NUD: Magic Fluke Flea Soprano with Fire Rosette, Peghead tuners, and Wood Fretboard

[CPG]

Took delivery of this lovely Flea yesterday. I'd been wanting something to leave in my living room, unhumidifed in the winter, that I didn't have to worry about my 1.5 and 5 year old playing with, and that I could grab and take place without worrying about. However, since this was something that would likely get played a lot I didn't want a cheap beater uke. There is certainly a place for those, but I wanted something that I would enjoy playing as much as my KoAloha's and solid mahogany sopranos. I ran across this little Flea on the MFC website and it hit the mark for what I wanted. I was also pretty tempted by a Koa top one and while that would still be a lot tougher than my all solid ukes, I knew I would worry about it in the winter months, so I stuck with the laminate top for piece of mind. This one fills the specific niche I was looking for perfectly.

Actually, when I first ran across this I didn't think I liked the look. I usually like dark fretboards and plainer rosettes, plus on the website it was against a white background that made it look a bit cartoonish to me. Then as I was considering my options I was scrolling through photos on the MFC Facebook page and I ran across a photo of this uke sitting on a shelf with a bunch of other ukes and it really jumped out to me in a good way so I decided to order it.

I really like it. Does is sound as nice as my KoAloha's, my Pohaku, or my Weymann. Well no, but it has it's own voice and it sounds really damn good. It also plays beautifully and has fun factor that thus far makes me enjoy playing it just as much as my solid wood ukes. I also just really like Magic Fluke as a company and am glad to own one of their instruments. I should add here that MFC was a true pleasure to deal with. I already mentioned this in another thread but I emailed them asking them if they had any other wood fretboard sopranos in stock other than what was on the website and Phyliss very quickly responded and sent along a photo of this uke and one other one. I also had a very nice chat with her on the phone for about 10 minutes as I was trying to make my decision. They are truly lovely people.

Photo is attached and here's a sound sample of me playing a Ukulelezaza piece I've been working on with it:
(I'm still working a few of the parts of this piece out at slow tempos so excuse the flubs here and there when I'm playing it up to tempo)

 

[Patty]

Took delivery of this lovely Flea yesterday. I'd been wanting something to leave in my living room, unhumidifed in the winter, that I didn't have to worry about my 1.5 and 5 year old playing with, and that I could grab and take place without worrying about. However, since this was something that would likely get played a lot I didn't want a cheap beater uke. There is certainly a place for those, but I wanted something that I would enjoy playing as much as my KoAloha's and solid mahogany sopranos. I ran across this little Flea on the MFC website and it hit the mark for what I wanted. I was also pretty tempted by a Koa top one and while that would still be a lot tougher than my all solid ukes, I knew I would worry about it in the winter months, so I stuck with the laminate top for piece of mind. This one fills the specific niche I was looking for perfectly.

Actually, when I first ran across this I didn't think I liked the look. I usually like dark fretboards and plainer rosettes, plus on the website it was against a white background that made it look a bit cartoonish to me. Then as I was considering my options I was scrolling through photos on the MFC Facebook page and I ran across a photo of this uke sitting on a shelf with a bunch of other ukes and it really jumped out to me in a good way so I decided to order it.

I really like it. Does is sound as nice as my KoAloha's, my Pohaku, or my Weymann. Well no, but it has it's own voice and it sounds really damn good. It also plays beautifully and has fun factor that thus far makes me enjoy playing it just as much as my solid wood ukes. I also just really like Magic Fluke as a company and am glad to own one of their instruments. I should add here that MFC was a true pleasure to deal with. I already mentioned this in another thread but I emailed them asking them if they had any other wood fretboard sopranos in stock other than what was on the webiste and Phyliss very quickly responded and sent a photo along with this uke and one other one. I also had a very nice chat with her on the phone for about 10 minutes as I was trying to make my decision. They are truly lovely people.

Photo is attached and here's a sound sample of me playing a Ukulelezaza piece I've been working on with it:
(I'm still working a few of the parts of this piece out at slow tempos so excuse the flubs here and there when I'm playing it up to tempo)

Sounds pretty good—but then, you’re a good player!

