The Flea Ukulele Review

I hope you enjoyed this review. I forgot to mention that they do offer side fret markers on their website for $15 extra. What do you think of that? Personally, I think they should be standard on every ukulele.
The ukulele:
amzn.to/2TEMMbX

[@ukulelainer2238]

Here's what makes the Flea worth every penny - the FLAT BOTTOM of this practically indestructible uke makes it 24/7 accessible in your most commonly used room! I can put it on my coffee table and not have to worry about it being knocked over, spilled on, etc. My morning routine includes coffee, uke, and the Daily Ukulele song books! Of course a uke has to sound good, & this does! The makers of Magic Fluke, Phyllis & Dale Webb, & the authors of the Daily Uke Songbooks, Phyllis' brother and sister-in law Jim & Liz Beloff, have made an immense contribution to the renewed popularity of the ukulele, and I don't mind paying a bit extra for a quality USA made uke, in honor of their efforts!

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

All good points. Thank you. 😊

[@shleegar]

Ordered a Flea last night. Made in the next state over from me in MA. I feel like the extra money is worth it. Got the wooden fretboard upgrade made with locally sourced wood. So cool!

[@vincewhite5087]

Magic fluke site - soprano flea is $225.00 for concert add $15.00 both with phenolic fretboard. They also will do a fretboard replace free if you don’t use wound strings on it, you only pay shipping. Side markers cost a little too, but I just use nail polish. You can get gear tuners, cost is $75.00. Same maker that supplies internal geared tuners to classical musicians in orchestra.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

That’s just so pricey!

[@vincewhite5087]

GirlMeetsUke which one? You are grouping it wrongly. You are grouping it with offshore travel ukes & plastic uke. Not correct. Compare it with other USA made. Then you have a comparison. A simple illustration is compare offshore Kala (don’t even have to go to Makala) then compare to their USA made Ukes. To make a gear tuner with internal gearing is more costly then worm gear style tuners. Also same make & quality of tuners professional classic musicians. You need to stop calling it a plastic uke. Learn about Ovation guitars, it’s meant for projection. I bought a flight TUS 50. Junk in comparison to flea. you need to get more familiar with the concept.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

I do understand what you are trying to say. I do. I like ovation guitars. And I have an ovation ukulele. And I agree that anything made in the USA is going to be more expensive. (Look at Outdoor Ukuleles.) However, to compare the construction and materials of a Flea to a Kala elite is a stretch. But to be fair, they do differ quite a bit in price. No matter what, a plastic ukulele is going to have a different tone and sound than wood or laminate. I like the tone of the flea far better than a lot of other plastic ukuleles (waterman, for example), but it is VERY close to the sound of a flight and 3 times more expensive. The great thing about the market is that there’s something for everyone. I’m glad you found something you like. And it’s pretty cool that they offer so many customizations. So if someone doesn’t mind paying the extra money, I say go for it! I don’t think many people regret owning a flea.

[@mattdoliver1984]

I want one of these ukes

[@robertfrisbee]

I’ve considered buying a fluke, thanks for the demo !

[@davestambaugh7282]

I have a Ohana mini soprano ukulele with a twelve inch scale. I put the four trebble strings from Rev. Willy's MEXICAN LOTTERY brand strings. The E string is only .007" dia and now it is an octave guitar. Tuned EBGD or a guitar with the twelfth fret capoed instead of the seventh like most ukes.

[@DanielFlores-ku8os]

Hoop pine is not the same as Birch so I would believe Magic Fluke rather then Amazon.

[@dezscott46]

got one coming this week same model as yours got it on ebay mint condition with padded bag for just £80 with free shipping ,cant wait to try it

[@vincewhite5087]

Made in the USA.

[@creatingbeauty5522]

I agree with you...I feel side fret markers should just be there on each uke.

[@mpiercecfp]

Hi Jodi. Thanks for the review of the Flea. I’m with you on the pricing but you are sure right about their popularity. I always attributed it to the connection with Jim Beloff (his brother-in-law) runs the company.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

That’s a really good point. That and the fact that they’ve been around for quite while.

[@Kermoedi77]

I’m sure that they’re quite good, but that price is a bit steep. I think if I were getting another plastic ukulele, I’d go with another Outdoor. That is one company that’s blown me away with quality for cost. It’s so cool to see such a high variety of plastic ukes. Thank you for the great video!

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Yes, outdoor ukulele has been my favorite too. With the flight as a close second 😉

[@edwardpetersen4309]

Well, the Flea is made in the USA so that might account somewhat for the higher price. The Flight, Waterman and Outdoor ukes are all contracted out of Chinese factories. This may or may not be important to some players. And Magic Fluke stands behind their products. If it's wrong, they'll make it right.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Actually, the outdoor ukulele is made in Bend, Oregon. Not surprisingly, this is the second most expensive one of the bunch. 😉 The Flight is made in Slovenia (not China).

