MAGIC FLUKE surely is a magical company! I have a FLEA that I very much dig and would never give away. It is such a great concept! GOOD review of a very very cool bass! You are an eloquent speaker and, hey, to sneak in a 'Birdland' quote … ha!
Hello Rachel, Thanks for this excellent review of the MF Timber Bass. You mentioned that you got yours from SUS - did it come with the flatwound strings, or did you have to buy them separately? The reason I ask is that I’m thinking of getting one, but the only one they have has roundwounds, which I don’t want. So I’d have to buy the strings, and have the bass modified to take the flatwounds, and I’m wondering whether you went through the same procedure?
Thanks Dave. Mine is the fretless model and it came with the flat wounds which I wasn’t actually expecting but very glad they were on there as they really are very nice. Might be worth asking the guys at SUS whether the bass would actually need much work to change to the flat wounds as it may just be the cost of the strings themselves. I don’t think the fretted model generally ships with flat wounds but it is definitely worth asking. Hope you do manage to get one as they really are fabulous basses. 👍
Very cool cool to hear, especially knowing you helped make your uke. I am very much looking forward to seeing their “redesigned” Timber bass but I hope they don’t change it too much.
As others have mentioned, the cord is made from Kevlar ballistic nylon. It’s absurdly tough and resistant to wear, even resistant to being cut. One company a few years ago started making hiking bootlaces from the stuff and gave them a lifetime guarantee, so despite the flimsy appearance I don’t think you need worry that it will fail.
Thanks Jon, yes would now be happy with the cord. May well still add a strap button as there is an option to use a neck bolt hole and at least then I can swap straps about. Thanks for the great info.
Could you expand on the differences, please? I have a Kala Journeyman u-bass and am considering adding a 2nd bass. The Timber and Flight are at the top of the list. But I don’t know what I don’t know in order to pick my next bass.
Thanks for the WONDERFUL review of the Timber! You don't have to worry about the strength of the cord attached to the strap. It's made of an extremely strong material called KEVLAR. They make bullet proof vests from that!
Great review again thanks. Question, what are the pros and cons of flat wound and round wound strings? Is there any great benefit in changing the round wound to flat wound on the Flight mini bass and what type would be suitable? Thanks again.
Great question Malcolm. I think it is very much personal choice, many players prefer the sound of roundwounds, me personally I prefer the flatwound for both sound and playing wise but I'm originally a double bass player and so much more used to flat wound strings. I may well try flat wounds "when" I get my own Flight mini.
I have a Kala ubass with the Shadow pickup, and I found that the strap kept working the jack input loose. I finally added some Elmer’s Glue to the inside nut, which has worked so far. I much prefer, however, my Kala with the Fishman pickup, which has a separate input from the strap button. This is a minor problem, until your pickup works loose in the middle of a gig.
@@CornishCockney Although I added a little glue to the threads on the inside of the uke, a visitor to my uke club had a similar problem, but solved it differently. He applied teflon tape (like plumbers use), to the jack on the outside of the uke, then tightened the nut securely. He said this has worked for him so far. Good luck.
Hi Ronald, mine has the Shadow pickup but I haven't had an issue with this one. I have had loose jack / strap buttons on ukes. Most of the time I have managed to tighten them enough but on one, I have put superglue around the thread before tightening. Great input and advice, Thanks.
Thlanks for mentioning this issue although I'm late to the conversation. I've a new Mahalo bass (MB1), it was the only one available in the music shop and I was reluctant to buy online as I don't have much experience with bass ukes and didn't know what was a good low budget bass. I digress. My strap button is also working quite loose, has been from day one (again, lack of experience on my part to let this slide). This conversation has been helpful to me.
Thank you for this review & sound demos. I have Gold Tone Micro Bass 25 fretless - and like it a lot. The sound is "towards to upright bass", that fact pleases me a lot, even the neck shape is not ideal for my hand. Have been found me looking for this Timber Bass for a "more electrical" one... one day. Sound is the main thing for me, then almost as important is playability. Both seem to be ok - and it even looks great to my eyes ;) And the neck profile is "flatter", which absoultely is a good thing for me. But: Do you think it is too difficult to play both 25 inch and that 21+ inch version if both are fretless? I play different sizes of ukuleles and "normal big" guitar too, but the others have frets, so coping from one to other might be easier. I still would like my bass (or barres) to be fretless.
Thanks for the lovely comment. I'm often swapping between different scale fretless basses. There is normally a very short "adjustment" time but it is defintely possible to swap. It is all about the listening afterall and quite a small scale difference.
