- Looking for a brand new pair of guitalele strings, but unsure which to pick?
- We cover 6 great options to suit a variety of different needs.
- Also, consider checking our guide on the chords you should know for guitalele!
What Strings Does A Guitalele Use?
If you’re here because you’re looking for the best guitalele strings then we’ve got you covered!
A guitalele typically uses nylon strings (similar to a classical guitar), which means there is less string tension than that of a steel-string guitar which can make it easier for beginners.
You can actually put steel guitar strings on a guitalele, but the added tension on the neck could damage the instrument so it’s worth checking if it has a truss rod, otherwise, steel strings are a no-no!
Generally, we now know the differences between guitar and guitalele strings – both the material and how this affects string tension. But which guitalele strings are best?
The 6 Best Guitalele Strings
- D’addario Folk Nylon Guitar Strings
- Aquila Strings
- Cordoba Mini String Set
- Ernie Ball Zippy Slinkys (Best For Electric Guitaleles)
- Thomastik-Infeld Classic N Superlona Classical Guitar Strings (Premium Option)
- D’addario EJ27Ns (Best Value)
1. D’addario Folk Nylon Guitar Strings
D'addario EJ34 Folk strings are high-quality nylon strings with ball ends on each string to facilitate easy installation on classical guitars
- High-quality nylon strings
- Cope with tension really well
These are a great choice for if your guitalele has bridge pins (meaning you’ll need to ‘pin’ the end of the string, usually with a steel ball attached to the string, into the bridge of the guitar).
It may be confusing at first as these nylon strings can be used with guitar, however, they will also be a great choice for your guitalele and will hold their tuning really well and cope with the tension exerted on them.
2. Aquila Strings
The world's most renowned ukulele string maker introduces new Nylgut ukulele strings and is Aquila's first product to be developed in-house to be its own proprietary design.
- Sound great
- Hold their tuning well
You might find your guitalele doesn’t have bridge pins, in which case you’ll need a specific set of strings that don’t have ball ends.
Aquila strings are a great option for this (in fact they could be classed as a ukulele string, but will work with a guitalele nonetheless).
The top 3 strings are plain, whilst the bottom 3 are copper wound. The main thing is they sound great and will ensure they hold their tuning really well.
3. Cordoba Mini String Set
This set was designed in collaboration with Italian string maker Aquila to give you optimized tone and response for your travel guitar's petite size and unique characteristics.
- Extra strong and stable
- Preserve the string tone and sound quality
The Cordoba Mini String set was actually made in conjunction with Aquila strings to preserve the string tone, lifespan, and sound quality of your guitalele.
This set is perfect for tuning to ADGCEA and is made with Aquila’s SuperNylgut which is an upgrade from Aquila’s Nyglut strings meaning they are extra strong and stable.
Check what type of strings your guitalele takes before buying these, however. The top three strings require threading into the steel ball ends, whilst the bottom three already come with a ball end.
Of course, there is the option cut them off, but it’s an added task to do if you don’t actually need to!
4. Ernie Ball Zippy Slinkys
If you're looking for a string that's easy on your fingers but big on tone, Zippys are about as thin as guitar strings can get!
- Thin strings with a thick tone
- Balanced sound
If you think of a guitalele, you may immediately think of an acoustic-style guitar.
It’s actually pretty common nowadays to be able to pick up an electric guitalele at a very reasonable price.
The Vorson EGL-ST for example is an electric style guitar, but with the same size as a guitalele. Naturally, this instrument will use steel strings as opposed to nylon or classical strings.
Because of the higher tuning than that of a normal electric guitar, we’d recommend opting in for some lighter gauge strings.
If you’re an electric guitar player you may not be used to a thinner string but it’s worth considering the tension on the guitalele’s neck.
The good news is that strings for this type of guitalale are extremely easy to get hold of – you just need to grab a pair of electric guitar steel strings!
Ernie Ball does a wide range of string gauges, ranging from 7’s all the way up to 12’s, which of course is way too heavy for a guitalele, however, it’s worth trying the thinnest gauge, see how you feel playing them and then you have the option for increasing the thickness slightly if you’d prefer.
We probably wouldn’t recommend going much higher than a 9 gauge in this case due to the string tension.
5. Thomastik-Infeld Classic N Superlona Classical Guitar Strings
These strings ensure stellar tone for your classical guitar and boast a long lifespan.
- Preserve your tone for a long time
- Highly responsive
These are classed as classical guitar strings, however, they work perfectly fine on a guitalele.
In fact, these are premium strings (which means they are at the pricier end of things) but they will preserve your tone for a long time.
While the initial outlay is more, if you’re willing to spend a bit extra, these will go a long way.
6. D’addario EJ27Ns
Give your nylon-string guitar a warm and balanced tone with D'Addario's EJ27N Student Classics Normal Tension Classical Guitar Strings.
- Excellent for staying in tune
- Long-lasting
- Great for the price
Another entry for D’addario on our list, but these strings are great for any guitalele player and will only set you back a few dollars!
With medium tension, they won’t exert too much stress on your guitalele, or fingers, but are excellent for staying in tune.
We’ve added them to this list as their price is one of the lowest you’ll find for guitalele strings, but their quality is brilliant considering the cost.
Pick up a pair and you’ll have a long-lasting tone before having to pay for another set.
FAQs
How Are Guitalele Strings Different From Guitar Strings?
They actually aren’t all that different at all. Most guitalele’s will use nylon strings in the same way a classical guitar does with electric guitalele’s using steel strings.
As we’ve mentioned, thinner gauge strings might be more suited to your guitalele but they are very similar. The main difference is the tuning, with a guitalele tuned to ADGCEA and a guitar tuning to EADGBE.
For more information check out our full guide on Guitalele Vs Guitar.
Are Guitalele Strings Different From Ukulele Strings?
They are actually very similar, however, a ukulele typically has four strings rather than six. A Guitalele can be thought of as a ukulele but with two extra bottom strings.
Check out our article Guitalele Vs Ukulele (Differences and Which Is Right For You?).
I Can Play Guitalele, Can I Play Guitar Easily?
The short answer is yes! In fact, sometimes the guitalele can be easier to learn on initially due to the smaller size (especially if you’re a child or have small hands).
The guitar uses the same intervals as the guitalele, the guitalele however is tuned higher. So you’ll be able to play the same songs, it’s just it will sound higher in pitch than if you were playing a normal guitar.
You might also find our article 9 Best Thin Neck Guitars For Small Hands useful.
Can I Play Any Guitar Song On A Guitalele?
You can play guitar songs on a guitalele as the guitalele strings are tuned in the same intervals, however, you need to be aware that the guitalele is tuned the same way as a guitar with a capo on the fifth fret.
For this reason, you wouldn’t be able to jam along to your favorite tracks as what you’re playing will actually be much higher than what you’re listening to.
Can I Put Steel Strings On My Guitalele?
By stringing a guitalele with steel strings you risk bending, damaging, or even splitting the neck.
You may also find that the saddle itself can’t accommodate steel strings.
There are of course exceptions, such as electric guitalele’s.