The Fluke Museum

Welcome To The Fluke Museum!

2007-05-01T11:00:00.057-04:00

The fabulous Fluke Ukulele is a major hit with ukulele players world-wide, and some folks are so enamored with their instruments that they've gone the extra mile and customized them! If you're not already familiar with the Fluke (and Flea) ukes, click the link to see a nice little video review of them.

The Fluke Museum is a fun collection of some fine examples of these fabulous pieces of "folk art," plus a few limited-edition Flukes, too, and if you've customized your very own Fluke (or Flea), uke, too, just let us know and we'd be honored to add it to our little collection for the whole ukulele world to see and admire.

And, in response to popular demand, just like the Fluke uke it's named for, The Fluke Museum now has a little brother, too: The Flea Museum, which is all about those fantastic Flea ukes!! Go check it out, we guarantee you're gonna like it! •

[NOTE: Don't forget, as you browse through The Fluke Museum, just click the pics to see 'em BIGGER!]

The Amoeba Fluke

2007-05-01T10:30:00.006-04:00

This is the limited-edition Amoeba Fluke, a custom ukulele produced for the Amoeba Record Stores of California, with the Amoeba Music logo and the words 'Peace Through Music' laser-etched on the front.

One of these very cool Fluke ukuleles was donated by the nice folks at Amoeba Music Hollywood, and was won by one very lucky young lady in Covina, CA, who made a special pledge during the Global Village Fund Drive for ukulele-friendly LA public radio station KPFK in June of 2006! •

The Bikini Girl Fluke [NEW!!]

2007-05-01T10:15:00.025-04:00

When Chris Stousland, the legendary artist who created the designs on the very first generation of painted Fluke ukes a few years ago, contacted us to ask if we'd be interested in including his latest batch of hand-painted Fluke designs, the Bikini Girl, Pineapple, Hawaiian Island, and Sycamore Bark Flukes, on our little Fluke Museum webpage, we eagerly agreed, and we asked him to tell us the story of his Fluke designs both old and new, and this is what he wrote:

After receiving one of the very first Flukes (with a solid green top) as a gift, I was inspired by the book "The Ukulele - A Visual History" to create a leopard-skin pattern design for my very own Fluke. I then brought it with me to a Ukulele Workship at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, where I actually met the folks who make the Fluke ukes, and they told me they had been thinking about doing the very same thing! So, in addition to the Leopard Fluke, I also created an Abstract Fluke with a design of intersecting triangles for them, and those two designs were included in the very first generation of painted Flukes!

The tops I make are created with hand-cut stencils and spray paint, which, oddly enough, is a technique I first developed when I lived in downtown Los Angeles and made graffiti pieces based on famous art masterpieces! This method allows me to make multiples quickly in bright flat colors, and, once a design is completed, I make tracings of each color and transfer it to an oil board, which I then cut out with an X-acto knife. Then, the final image is built up in layers as each color is sprayed on, similar, in a way, to a silkscreen print.

I guess what initially attracted me to painting the Fluke was being able to play a ukulele with my own artwork on it. I also love the challenge of designing a figure or landscape to fit on the unique Fluke shape -- as well as the simplification required to create stencils from a natural pattern (eg, pineapple or bark). And, to top it all off, I can even display the Fluke as a kind of painted sculpture, too, because it stands up all by itself!"

You can see more of Chris's fantastic Flukes, and you can even buy one, too, by clicking right here to visit his Fluke-tastic website!•

The Buller Fluke

2007-05-01T10:00:00.002-04:00

This is a beautiful custom-painted Fluke ukulele by reknowned children's book author and illustrator, Jon Buller, who writes:

I ordered a tenor Fluke ukulele by phone a few weeks ago, and when I mentioned that I intended to paint it, they offered to send the top separately. This made the painting a lot easier!
I started with a Blueberry Fluke top, which I roughed up a little bit with #600 sandpaper to provide a surface that the paint would adhere to. Then I applied a few coats of acrylic white gesso, followed by a few coats of acrylic metallic gold paint, and, finally, some acrylic black for the linework. I went over all this with a few coats of Stewart MacDonald Colortone Aerosol Guitar Lacquer in a clear satin finish, and then I sent it back to be attached to the body of the instrument."