Hi Phil, acoustic and guitar amps are not really built to take the lower frequencies, so apart from the amp not making the bass sound great, you risk damaging the amp by it rattling apart - I have seen this happen with many amps in school over the years.
I've had my soprano flea for a couple of years now and absolutely love it! Beautiful sound. I do regret not having the metal frets put on but the molded frets work fine. I also used a white-out pen to put the 3/5/7/10/12 dots on the side of the neck.
Thanks for another great demo/review. Very nice Uke. Like everything except the placement of the strap. Seems like when so much quality work has been put into this instrument, a second strap button would make it so much better. Just my thoughts. Other than that, would love to have one. Thanks again. Stay safe and well.
Thanks Michael and totally agree. Apparently it's possible to get a dtrap button that actually fits into the bolt on neck hole so defintely going to get one of those.
I purchased a Flea uke about a month ago and it is lovely. It oozes quality as you said. Definitely a little pricier, but the feel and the fact that it was produced in the next state make it worth every penny. It's sitting next to me as I type :-)
I want to try the flatwounds on my Kala Journeyman U-bass. I know the Journeyman isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I have one of the early ones with a longer scale length, giving it, IMO, much better intonation up and down the neck. The flatwounds, though! Ooo, ooo, ooo! I'm going to get the correct nut from Kala and give those a try. In my spare time. Which I don't have at the moment. But one day, I will!
Will eagerly await your opinion of flatwounds on the Journeyman, I LOVE them on this and the Fanner. Know what you mean about the spare time............... 4 weeks till the school show is done - can't wait!
I have 2 tenor flukes, both with poly carbonate fretboards, 2x fleas, 1 w/ pc fretboard & 1 w/ wood fretboard. Did have a fluke SB (electric), and a fluke concert, but cave to boss lady’s demand to sell some. Regret it to this day.
Thanks Rachel, that is really nice and has great sound. The weight is intriguing and would be nice to have. Unfortunately any extra $ needs to be put away for heating oil this winter. 🤬
My older, fretted model has friction tuners which are not quite so efficient. Its powered by 2 flat cell batteries. I sometimes find that the built in strap impedes the lead fully connecting in the input, which is disappointing and somewhat annoying. They offer a left handed model for the same price as the right handed too.
A great uke Keith, I haven't tried the older version but good to hear the improvements have worked. Shall remember there is a LH version if I get asked in the future!
Great review! I have the SB solid body uke and I especially like, that with flouro strings, it doesn't have to sound like an electric guitar. Mine looks like it is most likely the exact one pictured on the MF website. I'm looking forward to getting the bass this winter when I'm in the US. The cord holding the strap is Kevlar; it will outlast me..... Anyone who can put a few stiches in leather can shorten the strap in minutes.
Thanks Alan and Thanks for the advice about the cord. I have found a great solution as there is a strap button attachedment that fits into one of the neck bolts and at least then I can use any strap. Great ukes!
May I suggest if you haven't already heard of her - Angela Lancieri who is a marvellous 12 string player. She would be great to show your pupils to expand their musical imaginations & emphasize the importance of practice & theory as the way to free to yourself as a musician. Cheers
My pleasure. And again thank you for your wonderful tutorials. Already a uke player since the 70's you have inspired me to get a bass uke and I am thoroughly enjoying learning a new string instrument. Hope you are having fun with the puppy.
MAGIC FLUKE surely is a magical company!
I have a FLEA that I very much dig and would never give away. It is such a great concept!
GOOD review of a very very cool bass! You are an eloquent speaker and, hey, to sneak in a 'Birdland' quote … ha!
Thank You for such a lovely comment. Love Birdland, one of my favs!
It sounds and looks fabulous. Thanks for the demo and review. Is the positioning of the right thumb comfortable?
Thanks Shirl and yes, very comfy for thumb.
Hello Rachel,
Thanks for this excellent review of the MF Timber Bass. You mentioned that you got yours from SUS - did it come with the flatwound strings, or did you have to buy them separately? The reason I ask is that I’m thinking of getting one, but the only one they have has roundwounds, which I don’t want. So I’d have to buy the strings, and have the bass modified to take the flatwounds, and I’m wondering whether you went through the same procedure?
Thanks Dave. Mine is the fretless model and it came with the flat wounds which I wasn’t actually expecting but very glad they were on there as they really are very nice. Might be worth asking the guys at SUS whether the bass would actually need much work to change to the flat wounds as it may just be the cost of the strings themselves. I don’t think the fretted model generally ships with flat wounds but it is definitely worth asking. Hope you do manage to get one as they really are fabulous basses. 👍
Thanks for the great review!
