WHAT IS IT?
Essentially the Mini R is a travel guitar with the neck and string spacing of a full sized guitar, but with a reduced body size making it… well travel sized! Solid Spruce is the wood of choice for the Mini R’s top. Some hip minimalist body binding and rosette gives it a cool relaxed vibe.
TRAVELLING BAND
Sitting somewhere in the travel/ mini guitar vein, the Mini R is (obviously) a smaller sized guitar making it compact, light and easy to carry around and transport. This will be a godsend for those with larger hands or players that like the concept of the mini guitar, but struggle getting their fingers around a smaller scaled instrument. Tuned up a 4th from standard guitar tuning (A D G C E A), you can play the same licks and chord shapes as usual, but you get a higher tone from the guitar almost sounding like a ukulele or a mandolin at times. It sort of has the effect of playing with a capo up the neck of standard tuned guitar, great for something different but not completely foreign that you can’t play and get a typical guitar sound.
LITTLE R
Tone-wise, the Little R has plenty of gusto for strumming or picking, and the increased string spacing does add some air of familiarity for guitarists. Whilst the novelty of playing a smaller guitar is often fun with having to get around a smaller instrument, and ultimately making some fingerings easier, it is a compromise on the technique you’ve worked hard on. This is where the Little R will be a hit with plenty of players who just can’t quite manage the mini thing. I’m also a fan of the nylons strings, as with the reduced body size and higher tuning, you get a snappy higher response that works well.
