Newbie buying advice - Kala KA-15C concert uke or Yamaha GL-1 6-string guitalele?

[cheddar]

Hello!

I'm looking to get into playing the ukulele and was looking for advice as to what I should purchase. Here's a bit of context:

I own two guitars - one acoustic, one electric. I say own because I don't have the greatest track record of buying and instrument and following through. I've owned one for the better part of two decades, and the other for almost a decade but I really have nothing to show for it, and both of these have spent nearly their entirety of existence packed and stowed away in their cases. The reason for this mostly down to me but as an added excuse, I do work long hours. Nonetheless, music is something I have always enjoyed and truly brings joy to me, and I would absolutely love to play, maybe even create some music someday, in addition to just listening. But just yet - I known absolutely nothing about playing these.

I want to pick up the ukulele as it is a small and light instrument that I hope I can have lying around which means I can pick up and play/practise more often. I recognise that the ukulele is a different instrument from the guitar, but I hope that the physical similarities in that that they have strings that are strummed and a fretboard where the fingers hold down strings and moved across the fretboard to play different notes will someday help me graduate to playing the guitar — should I stick long enough and learn to play the uke properly.

With this in mind, I set out to get myself a ukulele. The selection of ukes here in India is not as wide as that in the west, but I did find some common names and brands I found on YouTube, these forums and some other websites online. In what I found on Amazon, I found out about the Yamaha GL1 Guitalele - which I understand is similar to a tenor ukulele in size and the four high strings, but with two additional bass strings. Additionally, there are similarities to a guitar as it is equivalent to a guitar capoed at the fifth fret so chord finger shapes remain the same but notes are different. But the two added strings give it additional capability, and by extension I assume more versatility so I decided to go for it.

I checked this out at a store, where I also found a Kala KA-15C - another brand that I read about that is well suited for beginners. FWIW — On Amazon, the Yamaha GL1 is the equivalent of USD 81, and the Kala KA-15C is USD 63; but in store the Kala was 60% more expensive, and the Yamaha 10% more). Here are my observations from comparing the two:

• The Kala KA-15C was smaller and lighter than the Yamaha GL1 - with the difference being more than just trivial. I particularly enjoyed the lighter weight more.
• The Kala sounded brighter than the Yamaha, with the reentrant high G string. In some senses - it sounded purer - as it is exactly as the instrument is supposed to be (I recall a senior member here in the forums say that smaller instruments sound best brighter - which I tend to agree with, even though I personally enjoy warmer tones more). The Yamaha sounded deeper but then the instrument is something of a hybrid, not the same as what a uke fundamentally is. The Kala also seemed louder (although I am not sure if they were in tune - the highest string which I understand should be the same note on either sounded different, besides the three low strings on the Yamaha were still strings so the Yamaha definitely was not in its standard state) although if I intend to pick it up and play every chance I get I am not sure this is the best thing
• The Kala had fewer strings and fewer frets - making it a simpler instrument, easier to learn
• The Kala being a ‘standard’ instrument has lot more resources online wrt to tabs, learning etc. The Yamaha being a more niche instrument means a you’re a lot more on your own

All these make Kala seem the obvious choice — particularly the size and weight as that’s the primary reason I want to learn the ukulele as it is something I can just have lying around and pick up anytime (the guitars need to be brought out from where they are, then stow away again making it much more of a chore). However, there are few considerations that are in the Yamaha’s favour (I think):

• The style of music I would like to play is more individual notes than chord strumming. The wider scale and more strings make the Yamaha more capable in this regard
• The music I like to listen to (and therefore, play — someday) are rock ~ blues and jazz. For the reason above, I am guessing the Yamaha would be better suited to this?
• While I hope this will let me learn playing a stringed instrument and enable me to play the guitar, I don’t want the ukulele to just be a stepping stone and otherwise a throwaway instrument — I would like to take it forward. And in that sense the versatility that Yamaha affords makes it a better suited instrument?

From my understanding, the Kala would be a better instrument in the immediate term, whereas the Yamaha would begin to shine only in the longer run — if at all. However with two instruments already collecting dust I don’t think I can afford going for one instrument for now and getting another later (the used instrument market is practically non-existent here, so I can’t get one and sell it later and get another either) — so with a that in mind if there’s one instrument I get, which should it be?

 

[necessaryrooster]

I'd go for the Kala concert if I was you, assuming that it felt good in your hands; right size and all that.

1) You want to play ukulele, get a ukulele. You can play any style of music on one. There are TONS of fingerpicking resources for uke.
2) There are so many more ukulele resources than guilele resources. If you're going to end up just playing the top 4 strings anyway, why get the bottom 2?
3) If you do want to play guilele, just put a capo on one of your guitars. No need to buy a whole new instrument.

