Yamaha Gl1 Guitalele With Gig Bag, UKelele-Size - Natural,Tobacco Brown Sunburst

Good gift for kids

Excellent buy

It’s small but good.

Liked it.

Bought this guitalele and my expectations were justified.It very comfortable small guitar for travel and training for me.Sound very good: include all frets and play chords.My variant has few scratches but for me it is not a problem and I think in common quality is good.Also it has good price.When I use it tune it to E (recommended A) and it’s sound good, string tension also normal with it.

At this price level I had low expectations, but having respect for the Yamaha brand I took a chance and ordered the guitar, half expecting to send it back it it proved a disappointment.It didn’t disappoint at all. As an experienced player of various full size acoustic guitars I must admit this little guitar is surprisingly well made and pleasant to play for such an economy price.TBH I didn’t buy it for myself, it was supposed to be an alternative instrument for my Ukelele playing partner to progress to. She didn’t like it, because two extra strings aid a step to far for her. Ah we’ll never mind I tried.Also I hope to use it to teach guitar to my 8 year old grandchild but haven’t introduced it to him yet. The body size is ideal for him, and the classical type nylon strings should be easier for him. However the neck width is about the same as a full size guitar and flat rather than radiused, which is not ideal for small hands. Also due to the necessarily short neck the tuning cannot be standard EADGBE like a full size so that’s an obstacle to learning the fretboard for later progression to a full size guitar when he’s older.

I've been playing this little gem for a week now as a replacement for my full size acoustic that is in dire need of a neck reset. It sits next to my office chair where I can pick it up and play any time. So far it has done a pretty good job of staying in tune with only the usual nylon string settling in. Tone is interesting with a neat, plucky sound and, being tuned to A, it shares the same finger positions on the 4 treble strings as a ukulele. In fact, it is a good sounding baritone ukulele but could be a little bit challenging for some due to closer string spacing compared to a uke. Action is fine and I am in no hurry to change the setup. factory strings seem OK and i will play on them until they wear out. Yamaha states that low or standard tension classical strings can be used and Savarez, D'Addario and DR are recommended brands. No need for special guilele strings.The finish is very satin and may not be pleasing for those that enjoy glossy guitars though i think it's OK and seems tough enough. My GL1 came with a small blemish in the wood on the back which is an imperfection in the wood itself and not the finish. I would take 1/2 a star for the blemish but quality control is overall pretty good and the fret ends aren't noticeably sharp.I would not recommend this instrument for beginners due to the short fret spacing and slightly more difficult fingering for some chords. A 1/2 or 3/4 scale classical or steel string guitar will be a better choice for learning the fundamentals and will have more volume for performances later on when the player gains confidence.Who is this instrument for? number one, it's for me. I have been playing guitar for decades and have a soft spot for small bodied instruments and recently started playing my wife's ukulele due to my guitar being down for the count. Ukulele players might enjoy this instrument as a way to cross over to six string though the string spacing will take some getting used to. Guitar players who want a sturdy travel guitar will be well served by this instrument but will have to make peace with transposing everything up a fourth. Some players have used high tension strings to allow for standard guitar tuning. I'm not sure I will do so as I like the sound as it is and also play ukulele music.Overall I think the Yamaha GL-1 is a reasonable value for the money and I'm very happy with it so far.

La Yamaha GL1 Guitalele è uno strumento davvero particolare e divertente da suonare. Compatta e leggera, ma con un suono sorprendentemente pieno e piacevole per le sue dimensioni.La qualità costruttiva Yamaha si sente subito: ottima finitura in legno, buona intonazione e facilità d’uso anche per chi è alle prime armi. Perfetta da portare in viaggio o per suonare in modo informale senza rinunciare a un bel suono.