Guitalele strings - Worth?

jgeary

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Hi everyone,
I have 2 Guitaleles (sort of). One is the Yamaha GL-1, the other is a Strunal 1/4 size classical guitar, but with a scale length of 17" and tuned ADGCEa. It's actually really cool and sounds great (a little more guitar-ish than uke-ish). Anyway - I'm experimenting with strings on the Yamaha and the Strunal. Several people have recommended D'Addario J45s or J46s (classical guitar strings). They seem a bit fat for the nut slot (I'm trying them now) - but like I said I'm still experimenting.
Has anyone tried Worth tenor (clear or brown) strings on their Guitalele? I'm thinking this would make more sense for at least the CEa strings. Or if there is a post discussing Worth strings on Guitaleles please let me know.
On a side note, our local music shop has ordered a Cordoba Guilele for me to try (when it's available in August 2011).
Thanks!
Jill
San Diego
 
I bought a set of LaBella fractional strings for a 1/4 size guitar. My D-VI is now tuned EADGBE.
Before these I was using Worth or Aquila low G and a D'addario Classical guitar 6th & 5th string (E & A)
tuned ADGCEA. I also used Labella requinto strings.
 
Hi, on my GL-1 I use Worth Clear for strings 1 and 2 (E and a) and the rest are Pro Arte EJ45C with the special composite string 3, they worked out fine for me - on my GL6 I have Worth Brown for strings 1 and 2 and again the EJ45C for the other 4 strings and again I am very happy with the results. They are both tunes to A same as yours.
 
As I've put in another post, I've used the La Bella's with the black treble strings (I forget what they are called) but they are awful, the black trebles are really dead sounding.

So I now use Pro Arte EJ43 light tension on my guitalele DVI, they sound stunning almost piano like.

-james
 
I use normal classical guitar strings for all my guitarlele....but I tend to use high tension on the basses and normal tension for the treble.

+1 on this.

I called and asked the Yamaha folks. They said it was designed to use regular classical guitar strings. The higher tuning compensates for the shorter length so the tension is about normal.
 
Thanks everyone.
What I find interesting is that most of you don't use Worth Tenor 'ukulele strings. Intuitively I would think these would be more suited to the Guitalele due to the scale length and the nut and saddle slots.... Hmm.
I have some of the D'addario EJ46 and EJ44 (Classical Guitar) strings which I'll try - they sure seem kinda thick/fat to me? By the way, does it take a long time for nylon strings to settle in? I'm trying these on my tiny 1/4 Strunal guitar (17" scale) and they've been out of tune (flat) for days!
Jill
 
yeah thats why I would go with the EJ43's. Worth strings are great but bit mellow for my DVI, its all about matching the strings to the uke. + I'd then have to buy additional base strings which to be honest I can't be bothered with money and hassle wise since EJ43's do it for me great.

The DVI is designed for regular classical guitar strings, but with all guitars its then down to a case of finding the right gauge for you and your instrument.. lighter, medium or heavier strings.
 
I asked Daniel Ho a few weeks ago about what he uses on his DVI, he said he uses the LaBella Requinto strings.

I don't know why anyone would use requinto strings on a guitalele?

Yes, they are tuned the same (AECGDA), but the sizes-scales are quite different. My requinto has 23" scale, while the guitalele only 17". You can use a set of regular classical guitar strings on the guitalele, because the smaller size makes up for the higher tuning. The requinto is also smaller than a full-size guitar, but not enough smaller to use CG strings for requinto tuning. So a requinto set uses thinner strings, to enable the 23" scale requinto to be tuned up that high. If one used requinto strings on a guitalele, however, I think they would be too floppy.
 
Hi jgeary,

The reason that Worth tenor strings are thinner than most classical guitar strings (first four in the set), is not that it is a tenor uke rather than a guitar. It is because they are flourocarbon strings, and they get the same tension with a much thinner string. If you compare your Worths with a set of nylon tenor uke strings, you will also find the Worths much thinner.

That said, since the guitalele has the same scale as a tenor uke, and tuned teh same way, I would certainly think that a set of Worth tenor (low G, of course) strings would work fine for the first four strings of the guitalele. Of coures then, you have to get other strings for strings 5 and 6, try to find a sound that blends well with the Worths, etc. (I don't know why though, some reported here using Worth on 1 and 2, and CG for the other four. Why not Worth 1-4, and CG 5 and 6?

If you try Worths on your Guitalele, please report to us how they worked out, which kind of Worths, did you use all four of them, etc., how it sounds, and what you used on 5 and 6, and how did they blend with the Worths? Thank you.

There are also classi8cal guitar string sets that are fluorocarbon rather than nylon. (At least the three trebles, the three bass strings may not be fc.) Then you would get a whole set of six strings that would work. I don't know how their sound compares with Worths though. Some brands that offer fc sets are Savarez and Oasis, I think others as well. (They are more expensive than nylon strings though.)

If you like the sound of Aquila nylgut strings on uke, you could also get a set of tenor low g aquila nylguts on striongs 1-4 of the guitalele, and find something else for 5 and 6. Or also--Aquila makes nylgut strings for classical guitar.

Thanks everyone.
What I find interesting is that most of you don't use Worth Tenor 'ukulele strings. Intuitively I would think these would be more suited to the Guitalele due to the scale length and the nut and saddle slots.... Hmm.
I have some of the D'addario EJ46 and EJ44 (Classical Guitar) strings which I'll try - they sure seem kinda thick/fat to me? By the way, does it take a long time for nylon strings to settle in? I'm trying these on my tiny 1/4 Strunal guitar (17" scale) and they've been out of tune (flat) for days!
Jill
 
.
On a side note, our local music shop has ordered a Cordoba Guilele for me to try (when it's available in August 2011).
Thanks!
Jill

Hi Jill,

When you get your Cordoba guilele, please tell us how the playing and the sound compare to the Yamaha guitalele. (For sound, preferably using the same kind of strings on both, strung at about the same time, as strings can make a lot of difference in the sound.

Thanks.
 
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