Magic Fluke Co. Firefly Banjo Uke Full Review
April 24, 2011 at 4:31 am | Posted in Banjo, Magic Fluke, Soprano | 8 CommentsTags: banjo, banjolele, Full review, Laminate, posts, review, uke, ukulele
At NAMM this past January this was the ukulele that everyone was talking about. Sure there were some really nice high end ones and K-brands that got a ton of buzz, but this was the one that I kept hearing “Did you stop by the Magic Fluke booth yet?” At NAMM it did not have a name yet, we just called it the fluke banjo uke. Also there were several different one, so watch for more (Here is the NAMM coverage I did on them)
Move forward 4 months and the firefly is being shipped to great fan fare, and they cannot make them fast enough, and people are raving about them. I was lucky to get one for a few weeks for banjo uke week, and I would be remiss if I did not have it in the lineup since it is so unique.
I do have a nagging question that I can’t stop thinking about and others have asked. Is the firefly worth $229? You can buy the hand drum for $15 on Amazon, and a maple bridge is $4. is the fluke neck, wood coordinator, and tail piece worth $210?
Read on to find out.
Specs:
The Magic Fluke co. Firefly Banjo Ukulele
Soprano: 16
Tuners: Friction with Black Buttons
Maple & Ebony 3-Leg Bridge
Nut: Plastic, but it is a zero fret
Head Material: Synthetic skin
Head Size” 8″
Rim: Acousticon pot?
Tone ring: no
Back: Open
Neck: Walnut, Wood Fretboard
String attachment: Knot in a hole
# of J-Hooks: 0
Coordinator: Wood
Finish: Matte
Weight: 1 LB
Case: Denim bag
Full Specs:
http://www.fleamarketmusic.com/store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=263
Looks
First look: (5)although plain it is striking in its sparseness. It looks like an alien when it is near other banjo ukes since it has no j-hooks. You know it is a banjo uke right from the get go, but it is missing stuff. I think that is what attracts people to it. Also the signature fluke/flea head makes it that much more interesting to look at since it is so different than most ukes out there.
Look MA! No J-Hooks!!
Fit and Finish: (4)Some will look at the rim (Hand drum) and say “How cheap” but that is not the reason for the point deduction at all. I expect The Magic Fluke co. to use innovative materials to make their ukes, that is why we buy them. Yes the rim is a weird hardboard laminate of some kind that has the markings of a cardboard tube on the inside, but I did some research into it and it is cardboard, but a high pressure laminate for Remo for these hand drums to make them acoustically work. If you just use a cardboard tube the drum would sound dead. But the reason for the point deduction is for the way the fretboard joins the neck and the nut. On close inspection it is a little off near the body, also since they round the corners before gluing the fret board on it leaves a ridge that I feel makes it feel strange to play. The nut is just plastic looking and a bit wavy but does nothing to the sound since it is a zero fret, which I prefer in all my instruments.
Hmmm, is that a cardboard tube?
Sound:
Sound Type: Mellow but clear. This will not be the uke that gets you kicked out of a uke jam, I think it would blend in nicely, but add the banjo sound.
Intonation: (5) If the intonation is off, it is your own fault for the most part. most banjo ukes are shipped with the bridge laying down and you have to set it up, or find someone to do it for you. This one didn’t come setup and ready to play, it was very easy to setup.
Volume: (4) As I said in the sound part, it is not super loud, and that is fine for playing with regular uke players, but I expect banjo ukes to be loud and stand out a little more..
Sustain: (4) Same as a regular uke, nothing special, It would be a 5 on an all wood uke.
Feel:
String Height: (Me-Low) Not low but not high either. just right..
Neck Radius Depth: (3/4″) Same as any fluke or flea with the flat back to the neck.
Frets: (5) Perfect. Well dressed. no frets sticking out.
Tuning: (3) I found that I had to keep them really stiff to keep it in tune, but it made it really hard to tune.
Comfort: (5) 1 LB Banjo uke!! And no metal j-hooks to jab you makes it really nice to hold without any straps or having to sit to play it. I would say that is one of its big selling points.
