Ukulele/Guitalele for kid

gabazz

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I play guitar, mostly electric and my 6 year old daughter is inspired to try and learn a stringed instrument. She wants something with a natural wood (looks like my Yamaha acoustic).

She is really interested in my guitar gear and knows most of it, in fact she bust out in tears, when she heard me tell my wife that I was going to sell my VOX amp.

She has tried piano for a year but did not like the pressure of weekly lessons so I want something I could teach her (I am a qualified guitar tutor). She has tried to play my wife's acoustic guitar because it has a smaller bout, but since it is still a full size, she does not reach and I had to place a capo for her to be able to fret chords. She did not complain that I strung the acoustic with gauge 8 steel strings, which were what I had around. She tried to play several times but it is not practical for her. She is not very tall at about 1 meter.

Since she is very likely to play my gear when she grows older, I would really like her to play a 6 string instrument because of her character. What I am a bit concerned is that if she starts on a 4 string instrument and then I give her a 6 string one she would panic and not try to learn it. If she starts on a 6 string instrument and she decided to continue learning ukulele I would have no problem with that. I'd get her a proper solid wood instrument and try to find her a suitable tutor.

So to cut the story short, I was looking into tenor ukuleles and guitaleles, my biggest concern is the nut width. Since my daughter really liked my yamaha acoustic I looked at Yamaha GL1 guitalele but I'm concerned that the 47mm nut width is too much. Personally I do not play anything beyond 43mm because it feels uncomfortable and since my daughter's hands are smaller not sure how she would feel.

What models (guitalele or ukulele) would you recommend?
 
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You may want to look at 1/4 size guitars. I had this one with a 45mm nut and really didn't find it too cramped:
https://www.stringsbymail.com/cordoba-protege-1-4-size-nylon-string-guitar-13089.html

The scale length is a bit longer at almost 19" but if the nut width is the primary concern, this is a good option. You could also get a GL1 and have a new nut cut with narrower string spacing

But starting on a 4 string and moving to 6 later is also an option.
 
Iif she wants a 6 stringed small instrument, there are 6 stringed ukuleles. The chords are the same shape, but since a uke is a 4th higher, what we play as G on a guitar is a 4th higher and is a C on a ukulele. The distributor I buy from has a MAP....Minimum ADVERTISED Price. So I cannot discuss on this site what would be your price for anything for your daughter. I am reachable at
thecraftedcow@comcast.net if you are interested. I also have small guitars.
 
You may want to look at 1/4 size guitars. I had this one with a 45mm nut and really didn't find it too cramped:
https://www.stringsbymail.com/cordoba-protege-1-4-size-nylon-string-guitar-13089.html

The scale length is a bit longer at almost 19" but if the nut width is the primary concern, this is a good option. You could also get a GL1 and have a new nut cut with narrower string spacing

But starting on a 4 string and moving to 6 later is also an option.

my concern is that it it too spaced out not too cramped. I, as an adult, play 41-43mm guitars and find 44 and up too wide. If I cut a narrower nut, the neck would still be huge for the kid's hands. I guess I should look into 4 string ones.
 
Yeah, but being marketed, and being actually practical are 2 different things. A lot of stuff marketed at kids, is to just buy something to shut up the kids and then it get put in a corner and never used because it has too many problems. I'd get my daughter a 4 string ukulele if the guitalele is not really practical for her to play.
 
If you want her to play anything with nylon strings you actually do want the nut (and fretboard) to be wider because the strings themselves are thicker than steel strings and you need more room.

From my experience of guitaleles, you want the width to be wider than the Yamaha guitalele.
The Yamaha is hardly wide enough to be comfortable.

Cordoba makes a really nice guitalele with the appropriate nut width.

Alternatively, if she is going to play guitar... then get her a guitar.
Travel sized steel string guitars (Yamaha, Tanglewood, etc), or 3/4 sized classical guitars will probably be suitable. It is common for children her age to play actual guitar without necessarily using ukulele or guitalele as a stepping stone.
 
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From my experience of guitaleles, you want the width to be wider than the Yamaha guitalele.
The Yamaha is hardly wide enough to be comfortable.

Cordoba makes a really nice guitalele with the appropriate nut width.
And that's personal preference. The Yamaha is 48mm but as I said, even the 44mm C1m was fine to me. But I did not like the 50mm of the Córdoba Mini. Their guitalele is supposedly 46mm which is splitting hairs
 
And that's personal preference. The Yamaha is 48mm but as I said, even the 44mm C1m was fine to me. But I did not like the 50mm of the Córdoba Mini. Their guitalele is supposedly 46mm which is splitting hairs

There's a reason why nylon string guitars have wider nut spacings than steel strings, generally speaking.

Yamaha guitalele has simulated steel string guitar spacings, not nylon string guitar.

If you prefer narrow spacings, so be it, but generally speaking due to thickness of the strings the nut spacings need to be addressed.
When I played the Yamaha guitalele at store, I thought it was great and bought it.
Upon ownership, the narrowness adversely affecting play really became obvious.
 
When I played the Yamaha guitalele at store, I thought it was great and bought it.
Upon ownership, the narrowness adversely affecting play really became obvious.
:) when I played the GL1 in store, I thought it was horribly cramped, so got a Mini. After playing for a while, it was not comfortable- too much hand stress from stretching.
:)
 
Just my two cents, but I think the ukulele is better for a 6-year old hand. Much easier to make chords. Let her develop finger strength and dexterity on the ukulele, learn how to strum and sing at the same time, and learn different strumming patterns, then she can graduate to a guitar when she gets older. Nothing wrong with being able to play both a guitar and ukulele.
 
I play guitar, mostly electric and my 6 year old daughter is inspired to try and learn a stringed instrument. She wants something with a natural wood (looks like my Yamaha acoustic).

She is really interested in my guitar gear and knows most of it, in fact she bust out in tears, when she heard me tell my wife that I was going to sell my VOX amp.

Does she want a small Yamaha acoustic (like the guitalele) or does she want an electric (so she can inherit your Vox amp?

At this time of year, it's common for stores to carry child-size guitars. Folks like me buy these 1/4 size guitars and then complain that the neck is too narrow. Since that is the opposite of your problem, the solution might be as close as a nearby store. Ask for a child-size guitar or a travel guitar or a 1/4 size guitar.

Craigslist often has these guitars (search Musical Instruments for Mini) but some have very cheap pickups. Most guitarists are used to the notion of upgrading pickups, so this shouldn't be an obstacle.

First, however, I'd verify whether she wants an electric with steel strings, or an acoustic with nylon strings, or an acoustic with steel strings. Perhaps the Ibanez Piccolo guitar is a solution. Nut-width is 1.653, the strings are steel, the tuning is A to A. Perhaps you could use a capo at the fifth fret when you play together.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EWP14OPN--ibanez-ewp14-piccolo-open-pore-natural
 
I just measured the nut width on my guitalele, and it is 48mm compared to 45mm on my guitar. I don't feel that it is too wide for me. In fact, compared to the string spacing on my ukes, it feels cramped.

I started on ukes, and added 6-string instruments to my repertoire, so it is definitely doable, but if your daughter is already trying to play guitars and only finding the size to be an issue, I think you are right about a guitalele being appropriate.

FWIW, my guitalele is from Bruce Wei Arts. I picked it up second hand and damaged, so it was ultra cheap. A new one would cost a bit, but if you wanted something a bit fancier than the Yamaha or Cordoba, it might be worth a look.
 
Kala makes an affordable ($340-ish) parlor guitar that is actually quite good. Solid cedar top, mahogany back and sides.

 
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