is travel guitar good

Best travel guitars: Top acoustic and electric guitars for musicians on the go

Out top picks for practicing your guitar on the move, wherever the road takes you

Best for tone

Best for volume, best for value.

• Best Strat-alike
• Best electric
• Best full-scale
• #1 acoustic-electric

Best for portability

• Best solid wood
• Buying advice
• How we choose

1. The quick list 2. Best for tone 3. Best for volume 4. Best for value 5. Best for Strat players 6. Best electric travel guitar 7. Best full-scale travel guitar 8. Best acoustic-electric model 9. Best for portability 10. Best solid-wood travel guitar 11. Buying advice 12. How we choose products

As guitar players, our passion and joy shouldn’t have to stop the second we leave the house or the practice room. Sometimes, when you’re on the go; whether that be travelling for work or just for fun, you want to be able to take your music with you. That’s where the best travel guitars come in.

Travel guitars are smaller, more compact instruments that are easier to take on the road. If you’re heading out on a road trip, and space in the car is tight, a travel guitar will fit in a much smaller gap than a full-size guitar. Some of them even pack down into a rucksack so you can take them on a plane as hand luggage.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re more into playing acoustic or electric, we’ve picked out the best travel guitars currently on offer to make sure that the music doesn’t have to stop when you hit the road.

Chris Corfield is a journalist with over 12 years of experience writing for some of the music world's biggest brands including Orange Amplification, MusicRadar, Guitar World and Dawsons Music. Chris has spent years writing about and testing guitar gear for MusicRadar, in addition to nerding out about everything from synths to microphones, DJ gear and music production hardware.

Best travel guitars: Quick list

Want to cut to the chase and find out exactly which we think are the best travel guitars on the market right now? Below, you’ll find a round-up of our top choices. You can jump to a more detailed review of every pick, along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.

This ¾-sized dreadnought comes with all the quality and projection you’d expect from one of the acoustic world’s biggest names, just in a size that can be hauled around anywhere without breaking your back. Or, indeed, your wallet. 

Read more below

The Martin Backpacker has a unique body shape, that’s for sure, but coming from a name like Martin you can rest assured this guitar will perform brilliantly. What surprised us was the volume and projection this little guitar pumps out, thanks in part to the solid mahogany used in the body.

The Steinberger Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe definitely fits the travel guitar bill due to its distinctive size and shape. Despite the smaller body, the Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe features a scale length of 25.5”, making the actual playing area larger than that of a standard Les Paul.

You can instantly see those famous Stratocaster outlines of the pickguard, the three single coil pickups and the control knobs. Yet the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed anything on the body that isn’t underneath the pickguard has been shaved away, leaving a guitar which is 35% lighter and 14% shorter than a regular Strat.

This is a short-scale travel electric guitar featuring a single mini-humbucker, two-piece poplar body, bolt-on neck and fairly sturdy tuners. It doesn’t pack down any smaller than it is, though it’s very compact already and if you really needed to, you could always take the neck off, if you were packing it up in a suitcase for example.

The Shorty provides full scale-length familiarity which, when combined with the tiny body, makes for a comfortable playing experience. The single humbucker at the bridge is meaty enough to blast out your favourite riffs, while you’ll feel instantly at home with the classic maple/rosewood combination neck and fingerboard.

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The Traveler Escape Mark III comes equipped with plenty in the way of tools and toys, and it all comes in 26% shorter and 10% lighter than a standard dreadnought. The Escape Mark III features tuning pegs within the body itself, which means it has no need for a headstock and is instead strung in reverse.

This handy, foldable acoustic is great for players who want something quality but affordable. It’s got a solid spruce top and layered mahogany back and sides. You can get a great tone from it, whether you’re playing with a pick or with fingers. It’s dynamic, and while it might not be as loud as a full size guitar, can still throw out a good amount of volume.

This is one for serious acoustic players. It bears a hefty price tag, but you can get some serious tones from this guitar. Boasting a solid red cedar top and solid African mahogany back and sides, the Furch Little Jane yields a beautiful, rich and balanced tone with a good amount of projection. 

