Flying V Ukuleles

The Gibson Flying-V guitar shape is a design classic, so it’s not surprising that a few ukulele manufacturers have borrowed the idea. They are a bit of a gimmick and come in various eye-piercing hues.

Generally speaking, these ukes are more about the visual impact than the sound. They’re usually at the very low end of the price scale – so that’s what you’d expect anyway.

They’re also quite tricky to hold – with the natural uke-holding position resulting in a spike in the arm.

I have a Mahalo Flying V and, it has to be said, it’s a horrible ukulele. The worst I’ve ever played. I haven’t played any other brand of Flying V but based on that experience I don’t really want to.

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Vinyard Flying V Ukulele Review

This is my… $70 dollar Vineyard Instruments Flying V Ukulele!

History:
It was a cold Sunday morning… No plans. Nothing to do… Time to hit the Swap Meet! Now, on this particular day, I had not planned of picking up a ukulele. Or a stringed instrument. Or even a CD. It was truly destiny. So we’re passing by the sales. My mom, Kathleen, my 11 year old sister Brooke, and her two twin friends Rhisa and Raelene. Now after 4 hours of stopping at Every. Single. Shop. That contained even the slightest hint of the color pink, we finally got a slight move on. We pass by a little music shop. I see a tall man with a great beard playing what I thought was a little guitar. As a musician, I immediately am magnetized to this store. Almost as God sending down an Angel to someone in trouble, I look up to this tall man. He looks at me, smiles, and says “Try this out,” as he strums a final chord of his song. I take what I thought was a guitar into my hands. “Is this like a guitar?” I unknowingly asked. “It’s called a ukulele, it originated in Hawaii.” I strum it a little. I play around with my hands. As a guitar player, I figured out some melodies. I had never heard anything like this. I hear the strings, how delicate and inviting the sound is. My mom walks over. “Mom, check this out.” I had to do it. I pulled out my wallet. My money I had been saving for an Alvarez AD60SCBK Black Electric-Acoustic guitar. “How much is it?” “$70 dollars. And I’ll throw in a free guitar pick.” I am sold. I pull out 4 $20 dollar bills and ask for change. He hands me the ukulele, and I feel amazing. A sense of just overall happiness. It was just great. The entire rest of the day, I spent playing this severely out-of-tune ukulele, and I enjoyed it. I haven’t put it down yet. And have no plans to.

Overview:
Flying V style shape.
Soprano.
Condition: A little beat up.
19 Frets.
Extremely tight tuning knobs.

Sound:
To be honest, it doesn’t have the best sound quality compared to other ukes, but it’s great. I often experience a buzzing sound. 4/10.

Style:
Flying V Shape. Soprano ukulele. Auburn red/deep brown wood. 9/10.

Feeling:
I can really get into it and it’s a lot of fun. I think I’d feel this way of any uke. 10/10.

Durability:
It chips very easily and is lightweight, but I’d expect this from most sopranos. I’ve been taking good care of it though. 8/10.

Overall:
It’s my first ukulele and I’m happy with it any way it comes. It’s a great ukulele in my opinion. 8/10.

Review by Ukulele Blake.