Sound Hole Smell: What sound hole? Hint of Varnish
Final Thoughts
Right now this is the new shinny thing that is fueling many people UAS (Ukulele Acquisition Syndrome) and many people are buying them, even if they have no clue if they like banjo ukes at all. I don’t see that as a bad thing at all. It is one of the cheapest ones on the market today. For some this will be what starts them down the banjo ukulele path and they may go and explore others like a Gold Tone or one made by Aaron Keim (Bean Sprout), while others will sell them in a few months because they are not banjo uke people, and that happen all the time.
Yes this is a take on the DIY banjo uke that you could make for $50, but would it be half as good as this one, I doubt it. Making a neck, figuring out the coordinator so it does not implode, and making a nice tail piece like this one takes a lot of skill and investment to make it right and playable. That is one of the things I applaud Dale at Magic Fluke for, he finds some of the coolest ways to make ukuleles, and the Firefly is just another example of that ingenuity that he has, and the vision of the whole company to sell it.
If you are looking for a light playable banjo uke that is not starting at $300, then this is it and you will be happy with it for a long time, but I guarantee that if you like this, you will be on the path to exploring others out there. This is a true gateway banjo uke, and you will have BUAS (Banjo Uke Acquisition Syndrome) in no time.
I will not have this one at the Mighty MO Ukulele Fest, they will want it back since there is such high demand.
Review 6 done, WHOOO, No more banjo ukes to review, at least for now.
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
Click here for an explanation of reviews
| First Look | 5 |
| Fit and Finish | 4 |
| Sound Type | Mellow and clear |
| Intonation | 5 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Sustain | 4 |
| String Height | Med-Low |
| Neck Radius Depth | 3/4″ |
| Frets | 5 |
| Tuning | 3 |
| Comfort | 5 |
| Sound Hole Smell | What sound Hole? Paint? Faint varnish |
HD Audio Clips:
Places to buy on the web:
Flea Market Music - $229
Gallery:
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Banjo Ukulele Week Kick-off
April 17, 2011 at 6:35 am | Posted in Banjo, Eddy Finn, General, Gold Tone, Lanikai, Magic Fluke, Mainland | 10 CommentsTags: banjo, banjolele, Laminate, learning, NAMM, uke, ukulele
Welcome to Banjo Uke week!!!
Doing it a little different for this post, it is all video.
Intro
Anatomy of a Banjo Ukulele
Deering Banjo Video
Keep checking in everyday this week for more banjo uke fun.
This week I will be reviewing:
Eddy Finn Soprano
Lanikai Soprano
Mainland Concert
Lanikai Concert Resonator
Gold Tone concert Banjolele
Fleamarket Music Firefly (Fluke banjo uke)
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Mango Fluke Full Review
July 18, 2009 at 5:09 am | Posted in Brands, Concert, Magic Fluke, Reviews | 8 CommentsTags: fluke, Full review, Mango, review, uke, ukulele
The Mango Fluke
I want to start this out with saying that this is a fun instrument……..but it could be better. I received a Fluke and Flea from The Magic Fluke Co. a few weeks ago, thank you Dale Webb for being the first to send me instruments to review. I have played them a few times and have seen many of them at different fests and shops. Many people play them for their looks and the fact that the basic ones with the plastic (Yes I know polycarbonate, but plastic is shorter to type) back and fret board, along with a laminate top, they are almost indestructible. I read a story about a person that actually had to use their fluke as a paddle because they lost the oars on their boat and it was still playable!! I digress; read the full review below.
Specs: Concert size, Australian Hoop Pine top, mango colored (Comes in and ever changing array of colors, designs, and woods), injection molded body, polycarbonate single piece bridge, Maple neck with an Injection molded Polycarbonate fret board with frets part of the mold, Grover non-geared tuners, and Hilo Black nylon strings
Looks
Unique Head stock of the Fluke
First look: (4) The first thing I said when I saw one was “That looks like a boat paddle. Cool!!”. You know a fluke when you see one. One of the things that I like is that the only place that you see the brand is the label on the inside of the instrument, very classy and minimalist. I think the headstock design is just as much a logo as any you see on many ukes like Martin or Bushman. I gave this one a 4 because it is a plain boring mango, they have much cooler looking ones. If I had to pick one it would be the surf fluke with the rosewood fret board.
