What’s the Best Travel Guitar for Me? |
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Do you need a travel guitar or are you better off with a standard model? Travel guitars are lighter and more compact than standard-sized guitars but are otherwise played exactly the same way. This buyer’s guide lists the various types of travel guitars out there, the pros and cons, alternative options, and a few things you should know about before you make your decision. 1. Who Needs a Travel Guitar?Since they’re smaller than standard, travel guitars are ideal for travel. They’re easier to fit in the boot of a car and easier to take on a bus, plane or train. Maybe you’re going on a holiday and want to keep making music while you unwind or simply keep practising everything your guitar teacher told you to work on. Or maybe you just want a more manageable guitar that you can take with you when you go over to your mate’s place for a jam session. Another reason why you might want to go for a travel guitar instead of a full-size guitar is because, for some people, it can be more comfortable to play. For children, as well as adults with small hands, a travel guitar can be easier to get to grips with — literally. The frets are closer together which makes chords easier to grab.
2. What Kind of Travel Guitars Are There?Most travelling musicians go for an acoustic guitar, which doesn’t depend on other gear like an amplifier. Acoustic guitars have a hollow-body construction with a resonance chamber and a sound hole that amplifies the sound. Want a warmer sound and the soft feel of nylon strings? Then go for a travel-size classical guitar. Want the bright sound and heavier feel of steel strings? Then pick a travel-ready steel-string acoustic guitar. Electric guitars have a flat, solid body. Unplugged, they produce much less volume and tone than when they’re hooked up to an amplifier, which means you can’t use an electric guitar for much more than a bit of practice if you don’t have an amp at your disposal. Most guitar amplifiers feature a headphone output so you can practise in silence. Play privately all the time? Then a headphone guitar amplifier might be perfect for you. They plug directly into the guitar and are super-compact. See Question #6 for more info. » All Acoustic Travel Guitars
3. Are Travel Guitars More Limited Than Standard Guitars?They’re not, but their smaller dimensions do come with a few drawbacks. Like standard guitars, travel guitars have six strings. They’re also tuned and played the same way. The smaller-than-average dimensions can make travel guitars slightly harder to play for the average adult guitarist, but most of the time, it’s just a matter of getting used to the different feel. Acoustic travel guitars also sound less full and powerful than standard guitars. This obviously doesn’t apply to electric guitars. The neck of a travel guitar is shorter than usual so there’s no room for a standard number of frets. This means that you don’t have access to the highest notes which, in all fairness, aren't played by most guitarists anyway.
4. What Sizes Do Travel Guitars Come In?Smaller-than-standard classical guitars come in various sizes, including 7/8, 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4. Please note, these are not fractions. 7/8 = 95%, 3/4 = 90%, 1/2 = 80% and 1/4 = 75% the size of a standard guitar, Travel-size acoustic and electric guitars usually don’t come in a specific size, so always check out the specifications, photos and videos to get a better idea of the size of any model. Some travel guitars can be taken apart for easier transport. One example is Yamaha’s Silent Guitar, which is otherwise a full-size (4/4) guitar. » Classical Guitars: 4/4 (standard length), 7/8, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4
5. What Are Good Alternatives to a Travel Guitar?For acoustic guitarists, a solid alternative can be a parlour/0-size guitar, which is the smallest model you can get, followed by the concert-size guitar, the grand concert/00-size guitar, and orchestra/auditorium/000/0M-size models. What we don’t recommend are standard and larger-than-standard models, like dreadnought, jumbo and slope shoulder guitars. A full-size (4/4) classical guitar is slightly smaller than a standard acoustic guitar (dreadnought), making it a bit easier to get around. Coming in at 100cm, it’s 5cm shorter on average and has a slightly more compact body. A standard electric guitar is just as long as a classical guitar, so roughly 100cm. It’s also flat-bodied, making it more space-saving than a hollow-bodied acoustic guitar. The downside of a solid body is that it’s relatively heavy. A mash-up of a guitar and a ukulele, the guitalele is even smaller than a standard travel guitar. It also has six strings, but does come tuned higher than a standard guitar. For example, this means that where you’d normally play an A chord, you now need to grab an E chord. » 4/4-Size Classical Guitars
6. How Can I Amplify An Electric Travel Guitar?There are two ways you can amplify your electric travel guitar. The first way is a compact guitar amplifier that you hook up using a jack cable. Think an amp equipped with a 3” to 5” speaker. Don’t want to be dependent on mains power? Then go for a compact model that runs on batteries or a rechargeable internal battery. This’ll still give you the option to dial in the sound, from clean to distorted. The second way is using a headphone guitar amplifier. These ultra-compact amps plug directly into the jack out of your electric guitar (no cable needed) and usually feature various voicings that you can flip between. Most models even have some built-in effects. » Compact Guitar Amplifiers See also:
7. Can My Child Use a Travel Guitar for Guitar Lessons?Instead of a travel guitar, we recommend taking a look at our range of children’s guitars. These guitars are the ideal length and shape, making them easier to grip and get used to the correct playing technique. » Interactive Children’s Guitar Finder
8. Can I Amplify the Sound of an Acoustic Travel Guitar?Yes, but only if you go for an electro-acoustic travel guitar. When you want to make music with friends or play on stage, an acoustic guitar usually isn’t loud enough. This also applies to standard-sized acoustic guitars, despite the fact that, on average, they pack more volume. Electro-acoustic guitars are essentially acoustic guitars equipped with a special pickup and a jack output, allowing them to be plugged into an acoustic guitar amplifier, a PA system or a portable speaker using a standard jack cable. » Electro-Acoustic Classical Travel Guitars
Links and more infoGear Departments» All Travel Guitars Blogs» 7 Ways to Make Your Guitar Rig More Portable
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