YAST: Guitalele/guilele Aquila reds?

Jim Hanks

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Yet another string thread..

With all the Aquila string threads lately, I can't find any talk of the guilele reds. These:
https://www.amazon.com/Aquila-Guilele-Strings-Guitarlele-133c/dp/B01M9DT28L

These are designed for "A to a" tuning on 17" scale so would probably work for "G to g" (Terz) tuning on 19" scale. Has anybody tried either? Is it all unwound? My google-fu is coming up empty.

The new unwound red DG baritone strings presents another interesting opportunity - to put together an all unwound kiku or EFS tuning on 19" scale. I'm sure nobody has tried that since those strings haven't been released yet. I don't even have a guilele but I'm intrigued by the possibilities.
 
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Saw that. Nope, that is for "E to e", isn't the reds and thus has lots of wound strings in the mix. If I did "E to e" it would be one of the reentrant forms, using one of the Southcoast sets made for that purpose (but that has up to 4 wounds) or maybe use the new reds for 5 and 6 along with an unwound dGBE set.

I was just thinking the reds set might be another pre-packaged option instead of going the classical guitar nylon route as again, that has lots of wound strings in the mix.
 
If you are looking at a 17" guitalele tuned ADGCEA, then what I did to try some reds, is to use an Aquila REDS tenor string set (re-entrant) CEA strings and then supplement the lower ADG strings with those from a classical guitar set, and in this case, the 6th-5th-4th strings from the Thomastik-Infeld CF127 set which are 0.045", 0.035" and 0.030" respectively. Most any standard classical guitar strings of those gauges will work and have the correct amount of tension along with the REDS for tenor since it's the same 17" scale and 4 of the strings are in the same tuning.
 
So many options, so little time. Yeah, I get what you're saying B-man, but not at all what I'm aiming at. :D

I'm looking at 19" scale options. The 133C set is designed for ADGCEA on 17" scale, so I figure it would be good for GCFBbDG (Terz) on 19" scale.

I'll give this thread a day or so and if no one else has tried it, I'll probably order a set and put 4 strings on my Rogue baritone just to see what happens.

Hmm, it just now strikes me that the bottom four would probably also work as an octave baritone set, I.e GCEA starting at G2. I don't think I'd have much use for a pure fourths tuning (GCFBb) but low GCEA could have some use. Hmmmmmm.
 
The strings came in, but I don't have time to put them on tonight. I'm a little disappointed already though, as they are only half reds. The 3 bass strings I'm assuming are wound nylon (?) while the 3 trebles are reds.

RnyKxYp.jpg


I'll still try to string it up as an octave down GCEA, but that'll be 3 wounds and a red. Not what I thought I was getting, but oh well.
 
Ciao,
Hi,
you believed that this set is made all reds....I would like to explain that my video of the baritone with 3 &4 reds was just an experiment (it is clear in the video). Actually I have said nothing concerning the Guilele and there is not realtionship betweeen this experiment with the Baritone and the Guilele. Actually it is impossible to have a guilele all reds: there are thecnical limits on the 5,6 bass strings that is related to some parameters such as the inharmonicity index, the breacking index etc etc..... that i cannot explain here because it is too complex.

I would like to be sure that you guys are not unhappy for things that are just experiments and still not in the market. The set you bought is a set designed for a Guilele of 17 inches, A tuning with the upper three strings reds. There is not indications/explanations that all the strings are reds.
You want to install this guilele strings in another kind of instrument? Good things but...... take this operation with a grain of salt. If you have a feet of 36 of length you must employ a shoe suitable for 36. This is the balance. In your case you have 'a feet' 38 but you want to try a shoe 36 . Yeah, the strings for every kind of instrument are calculated following a lot of parameters and all this is very complicate. Havig a feet 36 one must have a shoe of 36, not 35.5, nor 36.6. in conclusion you are right to do the experiment (experiments are always welcome) but please remember that this set was designed for that 'feet', no another one.
Take care
Mimmo
 
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Hi Mimmo. Thanks for the reply. I understand what you are saying. It was my misunderstanding about the "all reds". It's all good. :)

I understand I'm using the strings outside their intended purpose, trying something they weren't designed for. I like to experiment too. Even if this is a total fail for this particular instrument, it will have been $10 well spent.

By the way, I do hope your baritone 3&4 reds experiment comes to market. It looked like a success from the one video posted, and could have a number of uses beyond it's designed purpose. :)
 
Ciao,
Hi,
you believed that this set is made all reds....I would like to explain that my video of the baritone with 3 &4 reds was just an experiment (it is clear in the video). Actually I have said nothing concerning the Guilele and there is not realtionship betweeen this experiment with the Baritone and the Guilele. Actually it is impossible to have a guilele all reds: there are thecnical limits on the 5,6 bass strings that is related to some parameters such as the inharmonicity index, the breacking index etc etc..... that i cannot explain here because it is too complex.

I would like to be sure that you guys are not unhappy for things that are just experiments and still not in the market. The set you bought is a set designed for a Guilele of 17 inches, A tuning with the upper three strings reds. There is not indications/explanations that all the strings are reds.
You want to install this guilele strings in another kind of instrument? Good things but...... take this operation with a grain of salt. If you have a feet of 36 of length you must employ a shoe suitable for 36. This is the balance. In your case you have 'a feet' 38 but you want to try a shoe 36 . Yeah, the strings for every kind of instrument are calculated following a lot of parameters and all this is very complicate. Havig a feet 36 one must have a shoe of 36, not 35.5, nor 36.6. in conclusion you are right to do the experiment (experiments are always welcome) but please remember that this set was designed for that 'feet', no another one.
Take care
Mimmo


FEEDBACK To Mimmo

FOUND an amazing new sound for Guitele and love for the instrument by accident

Bought the HIGH E tuning guitele strings from Aquila and put on my Kala spruce top guitelele
tension and sound and playability is wonderful EXCEPT the high E (1) broke and snapped after a few strumms ....need to look at this. Maybe a problem.

so I was mad and upset but then put a A string from my regular Aquilla A tuning set and I was able to tune it to E but an
octave lower of course.

I strummed the thing and was amazed at the sound...it was so bueatiful.....and so pleasingly different....going to keep it that way now.
love the sound, Its a REVERSE RE-entrant e tuning can play with my uke group and use regular e guitar chording, no transposition.

( maybe you can do a set with Hi E .....low E)
 
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Quick report : I just got the bottom 4 strings installed on the Rogue as low GCEA so it is the 3 wounds and 1 red. I'll try to do a sound sample video in the next day or two after the strings stretch/settle a bit, but so far, I can report that they totally work in this configuration! The tension isn't super high so I'm sure it could go up to the F-Bb needed for Terz. It would also be fine down a half step or maybe two as a low tension option.

Tone-wise on the Rogue, I'll reserve final judgement, but first impression is that it isn't bad picked but strumming is kinda muddy. (Probably that describes the Rogue in general.) I'm sure the guitalele configuration would benefit from the two higher reds to balance out the three wounds.

More later
 
Is the Rogue you mentioned a baritone (the $39 one from Musicians Friend/Guitar Center)?

or is there a Rogue Guilele involved here?

I am confused.
 
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