[@edwardpetersen4309]

Ah is it? my bad. Their Outdoor Banjolele which actually requires assembly is priced up there above the Flea and their Carbon Fiber Composite ukes are right there with them.. For some reason there's more elan with the Flea than the Asian versions. Ovation also offers plastic backed ukes made in Asia which rival the Flea in price. But i believe they all have solid tops and pickups. thanks for the review. I have many ukes some very fine, but I still play the flea everyday. Its convenient and sounds great.

[@dianer9382]

About the plastic back, you have never priced an Ovation guitar? Lovely sound and the plastic backs can be mathematically designed for the sound desired. Try over $350 on the cheap end. Glen Campbell used to play onE.

[@tmo7734]

Very nice. Thanks for the review. What I’ve noticed about your review and others, is that the fluke ukulele sounds great over KZbin. Best wishes from the San Francisco Bay Area.

[@HaydenMZ79]

BugsGear is an all plastic ukulele and comes in concert scale. I have one of their sopranos and love it! Under $30 on the Amazon!

[@snaphappee]

Great review! I totally agree- that’s a big chunk of change! I love the look, and that headstock is so cool! But $$$ - yikes!

[@HollyMcLaughlinArt]

Agree with you on the price. I thought about getting a Flea before because of the popularity, but I just couldn't put the money into it.

[@gervergal2962]

Love your Uke energy! Thanks for sharing your flea with is.

[@marinah4590]

I love the sound and the headstock of the flea but it's kinda pricey.

[@HaydenMZ79]

I love your SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also want one of these 😂

[@britneywagner2719]

Wow !! Beautiful but $$$. Yikes

[@JodyM2]

Those tuners are Grover B6's like the W6's (White) on my Martin S-1 they are $17 Tuners they work but they are just average tuners. Don't forget it's US Made as far as the price, the sound board gives 85% of the sound so a Koa top would sound nice. I agree the cost seems high but these are real instruments so it's not expensive considering that, but I personally don't want one.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Yes, there are quite a few customizations available on their website including solid tops, and solid wood fretboards.

[@fulltimeuker]

Thanks for the demo. I wanna get one of those too! ❤

[@MichaelSmith-yy8fw]

Jodi. I enjoyed your recent interview with Lisa. Very nice. I am thinking of getting a concert flea. I had a soprano which I sold because it was too small and I hated the tuners. I’m back again and considering the concert with geared tuners because the Flea has a lovely tone .... nicer than most of my ukuleles. Cost is a concern and I’m not sure the “upgrade” to koa would make that big of a difference. I wouldn’t compare it to a Waterman or Outdoor ukes because of the wood soundboard which is susceptible to extreme humidity changes whereas the others are plastic throughout. My first ukulele was a Fluke which went by the wayside for the awful tuners and the awkward triangular shape. Thanks for another relevant review and I believe you have tipped me toward a concert Flea. Mike

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Hi Mike. Thanks for being here. The Magic Fluke co. Just released a video comparing the flea with the laminate top to the ones with solid wood tops. You may want to check that out too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoi8mIWhqqxgirs

[@vincewhite5087]

Love your cheerful videos.

[@rhebabond7553]

I’m with you on the price point , and if they very close . I say flight would be my chosen one

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

I will post the sound comparison with the flight ukulele tomorrow. I’m curious to hear what you think.

[@timelyuke]

I do like the sound of it but I didn’t realize they were that pricy.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Yes, even the used ones typically sell for around $150-170

[@michaelpopp5185]

I dunno, that's kinda pricy, and I really like the smell of real wood, and Im really stuck on traditional shapes. But do you think the different shaped bodies have different sound characteristics?

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

That’s a good question. In this case, no. Tomorrow I will be posting a sound comparison. With the figure 8shaped flight ukulele. The are strikingly similar.

[@VeryBeri1]

It's a nice ukulele, but it does seem too pricey.

[@CianMcCarthyMusic]

Do you personally know any Ukulele players who play left-handed? Just curious!! Anywho... I must say that you've a very pleasant reviewing style, indeed!! :) Keep up the good work!!

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

No, I don’t. Are you left handed? I know a few left handed guitar players. One that taught himself to play right handed and one that plays the chords upside down! Im not sure I would recommend either. 😆

[@CianMcCarthyMusic]

@GirlMeetsUke I'm right-handed but I play guitar left-handed!! (I know, weird!!) Trying to play right-handed felt ALL OFF for me!! Thank goodness they make left handed guitars!!

[@CornishCockney]

I'm one - there are quite a few of us out there. Check out any Facebook group where someone asks about their child/grandchild who is left handed and they want to get them a uke. There's always lots of discussion!

[@CianMcCarthyMusic]

@@CornishCockney Haha I bet! I'm a righty but play lefty!

[@DanielFlores-ku8os]

Kala makes a concert Waterman and Amazon sells the Vorson AUG Concert which is made out of ABS plastic. I have two Vorsons. They sound quite nice for plastic Ukuleles once Martin Concert Flourocarbon Strings are put on them. The Vorsons are $25.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Good to know! I have never seen a Kala concert waterman and have not heard of Vorson. You have me curious...

