The guitalele is one of the most unique string instruments out there. Practically, the guitalele can be seen as a hybrid type of guitar. It is simply a result of hybridizing a standard classical guitar with a baritone or tenor ukulele. Technically, it is also right to say that the guitalele is nothing less or more than a regular guitar with a capo on the fifth fret. If you understand how capos work, you will understand why a guitalele is tuned ADGCEA and a standard guitar is tuned EADGBE. Because of this, standard classical guitar strings will always work perfectly on any guitalele. In this article, we will review some of the best strings you can use on your guitalele.
 | 1.Editor’s choice for best guitalele strings – D’Addario Guitar Strings – Pro-Arte Classical Guitar Strings – EJ46 Coming from a brand known for making the best of strings, this nylon string comes in different tensions and is just perfect all-round for guitalele players of all levels. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 2.Best synthetic guitalele strings – Aquila AQ-96 Guilele Strings – 1 Set of 6 With an amazing intonation and tuning accuracy, this synthetic (nylgut) string doesn’t only play awesome, it feels unusually smooth to the touch while also giving a perfectly natural feel and tone. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 3. Best affordable guitalele strings – Martin Guitar Classical M260, Nylon Normal Tension Coming from a legendary brand like Martin, you should not expect anything less than top-notch performance, perfect intonation, and an overall perfect design. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 4.Best silver-coated guitalele strings – HAVENDI® Guitar Strings for classical guitar Designed in Germany, it has an unrivaled and brilliant sound that will take your guitalele playing to the next available level. | Buy on Amazon |
 | 5. Best professional guitalele strings – Aquila Guilele Red Series Strings. Guitarlele Guilele 133c Designed to meet the playing needs of the seasoned guitalele player while also being truly affordable. | Buy on Amazon |
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Editor’s choice for best guitalele strings: D’Addario Guitar Strings – Pro-Arte Classical Guitar Strings – EJ46
Being the nylon string of choice for top players like Artyom Dervoed, Carlotta Dalia, Aniello Desiderio, and Zoran Dukic, the EJ46 is one of the best strings you will ever use on your guitalele. Aside from the fact that D’Addario has a reputation [world over] for making some of the best strings on the planet, these strings are just plain awesome. A great percentage of players playing nylon strings will always testify to the smoothness, evenness, and perfection of the D’Addario strings – it is every player’s string of choice. Making use of both high-quality production materials and top-quality engineering, the result is a guitalele string that is tonally perfect, smooth to the touch, consistent, and well-rounded.
In order to get the perfect diameter and tension levels of each of these strings, each of the treble strings in this series is laser measured. This allows the strings to deliver nothing short of pure and consistent intonation with unrivaled tuning stability. In order to have a perfect balance of warmth and projection, these strings feature silver-plated copper windings on their multi-filament nylon core – this design is proprietary. The treble strings gauge 0285, 0327, .0410, while the bass strings gauge .030, .036, .044 respectively. Designed in the USA, these strings rely on the experiences garnered from consistently making top-quality strings for centuries and the best quality computer winding string technology.
For most strings, it is always impossible to get a perfect blend of projection and warmth, but with this string, that is a different story. It is designed to give every characteristic of a truly awesome and perfect guitalele string. It has just enough warmth, projection, clarity, tonal precision, comfort, and also unrivaled tuning stability. This is perfect for players who are concerned about tone and comfort and also for players searching for a truly all-around strings with the necessary tonal and design edges. It is also affordable enough for players with low budgets.
Pros
- Comes in a variety of tensions and bundles to suit the needs of different guitalele players.
- It is long-lasting.
- Feels comfortable and smooth on the fingers.
- Maintains tuning stability.
- Has an even and well-rounded tone.
- It is super-affordable.
- Gives enough warmth without sacrificing volume.
- Has a very pleasing dynamic range.
Cons
- For players of certain styles like Flamenco, this might not be tonally bright enough. However, that is highly subjective.
- Requires some extra care during stringing to avoid snapping.
Best synthetic guitalele strings: Aquila AQ-96 Guilele Strings – 1 Set of 6
When it comes to synthetic strings, for most brands, it is always tonally inferior to the ones made from actual organic materials. However, Aquila is trying to change that narrative with these AQ-96 Nylgut guitalele strings. Proudly having the “Amazon’s Choice” badge and also with tons of five-star reviews, it’s a fact that this string sounds way better than most traditional nylon or PVDF guitalele strings. As a matter of fact, it is designed to be tonally superior to traditional nylon and PVDF strings. The feel, overall design, and intonation of this synthetic string are just plain awesome and unrivaled. Although synthetic, it gives a surprisingly natural feel and sound that makes it hard to tell the difference from traditional nylon designs.
Coming from the world-renowned ukulele string maker, this new Nylgut string is Aquila’s first string and product to be developed in-house and also has its own proprietary design. These amazing strings were developed by perfectly mixing three different synthetic materials to create a composite material that sounds just awesome and also stays in tune better than traditional nylon strings. The result was achieved and no aspect of playability was compromised: it plays with the feel and smoothness of a genuine gut. Another great feature of this special composite material is that the strings were designed to absorb less moisture than normal strings. This helps improve intonation, durability, and tuning accuracy.
