Buying a Uke for International Travel

A couple of you mentioned the flea/fluke. Perhaps foolish vanity, but I hate the looks of those. I think I would feel like a court jester playing one :). Maybe I will net to let to and check it out!

Personally, I love the quirky looks of Magic Fluke ukes but I get they're not for everyone. If you want something a bit more traditional I suggest you take a look at Flight travel ukes. They're very similar in build but with a normal double bout design and geared tuners, and they also cost a fraction of the price, around 50 or 60 dollars. Despite the price, they are really well made and a joy to play. They also come in super soprano size which someone suggested earlier.
 
As someone else mentioned, any ukulele you already have will work. I would take a hard shell case and carry it as hand baggage. I've traveled internationally with an inexpensive laminate Cordoba. It breaks the ice at airports, customs, etc. and everyone smiles when you say it's an ukulele. Don't over think/analyze it.
 
Not sure I want to keep my uke under my feet during 24 hours of flying to Africa or 18 or so to Asia, but I am going to at least travel premium economy, so I should not have a problem keeping my uke in the overhead :)

I’ll admit that my choice to keep it under my feet was mostly because I didn’t want to eat up the space in the overhead bin since so many people get barely legal bags and stuff them with their entire trip’s necessities. I figured I’d save myself the headache of dealing with these folks and just stow it under my feet where I know it’s safe and out of the way.
 
Here's a wacky suggestion...don't take a ukulele with you. The first trip you mention is to South East Asia. There are some really good ukes coming out of Vietnam and the like at the moment. Also, I think Rebel ukes are made in Thailand. You could see it as part of the adventure to buy a ukulele while you're out there.
Another suggestion would be the Shima longneck soprano. This is an all laminate ukulele with a wide neck. this could suit your needs perfectly.
 
I think there are a number of great uke suggestions in the posts above. I also favor concert ukes, so I thought I'd offer a little experience on cases. I've traveled globally, always with my uke.

I bought an Eddy Finn travel concert over a year ago, and I with it I bought an Eddy Finn hard case. I've since traded-up on that uke, but I've kept the case and it's my travel workhorse. The dimensions are perfect for overhead storage--it fits in almost every plane I've boarded except some of the 1-2 hour express legs. Combined with a day backpack stacked on top they take up the same or less room than a roll-aboard so no flight attendant has ever batted an eye at putting two pieces in the overhead.

The shortfall of this particular brand is that it does not have a strap, but I solved that by putting it in a mesh fin/snorkel dive bag. It gives me a shoulder strap, disguises the form from would-be instrument thieves, and takes some of the scuffing abuse that might otherwise affect the hard case. This solution may not work for you, but I'd recommend finding a hard wood-constructed case of similar dimensions.

All said, a great workhorse hard case will open up many possibilities for what's inside--the part that matters--the great sounding uke!
 
I think there are a number of great uke suggestions in the posts above. I also favor concert ukes, so I thought I'd offer a little experience on cases. I've traveled globally, always with my uke.

I bought an Eddy Finn travel concert over a year ago, and I with it I bought an Eddy Finn hard case. I've since traded-up on that uke, but I've kept the case and it's my travel workhorse. The dimensions are perfect for overhead storage--it fits in almost every plane I've boarded except some of the 1-2 hour express legs. Combined with a day backpack stacked on top they take up the same or less room than a roll-aboard so no flight attendant has ever batted an eye at putting two pieces in the overhead.

The shortfall of this particular brand is that it does not have a strap, but I solved that by putting it in a mesh fin/snorkel dive bag. It gives me a shoulder strap, disguises the form from would-be instrument thieves, and takes some of the scuffing abuse that might otherwise affect the hard case. This solution may not work for you, but I'd recommend finding a hard wood-constructed case of similar dimensions.

All said, a great workhorse hard case will open up many possibilities for what's inside--the part that matters--the great sounding uke!

Adam, that sounds interesting!

Do you have any pictures of that case and the mesh bag?
And what kind of ukulele do you transport in it now? Does it fit most concerts?
 
I’ve traveled extensively with several ukes. My solid wood Pono AT, my solid wood MTD-SP both travel well in HSC and sound great. I’ve also done trips with my solid spruce top/laminate sides Tiny Tenor. I’ve come to appreciate my tenor Fluke. I’ve taken it a few times. Caveat on the Fluke, I upgraded to Pegheds immediately when I got it. I must have good tuning. I also recommend that you go with wooden fretboard upgrade. I’m ok with my poly fretboard but will upgrade my laminate Fluke to solid once the pandemic settles down. To me it all depends on what you like to play. All above are within your budget. personally, the Pono AT, MT or MGT at $399 with HSC are probably the best deals and playing Uke to take on a trip like yours. I use Oasis in sound hole and put a few Planet Waves humidifier packs in the case have never had to worry.

You are a concert player so, even better, smaller etc. I’ve never had an issue with any of my tenors. The solid wood Pono’s stand up like a champ.