The best travel guitars right now

MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.

Below you'll find full and detailed write-ups for each of the best travel guitars in our list.

1. Taylor Baby Taylor

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

If the more outlandish styles of travel guitar aren’t for you, maybe the Baby Taylor will be. This ¾-sized dreadnought comes with all the quality and projection you’d expect from one of the acoustic world’s biggest names, just in a size that can be hauled around anywhere without breaking your back. Or, indeed, your wallet. 

The Baby Taylor would be the perfect option as a second (or third) guitar in anyone’s collection, designed to be stashed in the included gig bag and taken anywhere. Players with larger hands may feel a bit cramped navigating the 22.75” scale length, but for the majority of people the Baby Taylor is easy to recommend.

2. Martin Backpacker

We weren’t lying when we said travel guitars can jar a bit visually. The Martin Backpacker has a unique body shape, that’s for sure, but coming from a name like Martin you can rest assured this guitar will perform brilliantly. What surprised us was the volume and projection this little guitar pumps out, thanks in part to the solid mahogany used in the body.

Originally launched in 1992, the Martin Backpacker has carved itself a nice niche in the world of travel guitars, and its exceptional build quality means it will last for many more years to come.

3. Steinberger Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe

While not officially marketed as a travel guitar, the Steinberger Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe definitely fits the bill due to its distinctive size and shape. The classic Steinberger ‘headless’ design is correct and present, making the same bold visual statement of its more expensive stablemates, yet the decision to use wood over composite materials makes the whole thing more cost-effective and suited for travelling. 

Despite the smaller body, the Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe features a scale length of 25.5”, making the actual playing area larger than that of a standard Les Paul. It’s also pretty rare to find neck-thru bodies at this price point, which all adds up to a decent value instrument regardless of how you end up using it.

Best for Strat players

4. Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe

It’s called ‘cognitive dissonance’. That conflict you feel when something you know to be right is challenged. The Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe is a relative example; to look at it, you can instantly see those famous Stratocaster outlines of the pickguard, the three single coil pickups and the control knobs. Yet the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed anything on the body that isn’t underneath the pickguard has been shaved away, leaving a guitar which is 35% lighter and 14% shorter than a regular Strat. 

Weighing in at only 5 lbs, the Travelcaster Deluxe may take some getting over visually, but in use it provides that same Strat experience, the same 25.5” scale length and the same tonal versatility of those pickups. If you can get over the cognitive dissonance, it may just be the perfect travel guitar for you.

Read the full Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe review

Best electric options

5. Blackstar Carry-On Travel Guitar ST

This is a short-scale travel electric guitar featuring a single mini-humbucker, two-piece poplar body, bolt-on neck and fairly sturdy tuners. It doesn’t pack down any smaller than it is, though it’s very compact already and if you really needed to, you could always take the neck off, if you were packing it up in a suitcase for example. 

It plays great and the shorter 20.7” scale length doesn’t take long to readjust to - younger beginners might find that they can fret chords and make stretches between frets more easily too. The mini-humbucker covers a lot of ground, so will suit any musical style you can throw at it. Whether you’re playing clean or super distorted, this little thing can really pack a punch! 

There is a more expensive version that’s around double the price with some upgrades, but in terms of value for money, we feel that the Blackstar Carry-On ST is one of the best travel guitars around. 

Best full-scale experience

6. Hofner Shorty travel guitar

The Hofner Shorty has been around since the 1980s, and has long been a favourite for players looking for a portable electric they can travel with. It provides full scale-length familiarity which, when combined with the tiny body, makes for a comfortable playing experience. The single humbucker at the bridge is meaty enough to blast out your favourite riffs, while you’ll feel instantly at home with the classic maple/rosewood combination neck and fingerboard.

Sure, it’s not going to win any awards for tone, and you’re unlikely to see them used on album-of-the-year contenders, but as an inexpensive way to add a bit of portability to your line-up the Hofner Shorty is well worth consideration. 

Best of both worlds

7. Traveler Escape MKIII Mahogany

Choosing a travel guitar doesn’t necessarily mean compromising on your needs. The Traveler Escape Mark III comes equipped with plenty in the way of tools and toys, and it all comes in 26% shorter and 10% lighter than a standard dreadnought.

