String Spacing - Guitalele, Guilele, etc. Esp. G9126

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Hi,

I enjoy playing classical guitar, and some years ago I tried a Yamaha Guitalele GL1 for fun. I really loved the way it sounds on many of the studies in my rotation! I keep it tuned A-A, after having experimented with what could be called the shifted string method to achieve standard tuning.

My CG of choice is a Cordoba 3/4 size with 48mm nut. I noticed that many nylon travel guitars (including some that I bought) were also 48mm at the nut. So it was nice when Yamaha's Guitalele turned out to be the same. I could standardize everything on that size.

I always suspected that the string spacing was (despite the same nut width) a bit tighter on the Guitalele, and I finally measured it with a caliper. I found it is 3mm narrower than my Cordoba CG from top string to bottom - whether measured at nut (38mm), and at soundhole (48mm).

This has led me to wonder whether other guitalele-type instruments are similarly narrow. Since this is not a main instrument for me, I don't want to spend a lot on a potential replacement/upgrade. But by any chance does anyone know what the string spacing (either at nut or soundhole) is on the Gretsch G9126? That's one I'd consider. Thank you!
 
They definitely vary. If you want something wider, there are some models that claim a 50mm nut like the Koaloha Opio. Also some baritone scale like Cordoba Mini and Islander GL6.
 
Thanks for your quick reply and suggestions!

While a 50mm nut may increase string spacing, it may overshoot my target as well.

I have 3 other 48mm-nut instruments. Taking measurements, the Yamaha Guitalele seems to be an outlier on string spacing relative to nut width. So I suspect 50mm would overshoot the target ... unless maybe it was a Yamaha and they all ran narrow.

Still curious about the G9126 if anyone has one.
 
You should also be able to get a new nut made for your GL1 with the string spacing you want. That should be relatively inexpensive to have done
 
You should also be able to get a new nut made for your GL1 with the string spacing you want. That should be relatively inexpensive to have done

True, but spacing at the soundhole is also affected by spacing at the saddle. After a bit it gets spendy. Thus, my interest in whether the G9126 (or something in that range) is a better match (to my other guitars) out of the box.
 
True, changing the bridge spacing would be much harder and not worth it. I have tried the Gretsch and Yamaha at a Guitar Center and Sam Ash a while back but not back-to-back. I don't recall the playing experience being appreciably different but I didn't have my calipers with me :p
 
Thanks - I did that Friday (1/8) and will report back if I hear back from them.
 
Update: I heard back from Gretsch ... they don't know, and the person fielding my question was working remotely due to the pandemic, and can't put his/her hands on a G9126 to measure it. Suggested maybe a dealer could.
 
I have a G9126
Nut width = 1.90" / 48.3mm
String spacing @ nut = 1.56" / 39.5mm
String spacing @ bridge = 2.36" / 60.0mm
 
Hello,

Don't know if it's relevant to this thread but I think it might be of interest to you : after spending many years with a Gretsch 9126, I just received yesterday a Valencia CG-350, and this may be the ultimate guitalele for me : with a scale length of 465 mm, there's plenty of room but the best part is a comfortable 52 mm (!) at the nut, so it's almost a regular CG neck with the small body of a guitalele. Last but not least, I changed the terrible stock strings and put a set of Savarez Prodige 38 ; with that I was able to achieve a regular E tuning with a serious tension. The vaulted back compensate for the "thinline" body and the instrument has a strong voice and plenty of sustain. There you have a real small guitar for a fraction of the price of the Cordoba Mini... Strongly recommended !
Gilles
 
You should also be able to get a new nut made for your GL1 with the string spacing you want. That should be relatively inexpensive to have done

Do you have a suggestion of where to get a custom nut made for a GL1? I could use a little more room in between the strings on my GL1 if not too expensive.
 
Do you have a suggestion of where to get a custom nut made for a GL1? I could use a little more room in between the strings on my GL1 if not too expensive.

Nuts can be cut from blank to any size and shape required. But if you want to increase spacing between strings keep in mind that you have limited room available and for more space the outer strings get pushed to the edge of fretboard. If they are too close then those strings can easily move off the fretboard during play, and that is much more than just a little annoying.
 
