Transitioning from Uke to Guitar? What to buy? What to do?

Hi All,

Been a while since I've posted here. I've been playing the uke now, self taught, for almost 3 years. I am thinking of making a transition into picking up the guitar. I really love my ukes but I find sometimes because of the limited octave range, that a guitar might be fun to pick up for more songs. Mostly in the folk genre.

I was thinking of buying a Yamaha Jr1, a 3/4 size guitar. I know the JRS are for kids but I like the size and I'm used to small from playing the uke. I don't have any problems working my soprano uke.

Wanted to get some advice on what to do. How to transition into the guitar from uke. Though this was a good place to post.

Thanks

The Little Martins are pretty nice, easy to handle & reasonably priced, if a bit more than the Yamaha. Another good choice is the Taylor GS Mini (I have one, it's a Jumbo shape in a smaller size, has a solid top & laminated sides & back) and some other folks have told me that the Luna guitars are nice for the money, too.

Of course, the best way is to handle a few different ones.

Good luck in your new adventure!
bobinleipsic

any desire to try a guitalele?

I was looking for a small guitar and considered getting a JR1 but the scale length is too short for me.
I've never played a low end Yamaha but they all seem to get pretty good reviews.

The A&L Ami, made in Quebec are nice little guitars, very reasonably priced. Dan Walsh (in the photo on the left) told me that he paid as much for the pick-up as for the guitar. I think they can be found for under $300. Available in steel or nylon strings.

http://www.artandlutherieguitars.com/ami.htm

Taylor GS-Mini is something you should definitely check out. Smaller size but sounds huge. Solid tops and laminate sides and back. Price is great. I sold my Taylor 414CE years ago when I got into uke and never played my guitars. I recently got a GS-Mini as a gift and I'm glad I have one back to noodle around on. I can't believe how big the sound is for an instrument that is 3/4 the size of a full guitar. You can't go wrong with Taylor. Great craftsmanship for sure.

hippowong said:

Hi All,

Been a while since I've posted here. I've been playing the uke now, self taught, for almost 3 years. I am thinking of making a transition into picking up the guitar. I really love my ukes but I find sometimes because of the limited octave range, that a guitar might be fun to pick up for more songs. Mostly in the folk genre.

I was thinking of buying a Yamaha Jr1, a 3/4 size guitar. I know the JRS are for kids but I like the size and I'm used to small from playing the uke. I don't have any problems working my soprano uke.

Wanted to get some advice on what to do. How to transition into the guitar from uke. Though this was a good place to post.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Have you considered a tenor guitar? i went from 6-string guitar to mandolin to tenor guitar to tenor banjo to ukuleke. The tenor guitar is a great crossover instrument which fits well in the fok genre.

Faced with the same situation, I elected to approach it as though I was looking for a guitar to learn with as opposed to a guitar to transition to from a ukulele. A "mom and pop" guitar store pointed me toward the 000 size guitars because of my interest in '60s Folk and my body size. (They watched me strum a dread, 000 and a parlor before suggesting the 000 size for me) Ended up with a Recording King R0-10 for under $400.

Have you considered baritone ukulele? Rick Turner also just made an even larger Octave ukulele (check out Gryphon Strings) that is very cool. Playing guitar feels like holding an elephant to me after three years of ukulele. Good luck!

I just got a JR-2 a couple of weeks ago and it is a good little guitar for what it is, an inexpensive solid top over laminate. I wanted it specifically for the scale length at 21 1/4 for practice and hopefully some day travel. The GS Mini was too close to a full scale for me, though it has a great rep. I am currently GASsing looking for my keeper acoustic player (I found the electric keeper, a Peavey T-30).

I got the JR-2 for the solid spruce top and I wanted a tobacco burst finish. It is cheap and looks it as far as the quality of finish, but I got it for $140 new shipped from Austin Bazaar on eBay and it was perfectly set up right out of the box and has good intonation, and the neck and fretboard have a very nice feel. I was pleasantly surprised! After the strings settled in it sounds pretty good, nothing like my Tacoma Papoose (19" scale all solid cedar over mahogany) or a full size but it is very pleasant and is a good little practice guitar if you don't have big hands. It also has a nice body fit for a smaller person, no contortions necessary for me to hold and play it so it's really comfortable. If transitioning from uke it could be a very good start. Then if guitar "sticks" it is still a good travel guitar and you could move up to a nicer all solid or a Taylor GS Mini etc. If money and scale length aren't a limitation then the GS Mini should be a nice starter guitar. I have not played one myself however but was considering one. I just bought another Tacoma, a spruce topped solid 'hog back and sides parlor sized model for the smaller body size. I also have a Tacoma Chief and bought a DM-18 for my husband, but the dreadnaught size is hard for me to get around the body.