I tried (and failed) to learn guitar for years off and on before picking up the ukulele. The uke helped teach me the basics of playing a stringed/fretted instrument. I learned finger dexterity, strumming, finger picking patterns, chord shapes, chord changes, scales; all of that is transferrable to guitar. It also strengthened the skin on my fingers so guitar didn't hurt as much. Guitar just had too steep of a learning curve in the beginning; ukulele helped ease me into it. Most of the beginner guitar tutorials I had found were some variation of "strum these two chords over and over" but with the uke, the beginner stuff I found had me playing music on my first day.

I'm no amazing player by any means (my fault for not practicing enough) but uke definitely helped ease me into guitar way better than jumping straight in. Kalas are also solid instruments. My first uke was a Kala and it was great; did everything I needed it to do. Anyway. Go for the Kala!

 

[cheddar]

Thank you necesaaryrooster and Bill1 for your replies!

The uke helped teach me the basics of playing a stringed/fretted instrument. I learned finger dexterity, strumming, finger picking patterns, chord shapes, chord changes, scales; all of that is transferrable to guitar. It also strengthened the skin on my fingers so guitar didn't hurt as much. Guitar just had too steep of a learning curve in the beginning; ukulele helped ease me into it. Most of the beginner guitar tutorials I had found were some variation of "strum these two chords over and over" but with the uke, the beginner stuff I found had me playing music on my first day.

This is exactly what I am looking for, and I’m glad this path has worked. Don’t get me wrong, I really do want to learn the ukulele as an instrument, not just as a segue and then move on, but I do really hope to play, say, the solo in Stairway to heaven or Comfortably numb which would have to be on a guitar, but right now don’t see any path to that. I’m glad that I can learn an instrument, and integrates well with my intention of learning the guitar at some point, so I’m super excited for that!

3) If you do want to play guilele, just put a capo on one of your guitars. No need to buy a whole new instrument.

This aligns with some other commentary I’ve seen on Reddit so I wanted to double click on this: why do experienced ukulele players advise against picking up the guitalele? I’ve see a lot of folks refer to a guitalele as a smaller guitar body, equivalent to a full sized one capoed on the fifth fret. But because of that, the tuning and the notes become all different, don’t they? In order to play guitar tabs one would have to either find tabs that are played on the fifth fret or higher or would have to transpose the tabs. In that sense, isn’t a guitalele closer to a uke with two additional bass strings, than a guitar?

As for using a guitar and capoing it on the fifth — in my specific context I’m dissuaded from the guitar because it’s a larger, more cumbersome instrument. My guitar is currently packed up and stashed away. Being a larger instrument I can’t just put it away or pick up as often as easily. When I’m done I have to put it in its designated spot, and it’s a bit of chore to take it out, then pick it back up again. That’s one of the many allures of a ukulele — small and portable, something I can pick up whenever I have any time.

A couple of further follow-ups on the guitalele — does it have any shortcomings compared to a regular uke? At worst is it not a uke with two extra strings, so anything that can be played on a uke can also be extended to a guitalele, no?* A couple of things I can think of are (a.) slightly larger in size and weight (than a concert uke); (b.) lacks the bright sound of a regular uke with a high G string — although looking at some uke tutorials I found that some or the songs I like use a low G string — so maybe not as big an issue? Conversely once I’m reasonably able to play the 4 strings, won’t the two additional strings allow me to expand the horizon of what’s possible with the uke? Add more capability to the uke?

* slightly off-topic question here, related to the additional two strings — a guitalele shares the same notes on the four higher strings then why aren’t the chords the same? E.g., the chord C on a uke is played with third fret on the first string and the rest of the strings open, whereas on a guitalele, in addition to what’s played on a uke, there’s the second fret on the fifth and third fret on the sixth. Why the two additional strings, if the chord is the same and the first four strings are the same notes?

2) There are so many more ukulele resources than guilele resources. If you're going to end up just playing the top 4 strings anyway, why get the bottom 2?

This I agree with. If I search for something I have in mind for the ukulele versus a guitalele there’s a world of difference in what I find on a uke (lots) than for a guitalele (fewer, mostly uke resources). But to that end — I believe it would be possible to use the uke resources on the first four strings to start with, and once I’m comfortable and have some basic proficiency with the first four strings I could move to the fifth and string to add some depth and warmth to my notes — is this understanding correct?

