Wow. You seem like one chill dude. Thanks for this video. I’m me of the best reviews I’ve ever seen and your timing and editing kept me watching until the end. Well done!
A great review of the 2 instruments and exactly what I was looking for ! Your information and playing is great also...your playing demonstrated the instruments and is superb...many times I feel the person doing the review is just trying to show off their skills....while your skills are evident and great, it demonstrated the instruments quite nicely...thank you for taking the time to do this video...I too, think I will pass on both of them.
Really well done review. Really appreciated how much you played on the two instruments. And your comments about the impact of the scale size on Your hand when playing jazz chords up and down the neck. I have the Cordoba mini II, but want to add something even a little smaller. This was helpful.
Hey Alex, I appreciate this review. Just recently saw the Cordoba Mini at a music store and was contemplating on whether to get it. This video really helped me decide.
Thank you so much for taking the time to posting this. Agonising (in a first world sort of way) over which one to buy, thanks to your very informative comparison I now have a clear idea. Much appreciated.
If i'm honest ....I spend HOURS AND HOURS AND WHOLE days watching reviews of guitars, pedasl and basses i'll never by. I'm a freak, and i love it. AND THIS IS A GODDAMN GOOD REVIEW. I was thiking on buying a guitalele... beause I love to travel and i need guitars on my hands all the time, but maybe too small for my hands... ahhh social dilemma
Alex, great video. Thanks. IMO biggest advantage of the slotted headstock is that all the tuning pegs point backwards, making them convenient and easy to reach and turn with your left hand. As a minor thing, classical tuning peg rollers are made of plastic so they don't wear out softer nylon/gut strings so easily, and are of larger diameter than acoustic ones, so they don't damage the wire wrappings on the bass strings. These are definitely "old school" and maybe even a throwback to the day of non-geared friction fit non-geared tuners, but I think they're still perfectly viable today for nylon.
Thanks for the review! I have a Caramel guitalele and a Yamaha GL1 very similar to the guitar/ukes you just compared in this vid. I wish I had your classical finger-style chops! I play with a "punk" style tho.
Thanks so much for the detailed review! Quick question, are you in standard guitar tuning for both the mini & guilele? I've read that tuning for the guilele is ADGCEA? trying to find the smallest acoustic guitar for daily commutes on the subway. Thanks!!
Yes, they come tuned like you mentioned. I haven't tried tuning them E to E like a full size guitar because I have only been playing them solo. The mini guitar market is blowing up and Ibanez has a steel string piccolo now. If you are a singer accompanying yourself on guitar, it may be worth getting one a little bigger you can easily tune E to E unless you're comfortable transposing the songs you sing up a fourth. It's easy on guitar to play the same shapes, but singing everything two and a half steps up sounds challenging to me.
Thanks for your feedback. I actually already own a Breedlove passport travel size guitar that I use for performing, I'm looking for an even smaller guitar I could use for daily music lessons with students. The idea of having a guitar almost as small as a ukulele would make my commutes significantly easier as I'm a petite person and already get tired carrying my current guitar around everywhere on my back. But if these can only be tuned a fourth up I still wouldn't be able to use them during lessons with students in standard E tuning... Anyways thanks so much for your help! Would appreciate if you knew of any other guitars that might fit what i'm looking for :)
Thank you so much! The title was always almost there but I could never get it. Nor would I have ever searched for a harpsichord piece by Couperin! I was thinking more late Renaissance, too. I did find it on classical guitar (and theorbo) on UA-cam too, the way I first heard it. Thanks again. You’re a wonderful player.
Great review! I just picked up an sm-ce and it also has a grounding issue. It's very slight and I can't hear it while playing but it's there. I don't think I will return it because everything else is perfect. Might have a tech take a look though.
I have the mini o (without the pick up) and i love it so much I am looking into bringing into my live set up and hope to use it at an album launch in a couple of weeks, hesitant to go with a factory installed pickup as it not only means buying another guitar but the reports suggest the pick up system isn't great anyway. I've spoken to my guitar guy about fitting a pickup (piezo?) and will be taking the mini o to him this week, anyone have a users view on fitting a pick up to these lovely little guitars? Thanks
Hi Alex, I went to the store to buy a mini and they had the Maple/Cedar with the pickup; it had a buzz...I ended up ordering a Mini R from Amazon along with the Cordoba E tuning strings, and it's nice...but it has some flaws. The pin system makes a slight buzzing sound, and some of the frets touch the strings when strumming..it's a great travel guitar but these flaws really take away from it. I like the portability so much that I was thinking of asking a luthier to make me a specialized guitar with the exact dimensions, just not with a pin system. But I wonder if I would be able to use the E tuning strings and tie them around the bridge as in normal classical guitars...that's the only thing. Great playing! and thanks for the video.
A custom acoustic guitar, regardless of size, usually runs $3-4k in America because of the hours it takes to do it from scratch. Asking for brand new size specs will also add time they'll want to be paid for as they draft the architecture for how it will work. If you have the cash, go for it and send me one, too!
That's a nameless tune from Cape Breton. There are probably flatpicking books/DVDs for Irish style tunes like that. Rock bands like Jethro Tull or early King Crimson, YES, ELP have stuff that sounds like that. John Doyle and Robin Bullock are my fav celtic guitarists.
Great review. Very easy going and informative style. I just wanted to share that I owned the original mini and ended out moving it on because of the neck feel and more limited playability. It really is a fantastic couch or park guitar. Probably will end out getting the CE at some point. I ended out replacing it with a Pepe Romero Signature. Not too much bigger than the mini but has all solid construction and a more traditionally shaped classical neck. A much better guitar across the board. Slightly more forgiving scale length (not as cramped) It is however 2-3 times the price of the mini... so I am not as inclined to just leave it sitting on the grass at picnic:)
Good review! Did you get another Mini since this vidéo...? I really like this travel guitar, with proper strings. These days, because of back problems and sciatica, it is the only guitar I'm still able to play... Here it has Aquila Sugar High tension 157c strings on it. Very interesting strings, the sound is pretty good! 🙂 Tuning in F 336 Hz, higher the High string did break...
