Recently, on the advise of people here in another thread a few weeks ago and my wife telling me to go get it, I bought a Kanilea GL6-D through the local Craig's List.
Though the instrument truly is in mint condition, it is also true that the original strings are on it and are now a year old and should be changed. I have looked for strings for it online and have not found any.
Kanilea makes a set, but HMS is out of stock and I don't see them listed anywhere else. Aquila has a set, 96C, but those are not for a baritone scale (they specify 17" scale, which the Yamaha and many other Guitaleles have).
I googled and read through some threads here and found a few references to using classical guitar strings, specifically D'Addario J-45. I have several of these from when I used to have a classical guitar. I put a set on the GL6 and they work fine - except that when I tune them up to A - A, they seem tight to me, while standard guitar tuning (EADGBE) seems just a bit loose though functional.
It may be that I am simply not used to playing on classical strings tuned up that high because I played classical guitar for many years. Pressing down on the strings, they don't feel particularly tight, so maybe it is just the higher pitch that I am reacting to?
So then I called HMS and they said that tuning the J-45 set up to A-A should not hurt the GL6, but that I really should use high tension strings because of the relatively short scale.
I know others here have had Kanilea GL6 Guitarleles long enough to have had to deal with changing strings.
Can I use J-45 or higher tension (J-46) tuned up to A-A without harm to the instrument (i.e. neck warping, bridge pulling up, bellying below the bridge)? This instrument is far, far too nice to risk harm.
Thanks,
Tony
Though the instrument truly is in mint condition, it is also true that the original strings are on it and are now a year old and should be changed. I have looked for strings for it online and have not found any.
Kanilea makes a set, but HMS is out of stock and I don't see them listed anywhere else. Aquila has a set, 96C, but those are not for a baritone scale (they specify 17" scale, which the Yamaha and many other Guitaleles have).
I googled and read through some threads here and found a few references to using classical guitar strings, specifically D'Addario J-45. I have several of these from when I used to have a classical guitar. I put a set on the GL6 and they work fine - except that when I tune them up to A - A, they seem tight to me, while standard guitar tuning (EADGBE) seems just a bit loose though functional.
It may be that I am simply not used to playing on classical strings tuned up that high because I played classical guitar for many years. Pressing down on the strings, they don't feel particularly tight, so maybe it is just the higher pitch that I am reacting to?
So then I called HMS and they said that tuning the J-45 set up to A-A should not hurt the GL6, but that I really should use high tension strings because of the relatively short scale.
I know others here have had Kanilea GL6 Guitarleles long enough to have had to deal with changing strings.
Can I use J-45 or higher tension (J-46) tuned up to A-A without harm to the instrument (i.e. neck warping, bridge pulling up, bellying below the bridge)? This instrument is far, far too nice to risk harm.
Thanks,
Tony