What did you like about the Ibanez vs the Yamaha? I haven't played either of them and am considering them both. This vid was a great comparison, but I'm still not sure haha
Very nice comparison. I am really just interested in the gl1 so wanted to hear how it sounded. As soon as you started singing I did a double take. Great playing and great voice!
Thank you so much :-) Yes, the GL1 is a very nice and affordable little thing, i love it, pick one up if you can. If you'd like to hear more of mine, ánd the voice, you might want to check out these video's: ruclips.net/video/vy5O4wI3qsE/видео.html And: ruclips.net/video/BKqBWy1NhAg/видео.html
@@borkair6581 well, veneer is wood all right, just not solid wood ;-) But pretty good for the price I think. They go for about 100 Euro new here, or half 2nd hand. The Ibanez goes for about 100 Euro 2nd hand. So yes that's cheap, very nice toys to try if a mini guitar is right for you. Ofcourse I got mine both 2nd hand ;-)
@@LisethHorsten its not good for the price. for a bit more out of certain outlets you get koa wood. a tonewood. the yamaha is a toy thing. is plywood. is cheap . and way way over what it should cost
@@borkair6581 I'd love to have the address of that outlet! 😃 There's quite a few instruments (esp ukuleles) that are too expensive for what they give, but I kinda like my cheapo 2nd hand guitalele ;-) (Maybe you played a bad copy? Badly adjusted right out of the box with crappy factory strings?)
hi Liseth! i'm totally sold on the yamaha; thank you for this comparison. also, you're an absolute rockstar. yours is my favourite new singing voice i've heard in a while. just picked up your EP, kites and traffic lights and will be enjoying that for a while :) you've got a new fan today!
@@LisethHorsten might be pleased?! i'm so excited!! i'll be first in line to pick it up! where else can i follow you for updates and tunes from the Life of Liseth? :D
Woohoo :-) If you'd like to get updates, you can go to my website and send me an email that you'd like to be on my mailinglist. In my last newsletter, there were two short hidden video's from the studio, were we are recording. I'll send you those as well, to get a preview ;-) Or just keep checking my website regularly (but you'll miss out on the fan stuff)
I dont mean to be so off topic but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an Instagram account..? I stupidly lost my account password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me
No I didn't mention price, just made a simple vid about the sound. The original newprice (at least here in The Netherlands) was about two times the GL1, but now I see it for 1,5 times the price. So that's not too bad I think.
If you’d like a smoother sound on the piccolo guitar, I can heartily recommend elixir coated strings. They do provide a slightly mellowed tone and they last pretty good.
Hey thanks for that Robert! :-) Yes, the trebly sound annoys me a bit, I suppose that's what you get with such a small size guitar with steel strings... I wonder if 'any' coated strings would have the same effect, or only the elixers. Worth a try ;-)
This was a pretty good comparison. You gave enough time to hear both with a good variety of style. I thought that the nylon stringed seemed a little plunky sounding at times while the steel string seemed clearer. The picking definitely sounded better on the steel-string, but I liked the strumming on the nylon string. I have a nylon string and want a steel-string the same size. Your video has me wanting both now...lol.
Haha, thanks and: you're welcome.. Yes you nééd both ;-) And they're not very expensive, hurray! Or maybe you can find a cute little steelstring second hand (I bought both second hand)
@@LisethHorsten Ordered the same brand with some kind of exotic wood. I really liked the one you obtained...rather pretty, but very expensive to get. Was wondering...you did a really pretty fingerpicking part in this video. Is there any way you can do a video on the string order of the picking...or, just list the string order here in the reply? You know...6 3 2 1 2, 4 3 1 5, etc. Lol. I've replayed it over and over and can't quite tell. I've also started watching your other videos...you're really good! I love when I find surprises!
@@ajwspjs2 Thank you :-) The fingerpicking patterns are based on 'Travis picking' (after some bluegrass dude named Merle Travis), there's quite a few tutorials on that here on youtube: you keep playing the bassnotes with your thumb, and with your other fingers you play the high notes 'in between' that, and maybe add a melody to it (that's what happens in the Townes song; I also have a vid on that whole song: see the link in the description. Maybe that helps?). And do you know you can slow video's down? Click on the little cog under the vid and you can change the settings of the speed: that's helpfull to see and hear how something goes ;-) Was it expensive, the Ibanez? Sure you have seen the same one? I think new these are about 160 Euro (?), it's all laminated, not solid top. I got mine for 100 Euro 2nd hand in realy good shape (which is expensive enough for me, for an extra instrument, but I wanted it ;-))
I have the Yamaha and I’m just getting “into” it. It’s been sitting a few months since arrival, and I just ordered a YNA NG-2 pickup, arriving tomorrow. To me, you get more of a uke sound out of it with those nylon strings, when you really WANT a uke sound for certain songs. However, I’m an Ibanez fan and love the look of the Piccolo, and I would have no problem buying one...my wife’s death threats for buying another guitar notwithstanding..
niiiice... I'd love to hear how you like that pickup in the Yamaha! :-) (I couldn't find it online: do you mean the KNA NG-2?) And maybe your wife needs some time to get used to the idea? Maybe write a love song for her? ;-)
Wow beautiful! Both of them in their own way. Thank you for comparing! It would be great if you do more in-depth comparison on them. PS: my hands are fairly small, I am struggling with learning some guitar chords, even on uke a few. So was looking at the GL1. But now puzzled )).
Thanks :-) Well, I recorded this 'for fun' actually (never expecting to get so many views), but yes, maybe I should do a follow-up some time on these two... Learning chords is always a struggle though, regardless of the size of your hands: the muscles in your fingers have to get used to those weird positions! But anyway, both miniguitars are very doable for small hands, since the frets are narrower than on a full size guitar. If you're beginning to play, nylon strings (as on the GL1) are friendlier to your fingertips. But if you really love the steel string sound, consider the piccolo. Or any another smaller size guitar, because: remember that the tuning is different for the guitalele, so, you want to play GUITAR, why not search for a 3/4th or 1/2 size guitar, like a travelsize or children/teen-size guitar? Ofcourse you can equip the guitaleles with children-strings, but just a slightly smaller guitar (and a little bigger than these two) would just sound better in regular guitar tuning. Anyway: that's all up to you ;-)
Liseth, you probably ought to contact Ibanez about obtaining a sponsorship deal from them because you may have just sold me on their piccolo travel-size guitar! Lol! I already happily own the Yamaha GL-1 and I use it a bunch! (In fact, gonna get another or two asap for back-up!) I had not yet found a steel-string 6-string uke. But I have been wanting one!
BTW, subscribed ya! First time I have run across any of your videos! Hope it is a deep rabbit-hole! I felt kinship with your musical style in this vid!
Thanks for this!! I’m currently trying to decide between these two for wilderness backpacking. Which one holds a tune better? Which one is more durable? And which one is louder? Thanks!! Great video.
Thanks! :-) Good questions.. they both hold tune very well indoors once the strings have stretched, but for outdoors: it depends on the weather ;-) The Yamaha is slightly lighter in weight, but just slightly. Which one you choose is primarily SOUND and FEEL: you should just pick the one that appeals to you most. Sorry I can't give you a better answer than that ;-) Have fun backpacking, yay!
They are great fun, aren't they? The joy of this one is that you can retune it d to d. Shuffle all the strings one step along and replace the first with 0.09.
Hi Eric, yes I was thinking of trying to 'octave' it the way you mention (see 4:15 minutes), I'm gonna try that. And some open tunings might work as well then, like an open D, or... I was thinking E to E but to keep it D to D is probably better (not too tight on the strings). I'm also curious on how it would compliment a regular guitar on a recording, haven't tried that yet; I suppose it would be a 12-string-ish/Nashville-ish sound ;-)
@@LisethHorsten I have done a review on RUclips with it d to d. But since then I bought a Veilette Gryphon, same high tuning. All the joy of Nashville tuning, but less confusing! I have dropped a Dreadnought to be an octave lower so I can double them on recordings.