The Escape Mark III features tuning pegs within the body itself, which means it has no need for a headstock and is instead strung in reverse. The onboard electronics are both extensive and useful too, with an under-saddle Shadow NanoFlex piezo system, tuner, aux-in and studio headphone out making for quite a comprehensive setup for the traveling player.

8. Journey Instruments PJ410N

This handy, foldable acoustic makes for one of the best travel guitars for players who want something quality but affordable. It’s got a solid spruce top and layered mahogany back and sides. You can get a great tone from it, whether you’re playing with a pick or with fingers. It’s dynamic, and while it might not be as loud as a full size guitar, can still throw out a good amount of volume.

It fits perfectly inside the included padded rucksack, and can be assembled in 20 seconds. Simply put the neck into position, snap it in place and lock it from the back of the body. Then you’ve got a guitar with a 23” scale ready to play. It’s great for experienced players who want something that sounds good while they’re on their travels (the bag will fit under many airline seats), but also makes for a great beginner guitar for kids . 

Best all-solid option

9. Furch Little Jane LJ-10

This is definitely one of the best travel guitars for serious acoustic players. It bears a hefty price tag, but you can get some serious tones from this guitar. Boasting a solid red cedar top and solid African mahogany back and sides, the Furch Little Jane yields a beautiful, rich and balanced tone with a good amount of projection. 

The guitar can be folded down and fit into a rucksack (included). The headstock, neck and body are separate from one another to save space but can be assembled into one piece very quickly and easily. Once the neck is locked into position using Furch’s proprietary assembly system, it’s ready to play and will even go back in tune. 

The included rucksack is well padded and will ensure that it’s protected enough on your travels. Travel acoustic guitars seldom sound this good, and to be fair the price reflects that, but it really is one of the best out there. 

Best travel guitars: Buying advice

What is a travel guitar?

Essentially, a travel guitar is a guitar designed with portability and mobility as its key function. This will usually mean the guitar has a significantly smaller body or weight, and they often boast creative solutions to common issues like tuning or storage. From conception to construction, the travel guitar is designed to be thrown in a bag and transported anywhere, everywhere, and all those places in between. 

Standard-sized guitars can be, as we know, too large, too heavy or too delicate to carry around for long stretches, so travel guitars offer a specialist tool for those specific situations. Realistically, you’ll not find too many studio musicians reaching for the travel guitar to nail that perfect tone, but then that’s not what they’re for. Portability, size and weight are order of the day here, and it helps that there are travel guitars on the market today which also nail that other crucial element; tone. 

What makes travel guitars different?

At first glance, the sight of a dedicated travel guitar can jar a little. Often, they have quite striking aesthetic differences from regular guitars. Like looking at something you know, only quite different. Manufacturers employ all kinds of measures as they seek to reduce the overall size and weight of the guitar, and it’s not uncommon to see guitars without headstocks, or with radically different shaped bodies, or even no body at all. Yet a guitar still has to function, so there is still the need for tuning pegs, a bridge, and other essential components.

What are the key features of travel guitars?

There are two major schools of thought when it comes to travel guitars. One is to take a regular sized guitar and zap it with a shrink ray, keeping the same proportions relatively but in a smaller overall package. This approach ensures the instrument retains its familiarity, and also makes them attractive to younger learners.

The other approach is to redesign the instrument completely, perhaps taking the tuning pegs and installing them in the body. Of course, such radical design changes can create other problems, so you may see these compensated for with the inclusion of detachable arm and leg rests, for example. While these guitars may look unfamiliar, the playing experience should be largely the same as a regular guitar. Scale lengths, fret locations and pitch will be the same, even if the physical form of the guitar is quite different.

Are travel guitars playable?

