Martin BackPacker or other travel guitar?

[Woolbury]

I have a Baby Taylor I bought while on a trip, and to me its not enough guitar to bother carrying. It will fit in overhead, but I can't get any mojo going with it. Im gonna sell it off asap. If I was in your shoes, Id use this opportunity to jump into a decent ukulele, I had so much fun playing one at a friends recently(she had a beautiful $800 koa), if I had the time to play one Id have one around. I also have a friend that plays a baritone uke in our camping jams, tuned same as top 4 guitar strings.

[hairpuller]

Originally Posted by Speedwagon

I have a friend who had a Martin backpacker. It was horrible.

I second this! I had one for about a week and could not unload it fast enough. Zero pleasure playing or hearing that wreck.

Other than that, it was fine.

scott

[Denny B]

I have an acquaintance who owns a small music store, nothing high end...

But he has a Backpacker that's been hanging there for so long, it's ridiculous...he won't give it away or throw it out because it's become such a running joke at the store...

He says his biggest fear is he'll go to work one day, find out he's been broken into, and there will be TWO Backpackers on his wall...

[hotroad]

Not sure if this was mentioned already. Maton makes a little guitar that is awesome but not cheap. And if I was travelling I would only settle for a carbon fiber guitar and Emerald has some smaller ones, even twelve strings.

[Cypress Knee]

I have a Martin backpacker that I don't like very much at all. It is good for making chords and practicing scales and keeping your left hand fingers calloused up, but it rolls away from the body making it somewhat uncomfortable to play unless you use a strap. It is very easy to carry though.

I had considered it away, but I imagine a beginner would be better suited with something that felt like a guitar in the first place.

If you want it, send me a PM and we will figure out shipping.

If you want a guitar to carry around that sounds and plays half-way decent though, other posters have given sound advice.

[hairpuller]

Originally Posted by Denny B

I have an acquaintance who owns a small music store, nothing high end...

But he has a Backpacker that's been hanging there for so long, it's ridiculous...he won't give it away or throw it out because it's become such a running joke at the store...

He says his biggest fear is he'll go to work one day, find out he's been broken into, and there will be TWO Backpackers on his wall...

This made my day!!
scott

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by Floridapicker

Well my budget is low as I recently purchased a Martin HD-28V in Feb. of this year. I don't think any thing over $300 would be in my budget at this point. She loves me very much and understands that she married an aspiring guitarist. But we are a fairly young couple with a child so after the large purchase in Feb. I'd rather go economical here. I was thinking a used back packer and if something happened to it oh well. Any other suggestions?

Best

FP

If your budget was larger, I'd strongly urge your to get a Voyage Air. Fine guitars for the price (haven't seen many for sale used, but saw one for $500 recently, which is more than I paid for mine new), and terrific for travel.

Whatever travel guitars you consider, try to find one with a normal sized neck. The thing I hated about my Martin backpacker was the very narrow width at the nut, and the very short scale. It threw off all my fingering if I played it very much; when I returned to a normal sized guitar neck, everything was "off" and sloppy for a while. Playing the backpacker was pretty fun, of itself, but it isn't really good for practicing or keeping your chops up. The other drawbacks to a backpacker (terribly imbalanced/heavy on the headstock end; terrible tone; poor volume making it very difficult to play with others; floppy feel to the strings because of the very short scale) were tolerable.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by buddyhu

Whatever travel guitars you consider, try to find one with a normal sized neck. The thing I hated about my Martin backpacker was the very narrow width at the nut, and the very short scale. It threw off all my fingering if I played it very much; when I returned to a normal sized guitar neck, everything was "off" and sloppy for a while.

Excellent advice.

[Placida]

The nylon version has a 1-15/16" nut and a flat fretboard.

[51 Relic]

If it’s for you own enjoyment , why not try a Yamaha SLG200s . I love mine and it fits in a overhead locker . Or have a look at the new Yamaha travel sized guitar they do a version in all solid wood

[Teherie]

To the original poster: I live down the road from your hometown and here's my 5 minutes of advice based on 50 years of buying and playing guitars. Think Form versus Function, budget, reason for buying and then set realistic expectations when deciding what to buy.

I always find the discussion around Backpacker guitars to be extremely entertaining. To try and compare the tone and comfort of playing a Backpacker against most other guitars is a poor idea but that's where most people end up. They can't separate in their mind how great their HD 28 sounds and how easy it is to play against a Backpacker; or how bad they would feel if the Delta baggage handler put their prize guitar on the wrong plane headed to Boston or worse yet, dropped it from the cargo hold onto the tarmac.

According to the Backpacker designer who also created the Strumstick, since they first started producing the Backpacker with Martin in 1992, they have built over 300,000 in 25 years. Just google Strumstick.com the Backpacker guitar to learn a little more about the original design.

My wife and kids got me a steel string Backpacker w/pickup for Christmas in 1993 based on the original design which is smaller than current version. It's been everywhere that I had to fly too or driving to places that I didn't want to take my D-35. I.E. Tent Camping or hiking in the rain in cold weather during the spring or fall.

For travel in the car, I can choose from a Larrivee flamed maple parlor ($400); an Alvarez Dread ($200), a soprano ukelele ($79) as well as the Backpacker. I also have a Little Martin ($275) that I keep at my son's house which is currently in Texas that moves with him. That guitar has been to Iraq, Washington State, VA, Texas and is soon heading to Kansas. My other son has a Baby Taylor so we have all the bases covered and swap out guitars all the time. Trust me, the Backpacker is fine for what you want to do but you do have other affordable options.

