Generally speaking, if you told me a Ukulele was made with a plastic body, neck, and fretboard I wouldn’t be excited. Add a laminated wood top and we’d probably assume you were talking about a cheap Chinese knock-off. Unless, of course, you told me it was one of the great little Magic Fluke Ukuleles.
It’s pretty amazing these ukuleles produce the sound and are as high quality as they are knowing they are doing things much differently than their competition and traditional instrument manufacturing. So what makes these ukuleles so unique and yet so special? Let’s take a look!
Magic Fluke Ukulele Company
The Fluke Ukulele started shipping in 1999 with a unique and original take on traditional Ukulele design. A few years later the Flea began production with the same materials and style.
Both the Flea and the Fluke are made with a plastic thermoformed body and a laminated wood top. This combination enables the instruments to produce a much more authentic, fuller sound than plastic Ukes can pull off.
They also share the company’s standard molded polycarbonate fingerboard and bridge. While many may feel this is a detractor, it actually guarantees perfect intonation! We are surprised more companies haven’t followed the lead on this innovation, it really does make a consistent and perfect sound on each and every one of their instruments!
On most of their models, the uniquely shaped headstock and neck are made out of solid maple.
Magic Fluke Sizes
The flea and fluke are really only made in one size each, so we’ll cover them and quickly touch on the “Firefly” which is their banjo uke.
The Flea Ukulele
The Flea Ukulele comes in a 14” soprano or a 15.5” concert size. The shape of the Flea lends itself to generous string spacing. Thanks to the plastic back both models weigh in right around 1lbs.
The flea was actually the 2nd ukulele produced by Dale Webb after the overwhelming popularity and great reviews that he got from the Fluke.
Just like the Fluke, the Flea has a unique composite construction of wood and injection molded thermoplastic. The combination of wood soundboard and acoustically resonant thermoplastic body gives this instrument an edge over the traditional standard ukes.
This instrument somewhat resembles the pineapple shape that many brands produce, although those rarely if ever have the flat bottom which gives Flea its unique shape.
The Fluke Ukulele
The ukulele that started the movement. The Fluke comes in the traditional concert size and recently the tenor size. The body size for both is the same, but the concert has a 15.5” scale length, while the tenor is 17”. Both sizes are able to handle GCEA tuning as well as High D tuning, making it fun and versatile!
Both the Flea and Fluke come with standard Nyltech strings, which are great all-around ukulele strings that beginners and intermediate players seem to enjoy playing.
Want more options? Check out our other favorite Ukulele Brands!
Now, time for our recommendations!
The Best Magic Fluke Ukuleles
While there isn’t a bad option in the lineup of Magic Fluke Ukuleles while playing and browsing their different models a few did stand out to me. Here are my picks for the best Flea and Fluke from the brand!
Magic Fluke Flea Ukulele Recommendation: Magic Fluke Co Flea Designer Surf Concert Ukulele
The designer series comes with custom designs by Evelyn Drew. You have nearly 30 options to choose from so shop around! One of our favorites is the Surf. The red and wood tone mixture is the perfect balance of style and tradition for us. The Seacliff Beach and Honu Walnut also get two thumbs up!
- Composite Body
- 15.5in Scale Length
- 15-Fret
Runner Up: Magic Fluke Co Flea M30 Ukulele Natural
This Ukulele could be mistaken for the early models of the Flea. Its natural finish combined with the signature headstock make this a great choice for new Uke players and experienced pros alike.
Magic Fluke Ukulele
Our Recommendation: Magic Fluke Co Fluke Designer Floral Mango Tenor Ukulele
- 17in Scale Length
- 17 Fret
- Composite Body
Just like the Flea Designer series, with the Fluke designer you have a wide range of options for colorful patterns, custom artwork, or natural wood looks. As an added bonus, you can now get custom printing or laser engraving if you’d rather go in that direction.
Both the tenor and concert sizes provide amazing sound and years of fun with this durable, great-sounding instrument.
Runner Up: Magic Fluke M10 Natural Ukulele
It is hard to find a better Ukulele for under $200. This instrument sounds great and is everything you’d expect from the Magic Fluke Co.
The Final Note
We have no problem recommending Magic Fluke, which isn’t something we normally would say for a company that doesn’t use a traditional build of high-quality wood products! If you are looking for a fun instrument that is extremely durable, sounds great, and is completely unique then the Magic Fluke Company’s offerings are right up your alley.
A ukulele player pretty much from birth, Edward has gone on to play banjo, lead guitar, and bass for a number of bands and solo projects! Edward loves talking, teaching and writing about music!
Last update on 2024-09-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
