The sunny days are back, holidays are on the horizon (yes, really, I promise, they’re coming!) and the birds are singing to soundtrack their frolics. What better circumstances to go strumming under a tree or by the water’s edge? The only problem is that you don’t want to expose your Martin D-45 or your Les Paul ’58 (and its Marshall stack) to the airplane hold and beach sand… And we understand you! Don’t move, Woodbrass is here.
Buying a travel guitar is justified for many reasons: to have an instrument that takes up less space in the car (or backpack), to be able to take the guitar as carry-on luggage rather than checking it in (nooooo, never do that!), to play relaxed in unusual circumstances (at the beach, on a mountain, on a train…) without fear of scratching your favorite jumbo, and finally simply because it’s a perfect excuse to add another guitar to your collection! So you’re convinced. Now the question arises: a travel guitar, yes, but which one?
Mini, mini, mini
The question is about as complicated as “which guitar to choose to start with,” and the answer is the same: the one you like! When we talk about travel guitars, we generally mean their smaller size compared to regular guitars. The body is obviously less bulky, and the neck is very often shorter, to gain in length and not just in width. The frets are therefore smaller, the frets closer together, and the playing feel will be different. With a shorter scale length, the strings feel softer and the tuning is a bit less precise: to compensate, you can use strings with a heavier gauge and/or tune higher than standard.
Choosing the guitar
Your choice of guitar type will depend on your existing preferences. If you like nylon strings, there are plenty of references for classical body models ¼, ½ and ¾. Although these sizes were originally designed not for travel but to allow children to start, they will do the job. Still on nylon, there are also the famous guitalélés which have been steadily gaining popularity for three years. These are small-sized guitars (with 6 strings) tuned two and a half tones higher than normal, and their sound is therefore close to the ukulele (which has 4 strings). The Yamaha GL-1 was the first on the scene, but they have since been joined by the Gretsch G9126 and the Eagletone Guitarrita.
Steel string holidays
On the steel side, several models are inspired by the large folks they replicate on a smaller scale to keep familiar features without the bulk. There’s the famous Little Martin (recently released in an Ed Sheeran signature model, who even uses his travel guitar on stage), the Baby Taylor (another classic of the genre, and coincidentally Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran’s friend, has her own signature model), the Fender Newport Traveler and the Cort Earth Mini. The Rolls-Royce of the genre is the Taylor GS Mini which really sounds like a full-sized guitar, except it sounds that way because it’s not that small! So there’s always a compromise to find… The ultimate in body reduction is reached with the Martin Backpacker and the Rover Washburn, two models that really look like elongated necks without a body. Finally, for those who want absolute silence but don’t want to give up the feel of an acoustic, there is of course the Silent Yamaha, in nylon or steel versions, on which you plug in headphones to isolate completely.
Electric holidays
Finally, since the amp doesn’t favor nomadism, travel electrics are less common. There are the Sun State Mini by Eagletone. But if you don’t want to have to bring an amp, then the Traveler models are the ideal solution, since they have a built-in preamp and you just plug in your headphones and you’re good to go! On both the Silent and Traveler models, the scale length is that of a “normal” guitar, which will help you regain your reflexes faster.
As you can see, the possibilities are very numerous, and it’s best to look into the matter to make the right choice and set off on your trip with the instrument that suits you. Finally, the extremists of smallness will take the opportunity to start playing the ukulele!
