I really want to try guitar. Should I get a "guitarlele" or a parlor guitar or something comparable? Nothing exotic please!

[Eggs_n_Ham]

I've been playing ukulele for about one year now and want to try guitar. I'm a small senior person and want something I can sit with and learn on comfortably, so I am considering a parlor guitar or even a guitarlele.
I want to start at a six string acoustic, probably at a budget beginner tier. I play right handed.

TYAT

 

[Pirate Jim]

I got my mother-in-law a Cordoba Mini II with a solid spruce top exactly for the reasons you list above. Price is right, size is good, and it comfortably takes the standard E-E tuning so all your guitar videos and books are easily accessible. Highly recommend it.

 

[quiltingshirley]

I've been playing ukulele for about one year now and want to try guitar. I'm a small senior person and want something I can sit with and learn on comfortably, so I am considering a parlor guitar or even a guitarlele.
I want to start at a six string acoustic, probably at a budget beginner tier. I play right handed.

TYAT

I have a Romero nylon string guitar that’s not that much bigger than a baritone. It’s easy on the fingers and small enough to be comfortable. It’s the Daniel,Ho model,turned standard guitar tuning. It was less expensive than the higher ones but not super cheap - I had a pickup installed.

 

[SweetWaterBlue]

It depends on what you really want to do. While the Guitalele has 6 strings, its not really a guitar. Its tuned up 5 frets from a ukulele so whatever you learn to play will not transfer directly to guitar. It is also not very loud. On the other hand your ukulele skills will be directly applicable.The nice thing about the Guitalele, besides its size, and nylon strings, is that you can do Travis Picking, Carter Style , and other guitar techniques that use the bass strings to keep the beat going. You just have to remember that if you want to play with guitarists you will need to play 5 semi-tones lower than they do (just like the ukulele).

A lot of the 3/4 size Yamaha student guitars are inexpensive, smallish, and sound pretty good. You might try a few out at your local music store. They have steel strings Yamaha also makes some pretty affordable student 3/4 scale classical guitars, but the necks are a bit wider.

 

[ploverwing]

I got my mother-in-law a Cordoba Mini II with a solid spruce top exactly for the reasons you list above. Price is right, size is good, and it comfortably takes the standard E-E tuning so all your guitar videos and books are easily accessible. Highly recommend it.

I'll second this! My mom actually does play guitar, and has a full sized acoustic Gurian that she just finds too unweildly. She's recently purchased a Cordoba Mini II and loves it - it's comfy, and she really enjoys playing now (although she still loves her Gurian). I love the Mini, too - it's very easy to transition from tenor to that. It's not the best guitar on the market, but it's very serviceable, affordable, sounds good and is quite playable.

Just an FYI if you read standard notation - the guitar is tuned an octave lower than written (there might or might not be a little clef symbol indicating a lowered octave on the music). If you're following tab, it doesn't matter. That high E on the guitar is the same E as the ukulele, not the same E as a violin (as I'd originally thought when looking at standard notation that did not have that lowered octave symbol). You can see my thread about it here. I had a lot of confusion about it, as you might be able to gauge from that thread, lol.

 

[baconsalad]

On the advice of a member here, I put Pepe Romero 'Requnito' E-tuned strings on my baritone uke-sized Cordoba Mini M guitar and I find it a perfect practice instrument for guitar tuning. It is super easy to play and listen to

 

[jkib]

On the advice of a member here, I put Pepe Romero 'Requnito' E-tuned strings on my baritone uke-sized Cordoba Mini M guitar and I find it a perfect practice instrument for guitar tuning. It is super easy to play and listen to

Did the same thing to mine. The strings do very well with mini m or r.

 

[Neil_O]

I've been playing ukulele for about one year now and want to try guitar. I'm a small senior person and want something I can sit with and learn on comfortably, so I am considering a parlor guitar or even a guitarlele.
I want to start at a six string acoustic, probably at a budget beginner tier. I play right handed.

TYAT

Hiya,
you are referencing two different types of strings on two types of guitars, in my humble opinion.

1. Parlor guitar describes a steel string guitar. (almost all the famous acoustic rock and folk guitarists play steel strings)
2. Guitalele would mean nylon strings.

So if you are interested in staying with ukulele type strings , the Cordoba mini classical and 3/4 size Yamaha classical seem like great fits. Smaller guitars are harder to tune up like a standard big classical guitar so you will sense lots of satisfaction from Guitalele owners, who are getting a good finger feel from the generally higher tension that short scales need.

I find steel strings to be easier to press and certainly more easy to get a good strumming pattern on than a nylon classical guitar. Very often steel is played with a pick.

If I wanted a guitalele I might pick a Kala, cause I've enjoyed playing on many Kalas, or the Cordoba Mini. If I wanted a steel parlor guitar, I would consider Ibanez for under $200.

 

[Neil_O]

It depends on what you really want to do. While the Guitalele has 6 strings, its not really a guitar. Its tuned up 5 frets from a ukulele so whatever you learn to play will not transfer directly to guitar. It is also not very loud. On the other hand your ukulele skills will be directly applicable.The nice thing about the Guitalele, besides its size, and nylon strings, is that you can do Travis Picking, Carter Style , and other guitar techniques that use the bass strings to keep the beat going. You just have to remember that if you want to play with guitarists you will need to play 5 semi-tones lower than they do (just like the ukulele).

A lot of the 3/4 size Yamaha student guitars are inexpensive, smallish, and sound pretty good. You might try a few out at your local music store. They have steel strings Yamaha also makes some pretty affordable student 3/4 scale classical guitars, but the necks are a bit wider.

I do not think this is the case. It is tuned exactly like a linear ukulele, with two extra lower pitched strings, A and D.