On a side note, my brother-in-law who is a cabinet maker, built me a custom hardwood case of maple and black walnut which is actually worth more and looks better than the guitar. The walnut was salvaged from the registration desktop counter of an old 100 year old hotel in my home town that was torn down in 1965.

In closing, here's my advice: Find yourself a used Backpacker (or Little Martin) from some sad sack who hates theirs, string it up for Nashville (High String) tuning like I did with mine, pack a strap and a thumb pick and enjoy the splendor of the landscape of the 49th state and yourself on the cruise. If, after 10 days, you find that you hate it, when you return home, donate it to a local church, youth club or guitars for vets organization. The only person that will appreciate the guitar more than you, is the person who doesn't have one at all.

[Kerbie]

Guys, stop the bashing. You're allowed to voice an opinion about a guitar. You are not allowed silly, over-the-top bashes. If you'd like this thread to stay open, keep your opinions within reason.

[Fresh1985]

Little martin lxm is a great travel guitar for a great price.
And as its all laminate construction it is tough as nails and humidity wont affect it.
It also sounds loads better than you would think. Give one a try.

[Rev Tim T]

Originally Posted by Teherie

To the original poster: I live down the road from your hometown and here's my 5 minutes of advice based on 50 years of buying and playing guitars. Think Form versus Function, budget, reason for buying and then set realistic expectations when deciding what to buy.

I always find the discussion around Backpacker guitars to be extremely entertaining. To try and compare the tone and comfort of playing a Backpacker against most other guitars is a poor idea but that's where most people end up. They can't separate in their mind how great their HD 28 sounds and how easy it is to play against a Backpacker; or how bad they would feel if the Delta baggage handler put their prize guitar on the wrong plane headed to Boston or worse yet, dropped it from the cargo hold onto the tarmac.

According to the Backpacker designer who also created the Strumstick, since they first started producing the Backpacker with Martin in 1992, they have built over 300,000 in 25 years. Just google Strumstick.com the Backpacker guitar to learn a little more about the original design.

My wife and kids got me a steel string Backpacker w/pickup for Christmas in 1993 based on the original design which is smaller than current version. It's been everywhere that I had to fly too or driving to places that I didn't want to take my D-35. I.E. Tent Camping or hiking in the rain in cold weather during the spring or fall.

For travel in the car, I can choose from a Larrivee flamed maple parlor ($400); an Alvarez Dread ($200), a soprano ukelele ($79) as well as the Backpacker. I also have a Little Martin ($275) that I keep at my son's house which is currently in Texas that moves with him. That guitar has been to Iraq, Washington State, VA, Texas and is soon heading to Kansas. My other son has a Baby Taylor so we have all the bases covered and swap out guitars all the time. Trust me, the Backpacker is fine for what you want to do but you do have other affordable options.

On a side note, my brother-in-law who is a cabinet maker, built me a custom hardwood case of maple and black walnut which is actually worth more and looks better than the guitar. The walnut was salvaged from the registration desktop counter of an old 100 year old hotel in my home town that was torn down in 1965.

In closing, here's my advice: Find yourself a used Backpacker (or Little Martin) from some sad sack who hates theirs, string it up for Nashville (High String) tuning like I did with mine, pack a strap and a thumb pick and enjoy the splendor of the landscape of the 49th state and yourself on the cruise. If, after 10 days, you find that you hate it, when you return home, donate it to a local church, youth club or guitars for vets organization. The only person that will appreciate the guitar more than you, is the person who doesn't have one at all.

Thank you.

[fwphoto]

A few years ago I was planning an early summer trip to Canso, Nova Scotia for the Stanfest music festival. This would involve a multi-day road trip & many nights of camping in often cold, wet Canadian weather over the course of around 2 1/2 weeks. I was not going to take either of my Martins.

I was very familiar with a friend's Backpacker & had owned a Baby Taylor for a while but sold it as I never really warmed up to the sound of it.

Enter Voyage Air. Back then Harvey Leach was a contributor on an acoustic guitar forum I frequented & he took on the challenge of designing the "perfect" travel guitar. :-) His solution was a hinged neck to fold the guitar in half rather than reducing the size of the body or neck.

I contacted HL & ended up with a fully laminated version, the VAOM-02. I discussed sound quality of the laminated version with several players that owned them & got that version because I would also be using the guitar around boats & water. Harvey said it would be the most resistant to warping under those conditions. It was also the cheapest model & I thought that made sense for a travel/boating/campfire guitar, too.

Voyage-Air does also make all solid wood models & some even fancier ones that cost way more than my VAOM-02 if you want a better sounding travel guitar. I think if I didn't want to leave it regularly on my boat for weeks at a time I would have, at least, gone with the solid-top 04 version for a little more.

The VAOM-02 is a very cool guitar & everyone that sees me unfold it & play is amazed. No, it doesn't sound as good as my Martins but it is good enough to occasionally break into the rotation. :-) I have carried it on airplanes in the overheads, as well without problem.

It will probably stretch your budget a little, but you'll be getting a "keeper" travel guitar that sounds and plays like a real guitar & not something that will always be a compromise of both like the Backpacker or Baby Taylor.

The VAOM-02 can be described as either a folding guitar that sounds & plays like a nice full-sized guitar, or a nice full-sized guitar that happens to fold in half. Either way its a winner in my camp!

Take care,

Frank