New Cordoba mini travel guitar

[JoshMing]

Hi all--anyone have any experience with the new Cordoba mini? I bought it on a whim (it wasn't very expensive) to use it for practice when my strumming shoulder acts up. I'm learning classical style, but really find I'm preferring steel strings. Wondering if anyone has used one, or has experienced it. I've owned it for just three weeks, and the high E string has snapped already. I can't return it, bummer. Thinking about selling it on Craigs list. Thanks.

[sirwhale]

I have a Cordoba mini. It's a great guitar for travel, trips to the beach, or the park. I play it on my terrace when the sun is strong and I don't want to take my main guitar. It is good for playing on the settee.

For all these reasons it is a great guitar. But for such a small guitar I wouldn't expect a sound that matched a full size guitar.

I have mine tuned to E standard and I have never had a string break on it.

For tuning to E on the mini:

You can buy 2m lengths of various Savarez Alliance strings online.

KF62A = 2 meters of 0.62mm
KF77A = 2 meters of 0.77mm
KF95A = 2 meters of 0.95mm

With the Hannabach 1/4 guitar basses.

Alternatively, I would buy the Aquila Red Series strings for guitalele for E tuning.

[Bax Burgess]

Josh, if you're willing to give the mini another chance, or two, Sirwhale's advice is the best/only way to go.

[Bikewer]

I have had one of the Minis for a couple of years now.... The “SM-CE” model.

It has a cutaway, and a pickup.

Early on, I installed the Aquila “E-Tuning” string set (available from Amazon) and this is pretty much my go-to instrument now.

The only problem is the pickup.... It worked OK with the original “A” tuning strings, but NOT with the heavier E-tuning strings.
The bass is WAY unbalanced and essentially it’s unusable.

[ifret]

I had one for awhile and had it in the E tuning. Like you, I found I preferred steel strings. I liked having something really small to noodle around with, but the wider nut and the nylon strings just didn't do it for me. I have no interest in classical. I did take it to a few uke jams. I ended up selling it. I still wanted that very small, tough little guitar that I could mess around with. Being a fingerpicker, I found the Martin LXK2 to be more of what I was looking for. It doesn't have that full guitar sound, but it sounds pretty good. Better than the Baby Taylor, and that's coming from someone with 6 Taylor's. I have it hanging on a String Swing in my music room, for quick access. It's fun with steel strings!