Which travel guitar?

[david henman]

...a friend is looking for a travel guitar.

i have a baby taylor, which i quite like, but i'm hesitant to recommend it. the neck is very unstable, and the guitar just feels overly delicate, although i love the sound.

any recommendations?

-dh

[stephenT]

if you really want a cool compact guitar that'll fly, try a Go travel Guitar. Great product, handbuilt, quality woods

http://www.go-guitars.com/

[Jeeves]

I have an S-250 from Miranda Tech - a company in or near Palo Alto, CA.

http://www.miranda-tech.com/steel_string.html

I've had it for a few months and I really like it. After my Larivee parlor guitar got smashed in its gig bag by some farging a**hole's suitcase in the overhead of a cross-country flight, I broke down and bought this. He's not giving them away, but for me it was worth it. I used to stress for days before a flight knowing that it would be a battle to get my larivee in the closet of an aircraft and an even bigger battle keeping it safe in the overhead.

You can hear this guitar without headphones but the headphones are recommended. YMMV but I love mine.

[jamess]

I'll toss in that I really like my Baby Taylor. I agree that it is very light feeling, but I've never had any neck issues and I've hauled that guitar all over the place. Of course individual guitars vary, but I wouldn't take Taylor off the list too quickly.

[david henman]

I'll toss in that I really like my Baby Taylor. I agree that it is very light feeling, but I've never had any neck issues and I've hauled that guitar all over the place. Of course individual guitars vary, but I wouldn't take Taylor off the list too quickly.

...thanks for that. my tech is going to work on mine - angle the neck so that the action is lower and (hopefully) the tuning more stable, and round off the rough fret edges.

-dh

[tedm]

I used to have a Vagabond travel guitar by David Smith in NY. Great guitar, I think he still makes them. Best thing about them is standard scale, built in electronics, solid top, and uses standard tuning.

[AaeCee]

I use a Yamaha steel strung 'Silent Guitar'. Breaks down into a carry on-able gig bag, it's very light weight, and it plays/sounds great. Comes with mini headphones for silent practice, but needs a small amp to get any real sound from it. Cool piece.

[Claytone]

Here's a vote for the Little Martin. I just took one to Turkey and back (from Los Angeles), across eight flights and many time zones, and used it every day of three weeks, and it held up well, stayed in tune, and felt like a real sized guitar neck. Great padded case too.

[Gary F.]

I use a Yamaha steel strung 'Silent Guitar'. Breaks down into a carry on-able gig bag, it's very light weight, and it plays/sounds great. Comes with mini headphones for silent practice, but needs a small amp to get any real sound from it. Cool piece.

I've got the Yamaha silent, too. With good in-ears or std headphones, it sounds great -- no need for an add'l pre-amp, just dump the supplied minis. BTW, how ya doin', AaaCee?

Gary

[AaeCee]

I've got the Yamaha silent, too. With good in-ears or std headphones, it sounds great -- no need for an add'l pre-amp, just dump the supplied minis. BTW, how ya doin', AaaCee?

GaryMah man Gary. Good, thanks my friend. Where're you guys playin' these days? AC

[60HzShuffle]

The Go Guitars are great. I would recommend the Grande size as the walnut one I had sounded pretty good. You can also do a special order and get a 1 and 3/4" nut if you like them that way. I sold mine only because I really wanted an electric. I ended up with a Steinberger and hope to receive it from Brown tomorrow....

[cbpickin]

I have had my baby Taylor since 2000 and have had no issues. No problems with neck stability at all. I have flown extensively with it (fits in the overhead bin), taken it camping, on buses, bicycles, my motorcycle, etc. My 2 year old even plays it (supervised, hey I'm not nuts) with no ill effects. I have written a lot of the material in my electric band on it sitting on the couch and I have even used it on a few recordings.
I can't recommend the Taylor enough. I play it more than any of my other guitars around the house. Great tone for under $300 and it is just fun to play.

[tedm]

I heard once that these are supposed to use a weird tuning?

