Mastering the art of playing the guitar is a matter of persistence and discipline as much as it is of skill. You need to keep practicing regularly if you want to become an expert.
Even if you’re new to learning how to play the guitar, you can easily look up free videos and articles online that can help you figure out how to get started with the art. For example, check out this beginner’s guide to starting guitar for the top 10 tips you should keep in mind.
If you’re traveling, you need to make sure that you own a guitar that is portable so that you do not run into any inconveniences while transporting it. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the best travel guitars out there!
Best Travel Guitars: Reviews
In this review, we talk about the 6 best travel guitar options for you.
1. Johnson Trailblazer Travel Guitar
This travel guitar by Johnson Guitars is made out of spruce and has a hardtail bridge. It has a 6 string design that gives you a complete experience for guitar playing.
The guitar has a slim profile that makes it easier for you to carry it around and fit it into smaller spaces.
The guitar also comes with a bag, ensuring that you do not have to carry it around without one or spring extra money to buy one separately. Having a bag for your guitar is handy, as it helps prevent damage and unintentional scratching, while also making sure that you can strap it on your back and carry it around easily.
Specifications
- Item dimensions — 34 x 8 x 3 inches
- Item weight — 3.94 pounds
- Body Material — Spruce
- Number of strings — 6
- Bridge System — Hardtail Bridge
- Color — Brown
- Bag included — Yes
Pros
- Weighing under 4 pounds, this guitar is lightweight and comes with a slim profile, making it easier for you to carry it around.
- The guitar has 6 strings, so you do not have to compromise your experience when you’re traveling.
- The guitar has full-size nickel/silver frets. This ensures that you do not have to make any trade-offs when you’re traveling with your guitar.
Cons
- The guitar, due to its slim frame, might not be as loud as a standard size guitar.
- The tuning and quality of travel guitars are not as great as that of, say, an electrical or full size acoustic guitar.
2. Traveler Guitar 4 String P-Bass
This guitar from Traveler Guitar is a bass guitar and comes with a standard 4 string design. The body of this guitar is made out of alder, the neck is made out of maple, and the fretboard material is walnut. The scale length is a comfortable 32 inches, giving you a solid experience.
The guitar has a built-in headphone amp with an aux facility as well so that you can jam without disturbing fellow travelers.
Due to its slim design, the guitar can easily fit into the trunk of a car or an overhead compartment. A deluxe gig bag is included with the guitar for facilitating easy travel and carrying.
Specifications
- Item dimensions — 35.25 x 10.75 x 1.63 inches
- Item weight — 6.80 pounds
- Body Material — Alder
- Fretboard Material — Walnut
- Number of strings — 4
- Bridge System — Hardtail Bridge
- Color — Brown and yellow
- Bag included — Yes
Pros
- The guitar is quite slim and the thickness is just 1.63 inches, giving you the portability you need for carrying it around.
- With a headphone jack and aux capabilities, you can easily plug in a headset and play wherever you are.
- The headphone amp also features 4 channels to choose from, including clean, boost, overdrive, and distortion tones.
Cons
- This is a bass guitar, so if you’re looking for a classic acoustic guitar, this might not be the best fit for you.
- The guitar has a headless design, which deviates from full size bass guitars. This is a trade-off that not everyone might be comfortable with.
3. Shop4Omni Backpacker Travel Guitar
This guitar from Shop4Omni comes in a purple color and a unique design, making it a favorite among travelers. It’s an inexpensive guitar and is meant to be used by beginners that are only testing the waters of guitar playing.
The guitar is made out of “wood,” while the 6 strings are made out of steel.
The guitar also comes with a nylon gig bag, a strap, an extra set of strings, and 3 guitar picks so you do not have to buy these items separately. The compact body style makes this guitar ideal for traveling, but it still manages to pack in a 15-fret fretboard.
Specifications
- Item dimensions — 36 x 7.4 x 2.8 inches
- Item weight — 2.96 pounds
- Body Material — Wood
- Number of strings — 6
- Color — Purple
- Bag included — Yes
Pros
- This guitar is an excellent choice for beginners as it is inexpensive, lightweight, and comes in a unique design and color.
- The guitar, though compact, comes with a full 6 string design and a 15 fret fingerboard, ensuring that you get an acceptable experience.
- The guitar comes with a complete set of accessories, including a strap, a bag, extra strings, and guitar picks for your benefit.
Cons
- As the guitar is meant for beginners, it might not be the best option for people who have been playing the guitar for a while and are experts.
- The guitar might run into some problems while tuning and it does not have the highest volume.
- This guitar set is probably only ideal for children and teens that are only learning to play guitar.
4. Traveler Guitar Travelcaster Deluxe
This guitar from Traveler Guitar is a 6 string electric guitar that has a brilliant and glossy black color. The top of the guitar is made out of maple wood while the body and the back are made out of poplar wood. The guitar has a 2-point fulcrum tremolo with steel saddles, giving you a sturdy, reliable experience while playing it.