Oh, thanks. I spent a whole year to worrying about the subject of this video, like: "Why is that one callet guitalele, but the other mini-gutar, but they are the same, why is that one stringed like that, but the are same brand, what is the point, am I wrong to prefer the one to the other".. I wish I found this video last year.. but still fun (I own the Mini O-CE, me happy with it)
liked it very much. still interested but not sure. drilling holes to make strap plugs is horrible to do but I promise you in a way you will get used to it and happy you did. and awesome playing!
Hey, thx nice vid! question, did it work out with the strap pins? i would need those. The ball-end strings are supposedly chosen to be able to have a smaller bridge, leaving more room for resonation, somebody said. and the tuners in the lightest version to prevent neck-heaviness
Koos van rij I sold both so I didn’t have any strap locks installed. I’m playing a Baby Taylor now, which is about the same size as the Mini but better quality. Haven’t tried nylon strings on it yet.
The old style slotted head for guitars allows for a more sharply turned angle of attack for the strings to go from the nut to the tuning machines. This extra pressure on the nut transfers sound vibration more effectively down the neck and down the strings to the bridge. These guitars are designed to sound better.
Reverend Brother Christopher Lawson that’s interesting-where did you read that? I’m not sure my experience supports it though. At least on electric guitars I routinely take off the string trees or don’t use them. They add pressure on the nut with the sharper angle but to me it doesn’t sound better, it just makes tuning less stable because the ridges on round wound strings hang up on the edge of the nut.
@@AlexHand I learned it from watching a luthier's video and the luthier made this observation while doing a repair on an old Martin guitar with a slotted head (Martins were his specialty). I concurred from an engineering perspective (I once taught 1st year university physics) and I took a specialty course in wave mechanics at McMaster University.
It applies to acoustic guitars (which all depend on resonance for sound amplification). Too much resonance is counterproductive in electrically amplified guitars because of electrical amplification feedback issues.
@@PotPoet I do see your point, but having a closet full of acoustic guitars with both slotted and non slotted headstocks I'm not sure I hear the difference that much. The bridge/tailpiece system makes a huge difference since it's contacting the top directly, as does whether the top and back are arched, but the tone of the nut only comes into play with open strings anyway. Being further away from the body than every fret, the little bit of extra resonance from the sharper angle of a slotted or angled headstock seems more negligible than a lot of other adjustable variables. It wouldn't be as big an issue if there were more effective options for locking tuners that worked with slotted headstocks and nylon strings. Winding strings several times around a post allows a lot of areas where buzzes and slippage can occur, leading to tuning instability and annoying ambient sounds, which is part of what locking tuners were invented to eliminate. It's even harder to eliminate this with slots than vertical posts and the there is an increased likelihood of the string grinding against the wood between the nut and post, unless a real expert puts them on, which damages the headstock and adds another point of contact for buzzing. So my feeling is that slotted headstocks could be less outdated if technology caught them up with modern tuning keys, and I don't see that on practically any guitars right now.
@@AlexHand To hear the difference, EVERY other feature (wood type, shape, bracing, age, strings, wood thicknesses, detailing such as purling and binding, even the glues used, etc.) would have to be identical between the test guitars. This isolates the difference to just the headstock design. THEN you would hear it as is demonstrated on some luthier videos that I have seen. Plus, the logic of the physics involved (that the greater angle delivers a better transfer of vibrating motion) is convincing without demonstration.
Spalted maple here, fun to play, won't replace other steel string guitars but I love it. Are you using a pick ? All the faults you pick out remember this is less than 300 dollars, I was thinking about a strap too but this thing is so light and I will use it more sitting than standing. I have found a few cosmetic issues on mine but it gives it a personality. Bought it at Sweetwater Gear Fest 2018. Worth the price of admission. It wasn't in stock there and when I received it the case was included. I play rock and blues electrick so I appreciate the thinner neck.
I ordered the Mini SM-CE, I'm excited. I'm a Uke player looking a second instrument to play. Guitarale too fiddly, 3/4s wrong tuning this looks perfect for me.
Thanks, I can't wait, you got any videos up of your playing. Some of the gitair chords i just can't play like F so i can just play the uke version instead and a lot of chords are uke +1 extra string and a lot of the fingerpicking I know on uke will work too! I could even take the low A string off to simplify things a good bit. Well that's the plan, no one close to me had one to actually try in e tuning. This vid here helped.
hey Jon I have some videos but nothing specifically to help you, I could post something if ya want to check my channel and comment there. I'm not very profesional by any means but I would be glad to try to help where I can
For the guitarlele being difficult to play you are playing it really well. I don't think you are having a hard time with it except past a certain fret.
I actually didn't buy the new one. I've now heard from more than one person that there are issues with the pickup, so I'm not sure what's going on with that but before I buy a new one I'm going to try it out at a Guitar Center or something. I'm re-designing my electric/pedal rig up right now so the videos I have on the way will probably be regarding that gear and clips of playing folk tunes, hopefully with other musicians, so please subscribe :)
The Cordoba mini guitar case does get dirty easily. So I just covered it with patches and writing. All three of my classical guitars are Cordoba I have the mini M. I have the Santa Fe too and I have a full size Cordoba has great quality instruments. But none of my guitars have tuners or pickups and after I saw you deal with your Buzz problem I'm really glad I passed those ones up
On another note Ernie Ball makes many different kinds of ball end nylon strings. The mini 2 Santa Fe does not have a pin Bridge like the mini M does. I always wondered why they chose a pin Bridge as well. Anyways great playing great video. Oh and another thing I've learned about these cordobas all kinds of nylon strings I've tried but nothing feels as good as the Cordoba strings I have to order them straight from the website because Guitar Center doesn't carry them in their stores but I'm telling you to feel of the strings it's a playabilities so much better if you stick to the Cordoba strings I know I sound like I'm sponsored or something but I'm not I don't play good enough to be sponsored by nobody LOL
Great review. I'm getting back into guitar and considering getting a travel/practice instrument and this is really helpful, thanks. Main reason for comment, though, is your playing is really inspiring. Apart from the Breton folk song, what else are you playing here?
