Luthier Pepe Romero Jr. builds hand crafted guitars and ukuleles in his California workshop. He co-founded Romero Creations to produces his designs offshore and sell them at affordable prices. This review examines the Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa guilele. What is a guilele? It's a small six-string guitar, i.e., requinto, with a tenor or baritone 'ukulele length string scale. This instrument, an 'ukulele and guitar hybrid, is also known as a guitarlele or 6-string 'ukulele.
Romero Creations Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | A six-string guilele design based on the 432mm tenor 'ukulele scale and tuned A D G C E A.
Tiny Tenor Tone
Single notes are clear and warm but with an airy brightness and chime: a timbre hinting at a blend of lute, 'ukulele and guitar. Tiny's trebles respond well to both flesh and nail strokes, albeit the brighter timbres of Tiny demand extremely smooth nail edges, 2500 grit sandpaper and Micro mesh territory. Bass strings resonate best with flesh strokes (emphasizes the fundamental). Tiny responds well to vibrato, even in lower positions, and exhibits clear timbre distinctions when played at the bridge, sound-hole and over the fingerboard, rendering beautiful shades of color from mellow and dark to bright and chime.
Here's what Tiny sounds like playing a pop standard in the lower register:
Can't Help Falling in Love | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa, bass and small percussion | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
The opening phrase and its repetitions are played on the C string and Tiny's long sustain is apparent, longer than any ukulele I've played. I could easily create a harp-like ukulele sound with tasto strums, i.e., over the end of the fingerboard, and yet, polyphonic textures, exhibit excellent clarity when played over the soundhole, allowing individual voices to be clearly heard.
Although Tiny is not a loud instrument, it's capable of a decent bark if you dig in, and its stiff braced soundboard can take muscular plucks without flinching. Tiny's voice is directional, shooting forward, so frontal volume is good but to the player it seems softer than it is. In contrast, my Romero Creations Baritone 6 is more omnidirectional.
One oddity is Tiny is sensitive to pressure against the back. Releasing or increasing pressure on the back results in volume fluctuation. For example, lift Tiny off my belly during a sustaining chord or note and volume increases! The three fan braces on the back are likely linked to this behavior. For standing and playing with a strap, it helps to fold a small towel and place between Tiny and my gut. Probably daily push-ups would be helpful as well.
Overtones Galore
Tiny exhibits an abundance of ringing overtones from the bass strings, imparting a rich reverb like effect, especially in lightly textured fingerstyle solos:
Through The Eyes of Love | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | Neumann KM 184 and TLM 102 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X and Canon 80D.
Cancion de Cuna is a simple fingerstyle solo I composed for tenor ukulele so I'm not using Tony's lower two bass strings. However, it shows off Tony's range from the first to the twelfth fret, and the over ringing overtones are easily heard with headphones or decent monitors.
Cancion de Cuna | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
This easy solo, California 1, features a mix of melody notes and strummed chords in first position. Melody was played over the soundhole with fingernails and chords were strummed over the fingerboard ('ukulele style) with thumb and index flesh strokes. Like the other tracks, I didn't use EQ but added a touch of reverb.
California 1 | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | Neumann KM 184 (neck) and TLM 102 (bridge) mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
I love the near perfect evenness of Tiny's response. I could play naturally during a session and not worry about holding back on wolf tones or using a limiter. Even notes above the 12th fret were crystal clear. That 17th fret rings like a bell! I only found one wacky note: the D-sharp on the 6th fret of the first string sounds clipped, i.e., has shorter sustain than adjacent notes.
Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | Frontal view reminds me of a Renaissance lute.
Design and Build Quality
Pepe co-designed the Tiny Tenor 6 String with Daniel Ho and debuted the design at NAMM 2019. The quasi lute contours, book matched koa and abalone rosette make for a striking appearance. The diminutive size is also part of the wow factor: tenor scale fingerboard squeezed into the size of a concert 'ukulele. Two versions appeared initially, both featuring solid woods: a spruce and mahogany guilele and a Koa guilele, the latter being the subject of this review. Later in 2019, a spruce and walnut variant appeared as well.
The koa body is framed with ebony purling, bridge, head stock veneer and fingerboard. A lot of ebony! The nut and saddle are bleached cow bone. A glossy finish, probably polyester (material not specified), protects the koa and imparts a sense of depth. The one minor gotcha is the gloss neck: it can squeak during thumb movements, especially when you sweat, a typical situation during a session. I prefer the quiet of a satin/matte neck finish for recording.
Inside Tiny are smoothly sanded soundboard bracing. Also visible are three fan-like braces on the back rather than the usual cross braces. I assume these braces are sound related than structural since light pressure against the back reduces volume. A Spanish foot is present, a classical guitar design feature rarely seen on 'ukuleles. Workmanship is impeccable from top to bottom.