 

[baconsalad]

1. Parlor guitar describes a steel string guitar. (almost all the famous acoustic rock and folk guitarists play steel strings)

My Godin Motif parlor guitar disagrees.

La Patrie Motif

parlor.guitars

 

[Neil_O]

My Godin Motif parlor guitar disagrees.

La Patrie Motif

parlor.guitars

Um hum. That is an exception to the norm. I don't think a $800 Godin is what the op requested as a legit option, unless I misinterpreted the word exotic.

Guitarlele isn't a real term either, is it?

 

[pmorey]

Guitarlele isn't a real term either, is it?

Would seem so

 

[baconsalad]

Um hum. That is an exception to the norm. I don't think a $800 Godin is what the op requested as a legit option, unless I misinterpreted the word exotic.

Guitarlele isn't a real term either, is it?

Actually on the parlorguitar site just search 'nylon' and a whole bunch show up. Even Fender made some

 

[DownUpDave]

Semantics aside the question that needs to be asked to the OP is do you want to play steel string or nylon string guitar. Another is budget level, beginner level can mean $200 to one person and $700 to another. There are lots of really good small bodied nylon and steel string guitars out there at reasonable prices. Answer those questions and you will get some really good suggestions

 

[rlgph]

Semantics aside the question that needs to be asked to the OP is do you want to play steel string or nylon string guitar. Another is budget level, beginner level can mean $200 to one person and $700 to another. There are lots of really good small bodied nylon and steel string guitars out there at reasonable prices. Answer those questions and you will get some really good suggestions

YES! The first decision that needs to be made is "nylon" or steel strings. Only after that should one begin to consider seriously size or maker.

Furthermore, opinions about tuning are just that. The tuning is not the defining characteristic of ukulele, guitar, or guilele. Though the most common tuning for a guilele is probably A to A, for baritone size, G to G, and E to E are also common. I have mine tuned F# to F#, a full step above standard guitar tuning.

 

[Eggs_n_Ham]

I got my mother-in-law a Cordoba Mini II

Just ordered one from sweetwater after looking and considering for a few days.

It was less expensive than the higher ones but not super cheap - I had a pickup installed.

Gorgeous but beyond my scope for now!

It depends on what you really want to do. While the Guitalele has 6 strings, its not really a guitar. Its tuned up 5 frets from a ukulele so whatever you learn to play will not transfer directly to guitar. It is also not very loud. On the other hand your ukulele skills will be directly applicable.

Thought about this stuff and decided I want to try guitar and not a guitalele because "it's not really a guitar"- and they're generally more expensive than what I want to spend at the moment.

She's recently purchased a Cordoba Mini II and loves it - it's comfy, and she really enjoys playing now (although she still loves her Gurian)

Got one!

It is super easy to play and listen to

That's what I'm looking for. Decent sound from a small guitar on a budget and playable for a smaller older person.

1. Parlor guitar describes a steel string guitar. (almost all the famous acoustic rock and folk guitarists play steel strings)
2. Guitalele would mean nylon strings.

So if you are interested in staying with ukulele type strings , the Cordoba mini classical and 3/4 size Yamaha classical seem like great fits.

Thank you for clearing this up. I thought parlor guitars were simply smaller "8" shaped guitars.

The tuning is not the defining characteristic of ukulele, guitar, or guilele. Though the most common tuning for a guilele is probably A to A, for baritone size, G to G, and E to E are also common. I have mine tuned F# to F#, a full step above standard guitar tuning.

Tuning is something that will- is important to me and I'll be revisiting this whole issue once I receive the guitar and try it out. My intention is to start at E-E (as suggested by UU'rs).


Thanks to everyone for your guidance and advice, I'm hoping to receive the Cordoba mini from sweetwater by 03/20 and I'll be lurking the guitar boards and asking all the newbie questions!

 

[ploverwing]

Thanks to everyone for your guidance and advice, I'm hoping to receive the Cordoba mini from sweetwater by 03/20 and I'll be lurking the guitar boards and asking all the newbie questions!

Looking forward to the NGD when you've had a chance to noodle with it some!

 

[baconsalad]

Just ordered one from sweetwater after looking and considering for a few days.

Gorgeous but beyond my scope for now!

Thought about this stuff and decided I want to try guitar and not a guitalele because "it's not really a guitar"- and they're generally more expensive than what I want to spend at the moment.

Got one!

That's what I'm looking for. Decent sound from a small guitar on a budget and playable for a smaller older person.

Thank you for clearing this up. I thought parlor guitars were simply smaller "8" shaped guitars.

Tuning is something that will- is important to me and I'll be revisiting this whole issue once I receive the guitar and try it out. My intention is to start at E-E (as suggested by UU'rs).


Thanks to everyone for your guidance and advice, I'm hoping to receive the Cordoba mini from sweetwater by 03/20 and I'll be lurking the guitar boards and asking all the newbie questions!

IIRC the Mini shipped with Aqulilas tuned for A to A. You might need to order the E string set. That being said I have played the A set tuned waaaay down to E and it still kind of worked

 

[ploverwing]

IIRC the Mini shipped with Aqulilas tuned for A to A. You might need to order the E string set. That being said I have played the A set tuned waaaay down to E and it still kind of worked

Huh, interesting. Our Mini II came E to E. We got this one: https://www.tapestrymusic.com/p-8807-cordoba-mini-ii-padauk-guitar.aspx

 

[DownUpDave]

Huh, interesting. Our Mini II came E to E. We got this one: https://www.tapestrymusic.com/p-8807-cordoba-mini-ii-padauk-guitar.aspx

How do you like that model. I have been eyeballing it for a while now. I like the longer scale of the Mini II, it would be much better suited to E - E tuning then the regular mini which is 20".