Bill1 — thank you for your recommendation of Mahalingam, I see these are available in India and at an affordable price point. In the meanwhile I did a bit of looking around and I found a couple of more brands that seem to be decently regarded (as per GotAUkulele website reviews and suggested brands on the r/Ukulele sun sidebar) — Flight and Enya which I have seen in stores or online here. I will check the ukes of these brands as well. Being a beginner I’m not looking for highest quality, premium builds — something that is good enough that won’t deter me from playing should be sufficient so anything but the lowest end of the spectrum should do well I reckon so I doubt I would have to break too much head on that. It’s just that the Yamaha was one of the very first results I found on Amazon when I first started looking and it caught my fancy so I’m a bit stuck on that — which appears to be not the most constructive at the moment!

 

[bbkobabe]

I have a similar story... bought a guitar, then another... but I could never really play them due to smallish hands.

I was a bass player too...

Then I started in with ukuleles and that changed everything!

My first "real" ukulele was a Kala 15-c... I really learned on that. And the best thing is that you can just leave it next to where you usually sit and it's waiting for you!

The flights and enyas are fine as well... You might try and seek out a tenor to try as well.

And If you really want a more guitar like sound try a baritone as well... many of the chord shapes are the same as a guitar.

Get one and have fun!

 

[merlin666]

You gave this much thought but your answer may be in your first sentence. If you want to learn ukulele then get an ukulele. If you want to play a small guitar get a guilele. As you already have two full sized guitars that would be easier to play than small guitar there is very little chance you would use a small one any more than the big ones.

 

[Stoneyrun]

I appreciate the time you took to pose your inquiry. However, "graduate to guitar"? We seem to have many here that "graduated" to ukulele from guitar. Myself included. Personally, before playing one, I never knew an ukulele could be an instrument I'd be interested in. I always thought of it as a "tiny guitar". Sort of a playable toy. That was until I began watching and listening to videos of some of the most incredible ukulele artists(some who frequent this forum regularly) I'd ever heard making sounds that I'd always aspired to create. I purchased a budget ukulele online on a whim to try it out. I have rarely played a guitar since. Within weeks of acquiring my first ukulele I began distributing my guitars among family members and friends. I currently have one guitar. Even that one is stored at the local pub. I've now owned, sold, or gave away somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 ukuleles. There is something about the ukulele that makes you want everyone else to play one also. I still have my first ukulele. It was a Donner DUT-4E acoustic electric tenor. It's still a fantastic ukulele that has only gotten better as it's aged. Which leads me to my suggestions. Donner, Aklot, Kmise, Caramel, and Enya are all budget brands I'm familiar with and would not hesitate to buy again. In fact, I just gave a grandchild an Enya soprano for Christmas. I've heard both good and bad things about Kala ukulele. Mostly good. I've played a Kala tenor a friend owns and would compare it to my Donner in terms of quality/sound/playability. With the Donner edging it out slightly due to the included pick up, low cost, and slightly better factory action. I would start with a tenor scale 26" ukulele. Not a concert. But, that's just me. Lastly, for whatever reason, this forum has some of the kindest, most creative, talented people all over it. In my opinion it's a more "approachable" lot than similar forums. I think the whole vibe of peace and kindness that surrounds the ukulele translates to those who play and communicate through our love of music here. Best of luck with all your musical endeavors.

 

[Renaissance-Man]

Hey @cheddar ,

There's two things I already like about you; your screen name and your avatar.

Musically, a ukulele and a guitalele are the same instrument. The 4 strings they share have the same tonal arrangement. The guitalele, of course, also has the two lowest strings of a guitar. It's all one big happy stringed instrument family. Yes, you've already realized this, I'm sure.
A ukulele would be easier to start with, by virtue of having just 4 strings and all that it implies. There's no down-side.

I'm not sure why @Bill1 mentioned Stairway to Heaven in the post above me, as I couldn't find any other references to it in this thread. Then, I thought if I played the intro to Stairway to Heaven on a little soprano ukulele, I could demonstrate that a ukulele, guitalele, and guitar are the same. I'll play the intro on ukulele, the same way I would play it on guitar (the same fingering). I'm missing the guitar's A string (as mentioned above), so I can't do the slide unless I play it an octave higher (and that's what I did, and the only thing I changed).
Before I give you the intro, let me restate the purpose of this. I'm demonstrating that if you learn ukulele, you're simultaneously learning 2/3 of a guitalele/guitar. Win-win.

Stairway to Heaven on ukulele, as fingered on guitar

 

[engravertom]

A few things about the Guitalele:

The Yamaha GL-1 is a great instrument for the price.