Solid Koa Body | The beautiful book-matched koa back, sides and top lend Tiny an ukulele vibe. That's a Levy's Leathers Ukulele Strap.
A 432mm scale ebony fingerboard caps the mahogany neck. Frets are smooth, level, well-dressed and intonate perfectly. The neck has a gently curved "C" shaped backside with nicely rounded shoulders, similar in contour to my Ramirez A-1 guitar and more comfortable than the broomstick shape of many 'ukulele necks.
Rose | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
The fingerboard joins the body at the 14th fret and features a slight radius, a design typical of steel string guitars. However, the 49mm nut is more akin to a classical guitar neck but more tightly spaced than most tenor 'ukuleles. I prefer a wider nut—52mm would be ideal—but a larger spacing might be less inviting to steel string converts.
The mother of pearl fingerboard position markers and side markers are placed on frets 5, 7, 10 and 12. I prefer an unadorned board and side position markers only on the 7th and 12th frets or nothing at all. That 10th fret marker took some getting used to and resulted in many misses my first week of practice (guitars normally mark the 9th fret and not the 10th).
Tuning Heads
The Gotoh Planetary 4:1 tuning heads are compact, allowing a small frontal head stock profile. I was apprehensive about the 4:1 gear ratio, having mainly used 16:1 tuners. However, they work fine and new strings may be cranked up to pitch four times faster than 16:1 tuners! Fine adjustments require tiny movements of the knob but is doable after a little practice. The gotcha of these tuners is they protrude under the head stock more than open geared tuners. The occasional bump sounds on my recordings are the result of my thumb banging into the tuners. If they were spaced a centimeter further from the nut I don't think I'd hit them.
Headstock | Gotoh Planetary tuners and mother of pearl Daniel Ho logo.
Playability
I bought Tiny at Honolulu's TheUkuleleSite and they performed setup during pickup installation, e.g., reduced saddle height due to use of an under saddle piezo. Setup was perfect and I could play freely without buzzes or sore fingers! Bravo!
December 7, 2019 update: After 6 months the soundboard and neck settled and the action came up a bit, requiring reduction of saddle height. Although a little disconcerting, it's common for new guitars and 'ukuleles to need an action adjustment after 6 months to a year. If it happens again I'll update this review.
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
I'm used to flat classical fingerboards but found Tiny's slightly radiused fingerboard comfortable. I could play with ease and confidence all the way to the 17th fret. Upper fret access was excellent due to the narrow upper bout, almost like a cutaway, and the fingerboard joining the body at the 14th fret. String resistance is in the same ball park as a tenor ukulele. I could play for hours with little fatigue.
I found Tiny comfortable to finger-pick on. Indeed, my right hand didn't have to make any adjustments whatsoever. And that's because the string spread at the saddle is 58mm, similar to a full sized classical guitar. However, an ukulele player used to a 38mm nut (1.5"), may find Tiny's string spread slightly narrow.
Guitarist Issues
A 432mm tenor scale kiku is, well, tiny compared to the 664 and 650mm scale guitars I play on. Don't expect to instantly transfer your guitar pieces and technique to a 432mm scale instrument. It took me a month to get comfortable on Tiny: I had to adjust left hand position and voicings, e.g., increased hand tilts and perfectly upright fingers. Moreover, some chord voicings easily played on a full sized guitar, especially in upper positions, were impossible on Tiny. Tiny forces you to explore new chord voicings and textures. And, while scale patterns are identical to the guitar, the 432mm scale allows crazy fast stretches, leaps and position changes you'd never attempt on a normal guitar.
Holding Tiny
As a guitar player, I'm used to having more instrument to brace against my body for stability. Tiny is really small was initially befuddling to hold securely. Ukulele players often wedge the lower bout against their thigh and support the neck with their left hand while playing. While that's okay for simple strumming my left hand needs to be free move unencumbered by support duties. Classical guitar style—left left elevated—works okay but I prefer using a strap so I can stand or sit with Tiny at a consistent angle. I use a Levy's Leathers Ukulele Strap: soft, comfy, fast to adjust and sized for small instruments.
Strings
Tiny ships strung with Pepe Romero Strings Guilele Set (UG1). These fluorocarbon trebles are smooth, long sustaining and warm, including the first string. Basses appear to be standard La Bella classical strings and yield a fat warm tone with thumb flesh strokes. The UG1 sets are expensive at $17 a toss, but are the best stock guitarlele strings I've tried. Here are the UG1 set measurements according to my calibers:
The treble strings are sized similar to medium tension tenor ukulele strings whereas the basses are equivalent to light gauge classical guitar strings. The basses have enough tension to work beautifully in drop F on the 6th string and common open tunings.