If you’ve never had the chance to play a travel guitar, you may be looking at the best travel guitars in this list and wondering if it’s playable in the same way as a regular guitar. The good news is that yes, absolutely they are playable. In the same way that jumping from the thin neck of an Ibanez RG-style electric to a 50’s style Stratocaster neck may take a bit of readjustment in your technique, so too will the leap from a regular to certain travel-sized guitars. It’s not difficult to adjust though. You may also have to sit differently to accommodate the smaller body, but as these guitars are inherently lighter in weight, this shouldn’t cause too much of a headache. Or, more accurately, backache.

Electric or acoustic?

All of the best travel guitars will either be electric or acoustic. Electrics do tend to be thinner, as the body doesn’t need to resonate as much to get a good sound, although it’s worth remembering that you’ll need an amp to get the most out of it. The body of a travel acoustic will normally be deeper, but as a result of this you can get a fairly loud sound without any amplification.

What do I get when I spend more?

The quality of the best travel guitars does vary, and as you might imagine, it does go up as you spend more money. As the price increases, you’ll likely find better hardware, which can not only help keep the guitar in tune and playing nicely, but can also improve how it sounds too, increasing resonance and sustain.

On electrics, you’ll find better quality pickups - these will be more dynamic and have a wider frequency range so you’ll get more detail and clarity. With travel acoustic guitars, you’ll get better quality, and even solid woods which will give you a better, more responsive and richer sound.

Who might use a travel guitar?

The breadth of today’s range of travel guitars means there is a guitar to suit most playing styles and genres, so the quick answer is that yes, there is a travel guitar for everyone. In terms of scenarios, travel guitars are, as their name suggests, designed to be taken places ordinary guitars cannot reach. 

Small enough to fit on your back as you scale a mountain, or taken on a plane as part of your hand luggage, travel guitars give players the freedom and convenience of being able to play anywhere, at any time. For that, we applaud them. Let’s examine some of the best travel guitar options available today.

Can you buy travel guitars for children?

Travel guitars, as well as being the perfect accompaniment to a musician on the go, can also make for great instruments for children. If you’re looking for one of the best travel guitars to get a kid started on their guitar playing journey, then look for one that has a shorter scale length. This will mean that the notes are closer together and will be easier for small hands to fret. 

Scale length and string gauge

Speaking of short scales, the gauge of strings you use is also worth considering. The strings on a guitar with a shorter scale will feel slinkier - they will be easier to bend and to some players may even feel too loose. One way to combat this is to use thicker strings, so something like 12s on an electric might make them feel a little more like 10s on a full size guitar. Though, if you’re just starting out then the thinner, slinkier strings might be better so they don’t quite hurt your fingertips as much.

How we chose the best travel guitars for this guide

Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides. 

When choosing what we believe to be the best travel guitars available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best travel guitars on the market right now.

Find out more about  how we test music gear and services  at MusicRadar.

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Chris Corfield is a journalist with over 12 years of experience writing for some of the music world's biggest brands including Orange Amplification, MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Dawsons Music. Chris loves getting nerdy about everything from guitar and bass gear, to synths, microphones, DJ gear and music production hardware.

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Most Popular

Best Travel Guitars 2024: Top Portable Instruments From Lowden, Furch, Martin and more

From short scale acoustics to carry-on electrics, we look at the best travel guitars available right now

• Best acoustic
• Larger body
• Best foldable
• For small hands
• Best electric
• Best full scale
• Best offset

Buying advice

How we test.

1. Quick list 2. Best acoustic 3. Best with larger body 4. Best foldable 5. Best for small hands 6. Best electric 7. Best full scale 8. Best offset 9. Best Strat 10. Buying advice 11. How we test

If you’re looking for something compact to take out on the road, or maybe even on holiday to keep on top of your practice schedule, then one of the best travel guitars is the way to go.

From smaller bodied acoustics that take up less space in a car or on a train, to super compact electrics designed to be taken on a plane as hand luggage, the best travel guitars mean that you don’t have to stop playing the moment you leave the house. A good travel guitar can even be great to have around the home – something with more compact dimensions can sometimes be really comfortable. 

The best travel guitars come in all shapes and sizes, and are available in both electric and acoustic formats. Here, we’ll look at what’s on offer, and provide our picks for both categories.