 

[CPG]

Sounds pretty good—but then, you’re a good player!

Thanks Patty!

 

[EDW]

Nice sounding instrument and lovely playing. I agree, the folks at MFC are a pleasure to deal with and those instruments are fun to play. As can be seen in this video and the comparisons by Matt Hicks, they sound well balanced with a nice full tone. The intonation and action is always spot on right out of the box. Thanks for the demo!

 

[CPG]

Nice sounding instrument and lovely playing. I agree, the folks at MFC are a pleasure to deal with and those instruments are fun to play. As can be seen in this video and the comparisons by Matt Hicks, they sound well balanced with a nice full tone. The intonation and action is always spot on right out of the box. Thanks for the demo!

Thanks! Yep. The general construction and setup are fantastic! In addition to sounding really nice it really is a very nice playing instrument. I might need to get myself a koa or spruce topped one some day.

 

[Dohle]

Lucky you! That is basically my dream Flea. Been looking for a hardwood fretboard Flea in the EU for ages but no luck so far.

 

[CPG]

Lucky you! That is basically my dream Flea. Been looking for a hardwood fretboard Flea in the EU for ages but no luck so far.

Have considered ordering directly from Magic Fluke? Or are shipping and tariffs exorbitantly expensive that way?

 

[mountain goat]

sounds super brus, but
given your playing ability i'm guessing you'd make any uke sing.
enjoy it mate!

 

[CPG]

Lucky you! That is basically my dream Flea. Been looking for a hardwood fretboard Flea in the EU for ages but no luck so far.

Have considered ordering directly from Magic Fluke? Or are shipping and tariffs exorbitantly expensive that way?

I don’t know if this seller is shipping internationally but there is also a wood fretboard flea in Ebay right now. It’s pricier than just the wood fretboard and Pegheds would be because it’s a custom color and has a pickup but, correct me if I’m wrong, doesn’t buying on EBay save you on tariff costs or something like that? Again, because I’m in the USA the listing doesn’t tell me if this seller ships internationally, just thought I’d point it out in case they do.

Magic Fluke Co Electric Soprano FLEA Ukulele Custom White W/ 6 Upgrades | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Magic Fluke Co Electric Soprano FLEA Ukulele Custom White W/ 6 Upgrades at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Dohle]

Have considered ordering directly from Magic Fluke? Or are shipping and tariffs exorbitantly expensive that way?

I have. And yes they are. I might order something from them directly if I get to visit the states again some time but otherwise probably not.

 

[Dohle]

correct me if I’m wrong, doesn’t buying on EBay save you on tariff costs or something like that?

Nope. Whenever anything is shipped from outside the EU you have to pay import and VAT.

To be honest, I wouldn't buy that Flea anyway. Not interested in the upgrades or colour.

 

[CPG]

Nope. Whenever anything is shipped from outside the EU you have to pay import and VAT.

To be honest, I wouldn't buy that Flea anyway. Not interested in the upgrades or colour.

Oh okay. Wasn’t sure how all that worked.

Yeah. I felt the same way about that one. It was more expensive than the one I got for upgrades that aren’t of personal interest to me.

Well, again MFC is a pleasure to deal with if you ever decide to buy one directly from them and they do a great job on the setup.

 

[CPG]

sounds super brus, but
given your playing ability i'm guessing you'd make any uke sing.
enjoy it mate!

Thanks! You are too kind. The fact that I've been working on this tune a lot over the past few weeks and that I picked the best of like 10 takes makes me look better than I am. It's actaully one of the pieces that is easier than it looks. There are a couple quick jumps up that neck that are pretty challenging for me and that I've really just had to practice (and am still practicing) on repeat at super slow speeds, but the rest is mostly just learning the notes and nothing super tricky (with that caveat that of course ones experience/level will dictate how tricky something is). The version I'm playing here is from Zaza's newest book, an ebook of his original tunes that he wrote during the pandemic. But there is a shorter version (about the first half of what I'm playing) available here:

Learn to Play Ukulelezaza’s “Downhill” | Ukulele Magazine

Ukulelezaza (Remco Houtman-Janssen) wrote “Downhill” in 2007 while improvising on a Martin Style 2 taropatch he had just acquired. The taropatch is long gone, but “Downhill”…

ukulelemagazine.com

Give it whirl! It's a fun tune that will impress your fellow ukuleleists!

