Best Travel Guitars – Acoustic and Electric Travel Guitar Reviews
Guitars, guitars, and more guitars! You know musicians love them, and they couldn’t even travel without the guitar. But in travel time portability and compactness is big issue for a musician. The solution is a small, compact, and lightweight guitar. Well, So we’ve selected the very best compact and surprisingly guitars for you.
When finding the best travel guitars, there are several things to consider. Would you want a full-scale travel guitar or something slightly more compact? Of course, if you are limited to space, having one that fits comfortably into an overhead compartment is very useful. Moreover, the exciting thing is that our team tested brilliant travel guitars of all shapes and sizes for you.
Top 10 Best Travel Guitars Reviews
1. Martin Steel-String Backpacker – best travel guitar choices with Bag
Features
The people who use steel string guitars will definitely appreciate the Martin Backpacker Acoustic Guitar. Play your heart out with the built-in carrying handle, which allows for easy transport. Hence, Martin backpacker has Best Travel Guitars on the list.
The Martin Backpacker travel guitar is lightweight, sturdy, and easy to carry. The Backpacker travel guitar offers easy playability, sound quality, and superb durability. Furthermore, Martin has introduced a new line of backpacks designed specifically for the needs of banjo and right-hand players.
The Traveler Guitar is explicitly made for traveling musicians. With a 15 fret length, these guitars can easily be carried and played on a plane or bus without creating too much noise. Plus, all Steel String Backpackers guitars are equipped with Maple necks. Those are available with a limited lifetime warranty in the market as well.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
In short, Martin Backpackers guitars are the quintessential travel guitars. Plus, this best all-around acoustic travel guitar features as quickly fit into a briefcase or inside a small backpack. Moreover, the Contour neck shape is perfect for beginners or players who just love to travel light. Hence, it is the best acoustic electric guitar for beginners.
2. Yamaha SLG200S NT Steel String Silent – most famous travel guitar
Features
The Yamaha SLG Silent Guitar is a small-sized steel-string guitar. That delivers a satisfying acoustic sound to serve as a rhythm player or boost an electronic amp. It is one of the lightest right-hand guitars Yamaha produces, weighing 4.1 kilograms (9.0 lbs.) with a rugged gig bag. The 6 string SLG is the perfect instrument to perform well that any typical acoustic guitar can do.
Moreover, these unique-looking travel guitars are near-silent performances, perfect for practice, travel. Accordingly, the new NT0- models feature a near-silent performance with a steel-string; electric system that even the most discerning player will appreciate.
The SLG has excellent features, including 43m – 55mm width and hand-selected rosewood fingerboards. Furthermore, it has solid spruce tops with scalloped bracing and a natural varnish finish. Generally, these factors are what make this rosewood instrument look, feel and sound like an authentic acoustic guitar.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
The SLG-NT is Yamaha’s smallest and most compact, and best travel acoustic electric guitar. It’s perfect as a travel guitar, an easy-to-play choice for beginners, or a silent practice guitar used without amplification. Next, the proprietary Yamaha Silent Guitar technology makes it easier to play. Hence, this Natural Finish Yamaha is the best-selling classical guitar model in the market.
3. LAVA ME 2 Carbon Fiber – best value acoustic travel guitar
Features
Take your music anywhere with the Lava ME 2 Carbon Fiber. It is the best valued 36-inch acoustic electric travel guitar that’s compact and lightweight. Make your sound come alive using the onboard FreeBoost. Furthermore, it includes a boost channel button to boost your tone and your channel for solos.
A revolutionary, ultra-portable acoustic guitar designed for seasonal musicians on the go. Also, this ultra-lightweight Carbon Fiber guitar has an uber-cool Lava design. Moreover, it is a premium L2 Pick-up System with FreeBoost extensibility and WiFi+Bluetooth App control.
There are many best acoustic electric guitar brands, but LAVA ME is the best acoustic electric guitar. Further, this guitar features a lightweight, portable design that allows you to travel easily wherever you need to go. The guitar packs easily in a backpack to travel to gigs and classes. Furthermore, with its 3.7 pounds lightweight body and 36 inches in length, this best travel electric guitar is excellent for multiple uses.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
With an HPL neck and rosewood fingerboard, this two-octave travel guitar is built for comfort and durability. Sweetwater’s pro audio experts voted the Lava ME 2 Carbon Fiber best value in acoustic travel guitars! As a result, LAVA ME is one of the best travel-size guitars.