Thanks for the comment. It's a lot of improv. 2:47 is a gypsy jazz tune called Swing Gitane. 5:30 is an Irish tune called Danno's Reel. 11:50 is a baroque piece by Couperin called Les Barricades Mysterieuses. I just uploaded another folk tune on electric guitar a couple weeks ago if you want to check it out on my channel.
That is an awesome review with lots of bonus information! I sense you delayed your public video sharing until you had "something to say", so let me tell you people throw out stupid and half assed videos just to get attention or youtube bucks, with 1/1000 of your talent. I only met someone like you once, he worked in a local (big) music store and could just play ANYTHING with ANYONE on keyboard, guitar and saxophone, and I bet he would pick up a guitalele or mini guitar just as well (it was more than 20 years ago we didn't have those yet - today Music store staff are full of themselves without real talent and collecting highly priced instruments at home to brag about...). I have a Gretsch Guitalele, which is awesome to my small hands and sounds so well that I bought it the day I got out of surgery and wanted to buy a digital piano... Still a Mini SM-CE or any decent 1/2 size classical guitar should fit me better because they are indeed a bit small and a Ukulele tenor size is better with 4 fingers on that neck width. So far the only 1/2 size guitar decent enough to have is Raimundo 1491, and its expensive... Thank you for the video, and I would really want to learn from you if I could, I bet you have great teaching potential if you don't have many students already. Enjoy making music and I wish you to get to where you want to be and more! Cheers :)
margita I can’t remember the last time I used or wrote tabs but if I do get around to them again I’ll come back here and let you know. Have you tried slowing down the video to hear it at half speed? That’s how I learn most stuff these days.
Brilliant playing. What is the name of the tune at 5.10? Also, how do you go about learning those Irish songs? Is there any particular resource you'd recommend? Discovered this channel looking into travel guitars but I've been blown away by the range of styles you've seemedly mastered.
Thanks Shane, I think that one's called Danno's Reel, and it's one that's in the middle ground between Celtic and old time American. I learned all these by ear but thesession.org is a good one.
I like your sound on the Mini better. By the Way, I like using LaBella Folk Singer Strings. ( I noticed that Willie Nelson had used them on Trigger) They have the ball end. However, having said that, I do modify and tie extra knots on the ball ends, because they do tend to slip.
I love guitalele, kikus or guilele, all they basically are is 6 string ukuleles and like ukuleles, their not guitars nor supposed to replace guitars, I love the hybrid sound they have because I'm not an acoustic guitar fan, John Mayer even plays a guitalele. Best thing to do is check out the Guitalele pros that play this instrument for a living right here on UA-cam even. And it's not a toy and it's not Just for kids or travel. It's a professional instrument just like the Ukulele. And Ukuleles are naturally played without a strap, that is the tradition
Well, a couple things. First, ukes are tuned totally different with an octave displaced on the closest string to the player's face, so producing an instrument that is tuned exactly like a guitar, albeit a fourth up, doesn't allow for uke technique to transfer and get the same sounds with the same technique and voicing. Because of the tuning, and because of the appointments, even on the guilele, I believe Cordoba has produced these for the guitarist rather than the uke player. After all, uke players have plenty of quality instruments in this size and price range. Also, the guilele players I've seen on UA-cam are basically playing a guitar style, and the really expensive guileles I've played are still marketed as hybrid instruments. Do you have a favorite player I should check out?
You are right,and mr.Christian is right too. I played guitalele three years,but beacouse I am working on job,night security.I played on the job,and it is ideal to come on the job with instrument.Beacuse it is small,and nobody can not see you how you come on the yob with something big what produced the sound. From the time you start to love this sound,and you become to play it at home too.I think that guitalele have future from this reasons.It is little bit hard on begigining to play it,small freets,but from the time,you pass by this problem.I ordrer one cordoba gilele but I never played on it. Is it worth the money?Is it much better from yamaha GL1? In Zagreb where I live,shops has got only gretch,and yamaha. Thanks a lot.
Thanks! I play a lot of Celtic and Bulgarian/Romanian music. I grew up playing rock/metal, started playing Irish music and classical guitar when I was 15 and right now I'm working on my masters degree in jazz performance at North Texas. If you want to check out the albums I've made, they are here: alexhandband.bandcamp.com/
It's my solo arrangement of the B section to a folk tune. I don't know the title, but I think it's from Cape Breton. Maybe I will post a separate video of that tune after I practice it more.
Wow this was a great video! Have you checked out the Kala Guitarlele? I don't know what I should get, the Yamaha Guitalele, the Cordoba Mini, the Cordoba Guilele or the Kala Guitarlele. Any thoughts? Thanks buddy!
I suggest going to Guitar Center to try what they have. The Yamaha one is ok, but Cordoba is probably better. I've never heard of Kala. Gretsch actually makes a really good one that comes with a case for under $300, which was the first time I saw any of these guileles. They are all smaller than the Cordoba Mini, which is the most playable, and expensive.