Fit and Finish: (4) The construction on this instrument is tight. Every bit is sanded with no discoloration in the finish. The neck is smooth with not a single hard edge. Where I ding it is in 3 places. The fret board is slightly smaller than the neck, so there is a slight ridge. The second
Glue under the Bridge
thing that I can see is the glue under the bridge where the strings slide in. My last issue is that the wood on the top sits lower in the body, leaving a ridge which makes for some uncomfortable playing when it digs into my arm. All are very minor items that are not noticeable to most people.
Sound:
Sound Type: Bright and punchy.
Polycarbonite Molded Bridge/Saddle
Intonation: (3) The intonation is not that bad, but it cannot be fixed. With a combined bridge/saddle it cannot be adjusted. Many times the A and the C need to be slightly altered at the saddle (As with this instrument), and that is not an issue for many instruments. With this one, if you go too far there is no way to replace the saddle. you will never notice any issues unless you play past the 9th fret.
Volume: (4) Like all other molded back instruments, it is loud. It can be loader with strings like Aquila or Worth.
Sustain: (5) Notes rang out loud, clear, and long. A very hard plastic fret board and a thin top let it ring. It breaks down very nicely. I think that having the frets molded into the fret board helps the sustain when you are using a vibrato technique (Where you wiggle your finger on the string on the note you want to keep going).
Feel:
String Height: (Medium) The 0 fret design always helps with making the strings very low. One of the nice parts about having molded parts is that they were able to have consistent string height.
Neck Radius Depth: (3/4″) It might be a pretty standard depth, but it far from standard. The neck is the same thickness from the headstock to where it meets the body. The back of the neck is flat; making bar cords a little easier to play. The neck feels very thick, even though it is not.
0 Fret and fret board closeup
Frets: (5) The frets are part of the mold when you get the plastic fret board, so they are very consistent. Very easy to make a solid note or cord. I really like the way that they are very low so sliding from one note is like butter. An interesting feature that many ukuleles don’t have is the 0 fret. makes it nice to have the strings start out so low to the fret board.
Tuning: (4) Friction tuners are my preference, but many people like geared tuners. The tuners did slip at first so I tightened them and they stayed. I did have some small issues though. One of my issues was with the C string, it would catch at the nut causing me to go sharp as soon as it let go. It would be an easy fix if I owned the instrument. Just take a file and loosen it up. By the second week the strings stretched at it stayed in tune.
Comfort: (4) With the composite parts and the laminate wood top, this is a very light uke. I could not weigh it, but is light and also balanced. It almost balances at the 13th fret. One of the other things that I really like is the flat back on the neck along with the consistent width all the way from the first fret to where it meets the body at the 11th fret. My only issue in the comfort area is that it really digs into my arm where I am holding it on the body. I leaves a really deep indentation in my arm. This is due to the top being set in lower into the body, leaving a ridge where my arm holds it. I don’t notice it unless I play for at least an hour or more.
If this was my instrument I would upgrade a few things. 1. Go with a wood fret board. 2. Different strings. 3. Have a design on the body (Very few ukuleles have that option). All in all I really do like the fluke. I think I would use it more for stage use and also a travel instrument because it is bullet proof, so it can take a beating and change in climate and still keep rocking.
All Rating on a scale of 1-5
Click here for an explanation of reviews
Comes with a really nice padded bag
| First Look | 4 |
| Fit and Finish | 4 |
| Sound Type | Bright and Punchy |
| Intonation | 3 |
| Volume | 4 |
| Sustain | 5 |
| String Height | Medium |
| Neck Radius Depth | 3/4″ |
| Frets | 5 |
| Tuning | 4 |
| Comfort | 4 |
Places to buy on the web:
Direct from Flea Market Music store (The only place you can customize the snot out of it) As reviewed $195, Custom can get over $400.
Elderly has it for $189
Hope you enjoyed this full review. Please comment.
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