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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1021 Posts |
 Posted - 05/18/2006 : 11:11:21 AM
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OK, Gear Heads,
I'm looking for a travel guitar. Here are my current top two selections:
1. Breedlove Passport C25 - Gets good reviews for quality. Not a parlor - 19" scale; supposedly like a standard scale capoed up a 4th. 1 3/4" at the nut. Tone is supposed to be "different" - very similar concept to the Tacoma Papoose. Baggs electrics.
2. Traveler Guitar (www.traveler.com) - Full length scale with a small body - built in pickup and mixer (Shadow). Also gets good reviews for quality and playability. Electric and Acoustic versions. Standard strings. Comes with gig bag and headphones.
Each of these has a street price around $350 - $370 (Internet). I can't find a Breedlove dealer in San Diego that carries the Passport. I think there is a Traveler dealer and I'm going to try to play one. My basic rule is not buy anything that I haven't played, but I might not have a choice.
I know there are other "travel guitars" out there - I don't care for the Martin parlors and the Larrivee parlor is more $ than I want to spend. The Miranda is also very pricey.
My major question concerns the Breedlove. What's the downside of a short scale? I'm leaning toward the full scale just ot have another guitar to keep in standard tuning.
Your thoughts?
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2006 : 1:49:02 PM
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| I tried the Traveler and ended up buying the Miranda. If felt most like a regular guitar and the amplified sound is performance quality |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2006 : 2:34:16 PM
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Chunk,
First, why do you want a travel guitar? What do you expect to do with it whenever you get to where you are going?
Disclaimer: I looked into "travel" guitars a *lot* and was prepared to spend much more than you specify. And I did, and was ultimately disappointed and got rid of it. A good friend made a cogent argument that, since I had made my sonic tastes clear by buying Sarah seriously good sounding guitars , that I would *never* be happy without a good sounding guitar. So, after taking a bath, I invested in Caltons instead and put up with the problems of checking a guitar on a plane. This same friend has one of those skeletal electronic guitars, because his goal was simply to practice and compose wherever he was. If he wants others to hear when he arrives, he has Caltons for his major guitars, too.
About short scales: depends on how short and how low you want to go. A Baby Collings sound great, is 10 times what you want to spend, and is in another range altogether.
Short scales, as in 12 fret 0 size guitars (or even shorter 19 something inch scales), are wonderful for your hands and can hack Leonard's C using Lights, even Extra Lights. Sarah and I are Godparents (there is a long story about that) of a 19 something inch scale - 12 inch lower bout hand-made, and it is out of sight and can hold its own with any guitar in the world.
Even shorter scales, as on a terz (which was mentioned in another thread) or on a Koaloha 6 string are also swell. As a novice Tenor `ukulele fingerpicker, I can tell you that the sound really fits in well with regular guitars. Listen to that CD of Dennis' where he plays a Baby Whatever.
And, why do you want electrics? Are you going to play out with it? Again, what's the Goal?
...Reid |
Edited by - Reid on 05/18/2006 2:38:58 PM |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2006 : 2:55:40 PM
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CM,
I have a mahogany baby Taylor and like to noodle around on it, but if I'm going to a jam, I'll probably drag a full-size guitar for the volume. If I could do it over, I would have gotten the spruce top baby Taylor for more volume.
I played a small Garrison guitar recently and it sounded great. It was cedar top/birch back and sides. Garrison (Canadian) builds solid wood guitars on a brace system make of plastic. The new minis aren't on their website yet, but you might find one at a dealer.
Jesse |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2006 : 4:23:17 PM
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Terry,
My daughters each have a Taylor baby. I can ask if you want to borrow and play at home for a few days. One is Maple back and sides/spruce top, the other is a special edition Kenny Loggins with Mahogany back and sides/redwood (I think) top. Let me know and I will change the strings. They don't get played much any more.
Malama Na Koa,
Mike |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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neeej
`Olu`olu
USA
643 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2006 : 7:23:40 PM
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| I've found if I play even a little on shorter guitars, it buggahs my handling of a 'real' one for a while. So saying, I do have a skeleton one---got it to amuse self while waiting alone in airports, but have since conned Susy into coming to camp with me again this time. I can just natter etc to annoy her instead <EG> "Mistah Bones" (the skelly) leaves me feeling a bit deaf, 'cause it's not got the resonance I'm used to---odd sensation---but he is full-scale. |
--Jean S |
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2006 : 10:10:51 PM
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I absolutely love my Baby Taylor that I've lugged to Hawai'i several times. The back is made of Bobinga! Just love that word...
Cheap enough to replace, but the sound is just great. And I can't even begin to play a regular size guitar because I can't do it ergonomically. I'm too small to even hold the darn things. Bad back and all that. I now have a fantastic smaller guitar made for me by luthier and dear friend Dennis Lake, but I would never take that traveling. All the important instruments stay home!
