Yamaha GL-1 Guitalele tuning.

P-co

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Just bought a Yamaha GL-1 which they call a guitalele but is proberly just a kids guitar rebranded to sell to uke fans like me. I thought it would be good to practice guitar skills whilst sitting on the lounge at night, like I usually do with my ukes, very Homer Simpson like.
Anyway does anyone know what to tune each of the six strings to? Shop suggested something but sounds pretty average.
 
Holdin Coffee hit the nail on the head. Congrats on the new acquisition! I would love to get my hands on one (not available in the US). It's definitely not a rebranded kids guitar...check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Oinl2kltc
 
Holdin Coffee hit the nail on the head. Congrats on the new acquisition! I would love to get my hands on one (not available in the US). It's definitely not a rebranded kids guitar...check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Oinl2kltc

He really is fantastic. His Guitalele is not stock, however. He has a preamp on the top rear bout, which means there's a pickup in there somewhere. I remember seeing a video of it being professionally setup, too, which is reasonable, seeing as he has played the Montreaux Jazz Festival.

So be prepared for your new Guitalele to sound a little different from the videos.
 
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I got a good deal. I was only going in to get one of those cheap $25 ukes for my daughter for christmas and saw the guitalele at $125. Got them both for $130 so was stoked.
Tuned it up as recommended here, thanks everyone, and been really enjoying practising my skills whilst kicking back. I still suck though.:p
 
Where would you get string sets for it?
 
The GL-1 uses regular classical guitar strings. You just cut them to size.
 
The scale of that thing is 17" from what I've read. That means regular classical guitar strings tuned to ADGCEA should result in roughly the same tension as if they were tuned to EADGBE on a 25" scale. Smart design.
 
I stand corrected. I decided to throw in the specs of a 17" scale guitar into my string tension calculator this evening and these were the results.

A 650mm scale guitar with D'Addario Pro Arte Composites at EADGBE will yield the following tensions.
  • Normal = 84.00 lbs
  • Hard = 90.25 lbs
  • Extra Hard = 93.48 lbs
A 432mm scale guitar (17" like the Guitarlele) with D'Addario Pro Arte Composites at ADGCEA will yield the following tensions. This probably makes sense since the surface area of the bridge is much smaller.
  • Normal = 66.06 lbs
  • Hard = 70.97 lbs
  • Extra Hard = 73.5 lbs
 
You can also use requinto strings. Also tuned ADGCEA.

Those could be a bit floppy on a 17" scale instrument. A normal requinto is 530mm or 21.9" in scale.

Out of curiosity, I calculated the tension for the Kala Utar which has 20.125" scale. The total tension is high with guitar strings tuned to ADGCEA.
  • Normal = 92.57 lbs <- A little under Extra-Hard tension for a regular nylon-string guitar
  • Hard = 99..46 lbs
  • Extra Hard = 103.41 lbs
 
He really is fantastic. His Guitalele is not stock, however. He has a preamp on the top rear bout, which means there's a pickup in there somewhere. I remember seeing a video of it being professionally setup, too, which is reasonable, seeing as he has played the Montreaux Jazz Festival.

So be prepared for your new Guitalele to sound a little different from the videos.

Hard to tell if he's actually plugged in, though. But check out those fingernails! Sure makes for great picking/strumming tone. Sadly, the last time my nails got even remotely that long, I ripped one while trying to start a lawn mower. That was no fun at all. Set back the playing, too. Suburbia can sure be cruel.

--Dave E.
 
But check out those fingernails! Sure makes for great picking/strumming tone.
Those look like acrylic nails.

One of my guitar teachers played jazz fingerstyle on steel-strings and used those kinds of nails. His regular nails couldn't take the abuse from practice and regular gigging. I think he told me that he went to a salon once a month to get a new set glued on and shaped. :p
 
You can use just regular classical strings for the Yammie GL-1. I do own 2 and you really have to try them before you buy it, bevause there's definitely inconsistency in the production. I'm living in Montreal, Canada so I'm lucj enough to have a whole bunch to try before buying it...and they sound and plsy different just like any mass production product.

But for the money, it's really good.....but not as much as a Koaloha D-VI or Kanile'a GL6 which is amaaaaaazing for the size!!!!

thanks
 
I'm living in Montreal, Canada so I'm lucj enough to have a whole bunch to try before buying it...and they sound and plsy different just like any mass production product.
I'm thinking one of those might make a good travel guitar. Let me know if you ever plan to sell yours.
:)
 
i recall seeing Aquila strings for Guitalele somewhere..
I would be very interested in a set, but I don't believe Aquila makes a set.
I asked Daniel Ho what he uses on his D_VI and he told me he makes a set from GCEA (low G) and Requinto (5 & 6).
I have used a complete requinto set with success, but prefer the feel and sound of the Aquillas.
The last set I put on my D-VI were Aquillas normal tension classical guitar, the jury is still out, but I believe they work well.
I also like the fact that I can buy sets of the bass (wound) strings since they seem to wear at the frets and need replacing well befor the plain strings.
 
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