+DaneDuncan I have owned the Yamaha guitalele, the gretsch one, and the Yamaha one. Out of the 3 I recommend the Córdoba guilele as far as tone and quality goes. But I just got the mini m and its way better in my opinion. Mainly because the string spacing is the same as on a regular nylon guitar, so no cramping, and a bigger sound board gives better tone in my opinion. Plus, if you want to tune it in enfor a travel guitar, you can do so because they have a set of strings you can use for that. It comes in a, so if you tune to e it will have less volume and the strings will be a bit loose. You will need the actual strings meant for e. Only thing I don't like is it does not have slotted head.
Would the tuning on the Mini be the same as the Guilele? BTW, thanks for the vid. I play the classical guitar and post UA-cam videos too, but I was somewhat hesitant to purchase the Guilele because I was worried that it would be harder to adjust. The info. on the neck size and string spacing was helpful.---Patricio
They are both supposed to be tuned to the same intervals as a guitar from A to A, but can be tuned E to E. I haven't tuned it to E because the strings will be fairly loose at that point and it won't be as loud or clear. They do still sound good tuned G, or even F#, I think.
Thanks for the review. It has me more on the fence about the Mini now. I wanted a something to take on the plane without worrying about it. But I don't want to waste money on something that I won't like playing.
Many. I tried to respond to the requests about specific ones but this was like 10 years ago! Some of these songs I still play and may have uploaded in more recent videos.
a favor. Could you write me a summary of what you say in your video? What happens is that I do not speak English and I am in doubt about buying these instruments. I want to understand what more or less you say in your video. I am very grateful to you once you write it, I will translate it into Spanish to understand it. Greetings from Bolivia
I didn't but I sold it to my 8 yr old guitar student. He (we) keeps it in standard tuning and it's easy for him because of the low string tension and soft strings. I have a Baby Taylor now that has replaced both of the Cordobas. I'm going to try nylon strings on it soon and make a video.
That's actually a Greek Laouto. It's my housemate's. Really weird tuning in 5ths with some octave doubles, and movable frets. I doubt I will get a handle on that thing before I move out of here :)
tybolini2 guilele sounded good. Mini O-CE sounded good except the constant hum, which was why I didn’t keep the guitar. Probably wasn’t grounded right or had some wiring problem.
FWIW, I have a Yamaha "Guitalele" and I find it totally impractical to play most classical guitar pieces on it. For simple/low position pieces, or as a "strummer" it works fine. It actually is a "real" instrument not a toy. But as someone with normal adult sized hands, there just enough space to get the fingers down to play many normal chord voicings. If you're looking for a compact/travel type substitute for a classical guitar, I think something like a "capo 3" or "capo 5" type instrument is really a better choice for actual playability, plus these (IMO) tend to have much better tone.
Super thorough review! Most reviewers do not get into nitty gritty details. But this is the STUFF.
Wow. You seem like one chill dude. Thanks for this video. I’m me of the best reviews I’ve ever seen and your timing and editing kept me watching until the end. Well done!
Your playing is absolutely lovely. Amazing.
A great review of the 2 instruments and exactly what I was looking for ! Your information and playing is great also...your playing demonstrated the instruments and is superb...many times I feel the person doing the review is just trying to show off their skills....while your skills are evident and great, it demonstrated the instruments quite nicely...thank you for taking the time to do this video...I too, think I will pass on both of them.
What did you decide to get instead? Any recommendations?
Really well done review. Really appreciated how much you played on the two instruments. And your comments about the impact of the scale size on Your hand when playing jazz chords up and down the neck. I have the Cordoba mini II, but want to add something even a little smaller. This was helpful.
Hey Alex, I appreciate this review. Just recently saw the Cordoba Mini at a music store and was contemplating on whether to get it. This video really helped me decide.
Thanks, hope you enjoy it.
great videos and lovely playing!
Great review! Very thorough comparison. Nice chops too
All these instruments sound beautiful in your hands . And a very good review.
Thank you so much for taking the time to posting this. Agonising (in a first world sort of way) over which one to buy, thanks to your very informative comparison I now have a clear idea.
Much appreciated.
Glad it was helpful.
The best guilele/guitalele review ive seen so far.. I wish theres a comparison of all guileles like yamaha,cordoba,kala,gretchs& enya
Arnold Jason Mercado thanks. I’d like to have all those to compare!
Hi Alex, great review.
Thanks. Very helpful, not only about the Cordoba comparison, but about guitar construction in general. Thanks for schooling me.
Thanks for the comment
Suprisingly detailed and confusing because each thing had a plus and minus - but thanks for keeping it real :) I learned a few things
Very much appreciate the thoughtful, cogent review! Thanks for posting, man! And it goes without saying, fantastic guitar playing as well!
There is a longer scale length version of the cordoba guitar (The Mini II Series)
Scale length: 22.87" / 580 mm
I really enjoyed just watching you play bits and pieces of tunes. Really nice playing!
Unbelievable finesse when playing, hat's off to you brother.
Great video! The chops!!!!!
123 Andrés 🍻
If i'm honest ....I spend HOURS AND HOURS AND WHOLE days watching reviews of guitars, pedasl and basses i'll never by. I'm a freak, and i love it. AND THIS IS A GODDAMN GOOD REVIEW.
I was thiking on buying a guitalele... beause I love to travel and i need guitars on my hands all the time, but maybe too small for my hands... ahhh social dilemma
You should get it, your muscles adapt quickly to the size!
Thank you for the detailed review. Answered all my questions, and now I will not buy either of these. So you saved me money as well!
Thanks for that. You helped me make my decision. I’m getting a mini!
Thanks for playing that easy comparing tune. Such a good review for real
Excellent review! Your classical experience gives you a platform to really speak about the design and overall value.
this video was really helpful in comparing the mini to a guilele
Alex, great video. Thanks. IMO biggest advantage of the slotted headstock is that all the tuning pegs point backwards, making them convenient and easy to reach and turn with your left hand. As a minor thing, classical tuning peg rollers are made of plastic so they don't wear out softer nylon/gut strings so easily, and are of larger diameter than acoustic ones, so they don't damage the wire wrappings on the bass strings. These are definitely "old school" and maybe even a throwback to the day of non-geared friction fit non-geared tuners, but I think they're still perfectly viable today for nylon.
