I came to realize that one thing which kept me from playing the Guitar is their sheer size. This is what steered me towards the Ukulele, but ocassionally, I'm still interested in the sound and possibilities of six strings.
There's a wide range of nylon string Guitaleles, but very little options with steel strings, so I was intrigued by the new Ibanez Piccolo Guitar. Mine is the Mahogany/Spruce limited edition (EWP15-LTD), but there's also an all Ovangkol (EWP14). Both models are fully laminated. They sell for less than $200 USD.
As is to be expected in this price range, there are a couple of minor flaws, like some rough spots in the finish. But overall, I think they are very nicely designed and well proportioned. Binding, purfling, cutaway, and abalone rosette - all are well executed. Even the fretboard is bound, which is pretty amazing at this price.
The Piccolo Guitar has the same scale length (17") and body dimensions as a Tenor Ukulele, so it should fit into most regular Tenor cases (the gigbag that comes with it is crap). Weighing about 850 gr, it's noticeably heavier than most Ukes, but not drastically. It feels solidly built, and it has to be, in order to stand the high tension of steel strings. This is definitely not just a toy, but a playable musical instrument.
Soundwise, it has the notorious sustain and sparkle of steel strings. Tuned to A, like a Guitar capoed at the fifth fret, it sounds sweet. Definitely less bass than a Guitar, though, and way softer. As someone mentioned elsewhere, the tone is reminiscent of a harpsichord. Not as warm and mellow as what we are used to hear from our Ukes.
Playing took a little longer to adapt to, as the tension is a lot higher than on an Ukulele, and the steel strings cut into the fingers. Moreover, the string spacing is much narrower, making a regular D chord (002220) almost impossible to fret cleanly.
This would be my only criticism: At such a short scale, the neck should be a little wider in order to make fretting easier. It's 42 mm now, like on an electric guitar, but 45 mm might be more playable.
Also, I came to aknowledge that intonation with steel strings at such a short scale is iffy. All strings on mine go sharp (some more than 20 cents), starting at the first fret. It's better when I use a capo, so the main problem might be high action at the nut. This could probably be improved with some work and knowledge, but it seems to be more of an issue with steel strings.
All in all, this instrument is a lot of fun, like a tiny Western Guitar that can be played snuggled up in a comfy chair. But it's probably not for everybody. Ukesters who want to make the transition to six strings are likely better off with a regular nylon string Guitalele. If you're serious about steel strings, then you might want to consider this, or have a look at the Pono Uku Li'i, which will be bigger (21" scale), but still much smaller than most other Guitars. I wish more companies would endeavour into smaller sizes.
Here's a picture of the Ibanez EWP15 surrounded by a regular Tenor Ukulele and the Islander GL6 Guitalele which has a supersized body and a Baritone scale.
There's a wide range of nylon string Guitaleles, but very little options with steel strings, so I was intrigued by the new Ibanez Piccolo Guitar. Mine is the Mahogany/Spruce limited edition (EWP15-LTD), but there's also an all Ovangkol (EWP14). Both models are fully laminated. They sell for less than $200 USD.
As is to be expected in this price range, there are a couple of minor flaws, like some rough spots in the finish. But overall, I think they are very nicely designed and well proportioned. Binding, purfling, cutaway, and abalone rosette - all are well executed. Even the fretboard is bound, which is pretty amazing at this price.
The Piccolo Guitar has the same scale length (17") and body dimensions as a Tenor Ukulele, so it should fit into most regular Tenor cases (the gigbag that comes with it is crap). Weighing about 850 gr, it's noticeably heavier than most Ukes, but not drastically. It feels solidly built, and it has to be, in order to stand the high tension of steel strings. This is definitely not just a toy, but a playable musical instrument.
Soundwise, it has the notorious sustain and sparkle of steel strings. Tuned to A, like a Guitar capoed at the fifth fret, it sounds sweet. Definitely less bass than a Guitar, though, and way softer. As someone mentioned elsewhere, the tone is reminiscent of a harpsichord. Not as warm and mellow as what we are used to hear from our Ukes.
Playing took a little longer to adapt to, as the tension is a lot higher than on an Ukulele, and the steel strings cut into the fingers. Moreover, the string spacing is much narrower, making a regular D chord (002220) almost impossible to fret cleanly.
This would be my only criticism: At such a short scale, the neck should be a little wider in order to make fretting easier. It's 42 mm now, like on an electric guitar, but 45 mm might be more playable.
Also, I came to aknowledge that intonation with steel strings at such a short scale is iffy. All strings on mine go sharp (some more than 20 cents), starting at the first fret. It's better when I use a capo, so the main problem might be high action at the nut. This could probably be improved with some work and knowledge, but it seems to be more of an issue with steel strings.
All in all, this instrument is a lot of fun, like a tiny Western Guitar that can be played snuggled up in a comfy chair. But it's probably not for everybody. Ukesters who want to make the transition to six strings are likely better off with a regular nylon string Guitalele. If you're serious about steel strings, then you might want to consider this, or have a look at the Pono Uku Li'i, which will be bigger (21" scale), but still much smaller than most other Guitars. I wish more companies would endeavour into smaller sizes.
Here's a picture of the Ibanez EWP15 surrounded by a regular Tenor Ukulele and the Islander GL6 Guitalele which has a supersized body and a Baritone scale.
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