Visit Jon's charming website, bullersooz.com, for more info about this custom ukulele, and to see Jon's marvelous children's books. •

The Celtic Fluke

2007-05-01T09:30:00.003-04:00

Here is the legendary original Green Celtic Fluke, with its beautiful Celtic Knot designs. This special limited-edition Fluke was designed by Dan Frank for Maude's Music, and only 20 were ever produced to commemorate the very first International Ukulele Ceilidh (say: "KAY-lee"), which was a big ukulele music festival held in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada, in October of 2005. (In case you were wondering, the last one of these that sold on eBay went for $255!)

And, in the other pic, we see the brand-new Natural Celtic Fluke with the same beautiful celtic knot design, but now it's been lasered on to the surface of this beautiful limited-edition ukulele! •

(NOTE: If you prefer the Flea to the Fluke, good news, there's also a Celtic Flea, too, as seen on our Flea Museum webpage!)

The Cigar Box Fluke

2007-05-01T09:15:00.002-04:00

English luthier (don't worry, it's just a fancy-schmancy word for guitar-maker), Chickenbone John, has come up with his own unique hand-made version of the world-famous Fluke ukelele that's sure to be a hit with all the squares in our audience... the Cigar Box Fluke!

So, if you've always wanted to get a Fluke ukulele, but you find yourself thinking that they're just not square enough, then this must be the Fluke for you! Here's what John said when we asked him to tell us all about it:

Definitely not a bodged-together affair, but a properly crafted ukulele, the Cigar Box Fluke is made by my own fair hand. It features a maple/oak neck and mahogany fretboard with fine nickel silver frets and inlaid position dots with a very cool-looking Fluke-style headstock with cream button friction tuners, a bone nut and Martin strings. The body is a solid Henri Wintermans Spanish Cedar cigar box with Deco-style sound-holes and a mahogany bridge with a nickel silver saddle. I've left the truly grisly Health Warning sticker on the back, so it's up to you whether you want to peel it off or not. The Cigar Box Fluke is also equipped with a simple passive piezo pickup for a straightforward amplified sound, and you could put it through a regular guitar preamp or graphic EQ to smooth out the sound if you want to get fancy."

So, if you think the ultra-hip, but also ultra-square, Cigar Box Fluke uke is the one for you, visit Chickenbone John's Blues Parlor for more info! •

The Donovan Fluke

2007-05-01T08:30:00.003-04:00

Well, we're not sure if this one qualifies as a true "custom Fluke," but, come on, how cool would it be to have your very own Fluke ukulele autographed by legendary psychedelic hippie folk-singing icon Donovan himself?

At a recent music festival, John Graziano played a few bars of Mellow Yellow on his Fluke for Donovan, who then returned the favor and drew a “Flukedelic” scene on his Fluke for him! •

The Flukester

2007-05-01T07:30:00.002-04:00

OK, since it's no longer play-able, this one's not really a "custom Fluke," per se, but we thought it was so charming and delightful that it definitely deserved a place here, anyhow!

Based on a Fluke ukulele, "The Flukester" is a wonderful, whimsical sculpture by "Carvin' Marvin" Beloff, who's a sculptor, author, and proprietor of the International Wooden Bow Tie Club, too! •

The Flukoa Fluke

2007-05-01T07:00:00.006-04:00

Here we have a beautiful custom Koa Fluke by artist Mark Roberts, who says:

I borrowed a concert Fluke ukulele off the wall at Artichoke Music here in Portland (Oregon), and fell in love with the sound. So, I called up the folks who make the Fluke and asked if I could do a custom tenor Koa Fluke, with me providing all the customized components, and them doing the assembly and setup.
I wanted it to be unique, so I designed, cut, and reinforced the hibiscus flower sound hole. Then I got some ebony and custom-made the bridge, inlaid it with Paua mother of pearl dots, and made the Corian “wing style” bridge nut and saddle. I sent those parts off to the manufacturer, and they finished it for me with a custom rosewood fretboard on a walnut neck.
I call her my 'Flukoa,' and she sounds just as sweet as she looks."

You can read a lot more about this fantastic Fluke by clicking right here. •

The Go-Go Fluke

2007-05-01T06:45:00.007-04:00

When punk-girl ukulele-ist "Adelle The Great" of Wayne County, NY, wrote in to show us some pics of her custom Fluke, and timidly asked if it was "museum-worthy," we enthusiastically assured her that it certainly is, and, when we asked her to tell us more, this is what she wrote:

I like to refer to my fluke as the "Go-Go-Adelle Fluke"... sorta like the cry "Go, Go, Gadget Arms!" in the Inspector Gadget movie. It's a tenor with a mahogany fretboard, and it was a gift from my best friend, Deach. He worked with the Fluke company and they helped him design it.

