I travelled a lot for work in the past. I was often on the road every other week for 3 to 4 days at a time. Being away from home meant that you’re often away from your hobbies. It’s not exactly easy to bring a guitar with you as a carry on. While I no longer travel very much on business, the idea of a full function travel guitar still appeals to me. I’ve collected some information on some of today’s best travel guitar options.
Option #1: A Regular Travel Location, Multiple Guitars
If you have a regular location that you travel to, such as a family member’s home or a second home, getting another guitar for that location might be your best, most affordable option. Inexpensive starter or used guitars are readily available from online retailers and marketplaces like Reverb or eBay. Instead of settling for the limitations and cost of a travel guitar, you could get yourself a full-fledged, no compromise guitar for your 2nd location. It would not only get you a guitar you might be happier with, you would avoid having to pack and carry a guitar as you travel. That’s definitely a benefit worth thinking about.
Option #2: Irregular Travel Locations, Headless & Travel Guitars
If you’re someone who travels to different locations frequently, then option #1 isn’t going to work for you. Your next best bet is a travel guitar. Travel Guitar and Journey Instruments have
Numerous options also exist for electric travel guitars. Headless / travel guitars are compact. lighter, and will often fit into airline overhead baggage compartments. Traveler Guitar makes several compact headless electrics with Gibson style, full 24 3/4 length necks. These are probably the most portable options, but they’ve also got the most compromises. Try them before buying. Similar to the Traveler guitars is the Martin Backpacker, a small backpack travel guitar from the granddaddy of the guitar world, Martin Guitars.
Journey Instruments makes both acoustic and electric guitars with necks that can be disassembled and put back together again. While it’s not as elegant as the Ciari travel guitar below, they are significantly more affordable. Journey travel guitars start at $199 for the smaller, wood student guitars to $800 for the higher end models. Watch the video to see more on how their guitars work.
Ciari Guitars makes one of the coolest, easiest to use travel friendly electric guitars with it’s Ascender. With the flip of a latch, the entire guitar folds quickly and easily at the neck. Unfortunately, the guitar runs in the $2,000 range so it might not make the most cost-effective traveling companion. Watch the video below to learn more.
There you have it. Some of the variety of options available to you as you travel the world and carry your music with you. Take a look at the options and let me know what you think.