4. Traveler guitar Ultra-Light best all-around acoustic travel guitar
Features
The Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light acoustic travel guitar features a Maple top, back, and sides with a Walnut neck. The fingerboard, built on a custom multi-laminate neck. Its ultra-light piezoelectric pick-up system provides exceptional playability. While reducing feedback issues, you get from magnetic pick-ups.
A Piezo saddle pick-up system offers quality sound reproduction from this small body acoustic guitar that does more than others of its size. Furthermore, it features a 24.75″ scale length, 21″ fingerboard radius, and 1.875″ nut width.
Well, the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light is the best all-around acoustic travel guitar. Alternatively, this travel guitar equips with a hard-shell carrying case. It has a wooden body, maple neck, and ebony fretboard. Much less, it weighs approximately 1 pound, making it easy to collect from baggage claim or store in overhead lockers.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
Well, The Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light is a compact, full-featured acoustic guitar. This full-body guitar is a deal for experienced players looking to travel light who want to play guitar while traveling. Indeed, we recommend this highly playable, lightweight travel guitar.
5. Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Solid-Body electric travel guitars
Features
If ease and convenience are what you crave, then you’ll find precisely in the Traveler electric travel guitar. This 3 lbs. 2 oz. This best amp for acoustic electric guitar is built with a one-piece, Eastern American Hard Maple 24 3/4″ neck-through-body design. And, it features a dual-rail humbucker pick-up. Moreover, these impressive features complement an ergonomic and lightweight design.
Here is one of the world’s lightest and easiest to carry solid-body electric guitars. They are available in several colors and come complete with a gig bag. Further, the Traveler Solid-Body guitar is available in left-handed models. Moreover, that adds up to the ideal travel guitar for musically inclined travelers.
In addition, its 28″ Long ingenious design allows for low string action in the neck. And, this guitar is constructed of lightweight maple and walnut, with one-piece maple neck-through-body design. However, it comes equipped with a dual-rail humbucker pick-up and can easily fit.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
In short, the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Solid-Body electric travel guitar is the perfect, full-sized electric guitar for any musician on the move. Whether traveling across the country or needing a smaller instrument for practice at home, the Ultra-Light is an excellent fit for you!
6. Traveler 6 String Pro-Series – Unique-Looking Travel Guitar
Features
Traveler Guitar 6 String is the most unique-looking travel guitar. Moreover, it is a one-piece maple neck-through-body with a natural satin finish. Plus, it has electric/piezo pick-ups and hybrid guitar with an internal steel string. Even more, this is an acoustic electric guitar that fits airline overhead bins.
The Traveler Guitar PRO Series is a whole 24 3/4″ scale steel string that weighs less than most hard-shell cases. Furthermore, the wide string spacing produces a bigger, bolder sound, and the satin finish helps create smooth finger slides. Plus, the guitar’s unique looks will make a statement at any gig.
Although, this compact guitar is 26″ long and still plays with or without an amplifier with standard 1/4 inch output. It has a unique natural satin finish and a built-in Piezo pick-up system. Moreover, it designs for acoustic guitar sound. Similarly, it features a non-cutaway body style; the travel guitar has a natural finish 3-Ply, 3/16 inch maple. With this intention, this acoustic/electric hybrid delivers excellent plugged-in sound.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
We would recommend this stunning compact guitar to buy because this Pro Series Guitar has a natural satin finish, a unique-looking profile, and an eye-catching sound. Then, its electric pick-ups listen to your every desire, which is fantastic if you love music of all kinds.
7. CG-TA Nylon String Trans Acoustic Yamaha Traveler Guitar
Features
The Yamaha CG-TA, a beautiful nylon string, constructs guitar. The body, top, and neck of this guitar are built to be made of solid wood. Moreover, it is built with a solid Engleman spruce top with Ovangkol back and sides. So, your strings will always sound clear. Furthermore, this guitar has 12 positions, but you can use acoustic machine tuners to tune up your instrument.
The CG-TA Vintage Tint offers comfort in many ways. The CG-TA TransAcoustic Yamaha traveler guitar constructs a spruce top with Ovangkol’s back and sides. Secondly, it includes a hand-friendly chamfered body edge. Plus, the beauty of the tinted antique binding highlights by metallic gloss parts. Plus, they are located around the instrument border.