Thanks for the info
Alex: Thanks for the great and useful reveiw.
U are such a natural as a musician that u make it all sound good
Thank you for the compliment
Alex I rarely say this to any musicians. I am a 70 year old guitarist playing for 58 years. U really have that touch and skill.@@AlexHand
kool comparison, wanting to get the cordoba
The best review!
awesome playing
Thanks Alex.. Really helpful..
Lovely playing too..
Thanks for the review! I have a Caramel guitalele and a Yamaha GL1 very similar to the guitar/ukes you just compared in this vid. I wish I had your classical finger-style chops! I play with a "punk" style tho.
Great playing!
Thanks for this !!
Thanks so much for the detailed review! Quick question, are you in standard guitar tuning for both the mini & guilele? I've read that tuning for the guilele is ADGCEA? trying to find the smallest acoustic guitar for daily commutes on the subway. Thanks!!
Yes, they come tuned like you mentioned. I haven't tried tuning them E to E like a full size guitar because I have only been playing them solo. The mini guitar market is blowing up and Ibanez has a steel string piccolo now. If you are a singer accompanying yourself on guitar, it may be worth getting one a little bigger you can easily tune E to E unless you're comfortable transposing the songs you sing up a fourth. It's easy on guitar to play the same shapes, but singing everything two and a half steps up sounds challenging to me.
Thanks for your feedback. I actually already own a Breedlove passport travel size guitar that I use for performing, I'm looking for an even smaller guitar I could use for daily music lessons with students. The idea of having a guitar almost as small as a ukulele would make my commutes significantly easier as I'm a petite person and already get tired carrying my current guitar around everywhere on my back. But if these can only be tuned a fourth up I still wouldn't be able to use them during lessons with students in standard E tuning... Anyways thanks so much for your help! Would appreciate if you knew of any other guitars that might fit what i'm looking for :)
Have you tried the Baby Taylor?
great review... comparing apples and apples is the only way, and you did it very well!
thanks
Does the pickup of mini o ce buzz when to turn its volume to its max? Mine does and wonder if I need to return it
Andy Chau I think mine did that too. I returned it. I have a Baby Taylor now.
my mini has traditional tie-to-bridge string fastening. So there must be a choice available. nice video and supper playing.
If it's new new EB CE model I have one of those too. It's a slightly longer scale I think, than the one I had in this video.
Great review, thanks
What is the tune at 11:50? I heard it many times in 1980 and have never heard it since.
ua-cam.com/video/DT2D7Kp3k3c/v-deo.html
Thank you so much! The title was always almost there but I could never get it. Nor would I have ever searched for a harpsichord piece by Couperin! I was thinking more late Renaissance, too. I did find it on classical guitar (and theorbo) on UA-cam too, the way I first heard it. Thanks again. You’re a wonderful player.
Excellent review. Your'e the review guy.
Solid review
Great playing
And that shirt is fucking sick
Nice playing. The travel guitar sounds smoother.
Please someone tell me the name of the song played on 5:00 minute
I think it's Danno's Reel.
Great review. And you're an excellent player.
Great review! I just picked up an sm-ce and it also has a grounding issue. It's very slight and I can't hear it while playing but it's there. I don't think I will return it because everything else is perfect. Might have a tech take a look though.
Iiiiiinteresting. Sounds like I should hold off buying one until they sort that out and I can try it out in a store. Thanks for sharing.
I have the mini o (without the pick up) and i love it so much I am looking into bringing into my live set up and hope to use it at an album launch in a couple of weeks, hesitant to go with a factory installed pickup as it not only means buying another guitar but the reports suggest the pick up system isn't great anyway.
I've spoken to my guitar guy about fitting a pickup (piezo?) and will be taking the mini o to him this week, anyone have a users view on fitting a pick up to these lovely little guitars?
Thanks
Hi Alex,
I went to the store to buy a mini and they had the Maple/Cedar with the pickup; it had a buzz...I ended up ordering a Mini R from Amazon along with the Cordoba E tuning strings, and it's nice...but it has some flaws. The pin system makes a slight buzzing sound, and some of the frets touch the strings when strumming..it's a great travel guitar but these flaws really take away from it. I like the portability so much that I was thinking of asking a luthier to make me a specialized guitar with the exact dimensions, just not with a pin system. But I wonder if I would be able to use the E tuning strings and tie them around the bridge as in normal classical guitars...that's the only thing. Great playing! and thanks for the video.
A custom acoustic guitar, regardless of size, usually runs $3-4k in America because of the hours it takes to do it from scratch. Asking for brand new size specs will also add time they'll want to be paid for as they draft the architecture for how it will work. If you have the cash, go for it and send me one, too!
What song were you playing around 4:05?
I'm not sure the title. It's a fiddle tune from Canada I think.
My god! You play awesome!
Nice review ! thanks. What is this music you play at 4:05 ? sounds very nice. Any help where i can learn stuff like that ? thanks !
That's a nameless tune from Cape Breton. There are probably flatpicking books/DVDs for Irish style tunes like that. Rock bands like Jethro Tull or early King Crimson, YES, ELP have stuff that sounds like that. John Doyle and Robin Bullock are my fav celtic guitarists.
Great review. Very easy going and informative style. I just wanted to share that I owned the original mini and ended out moving it on because of the neck feel and more limited playability. It really is a fantastic couch or park guitar. Probably will end out getting the CE at some point.