Deach is a ukulele enthusiast to say the least, and I am lucky enough to call him my best friend. He not only plays himself, but has donated many ukuleles to various players around the world, as well as making mass donations to schools & other childrens' groups, too. He is a regular at the forums on UkuleleUnderground.com, and his excellent YouTube channel can be found here.

Here's a quote from Deach about the design process: "I worked very closely with the Fluke company's graphics team on the design. First, I sent them the image of the skull that I wanted to use, and I told them what I was looking for. Then, they sent me a couple of mock-ups to choose from, and, once I decided on the final layout, a Fluke-sized graphic was printed up and placed on a Fluke top, and it was sealed with clear-coat, and assembled."

I really looove my Fluke. There's a video of me opening it here (Deach asked me to film it) but there's a little bit of bad language in it, 'cause I was just a wee bit excited at the time. That link will also direct you to my Youtube channel, too, so check it out sometime.

At first, I wouldn't let anyone else play it. It's one of the very few times in your life when you're being greedy, and someone says, "What?! Does it have your name on it?" and you can reply with, "Well, yes, actually, as a matter of fact, it DOES! Hah!"

The design totally rocks, and, you have to look very carefully, but my name is repeated on there in black-on-black, too. Unfortunately, it doesn't show up too well in the photos, but it's there and it just looks really great in person!!

As you can tell, I'm just not at all a "unicorns-and-glitter" kinda girl, and Deach and the Fluke Company did an excellent job of designing something that is just totally me. I always hoped I'd have a grandchild named after me someday... and I think this pretty much guarantees it. This fluke shall be passed on." •

The Humuhumu Fluke

2007-05-01T06:00:00.006-04:00

This is the gorgeous custom Humuhumu Fluke that was specially custom-painted for Mike Ballen, who writes:

I really wanted my Fluke to be a one-of-a-kind custom ukulele, and to reflect that laid-back island feeling I get whenever I play. Since the tenor Fluke is already sort of fish-head shaped, I asked local artist Arthur Decker to paint it like the legendary Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (What?) which is the official State Fish of Hawaii. I feel his painting is truly spectacular, and I feel happy whenever I look at and play my Humuhumu Fluke."

If you'd like to have artist Arthur Decker custom paint a Fluke (or Flea) for you, too (with a fish or whatever else your little heart desires), give him a call any evening at: (831) 726-9564 •

The Kazoo Fluke

2007-05-01T05:30:00.005-04:00

This weird thing is a "Kazoo-kulele," which is really just a customized Poi-ple Fluke uke with a kazoo stuck on the side, and, believe it or not, it's actually available from The Vintage Fret Shop, a music store in Ashland, NH, for $149 bucks!

Unless, of course, they're pulling our leg, and this "custom" ukulele is just some sort of April Fools' Day type of prank, like the Sand Flea, as seen on our Flea Museum webpage! Who knows?

You should definitely let us know if you buy one of these, though. We promise not to laugh... really! •

The Koi Fluke

2007-05-01T05:00:00.003-04:00

Here we have a beautiful, custom Koi Fluke ukulele belonging to Jay Sztuk, that was painted for him by his daughter Della, who writes:

We were living in Japan when my dad got a Fluke ukulele, and I had been doing a lot of tattoo-inspired artwork at the time (since I was too young to get a real tattoo), so we decided to "tag" his Fluke with a little Koi fish. It was done in acrylic paint, with a few coats of clear spray paint over the top to protect it. Nowadays, I still paint when I have the time, but professionally, I'm a cake decorator for a bakery that does very special custom cakes in Maryland." •

The Quick-fix Custom Fluke

2007-05-01T03:00:00.005-04:00

So, you say you wish you had a custom Fluke, but you can't do it yourself, and you just don't have the big bucks to have someone customize one specially for you? Well, here's a quick and affordable custom ukulele option brought to you courtesy of MusicGuyMic, the well-known and much-beloved ukulele dealer.

You see, Mike carries some beautiful multi-color replacement friction tuning pegs made by Lucy's Ukulele that can make any uke look mighty groovy, but the secret is that if you're a Fluke owner and you ask him real nicely, he'll split up a multi-color set for you and send you a set that's all one color, and you can easily make the switch on your Fluke in about ten minutes!

Just imagine how cool your Mango Fluke is gonna look with a set of all-Orange tuning pegs! Or, how about a set of all-Blue pegs for that Blueberry Fluke- wouldn't that look special? And, dude, you have just got to put a set of all-Red pegs on that smokin' hot Flame Fluke!