The reason a C chord is different on the Guitalele is due to the two additional strings. The high or 1st string is an a. Fretting it at the third fret turns it into a c. The other open strings are e, c, and g, all of which are part of the C major chord.

The 5th string on a Guitalele is a D, so it has to be fretted at the second fret to turn it into an e note, which is part of the chord. Then, the lowest or 6th string is a low A, which, like the high a first string, needs to be fretted at the third fret to have it be a C note.

However, there are many guitar chords that only use 4 strings, so you can play a C chord on the Guitalele with only the top 4 strings, just like a low g ukulele.

Also, you CAN get the high g sound on a Guitalele: you replace the 4th low g string with a high g string. In fact, you can replace all three of the lower Guitalele strings with strings an octave higher. It sounds great! Throughout history there have been many guitars with reentrant tunings.

Finally, any guitar instruction will apply to the Guitalele, and you can play any standard tuning guitar tabs on a Guitalele. They will just sound higher. They will work fine!

My summary:

The Guitalele will have more versatility but more of an initial learning curve.

A high g concert ukulele is a wonderful instrument that you will be glad to have for the rest of your life.

A ukulele with a low G might lead you to more guitar like playing, and eventually help you get more towards the guitar. Everything you play on a low G Uke will transfer right to the guitar. It will just sound lower.

But, high g or low G, learning chords on a Uke will help you with guitar chords.

I’m glad to have both ukes and guitars!

If I could only have one instrument for the rest of my life, after playing both guitar and Uke on and off for 13 years, I would choose a Guitalele, or something similar.

You will win no matter what you choose!

Enjoy it, learn songs as soon as you can, and don’t give up!

 

[engravertom]

Also, for historical perspective, early Ukulele were not always reentrant tuned.

This self instruction manual copyrighted in 1915 shows dgbd as the tuning, just like the Madeiran Machete, an instrument Portuguese immigrants brought to Hawaii, and was one of the Ukulele’s ancestors.

The point being that a low G ukulele is just as much a Uke as a high g version is.






This kind of high tuning sounds wonderful, to me.

 

[merlin666]

I am surprised about responses here that consider guilele a beginner instrument to learn on. Are these instruments not very crammed in terms of string spacing and difficult to learn? I always thought that guilele had more appeal to experienced guitar players who needed a travel instrument, and only secondary to experienced uke players who wanted to add more lower range and transition to guitar.

 

[keenonuke]

I have a Gretsch G9126 Guitar-Ukulele which is a 17" guitalele tuned A to A. (I bought it used.) I play the bass string as if it's more like a harp ukulele. And play the G,C,E,A as your standard ukulele.

And I play the concert ukulele. My first love.

If you're coming from the guitar, perhaps the guitalele will be easier. It's like the guitar with a capo. There are many videos praising the Yamaha and it can even be found used.


I started on a Concert ukulele and loved every minute of it. I did branch out to Soprano and Tenors. It's only now that I "play" a guitalele. And I'm loving every minute of it. Let us know whatever you choose.

 

[DownUpDave]

If as you say the guitar has been a bit of a stumbling block then go for the ukulele. It is a fun, casual, no pressure instrument. It has a number of advantages over a guitar. It is easier to learn the basics on compared to a guitar. It can be left out in a handy place where you can pick it up and play it all the time, this is a huge plus. If you can find a Uke Jam in your area it will catapult your passion and playing.

 

[kissing]

I'd say availability of learning resources is somewhat equivalent between ukulele and guitalele, because technically all guitar resources would work on guitalele (except you have to accept that your pitch will be shifted up 5 frets).

If you haven't committed to guitar because it has a steeper learning curve than ukulele (6 strings vs 4 strings), then I think perhaps the ukulele might be the better place to start as it is much easier to approach and start playing basic stuff. As confidence grows with ukulele, it's just a matter of applying what you learned to guitar and it's a fairly natural transition. I say this as an ukulele player who also later learned guitar and now own about 10 ukuleles and 6 guitars (and a guitalele).

After all these years, for me guitars are just big ukuleles with 6 strings and ukuleles are just small guitars with 4 strings - at least mechanically speaking. They are just different sized and different tuned tools for the same purpose: making music.

And in a way, you have kinda already had the guitalele experience. Just capo your guitars at the 5th fret and you basically have a guitalele simulator.

One other option I would recommend for consideration is the Baritone ukulele.
As you may well already know, it's an ukulele tuned DGBE, making it identical to standard guitar tuning minus the two bass strings.
The difficulty level is the same as learning ukulele, but it also directly teaches you guitar since the chord shapes at least for those 4 strings are all exactly the same.