Hello,

Don't know if it's relevant to this thread but I think it might be of interest to you : after spending many years with a Gretsch 9126, I just received yesterday a Valencia CG-350, and this may be the ultimate guitalele for me : with a scale length of 465 mm, there's plenty of room but the best part is a comfortable 52 mm (!) at the nut, so it's almost a regular CG neck with the small body of a guitalele. Last but not least, I changed the terrible stock strings and put a set of Savarez Prodige 38 ; with that I was able to achieve a regular E tuning with a serious tension. The vaulted back compensate for the "thinline" body and the instrument has a strong voice and plenty of sustain. There you have a real small guitar for a fraction of the price of the Cordoba Mini... Strongly recommended !
Gilles

Did you get a good deal on a Valencia VC350? I was shopping for one but ended up getting a Cordoba Mini M at Guitar Center. I would be interested in a Valencia VC350 if the price is low enough.
 
Nuts can be cut from blank to any size and shape required. But if you want to increase spacing between strings keep in mind that you have limited room available and for more space the outer strings get pushed to the edge of fretboard. If they are too close then those strings can easily move off the fretboard during play, and that is much more than just a little annoying.

I was looking at the blanks on eBay but I think it may be too much trouble for too little gain. I will keep the GL1 as it is as a reminder that the tighter string spacing is hard to play and by comparison it makes my ukes seem easier. For that alone the GL1 is worth having.
 
Hi TodR,

Thank you for correcting my wrong reference, we're indeed talking of VC350.
I had it on an online german shop called Muziker and paid something like 85€ (about a 100 bucks I guess) which is a real bargain for such a good instrument (it only deserves better machine heads but the stock ones work ok).
Hope this helps,
Gilles
 
Hi TodR,

Thank you for correcting my wrong reference, we're indeed talking of VC350.
I had it on an online german shop called Muziker and paid something like 85€ (about a 100 bucks I guess) which is a real bargain for such a good instrument (it only deserves better machine heads but the stock ones work ok).
Hope this helps,
Gilles

You got a good price! The best I can find to have one shipped to the Unites States is over $200 on eBay. That includes tax and shipping from Australia. Muziker does not ship internationally and the Valencia distributors listed on their site don't carry it. No doubt it would be closer to $100 if a local shop had it. That's what I paid recently for a Yamaha GL1. $200 is a lot of money to try the GC-350 but I'll probably do it.
 
Nuts can be cut from blank to any size and shape required. But if you want to increase spacing between strings keep in mind that you have limited room available and for more space the outer strings get pushed to the edge of fretboard. If they are too close then those strings can easily move off the fretboard during play, and that is much more than just a little annoying.

FYI - For anybody that's interested, Guitar Center quoted me $120 for a new custom nut. That includes new strings. I'm not going to do it. I'll keep the GL1 as is and see how I like it after I have been practicing awhile.
 
I have a G9126
Nut width = 1.90" / 48.3mm
String spacing @ nut = 1.56" / 39.5mm
String spacing @ bridge = 2.36" / 60.0mm

Thank you!
I would have replied sooner but I only just got notice from Uke Underground, even though I subscribed to the thread. I've seen that issue on many forums ... after the first day or so, notifications come slowly, if they come at all.

BTW, your G9126 is pretty wide at the bridge! By comparison, my GL1 Yamaha is 50.9mm (e to E on the outside), and my Cordoba C1 3/4 is 55.5mm.

Maybe I will get one. Only issue is, I'm biased against solid tops, as I am tired of taking care of them humidity-wise. We have natural gas heat, forced air, so during winter our relative humidity is regularly under 40%, and and on the coldest days, can reach around 10%. I can store it in our basement however - down there the wintertime humidity usually hovers around 37%.

With ply tops, the worst I've experienced was a shrinking neck width, and that took over 10 years before fret sprout was noticeable (edit: yeah, I know that the ply top neck is solid ... just saying, the top never had an issue in low humidity). With solid tops ... don't ask. Let's just say I visited Arizona once with one.
 
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