Oh great, I'll check it out! And I'll google that Veilette, never heard of it ..... Oh you mean a dreadnought tuned one tone down, D to D? I first thought you meant an octave lower than a regular dreadnoght, but the neck wouldn't be happy with that ;-)
Beautiful playing!! I am definitely buying the Ibanez piccolo now. I was all about getting that guitalele till I found this. It’s really cool that you did a side by side. Thanks!
Great video! I'm going on a long trip in an RV and I'm looking to get a small travel guitar. I'd like to learn finger picking style guitar on my trip (I'm strictly a pick player at this point). Do I need nylon strings to learn finger picking style guitar? Also, I like the cut-away on the Ibanez piccolo, because you can reach the higher notes. Is it possible to put nylon strings on the Ibanez piccolo. or is that crazy talk? I'd very much appreciate any thoughts or insight into my questions.
Thanks! :-) Yes both would make great travel companions. Whether you'd pick nylon or steel strings depends on what you're used to, and what you personally prefer for sound. If you're a starting player, nylon will definetely 'hurt less' on your fingertips ;-) You can try nylon strings on the Ibanez; whether that sounds good I don't know, I haven't tried it. You also might like to try Silk and Steel strings on that one: the thickest strings have a slightly softer feel than regular steel strings. And just in case: I would not recommend putting steel strings on the Yamaha; it's not build for that higher tension. Another thing is that the neck of the Yamaha is a little wider than from the Ibanez, just like with the big guitars. That's also very much a matter of what you prefer. Wide is nice for bigger fingers ;-) The Yamaha is a wee bit lighter in weight (not much though), and a little cheaper to buy. So, I hope I have all the pro's and cons covered here ;-) Try 'em both! Happy choosing and happy traveling!!! :-)
@@LisethHorsten Hey Liseth - thanks for the detailed and thoughtful advice! I went down to my local Guitar Center to see what they had in stock. They had zero piccolo guitars, they did have a bunch of ukulele’s, all 4 string, (of course…). But they had a few different ¾ size guitars. Apparently, the most renowned ¾ guitars are the Martin LX1, and the Taylor Baby. Guitar Center had them both, and I absolutely loved them! Plus, I’ve always wanted to own a Martin. Both these guitars listed for just under $400. The two seemed exactly the same in size. The Taylor had lower action and was bit easier to play, but the Martin was still wonderful and had a more balanced tone (less twang). They also had a Yamaha APXT2 on close-out for $134.99. This guitar was smaller then the other two (same length, but the body isn’t as thick). The action was as low as the Taylor, but there was zero fret buzz (the Martin had zero fret buzz, but the Taylor had some, which I feel is typical and tolerable for guitars with low action). The Yamaha didn’t project as well as the Taylor and the Martin. The Yamaha and the Martin have built-in pickups, the Taylor has none (but this is a minor factor for me). The Yamaha also has a cutaway, which is a plus for me because reaching high notes is extra hard on these smaller guitars. Anyway...I couldn’t decide... I walked out of the store. We went camping in our RV for two nights, and it hit me… the Yamaha was a no-brainier! Smaller, much cheaper, less worry.. I was hoping that it was still in-store when I got back, I went in tonight and it was still there and I snagged it! So I still don’t have a Martin, but I have something that’s very playable and portable, and if it gets banged around I’ll worry a lot less! Thanks again for your help!
@@Russomon yeeeeeey! That's a no brainer all right, for that price, when travelling. You don't want anything to happen to your Martin ;-) Yes and a 3/4 size plays lovely as a travelguitar as well. (and by the way: Martins are not always better because 'it says Martin on the headstock' ;-) Have you considered Eastman for example? They have pretty good guitars. Well but maybe that's something for when you guys get back)
@@LisethHorsten Oh yes! Eastman makes great acoustic guitars! Hopefully I'll be practicing a lot while on my trip and be able to justify splurging on a quality instrument!
I'm surprised with the sound of the Yamaha, I'm planning buying one to carry during El Camino (because it is cheaper, but now I love what I hear) and in the future getting the Ibanez for using in sessions, Great review!
Im thinking to buy for my son in law. The steel string sound better when it come to guitarlele but compare to normal guitar, i prefer nylon n it sound perfectly fine. Thank you for introduce this to me. Look like i need to check for it availibility in the current markets.
I ordered the Ibanez piccolo last night in the dark open pore ebony wood! ❤ 😊thank you for helping me make a decision with your video. I can aspire to play like you.
Hola, sí, perforé un pequeño agujero y puse un botón para la correa, como una guitarra. No hay problema. (Necesitaba Google Translate, no hablo español ;-))
thanks, I made them from old trouser belts from the thrift store ;-) I look for nice 'n narrow ones from about 1 meter length, take the buckle off, and then do a little tinkering..
Get Ibanez on the phone! (I bought one because of this review!) lol, they owe you kudos! I agree with your assessment. If I had to choose to play and sing as the PRIMARY musician in my project, with my choice of being between only one of the two, I'd pick the cheaper Yamaha GL-1. But, I really like the fact that I have the Ibanez to use when I want that "twang" instead of my usual "bwang". (Do you know what I mean?) lol Of course, NOTHING can beat my Martin D18 or my Les-Paul at the jobs THEY were ment to do! But, with my solo-music, I'd look ridiculous trying to bring out the big-guns too often. Hell, I can't even sing! I "talk/sing" in my limited baritone range, struggling to give the listener the intended melody. YOU, on the other-hand, have power and range and pitch and style and emotion! And, ding dab-nabbit. You are a much better string-strummer/plucker/picker (Don't lie to deny the truth out of kindness!) I bow to you!
Спасибо за ответ. И ура Google Translate, так что я могу это понять ;-) Да, вы можете играть обычные гитарные аккорды, настройка такая же, но как с капо в пятой позиции.
Hello! Thank you for the video :-). If you have a moment, could you let me know if the Ibanez piccolo is the same length as the guitalele please? I'm trying to work out if it will fit in my Tenor uke case (I know the guitalele only just about fits because of the length)
Are both of them tuned the same or there's a difference? I have the guitalele and a friend of mine just got a classic traveling guitar. But the shop owner told him to tune it like a normal guitar..... They both look pretty much the same and I'm confused in it.
Good question! A travel guitar 'usually' has a 3/4-th scale length, a bit longer than a guitalele. You can tune it in normal tuning (maybe a bit thicker strings or the strings will become a bit floppy, or special 3/4 length strings). A guitalele has the scale length of a 'guitar with capo on the 5th', so it's tuned like that, with either normal strings or special guitalele strings (for the Yamaha you have those from Aquila, but regular nylon strings will do as well). Ofcourse you can experiment with alternate tunings. But maybe your friend has a travel guitar with the scale of a guitalele? Then for a normal tuning he would need children's strings (with the scale length of a guitalele... um, maybe you're even more confused now? ;-))
Thanks Silvia :-) Good question, I suppose it depends on how you are travelling, how much you can carry in your luggage. Both are tunable in regular tuning with childrens' short scale strings, but they'll still sound like a very small guitar ofcourse. The Yamaha is a bit lighter in weight, in case you're a backpacker ;-) If you're travelling in a van/car, just go with what sounds best to you.
Thank you :-) Yes that is possible with strings for childrens' size guitar; ask your local music shop which ones are best, since those strings come in different lenghts.
I have a vox SDC-1 mini, 18.7" scale tuned to E standard. With 13 gauge strings. Its stability is pretty ok if you're not bending the hell out of it. (which is hard not to do because it's tons of fun with how bendy the strings are) youd have to recut or replace the nut on the Ibanez and probably look for higher ratio tuning machines to get accurate tuning and it's likely not going to be worth doing unless you really, really want to. If you're open to electrics the tiny voxs aren't expensive and are a lot of fun.