I have had my baby Taylor since 2000 and have had no issues. No problems with neck stability at all. I have flown extensively with it (fits in the overhead bin), taken it camping, on buses, bicycles, my motorcycle, etc. My 2 year old even plays it (supervised, hey I'm not nuts) with no ill effects. I have written a lot of the material in my electric band on it sitting on the couch and I have even used it on a few recordings.
I can't recommend the Taylor enough. I play it more than any of my other guitars around the house. Great tone for under $300 and it is just fun to play.

[Robotechnology]

I ALWAYS wanted a baby Taylor. The day before my birthday (and vacation trip to London and Malta) 2 years back, my wife decided to buy one for me. Just on a whim we went to 2 stores to try out ALL the smaller guitars before getting a mahogany topped Baby Taylor that I thought sounded the best and a Little Martin BLEW me away! I didn't want to get it because the Taylor was all solid wood and the Martin was the opposite (all synthetics and compressed sawdust I think) but, the superior tone of the Martin did me in. So now my Taylor 814CE and my Little Martin coexist peacefully :) It really does sound like 90% of a full size guitar.

[RL in Fla]

the Taylor was all solid wood and the Martin was the opposite (all synthetics and compressed sawdust I think) but, the superior tone of the Martin did me in. It really does sound like 90% of a full size guitar.

+1 , had mine over a year now . I found a local store with 2 of the Spruce top Little Martins to pick from after the LM composite knocked the BT's out of the running at GC , and for another 25 bucks it was totally up another notch . Still under 300 , and I've owned several "real" Martins dating back to around '64 , 0's 000's and D's . The LM is the real deal sound-wise . Only thing I did since was put 18:1 Grover Sta-tites on it . Trying to get up enough nerve to put 1/8" abalone dots on the fretboard but I gotta cobble up a rig to hold it on the drill press .

" my cold dead fingers" quote goes here . Great guitar , $mall or not .

[fatback]

I was never a big fan of the Baby Taylor's sound or feel. Currently I own a LXM Martin and a Breedlove, Passport (with pickup). They are toatally different beasts, but both have their own uses. I would reccomend the Martin to most folks in a heartbeat. It has a very comfortable neck, (even for big hands like mine,) and actually gives a bit of bass and low-end when you dig in ...unlike the Taylor and the Breedlove. You don't get the chimey high-end harmonics of the Breedlove, but it seems like a fair trade-off. The Breedlove does do a decent mandolin impersonation though...

I'll be posting a comparison of the Passport and the LXM with clips soon so you can hear for yourself.

cheers.

[dkaplowitz]

I've been diggin' on this $69. powerhouse from Sam Ash:

http://imagehosting.infextion.net/images/ChInGa/nyminifull04.jpg

http://imagehosting.infextion.net/images/ChInGa/nyminifront01.jpg

http://imagehosting.infextion.net/images/ChInGa/nyminiback02.jpg

http://imagehosting.infextion.net/images/ChInGa/nyminiheadstock01.jpg

Bitch all you want about Sam Ash or a cheap, Chinese-made guitar, you'd be surprised how good this sounds and feels. And for $69. if the freakin' thing snaps in half in my duffle bag, I won't think twice about it.

...well maybe after I put $500 - $600 worth of mods into it I will. ;)

[Dana]

I use a Hohner Steinberger Copy. Works great, and it's cheap.

http://www.guitarshop.net/hohner/g3t.jpg

[Srini]

I experimented with a few travel guitars - the Yamaha Silent, the Traveler...and ultimately decided on a Steinberger Synapse. I haven't regretted the decision.

Srini

[EVT]

I have 2 small bodied Rushing guitars which I absolutely love.

http://www.corrientesmusic.com/JPRushingSideBySide.html

http://www.rushingguitars.com/menu.html

I'm getting a full sized dreadnought next, and would love another traveler. It has a beautiful full sound. I had the element active LR baggs pickup installed in it and it sounds amazing. It has a full, rich sound that's hard to believe it's coming out of such small instrument.