What I like about the Yamaha is that the size is perfect for me to learn something on in front of my computer, then when I have it down I can (potentially) transition over to the full size, even though I don't have much reach on the longer scale. The more I stretch on the 21 inch scale the more I can stretch to reach on the full size, even if just small increments. What I especially like is that it is a steel string and ultimately that was the sound I had been searching for, as I have enough nylon and flouro on my ukes. I sold my classical because I wanted a narrower fretboard and steel strings. The fretboard is a hair over 1 5/8 at the nut, my full size acoustics are all 1 3/4.

I am happy having guitars back in my stable, I can always play uke chords on the top four strings and I am not limited if there is a song I want to try for which I can only find tabs or chords for guitar. This is something I want to do for fun, so I am thoroughly enjoying the guitars without huge expectations.

I would note that if you want volume, clarity and great separation of notes and deep bass response, you'll want a bigger bodied guitar. This will sound muddy in comparison though it is a nice little fingerpicker. If you just want to get your feet wet this is a great starter in my opinion. If you want an even shorter scale and steel strings, look for a Tacoma Papoose, I think there may still be one on eBay right now. They are a rare animal but are undervalued for the quality.

I wouldn't worry about size. It's a different instrument, treat it as such.

Like any instrument, try to get into a shop and play a few, see what feels good.

If you have any favourite artists, maybe have a look into what they play. You won't be able to afford the same gear, but it can give you an idea of the sound you like and where to start.

I see the Art & Luterie Ami has been recommended already; it's a great guitar, particularly for fingerstyle. I have it's slightly better cousin, the Seagull Grand. For a few bucks more you get a slightly fuller sound.

If you have a choppy, heavy plectrum technique, you might want to look elsewhere. I can't speak to tuning stability on the Ami, but it's quite good on the Grand as long as I stick to fingerstyle.

If you want a scale smaller than 24" I have been investigating the Composite Acoustics Cargo. Carbon fiber, sold as a travel size with a 22.75 inch scale, a bit over 13" on the lower bout, big ergonomic cutaway, also a big guitar sound especially in the base. Has the clarity and separation of CF. You can checkout the videos that MacNichol Guitar has posted, they are pretty great and the guitar has a solid fan base. It's a steel string but people have put silk and steel on and liked it. I have several steel strings and one vintage that was supposed to be able to carry them but can't, I put Martin silk and phosphor bronze strings on and it's softer but still sounds way better than nylon and is much less tension on the neck. Easier on fingers as well.

A great way to transition is the tenor guitar, which was mentioned already. With the larger than uke but smaller than guitar scale (23 inch), it might be a good way to step up and transition to the increased stretch for your fingers. With only four strings, and if you tuned DGBE, you already know the chord shapes. So that should make your transition easier, it is doing just that for me. It would give you the "acoustic guitar" sound in a vary manageable shape and size.

There is the parlor style Ibanez AVT1, which is what I have. The Blueridge BR-40 is a more traditional style, and Kala just released one as well, in a slightly shorter scale, I believe 21ish inches.

Teek said:

...I got the JR-2 for the solid spruce top...

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Neither Yamaha nor any reputable sellers of its JR2 indicate that its top is "solid" spruce. Unless the word "solid" is used by the manufacturer, you can assume the woods are layered/laminated/veneered (which could be a plus for some low-maintenance fans living in arid climates, because laminates are less needy in terms of humidification).

I'll echo those advising you to go into music shops and palpate the wee beasties. Hands-on is the ONLY way to determine what you like, what suits you. I've picked up 'identical' Taylors, same model, same setup in the same shop, and they played noticeably different -- at least, they felt and sounded different to *me*, and I was the guy playing them.

On size: consider how you're likely to play your new instrument -- sitting; foot on stool; upright, held high or low, with or without neckstrap; etc. See what feels right for you in your most likely position; some axes with deeper bellies may be unwieldy suspended from a neckstrap. How large are your hands? Find a neck thickness that's comfortable -- or challenging, if you're up to that.

I guess I'm recommending you approach the hunt without preconceptions. Try'em all -- you may be surprised by what sings to you.