What is the hype around Flight?

[BBegall]

I bought a Fireball Baritone a year ago. I don't know if it's the mango but I love the sound and it's become one of my favorite ukuleles.

No quality issues and no complaints.

 

[Ottertail]

Looks like Kala is checking the wind and catching up. I’m loving the look of their contour series.

 

[ukudancer]

Looks like Kala is checking the wind and catching up. I’m loving the look of their contour series.

If you prefer natural looking wood. The contour series doesn't have the variety of colors or curly / flamed finishes that Flight offers.

 

[Ottertail]

If you prefer natural looking wood. The contour series doesn't have the variety of colors or curly / flamed finishes that Flight offers.

I do like fancier grain/grade wood, but I prefer natural to colored stains.

 

[therealsimon]

Thank you all for your input! Starting to make more sense now, just didn't understand why they were blowing up overnight... lol

Simon

 

[UkingViking]

I dont see anything happening overnight, Flight seems to have been gaining marked for some years now.

Some time last year, there was talk about how Kala has put less focus on being available in physical stores recently. Perhaps I got the wrong idea from seeing Flight ukes in a few danish music shops, but I think that Flight have taken some of that shelf space. That will leed to sales, and probably also more recommendations - people will often recommend brands that are available in stores. I think Kala used to benefit from that.

Yeah, and they also got some attention for ukes that looks a bit different. Like their plastic backed travel ukes and their flamboyant spruce topped ukes.

Personally I think the headstock is a pretty cool interpretation a slotted headstock. When I first saw a uke with it, a Mr Mai ukulele, I had to sit on my hands to not order one. Now that Flight has also adopted it and put it on so many ukes, perhaps it has become a bit old.

 

[Nickie]

A good friend has been buying cheap ukes off Amazon (ick), including a Flight, which isn't bad. I got tired of watching her waste her money, so I gave her my old Kala, which she immediately liked better.

 

[DJ Mango]

I dont see anything happening overnight, Flight seems to have been gaining marked for some years now.

Some time last year, there was talk about how Kala has put less focus on being available in physical stores recently. Perhaps I got the wrong idea from seeing Flight ukes in a few danish music shops, but I think that Flight have taken some of that shelf space. That will leed to sales, and probably also more recommendations - people will often recommend brands that are available in stores. I think Kala used to benefit from that.

Yeah, and they also got some attention for ukes that looks a bit different. Like their plastic backed travel ukes and their flamboyant spruce topped ukes.

Personally I think the headstock is a pretty cool interpretation a slotted headstock. When I first saw a uke with it, a Mr Mai ukulele, I had to sit on my hands to not order one. Now that Flight has also adopted it and put it on so many ukes, perhaps it has become a bit old.

The Flight's with the "anti-gravity" slotted headstock are basically rebranded Bright Sun ukuleles made in China to Flight's spec .

 

[ukudancer]

The Flight's with the "anti-gravity" slotted headstock are basically rebranded Bright Sun ukuleles made in China to Flight's spec .

I just went on BS's website and I don't see the connection. Do you have more info you'd like to share here about this?

 

[Jerryc41]

My take (the positives)

Flight are constantly developing ideas and looks (some not their own, it must be said), but they really started doing that probably about the same time, if not before aNueNue did - in a uke world where a lot of the far eastern stuff was largely generic (same woods, same decor) they became a bit of a breath of fresh air. And... quite a bit cheaper than the upper end aNueNue models. All the ones i've seen have played good and sounded decent too for the money.

Negatives - their QC is on a bit of a nosedive recently - you will be fine if you buy from a reputable store, but I have seen images of the amount of work that shops like SUS and WOU are having to put in before sale. It's an irritation you won't see if you buy from the right place, but i'd avoid the lure of going through a big box shipper that won't check them over

I've been lucky, so far.

 

[4stringboy]

One might ask our very own UU Forum members, Flight artists, and social media influencers/uke teachers, @Jiggywithviggy and @4stringboy ! These two make their Flights shine for sure. If those 10 folks are playing artificial harmonics and cursing a lot, you might focus on the latter of the two.

You could also ask the 10 people you know who got 'em "What made ya get 'em?"

It might be that they're new and colorful and different than what other people have. I know that the Southern Ukulele Store (SUS) gives high praise to Flight ukes. I also just watched a video of @bazmaz on an Ohana custom and he mentioned the historical sameness that Ohana had with other brands in the past like Kala and Lanikai... and that Flight was the only brand doing something a bit different.

A very f***ng excellent accurate statement

 

[71teleman]

I just went on BS's website and I don't see the connection. Do you have more info you'd like to share here about this?

I know nothing about this topic but my interest was piqued. I just checked out the website too and saw this model...