Your next 'ukulele could be a Fluke
Advertiser Staff
What's the best 'ukulele deal on the market? For the ultra-frugal, over-tenacious musician, sorting through the plethora of cheap, Asia-made wood instruments sold in Waikiki discount shops can occasionally uncover a gem: the rare $11 goodie that actually carries a tune and doesn't sound half bad.
Noted 'ukulele teacher Roy Sakuma says there are plenty of Asian-made wooden 'ukulele available at stores in the $70 to $90 range. "They're not good quality, but they're good enough to learn on," he said.
The Fluke ‘ukulele, shown in pineapple, retails for about $175 and is durable enough that it doesn’t need a case.
Otherwise, things can get expensive quick.
Finding a quality 'ukulele for under $200 would be a fluke.
Make that a Fluke: a rugged little musical chum that retails for around $175. The instructions specify that it's a serious musical instrument, "but don't treat it that way." The brainchild of Jim Beloff, author of "The Ukulele: A Visual History" (Miller Freeman Books, $24.95), this rascal looks like the result of a balalaika that had a tryst with a canoe oar and maybe a tennis racket.
But appearances, say those who know, can be deceiving.
"It sounds very decent," Sakuma said. "It just doesn't look like a uke."
'Ukulele virtuoso Lyle Ritz is the proud owner of a Fluke.
"I like it a lot," said Ritz, as he strummed a tune. "It has a nice sound."
Added stringed instrument expert Neal Shimabukuro at Island Guitars, "These things are well made, have a great tone and feel, and are extremely durable."
So strong it doesn't need a case, and so flat on the wide end it doesn't require a music stand, the Fluke is made in Hartford, Conn., and has a near-bulletproof thermoplastic body, a laminated Australian hoop pine top and a maple neck and bridge.
Pros and amateurs alike say the Fluke should be taken seriously. Beloff calls it the most fun on four strings.
