Flight Travel Series TUS50 Soprano - REVIEW
- Thread starter bazmaz
- Start date
Unfortunately, my experience with it has been quite bad. The e-string just won't stay in tune more than a minute without dropping at least a half note in pitch, and after a few hours, several notes. I thought maybe the teeth on the gear tuner might be be bad, but doesn't seem to be the case. Too bad, I was hoping for something that would do for a travel uke. A litle disapponted with the gig bag, which evidently switched from a little nicer/heavier beige bag, to a blue one that looks like it was made out of windbreaker material. Aw well, for $60 I shouldn't expect too much.
I would check if the black tuner screw is loose. You need a phillips type screwdriver. Aquila nylgut strings also in my experience creep initially much more/longer than fluorocarbon ones.
I am sorry to hear you are having a bad experience with you Flight travel Uke. I jumped on a light blue one recently when they were under $23.00 on Amazon. I went through my normal routine of checking all of the screws for tightness and did find one loose on the gear of one of the tuners. I also have changed out the Aquila strings to Martin Fluorocarbons. I realize we are talking about an inexpensive ukulele but give a set of Fluorocarbon strings a try and give the screws a good double check before writing it off completely.
I find it has a decent tone for what it is and a great inexpensive ukulele to have in my vehicle and not worry about weather extremes.
Again sorry to hear about your poor experience. Hopefully you can come across a solution.
Cheers,
Steve.
I find it has a decent tone for what it is and a great inexpensive ukulele to have in my vehicle and not worry about weather extremes.
Again sorry to hear about your poor experience. Hopefully you can come across a solution.
Cheers,
Steve.
UkeStuff
Well-known member
You’ve got a list of ukuleles there so you’re not a new player that expects a string to immediately hold tuning.
If it is the tuner, I’d simply send Flight an e-mail and ask for a warranty replacement.
It doesn’t matter if it was $30 instead of $60...it wasn’t a clearance item.
If it is the tuner, I’d simply send Flight an e-mail and ask for a warranty replacement.
It doesn’t matter if it was $30 instead of $60...it wasn’t a clearance item.
Absolutely, and one of the gear screws on my Flight was loose and buzzed when played.
I had thought that the needed friction comes from the pressure against that plate. From somewhere anyways it has to come. So anyone, enlighten my knowledge please.
Edit: I also see from my acoustic guitar with closed tuners and none screw on the string side. So Barry is right I think. It is not that. What is left is maybe some friction in the worm type tuning peg screw against them holders of it?
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No - the contact friction only applies to friction pegs. Gears use a transverse gear to hold which, due to how transverse gears work are near impossible to turn back on themselves though string tension... unless they are broken. Simply not how gears work
Thanks for the suggetions. I was thinking about swapping out to some Flurocarbons on the Flight, maybe I will give it another try. I recently switch back to flurocarbons on my Kala and am liking them.
I actually removed the problematic tuner and replaced it (which was little nerve-wracking), then put on flurocarbon strings. The tuning has held, and it actually has a passably decent sound now. Thanks for the advice.
Bill Sheehan
Well-known member
Awesome news, Shanmoon! Hopefully that'll do the trick!
Thrilled to hear that it solved your problem.
Happy strumming,
Steve.
Happy strumming,
Steve.
Sorry to revive an older thread, but since the Flight brand seems to be all over the place lately, I have started to wonder if anybody knows where these are actually made? The homepage says that the company is located in Slovenia, but are their instruments made in Slovenia, or bulk ordered to the company's specs from China?
Iulia
Well-known member
Pretty sure the latter. The ABS back instrument is exactly the same as one also sold by Mahilele and I believe another brand as well the names escapes me.
Hora in Romania make their own instruments from locally sourced wood if you want to buy a European made instrument.
Hora in Romania make their own instruments from locally sourced wood if you want to buy a European made instrument.
The company is based in Slovenia (I know the owners well) and all their instruments are made in China. They use various lines and are careful which factories they use. I think they actually get supplied by three different Chinese factories. Some do indeed share their production with other brands - that's incredibly common. There are far more brands out there than factories!
Iulia
Well-known member
I agree its not a bad thing. I've never actually played the Flight abs model but am familiar with the Mahilele one and its a great starter instrument Imo.
Thanks, Barry! This is the kind of information I wish the companies themselves would provide more of.
To be fair to Flight - all their instruments are labelled as made in China. Their Social Media accounts (Facebook, Instagram etc) are also always really busy and they regularly show photos and videos of their trips to China showing the production lines. For this brand at least I think they make it very clear.
I guess also though, as a rule of thumb - if you are looking at any instruments available for these sort of prices, you can be sure they will be made somewhere in the far east.
I guess also though, as a rule of thumb - if you are looking at any instruments available for these sort of prices, you can be sure they will be made somewhere in the far east.