The tension will be too much and the structure isn't supportive enough, it has to be tuned to A D G C E A, I use Elixir Phosphor Bronze 47-10 and they are fantastic and last a long time... 🎸🎶🎶🎶
@@MrLucky1959 @marknicholl438 @usermaxii @GregStraub42 @travismajor9736 Actually, you cán tune it in E, but not with the regular set of strings: in normal tuning the strings would be too floppy, in octave tuning they would have too much tension. But you can tune it like an octave guitar by removing the lowest string, moving all the strings one place up, and replacing the thinnest string with a thinner one, like: 009 or 008. Than you can tune it in E one octave higher. Yes it sounds a little thin but it works! ;-) Great fun for recordings, or to accompany another normal tuned guitar.
Hey that's cool, you're not the first, Ibanez owes me an endorsement deal 😄 For regular E tuning you should use short scale (1/4) children's strings. Have fun playing!
Fantastic appreciation.. quick question if I may, tuning the Guitalele to low G# bottom string, do you keep other strings in their tuning? Your work & language perfect!
Thanks 😊 Sometimes I tune it half a step down to G#, I mean; all the strings, so it's tuned 'guitar with capo on 4'. You can also tune only the bottom string to G to create a 'drop G' ;-) It stays in tune quite well. Does that answer your question or did you mean something else?
Background to question: love my 11 string fretless Oud, but hard(er!) now to tune and play due to hand/wrist arthritis… as self-taught never was able to ‘play properly’ (!) so tuned and played whatever sounded nice… so experimenting with Uke/Guitarlele in case such intuitive instrumentation works…😉🤔❤️🙏
@@pauthomp Ouch that's painful 😕 I hope you can find as much joy with other instruments. Since the GL1 and ukuleles have nylon/nylgut/carbon strings, they're quite easy on your hands. Well, compared to an 11 stringed instrument that is (wow! 😜). And you can always experiment with alternative tunings ofcourse.
Hi thank you for the video. the ibanez Guitarlele is the one I am looking for. I could not found the ibanez model with the soind pick up. Just without but I want to plug it to my PA. Do you have a link for me?
Hi ArianeR, thanks for your comment. I got mine second hand, and I don't know if Ibanez also has a model with pickup. If you can't find it on internet, probably not ;-) But any good guitarstore should be able to build a pickup in for you, and/or direct you to a guitardoctor who can. Good luck! :-)
Ahoy! I got this Ibanez piccolo guitar and I would love to tune it in E standard. I know this doesn't really work with the original strings but I couldn't find steel strings that would work yet. Can anybody recommend me which ones would work on it since it's a 17 inch. Thanks a lot!
Hi DasLulu, thanks for your question. To tune the piccolo in standard E you would need strings for a children's size guitar. I think 1/2 scale lenght would be okay, but to be sure; ask your local music shop ;-)
Oh that's really a personal thing; they are both a fun addition to a guitar collection. For me personally (but that's personally!) I find myself grabbing the Yamaha more often, because for a steelstring sound I admit I like my western guitar better. But as I said: these small guitars both have their own charm, and you have to pick the one that appeals to YOU the most :-)
Thanks for your comment; well, for the warmth of the sound most prefer nylon with these small guitars. Because it's so small, steel strings tend to sound a bit shrill and thin. Also the neck is a bit wider with the nylon, it's light, cheap, etc ;-)
@@LisethHorsten hmmm but not very rock'n'roll :D (if that's the kind of stuff you'd like to play) also, i suspect steel would have better sustain, can you confirm?
@@reflexreaction3797 haha, maybe not, for rock 'n' roll I would advise a ukulele ;-) ruclips.net/video/8kbrk-7Ialc/видео.html Yes the sustain of steel is a bit longer, but for sound it's a matter of taste I suppose.
Good question, I haven't tried it, so I don't know. It might work. That is: nylon strings work on a steelstring (not the other way around because steel strings have a higher tension obvously). But the sustain of steel strings sounds different than of nylons anyway, so I tend to think the strings make that sustain, not the guitar itself (.. I think...). Silk & Steel strings might sound nice on this one, I could give that a try..
i have the Ibanez, i have folk guitar strings on it, meaning the bottom three strings are nylon. it sounds great. the ibanez has a truss rod. a guitar with a truss rod can handle much higher tension strings than a guitar without one. steel strings are higher tension than nylon, so any guitar that can take steel strings, can also take nylon. basically, you can put nylon strings on any guitar. you cannot put steel strings on any guitar. some guitars will snap under the higher tension of steel strings.
The Yamaha sure is warmer. I think it depends of what kind of music you want to play. I like better the sound of the Ibanez, because the thinnest strings of the Yamaha don't give that metallic sound I love for country songs. I got a Yamaha and kind of regretted it after hearing the difference. But as I am starting, I think it will be good to get my fingers calloused first with nylon strings before trying an instrument with metal strings. I gave up when I started learning ages ago because my fingers hurt too much 😂 Thank you for the video. I will think about getting an Ibanez after I master the Yamaha.
Thanks for your comment Pilar. Yes it depends on the kind of music, and your personal preference. And well, you might as well go for a full size western guitar later ;-) Maybe a 3/4 size that you can tune in regular guitar tuning. The bigger the instrument, the warmer and fuller the sound will be. For me personally, the Ibanez became too small 'as for the sound'; I find myself grabbing the regular guitar when I want that steelstring sound, not the Ibanez. But it's still a cute plaything.
Thanks for your question. Yes you can play the same chord SHAPES: the guitalele is standard tuned as a guitar with capo on the 5th fret, so the chords are transposed 5 half steps higher. This video explains it: ruclips.net/video/6T9p0fU8Wbk/видео.html
Wow you rock ...Great stuff...Wicked playing lovely voice...I'll now sold on the Yamaha as its considerably cheaper than the Ibanez...Many thanks for sharing...
Hello Kisko, thank you for your question. Well, the neck is of bigger influence on the playing, than the fretwire (which is practically the same): the Yamaha has a wider neck than the Ibanez and a flat fretboard (as a nylon/classical guitar), the Ibanez fretboard has a slight radius (like streel string guitars).
Everything is a bit smaller, so yes I'd say it's great for children! And adults too :-) You can string it in this guitalele tuning, or with children's strings in normal tuning (ask your local guitar shop, but probably 1/4th length). But keep in mind that it's a steelstring, so for a beginner or child the strings are tough on the fingertips. The action of my copy is pretty good out of the box, which probably counts for all copies. Could be a tiny bit lower higher up the neck, in case you play higher up the neck which I usually don't ;-)
Yes, that's possible. Both have a scale length of 44 cm, so you'll need strings for a 1/4 kids guitar I guess. But; they're small, so they will sound 'small' ;-) For a better guitar sound, you might want to try a 1/2 size. These two are great for carrying around though!
You mean as an octave guitar? Yes, then take #6 off, move all the strings up one place, then use a thinner string for #1, the high D, like an 009 or 008 (so the 010 string will become your #2).
Ha, yes it's high, I've tried it ;-) It works well playing together with another guitar though, as an extra layer (12string-ish). Or as a mandolin-ish part.
Hi, sorry for the late response. You can put nylon strings on it, but it's build for steel strings so I'm not sure if it will sound okay... I think there are travelsize/guitaleles build for nylon that will sound better.
@@LisethHorsten Hi! great video, I have another question. If I were to put nylon strings on the ibanez, would it damage the ibanez at all? I know that steel strings on a nylon guitar can really mess up the instrument, but does it work the same the other way around?
@@Cadesworth hi there! No it wouldn't damage it. The string tension of nylon is lower than steel strings, meaning it won't pull so hard on the neck and bridge (so yes, steel on an instrument build for nylon would damage it). But if it will sound good, that's up to you.
No not much. If you put on new strings then you'd have to tune it more often in the beginning, obviously. But when the strings are settled, it holds tune pretty good. When I pick it up to play, I check the tuning, but that counts for every instrument ;-) I hope this answers your question.
I haven't tried that, since it's build for steel and the neck is also narrow. But feel free to try ;-) I can't do that anymore since I've sold it a while ago: this guitar didn't 'grow on me', so I guess it wasn't for me after all. I found myself just grabbing the western guitar when I wanted the steel sound, and recently I bought a travelsize steelstring that I like very much (3/4 size). Now I haven't played the Yamaha in a while either ;-)
@LisethHorsten I had to choose either a guitalele or a traveler's steel guitar. I chose the guitalele, too, which sounded richer, warmer, fuller and generally more beautiful. I also find that it plays more comfortably too. I wasn't captivated by the other much at all, luckily for me I found the guitalele.