Speaking of fretless, have you ever done a vid on playing fretless? I'm considering a fretless one of these years.
Thanks Ian. Do you know what, I don't think I have done a video specifically about playing fretless - great suggestion!
I visited the store on a trip and brought the custom flea I worked with Dale on. Great people, great company and had them sign the back of my uke!
Very cool cool to hear, especially knowing you helped make your uke. I am very much looking forward to seeing their “redesigned” Timber bass but I hope they don’t change it too much.
As others have mentioned, the cord is made from Kevlar ballistic nylon. It’s absurdly tough and resistant to wear, even resistant to being cut. One company a few years ago started making hiking bootlaces from the stuff and gave them a lifetime guarantee, so despite the flimsy appearance I don’t think you need worry that it will fail.
Thanks Jon, yes would now be happy with the cord. May well still add a strap button as there is an option to use a neck bolt hole and at least then I can swap straps about. Thanks for the great info.
Another great review. What’s your impression of this bass compared to the Flight Mini?
Thanks! Very different compared to Flight mini, difficult to compare as it would be like apples and oranges but I do "need" the Flight too!
Could you expand on the differences, please? I have a Kala Journeyman u-bass and am considering adding a 2nd bass. The Timber and Flight are at the top of the list. But I don’t know what I don’t know in order to pick my next bass.
Thanks for the WONDERFUL review of the Timber! You don't have to worry about the strength of the cord attached to the strap. It's made of an extremely strong material called KEVLAR. They make bullet proof vests from that!
Thanks Elaine, yep, not so concerned now about the cord. Sounds unbreakable!
Great review again thanks. Question, what are the pros and cons of flat wound and round wound strings? Is there any great benefit in changing the round wound to flat wound on the Flight mini bass and what type would be suitable? Thanks again.
Great question Malcolm. I think it is very much personal choice, many players prefer the sound of roundwounds, me personally I prefer the flatwound for both sound and playing wise but I'm originally a double bass player and so much more used to flat wound strings. I may well try flat wounds "when" I get my own Flight mini.
Looks stunning, sounds fab too. Goes on the wish list xx
Totally agree Sha, proper tidy bass! Hope you are still on the mend. xx
Thanks for sharing this Fluke. It’s pretty nice.
TBH, I've wanted one of these for years, they really are awesome basses, just so nice to play!
I have a Kala ubass with the Shadow pickup, and I found that the strap kept working the jack input loose. I finally added some Elmer’s Glue to the inside nut, which has worked so far. I much prefer, however, my Kala with the Fishman pickup, which has a separate input from the strap button. This is a minor problem, until your pickup works loose in the middle of a gig.
Tell me about the strap button. Mine does the same.
@@CornishCockney Although I added a little glue to the threads on the inside of the uke, a visitor to my uke club had a similar problem, but solved it differently. He applied teflon tape (like plumbers use), to the jack on the outside of the uke, then tightened the nut securely. He said this has worked for him so far. Good luck.
Hi Ronald, mine has the Shadow pickup but I haven't had an issue with this one. I have had loose jack / strap buttons on ukes. Most of the time I have managed to tighten them enough but on one, I have put superglue around the thread before tightening. Great input and advice, Thanks.
Thlanks for mentioning this issue although I'm late to the conversation. I've a new Mahalo bass (MB1), it was the only one available in the music shop and I was reluctant to buy online as I don't have much experience with bass ukes and didn't know what was a good low budget bass. I digress. My strap button is also working quite loose, has been from day one (again, lack of experience on my part to let this slide). This conversation has been helpful to me.
Wow sounds so good! Your demo makes me feel like I’m at a speakeasy enjoying some whisky ❤❤❤ looking forward to the next video.
Loved you comment Maria, Thanks.
Thank you for this review & sound demos. I have Gold Tone Micro Bass 25 fretless - and like it a lot. The sound is "towards to upright bass", that fact pleases me a lot, even the neck shape is not ideal for my hand. Have been found me looking for this Timber Bass for a "more electrical" one... one day. Sound is the main thing for me, then almost as important is playability. Both seem to be ok - and it even looks great to my eyes ;) And the neck profile is "flatter", which absoultely is a good thing for me. But: Do you think it is too difficult to play both 25 inch and that 21+ inch version if both are fretless? I play different sizes of ukuleles and "normal big" guitar too, but the others have frets, so coping from one to other might be easier. I still would like my bass (or barres) to be fretless.
