What defines a guitalele?

[Stoneyrun]

Is this 32" Enya Nova Go Mini 1/4 size guitar considered a guitalele? Are guitaleles defined by a specific length or lengths?


Wikipedia - "A guitalele (sometimes spelled guitarlele or guilele), also called a ukitar, or kīkū, is a guitar-ukulele hybrid, that is, "a 1/4 size" guitar, a cross between a classical guitar and a tenor or baritone ukulele."

 

[merlin666]

Guilele is a tenor (or short baritone} with 6 strings. If scale is more than 18" then it's too big. 32 seems very long as most guitars are shorter than 26" scale.

 

[Stoneyrun]

Guilele is a tenor (or short baritone} with 6 strings. If scale is more than 18" then it's too big. 32 seems very long as most guitars are shorter than 26" scale.

I think the scale is 22.8" on the enya mini. My 30" baritone ukulele is 20.25".

 

[Jim Hanks]

1/4 size guitar typically means 19" scale so puts you in baritone uke territory but also typically has a larger body than a uke. So I would not really consider it a guitalele but serves the same purpose

 

[frets alot]

A guilele also has nylon (fluorocarbon) strings, with a wider nut width (chunkier neck) than a small/parlor guitar, which has steel strings.
Having played guitar for 50+ years, the guilele term has never been used in our world. Steel string smaller guitars have always been short-scale, 3/4, parlor, travel, terz, etc. It wasn't until I entered the world of ukes that I was I introduced to the guilele term. That's where I believe it came to become a hybrid. Think classical guitar and ukulele. Tenor or baritone scale.

 

[Neil_O]

I do not believe in that word you used, or any other mashup terms for this instrument! If someone creates a guitar with a short scale, it's a short scale guitar.

If you tune that short scale guitar up 5 half steps, then it will sound like a ukulele with extra strings.

So, I don't believe in guilele, guitalele, or guitarlele as the name of an instrument. There is no standard scale length for these little guitars, as far as I know, so I think the term is a marketing term, not an actual description of an instrument.

I suppose, as fretsalot notes, there needs to be a useful distinction for a Nylon string short scale guitar, so that's why these weird terms exist.

 

[Renaissance-Man]

Is this 32" Enya Nova Go Mini 1/4 size guitar considered a guitalele? Are guitaleles defined by a specific length or lengths?

I've always understood there to be distinct ukulele sizes as in soprano, concert, tenor, baritone, and the less recognized sub soprano sizes. I've also understood the ukulele sizes to be defined by their scale length. I've also come to recognize a guitalele ( the name I use) to be a ukulele (as previously defined) with the same 6 string configuration as a guitar, as apposed to a 6 string ukulele with double string courses. Similarly, I recognize a banjolele as a ukulele having a banjo body. The terms, ukulele, guitalele and banjolele are terms I recognize and understand.

One may call the 32" Enya Nova Go Mini guitar a guitalele, but I understand it to be a 22.8" scale guitar, because it's not within the recognized ukulele sizes.

Something else that was touched upon here, and something to think about, is if one restrings a ukulele with steel strings, is it still considered a ukulele? My opinion is yes, but that's my opinion.

 

[Stoneyrun]

From a marketing standpoint, maybe a new category of "long neck guitalele" could target guitar and uke enthusiasts? I hear you can get more $ per unit if it's a long neck anything.

 

[Wiggy]

Right back atch'ya, Stoneyrun!

 

[Tin Ear]

From a marketing standpoint, maybe a new category of "long neck guitalele" could target guitar and uke enthusiasts? I hear you can get more $ per unit if it's a long neck anything.

Beer in longneck bottles

 

[cdkrugjr]

A Guitalele is whatever the marketing guy decides to call a short-scale Nylon string guitar in Terz/Requinto tuning.

They’re usually significantly shorter than a Terz, which are around 21” scale length

As for a “Long-neck Guitarlele” those already exist. Just buy one of Cordoba’s smaller guitars and put Requinto strings on it. I’ve a Cadete, slightly longer at 610mm, that I have strung as a Requinto (G-Standard), often with the third string lowered a half step to play Vihuela and early Lute repertoire, but they have models running much shorter, though the stock strings are for E-Standard.

 

[kissing]

I don't believe the naming is important at all - the only thing that is important is does it do what you need it to do as an instrument?

I don't even really consider guitar and ukulele to be all that different.
Guitars are big ukuleles and ukuleles are big guitars. What's important is, can I play my songs on it?

That being said, when I think guitalele it helps if the convention refers to a roughly tenor sized neck and body with 6 strings and can easily be tuned ADGCEA.

If it's bigger and is tuned EADGBE, you functionally have a guitar dear sir/madam.