@@paperoverflow Yes I can imagine, though for other people the piccolo is perfect. I had fun with it for a while. A matter of taste I suppose, but as for steel nothing beats a dreadnought for me ;-). But my 3/4 size mini-dread is well made with nice wood, and has a nice parlor-ish vibe, I just like holding it, great 'couch guitar' too.
@LisethHorsten Yes I mean, if I didn't have the guitarele I would still have gotten myself the piccolo guitar, but the sound of the guitarele was too good. (I actually do own a small "Grason" guitar from India which is sweet and also for nostalgic reasons). The piccolo soundend too thin and lacking of worthwhile tonal qualities, and I tend to be on the dreadnought side of things to when it comes to acoustic steel guitars. I may still like Parlor guitars for size, practice or to spare my voice while singing, but when it comes to tone, dreadnought is best. Interestingly enough classical guitars have a sweetspot when it comes to size, and I gravitate towards 3/4 sized ones and am totally surprised at how great guitarleles sound. I ordered higher tension strings so I can tune it to standard guitar tuning :-). I used to own an ukulele, but I gave it to someone as a birthday gift. I am not huge fan of the tuning, and neither very much for the sound, had bought it while studying so I had a smaller companion easy to carry around and such... Anyways, guitarlele wins for me. 🦊🌻
@@paperoverflow Ah, just wondering: did you buy 'children's size guitar' strings for it, or very high tension? The thing with steel strings, is that you just can't buy children's ones for normal tuning. If so, it might be possible to make a guitalele size traveler for normal tuning. I looked for strings for a children's size electric guitar and didn't find any, so that one is tuned now as an octave in an open tuning. I did that with the piccolo as well. As for ukes; I love 'em ;-) Though I'm still more a guitar player. But you need a decently adjusted one with good strings; the smaller the instrument, the easier it sounds out or tune, haha. For a more familiar (guitar) feel and sound, you could try a low G string, instead of the usual high G tuning. In case you ever get another one 🙃
I wasn't expecting to listen to such a charming and beautiful performance, excellent demo. I like them both the same :)
Such beautiful playing and singing
Thank you :-)
I've played both and prefer the Ibanez so much that I purchased one and love it, thanks for the riff for "Ain't no Sunshine" 🎸🎶🎶🎶
What did you like about the Ibanez vs the Yamaha? I haven't played either of them and am considering them both. This vid was a great comparison, but I'm still not sure haha
Very nice comparison. I am really just interested in the gl1 so wanted to hear how it sounded. As soon as you started singing I did a double take. Great playing and great voice!
Thank you so much :-) Yes, the GL1 is a very nice and affordable little thing, i love it, pick one up if you can. If you'd like to hear more of mine, ánd the voice, you might want to check out these video's:
ruclips.net/video/vy5O4wI3qsE/видео.html
And: ruclips.net/video/BKqBWy1NhAg/видео.html
Best comparison video. Problem is, I want them both now! 😵💫
Haha, thanks, so: just get them both, they're not that expensive 😄
@@LisethHorsten the yamaha should be 1/4 of the price. it is cheap cheap. lousy. no wood at all
@@borkair6581 well, veneer is wood all right, just not solid wood ;-) But pretty good for the price I think. They go for about 100 Euro new here, or half 2nd hand. The Ibanez goes for about 100 Euro 2nd hand. So yes that's cheap, very nice toys to try if a mini guitar is right for you. Ofcourse I got mine both 2nd hand ;-)
@@LisethHorsten its not good for the price. for a bit more out of certain outlets you get koa wood. a tonewood. the yamaha is a toy thing. is plywood. is cheap . and way way over what it should cost
@@borkair6581 I'd love to have the address of that outlet! 😃 There's quite a few instruments (esp ukuleles) that are too expensive for what they give, but I kinda like my cheapo 2nd hand guitalele ;-) (Maybe you played a bad copy? Badly adjusted right out of the box with crappy factory strings?)
Just picked up a Yamaha GL1. Absolutely love your video, your style & voice is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks :-) Have fun with your guitalele!
hi Liseth! i'm totally sold on the yamaha; thank you for this comparison. also, you're an absolute rockstar. yours is my favourite new singing voice i've heard in a while. just picked up your EP, kites and traffic lights and will be enjoying that for a while :) you've got a new fan today!
Wow thank you so much!!! :-D
Then you might be pleased to hear I'm working on a new EP with full band, coming out soon :-)
@@LisethHorsten might be pleased?! i'm so excited!! i'll be first in line to pick it up! where else can i follow you for updates and tunes from the Life of Liseth? :D
Woohoo :-) If you'd like to get updates, you can go to my website and send me an email that you'd like to be on my mailinglist. In my last newsletter, there were two short hidden video's from the studio, were we are recording. I'll send you those as well, to get a preview ;-) Or just keep checking my website regularly (but you'll miss out on the fan stuff)
I dont mean to be so off topic but does anybody know of a trick to log back into an Instagram account..?
I stupidly lost my account password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me
@@bridgercedric5525 doesn't it offer a 'forgot your password?' option?
Came for the comparison, stayed for the amazing talent. Thank you!!
Thank yóu Daniel :-)
Spoiler alert - I love that the outcome is "yeah, I'll keep them both" after all, you can never have too many musical instruments. :-)
😄
@@LisethHorsten I don't think you mentioned price - I think the Ibanez is almost three times the price of the Yamaha...
No I didn't mention price, just made a simple vid about the sound. The original newprice (at least here in The Netherlands) was about two times the GL1, but now I see it for 1,5 times the price. So that's not too bad I think.
Agree, they both sound good in their own way. By the way, your English is So Good! And your voice is lovely!
Thank you Will ☺
Love my Ibanez. Play almost only on that now when practice. So fun !
If you’d like a smoother sound on the piccolo guitar, I can heartily recommend elixir coated strings. They do provide a slightly mellowed tone and they last pretty good.
Hey thanks for that Robert! :-) Yes, the trebly sound annoys me a bit, I suppose that's what you get with such a small size guitar with steel strings... I wonder if 'any' coated strings would have the same effect, or only the elixers. Worth a try ;-)
This was a pretty good comparison. You gave enough time to hear both with a good variety of style. I thought that the nylon stringed seemed a little plunky sounding at times while the steel string seemed clearer. The picking definitely sounded better on the steel-string, but I liked the strumming on the nylon string. I have a nylon string and want a steel-string the same size. Your video has me wanting both now...lol.
Haha, thanks and: you're welcome.. Yes you nééd both ;-) And they're not very expensive, hurray! Or maybe you can find a cute little steelstring second hand (I bought both second hand)
@@LisethHorsten Ordered the same brand with some kind of exotic wood. I really liked the one you obtained...rather pretty, but very expensive to get. Was wondering...you did a really pretty fingerpicking part in this video. Is there any way you can do a video on the string order of the picking...or, just list the string order here in the reply? You know...6 3 2 1 2, 4 3 1 5, etc. Lol. I've replayed it over and over and can't quite tell. I've also started watching your other videos...you're really good! I love when I find surprises!
@@ajwspjs2 Thank you :-) The fingerpicking patterns are based on 'Travis picking' (after some bluegrass dude named Merle Travis), there's quite a few tutorials on that here on youtube: you keep playing the bassnotes with your thumb, and with your other fingers you play the high notes 'in between' that, and maybe add a melody to it (that's what happens in the Townes song; I also have a vid on that whole song: see the link in the description. Maybe that helps?). And do you know you can slow video's down? Click on the little cog under the vid and you can change the settings of the speed: that's helpfull to see and hear how something goes ;-)
Was it expensive, the Ibanez? Sure you have seen the same one? I think new these are about 160 Euro (?), it's all laminated, not solid top. I got mine for 100 Euro 2nd hand in realy good shape (which is expensive enough for me, for an extra instrument, but I wanted it ;-))
I have the Yamaha and I’m just getting “into” it. It’s been sitting a few months since arrival, and I just ordered a YNA NG-2 pickup, arriving tomorrow.