Though this might be on the larger side of a travel guitar, it is still more compact than all of Lowden’s other offerings. Simply put, the Wee Lowden is one of the best sounding smaller-bodied acoustic guitars on the market.

Read more below

Not Taylor’s smallest offering, but definitely one of their better sounding compact instruments, the GS Mini has proven to be a hit with all manner of guitarists. You’ll even see pros use them on the biggest stages in the world.

Folding guitars have been done before, but the Furch Little Jane is a folding guitar that actually sounds very, very good. This acoustic travel guitar is made from all solid woods – a solid red cedar top and solid mahogany back and sides, giving it a beautiful, mellow and warm sound. 

Probably one of the most popular compact six-strings ever made, the Martin LX1E has truly earned its place on our list of the best travel guitars. It’s around a 3/4 size, with a 23” scale. 

Blackstar’s Carry On range aims to provide players with quality instruments that are easy to take on planes so that you don’t have to skip your practice sessions when you’re traveling.

A travel guitar doesn’t necessarily always have to be short scale, and this is a case in point. The Ultra-Light Travel Guitar boasts a full 24.75” scale length, but the entire thing measures just 28”. 

A 3/4 size guitar is smaller all over – smaller scale length (22.75” in this case), smaller body, neck, headstock etc. You might have to adjust your playing somewhat to accommodate these shrunken features, but most players can become accustomed to it.

This effectively cuts the body of a Strat down to just its scratchplate, reducing its size dramatically. The 6-in-line is then reduced to 3+3 making a further size reduction. 

Best acoustic traveler

1. Lowden WL-35 Wee Lowden

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

It’s incredibly bold and punchy, with superb note definition and clarity. Its dimensions are smaller than that of a more traditionally sized acoustic guitar, but the projection that it delivers would have you fooled – this guitar is loud when you push it. It also reacts beautifully to playing dynamics, offering all the shades of quiet and loud that you’d want.

Different versions of this guitar are available, but the mahogany back and sides combined with the red cedar top deliver a wonderfully balanced sound. The build quality is absolutely second to none; though of course, at this price point, you’d expect that.

Best with larger body

2. Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus

This GS Mini-e Koa Plus sports a solid koa top and laminate koa back and sides which allow notes and chords to ring out with complete clarity and detail. Koa responds really well to your playing – it’s responsive and dynamic so allows you to play with lots of expression. The shaded edge burst finish looks truly incredible and adds a touch of class to the whole thing too. 

This 23.5” scale guitar comes fitted with Taylor’s flagship pickup system as well – the ES-2. This allows you to amplify your guitar through a PA system or amp in a way that’s more dynamic and more natural. It ships with a fantastic Aero Case that offers nearly as much protection as a hard case, but is much lighter.

Best foldable traveler

3. Furch Little Jane

Folding guitars have been done before, but the Furch Little Jane is a folding guitar that actually sounds very, very good. This acoustic travel guitar is made from all solid woods – a solid red cedar top and solid mahogany back and sides, giving it a beautiful, mellow and warm sound. It’s harmonically rich, and has some of that parlor-style punch in the midrange. It’s also extremely dynamic, projecting when you want it to, but responding nicely to softer playing. 

It’s extremely well designed. The body, neck and headstock are all separate when packed down, but it’s very quick to construct when it’s time to play. The clever locking mechanism keeps the neck in place, adding the right tension to the strings, and even retaining tuning somewhat between sessions. The Furch Little Jane even comes with its own padded backpack so you can take it on your travels right away.

Best for small hands

4. Martin LX1E

Probably one of the most popular compact six-strings ever made, the Martin LX1E has truly earned its place on our list of the best travel guitars. It’s around a 3/4 size, with a 23” scale. Players who are already accustomed to a full size guitar might get along with this particularly well as the neck width is about the same, measuring 1 11/16” at the nut.

Solid spruce sits atop a high pressure laminate mahogany back and sides creating a balanced but fairly bright tone. There is a touch of that boxy sort of sound you often get with smaller acoustics (though nowhere near as much as some cheaper models), and there aren’t tons of low end frequencies, but that’s if we’re being picky. Overall, the projection and tone of the LX1E is excellent. 

