The Fluke Ukulele
There used to be two kinds of ukuleles: pressed cardboard junk for less than $50, and professional quality beauties for over $500. Now there is a third option - the Fluke, a half-plastic, half-wood ukulele that costs $190. As soon as my fingers hit the cute-as-a-bug instrument, I fell in love with it. It's a pleasure to play and the sound is strong and chipper. Its radical design reminds me of the iMac or New Beetle. One fellow uker told me his Fluke sounds and plays better than his $3000 vintage Martin ukulele. He was almost mad about it. Jim Beloff, co-creator of the Fluke also publishes a bunch of excellent ukulele songbooks. My favorite is Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hawaiian
-- Mark Frauenfelder
The Fluke: $190+
The Flea (smaller than The Fluke): $160+
Jumpin' Jim's Gone Hawaiian: $13
Flea Market Music
800-459-5558
860-496-1508
Favorite (15)
Tom Sackett
I have heard many good things about the Fluke (and the Flea, a slightly smaller variation from the same company). However, there is at least one cheaper option that might be more appropriate if you are buying for someone who may not really take up the instrument. I was recently given a Samick UK 50 ukulele as a Christmas gift. It's an all-wood uke in the "concert" size, which is slightly larger than a soprano (The Flea comes in both soprano and concert sizes. The Fluke is slightly larger than a concert uke.). I've played guitar for years, and have enough experience to know that the UK 50 is a solid, playable instrument. It can cost as little as $50 from a local music store. I don't know what these ukes vary individually, so it's worth buying from a good local store that checks and sets up each of their instruments. Mine came from the Instrumental Music Center in Tucson, Arizona.
Steve
I've played afluke for three years. It's great. With so many guitar players out there, a uke really has a fresh sound, and the fluke can cut right through even a twelve string guitars sound. It also is smll, and great for camping when you don't have room or don't want to carry your HD28 around. One other thing for you gutarists, in case you didn't know. Playing a uke is easy. Picture slapping a capo on the 5th fret of your guitar, and just playing the bottom four strings. A D chord from your guitar becomes a G on your uke. an A on your guitar becomes a D on your uke. You get th idea. It's a mind bender for a few hours, and I still spaz once in awhile when I switch instuments mid performance, but the fun on a uke never ends.
The fluke is really great for bigger hand players as the frets are spaced further than a soprano. Best 130 (hey they went up) I ever spent. Period.