To me, you get more of a uke sound out of it with those nylon strings, when you really WANT a uke sound for certain songs. However, I’m an Ibanez fan and love the look of the Piccolo, and I would have no problem buying one...my wife’s death threats for buying another guitar notwithstanding..
niiiice... I'd love to hear how you like that pickup in the Yamaha! :-) (I couldn't find it online: do you mean the KNA NG-2?)
And maybe your wife needs some time to get used to the idea? Maybe write a love song for her? ;-)
@@LisethHorsten I’ve been married 31 years.
All songs are just congratulations that she survived living with me for so long.
(Yes, KNA.)
@@Ira88881 31 years, wow
That sounded so great. You absolutely have to record yourself singing the rest of Ain't no sunshine, sounded amazing. Cheers.
Thank you :-) Yes it's on my list to do that, when I have a little more time. It's such a lovely song to sing and play with the guitalele.
Nice comparison. I prefer to buy steel string Ibanez. GLad to see this video before I final choosing.
Thanks for your comment Jeffery, I'm glad this video helped you make your choice :-)
Loved your performance. Great voice;make more videos.
Thank you Janeh 🙂
Wow beautiful! Both of them in their own way. Thank you for comparing! It would be great if you do more in-depth comparison on them.
PS: my hands are fairly small, I am struggling with learning some guitar chords, even on uke a few. So was looking at the GL1. But now puzzled )).
Thanks :-) Well, I recorded this 'for fun' actually (never expecting to get so many views), but yes, maybe I should do a follow-up some time on these two...
Learning chords is always a struggle though, regardless of the size of your hands: the muscles in your fingers have to get used to those weird positions!
But anyway, both miniguitars are very doable for small hands, since the frets are narrower than on a full size guitar. If you're beginning to play, nylon strings (as on the GL1) are friendlier to your fingertips. But if you really love the steel string sound, consider the piccolo. Or any another smaller size guitar, because: remember that the tuning is different for the guitalele, so, you want to play GUITAR, why not search for a 3/4th or 1/2 size guitar, like a travelsize or children/teen-size guitar? Ofcourse you can equip the guitaleles with children-strings, but just a slightly smaller guitar (and a little bigger than these two) would just sound better in regular guitar tuning. Anyway: that's all up to you ;-)
I have both and love em to bits. Don't make me choose which I prefer or I'll get indigestion and want to be alone.
Haha, I won't ;-D
they both have their uses ;D
Love your playing and your voice ❤️
Thank you :-)
Thanks for this review! You have such a beautiful voice! 😍
Thank you Brigitte :-)
You’re an amazing artist, I enjoyed your play.
Thank you Pushkar :-)
Beautiful voice! ❤ I've been thinking about getting that Ibanez for traveling. Thanks for the great video! :)
Thanks Kevin :-) Have fun traveling!
Loved the crosby stills and nash there, good taste you have
Thanks! Maybe next time I'll play something from The Who ;-)
Liseth, you probably ought to contact Ibanez about obtaining a sponsorship deal from them because you may have just sold me on their piccolo travel-size guitar! Lol!
I already happily own the Yamaha GL-1 and I use it a bunch! (In fact, gonna get another or two asap for back-up!) I had not yet found a steel-string 6-string uke. But I have been wanting one!
BTW, subscribed ya! First time I have run across any of your videos! Hope it is a deep rabbit-hole! I felt kinship with your musical style in this vid!
Haha.. yes maybe I should contact Ibanez, they owe me a percentage ;-D
@@LisethHorsten Well, I got my Ibanez yesterday and am preparing to upload my 1st song with it at this moment! :)
Thanks for this!! I’m currently trying to decide between these two for wilderness backpacking. Which one holds a tune better? Which one is more durable? And which one is louder? Thanks!! Great video.
Thanks! :-) Good questions.. they both hold tune very well indoors once the strings have stretched, but for outdoors: it depends on the weather ;-) The Yamaha is slightly lighter in weight, but just slightly. Which one you choose is primarily SOUND and FEEL: you should just pick the one that appeals to you most. Sorry I can't give you a better answer than that ;-) Have fun backpacking, yay!
You made both guitars sound great.
I enjoyed the different sounds of each, Ibanez had the cool cutaway.
Thanks Julian :-)
Really nice covers of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. I liked the steel better for those songs.
Thanks! :-) Yes and it's a matter of taste which one best suits your needs.
Thank you! That was exactly the information I was looking for.
I also play guitar, so I love the more mellow sound of my GL1
Hi Bigdee, yes the GL1 is sweeet.. The Ibanez gives other possibilities and might be a good choice for electric players, I think..
Great playing with a nice voice,the first tune sounded like a Joni Mitchell tune.
Thank you Vince :-)
I like the Ibanez, just my preference though.. brighter tone
They are great fun, aren't they? The joy of this one is that you can retune it d to d. Shuffle all the strings one step along and replace the first with 0.09.
Hi Eric, yes I was thinking of trying to 'octave' it the way you mention (see 4:15 minutes), I'm gonna try that. And some open tunings might work as well then, like an open D, or... I was thinking E to E but to keep it D to D is probably better (not too tight on the strings). I'm also curious on how it would compliment a regular guitar on a recording, haven't tried that yet; I suppose it would be a 12-string-ish/Nashville-ish sound ;-)
@@LisethHorsten I have done a review on RUclips with it d to d. But since then I bought a Veilette Gryphon, same high tuning. All the joy of Nashville tuning, but less confusing! I have dropped a Dreadnought to be an octave lower so I can double them on recordings.
Oh great, I'll check it out! And I'll google that Veilette, never heard of it ..... Oh you mean a dreadnought tuned one tone down, D to D? I first thought you meant an octave lower than a regular dreadnoght, but the neck wouldn't be happy with that ;-)
Amazed at how instantly I loved the sound of the Ibanez 😍 Thanks for the video.
Thnx! Are you gonna buy one? ;-)
Beautiful playing!! I am definitely buying the Ibanez piccolo now. I was all about getting that guitalele till I found this. It’s really cool that you did a side by side. Thanks!
Thanks for watching Pixi, and have fun with the piccolo 😊
You have a very beautiful voice!!!!
Thank you HABS :-)
fantastic video wonderful playing and a beautiful voice
Thank you :-)
beautiful playing ans singing voice ! Keep it going Liseth
Thank you Richard :-)
Great video! I'm going on a long trip in an RV and I'm looking to get a small travel guitar. I'd like to learn finger picking style guitar on my trip (I'm strictly a pick player at this point). Do I need nylon strings to learn finger picking style guitar? Also, I like the cut-away on the Ibanez piccolo, because you can reach the higher notes. Is it possible to put nylon strings on the Ibanez piccolo. or is that crazy talk? I'd very much appreciate any thoughts or insight into my questions.
Thanks! :-) Yes both would make great travel companions. Whether you'd pick nylon or steel strings depends on what you're used to, and what you personally prefer for sound. If you're a starting player, nylon will definetely 'hurt less' on your fingertips ;-) You can try nylon strings on the Ibanez; whether that sounds good I don't know, I haven't tried it. You also might like to try Silk and Steel strings on that one: the thickest strings have a slightly softer feel than regular steel strings. And just in case: I would not recommend putting steel strings on the Yamaha; it's not build for that higher tension.
Another thing is that the neck of the Yamaha is a little wider than from the Ibanez, just like with the big guitars. That's also very much a matter of what you prefer. Wide is nice for bigger fingers ;-) The Yamaha is a wee bit lighter in weight (not much though), and a little cheaper to buy. So, I hope I have all the pro's and cons covered here ;-) Try 'em both! Happy choosing and happy traveling!!! :-)
@@LisethHorsten Hey Liseth - thanks for the detailed and thoughtful advice! I went down to my local Guitar Center to see what they had in stock. They had zero piccolo guitars, they did have a bunch of ukulele’s, all 4 string, (of course…).