It is available without (Martin LX1), but this is equipped with a Fishman Sonitone pickup. The controls are easily accessible and it’s very much a case of plug in and play, making it one of the best travel guitars for potentially gigging with. If you’re navigating public transport to get to shows, then this is definitely one to consider. 

Best electric traveler

5. Blackstar Carry On Travel Guitar

Cheaper versions of this are available, but the flagship Carry On model has a number of features that make this one of the best travel guitars on the market. Made in partnership with the master luthiers at Gordon Smith, this compact instrument has a one-piece okoume body, set neck and a coil-splittable humbucker. This gives you a range of amazing tones, as well as bags of sustain. 

It stays in tune well, and the intonation is just right. It’s really compact, but it plays more like a full size guitar, so you don’t lose much of the feel you’d normally get with a bigger instrument. It also comes shipped with a quality gigbag, so you’re ready to hit the road as soon as you get it.

Best with full scale length

6. Traveler Guitar Electric Ultra Light

A travel guitar doesn’t necessarily always have to be short scale, and this is a case in point. The Ultra-Light Travel Guitar boasts a full 24.75” scale length, but the entire thing measures just 28”. They say that it’s actually 28% shorter and 68% lighter than your average electric guitar . The lap rest detaches when not in use too, making it extremely portable. 

It’s fitted with a single dual rail humbucking pickup that delivers punchy but articulate tones. It’s not the most versatile instrument in the world, but that’s not really the aim here. Still, you can probably tackle most styles of music with it. The tuning pegs are also built into the body which obviously gets rid of the necessity for a headstock, and they actually work very well too.

If you’re flying a lot, or maybe space is at a premium in the car and you want to take this and maybe a battery powered amp with you, then this makes for a fantastic travel guitar. 

Best traveling offset

7. Squier Mini Jazzmaster

A 3/4 size guitar is smaller all over – smaller scale length (22.75” in this case), smaller body, neck, headstock etc. You might have to adjust your playing somewhat to accommodate these shrunken features, but most players can become accustomed to it. The short scale also lends the guitar a really nice slinky feel, so you might find yourself playing a little differently to normal, which can spark creativity. 

This fantastic looking offset is fitted with a pair of quite high output, punchy sounding humbuckers. So, if you’re seeking a portable guitar for rocking big riffs and ripping solos, then this is absolutely one to consider. 

It’s also well priced. Maybe you’re just seeking a guitar to take out occasionally, enabling you to leave your main instrument at home. This is of a good enough standard to do the job well, and it means that you’re not having to throw your more expensive guitar in the back of a car or van etc.

Best for Strat fans

8. Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe

This effectively cuts the body of a Strat down to just its scratchplate, reducing its size dramatically. The 6-in-line is then reduced to 3+3 making a further size reduction. All in all, it’s about the size of a regular Strat, minus the headstock, making it altogether a lot more portable. 

You’re not having to sacrifice anything in terms of tone here. The Travelcaster has three single-coil pickups and a five-way selector, giving you all the chimey, glassy tones that you’d expect from this kind of configuration. The tremolo works nicely too – again, something you don’t have to sacrifice. 

What’s particularly great about this model is that it has the full 25.5” Strat scale length meaning that your fretting hand won’t have a clue it’s playing on a travel guitar. Chords, scales and licks will feel as they do on a full size guitar, though you might just have to slightly accommodate for a different neck profile. 

What Do We Mean By Travel Guitar?

You can trust Guitar Player. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

When we’re talking about the best travel guitars, we’re looking for instruments that are physically easier to travel with. Size and weight play a huge part, so the above choices will all be smaller than your regular full-size guitar, which in turn, will make them lighter. 

Some might just have slightly reduced dimensions when compared to a full size, making it a little more practical to take out on the go. Others might have completely different designs that render them suitable for taking on planes as hand luggage. How small you want it completely depends on your wants and needs.

Electric Or Acoustic?