After wearing out the 4th string I installed a D'Addario EXL silver wound .028" string and found it less prone to finger noise than the UG1 4th string. I also liked the slightly higher tension of the EXL.
I have Seaguar fluorocarbon fishing line and, after some tests, found the Seaguar Premiere 40 LB lure line (.022" diameter) to be a perfect first string replacement: silky smooth surface and sweet tone. It's lightly larger and higher tension than the stock UG1 first string, allowing me to dig in more on solos. Seaguar Premiere seems to be tougher and more resistant to fingernail abrasion, lasting a little longer than the fluorocarbon 1st string in the UG1 set.
Bach played with Seaguar Premiere fishing line on the first string and Seaguar Pink on the second and third strings (D'Addario EXL silver wound bass):
Minuet in G (Bach) | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
String Changing
Most Romero Creations instruments feature a plain jane string-through bridge design. Compared to a tie block, this design provides better string vibration transfer to the soundboard, eliminates the possibility of strings slipping off the tie block and is uncluttered in appearance. On the downside, string changes are fiddly, taking about three times longer than a tie block. Changing a string entails six steps:
Remove the old string.
Thread the new string through the bridge from the top.
Pull the string through the sound-hole without dislodging from the bridge.
Tie a big honkin' knot.
Grab the end protruding from the bridge top and pull until the knot stops against the underside of the soundboard.
Attach the free end of the string to the tuning head.
Tiny Tenor 6 Bridge | String-through bridges look more tidy than tie block bridges. This saddle is compensated for the second string.
I struggled with step 2: the string often curls up under the bridge and can't be grabbed! I re-thread and shake the instrument upside down to coax it out. The sound-hole is small so chopsticks or tweezers are needed to grab the string.
TIP: The first string knot often jams in the bridge hole and needs to be pushed out with a hat pin. Attachment of a small plastic bead above the knot prevents jamming. The other strings don't usually jam if the knot is gnarly enough.
Tiny's Rosette | The metal object below fingerboard is the preamp of a Baggs Five-O pickup system installed by the dealer.
Pickup Option
There isn't an official Romero Creations pickup option. The UkuleleSite installed an aftermarket pickup, a Baggs Five-O, for me. I choose this model because the sound was natural for a piezo and, being active, has plenty of gain. Installation doesn't require body cutouts or routing of the saddle slot.
The volume control is mounted on the inside edge of the sound-hole while the battery resides on the Spanish foot, a 2032 button-cell battery, and is easily accessed. The resulting sound is balanced and surprisingly good through my Trace Acoustic amps! And the sustain is crazy long on this instrument when jacked in!
Concert Size Gig Bag | Tiny ships with a Romero Creations logo gig bag made by Access of Seattle. I added zipper pulls and travel patches.
Carrying Case
Tiny comes with a concert size ukulele gig bag made by Access of Seattle. It's a logo version of the Access Stage One Concert Ukulele Gig Bag, retailing for $68. It's not a looker but affords good protection: black 600-denier exterior, 25mm hard cell closed-cell foam padding, abrasion guards, zippered storage pocket, sling strap with shoulder pad and a heavy duty smooth pull zipper. There's room inside to leave a strap installed and stow a wiping cloth. However, the headstock is snug against the case so most clip-on tuners will need to be removed. It fits under Hawaiian Air Airbus seats and, I suspect, under the seats of most USA carriers.
The closed-cell foam padding is nearly as rigid as a polyfoam case but more flexible and, I suspect stronger. This foam also provides great insulation, acting like a cooler during trips in hot car trunks.
Tiny fits okay in a tenor case but with a couple inches to spare at the headstock for a tuner. Here's Tiny chillin' in a tenor sized Gator Cases Pro Go gig bag:
Last Blurb
I briefly compared the Koa Tiny to the less expensive spruce and mahogany variant and they sound surprisingly different: the spruce and mahogany Tiny is louder, more bass heavy and guitaristic in tone compared to the subdued but longer sustaining silky chime of the koa Tiny. In a perfect world, I would own both...
03/05/2020 Update: After about a year of regular playing, Tiny sounds more open and a level louder, albeit softer than my Kremona Mari tenor ukulele.
Scarborough Fair | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa on melody and harmony lines and Baritone 6 on intro/outro | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.
The bottom line is I'm pleased with the tone, build, aesthetics and playability of my Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa. It's tiny but the enjoyment is big!
Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa Specs
49mm nut width
432mm scale (17")
Solid koa top, back and sides
Mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard
17 frets with 6m (20’) fingerboard radius
Bone nut and saddle
Gloss finish
Gotoh Planetary 4:1 tuning heads
Access Stage One Concert Ukulele Gig Bag with Romero Creations logo
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Tiny Tenor Tone
Design and Build Quality
Tuning Heads
Playability
Strings 
Carrying Case
Last Blurb 
Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa Specs