But they had a few different ¾ size guitars. Apparently, the most renowned ¾ guitars are the Martin LX1, and the Taylor Baby. Guitar Center had them both, and I absolutely loved them! Plus, I’ve always wanted to own a Martin. Both these guitars listed for just under $400. The two seemed exactly the same in size. The Taylor had lower action and was bit easier to play, but the Martin was still wonderful and had a more balanced tone (less twang).
They also had a Yamaha APXT2 on close-out for $134.99. This guitar was smaller then the other two (same length, but the body isn’t as thick). The action was as low as the Taylor, but there was zero fret buzz (the Martin had zero fret buzz, but the Taylor had some, which I feel is typical and tolerable for guitars with low action).
The Yamaha didn’t project as well as the Taylor and the Martin. The Yamaha and the Martin have built-in pickups, the Taylor has none (but this is a minor factor for me).
The Yamaha also has a cutaway, which is a plus for me because reaching high notes is extra hard on these smaller guitars.
Anyway...I couldn’t decide... I walked out of the store. We went camping in our RV for two nights, and it hit me… the Yamaha was a no-brainier! Smaller, much cheaper, less worry.. I was hoping that it was still in-store when I got back, I went in tonight and it was still there and I snagged it! So I still don’t have a Martin, but I have something that’s very playable and portable, and if it gets banged around I’ll worry a lot less! Thanks again for your help!
@@Russomon yeeeeeey! That's a no brainer all right, for that price, when travelling. You don't want anything to happen to your Martin ;-) Yes and a 3/4 size plays lovely as a travelguitar as well.
(and by the way: Martins are not always better because 'it says Martin on the headstock' ;-) Have you considered Eastman for example? They have pretty good guitars. Well but maybe that's something for when you guys get back)
@@LisethHorsten Oh yes! Eastman makes great acoustic guitars! Hopefully I'll be practicing a lot while on my trip and be able to justify splurging on a quality instrument!
by the way: is Coelacanth your band, and/or are you that drummer? Or the inventor of the slapstik? ('slapstik' ;-D)
I'm surprised with the sound of the Yamaha, I'm planning buying one to carry during El Camino (because it is cheaper, but now I love what I hear) and in the future getting the Ibanez for using in sessions, Great review!
Thanks! yes you're gonna have fun with both of them ;-)
Im thinking to buy for my son in law. The steel string sound better when it come to guitarlele but compare to normal guitar, i prefer nylon n it sound perfectly fine. Thank you for introduce this to me. Look like i need to check for it availibility in the current markets.
You're welcome :-) Good luck with making your choice, I hope you'll find a really nice one for him.
Thank you dear lady. You play beautifully ❤ sing too!
Thanks Kerri :-)
I ordered the Ibanez piccolo last night in the dark open pore ebony wood! ❤ 😊thank you for helping me make a decision with your video. I can aspire to play like you.
@@kerricorser4562 oh a darker colour? That should be pretty, I'll google it, I'm curious ;-) Have fun with it, yay!!! 😃
@LisethHorsten sweetwater had pretty pics of it. I bought it on zzounds though. Their pics were not so clear
@@kerricorser4562 yes I googled it, looks very pretty :-)
Great travel guitars...
Hola, gracias por la información. ¿lograste poner una correa a la yamaha? ¿no se daña la caja de resonancia?
Hola, sí, perforé un pequeño agujero y puse un botón para la correa, como una guitarra. No hay problema.
(Necesitaba Google Translate, no hablo español ;-))
@@LisethHorsten Gracias!
What are you using for straps? I like those.
thanks, I made them from old trouser belts from the thrift store ;-) I look for nice 'n narrow ones from about 1 meter length, take the buckle off, and then do a little tinkering..
Get Ibanez on the phone! (I bought one because of this review!) lol, they owe you kudos!
I agree with your assessment. If I had to choose to play and sing as the PRIMARY musician in my project, with my choice of being between only one of the two, I'd pick the cheaper Yamaha GL-1. But, I really like the fact that I have the Ibanez to use when I want that "twang" instead of my usual "bwang". (Do you know what I mean?) lol
Of course, NOTHING can beat my Martin D18 or my Les-Paul at the jobs THEY were ment to do!
But, with my solo-music, I'd look ridiculous trying to bring out the big-guns too often.
Hell, I can't even sing! I "talk/sing" in my limited baritone range, struggling to give the listener the intended melody.
YOU, on the other-hand, have power and range and pitch and style and emotion!
And, ding dab-nabbit. You are a much better string-strummer/plucker/picker
(Don't lie to deny the truth out of kindness!)
I bow to you!
Haha, thanks ;-D Yes, it's always nice to have some different instruments, the sound inspires you to other things ('twang' or 'bweng' ;-))
You play wonderfully!!! 👏👏👏👏👏
Thank you Charlie :-)
superbe demo et belle voix merci à vous 😊
Merci Arti :-)
Классный голос! )
Жаль,что из-за языкового барьера не понял ничего толком
Можно ли на них играть обычными аккордами при условии строя для гиталеле?
Спасибо за ответ. И ура Google Translate, так что я могу это понять ;-) Да, вы можете играть обычные гитарные аккорды, настройка такая же, но как с капо в пятой позиции.
Bravissima. I love your way of playing and voice and all
Thank you :-)
Super helpful video. You rock!
Ah, thanks, you're welcome :-)
Hello! Thank you for the video :-). If you have a moment, could you let me know if the Ibanez piccolo is the same length as the guitalele please? I'm trying to work out if it will fit in my Tenor uke case (I know the guitalele only just about fits because of the length)
Hello Yasir, yes it's the same length so it should fit I suppose.
Are both of them tuned the same or there's a difference? I have the guitalele and a friend of mine just got a classic traveling guitar. But the shop owner told him to tune it like a normal guitar..... They both look pretty much the same and I'm confused in it.
Good question! A travel guitar 'usually' has a 3/4-th scale length, a bit longer than a guitalele. You can tune it in normal tuning (maybe a bit thicker strings or the strings will become a bit floppy, or special 3/4 length strings). A guitalele has the scale length of a 'guitar with capo on the 5th', so it's tuned like that, with either normal strings or special guitalele strings (for the Yamaha you have those from Aquila, but regular nylon strings will do as well). Ofcourse you can experiment with alternate tunings.
But maybe your friend has a travel guitar with the scale of a guitalele? Then for a normal tuning he would need children's strings (with the scale length of a guitalele... um, maybe you're even more confused now? ;-))
Just bought myself a Ibanez Sand Grip pick
I just googled that one... hey, that looks nifty ;-)
Hi, you're very good singer. Do you think as a travel guitar it is better a 1/4 guitar or a guitalele with guitar tuning?
Thanks Silvia :-) Good question, I suppose it depends on how you are travelling, how much you can carry in your luggage. Both are tunable in regular tuning with childrens' short scale strings, but they'll still sound like a very small guitar ofcourse. The Yamaha is a bit lighter in weight, in case you're a backpacker ;-) If you're travelling in a van/car, just go with what sounds best to you.
@@LisethHorsten thank you for your answer
@@Silvia-tg9qq You're welcome :-)
Beautiful. You are so talented
Thank you Matt, you make me shy :-)
Nicely done! I love my little GL-1. How do you think the action of the Ibanez would be for finger-style playing?
Thanks GS :-) Mine has a good action (and if not: a guitardoc can fix it ;-)) It's good for fingerstyle.
Wonderful! Is it possible to tune it standard tuning (like reg guitar)?
Thank you :-) Yes that is possible with strings for childrens' size guitar; ask your local music shop which ones are best, since those strings come in different lenghts.
Awesome video, much better than your average demo!!
Thank you Brian :-)
You make that Ibanez sound great. Maybe because it's accompanying your voice.
Can one tune the Ibanez EWP14OPN/Piccolo Guitar to standard E tuning?
no it wont stay in tune
I have a vox SDC-1 mini, 18.7" scale tuned to E standard. With 13 gauge strings.