Of course, one of the main considerations when shopping for the best travel guitar is whether to go electric or acoustic. Acoustics, by their very nature, tend to be a little bigger with deeper bodies, but you don’t need an amp to get the most out of it. If you’re playing live, then you’ll need some amplification, but for playing on your own or with friends, you’re fine with just the guitar.

An electric travel guitar can be played without an amp, but you’ll get more from it if you plug it into something. There are some great portable amps on offer, but there’s that, plus cables, to then consider. 

On acoustic travel guitars, you’ll find that some of them have a pickup fitted and some of them don’t. If you’re after a compact instrument to travel to and from shows, then having a pickup installed can be really useful. If you’re just after something to take on holiday or camping perhaps, then a pickup isn’t necessary. Buying one without a pickup will probably save you a bit of money too. 

Of course, with an electric, the pickup plays a very important part in shaping your sound. You’ll find the best travel guitars are fitted with various different pickup configurations. If you’ve found a model that you like but it’s got a single coil instead of a humbucker, for example, it’s always worth checking to see if other versions are available. 

Scale Length

It’s likely that a travel guitar will have a shorter scale length. Reducing this can allow the makers to produce a physically smaller guitar. It’s worth considering how that might feel for you to play, though. If you’ve got bigger hands, you might find squeezing your fingers into frets, particularly the ones higher up, more difficult. Look at the scale length, alongside the number of frets – 18 frets spaced over 23” for example, will give your fingers more space than 22 frets over the same scale.

That said, there are travel guitars that have a full length scale. They can reduce the size of the instrument in other ways, so if you know that you’re after a full scale travel guitar, then you don’t have to compromise.

At  Guitar Player , our team of writers aren't just music enthusiasts; we're real-life musicians. Our hands-on experience with travel guitars ensures that our reviews and recommendations are backed by practical knowledge and real-world testing.

When it comes to selecting the best travel guitars, we leave no stone unturned. Meticulously evaluating factors like tonal versatility, sonic character, build quality, and value for money, it's only after rigorous testing in a variety of playing scenarios do we choose products for our guides. We stand by our selections, ensuring that every set of strings we recommend is one we'd use ourselves.

Read more on  how we test gear and service at Guitar Player .

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After spending a decade in music retail, I’m now a freelance writer for Guitar Player, Guitar World, MusicRadar and Reverb, specializing in electric and acoustic guitars bass, and almost anything else you can make a tune with. When my head’s not buried in the best of modern and vintage gear, I run a small company helping musicians with songwriting, production and performance, and I play bass in an alt-rock band.

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Home » Guitars » 17 Best Travel Guitars in 2024 (All Price Ranges and Styles)

17 Best Travel Guitars in 2024 (All Price Ranges and Styles)

If you’re a musician that’s always on the move, you know how difficult it can be to carry a full-size guitar along all the time. Bumpy roads and crammed flights can damage precious instruments in a single unfortunate moment. Instead of risking your primary guitars, taking a more compact travel guitar is a great option that all musicians should consider.

Travel-friendly guitars not only sound and play like regular guitars, but are compact, lightweight, and are far easier to travel with on road trips than full-sized guitars. If you’ve been thinking of getting yourself a travel-sized guitar but are unsure which one to pick, then you’ve come to the right spot.

I’ll start this article by reviewing the best travel guitars at each price point, but if you want to learn more about them before reading reviews, I’ve included some information about travel guitars at the bottom of the page. In this article, I’ll cover all the different styles of travel guitars so you can find the one to best suit your needs!

Here Are the Best Travel Guitars

1. martin lx1 little martin acoustic guitar (best overall acoustic).

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My Review: When it’s a Martin, you can rest assured that it is going to be a top quality guitar. The iconic American brand is well known for crafting some of the greatest sounding acoustic guitars around. The Little Martin is a testament to the saying that good things come in small packages. Built with solid Sitka spruce top and mahogany high-pressure laminate back and sides, this small wonder produces the same resonant, loud projection akin to top-of-the-line Martins and comes with a padded gig bag.

