A guitalele? What on earth is that?
The guitalele is simply a cross between a classical guitar and ukulele.
The guitalele is something that has been increasingly getting popular. One of the reasons is that the portability and size make it easy for any player to carry around.
Guitalele vs Guitar
The guitar-sized guitalele has six single strings like its larger cousin’s classical guitar.
It combines this with the smaller profile of an ukulele which makes it portable enough to travel on your back or in a small case you can carry around all day without becoming weary from lugging too much weight down every street corner (or over those cobblestones).
Like a guitar, the guitalele has six strings.
The one main difference is that it must be tuned at 4th higher than the guitar with this high-pitched sound when you only strum on four of its uppermost strings for chords; it sounds much like an ukulele does and can even take over some parts of what would normally be played by gutarists in certain songs.
Guitalele vs Ukulele
The guitalele and the ukulele are two types of string instruments that share similarities in construction.
In short, the guitalele has six nylon strings. The ukulele has four strings.
The first four strings of a are almost the same as the ukulele. What is different is that the 4th string on the ukulele (G string) is pitched up an octave.
Guitalele Reviews
Let’s take a look at the reviews of some of the best guitalele’s available along with their pros and cons.
Best Guitalele
Gretsch Acoustic-Electric Guitar-Ukulele
Often confused with a ukulele, this cutaway acoustic-electric guitalele has the fretboard note range of a standard six string while still maintaining the general feel of an ukulele.
Able to articulate full chord arrangements or any melody you’d like to play, it’s crafted out of mahogany for the most robust tone possible and finished in honey mahogany stain as well as abalone snowflake fingerboard inlays for added artistic quality.
It also includes Fishman Kula pickup/preamp system for quick plug-in use and honing your skills without disturbing anyone around you.
The pickup system is built in with the ability to adjust your sound’s EQ between tuner mode (low end) or performance mode (high end). This makes it easy to find whichever tone suits your mood or song preference while playing!
The Gretsch Acoustic-Electric Guitar-Ukulele is the best of both worlds for any guitarist looking to expand upon their skills.
Pros
Pros:
- Solid mahogany top.
- Fishman Kula preamp.
- Bone saddle.
- Abalone snowflake inlays.
- Great intonation.
- Crisp and clean tone.
Cons
Cons:
- The overall finish could be a little better.
Kala 6 String Guitarlele Satin Finish
Meet the Kala 6 String Guitarlele Satin Finish! It’s perfect for guitar-lovers on the go. This little guitarlele features a mahogany back and sides with rosewood fingerboard, chrome Grover tuners, and bone nut that will project your sweet full tones everywhere you turn into.
The guitar is very nicely finished with a satin coat.
With small fret sizes it can be difficult to keep this instrument in tune at first, just be sure to stretch the strings well or give them some filing before playing for good measure.
Compact size, light weight, and an array of tones to choose from make the Kala 6 String Guitarlele Satin Finish a great travel guitar.
If supporting small hands or being able to pack up in major traveling is your goal, this might be just what you’re looking for!
Great for if you’ve been looking for an easy-to-travel way to play your favorite music wherever you hang out.
Pros
Pros:
- Chrome grover tuners.
- Satin finish and mahogany back and sides.
- Lightweight and easy to carry.
- Great bright tone.
- Perfect for guitar and ukulele players.
- Bone nut.
Cons
Cons:
- Frets may need to be filed or polished.
Best Guitalele On A Budget
Yamaha GL1 Guitalele
Yamaha has created this perfect travel-sized instrument with its easy to use tuning system and pleasant tone. It features an all black case with nonadjustable action which means it won’t be too hard on your fingers when you get down to business.
You’d have to give a double take with this one as it just looks like a miniature guitar.
You’ll be able to perform it on your bed, at your kitchen table, or basically anywhere.
Keep in mind though that the black finish looks like it may have needed to be topped off because of how thin it has been applied.
The mellow tone lends itself to all types of players. With its close fret and string spacing helping with accuracy for players who are just starting out. And the low price means the rest of our budget doesn’t have to suffer!
Unique and easy to play, I’d say this is an overall pleaser.
Pros
Pros:
- Budget friendly.
- Spruce top.
- Easy to play.
- Take anywhere.
- Bright and clean tone.
- Warm bass tones.
Cons
Cons:
- Finish could use another coat.
- No strap buttons.
Kadence Guitalele With Equalizer and Bag
This guitalele looks great, sounds great, and it’s a perfect first guitar for anyone with ambitions of making sweet noise!
This beautiful instrument has the best sound quality in town AND it comes with an equalizer in case you’re feeling like your voice needs more than just one guitar tone – me personally? I go between deep rich tones and crystal clear ones all day long!
These guitaleles have a crisp and pleasant sound quality.
Lightweight and durable, the Kadence Guitalele is designed with die-cast machine head tuners for fast tuning, Rosewood Back for great tone quality.
The 3 band equalizer allows you to control low end buzzing sound found on lower frequencies that make this instrument an excellent choice for beginners.
There is one downside though: some people may notice slight buzzing sounds on lower ends or higher parts of the Fretboard, but this isn’t harmful to your guitar’s performance at all!
Other than that, it’s just the right instrument to start.