When comparing this string to standard Nylon strings, you will notice that they have a similar density to gut. However, they provide a way more refined sound. Because of how it was designed, you need not worry about the characteristic metallic-like tones often present in other synthetic designs, as it was completely eliminated. What you will get is a clean, warm, natural, and smooth sounding synthetic guitalele string that outperforms traditional nylon strings. Most players will always speak highly of Aquila strings because they [Aquila] have gained their respect over the years by consistently making top-quality strings for players the world over.
Pros
- Easier to install than traditional nylon strings.
- Lasts longer than traditional nylon strings.
- Absorbs less moisture than traditional nylon strings.
- Consistent intonation and tuning stability.
- Perfect for players avoiding traditional nylon strings for ethical reasons.
Cons
- Regardless of how amazing this may sound, the actual sound of traditional nylon strings remains unrivaled.
Best affordable guitalele strings: Martin Guitar Classical M260, Nylon Normal Tension
For most players, the name Martin means “outstanding.” Over the years, Martin has built a reputation of producing not just some of the best string instruments (especially guitars), but also accessories. This M260 string is just another amazing Martin product. Although being one of the most affordable nylon strings you can lay your hands on, you need not be deceived by the price as this can outperform much more expensive nylon string brands. It has a clean and amazing tone with excellent tuning stability, ease of play, and a smooth feel. It also has a warm but versatile tone that makes it just perfect for classical, flamenco, Spanish, and folk styles, respectively.
It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or professional guitalele player, this string will give you an edge and overall advantage in tone. It is very easy to install, has ball ends, and is made of eighty percent copper and twenty percent zinc (80/20). If you are after that warm, rich, full, and mellow tone but do not want to spend so much on strings, then this is the perfect string for your guitalele. It is perfect for both stage and studio playing scenarios. It measures a 0.028-inches high E string to a 0.043-inches low E string, making it the perfect string for that warm, well-projected, and bright guitalele tone. Being a normal tension string, the tension measures 85.4. It plays naturally well across the entire range of your guitalele.
This Martin string will bring out your guitalele’s genuine tone. It is a very versatile string, as you can use it for different styles like flamenco, traditional Spanish, folk, and even classical music. This pack comes with six normal-tension strings that will perfectly fit your guitalele. The measurement of the low E string is 0.043-inches, the A string is 0.035-inches, the measurement of the D string is 0.030-inches, the G string is 0.040-inches, the B string is 0.032-inches, and the highest E string is 0.028-inches. It is not just warm; it is easy to play on, has an even tonal response, stays in tune, and is very versatile.
Pros
- Outperforms its price tag.
- Can stay in tune for a very long time.
- Long-lasting.
- Cheap enough for most players.
- Reputable brand name.
- Versatile enough for diverse playing styles.
- Comes with ball ends, which means you will not have to go through the stress of tying knots.
- Professional quality.
Cons
- None that I can think of.
Best silver-coated guitalele strings: HAVENDI® Guitar Strings for classical guitar
Designed in Germany, Havendi takes string making to an entirely new level. Regardless of your style of play or genre of music, this is one of the best sounding and affordable guitalele strings you will ever play on. It sounds brilliant, warm, and loud enough for diverse playing scenarios. The intonation, tuning stability, and tonal precision is top-notch, regardless of the fact that this is a new string-making company that just started in 2020. Although being a pretty new name in the string world, the company can boast of over ten thousand users worldwide who always testify to the amazing quality of the Havendi classical strings.
Aside from being an overall top-quality string for your guitalele, these strings are also rust-proof. This adds to its durability and tonal quality. It doesn’t matter how long it will stay on your guitalele, this string will always sound brilliant and warm as if you just got them. It combines excellent workmanship with artistic ingenuity to birth a string that plays exceptionally well and also lasts longer than the average guitalele string. Be it in the playing of melody or strumming of chords, the Havendi strings will always stand out with their brilliance and precise intonation. Also, it is quite easy to play on as it feels smooth and soft to the touch.
It doesn’t matter if you are a professional, intermediate or beginner player, the smoothness and butter-like feel of this string will not only make your guitalele a lot more welcoming, it will also encourage you to keep playing. It is especially awesome for new players with sensitive fingers. The Havendi strings is a lot more friendly to the finger than the average classical nylon strings. A lot of teachers and seasoned players always recommend this to beginner guitalele players. To make things even more awesome, the company promises a refund in cases where you are not one hundred percent satisfied with the strings. Even to the casual listener, the difference will always be clearly heard with Havendi nylon strings.
Pros
- They are long-lasting.
- Will always look new and rust-free because they are rust-proof.
- Maintains tuning stability.
- Excellent intonation.
- Feels extra smooth and soft on sensitive fingers.
- Perfect for beginners and seasoned players.
Cons
- Doesn’t come with ball ends, which means you will have to go through the stress of tying knots.