Thanks for the lovely comment. I'm often swapping between different scale fretless basses. There is normally a very short "adjustment" time but it is defintely possible to swap. It is all about the listening afterall and quite a small scale difference.
could you explain more about why you should not use an acoustic amp for a bass please?
Hi Phil, acoustic and guitar amps are not really built to take the lower frequencies, so apart from the amp not making the bass sound great, you risk damaging the amp by it rattling apart - I have seen this happen with many amps in school over the years.
I've had my soprano flea for a couple of years now and absolutely love it! Beautiful sound. I do regret not having the metal frets put on but the molded frets work fine. I also used a white-out pen to put the 3/5/7/10/12 dots on the side of the neck.
Definitely want a Flea one day, glad you love yours.
Thanks for another great demo/review. Very nice Uke. Like everything except the placement of the strap. Seems like when so much quality work has been put into this instrument, a second strap button would make it so much better. Just my thoughts. Other than that, would love to have one. Thanks again. Stay safe and well.
Thanks Michael and totally agree. Apparently it's possible to get a dtrap button that actually fits into the bolt on neck hole so defintely going to get one of those.
I purchased a Flea uke about a month ago and it is lovely. It oozes quality as you said. Definitely a little pricier, but the feel and the fact that it was produced in the next state make it worth every penny.
It's sitting next to me as I type :-)
definitely want a Flea so Thank You for such a positive ad for it.
Great review and awesome sound demo
Thank you kindly Peter.
I want to try the flatwounds on my Kala Journeyman U-bass. I know the Journeyman isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I have one of the early ones with a longer scale length, giving it, IMO, much better intonation up and down the neck. The flatwounds, though! Ooo, ooo, ooo! I'm going to get the correct nut from Kala and give those a try. In my spare time. Which I don't have at the moment. But one day, I will!
Will eagerly await your opinion of flatwounds on the Journeyman, I LOVE them on this and the Fanner. Know what you mean about the spare time............... 4 weeks till the school show is done - can't wait!
I have four fluke uses. Love them.
Wow, nice one. What have you got? I really want a Flea and maybe a fretted Timber, I will see what the new designs are like. 👍
I have 2 tenor flukes, both with poly carbonate fretboards, 2x fleas, 1 w/ pc fretboard & 1 w/ wood fretboard. Did have a fluke SB (electric), and a fluke concert, but cave to boss lady’s demand to sell some. Regret it to this day.
@@vincewhite5087 Shame you lost the SB but you still have a nice collection.
Thanks Rachel, that is really nice and has great sound. The weight is intriguing and would be nice to have. Unfortunately any extra $ needs to be put away for heating oil this winter. 🤬
Glad you enjoyed Loree, it really is great and very, VERY light! Stay safe and WARM, we are the ssme here.
My older, fretted model has friction tuners which are not quite so efficient. Its powered by 2 flat cell batteries. I sometimes find that the built in strap impedes the lead fully connecting in the input, which is disappointing and somewhat annoying. They offer a left handed model for the same price as the right handed too.
A great uke Keith, I haven't tried the older version but good to hear the improvements have worked. Shall remember there is a LH version if I get asked in the future!
@@UkuleleWales Mark Pugh at Stones Music is your man.
@@CornishCockney Yes, spoken to Mark about these - great guys.
Sounds great !
It does for sure!
Great review! I have the SB solid body uke and I especially like, that with flouro strings, it doesn't have to sound like an electric guitar. Mine looks like it is most likely the exact one pictured on the MF website. I'm looking forward to getting the bass this winter when I'm in the US. The cord holding the strap is Kevlar; it will outlast me..... Anyone who can put a few stiches in leather can shorten the strap in minutes.
Thanks Alan and Thanks for the advice about the cord. I have found a great solution as there is a strap button attachedment that fits into one of the neck bolts and at least then I can use any strap. Great ukes!
Whoa magical
I think so too!
May I suggest if you haven't already heard of her - Angela Lancieri who is a marvellous 12 string player. She would be great to show your pupils to expand their musical imaginations & emphasize the importance of practice & theory as the way to free to yourself as a musician. Cheers
I will certainly take a look, Thanks
My pleasure. And again thank you for your wonderful tutorials. Already a uke player since the 70's you have inspired me to get a bass uke and I am thoroughly enjoying learning a new string instrument. Hope you are having fun with the puppy.
Sounds like a fence post but it’s neat lookin.
I have to say, slightly better than a fence post but glad you like the look of it.
I like to listen how you speak
Thank You
Do some Slap bass!
I do like a bit of slap although I am out of practice. This bass isn’t great for slapping though being fretless and a piezo pickup. 👍