Like the Mini SM-CE I reviewed last year, the Mini R is has a body size and scale identical to a baritone ukulele, but fitted with six strings and tuned a 4th above guitar pitch like a tenor ukulele. I think of the Mini as a wee requinto, i.e., a 1/2 sized classical guitar tuned to A D G C E A. Most folks in Hawaii call it a guitarlele since it's sort of a cross between a ukulele and classical guitar.
Cordoba Mini R | The Mini R is too small to sit and hold like a classical or acoustic guitar so I use a strap to elevate it to a comfortable playing position.
Holding the Mini R
Once the Mini was out of the box, I found myself slouching while playing. It's too small for use with a footstool or Dynarette cushion. Suction cup attached guitar supports like a Tenor TPGS+ or A-Frame don't work either: not enough room for the suction cups and the satin finish isn't suction cup friendly. Thus, I attached a strap and got the Mini up where I need it! The Mini lacks strap buttons but has a hardwood wood block centered on the rear, ideal for installing a button. I used a Brown Real Vintage Leather Ukulele Mandolin Strap, a thin leather strap designed for a wee instrument.
Cordoba Mini R | Living it up in a Phitz Baritone Ukulele Case
Build Quality
The Mini R is small, cute and, for the money, well made: good fit and finish, attractive inlaid purfling and rosette, cheap but smooth tuning heads, good string balance and intonation, bone nut and saddle, well polished frets but with some sharp fret edges. It took me about 30 minutes with a fret file to round off the ends. The polyurethane satin finish is well applied although I'd prefer a glossy finish so suction cup lifters can be used.
The Mini has side position dots but the fingerboard position markers are pointless since you can't see them while playing. I'd prefer a marker-free board.
The solid spruce top on my instrument has a nice grain pattern: straight and tight. When I was changing the strings I examined the bracing and they were sanded smooth and neatly glued. However, the bridge pin holes were rough with tangling wood crumbs, crudely punched rather than drilled.
When I drilled the strap hole on the lower bout, I noticed the Indian rosewood veneer was paper thin! However, the rosewood back and sides sport decent figure but exhibit a porous or pitted surface. By nature rosewood is porous and thus requires a filler before the final layers of finish are applied. Obviously Cordoba skipped that step albeit some may prefer the "dog hair" like texture.
Cordoba Mini R | Rosewood ply back and sides | Photo courtesy Cordoba
Playability
I’m 5’8” with medium hands and could immediately noodle like a madman and play classical solos on the Mini R. The Mini R neck is a little wider than the Mini SM-CE neck, so it's a little easier to play intricate passages and cramped chords.
Most travel guitars have a narrow curved fingerboard radius and are awkward for classical guitar technique (difficult to bar and finger pick). The Mini fingerboard is flat like a standard classical guitar so classical guitarists will feel at home on it.
My calipers measured the Mini R nut at 50mm, compared to 47mm for the Mini SM-CE. Like a classical guitar, the strings spread considerably towards the bridge, so this instrument is targeted towards finger style technique.
Cuckoo | Cordoba Mini R (melody, chords and fills)
Like my Mini SM-CE, the Mini R string action setup was 5/32” at the 12th fret on the 6th string and 4/32” on the treble side. Exactly how I like to set up my full sized classical guitars. However, it feels high on such a tiny instrument, especially since Aquila Nylgut strings are high tension compared to full sized classical strings. I pulled the saddle and lowered it to 4/32" on the bass side at the 12th fret and 3/32 on the treble. Much better!
The Aquila Nylgut bass strings were passable but the first and second string trebles were irritatingly bright, metallic and stiff. So I replaced them with smooth nylon classical guitar strings (D’Addario .028 and .029). I had to transfer the ball ends from the Aquila strings so the D’Addarios would lock under the bridge pins. Wish it used standard ties like a classical guitar or ukulele.
Ukulele Blues | Cordoba Mini R (melody and chords)
Phitz Baritone Ukulele Case | Cordoba Mini R & shoulder strap (Lowepro camera bag strap)
Sound Quality
With nylon trebles, the Mini spoke with a bright but slightly sweet voice. Treble sustain is shorter than a classical guitar so you don't have much time to apply vibrato!
Sinner Man | Cordoba Mini R (melody) and Hirade TH90 classical guitar (chords).
There are a few wolf tones and dropouts albeit balance between the bass and trebles strings is good. The Mini R voice is somewhere between a classical guitar and ukulele tone and works well with Renaissance lute and Baroque guitar pieces. The acoustic volume is surprisingly loud: bests my old Pono tenor but falls short of a Cordoba 32T-CE (all solid) tenor ukulele. It's a tad mellower than my Cordoba Mini SM-CE and a little louder.
Rujero y Paradetas | Cordoba Mini R solo
Last blurb
Yes, there were a few sharp fret edges and it needed an action tweak. However, I've owned guitars twenty times more expensive requiring similar adjustments. Save for the plastic Sears Silvertone I played in grade school, at $225 the Mini R is the least expensive instrument I've owned. Plus, it's fun to play and ideal for guitar players wishing to blend in with ukuleles or stow in the overhead while en route to your next destination. The bottom line is the Mini R is an attractive and decent sounding instrument for small bucks.
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Build Quality
Playability
Sound Quality
Last blurb
Major Features