 

[Pixiegod]

I am located in Germany, and had similar problems getting my hands on a Flea. Fleas offered in Germany (same in all of Europe, I would assume) are mostly standard versions, with no upgrades (in Germany, the guy who makes/sells the Risa sticks has them in his online shop). In addition, the import adds some additional cost.
One day, I found a very good offer for a Flea with a wooden fretboard in the bay and jumped on it. Since the seller only wanted to deal with continental US shipping, I had asked a good friend of mine, whether I could use her US address -- she is in the US a couple of times each year for family reasons, so that was no problem. Coincidentally, her next US visit was not that far off, I just had to wait a few weeks till she brought the uke with her from the US.
There was no import tax bringing the uke to Germany, since the price I paid was below the limit set by the local customs authorities for goods imported via airplane (limit is €430). Thus, I got a great used Flea with a wooden fretboard for a good price and no piracy extortions custom or shipping fees either.

 

[Dohle]

I am located in Germany, and had similar problems getting my hands on a Flea. Fleas offered in Germany (same in all of Europe, I would assume) are mostly standard versions, with no upgrades (in Germany, the guy who makes/sells the Risa sticks has them in his online shop). In addition, the import adds some additional cost.

RISA/Uke Surfer Shop actually advertise that you can specify a custom Flea and they will order it for you so you'll only pay the price they quote. No importing necessary. I might try that some time.

 

[Pixiegod]

RISA/Uke Surfer Shop actually advertise that you can specify a custom Flea and they will order it for you so you'll only pay the price they quote. No importing necessary. I might try that some time.

Hi Dohle, didn't know that! The importing would be done for you. Price might still be higher though.
Glad if I could point out an alternative venue for you!

 

[Pixiegod]

I just checked that website again. This seems to be a great service -- you just pay postage from Germany, and you pay the US price as specified on the MFU website, plus the usual 19% German tax -- no import tax. Sounds really good.

 

[Jerryc41]

Took delivery of this lovely Flea yesterday. I'd been wanting something to leave in my living room, unhumidifed in the winter, that I didn't have to worry about my 1.5 and 5 year old playing with, and that I could grab and take place without worrying about. However, since this was something that would likely get played a lot I didn't want a cheap beater uke. There is certainly a place for those, but I wanted something that I would enjoy playing as much as my KoAloha's and solid mahogany sopranos. I ran across this little Flea on the MFC website and it hit the mark for what I wanted. I was also pretty tempted by a Koa top one and while that would still be a lot tougher than my all solid ukes, I knew I would worry about it in the winter months, so I stuck with the laminate top for piece of mind. This one fills the specific niche I was looking for perfectly.

Actually, when I first ran across this I didn't think I liked the look. I usually like dark fretboards and plainer rosettes, plus on the website it was against a white background that made it look a bit cartoonish to me. Then as I was considering my options I was scrolling through photos on the MFC Facebook page and I ran across a photo of this uke sitting on a shelf with a bunch of other ukes and it really jumped out to me in a good way so I decided to order it.

I really like it. Does is sound as nice as my KoAloha's, my Pohaku, or my Weymann. Well no, but it has it's own voice and it sounds really damn good. It also plays beautifully and has fun factor that thus far makes me enjoy playing it just as much as my solid wood ukes. I also just really like Magic Fluke as a company and am glad to own one of their instruments. I should add here that MFC was a true pleasure to deal with. I already mentioned this in another thread but I emailed them asking them if they had any other wood fretboard sopranos in stock other than what was on the website and Phyliss very quickly responded and sent along a photo of this uke and one other one. I also had a very nice chat with her on the phone for about 10 minutes as I was trying to make my decision. They are truly lovely people.

Photo is attached and here's a sound sample of me playing a Ukulelezaza piece I've been working on with it:
(I'm still working a few of the parts of this piece out at slow tempos so excuse the flubs here and there when I'm playing it up to tempo)

Nice uke and nice playing!

 

[CPG]

Nice uke and nice playing!

Thanks @Jerryc41 !