Pros
Pros:
- Includes a gig bag.
- Made from solid spruce.
- Lightweight and durable.
- Clean and crisp tone.
- 3 band equalizer.
- Rosewood back.
Cons
Cons:
- Slight buzzing occurs on the lower end.
Best Guitarlele Overall Value
Kmise Mini Travel Guitarlele with Gig Bag, Picks, and Strap
The Kmise Mini Travel Guitarlele comes with a gig bag, strap, and 5 guitar picks.
It’s great for beginners or advanced musicians. First, it comes with a gig bag that has an adjustable strap to make transportation easy.
The neck of the guitar fits comfortably into your hand and won’t strain you like traditional acoustic guitars do.
Made from mahogany, this instrument has pure copper closed tuners that give high quality sound for any occasion.
The smooth walnut fretboard is great for those who are just starting out with guitar strings as it does not require much pressure to produce clear notes.
The “C” shape neck gives this guitar more range of motion than others without sacrificing tone or volume.
With metal strap locks so your guitar won’t be dropped during performances.
Pros
Pros:
- Includes gig bag, strap, and 5 guitar picks.
- Comfortable “C” shaped neck.
- Smooth fretboard.
- Metal strap locks.
- Cooper tuners.
- Made from mahogany.
Cons
Cons:
- Gig bag is a tad on the short side.
Caramel Solid Mahogany Guitalele Starter Pack Bundle
The Caramel Solid Mahogany Guitalele Starter Pack Bundle is a great way to get started on building music skills and exploring the world of music!
This starter pack includes everything needed to explore guitar-like playing, including a set of strings, strap, wall hanger, and a cable. Crafted from beautiful solid mahogany wood with Walnut fretboard and bridge inlays, padded neck grip on top for comfort, excellent quality strings made out of real spun bronze complete with an EQ cable included so that it can be plugged into any amplifier or PA system soundboard.
This is truly the go-to bundle for an easy playing instrument that is portable when you need it.
With a natural look and buffalo bone nut and saddle, you will be impressed with the overall quality.
This also comes tuned to the standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning, which makes it easy to play right away especially if you are familiar with guitar chords.
Ready to strum, it’s as portable as they get and perfect for busy days (and nights).
Pros
Pros:
- Great value.
- Includes gig bag and guitar picks.
- Comes with cleaning cloth and wall hanger.
- EQ cable.
- Made from solid mahogany.
- Built-in microphone.
Cons
Cons:
- Electronics are not the best of quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Okay so we reviewed some pretty cool guitalele models. Now let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions to help even more!
What tuning is used for a Guitalele?
A guitalele is tuned to the following: ADGCEA. The top four strings tuned like a low G ukulele.
Can you play guitar chords on a Guitalele?
YES…you can play every chord your fingers are used to with guitaleles! Once you overcome how it’s tuned one octave up from what we’re accustomed to (guitars), these instruments have just as
much versatility and range for those who like playing solo or strumming along side vocals while only using four strings total.
Once you get past the whole higher-tuned thing, there’s a lot of potential in this stripped down guitar.
Guitalele players can use some of their existing knowledge to play all the chords they already know on an instrument that is more akin to a ukulele than anything else!
For example, an open E chord on guitar is an A chord on the guitalele.
Is Guitalele easier than guitar?
The guitalele is a smaller version of the ukulele with strings tuned like it’s guitar counterpart.
This gives you an instrument that can be played and strummed exactly as if one was playing on a standard guitar, but in different keys!
The guitaleles are smaller and have nylgut strings instead of steel, but they’re not for the lighthearted.
That doesn’t stop them from being fun to play though!
The guitalele is a much friendlier instrument than most guitars with nylon stringed rather than metal.
Is Guitalele good for beginners?
A guitalele is a fantastic instrument for beginners, kids or adults. Made of nylon strings with an acoustic sound that can be heard through any room in the house.
They are perfect instruments for anyone looking to get started playing music on their own time and have fun doing it!
A guitalele is a great beginner guitar for kids, and at the end of the day it’s designed to be fun!
Can a Guitalele be tuned like a guitar?
Yes you can tune a guitkeke like a guitar.
With a little tuning, you can have your own guitar-like sound with the guitalele. The strings are tuned to EADGBe like on a regular acoustic or electric guitar and they’re available for purchase separately as well!
What types of strings are used on a guitalele?
For the guitalele, any pair of classical nylon strings would work. The tension of the strings will vary based on the type of player.
Conclusion
The guitalele is a cool and unique instrument that’s worth checking out.
They combine the best of both worlds in terms of sound and playability.
The only disadvantage we can say is that it’s a limited instrument with regards to one’s ability to use it as their main sound.
Nevertheless, songwriters are artists and you can just think of the guitalele as a color of paint on the palette.
We looked at some reviews of popular models to help you make your decision easier.
We hope this article has given you some insight into the guitalele. Their popularity over the last little while surely makes sense as it really does provide you with the best of offerings based on these two established and respected instruments.
Most importantly, they are fun and bring a smile to people’s faces.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment below.
And as always, make sure to have fun with your guitar playing journey and you quest to find the best guitalele. :).
As always, we appreciate your time and thank you for reading our post!
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