I ended out replacing it with a Pepe Romero Signature. Not too much bigger than the mini but has all solid construction and a more traditionally shaped classical neck. A much better guitar across the board. Slightly more forgiving scale length (not as cramped) It is however 2-3 times the price of the mini... so I am not as inclined to just leave it sitting on the grass at picnic:)
Good review! Did you get another Mini since this vidéo...? I really like this travel guitar, with proper strings. These days, because of back problems and sciatica, it is the only guitar I'm still able to play... Here it has Aquila Sugar High tension 157c strings on it. Very interesting strings, the sound is pretty good! 🙂 Tuning in F 336 Hz, higher the High string did break...
I did switch to the Baby Taylor, which has steel strings.
Oh, thanks. I spent a whole year to worrying about the subject of this video, like: "Why is that one callet guitalele, but the other mini-gutar, but they are the same, why is that one stringed like that, but the are same brand, what is the point, am I wrong to prefer the one to the other".. I wish I found this video last year.. but still fun (I own the Mini O-CE, me happy with it)
What is the tune you play at 4:05? Sounds like a nice blend of bluegrass and baroque.
I'm not sure the title. It's from Cape Breton and I learned it in a set from Robin Bullock.
@@AlexHand That is what I am hearing in your playing! Robin Bullock, love his style!
liked it very much. still interested but not sure. drilling holes to make strap plugs is horrible to do but I promise you in a way you will get used to it and happy you did. and awesome playing!
Hey, thx nice vid! question, did it work out with the strap pins? i would need those.
The ball-end strings are supposedly chosen to be able to have a smaller bridge, leaving more room for resonation, somebody said. and the tuners in the lightest version to prevent neck-heaviness
Koos van rij I sold both so I didn’t have any strap locks installed. I’m playing a Baby Taylor now, which is about the same size as the Mini but better quality. Haven’t tried nylon strings on it yet.
The old style slotted head for guitars allows for a more sharply turned angle of attack for the strings to go from the nut to the tuning machines. This extra pressure on the nut transfers sound vibration more effectively down the neck and down the strings to the bridge. These guitars are designed to sound better.
Reverend Brother Christopher Lawson that’s interesting-where did you read that? I’m not sure my experience supports it though. At least on electric guitars I routinely take off the string trees or don’t use them. They add pressure on the nut with the sharper angle but to me it doesn’t sound better, it just makes tuning less stable because the ridges on round wound strings hang up on the edge of the nut.
@@AlexHand I learned it from watching a luthier's video and the luthier made this observation while doing a repair on an old Martin guitar with a slotted head (Martins were his specialty). I concurred from an engineering perspective (I once taught 1st year university physics) and I took a specialty course in wave mechanics at McMaster University.
It applies to acoustic guitars (which all depend on resonance for sound amplification). Too much resonance is counterproductive in electrically amplified guitars because of electrical amplification feedback issues.
@@PotPoet I do see your point, but having a closet full of acoustic guitars with both slotted and non slotted headstocks I'm not sure I hear the difference that much. The bridge/tailpiece system makes a huge difference since it's contacting the top directly, as does whether the top and back are arched, but the tone of the nut only comes into play with open strings anyway. Being further away from the body than every fret, the little bit of extra resonance from the sharper angle of a slotted or angled headstock seems more negligible than a lot of other adjustable variables.
It wouldn't be as big an issue if there were more effective options for locking tuners that worked with slotted headstocks and nylon strings. Winding strings several times around a post allows a lot of areas where buzzes and slippage can occur, leading to tuning instability and annoying ambient sounds, which is part of what locking tuners were invented to eliminate. It's even harder to eliminate this with slots than vertical posts and the there is an increased likelihood of the string grinding against the wood between the nut and post, unless a real expert puts them on, which damages the headstock and adds another point of contact for buzzing. So my feeling is that slotted headstocks could be less outdated if technology caught them up with modern tuning keys, and I don't see that on practically any guitars right now.
@@AlexHand To hear the difference, EVERY other feature (wood type, shape, bracing, age, strings, wood thicknesses, detailing such as purling and binding, even the glues used, etc.) would have to be identical between the test guitars. This isolates the difference to just the headstock design. THEN you would hear it as is demonstrated on some luthier videos that I have seen. Plus, the logic of the physics involved (that the greater angle delivers a better transfer of vibrating motion) is convincing without demonstration.
There is a smaller specialized Spanish Guitar called a Requinto. It's tuned a fourth up and one can get very fine luthier built Requintos.
How many inches is the Requintos?
What’s the colour for the Cordoba Mini O-CE ?
Sorry I missed your comment. It was the only color available when I bought it. I think it was the Ovangkol wood.
Spalted maple here, fun to play, won't replace other steel string guitars but I love it. Are you using a pick ? All the faults you pick out remember this is less than 300 dollars, I was thinking about a strap too but this thing is so light and I will use it more sitting than standing. I have found a few cosmetic issues on mine but it gives it a personality. Bought it at Sweetwater Gear Fest 2018. Worth the price of admission. It wasn't in stock there and when I received it the case was included. I play rock and blues electrick so I appreciate the thinner neck.
I ordered the Mini SM-CE, I'm excited. I'm a Uke player looking a second instrument to play. Guitarale too fiddly, 3/4s wrong tuning this looks perfect for me.
I hope you enjoy it Jon I love mine.
Thanks, I can't wait, you got any videos up of your playing. Some of the gitair chords i just can't play like F so i can just play the uke version instead and a lot of chords are uke +1 extra string and a lot of the fingerpicking I know on uke will work too! I could even take the low A string off to simplify things a good bit. Well that's the plan, no one close to me had one to actually try in e tuning. This vid here helped.
hey Jon I have some videos but nothing specifically to help you, I could post something if ya want to check my channel and comment there. I'm not very profesional by any means but I would be glad to try to help where I can
Any update to this?
What were the comparative price tags on the two instruments? Thanks.