[@DanielFlores-ku8os]

@@girlmeetsuke2980 The Vorsons are nice. You just need to spray a little WD-40 on the tuners and replace the "fakequilla" strings . Martin Flourocarbons work best at increasing sustain and improving tone with them. They are no Outdoor Ukulele in terms of durability. Yet they are fun to play and my blue Vorson has been a great, in the car, practice Ukulele while I saved for my Outdoor Tenor Carbon. 😊

[@sarahsenter5838]

Yes, I have heard good things about the quality of the Vorsons, especially considering the low price. I believe they are identical or VERY similar to the Korala (more KZbin reviews are available for Korala than for Vorson)

[@DanielFlores-ku8os]

@@sarahsenter5838 I have a Korala and 2 Vorsons. 😊. The Vorson is nearly twice as stiff as the Korala which is a big plus in the neck(same mold different and stiffer plastic.) I agree about the reviews. There are a good number of Korala reviews. Right out of the box the Korala with Aquilas sounds a little nicer then the Vorson with "fakequillas". Once the same strings are on both, the Vorson has more sustain then the Korala and a slightly brighter tone. Both sound nice😊. The Korala reviews are what got me to ultimately find the Vorson.

[@DanielFlores-ku8os]

I forgot, great video as usual!😊

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Thank you😊

[@albikes8484]

I have 2 magic flukes. A Fluke tenor with geared pegs. And a Concert Flea with the standard pegs. The geared pegs are definitely worth the price upgrade if your looking for a less finicky peg style tuner. On my concert with the standard tuners i loosened the screws to were they were jiggly and dropped a little lubricant between were the plastic tuner knob meets the steel washer. Then re tightened them to were they hold tuning. Now they are very smooth and i have no issues with over tuning or sticking.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

That’s a great tip. Thank you!

[@pedrosanchezpalma4443]

which one do you prefer of the two? I am considering to go for one of them... thanks!

[@albikes8484]

@@pedrosanchezpalma4443 I prefer the flea shape. More comfortable than my fluke with the triangle shape. And i like the concert size.

[@pedrosanchezpalma4443]

@@albikes8484 and in terms of sound the concert Flea vs the Fluke? Isn’t the Fluke much more rich and versatile than the Flea so as to have the Flea a worse sound or you see both awesome each one in its scale? Thanks! Tricky to decide without playing them….

[@albikes8484]

@@pedrosanchezpalma4443 My Fluke i have a Low G on it. So it has a nice low range. I have a high G on my Flea. Shorter scale length Ukes like the concert have lower tension on the strings which helps to give them a nice mid range sound. I dont feel im losing anything in sound quality because of the concert size. I did change my strings from the stock set. I prefer fluorocarbon strings over the nylgut or nylon strings. String sets are personal preference. My one piece of advice would be. If you play guitar already. Youll most likely prefer the Tenor size. If your starting from scratch. Go with the version you prefer the look of. I have a short soprano flea too. And it sounds great to me.

[@tunesquicklee]

paying$15 extra for side fret markings? $15?? no thank you, i'll draw my own instead! (i actually did on tyler lol)

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Crazy, right?! What did you use to draw yours in?

[@tunesquicklee]

i used a sharpie and then painted over it with clear nail polish so it wouldn't come off! it's still on after a year!

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Good to know! I wouldn’t have thought of the clear nail polish...

[@rhebabond7553]

Interesting shape 😉

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

Yes it is. 😊 I mailed your ukulele today. Sorry for the delay (I’ve been a little under the weather the last two days). They said it would arrive Thursday!!!

[@rhebabond7553]

Valentine’s Day , how sweet is that 😍

[@mr.keebler7927]

I was fortunate enough to be able to play a few and thought the same about pricing. For $45. more I can purchase an Ohana solid mahogany concert and $79. for an Ohana solid mahogany tenor ukulele. Believe me there is a cult following for the flea being American made but you see them being sold all of the time used everywhere more so than any other brand of ukulele.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

My thoughts exactly. I did notice that they seem to retain their value to a degree. I see them sold for $150-170 all the time.

[@mr.keebler7927]

GirlMeetsUke To a degree. People are just trying to recoup their investment but I’ve seen those used prices remain on the for sale sites for ever. The ones that sell are

[@vincewhite5087]

Mr. Keebler I own some & watch daily for used ones. They are made in USA. Not in Asia with a Hawaiian name glued on. But ALL the ones I have seen being sold, sell for as much as new almost. There’s tons of the cheap asians going for half of their cheap price all the time. Most that have the fleas, have several, and sell one & even buy another, since I contact them often, or on a even more expensive Ukes. They are available with wood fret boards as well.they sell like crazy, because the market bares it, because people feels it worth it, not the ‘Cult’ following since they sell very well.

[@sarahsenter5838]

Yes, I cannot afford the Flea and so purchased the Flight travel uke last month. I LOVE it and am looking forward to your comparison of the two.

[@girlmeetsuke2980]

I will be posting that tomorrow. I think you will be pleased. 😉