Its Vintage Tint’s compelling beauty reflects Yamaha’s hallmark design sense. The wood has unique coloring and luster that conventional materials cannot replicate. So, the fingerboard and bridge are rosewood with nylon strings as a nylon travel guitar.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
Play and resonate anywhere, anytime. The CG-TA TransAcoustic is a travel acoustic-electric guitar. That allows you to enjoy the magnificent sound of Yamaha. Ovangkol’s back and sides give an excellent tone with arpeggios and strums. Thus, the spruce top gives a beautiful rich tone for chords and solos.
8. Vangoa Cutaway Acoustic-Electric – best Sounding Travel Guitar
Features
The Vangoa Cutaway Acoustic-Electric – best-sounding travel guitar features a solid spruce top for clear tones. Moreover, a piezo pick-up allows you to plug in anywhere. Vangoa is a smaller, cutaway scale shape similar to the classical Martin travel guitar. Further, while its gold set-in neck has a hand orientation of right, making fingering simple. Next, this travel guitar constructed using Sapele wood for the body.
The spruce top creates a booming sound, while the Sapele wood bodies give the instrument a dark tone. The 18-fret rosewood fingerboard allows for more effortless playing at night or in stormy weather. It has a short, low-profile neck for easy playing during performances. Moreover, this Right Hand Orientation Guitar with Fixed Bridge System is perfect for travel.
The new Vangoa Cutaway features an innovative acoustic design that can enhance any musical experience. After this, you can play all your favorite songs with the guitar’s built-in metronome and share recordings via Bluetooth.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
We would suggest this Vangoa guitar for kids and beginners as the best fender acoustic guitar for beginners. Though, the 3/4 size of this acoustic-electric guitar makes it great for children between the ages of 8 and 12 interested in learning how to play. Hence, this acoustic-electric travel guitar brings excellent sound with you anywhere you go.
9. Traveler Guitar EG-1 Custom – Best Travel Acoustic Guitar
Features
With Traveler Guitar EG-1C BKG, you get a real guitar that’s lightweight, easy to carry on your shoulder. Sized adequately for travel, this gadget plays just like a standard guitar. Thus, this best traveler Guitar EG-1 Guitar features an entire body with a glossy black finish.
The more petite body and shorter 15″ scale length make this a perfect guitar for traveling musicians. And, this narrow 1-7/8″ nut width offers comfortable playability even for smaller hands. Plus, Topped by a gorgeous black gloss finish, the EG-1 custom is built to be heard.
This versatile instrument features a solid one-piece Alder body with a select spruce top and pau Ferro fingerboard and bridge. In addition, The EG-1C’s smaller size, slim neck profile, as well as carefully selected tonewoods make it a very comfortable guitar to play. Moreover, it includes extra space for slight headphones next to the onboard preamp/tuner.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
The EG-1C BKG is perfect for gigging musicians, students, and travelers alike.
10. Journey Instruments Carbon Fiber Acoustic Travel Guitars
Features
The RT660M Traveler guitar has a more petite 36″ body, long-lasting guitar system. It is made of quality components and an ultra-comfortable neck. Moreover, it comes equipped with our L.R. Baggs EAS sound reinforcement diminutive acoustic guitar system.
Furthermore, this Custom RT660M travel guitar features a carbon fiber top and a slimmer body shape that’s easy to carry along on extended trips. Moreover, it features a black matte finish and a piezoelectric guitar pick-up. Plus, the guitar produces a warm tonal response. At just over two pounds, it’s lightweight enough to pack in your suitcase or carry on.
This low-maintenance acoustic features pro-level materials. It has a low-Gloss Black Matte finish, which looks stylish. In addition, it includes a phosphor bronze Elixir light gauge string set. And it has a pro-grade tapered X bracing design for added tone and stability.
PROS
CONS
Final verdict
The road-tested design features a more petite body for easy travel. Having a long-lasting guitar system and a built-in piezo pick-up system attracts more customers to buy it. Moreover, these factors make the RT660M perfect for mobile musicians or travelers. That needs a dependable guitar to get them through their journeys.