Its stability is pretty ok if you're not bending the hell out of it. (which is hard not to do because it's tons of fun with how bendy the strings are) youd have to recut or replace the nut on the Ibanez and probably look for higher ratio tuning machines to get accurate tuning and it's likely not going to be worth doing unless you really, really want to.
If you're open to electrics the tiny voxs aren't expensive and are a lot of fun.
No. It’s a piccolo guitar. It’s made for A tuning.
The tension will be too much and the structure isn't supportive enough, it has to be tuned to A D G C E A, I use Elixir Phosphor Bronze 47-10 and they are fantastic and last a long time... 🎸🎶🎶🎶
@@MrLucky1959 @marknicholl438 @usermaxii @GregStraub42 @travismajor9736
Actually, you cán tune it in E, but not with the regular set of strings: in normal tuning the strings would be too floppy, in octave tuning they would have too much tension. But you can tune it like an octave guitar by removing the lowest string, moving all the strings one place up, and replacing the thinnest string with a thinner one, like: 009 or 008. Than you can tune it in E one octave higher. Yes it sounds a little thin but it works! ;-) Great fun for recordings, or to accompany another normal tuned guitar.
I bought the Ibanez based on your video. Do you know which strings I could get that would let me tune to EADGBE? Thanks!
Hey that's cool, you're not the first, Ibanez owes me an endorsement deal 😄
For regular E tuning you should use short scale (1/4) children's strings. Have fun playing!
Fantastic appreciation.. quick question if I may, tuning the Guitalele to low G# bottom string, do you keep other strings in their tuning? Your work & language perfect!
Thanks 😊 Sometimes I tune it half a step down to G#, I mean; all the strings, so it's tuned 'guitar with capo on 4'. You can also tune only the bottom string to G to create a 'drop G' ;-) It stays in tune quite well. Does that answer your question or did you mean something else?
Exactly what I meant thank you. Complicated background to why I ask but that’s for another day ❤️🩹🙏❤️
@@pauthomp you're welcome ;-)
Background to question: love my 11 string fretless Oud, but hard(er!) now to tune and play due to hand/wrist arthritis… as self-taught never was able to ‘play properly’ (!) so tuned and played whatever sounded nice… so experimenting with Uke/Guitarlele in case such intuitive instrumentation works…😉🤔❤️🙏
@@pauthomp Ouch that's painful 😕 I hope you can find as much joy with other instruments. Since the GL1 and ukuleles have nylon/nylgut/carbon strings, they're quite easy on your hands. Well, compared to an 11 stringed instrument that is (wow! 😜). And you can always experiment with alternative tunings ofcourse.
Hi
thank you for the video. the ibanez Guitarlele is the one I am looking for. I could not found the ibanez model with the soind pick up. Just without but I want to plug it to my PA.
Do you have a link for me?
Hi ArianeR, thanks for your comment. I got mine second hand, and I don't know if Ibanez also has a model with pickup. If you can't find it on internet, probably not ;-) But any good guitarstore should be able to build a pickup in for you, and/or direct you to a guitardoctor who can. Good luck! :-)
Beautiful voice.
Thanks Pat :-)
I prefer yamaha gl1...more fun to play...good sustain
Thanks for your comment W.
Yes it's so personal, and also depends on the song I think.
First time seeing a piccolo guitar- thanks! Cool sound! (Oh yeah, digging Bill Withers!)
Thanks Angel :-) Yes the piccolo is a cute thing isn't it?
R.I.P Bill W.
Lovely stuff
Thanks :-)
Very nice playing and singing! The Ibanez it's really nice sounding for such a small Guitar.
Thank you :-) Yes, altough there are better ones than the Ibanez, it's not so bad sounding for this price. A cute gadget ;-)
@@LisethHorsten can i tune ibanez piccolo to eBGDAE pls reply 🙏
@@abandoned-life yes you can! The scale lenght is 44 cm/17,33 inch, so you would need strings for a 1/4 size kids guitar.
@@LisethHorsten also can I tune Yamaha GL to "eBGDAE" because i love small guitars! Pls reply 🙏
@@abandoned-life yep, also 1/4 size kids nylon strings ;-)
Did you by chance lower the action on the Yamaha, mine seems a little high?
No I didn't, mine is about 2,5 mm at the 12th fret under the thick A string, and about 1,5 mm under the thin A.
@@LisethHorsten Awe, thank you very much for taking the time to provide that information, it really helped!
you're welcome
Ahoy! I got this Ibanez piccolo guitar and I would love to tune it in E standard. I know this doesn't really work with the original strings but I couldn't find steel strings that would work yet. Can anybody recommend me which ones would work on it since it's a 17 inch. Thanks a lot!
Hi DasLulu, thanks for your question. To tune the piccolo in standard E you would need strings for a children's size guitar. I think 1/2 scale lenght would be okay, but to be sure; ask your local music shop ;-)
@@LisethHorsten thanks for your quick reply! Yeah, I think I need 1/8 strings.. I'll go to the shop once it's open again :)
Oh, yes 1/8 maybe; I don't know, I've never done that ;-) Let me know when you have your strings, how you like them!
@@DasLulu97 Hey it would be great if you could let me know which strings work fine if you already found out :)
@@DasLulu97 did you ever figure out what worked
Which one better sound and versatile in ur experience
Oh that's really a personal thing; they are both a fun addition to a guitar collection. For me personally (but that's personally!) I find myself grabbing the Yamaha more often, because for a steelstring sound I admit I like my western guitar better. But as I said: these small guitars both have their own charm, and you have to pick the one that appeals to YOU the most :-)
thanks, i would prefer steel, i wonder why most have nylon
Thanks for your comment; well, for the warmth of the sound most prefer nylon with these small guitars. Because it's so small, steel strings tend to sound a bit shrill and thin. Also the neck is a bit wider with the nylon, it's light, cheap, etc ;-)
@@LisethHorsten hmmm but not very rock'n'roll :D (if that's the kind of stuff you'd like to play) also, i suspect steel would have better sustain, can you confirm?
@@reflexreaction3797 haha, maybe not, for rock 'n' roll I would advise a ukulele ;-) ruclips.net/video/8kbrk-7Ialc/видео.html
Yes the sustain of steel is a bit longer, but for sound it's a matter of taste I suppose.
Any idea if the strings you have on the Yamaha will work on the Ibanez? The tone is better on the Yamaha, but the sustain is better on the Ibanez.
Good question, I haven't tried it, so I don't know. It might work. That is: nylon strings work on a steelstring (not the other way around because steel strings have a higher tension obvously). But the sustain of steel strings sounds different than of nylons anyway, so I tend to think the strings make that sustain, not the guitar itself (.. I think...). Silk & Steel strings might sound nice on this one, I could give that a try..
i have the Ibanez, i have folk guitar strings on it, meaning the bottom three strings are nylon. it sounds great. the ibanez has a truss rod. a guitar with a truss rod can handle much higher tension strings than a guitar without one. steel strings are higher tension than nylon, so any guitar that can take steel strings, can also take nylon.
basically, you can put nylon strings on any guitar. you cannot put steel strings on any guitar. some guitars will snap under the higher tension of steel strings.
Hey! I just uploaded a cover of "Little Wing" by Hendrix using the Ibanez you recommended!
I'll check it out right away :-)
I prefer Ibanez because it looks like the folk guitar style. Yamaha look is the classical guitar style.🥰
Yes that's right, and so everyone has their own preferences.
@@LisethHorsten I like your voice and singing style too. Looks like a
folk-rock star.🥰🥰
@@nobitokazuoki673 Thank you :-)
@@LisethHorsten 😁
The Yamaha sure is warmer. I think it depends of what kind of music you want to play. I like better the sound of the Ibanez, because the thinnest strings of the Yamaha don't give that metallic sound I love for country songs. I got a Yamaha and kind of regretted it after hearing the difference. But as I am starting, I think it will be good to get my fingers calloused first with nylon strings before trying an instrument with metal strings. I gave up when I started learning ages ago because my fingers hurt too much 😂 Thank you for the video. I will think about getting an Ibanez after I master the Yamaha.