A deluxe gig bag is included with this guitar to give you a convenient transportation option. As it is an electric guitar, it also comes with 3 single-coil pickups, 1 volume control, 2 tone controls, and a 5-way pickup selector.
Specifications
- Item dimensions — 33.75 x 1.75 x 9 inches
- Item weight — 5 pounds
- Body Material — Poplar
- Back Material — Poplar
- Number of strings — 6
- Color — Glossy Black
- Bag included — Yes
Pros
- The guitar is electric, which gives you the option to plug it into an amp or headset (which is probably better for travel).
- The guitar comes with single-coil pickups, volume control, tone controls, a pickup selector, giving you more options on how your music sounds.
- The guitar is a full-scale guitar, which means it has the same playing area as a standard guitar.
Cons
- If you’re going camping or someplace with no access to electricity or an amp, this might not be the most practical option.
- The guitar is quite expensive, and might not be the best fit for beginners.
- The unique design may be uncomfortable for some users.
5. Shredneck Full Scale Travel Guitar Deluxe
This guitar from Shredneck is a full-scale guitar, which means that you get the full playing area as a standard guitar, but fit into a much smaller package for portability. The top of the guitar is made out of flamed maple, the body is made out of solid wood, and the back is made out of nato.
A gig bag is included with this guitar, giving you the convenience to carry it around without having to worry about any damage caused to it. The fingerboard has crown inlays and 22 frets for a worthwhile experience.
Along with this, the guitar also has a 3-way toggle switch, master volume, and master tone control.
Specifications
- Item dimensions — 36 x 11.5 x 1.75 inches
- Item weight — 6.6 pounds
- Body Material — Solid wood
- Back Material — Nato
- Top Material — Flamed Maple
- Number of strings — 6
- Color — Black Burst
- Bag included — Yes
Pros
- The guitar is acoustic but has volume controls, a toggle switch, and master tone controls to give you more options on how you want your music to sound.
- The guitar has a full-scale design, so if you’re used to playing on a standard-sized guitar, you can easily play on this guitar as well.
- The fingerboard on the guitar has crown inlays and 22 frets for an excellent playing experience.
Cons
- At 6.6 pounds, this is one of the heavier guitars on this list.
- Adjustments and toning might be a bit difficult on this guitar compared to a standard sized acoustic guitar.
6. Winnz Acoustic Travel Guitar
This acoustic guitar from Winnz is an excellent choice in terms of the value for the money, and is a great option for entry-level guitar players who want a portable option. The X bracing structure on this guitar offers both bright and warm tones with excellent acoustic properties, a great extension, and a good response.
The fingerboard on the guitar is made out of high-density wood, giving you a sturdy construction and a smooth touch. The guitar comes with a sealed gear machine head that keeps the strings in tune.
Specifications
- Item dimensions — 37.50 x 23.60 x 3.80 inches
- Item weight — 6.54 pounds
- Body Material — Basswood
- Back Material — Linden Plywood
- Top Material — Linden Plywood
- Number of strings — 6
- Color — Dark Hunter Green
- Bag included — Yes
Pros
- As it is an acoustic guitar, you can use it anywhere without an amp or a power source, including camping sites or on road trips.
- The guitar comes with a metronome tuner, which combines a tuner, metronome, and tone generator, giving you an easy tuning and practice experience.
- The guitar comes with a full outfit that includes a wall hanger, adjustable strap, picks, and cleaning cloth.
Cons
- The guitar is slightly on the bulky side and is bigger than most travel-sized guitars.
- The guitar sounds fine when played by itself but might run into problems if you’re using it to perform duets or in a combination with other instruments.
Buyer’s Guide
Now that you have a good idea of the best and worst parts of these guitars mentioned in this review, let’s talk about which of these options is the best travel guitar for your preferences.
- Lightweight: If your number one concern is portability and you want something lightweight, you can go with the Johnson Trailblazer Travel Guitar or the Shop4Omni Backpacker Travel Guitar.
- Beginner’s guitar: If you’re just starting off with learning the guitar, you can check out the Winnz Acoustic Travel Guitar or the Shredneck Full Scale Travel Guitar Deluxe.
- Expert’s Guitar: If you’ve been playing the guitar for a while and consider yourself an expert, you can check out the Traveler Guitar Travelcaster Deluxe or the Traveler Guitar 4 String P-Bass.
Wrap Up
Having a guitar with you on a trip can liven up the whole journey, and even boring stretches or drives can be turned into a lively scene with some live music.
We hope that this review has helped you pick out the best travel guitar according to your skill level and preferences. If you’re interested in similar topics, please feel free to check out our other reviews as well. Happy traveling!
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