Best professional guitalele strings: Aquila Guilele Red Series Strings. Guitarlele Guilele 133c
Again, another type of Aquila string makes it to our list as the best for professional guitalele players. As a professional player, what you need is a string that plays just perfectly across the entire range of the guitalele sacrificing no aspect of tonality. The Aquila Red is that string all-round string that plays just awesomely and also feels superb to the touch. It is designed to fit the seasoned player who cannot afford to sacrifice any aspect of playing for anything. It sounds warm enough, bright enough, tonally precise, and feels just right for professional usage and diverse playing scenarios.
It has quite a unique look and features a very strong, consistent sound – perfect for diverse genres and styles. It has always been a common practice for guitalele string makers to increase a string’s gauge just so they can reach lower frequencies more easily. But this comes with a downside; increasing the diameter of the string also automatically increases the internal dampening of the strings. As a result, the strings will be less bright, less responsive, and a lot more muffled. Practically and theoretically, the thicker any string is, the duller the sound it will give. The Aquila red does tackle this by doing something that has never been done before. They tackle this issue by changing the specific weight of the string material, thereby increasing it progressively in order to leave the gauges almost unaltered as possible.
The result of this innovation and unique approach are strings that sound brighter, a lot more powerful, and a lot more responsive through the entire range of the guitalele fretboard. Also, the strings will maintain their intonation a lot better (this is because thicker strings will always need to be fretted harder, which results in pushing them farther out of tune). Prior to now, they could only achieve this result with harps. On the harp, the scale of the strings varies continuously. These sets of strings deliver superior tonal performance over traditional nylon strings. This is perfect for players who love precise sounds and much more powerful harmonic and melodic voicing across the entire scale of the guitalele. This string is the first of its kind.
Pros
- Sounds a lot more precise and consistent than other strings.
- Feels smooth while also being loud, warm, and bright.
- Perfect for professional usage.
- Features an innovative and brand new design.
- Long-lasting. Maintains tuning stability.
Cons
- You need to restring with care to avoid the lighter strings breaking.
Guitalele Strings Buying Guide
Which sounds better in guitalele, high or normal tension strings?
It is all about personal taste. None sounds better than the other. However, they sound quite different. High tension strings tend to sound louder but with less brightness while normal tension sounds quieter but has more brightness.
Lower or normal-tension strings also respond a lot better to vibrato than high tension strings. But the trade-off is that it can be a bit hard to play in tune with lower tension strings. Choosing the right tension is greatly a matter of preference and also playing level. Some beginner players will play a lot better on low and medium-tension guitaleles. Also, it is important to check if your guitalele was designed for low or high-tension strings as there are some instruments destined that way. If you put a high tension string on a guitalele designed for low tension strings, you can damage the neck and bridge of your instrument.
How do you tune a guitalele?
The standard tuning for any guitalele is ADGCEA. The guitalele is tuned in the same interval as a normal guitar. Although being tuned in the same interval as a guitar, you tune it up a fourth as if you were to place a capo on the fifth fret of the guitar.
You will also notice that the top (first) four strings are tuned like that of a ukulele, making it GCEA. However, the G string of the ukulele is tuned one octave up. Also, you can tune the guitalele like a standard guitar (EADGBE), but this is not the standard way of tuning.
Can you use steel strings on the guitalele?
Yes, you can – but only if your guitalele has a truss rod in its neck. Guitaleles without truss rods are designed to play with nylon strings and not steel strings. Any classical nylon string will work just perfectly on the guitalele.
If you wish to use steel strings because you wish to get that actual guitar sound from your guitalele, then you have to be sure your guitalele has a truss rod. Without a truss rod, the steel strings can destroy the neck of your guitalele with its increased tension. Unlike nylon strings, steel strings have a lot more tension – enough to bend the neck of a guitalele without a truss rod. A truss rod is simply a steel rod that is inserted inside the neck of a string instrument. A truss rod prevents the neck of a string instrument from bending as a result of high tension strings.
Conclusion and Winner(s)
Although all the strings me ntioned here are quite unique and individually amazing, the D’Addario Guitar Strings – Pro-Arte Classical Guitar Strings – EJ46 comes top of our list. It has a flawless and smooth feel that makes it just right for players of all levels. It doesn’t just end with getting an awesome guitalele, you also need an amazing string like this in order to take your sound to the next level. Comes in a variety of tensions and bundles to suit the needs of different guitalele players. It will last longer, has an even and well-rounded tone, maintains tuning stability, gives you the desired warmth without sacrificing volume, has superb dynamic range, and is super affordable.
Second on our list is none other than the Martin Guitar Classical M260, Nylon Normal Tension. Being a normal tension string, it is pretty much suitable for most players and almost all guitaleles. Coming from a reputable brand like Martin, this is one of the best nylon strings you will ever lay your hands on. It comes at a super affordable price. Also, it comes with ball ends, which means that you will not have to go through the stress of tying knots. An amazing string for players of all levels.
Last update on 2023-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
