Finding the Best Travel Guitar for You

I play a full size 1991 Martin HD28-2R that was given to me new by my dad for Christmas.  This guitar has been discontinued, so it’s fairly rare, and is invaluable to me due to obvious sentimental reasons. Needless to say, this guitar does NOT go out camping, hiking, on vacation, hanging out at the park, to the beach, etc., with me, which is why I began shopping for the best travel guitar and searching for the best travel guitar reviews.

Martin Travel Guitar

At first I was leery about buying a stringed instrument online, but trusting in good quality products from established manufacturers and knowing a good local luthier who can adjust the action as necessary really eased my mind.  Plus you can’t hardly find the best travel guitar at a local music shop.

A good travel guitar can really enhance your experience. Every time I used go on vacation I would secretly dread it a little because I knew I’d be going through withdraws within a few days.

Martin Travel Guitar

The Martin Travel Guitar is truly one of a kind (of course I’m a little biased when it comes to Martin guitars).  With a 15-fret solid mahogany neck and lightly braced tonewood top, the Martin backpacker has a surprising loud and rich tone.  Don’t expect the same deep tone as a dreadnought, these have a brighter sound but a great feel. Martin is known worldwide for quality and craftsmanship…Full Review.

The Washburn Rover

The Washburn RoverRO10 is quite a popular model and comes in a full size 24″ scale. It has a rosewood fingerboard, top quality tuners, a mahogany neck and body, a solid spruce top and has some pretty sweet binding and inlay.   It also comes with a hard foam lined, molded cordura case that is sized to fit in an overhead compartment.  As I’ve described above, this is not intended as a replacement for your full size guitar, but is great for getting you through those vacation withdraws or easing your mind about damaging your full size…Full Review.

The Baby Taylor

The Baby Taylor, an acoustic travel guitar released by Taylor comes at a 3/4 scale. It produces a fuller tone than most others described here. The guitar typically comes with a gig bag that will help in resisting the elements. It has an ebony fretboard and bridge; enclosed die cast turners, a firm Sitka spruce top and a laser-etched rosette.  Taylor is well established and known for quality and craftsmanship. This one will give you a fuller sound but I’m not 100% that this one will fit in an overhead compartment.

The Traveler Escape

The Traveler Escape is a very sophisticated electric travel guitar.  It  includes a Pocket RockIt headphone amp with distortion & clean tones built-in so you can plug your headphones into the guitar without bothering others too much. It has a Hard Maple neck and a fretboard made from ebonized rosewood. It also features a full-size humbucker pickup, full 25-1/2-inch scale, and 22 jumbo frets.

If you just have to have that full body guitar sound the Voyage-Air VAD-04LH has a revolutionary design that is not found on any other of those reviewed above. It actually folds at the neck and fits in a padded backpack (included) that should fit in an overhead compartment. The design truly is revolutionary.  The neck is very solid when in the locked position.

More reviews of various travel guitar models.

Travel guitars also make great gifts for the adventurous musician in your life.  You really don’t need to be too concerned about buying a travel guitar online because, as I have previously indicated, these are not intended for gigs or the recording studio, they are really there to get you through until you get back home to your full size.  Reading reviews also helps and I believe that you are reading the best travel guitar reviews available online right now.  As far as sound and quality, as with just about anything else, you get what you pay for and a good local luthier should be able to get the action down to where you want it if it comes in a little high. I hope that these reviews will assist you in finding the best travel guitar for your needs…KEEP PICKIN’!!!

For more of the travel guitar reviews click here!

Best Travel Guitar

Travel Guitar Reviews

Many people are in search of the best travel guitar. Each guitar contains several different features, but what is a good guitar for you, may not be a good guitar for another person. However, these travel guitar reviews are mostly positive and are being reviewed because each one has had many good reviews and there are several reasons why each might be the best travel guitar for you.

If finances are an option, the Amigo AMT 10 Backpacker is a great guitar for its price; this guitar usually sells for less than $100. Although it is not full-size, the sound quality is very good and higher than many of the other backpacking guitars. The guitar is made from mahogany wood and has a Rosewood bridge that is very durable. The amigo only weighs two and a half pounds and is 36 inches long, which makes it an excellent traveling guitar. There are many other backpacking guitars that are much better than the Amigo, but it is probably one of the best values that you can buy, because of its sound quality and low price.

Looking for more FULL travel guitar reviews?  FULL REVIEW of the Washburn Travel Guitar!

One of the best-rated back packing travel guitars is the Voyage Air VAOM 06, this was rated one of the best all-around guitars. The sound quality, durability and craftsmanship are excellent. The best feature of this guitar is that it has a hinge in the middle that allows it to fold in half and store inside of a bag. The voyage features a fret board that is made with Eastindian Rosewood, and the tuning heads are chrome plated. The guitar is very durable because it is topped with solid spruce and made with African mahogany. Often this guitar can be purchased for under $1000 and when it is bought new it comes with a carrying case.

A very economical guitar that is good for beginners is the Apple Creek acoustic travel guitar. The Apple Creek is an extremely resilient guitar with a solid spruce top. When you purchase this guitar new, it sells for about $200 or less and comes with its own carrying case but when buying used it can be purchased for less than fifty dollars. Even though this guitar is good, it does have a few negative points. Its action tends to be slightly higher, it is quieter and the sound is not very deep. The neck is wider, giving the whole guitar a slightly awkward shape. The strings that come standard on the guitar are heavier than necessary, but that can be easily fixed by simply changing the strings. The Apple Creek is not half as good as the more expensive better models, but for a beginner or for use as a knock- around guitar it is perfect.

Looking for more FULL travel guitar reviews?  FULL REVIEW of the Martin Travel Guitar!

