Is wood fretboard worth it on fluke

Specifically, I have Fluke with poly fretboard

Sorry, painful start to thread……..I lost a few paragraphs. Is wooden fretboard worth it. I have poly, have already upgraded tuners…….now think I’d like it. Yes, I have used low G on poly with no issue. Will it feel better, sound any better or play better?

I say yes, but hundreds if not thousands of poly fretboard Flukes are out there. I ordered my Fluke with the wood fretboard. I had noodled around with a friend Flea with ploy board and found it difficult to see well in low light. If I bought another MF uke either new or used I would go with a wood fretboard. That's just me, others may prefer the poly.

M3, I hope I'm not wasting everyone's time with this response, as I've only had the poly board on the Flukes and Fleas that I've owned, and thus can't speak from direct experience, BUT... I have heard several people (who have the wooden board) remark that, given a choice between upgrading the tuners or upgrading to the wooden fretboard, they believe that opting for the wooden fretboard is clearly the move to make!

I prefer the wood, I ordered a custom fluke and one of the customizations I wanted was taller frets, it is a personal preference. The feel is different and the frets are different. If you are going to live with low humidity then it might be better to get the plastic fretboard.

I have both and I greatly prefer the wooden fretboard. Definitely a worthwhile upgrade IMO.

Zagabog said:

I have both and I greatly prefer the wooden fretboard. Definitely a worthwhile upgrade IMO.

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I agree. Love the wood fretboard.

Definitely worth it, as you can no doubt tell from my collection list below. Go for it!


Scooter

I've got both a Tenor Fluke, and one of the first 30 Firefly banjo ukes made (at least, that's what the serial number says...) - both have wood fretboards and PegHed tuners.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanks all……overwhelming nod to the wooden fretboard………….I’ve been ok with poly………but I think I will try it. I asked a guitar repair guy to do it for me and he laughed and said the cost would be way to high….go buy another Uke. Ha ha. So the $79.95 plus shipping both ways is well worth it.

I wish I could play a Fluke with friction tuner that somebody has adjusted just right. For me, I could never get it so in wasn’t a PIA. LOL but the pegheds were easy and work well. I’d like to see another geared option that is drop in for MFC…..they have sold so many and have such a big following….I’m not sure why they haven’t tinkered with thing.


Thanks for opinions

M3Ukulele said:

Specifically, I have Fluke with poly fretboard

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I don't know why they continue with that plastic fretboard. It's not like they're selling cheap instruments. If I buy a used one, it must be wood. When I buy a new one, I get the wooden board. I've had them convert a couple ($75), and I've done one or two myself. I think it makes a world of difference. I'm talking about appearance - not sound. If you look at reviews by Baz, he doesn't mind the plastic.

If you replace the fretboard with a standard board from Amazon, be aware that Magic Fluke uses different fret spacing, so you'll have to move the bridge.

I don't own a Fluke or a Flea, but, I did a fair amount of research on them as I was interested in one for my 1st uke. The single biggest complaint that I read in reviews and in comments from owners was that they preferred the wooden fretboard. #2 was they preferred the upgrade tuners.

I will likely be in the minority with my views, but here goes...

It really depends on what *you* want out of your instrument. I own two Magic Fluke instruments, a soprano flea with Peghead tuners and a concert flea with friction pegs. Both have the plastic fretboards.

I prefer the friction pegs to the Pegheads. Both are fine, but I prefer the simplicity of the friction pegs. Once you get used to them, they aren't that hard to adjust or use. It *is* a skill and does take some time, but it isn't that bad. I grew up playing violin, so tuning using friction pegs is pretty straightforward for me. Is it as easy as geared tuners? No, but they are dead simple and pretty much rock solid. (Oh, and changing strings is super fast with 1:1 friction pegs!)

And as for the fingerboard, I actually like the plastic one on the Magic Fluke Co. instruments. It does feel different than wood with metal frets, but it isn't really trying to be those. I chose, yes chose, to go with plastic (and friction tuners) on my second one because I wanted it to be a go-anywhere uke. I don't have to worry about it at all. I can take it camping or play it at a pub and not care that I might get something on the fretboard. Just wipe it down later! It doesn't care. It's plastic!

Like I said, it is what *you* want out of *your* instrument. The folks who prefer the wood fingerboard aren't wrong, but neither am I. It is really about personal preference.

Here’s a link to the official Magic Fluke Appreciation thread started by my friend Booli, lo those many moons ago!


https://forum.ukuleleunderground.co...7-The-Magic-Fluke-Company-Appreciation-thread


Scooter

Cluze makes a good point. The plastic fretboard will be lower maintenance. I’ve owned two of each, and I prefer the wooden fretboard, but that’s me.

If you’re thinking about an upgrade, you might consider selling yours on the marketplace and buying a new one with the wooden fretboard. Used MFCs go fast and usually attract a good return.

I had a Flea soprano with the polycarbonate fretboard. I didn't mind it but I would definitely prefer the wooden fretboard. So much so that, now that I've sold the Flea, I'd still want to get another one but only with the wooden fretboard. The issue is that they are really hard to find in mainland Europe, and often even in the UK. I can mostly just find Flukes and Fleas with the polycarbonate fretboard. I did find some Firefly banjo ukes with the wooden fretboard but I don't know if I'd fancy one of those anymore.

hendulele said:

Cluze makes a good point. The plastic fretboard will be lower maintenance. I’ve owned two of each, and I prefer the wooden fretboard, but that’s me.

If you’re thinking about an upgrade, you might consider selling yours on the marketplace and buying a new one with the wooden fretboard. Used MFCs go fast and usually attract a good return.

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I've found a couple of bargains on eBay - $71 and $115. The ones from Japan cost considerably more than new ones from the company.

If I were getting another flea I'd want a wood fretboard...but that and other options inch up the cost, too much imo. and alternative tuner options- that fit well and look good on it- are limited