Travel Guitars

Your Passport To Cheap Musical Freedom

Wandering and guitar playing just go hand-in-hand, from road trips, to hiking and flying.

Plus, nothing says guitar playing more than the classic image of the strummer sitting around the campfire or at the beach party.

Coming in both electric and acoustic varieties, the travel guitar category offers something for every player.

Thanks to excellent electronics and pre-amp systems, traveling musicians and guitar teachers can avail themselves to some very cool, innovative designs.

We'll no doubt be building our list of guitars in this category, but to start, we'll mention three acoustics that have been around long enough to stand the test of time--the Martin Backpacker, the Baby Taylor and the Yamaha Silent Guitar.

Scroll through to find info on the electric offerings in this field.

CF Martin defined the Travel category over 20 years ago when they launched the Backpacker.

A cross between a dulcimer, a 6-string acoustic and a stick, the Backpacker does indeed offer a traveling guitarist the freedom to carry his or her tunes around in a very tight, nifty package.

The Baby Taylor features a bolt-on neck, very much like an electric guitar, and a laminate body. It's smaller size makes it perfect for car or plane travel and it has a real guitar body, which makes many players more comfortable.

Finally, the Yamaha Silent is a marriage between expediency and technology. The name says it all: you need headphones, an amp or a PA system to hear this guitar, which makes it perfect for late-night motel practicing. It also sounds lush thanks to the onboard DSP reverb effects.

Travel Electric Guitars

These little 6-stringers also make great travel companions, especially the Fender Squier Mini Player and First Act Discovery FE529.

Squier has quite a few mini guitars on the market and they can be bought for around $150. Small enough to fit in an overhead bin on a plane, and won't take up too much room on a roadtrip, even if you're travelling by Honda Civic!