In several travel guitar reviews many people agree that the Martin LX I is the best travel guitar on the market. The travel sized Martin closely resembles the standard Martin, and the sound quality is excellent. This guitar stands out because there are many extra additions such as; tuning pegs that are made from chrome and the spruce top has a textured finish. One extra addition to this guitar, that other travel guitars usually do not have, is a strap that goes around your neck and another on the bottom. When the Martin is purchased new, it comes with its own travel bag. This guitar is a little more expensive than the others but it is worth it, for all of the extra features and sound quality.

If you are looking for the best travel guitar reviews, please visit www.besttravelguitar.com for more info and FULL REVIEWS!

Expect to spend about $200-225 for the Washburn travel guitar. The RO 10 model with a full-size 24-inch scale neck with a slightly smaller body than the traditional design is made of pure mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard, the fact that it is scaled down for easy fitting into compact spaces has no impact on the historic quality that always goes into making Washburn guitars.  Here are some specs and price comparisons on the Washburn Travel Guitar!

The body is professionally bound and the Cordura fabric carrying case is lined with hard foam and molded to cradle the body of the instrument. Many travel cases for smaller guitars are bags that only protect the instrument from scratching. This durable hard case, though, is a treasure for the frequent traveler whose luggage may get knocked around quite a bit. The cases, with both interior and exterior storage pockets, are designed to fit into the overhead storage sections of airplanes, so there is no worry about having to check your instrument and risking damage to it during transport or airport screening.

Who would expect anything less of a Washburn? It is made by the same company that makes Parker Guitars, Eden and Randall Amplifiers, Lyon Musical Instruments and Oscar Schmidt. The craftsmanship of Washburn guitars has been around since the 1880s in Chicago and has always been the binding tie between legendary bluesmen, serious rock-n-rollers and dedicated artisans whose entire lives revolved around a passion for making quality guitars. The Washburn travel guitar proudly continues this long tradition.

Check Out More Reviews for the Best Travel Guitar including the Martin Travel Guitar!

The RO Minstrel model in the travel series is a dulcimer made of five-ply maple and rosewood. In addition to all the features of the RO 10, the Minstrel comes with its own instructional handbook for the novice who might not be able to find his way around strings and frets. Those who are expert players find it comforting to practice on the Washburn travel guitar.

Although travel guitars seem to be the new trend for musicians, all the rage about Washburn’s brand seems to be about the sound. It is rich and comes close to the sound of a full-size guitar. The only complaint many have had seems to be with the strings, which most buyers suggest replacing or giving time to settle after playing the instrument. Though guitar picks can definitely be used, many recommend finger strumming for the best sound until the wood in the guitar has some time to season (or “open”).  Here are some low-low prices on the Washburn Travel Guitar!

Because the instrument is made of natural woods (rosewood, maple, spruce), and the straps are made of genuine leather, there is a strong odor when the case is first opened. There is no way around this scent without sacrificing the quality of the product. Like everything else about this guitar, the smell, over time, calls for an adjustment. Players also have to adjust to its size, the fact that its neck is heavier than its body and its rich sound. This all comes during the new instrument bonding period when the instrument begins to give a little and musician falls in love. The smell does fade after use.

Celebrity musicians around the world have chosen Washburn exclusively for their music careers. Music icon Paul Stanley for the rock band Kiss has his guitars crafted to specification through this 129-year-old company. The company’s Preacher and PS Series are designed by Stanley. The Washburn travel guitar may enable his to have his practice time behind the curtain while he is on the road.

Please click here for more travel guitar reviews!

Martin Travel Guitar Reviewed

With thousands of makes of guitars available in the market today, it is immensely difficult to pinpoint one exact brand that you can label as the best travel guitar.

More than brands, what one looks for, is the sound quality and feel of the guitar, before zeroing in on a purchase. With the Martin Travel Guitar, the search is sure to end. The guitar is synonymous with high quality and envious looks. Before complimenting this model that has rocked the world of guitars, it is essential to know why one can bank on it.

The design department scores pretty high with this make of guitar. The guitar is designed for frequent backpackers, owing to which it has a sleek look. The body is small and very light. This feature makes it easy to be carried from place to place. The guitar strap is sturdy and makes it comfortable to be carried around on the back. The design receives a final icing with the additional bag, which is padded and layered for a more comfortable carrying experience. The Martin guitar has a main body that is an extension protruding from the guitar neck itself. The guitar is made of strong mahogany wood.

The single compromise one has to make as a result of the design is the difficulty in playing the guitar without the strap, so be sure and keep your strap in the case.  The 24-inch scale neck is sweet. The sound is awesome and a local luthier should be able to get the action down if it comes in a little high for you. The guitar tone is deep and very rich. It is ideal for entertainment.

The guitar is reasonably priced and very compact for taking on trips. These are huge plus points working in favor of the Martin travel guitar. The body is hardy and can withstand jerks well enough. If you are an avid guitar enthusiast on the move, the travel guitar could be the best you could come across. The body is 35 inches in all. You’ll be a sure eye catcher around the campfire. The guitar is a good value for investment.

The Martin travel guitar fits into the compartments of aircrafts and many other quite small luggage spaces. The vital statistics of the martin travel guitar are bulleted as below:
•    Number of Frets: 15
•    Guitar Back: Solid Tonewood
•    Guitar Neck: Solid Hardwood
•    Bridge: Micarta
•    Tuners: Chrome, with small sized knobs

The playability quotient is high. Comparing to a full size guitar is not justified as the Martin Travel Guitar was designed as a traveler’s guitar. The guitar body is also well resistant to sun and snow alike. This guitar is ideal for beginners as well as for professionals who would want a guitar on their trekking trips.

Check out my Washburn Travel Guitar Review Here! or click here for more travel guitar reviews!