By the way, Neeej, I bought one of those Artisan steel guitars for my trip to Maui in June, just so I don't have to take my Rickenbacher on the plane. Aloha, Julie |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1021 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2006 : 05:44:29 AM
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| I went into the archives for info on this subject and a lot of this was covered a couple of years ago. Raymond had some good thoughts on the Miranda vs the Yamaha. Thanks for the input. |
Edited by - chunky monkey on 05/19/2006 05:52:44 AM |
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Fran Guidry
Ha`aha`a
USA
1579 Posts |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2006 : 09:55:22 AM
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Terry
I, maybe we, used to be able to carry guitars on board planes and keep them in the overhead wehe they were out of harms way. Over the past 15 years, however, airlines have been restricting this practice more and more. I have noticed, though, that on many recent flights on Alaska Airlines, that several people boarded with their full size guitars. When i went to Seattle for the workshop I took my full size taylor and they allowed me to put it in the overhead each time. Of course, that does not necessarily mean other airlines will honor that practice, or even that Alaska will continue it.
So, back to the reason for having a travel guitar...mainly to play in the airport during long layovers. I have taken a guitar on virtually every trip i have made for over 25 years now. Most of those trips i just wanted it along for something to do in the airport or before i went to bed each night. I did not need or want to drag along an expensive axe that might get damaged or lost. My wife's first birthay present to me was a Martin backpacker. It has served me well, but has pretty terrible sound characteristics and is a bugger to hold and play. Still, i took it everywhere because i wanted a guitar with me. I suspect your motives would be similar.
On my last trip with the Backpacker, to Mexico in March, i finally got fed up with it and decided to make my own. The results are posted under Concept Guitar and you may have already seen the pictures. I am not suggesting you build your own, especially your own design, but it sure was a fun project and i did achieve my goals; a louder, better sounding, easier to play travel guitar. I put a K&K Pure Western mini pickup system in it and it sounds as good as any guitar plugged in.
I have played a number of "travel" guitars over the past few years. I like a few of them, some of the Baby Taylors are wonderful, others not so good. The larivees are too pricy as are some other models. BUt most of themjust do not sound good. However, back to my original statement, if you just want someehing to have with you for down time, for practicing, or for night time relaxation and don;t feel the need to impress anybody, then pick something that looks and sounds good in your price range. As i recall you live in or near San Diego; there should be some monstrous music store nearby that carries several brands of travel guitar.
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Karl
Frozen North |
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1021 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2006 : 10:56:29 AM
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| thanks to everyone for the input - I'm not too concerned about flying - I've got a Calton case. I'm taking some car road trips soon and don't want to drag the Calton. I'm leaning towards something in standard pitch and scale. I might even buy another Ovation. I recently bought one for my son and it sounds ok. Good electric guitar action and with a gig bag I can shlep it around in my truck. I'm still looking |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2006 : 08:33:26 AM
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| Boy, for hauling around in a truck, nothing would beat an ovation, because nothing can beat them up. Sort of indestructible, and they sond great plugged in |
Karl
Frozen North |
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808bk
Akahai
82 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2006 : 11:46:16 AM
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| Anyone try the Aria sinsonido silent guitar? It's kind of funky looking but I'm looking for something for quiet practice. It is about $350 compared to the yamaha @ $550. |
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neeej
`Olu`olu
USA
643 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2006 : 9:49:07 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by 808bk
Anyone try the Aria sinsonido silent guitar? It's kind of funky looking but I'm looking for something for quiet practice. It is about $350 compared to the yamaha @ $550.
That's what "Mistah Bones" is (see above)---I got the cutaway nylon-string variety. I like him for his purpose (portability, can play without unduly annoying yer neighbors in the airport), but wouldn't use him as a regular thing. It's odd---he loves accompanying some songs, and not others even in the same tuning---they musta built in a music-critic circuit as well :-/ |
--Jean S |
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Pua Kai
Ha`aha`a
USA
1007 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2006 : 07:22:23 AM
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Hey Chunk -
Maybe get a bigger car... it's only gas$$ |
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minstein
Aloha
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2006 : 02:59:21 AM
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Interesting reading: The primary question though really is, What do you want out of a travel guitar? If it is just to practice while on the road...pretty much any of the skeleton guitars will work, though you should be sure the scale and fingerboard match your fingers (I had problems with this in the past...a fingerboard so hard to play, it hurt my hand).
I did have a Larrivee Parlor and the airlines forced me to check it in baggage (flying out of Miami-Dade). Since it was in a hard case, I kind of accepted it...but decided to change my travel plans.
I've since purchased an outdoor guitar from a Luke Brunner in Switzerland.
The neck pops off and the guitar sits in a hard case that can be carried onto the plane. The difference is the sound: It sounds as good as a full size guitar (it has a bit shorter scale, almost like a terz) and I can use it on gigs. The case fits in a backpack, which is useful for me as I normally have to carry a number of instruments when I play.
The cost was $1,600 shipped (with a cutaway and a express shipping). There are two other manufacturers who have similar designs, both over the $3,000 mark. |
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