well as the hibiscus red soprano Flea were built at the old place in Connecticut. By the way, the serial number for the soprano is M30 - 10811. I don‘t have the concert Fluke with me right now.

I somehow took the conclusion from this, that the standard models have a one-piece bridge, whereas the higher priced and custom models get a two-piece bridge. But, of course, I might be completely mistaken here.

 

[Wukulele]

Model: M40 Flea Designer Surf Concert
Serial#: 32092
Saddle: Molded integrated w/bridge
Purchase Date: 11/23/2018

 

[Jerryc41]

Both the tenor Flea as well as the hibiscus red soprano Flea were built at the old place in Connecticut. By the way, the serial number for the soprano is M30 - 10811. I don‘t have the concert Fluke with me right now.

I somehow took the conclusion from this, that the standard models have a one-piece bridge, whereas the higher priced and custom models get a two-piece bridge. But, of course, I might be completely mistaken here.

Can you give me a date for that 10811 Flea?

As for the saddles, I don't see a pattern. I have a koa Fluke concert with the one-piece bridge. Both old and new instruments have separate and molded saddles, and there are at least two styles of molded bridge.

I sent them an email asking about a tenor Flea, but they were away for the weekend, and I didn't want to bother them again with the question. I'm pretty sure they could put a tenor neck on a Flea body.

 

[frolicks]

As for the 10811 Flea: I‘m sorry, but I can‘t. I bought it used in 2012 from a user here in Germany, via the German ukulele forum. I did the same with the Koa Soprano, and the concert Fluke. The Fleass and Flukes are actually quite rare here in Germany, and, obviously, even rarer to find used. So I‘m really happy I was lucky three times in about seven years.

But I guess the 10811 would be from around 2010, I guess. It was hardly used, when I got it.

 

[Jerryc41]

As for the 10811 Flea: I‘m sorry, but I can‘t. I bought it used in 2012 from a user here in Germany, via the German ukulele forum.

But I guess the 10811 would be from around 2010, I guess. It was hardly used, when I got it.

Thanks for the info.