Flea and Fluke ukuleles have a great reputation. Their distinctive look and powerful sound have won converts from Bette Midler to Sweetafton23. So, of course, I was in the market to buy one. Flukes generally come in concert size. However, you can buy models which have tenor necks. Which is exactly what I did.

Fluke Construction

Like the Applause tenor ukulele, the Fluke has a solid wood top (Australian hoop pine) with a rounded plastic back and sides. The standard fretboard is plastic but there's an optional upgrade of a rosewood fretboard (which I'd recommend you get if you can afford it - the mistake I made).

Another optional extra is a pickup (an under-saddle Piezo).

Sound

Boy is it loud! The tenor Fluke is definitely the loudest ukulele I own. The sound is very forceful. If you are looking to make yourself heard above other players in a uke group, it's a good choice.

But I did find that it doesn't have the same warmth of tone as other ukuleles. And it sounds a little plasticy.

Price

The price of the tenor Fluke varies depending on what exactly you buy.

Here are a few currently available on eBay.

Playability

One thing I should point out at this stage, my Fluke has a plastic neck. I find the plastic neck unsatisfying to play. So if you're getting a Fluke, I'd very strongly recommend that you splash out on the rosewood fingerboard.

Tenor Fluke Demonstration

Here's me playing the Tetris theme (and a bit of Gogol Bordello) on my tenor neck Fluke ukulele.

Looks

Although mine is a plain purple, there are many new designs and more coming out all the time. Many of them quite camp. So there'll probably be at least one that will take your fancy.

Overall

The tenor Fluke ukulele does have a lot going for it, but it is a long way from being my favorite ukulele (or even my favorite tenor). I wish I had gone for the rosewood fretboard, as the plastic one is fairly nasty to play. If you are looking for something more traditional than the Fluke tenor ukulele, I'd recommend the Ohana TK-35G.

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