He has one at guitargal, I wish I had the money for it.
If you scroll down you'll see it. It's a Rushing KR-5.

evt

[MartinPiana]

I've got $120 Washburn acoustic, with nice little case that fits easily in the overhead and is fairly protective, full-size neck. It's called the Rambler or Wanderer or something. Playability is very good, fret finish is good. Sound is, well, a little better than the Martin Backbacker. Very portable -- happy to have this to take along on trips near and far that I wouldn't otherwise take a guitar on.

[srepetto]

Just sold my L'il (fake) Koa Martin LXK2 today so I'm in need of a replacement, and I probably going to get an spruce topped LX1. My research seems to suggest they sound quite a bit nicer than the HPL topped guitars. Anybody confirm this here?

I compared them to other small instruments, which arent too many as I live in alaska where we dont have any guitar megastores, and the Little Matins seem to sound better than most other small acoustics.

[RL in Fla]

probably going to get an spruce topped LX1. My research seems to suggest they sound quite a bit nicer than the HPL topped guitars. Anybody confirm this here?

I compared them to other small instruments, which arent too many as I live in alaska where we dont have any guitar megastores, and the Little Martins seem to sound better than most other small acoustics.

Absolutely "quite a bit" . A lot more than the extra 20-30 bucks for the spruce . If you liked the lamtop you'll love the spruce . I was ready to buy the regular lamtop at GC and found out about the spruce and a local store had two I could try . No contest , the spruce would be worth an extra 50 .

Put a set of Grover 18/1 Sta-tites on it and enjoy . If you need a hard case , SKB 300 for the Baby Taylor fits the LM's . ;)

[srepetto]

Just ran across a new entry in the travel guitar market from Washburn.
Model is B52SW, all solid wood, 25" scale length, rosewood board, gig bag, its 360 from musicians Fiend. I have been unable to find nut width, or lower bout width. How can a company not give their consumers this info? look at how lame this web page is:

http://www.washburn.com/products/travel/index.aspx

[johnnySRZ]

I love my maple Larrivee Parlor. I had a Baby Taylor and after about 6 months of traveling the neck came apart at the nut (tongue & groove). Needless to say I was VERY pissed. I expected more from Taylor. I've had the Larrivee for about 6 years now. If you can find one now, they are excellent and they have a 1 PIECE NECK...

[srepetto]

OK, the L'il Martin has been replaced with what has turned out to be a totally cool instrument, a Rainsong Parlor. I found it used at Elderly and it has all the things I want in a travel guitar a bigger body than the LXM, full scale length, a nice gig bag and construction that is "relatively" impervious to the temp and humidity for life in the last frontier of Alaska. It also needs to sound like a guitar. It has made me realize just how crappy the Little MArtins are in comparison. The propaganda from MArtin uses the phrase, "tonally viable guitar" which shows that they are trying to convince us it sounds ok. I never did get a chance to try the LX1, which I'm sure is an improvement over the LXM, as I jumped on the Rainsong when I saw the specs.

[johnnySRZ]

sounds cool srepetto, is it one of those graphite ones? If so, that's a great idea for cold temps.

[srepetto]

Here is a link to the guitar specs, they have discontinued the guitar though, but they still have this web page up:

http://www.rainsong.com/models/wpa1000.asp

It has the graphite top and laminated back/sides, fishman IV, rosewood board etc.
SOunds pretty darned good, I bet it compares nicely to the Larrivees which folks seem to use as a standard for parlor/travel guitars.
Prost

[johneeeveee]

+1 on the Go guitars:
http://www.go-guitars.com/guitars.html
I talked to Sam once, and he was awesome to deal with. He is headed to Alaska till Sept, so he won't be building again till then.

Good luck - jv

[zzzezums]

another happy Go Guitar user here. Mine's also a Go Grande Walnut.

[stratojet]

Impervious to humidity or dryness in Canada cold climate. You can haul these in the trunk of your car and never experience any damage. The ultimate travel guitars. The Rainsong Jazz is quite rare since the company built less than 30 . It was too expensive and the asking prive was around $5500.00 US in 1998.

The L2 is the small rectangular Steinberger with two EMG's. Astonishing portability and very versatile axe. Good for rock, Jazz and pop.