For the guitarlele being difficult to play you are playing it really well. I don't think you are having a hard time with it except past a certain fret.
great review, great tee shirt
thanks Alex. So are you going to give us the update with your new Cordoba Mini?
I actually didn't buy the new one. I've now heard from more than one person that there are issues with the pickup, so I'm not sure what's going on with that but before I buy a new one I'm going to try it out at a Guitar Center or something. I'm re-designing my electric/pedal rig up right now so the videos I have on the way will probably be regarding that gear and clips of playing folk tunes, hopefully with other musicians, so please subscribe :)
which are the general dimensions of the two instruments in cm?
The Cordoba website should have that info.
hi can you put steel strings on the Mini O-CE or is it nylon online
Probably just nylon
The Cordoba mini guitar case does get dirty easily. So I just covered it with patches and writing. All three of my classical guitars are Cordoba I have the mini M. I have the Santa Fe too and I have a full size Cordoba has great quality instruments. But none of my guitars have tuners or pickups and after I saw you deal with your Buzz problem I'm really glad I passed those ones up
On another note Ernie Ball makes many different kinds of ball end nylon strings. The mini 2 Santa Fe does not have a pin Bridge like the mini M does. I always wondered why they chose a pin Bridge as well. Anyways great playing great video. Oh and another thing I've learned about these cordobas all kinds of nylon strings I've tried but nothing feels as good as the Cordoba strings I have to order them straight from the website because Guitar Center doesn't carry them in their stores but I'm telling you to feel of the strings it's a playabilities so much better if you stick to the Cordoba strings I know I sound like I'm sponsored or something but I'm not I don't play good enough to be sponsored by nobody LOL
Also .... my mini 2 santa fe has two strap buttons
Great review. I'm getting back into guitar and considering getting a travel/practice instrument and this is really helpful, thanks. Main reason for comment, though, is your playing is really inspiring. Apart from the Breton folk song, what else are you playing here?
Thanks for the comment. It's a lot of improv. 2:47 is a gypsy jazz tune called Swing Gitane. 5:30 is an Irish tune called Danno's Reel. 11:50 is a baroque piece by Couperin called Les Barricades Mysterieuses. I just uploaded another folk tune on electric guitar a couple weeks ago if you want to check it out on my channel.
That is an awesome review with lots of bonus information! I sense you delayed your public video sharing until you had "something to say", so let me tell you people throw out stupid and half assed videos just to get attention or youtube bucks, with 1/1000 of your talent. I only met someone like you once, he worked in a local (big) music store and could just play ANYTHING with ANYONE on keyboard, guitar and saxophone, and I bet he would pick up a guitalele or mini guitar just as well (it was more than 20 years ago we didn't have those yet - today Music store staff are full of themselves without real talent and collecting highly priced instruments at home to brag about...). I have a Gretsch Guitalele, which is awesome to my small hands and sounds so well that I bought it the day I got out of surgery and wanted to buy a digital piano... Still a Mini SM-CE or any decent 1/2 size classical guitar should fit me better because they are indeed a bit small and a Ukulele tenor size is better with 4 fingers on that neck width. So far the only 1/2 size guitar decent enough to have is Raimundo 1491, and its expensive...
Thank you for the video, and I would really want to learn from you if I could, I bet you have great teaching potential if you don't have many students already. Enjoy making music and I wish you to get to where you want to be and more! Cheers :)
Thanks for the kind words
Alex, would you post the tabs for the Irish you been playing after you compared the cases.
margita I can’t remember the last time I used or wrote tabs but if I do get around to them again I’ll come back here and let you know. Have you tried slowing down the video to hear it at half speed? That’s how I learn most stuff these days.
Brilliant playing. What is the name of the tune at 5.10? Also, how do you go about learning those Irish songs? Is there any particular resource you'd recommend? Discovered this channel looking into travel guitars but I've been blown away by the range of styles you've seemedly mastered.
Thanks Shane, I think that one's called Danno's Reel, and it's one that's in the middle ground between Celtic and old time American. I learned all these by ear but thesession.org is a good one.
I like your sound on the Mini better. By the Way, I like using LaBella Folk Singer Strings. ( I noticed that Willie Nelson had used them on Trigger) They have the ball end. However, having said that, I do modify and tie extra knots on the ball ends, because they do tend to slip.
I love guitalele, kikus or guilele, all they basically are is 6 string ukuleles and like ukuleles, their not guitars nor supposed to replace guitars, I love the hybrid sound they have because I'm not an acoustic guitar fan, John Mayer even plays a guitalele.
Best thing to do is check out the Guitalele pros that play this instrument for a living right here on UA-cam even. And it's not a toy and it's not Just for kids or travel. It's a professional instrument just like the Ukulele. And Ukuleles are naturally played without a strap, that is the tradition
Well, a couple things. First, ukes are tuned totally different with an octave displaced on the closest string to the player's face, so producing an instrument that is tuned exactly like a guitar, albeit a fourth up, doesn't allow for uke technique to transfer and get the same sounds with the same technique and voicing. Because of the tuning, and because of the appointments, even on the guilele, I believe Cordoba has produced these for the guitarist rather than the uke player. After all, uke players have plenty of quality instruments in this size and price range. Also, the guilele players I've seen on UA-cam are basically playing a guitar style, and the really expensive guileles I've played are still marketed as hybrid instruments. Do you have a favorite player I should check out?
Alex Hand yes Zanuck Lindsey, look him up here, he is Kimo Hussey's playing partner
I finally checked out Zanuck. He is using guitar voicings, technique, etc. Basically playing guitar on a guilele like I expected.
You are right,and mr.Christian is right too.
I played guitalele three years,but beacouse I am working on job,night security.I played on the job,and it is ideal to come on the job with instrument.Beacuse it is small,and nobody can not see you how you come on the yob with something big what produced the sound.