Thanks for your comment Pilar. Yes it depends on the kind of music, and your personal preference. And well, you might as well go for a full size western guitar later ;-) Maybe a 3/4 size that you can tune in regular guitar tuning. The bigger the instrument, the warmer and fuller the sound will be. For me personally, the Ibanez became too small 'as for the sound'; I find myself grabbing the regular guitar when I want that steelstring sound, not the Ibanez. But it's still a cute plaything.
Lovely voice
Thank you James :-)
So can we play the same chords as the normal sized guitar on a guitarlele? I know the tuning is diff
Thanks for your question. Yes you can play the same chord SHAPES: the guitalele is standard tuned as a guitar with capo on the 5th fret, so the chords are transposed 5 half steps higher. This video explains it: ruclips.net/video/6T9p0fU8Wbk/видео.html
@@LisethHorsten thanks!
You're welcome :-)
200 like!
Great sound 🎶🎶
Haha, thank you ;-) Hurray!
Wow you rock ...Great stuff...Wicked playing lovely voice...I'll now sold on the Yamaha as its considerably cheaper than the Ibanez...Many thanks for sharing...
Thanks Mark, you're welcome 🙂 And have lots of playing fun with the Yamaha 👍
What has bigger fretwires? And I assume it's easier to play with that one?
Hello Kisko, thank you for your question. Well, the neck is of bigger influence on the playing, than the fretwire (which is practically the same): the Yamaha has a wider neck than the Ibanez and a flat fretboard (as a nylon/classical guitar), the Ibanez fretboard has a slight radius (like streel string guitars).
Yes beautiful music playing and singing😂
Thanks Steve :-)
merci pour les informations ;)
merci, avec plaisir :-)
Je klinkt goed Lisbeth!!!!
Dank :-)
are the frets on the yamaha in guitar size or guitarlele size...?
They're smaller, as 'from the 5th fret up' of a regular guitar. So that would be guitalele size.
@@LisethHorsten okay thank you for the answer
you're welcome :-)
Very helpful thanks.
you're welcome, thanks for your comment :-)
In your opinion, is the Ibanez suitable for children to play as well? How's the action, neck width etc?
Everything is a bit smaller, so yes I'd say it's great for children! And adults too :-) You can string it in this guitalele tuning, or with children's strings in normal tuning (ask your local guitar shop, but probably 1/4th length). But keep in mind that it's a steelstring, so for a beginner or child the strings are tough on the fingertips. The action of my copy is pretty good out of the box, which probably counts for all copies. Could be a tiny bit lower higher up the neck, in case you play higher up the neck which I usually don't ;-)
Are they both able to be tuned to e standard?
Yes, that's possible. Both have a scale length of 44 cm, so you'll need strings for a 1/4 kids guitar I guess. But; they're small, so they will sound 'small' ;-) For a better guitar sound, you might want to try a 1/2 size. These two are great for carrying around though!
what kind of strings uses the piccollo? Regular ones?
yes, regular strings :-) See the description for more info!
@@LisethHorsten Liseth, thank you for your answer. So if I like to tune it in D, I would need to use the string 5 as 6 and up it to D? Thank you.
You mean as an octave guitar? Yes, then take #6 off, move all the strings up one place, then use a thinner string for #1, the high D, like an 009 or 008 (so the 010 string will become your #2).
@@LisethHorsten Thank you Liseth. I already string it in A. I believe in D is so high.
Ha, yes it's high, I've tried it ;-) It works well playing together with another guitar though, as an extra layer (12string-ish). Or as a mandolin-ish part.
I dont like the slides on the picolo, i hear the body scratch. Sad.. hopefully others will make better ones. I stay with the yamaha for now 😊✨
Yes I'm sure there are better ones, after all it's a budget guitar. Both are, actually ;-)
Excellent ...wow!
Thank you :-)
Thank you!
you're very welcome :-)
Could you put nylon strings on the ibanez?
Hi, sorry for the late response. You can put nylon strings on it, but it's build for steel strings so I'm not sure if it will sound okay... I think there are travelsize/guitaleles build for nylon that will sound better.
@@LisethHorsten thanks for the reply.
@@MrPipp007 you're welcome :-)
@@LisethHorsten Hi! great video, I have another question. If I were to put nylon strings on the ibanez, would it damage the ibanez at all? I know that steel strings on a nylon guitar can really mess up the instrument, but does it work the same the other way around?
@@Cadesworth hi there! No it wouldn't damage it. The string tension of nylon is lower than steel strings, meaning it won't pull so hard on the neck and bridge (so yes, steel on an instrument build for nylon would damage it). But if it will sound good, that's up to you.
Does the Yamaha one hold tune thx!
Do you mean whether the tuners are any good? Or well intonated? Both :-) I like it a lot.
@@LisethHorsten does it go out of tune often were you would have to always be retuning it
No not much. If you put on new strings then you'd have to tune it more often in the beginning, obviously. But when the strings are settled, it holds tune pretty good. When I pick it up to play, I check the tuning, but that counts for every instrument ;-) I hope this answers your question.
The Yamaha is rock solid! It is my favorite guitalele! Proper strings strung correctly will serve you well! These are NOT kid's toys!
yep! ;-)
I would like to hear the Ibanez with nylons.
I haven't tried that, since it's build for steel and the neck is also narrow. But feel free to try ;-) I can't do that anymore since I've sold it a while ago: this guitar didn't 'grow on me', so I guess it wasn't for me after all. I found myself just grabbing the western guitar when I wanted the steel sound, and recently I bought a travelsize steelstring that I like very much (3/4 size). Now I haven't played the Yamaha in a while either ;-)
@LisethHorsten I had to choose either a guitalele or a traveler's steel guitar. I chose the guitalele, too, which sounded richer, warmer, fuller and generally more beautiful. I also find that it plays more comfortably too. I wasn't captivated by the other much at all, luckily for me I found the guitalele.
@@paperoverflow Yes I can imagine, though for other people the piccolo is perfect. I had fun with it for a while. A matter of taste I suppose, but as for steel nothing beats a dreadnought for me ;-). But my 3/4 size mini-dread is well made with nice wood, and has a nice parlor-ish vibe, I just like holding it, great 'couch guitar' too.
@LisethHorsten Yes I mean, if I didn't have the guitarele I would still have gotten myself the piccolo guitar, but the sound of the guitarele was too good. (I actually do own a small "Grason" guitar from India which is sweet and also for nostalgic reasons). The piccolo soundend too thin and lacking of worthwhile tonal qualities, and I tend to be on the dreadnought side of things to when it comes to acoustic steel guitars. I may still like Parlor guitars for size, practice or to spare my voice while singing, but when it comes to tone, dreadnought is best. Interestingly enough classical guitars have a sweetspot when it comes to size, and I gravitate towards 3/4 sized ones and am totally surprised at how great guitarleles sound. I ordered higher tension strings so I can tune it to standard guitar tuning :-). I used to own an ukulele, but I gave it to someone as a birthday gift. I am not huge fan of the tuning, and neither very much for the sound, had bought it while studying so I had a smaller companion easy to carry around and such... Anyways, guitarlele wins for me. 🦊🌻
@@paperoverflow Ah, just wondering: did you buy 'children's size guitar' strings for it, or very high tension? The thing with steel strings, is that you just can't buy children's ones for normal tuning. If so, it might be possible to make a guitalele size traveler for normal tuning. I looked for strings for a children's size electric guitar and didn't find any, so that one is tuned now as an octave in an open tuning. I did that with the piccolo as well.
As for ukes; I love 'em ;-) Though I'm still more a guitar player. But you need a decently adjusted one with good strings; the smaller the instrument, the easier it sounds out or tune, haha. For a more familiar (guitar) feel and sound, you could try a low G string, instead of the usual high G tuning. In case you ever get another one 🙃
I think the Ibanez sounds more like an actual guitar.
The Yamaha might sound a bit ukulele-ish to you because of the nylon strings? ;-)
subbed.
Thanks :-)
A normal guitare is better
If you want a normal guitar sound: yes ofcourse... If you'd like a guitalele as an extra instrument: buy a guitalele ;-)