Aquila Guilele/Guitalele Red Series

Must admit, I was initially sceptical about trying these strings on my Ortega Guitarele, which I bought essentially as small practice guitar to carry on my touring bicycle.

To my surprise and delight, these strings work very well, good tension with a deep, rich tone and decent projection.

Just be careful when installing them, as the three (red) low strings can begin to unwind at the ends if you pull them too hard.

It took a couple of days for the tuning to settle, but all is stable now, the intonation is somewhat improved, and I'm pleased with the sound and playability. Nice looks too.

Expensive but worth it if you want to turn your guitalele into a mini, standard-tuned guitar.

*update* after about one month I found that they became rather stale and lost their projection. They hold their tuning but they just seem more quiet than initially. For the money I expected they would last longer.

These Aquila Red Series strings are a game-changer for guitalele players looking to switch from traditional A tuning (ADGCEA) to standard guitar tuning (EADGBE). The tension is perfectly balanced, and the strings respond beautifully across the fretboard, offering clear tone and strong projection.

What really stands out is how well they preserve playability without overstressing the instrument. It finally feels like you're playing a real mini guitar rather than being stuck in a ukulele tuning compromise. Whether you're practicing, performing, or just jamming on the go, these strings bring out the guitalele’s full potential.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to turn their guitalele into a true travel-sized guitar.