The holidays are here! But where can you put your guitar for campfire beach jams? Sounds like you need a travel guitar. Let’s look at some routes that you could go down.
Travel Guitars: Your new vacation setup
We’ve all been there. Car is full of beach wear, disposable barbeques, sun-screen, and so many other items that you might not even need! What about your practise schedule?
Naturally, the typical solution to taking a guitar away is to bring a fully acoustic guitar that doesn’t need any cables or amps. However, what if you want to shred? Campfire cowboy chords aren’t for everything. You can’t be seen playing Eruption or For Whom The Bell Tolls on acoustic can you?
Let’s start by looking at various instruments that could open the door to a new world of vacation guitar playing. Here are some travel guitars that could work for you.
Current Travel Guitar Options
As we all know, storage is at a premium when going on vacation. Therefore, a compact solution for traveling is required. It’s 2024, and there’s a huge selection of travel guitars. These cleverly constructed instruments are defined and characterised by their lack of headstock, or smaller body.
The best bit? They can still be played like a normal guitar!
If the normal guitar no longer fits in the case, a compact solution for the travel setup is needed. It’s a good thing that there is now a selection of travel guitars. These cleverly constructed instruments are usually characterized by the lack of a headstock and a smaller body, but can still be played almost like a normal-sized guitar. As a rule, you will even be allowed on the plane with it.
Here are a few acoustic options, all available from *Thomann:
Harley Benton ST Travel Guitar
Now, what we’ve looked at so far have all been pretty normal. However, things are about to get a little weird! Check out this funky looking guitar from Harley Benton.
It’s almost a Strat, but not quite! We’ve still got 3 single coil pickups, a 5-way pickup selector, and 6 strings. Any more similarities? Essentially, Harley Benton have stripped away anything you don’t need for jamming out.
Traveler Guitar Electric Ultra Light
By comparison, our next travel guitar is significantly more expensive than the offering from Harley Benton. Which, can be hard to understand considering the lack of materials!
The *Traveler Guitar, despite its petit appearance, is still a full scale 24.75 inch guitar with a humbucking pickup. It even comes with its own gig bag for when you take it away on holiday.
Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1
Similarly, we’ve got another alternative from the same manufacturer. Unfortunately, we’re working our way up the price ladder again. This *Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 was developed in cooperation with ESP LDT Guitars and therefore looks like a mini-Eclipse. How cool is that?
We’ve still got the same 24.75 inch scale length, which is a standard length for a Gibson. Despite the price, you can still use this as a normal guitar even when you’re not on vacation. A travel guitar that’s for the band room, as well as the beach.
Aux Input and Integrated Amp Modelling
The strings run through the body and end in the middle of the body. Thanks to this ingenious idea, ordinary strings can be used despite the headless construction. By the way, the LTD EC-1 even has locking tuners!
In addition to the jack connection, the Traveler also has a connection for headphones and an AUX input. The internal electronics offer you two different clean and drive sounds, which you can switch via a push function of the tone pot.
· Source: Traveler Guitars
Headphones vs Amps?
Now, if you’re like me, playing unplugged just doesn’t satisfy. There are so many more tones to be unlocked from whatever you’re playing. So, we need to look at amplification options.
There are various battery powered guitar amplifiers on the market, and don’t get me wrong, some of them are great! However, storage space is a luxury we can only dream of. This is where headphone amps come into the equation.
Fender Mustang Micro Headphone Amp
These little travel companions are great. Not only because it’s from *Fender, but because it’ll fit in your pocket and literally weighs less than your smartphone.
Some of the features include:
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- 12 Effects
- Equalizer
- 12 Amp models from the Mustang GTX
- Headphone Out
Boss Waza Air Guitar Headphones
As musicians, we know that things can get a little expensive from time to time. However, if you pay top dollar, then you usually get rewarded. And that’s the case with this travel guitar accessory from *Boss.
Again, another headphone amp. Compared to the Mustang though, it’s just a bit more sophisticated. Thanks to the included transmitter, the setup completely dispenses with cables and offers a Bluetooth connection for your smartphone or tablet. And by the way, you can also listen to music through the headphones. Perfect for jam and backing tracks!
Sounds can be edited and saved via Boss Tone Studio. And the feeling of space, i.e. how you perceive your amp sound in the stereo field, is said to be far superior to that of ordinary headphone amplifiers. Virtual reality, almost. If you shut your eyes, I’m sure you’ll be able to imagine a Katana somewhere.
Yamaha THR5 / THR10IIW
As aforementioned, portable mini amps are also an option when looking for your travel guitar companion. This is the smallest amp in Yamaha’s ensemble, but unlike many other competitors, the *Yamaha THR5 V2 delivers truly official modelling sounds and can even be powered by batteries if necessary. Sure, there are cheaper competitors. For example, the Harley Benton AirBorne Go. But the Yamaha comes with 2 x 8 cm full range speakers, 2x 5 watts stereo power and can also be used as an audio interface via USB.
Alternatively, there’s the larger THR10IIW. In addition to an improved power output of 20 watts, it offers an integrated battery and the possibility to play completely wirelessly with an additional transmitter from Line6. And if you’re already integrating an amplifier into your travel setup, why not get it right away? Agreeably, you’re paying a premium, but it’s another piece of gear that you can use at home and away.
Travel Guitars: Sunglasses at the ready!
A brief run down of some of the gear that you could smuggle on your next vacation. Of course, there are other options out there. You may even have your own travel set up already! If so, what does that look like, and how does it work for you?
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