Hi Guys
I started a thread on the old forum looking for travel guitar recommendations. I thought it might be useful to start one here on the new site.
I still havenāt bought one but itās something thatās at the back of my mind.
A post from @jsgreen 10 days off from playing over Xmas raised the issue of lack of practice when on holiday which Iām sure is something we all suffer from. (Assuming we are ever allowed to go on holiday again!)
Justin did a review of one option here.
What was your preference Gordon, acoustic or electric ?
Hey Gordon, same recommendations as before from me 
Any Taylor GS Mini or one of the Martin Jr. models.
I owned a GS Mini-e Koa which I miss every day, and I currently still have a Martin DJr.-10 which sounds and plays way better than it has any right to.
I also got a Journey OF660 which is cool if you need maximum portability but doesnāt come close to the other two in terms of craftsmanship, sound, and especially playability. Also, the price is kind of sucky.
Hi Ivan. Thatās the carbon fibre one you bought? Iām shocked you think the craftsmanship and sound are poor. Itās certainly not a cheap guitar. Itās Ā£1100 at Thomann UK.
If you have deep pockets you will not find anything better!
If you want something more modest.
Or
Any of them are very good but the Furch is just something else!
Yeah itās a bit of a mixed bag.
Itās awesome that you can dip it in the sea and leave it out in the sun without having to worry about it getting damaged. Once itās folded up itās small enough so you can store it in an airplane overhead bin while traveling (which I did). The locking tuners are nice, and it can also handle medium gauge strings which is really important to me.
But - the onboard pickup is pretty bad. The action is really high even with the additional ālowā saddle which was included. The live sound is good but not great, I definitely prefer the other two I mentioned. And this is what it looks like on the inside:
Maybe itās supposed to be like that but to me it kinda looks like someone didnāt bother cleaning it up.
The grain on that LAG is beautiful. Help ! I am not going anywhere or planning to but that old sensation is bubbling again 
Steady Toby. Santaās just been!
Wasnāt it you dear sir who made the reference to pockets and shrouds, if I recall ? 
Haha yes youāre right.
Hi Ivan. I suppose a lot of the money in the Journey guitars is the tech involved in the detachable neck. I donāt anticipate ever flying with a guitar so thatās not a priority. Carbon fibre must be great in terms of travel/sea/sun/humidity damage but it certainly comes at a price.
Iāll keep looking out for a reasonably priced smaller sized wooden guitar that I can use on holiday and in the garden etc. so something along the lines of the ones @DarrellW suggested (not the Furch) is probably the way to go.
Iāll keep my eye on the secondhand Taylor GS market too. Iām in no rush.
Hereās another great option if the idea of Carbon fibre attracts you, available as Acoustic, Electro acoustic and with built in effects (no amp required) from Ā£529 to Ā£699.
Thatās an interesting one Darrell. Clearly carbon fibre is a developing market.
Interesting demonstration of what you get!
Wow the girl certainly makes it sound great. Although I always think the experts in these types of video could make a broom handle and a bit of wire sound good!
Perhaps the sound effect thing is a bit gimmicky?
Looked pretty trick and Mary was certainly a happy bunny 
Honestly Iāve come to realize that price is not always a good indicator of quality. It should be, but personal experience sadly shows otherwise.
Iāve played guitars that punch way above their weight class as far as price is concerned (Taylor GS Mini, Martin Djr., Art & Lutherie). I also played guitars which have absolutely no business costing as much as they did (Strandberg, Ibanez). Even my Gibson L-00 has some glue marks and blemishes which really shouldnāt be there but I let it slide since itās part of their whole āproudly hand-madeā gimmick. Or maybe Iām just overly picky 
Anyway when buying guitars online definitely make sure the shop has a good return policy, or if possible buy locally so you can try them first.
My pal Chris (from OM fiddle fame) has a Furch and is well happy with it. Iāve played it a couple of times and it is a beautiful instrument.
Youāre a year or two ahead of me, Gordon, so Iām not sure how much time you have left 
If you have the dosh, Iād treat yourself now. (I never met anyone who regretted spending even a large amount of money if it brought them joy).
If youāre planning on playing it in a canoe, maybe the carbon fibre option would be betterā¦
Brian if thereās one thing I know about canoes itās ādonāt stand upā. Just as well I can only play sitting down.
As for how long Iāve got leftā¦ā¦
I have a travel guitar that is actually named 'Travel guitar". Itās well made. It has a stethoscope headset that you plug in giving it some volume. I bought a tiny Marshal amp as it is electric for both acoustic and electric sound. It has itās pros, it disassembles and is very small for traveling. I always bring it on the plane with me. The cons are you must have a strap and for some reason i find barr chords difficult. I guess not having a full body. it does the job.