In fact, my very own Green Celtic Fluke (shown here) now has a set of all-Green tuners, plus a set of Crystal Green KoAloha strings (which Mike sells, too), and it just looks amazing! Of course, now my wife calls it "Kermit The Ukulele" but that's her problem, I love it!! (sigh) It's not easy being green! •

The Spalted Curly Mango Fluke

2007-05-01T02:30:00.004-04:00

Everybody's favorite eBay ukulele dealer, MusicGuyMic, is proud to announce the arrival of his very own custom limited-edition Fluke ukulele, the Spalted Curly Mango Tenor Electric Fluke, or S.Cu.M.T.E.F., as we like to call it!

Produced in a limited edition of only ten, count 'em, ten, custom ukuleles, each one has a gorgeous solid top made from an incredible one-of-a-kind piece of spalted curly mango wood.

What the heck does "spalted" mean, you may wonder? Well, we did too, and it turns out that it means: "a disharmonious or antagonistic interaction between two fungal mycelia of the same species." Huh? Well, to make a very long story short, in the case of woods used for instrument-making, this is a very good thing, because the end result of all those teeny-tiny little fungi fighting it out with each other is that the wood is left with incredibly beautiful patterns and grains and swirls that are almost psychedelic-looking, like a head-shop poster, only made out of wood!

These ukuleles are tenor-sized with a rosewood neck and the newest B-band pickup system, and they will come with Aquila strings as a standard option. Plus, you'll also get a free gigbag and a hardshell case, and, to top it all off, the shipping on these babies is free, too!

So, remember, there's only ten of these available, and when they're gone, they're gone, so, if you're thinking of treating yourself or a loved one to, like, the best present in the whole world ever, you'd better grab one fast! As always, click the pic to see it bigger, and be sure to visit MusicGuyMic's terrific website if you want one, and, hey, let's face it, who wouldn't? Besides, like all Fluke ukuleles, they're "Made In The USA," so if you don't buy one, the terrorists win! •

The Tattoo Fluke

2007-05-01T02:00:00.005-04:00

Here is a one-of-a-kind custom-painted Tattoo Fluke commissioned as a Christmas present for Paul Yarnold by his loving wife! (Jealous? Me, too!)

This incredible custom ukulele was painted freehand using One-Shot Lettering Enamel by famed tattoo artist Hubba of the Seattle Tattoo Emporium, and if you'd like him to custom paint a unique tattoo-style graphic on a Fluke (or Flea) ukulele for you, too, just send him an email!

Of course, this is the sort of Fluke tattoo we'd really like to see on somebody... any volunteers? •

The Tribal Fluke

2007-05-01T01:30:00.002-04:00

Here is the legendary limited-edition Tribal Fluke by artist John Gonzalez. Apparently, he was doing them for the public at one time, but, after a rather short run, his tribalukes.com website shut down in 2005, and now, sadly, they're no longer available.

When we asked him to tell us about it, John replied:

I had just started to learn to play the ukulele on a Hibiscus Fluke that I loved, and at some point I thought it would be really cool to paint some sort of designs on the soundboard. Since I had some experience with painting guitars and working with an airbrush as a graphic artist, I wondered if I could paint and sell some customized "tribal" Flukes.
     So, I called the manufacturer and spoke with them about the idea, and, after some persuasion on my part, we reached a great agreement, whereby they would send me the unfinished soundboards, which I would prep and paint and send back to them for assembly. Then I would buy those assembled custom Flukes and Fleas back from them and sell them on my tribalukes.com website.
     They sold quite well for a while, but eventually it became clear that Fluke ukes with hand-painted tribal designs was really only a "niche" market, and eventually it became harder and harder to make it worth my while to go on painting them.
     Since then, I've gone through a handful of different ukuleles, and after being Fluke-less for over 3 years, I am happy to report that I've come full circle and now play exclusively on a Tenor Fluke! I only wish I had kept one of those Tribal Ukes for myself. Hmmm... now, where did I put that airbrush?"

So, if you're one of the very lucky few who got to own one of these very rare custom Fluke ukuleles, then you've got a true collector's item there! •

Visit The Flea Museum, Too!

2007-05-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

We hope you've enjoyed your visit to The Fluke Museum, and we encourage you to visit our sister-site, The Flea Museum, where you'll find all the info you could ever want or need about the other "best-little-ukulele-in-the-whole-darn-world," the fabulous Flea!

Check it out, we guarantee you're gonna love it! •