Best Rated Acoustic Guitars for Travel
Every seasoned guitar player must own at least one guitar he can take when he travels for gigs, musical festivals, and whatnot. And this type of guitar isn’t just your regular guitar, which you use for practice and performing on stage.
When you are looking for your own travel guitar, think of the scuffs, scratches and other rough things your guitar has to go through on the road. Constant changes in humidity are tough on your guitar’s finish, tonewoods and electronics. So, which are the ones that can survive all these without sacrificing sound quality? Check out our recommendations below.
Best Beginner Travel Guitar
The Yamaha FG JR1 may be advertised as a guitar primarily designed for players who are still learning to play the instrument, but many experts also recommend it as a travel guitar. Yamaha, after all, is known for manufacturing instruments that are not too expensive but still offer great value. The series where this guitar belongs to is already a success, so you are rest assured of this intrument’s quality meeting such high-level of standard.
The JR1 is aimed for people who feel more comfortable with smaller sized bodies, or for musicians that are looking for another travel guitar that does not cost a whole wallet of cash. Its body features a spruce top and meranti back and sides. The reduced length of the scale stops at 21 3/4″ with a nato neck and a rosewood fingerboard on with premium frets separated by silver dot inlays. In terms of sound quality, this affordable guitar has bright tone and satisfactory bass. The vinal verdict: this is a great companion for traveling, especially for kids going camping.
Best Premium Travel Guitar
The Martin LXK2 is your best choice if you want a premium guitar. Experts would tell you that the best options available in the travel niche are split between Taylor and Martin. But here’s why we love the Martin guitar. For one, it comes with original dreadnought body with high pressure laminated Koa top, back and sides. And since this is laminated, expect it to be durable enough to survive whatever condition it finds itself on the road.
The bridge and the fretboard of this guitar are made from rosewood and the neck is carved from stratabond. And it is such a bonus that it is made from the highest standard of materials. This will make not worry anymore about scratches, additional damage, or bad and crappy sound coming out of it. It is low on bass, but you get clear, bright sound and a warm tone that is aimed to entertain.
Best Reputable Travel Guitar
A lot of guitarists want to own a Taylor or a Martin guitar, as these two brands have the highest reputation in the music industry. If you’re frequently on the road, then the Taylor BT2 is the perfect Taylor companion. For starter, this 3/4 sized guitar has a dreadnought body with a real tropical American mahogany top and laminated sapele back and sides.The varnish finish will protect your instrument well and gives it a classic old school vintage look.
Thanks to the mahogany top, you get a very responsive guitar rich in tone. If you are ready to thrown in at least $300, then this guitar is the right one to get. The quality that separates this one from the other travel competitors is the same as the one that separates a full sized Taylor from the rest.
Best Budget Travel Guitar
The Hohner HC03 is a reliable instrument that won’t easily break when you take it with you when you go camping. It comes with a stable classical body, 23.22″ long scale, durable spruce top and nato (the cheap, eastern version of mahogany) back and sides. The neck is also made of Hato. Moreover, it is constructed with a fingerboard with 18 frets attached to it.
The sound of this guitar is very far from a full sized Hohner, but that is expected from a guitar that is less than a hundred dollars. For the price that it comes in, the output is more than okay. It is also pretty easy to tune and will hold it for quite a while. So, if you want a great value for every penny you spend, this budget travel guitar is worth considering.