From the time you start to love this sound,and you become to play it at home too.I think that guitalele have future from this reasons.It is little bit hard on begigining to play it,small freets,but from the time,you pass by this problem.I ordrer one cordoba gilele but I never played on it.
Is it worth the money?Is it much better from yamaha GL1?
In Zagreb where I live,shops has got only gretch,and yamaha.
Thanks a lot.
What is the Guilele tuning?
What was the name of the last song you played?
Les Barricades Mysterieuses
Hey man - what was your influences?? your style is really cool.
Thanks! I play a lot of Celtic and Bulgarian/Romanian music. I grew up playing rock/metal, started playing Irish music and classical guitar when I was 15 and right now I'm working on my masters degree in jazz performance at North Texas. If you want to check out the albums I've made, they are here: alexhandband.bandcamp.com/
Nice vid and nice T-shirt ;-)
What's the song at 4:04?
It's my solo arrangement of the B section to a folk tune. I don't know the title, but I think it's from Cape Breton. Maybe I will post a separate video of that tune after I practice it more.
Did you ever try the classical strings on these?
Eastern Cowboy I did put them on the guilele. It wasn’t as tight and resonant a sound as the original strings made for it but it did work.
Wow this was a great video! Have you checked out the Kala Guitarlele? I don't know what I should get, the Yamaha Guitalele, the Cordoba Mini, the Cordoba Guilele or the Kala Guitarlele. Any thoughts? Thanks buddy!
I suggest going to Guitar Center to try what they have. The Yamaha one is ok, but Cordoba is probably better. I've never heard of Kala. Gretsch actually makes a really good one that comes with a case for under $300, which was the first time I saw any of these guileles. They are all smaller than the Cordoba Mini, which is the most playable, and expensive.
Sounds great! Thanks buddy, you've been a great help! Subscribed!
+DaneDuncan I have owned the Yamaha guitalele, the gretsch one, and the Yamaha one. Out of the 3 I recommend the Córdoba guilele as far as tone and quality goes. But I just got the mini m and its way better in my opinion. Mainly because the string spacing is the same as on a regular nylon guitar, so no cramping, and a bigger sound board gives better tone in my opinion. Plus, if you want to tune it in enfor a travel guitar, you can do so because they have a set of strings you can use for that. It comes in a, so if you tune to e it will have less volume and the strings will be a bit loose. You will need the actual strings meant for e. Only thing I don't like is it does not have slotted head.
Why do you prefer the slotted headstock?
Good to hear! Yeah I'm curious why you prefer the slotted headstock too. Besides it looking bad ass.
Thanks ...interesting comparison between instrument s
Would the tuning on the Mini be the same as the Guilele? BTW, thanks for the vid. I play the classical guitar and post UA-cam videos too, but I was somewhat hesitant to purchase the Guilele because I was worried that it would be harder to adjust. The info. on the neck size and string spacing was helpful.---Patricio
They are both supposed to be tuned to the same intervals as a guitar from A to A, but can be tuned E to E. I haven't tuned it to E because the strings will be fairly loose at that point and it won't be as loud or clear. They do still sound good tuned G, or even F#, I think.
+Alex Hand. Thanks for clarifying.
Hello, did you install the strap buttons on your Mini O-CE ? Is it thick enough?
Juliette Liddle I actually got rid of it years ago but I think it would be fine if it was done by a professional.
Thanks for the review. It has me more on the fence about the Mini now. I wanted a something to take on the plane without worrying about it. But I don't want to waste money on something that I won't like playing.
What song did you play for the comparison?
Many. I tried to respond to the requests about specific ones but this was like 10 years ago! Some of these songs I still play and may have uploaded in more recent videos.
a favor. Could you write me a summary of what you say in your video? What happens is that I do not speak English and I am in doubt about buying these instruments. I want to understand what more or less you say in your video. I am very grateful to you once you write it, I will translate it into Spanish to understand it. Greetings from Bolivia
I have the exact same problem playing mandolin....why I hardly do...especially cheap mandos...the frets are tiny
Can you use normal strings on the guilele??
I haven't tried.
Alex Hand can you please try thx
oh ya you terrible on that guitlele lol, i’m convinced you could do it !!! sounds good
Very helpful review, Alex! Nice chops also. Did you keep the Guilele? I'm looking to get one for my 15 yr old granddaughter
I didn't but I sold it to my 8 yr old guitar student. He (we) keeps it in standard tuning and it's easy for him because of the low string tension and soft strings. I have a Baby Taylor now that has replaced both of the Cordobas. I'm going to try nylon strings on it soon and make a video.
awesome vid.
btw, will you be playing that lute you had in the back in previous vid ? Regardless, cant wait for more
That's actually a Greek Laouto. It's my housemate's. Really weird tuning in 5ths with some octave doubles, and movable frets. I doubt I will get a handle on that thing before I move out of here :)
Nice playing. !
what does it sound like plugged in ?
tybolini2 guilele sounded good. Mini O-CE sounded good except the constant hum, which was why I didn’t keep the guitar. Probably wasn’t grounded right or had some wiring problem.
The mini o ce sounds great
Is it loud enough to play in a crowd of people?
FWIW, I have a Yamaha "Guitalele" and I find it totally impractical to play most classical guitar pieces on it. For simple/low position pieces, or as a "strummer" it works fine. It actually is a "real" instrument not a toy. But as someone with normal adult sized hands, there just enough space to get the fingers down to play many normal chord voicings. If you're looking for a compact/travel type substitute for a classical guitar, I think something like a "capo 3" or "capo 5" type instrument is really a better choice for actual playability, plus these (IMO) tend to have much better tone.
So you tuned the two guitars the same?
Yes
@@AlexHand isn't the biggest guitar supposed to be tuned normally?
@@BrankyMusic They are all tuned EADGBe like a full size.
you're awesome bud