Buying guide for Best Travel Guitars
Gig Bags and Flight Cases
When protecting your needs, you must avoid an accident. An actual gig bag is usually packed with ultra-thin foam on the inside to provide extra protection. The interiors of these cases are typically foam-padded. In fact, the case material helps protect the instrument’s surface, which tends to be scratchy often.
Guitars as Carry-Ons
In general, if you are flying into an international airport, you can take one guitar with you as an instrument. As long as it has a case, it is considered carry-on. If you are flying into a domestic airport, you can take more than one guitar as there is no specific rule on what instruments can carry on.
Choosing the right size for an extended trip will depend on how much you want to carry on your travels, as well as your guitar’s ability to carry any weight. Some people think small guitars are too small and can’t be taken anywhere.
Lose the Strings
Selecting the right replacement strings is not as simple as it sounds. All the strings must be the same gauge and width; otherwise, tuning forks will not work. The strings should be dead-on accurate in intonation. In contrast, the strings are so tightly wound that even a tiny change in pressure can cause a significant difference in intonation.
Sounds level
Take into account the tone of voice, whether there is any buzzing, the vividness of the sound, the noise level, or whether it stays in tune or not. You’ll have to put the guitar through its paces to see if it sounds the way you want it to. If it has built-in electronics, attach it to an amp to hear how it would seem if used on stage.
Another consideration is whether the noise is adaptable enough to your playing style or genre. You’ll also have to evaluate the action as well as make a decision whether it needs to be tweaked.
Acoustic vs. classical guitars
Many travel acoustic guitars have been specifically designed for that purpose. Furthermore, electric guitars with detachable necks, whether scaled-down or full-sized, are beginning to emerge.
You could also have an electric guitar; however, you should get a portable amp after the guitar. Electric guitars benefit from being played silently, utilizing headphones so as not to disturb others.
If you really want an acoustic guitar, that’s fine. There are several small acoustics out there prepared to make music at any time and in any place. Nevertheless, if you’re an electric guitarist, you’ll always want something that an acoustic guitar can’t provide.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
a. What is the most suitable travel guitar for me?
All best travel guitars are compact, and all guitars are enjoyable to play; however, they all excel in different ways. Most five stunning best travel guitars for silent practice and live tones are as follows:
1. Martin Steel-String Backpacker – best cheap travel guitar
2. Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Solid-Body – best value acoustic travel guitar
3. Traveler 6 String Pro-Series – best small travel guitar
4. Vangoa Cutaway Acoustic-Electric – best travel guitar for metal players
5. Traveler Guitar EG-1 Custom – best backpacker guitar
b. What characteristics distinguish an excellent travel guitar?
The portability of a travel guitar can indeed be attributed to its more petite body, lighter, and relatively short scale. But a guitar still can be excellent for carrying around with each other and have a full-scale.
However, acoustic travel guitars have such a shorter magnitude and smaller bodies just to be portable. Unlike, they can still be tuned and played like a standard guitar. Moreover, the electric travel guitars can generally be plugged into guitar amps and PA systems. However, some use built-in amps that can use can use with headphones.
c. Can I (gig) perform well with a portable guitar?
Yes, several acoustic travel guitars have built-in pick-ups as well as preamps to enable this. Ed Sheeran, one of the world’s most famous living guitarists, performs and records with a small-scale travel guitar. In addition, sometimes electric travel guitars intended for headset practice could be used with amps if desired.
Conclusion
All the best travel guitars we’ve chosen are lightweight and easy to carry, ideal for traveling. We’ve considered quality as well as price and tried to include a range of options that offer the best value guitars. Moreover, the good news is that quality travel guitars are still fully playable despite being small in size. We’ve rounded up our favorite affordable travel guitars to help get you started!
Last but not least, in this travel acoustic guitar review, Martin Steel-String Backpacker is one of the best electric acoustic guitars under 1000. Moreover, its compact size with excellent sound makes it more unique among all. Besides, there’s a beautiful line between an electric guitar and a traveling guitar.
Hey, I’m Freddie, the owner and author of Music Mention. Playing the Guitars has been my love from childhood, and now in the swift developing world, the acoustic-electric guitar has taken my heart. So, I decided my passion be transformed into words, and for that, I’ve started Music Mention. Here you’ll read unbiased reviews based on my personal experience. I play, adventure and then write about each guitar which will help you buy the best guitar according to your taste. So stay with me!