I am keeping and eye out for a Fluke, solid top with pegheds and solid fretboard. I’m not in market for new but would like to try on. The Fluke body in so durable, I travel with it in gig bag and stuff it anywhere. Don’t under estimate a laminate Fluke concert, with pegheds and wooden fretboard for a worry free companion.

Good luck!
 
Just bring whatever you have that you like to play and can afford to lose. You might not like the neck of the Fluke, the sound of the Flight, the price of the Clara, etc. If you don’t like it, you won’t play it. I think your Ohana idea is a good one.
 
If I were you, a Flea with a concert sized neck would be great. If you want a better sound, upgrade to Koa with wood fretboard. The Flea is a little shorter than the Fluke, and that might be helpful when trying to stow the uke on a plane. The molded back and sides make it more durable, and less likely to get dinged, so less stress if someone else wants to play it.
Have fun planning!
–Lori
 
I will second that the flukes sound great.
If you want a feel of quality, it should be possible to get one with wooden fret board - but that would bust your budget.
I will just warn that the slippery back combined with no double bout makes it hard to hold. For straps you will need a special solution, since button attachment is not trivial. And the neck profile also takes some getting used to.

My Koa Fluke is one of my favorite ukes, but I will still prepare you for possible issues.

Edit:
I just noticed the post that OP doesnt like the look of the Flukes, well in that case it would be silly to get one.
 
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Just bring whatever you have that you like to play and can afford to lose. You might not like the neck of the Fluke, the sound of the Flight, the price of the Clara, etc. If you don’t like it, you won’t play it. .

Wisdom right here :)

Great comments all around. Hopefully all responses can be good for those who want to travel once this madness is all over.
 
Adam, that sounds interesting!

Do you have any pictures of that case and the mesh bag?
And what kind of ukulele do you transport in it now? Does it fit most concerts?

Sure --- Here's some pictures. Closed, Open, and In the bag
Hard Case and Bag - 1.jpg
Hard Case and Bag - 2.jpg
Hard Case and Bag - 3.jpg

I keep my Kremona Coco in there now, but every standard, double-bout concert I've owned will fit. Those include the Kremona Coco, Martin C1K, and the Eddy Finn Travel (EF-TRV-C). Now, the Eddy Finn Travel, because it was a thin-body, had extra room for a bound music notebook/journal under the body of the uke.
 
Sure --- Here's some pictures. Closed, Open, and In the bag
View attachment 128230
View attachment 128231
View attachment 128232

I keep my Kremona Coco in there now, but every standard, double-bout concert I've owned will fit. Those include the Kremona Coco, Martin C1K, and the Eddy Finn Travel (EF-TRV-C). Now, the Eddy Finn Travel, because it was a thin-body, had extra room for a bound music notebook/journal under the body of the uke.


Thank you!
I really like that mesh bag - a great solution for cases without shoulder straps.


Ah, the Kremona Coco....
I played the tenor model a while ago in a store; it stood out way above the rest of the ukuleles there!
 
Ah, the Kremona Coco....
I played the tenor model a while ago in a store; it stood out way above the rest of the ukuleles there!

As one of the posts on this thread suggests, I bought the Kremona Coco while I was on travel to London. Good for me it already had some dings in the finish which brought the price down a bit, but it also allows me to be comfortable traveling with it.

I love it.
 
There's a lot of great suggestions here. One other option I didn't see listed would be a bonanza HPL. Custom made so you can have some fun with it, pick out different tone woods for the body and then obviously choose your own HPL top. Or just go "full" HPL.

I had an accident with an Enya HPL uke a couple of years ago, and was astonished how easily the HPL cracked. The same blow might have cracked real wood, or dented laminate, but this thing just exploded. Which I guess isn't surprising given how much tension there is on the HPL after it is bent into shape. So I would NOT recommend an HPL body (regardless of brand) for serious travel without a hardshell case.
 
I had an accident with an Enya HPL uke a couple of years ago, and was astonished how easily the HPL cracked. The same blow might have cracked real wood, or dented laminate, but this thing just exploded. Which I guess isn't surprising given how much tension there is on the HPL after it is bent into shape. So I would NOT recommend an HPL body (regardless of brand) for serious travel without a hardshell case.

Fair point and to qualify my previous post, I do not myself own an HPL so I can't say i have any experience regarding durability.
 
There's a lot of great suggestions here. One other option I didn't see listed would be a bonanza HPL. Custom made so you can have some fun with it, pick out different tone woods for the body and then obviously choose your own HPL top. Or just go "full" HPL.

https://www.bonanzaukuleles.com/product-p/bcc.htm

https://www.bonanzaukuleles.com/product-p/bcl.htm

I think you can even do a super soprano so concert neck with soprano body. Not sure if you're into those styles or not :)

Wow, there are fun. If you have one, how are they re: sound/playablity? Neck profile? (I like thinner necks, not huge nuts)
 
Wow, there are fun. If you have one, how are they re: sound/playablity? Neck profile? (I like thinner necks, not huge nuts)

I personally don't have one but I've been window shopping them for a while. I know there was a review on Got A Ukulele of one of their "oeros" which is a slimline uke. Maybe he did an HPL too? Can't remember.
 
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