Overall Build and Size: We are in awe of Little Martin’s smart design which has delivered a great guitar that belies its 23” scale and 15” length. This wonderful sounding model is extremely sturdy and very easy to play, making it a perfect travel companion as well as a great pick for beginners. Little Martin is a popular choice when it comes to a travel guitar as it packs comfortably into overhead compartments of most airlines. This natural golden-brown, small-bodied acoustic comes equipped with a black Micarta bridge with compensated white Tusq saddle and chrome small-knob tuners.

Overall Sound Quality: Little martin’s powerful projection and a well-balanced tone set it apart from other miniature parlor guitars. It delivers a pretty bright and resonant sound and scores high on versatility. Take it along with you on your next trip to the hills and let the magic unfold.

Body and Neck Wood: This Martin LX1 boasts of a solid Sitka spruce top with a warm satin finish which gives it classic look. The back and sides are made up of Mahogany high-pressure laminate. The guitar has a hand-rubbed rust birch laminate neck which has a modified low oval shape with standard taper making it extremely comfortable to play. The use of sustainable wood in some of its parts has made us fall in love with this beauty all the more.

Key Features:

• Solid Sitka spruce wood top
• Big on tone, quality, and versatility
• Perfectly travel-sized and easy to carry
• Eco-friendly construction using sustainable wood parts
• Affordable for a Martin guitar

2. Yamaha JR1 FG Junior 3/4 Size Acoustic Guitar (Best Value Acoustic)

My Review: If you are looking for a pocket-friendly 3/4 acoustic travel guitar with a good tone and easy playability, the small and portable Yamaha JR1 FG might be worth looking at. The natural Spruce top and the rosewood fretboard offers great playability and a bright tone, while locally sourced tonewood adds a reliable durability to the overall body. Compact, light, and bearing the time-trusted Yamaha brand legacy, this travel guitar is lightweight without compromising on the sound quality. Overall, I would say this is the best travel acoustic guitar for the money.

Overall Build and Size: The JR1 FG is a well designed 33 1/4-inch medium-sized dreadnought that strikes a good balance between value and quality. Despite being originally positioned as a beginner guitar for children, we found it to be quite a good option for adults looking for a reliable travel guitar as well. What we like about this model is that it doesn’t let its compact size come in the way of offering a great tone.

The build is of good quality with a rosewood fretboard and a sturdy mahogany neck which offers a comfortable playability. This makes it a great fit for most guitarists – from young students just starting out to someone looking to play an impromptu gig by the bonfire.

Overall Sound Quality: Thanks to the Spruce wood top, players get a nice resonant tone that amplifies lower tones surprisingly well – normally you wouldn’t really expect a guitar this compact to have such an impressive low end. Because of this quality, this will work well when playing in intimate settings with a small audience. Its sound is great right out of the packaging, without any tweaks needed. You’ll also see that the brand offers quite a comfortable action on it already.

Body and Neck Wood: The Luna uses a Spruce wood for its top, locally sourced tonewood for the body and sides, and rosewood for the fretboard which makes it long-lasting and durable. The neck is sturdy, but not too wide, which gives it an easy feel when playing, especially for kids or someone with smaller hands. It is well-balanced, and, when played sitting down, fits quite comfortably as you play.

• Compact, well-designed body
• Spruce wood top
• Amplifies lower tones remarkably well for its size
• Affordably priced

3. Taylor Baby Taylor BT1 Walnut Acoustic Guitar (Editor’s Choice Acoustic)

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My Review: Thinking of getting yourself a travel guitar which is an all-rounder? Look no further than Baby Taylor BT1. Manufactured by Taylor, a brand renowned for carefully crafted, high quality, and great sounding acoustic guitars packed with playability enhancing features, Baby Taylor BT1 fits this definition to a T. The small-bodied guitar is made with a premium tonewood combination of Spruce/Walnut and comes with an X-braced top, die-cast chrome tuners and a Micarta Saddle. In addition to being a great choice for travelers, this little wonder will make for a perfect starter guitar for young players.

Overall Build and Size: Baby Taylor BT1 is a trimmed down, sleek ¾ dreadnought and great for traveling players who prefer smaller instruments. This dread may be small but offers the same features that make this iconic American brand so legendary. The guitar has a solid spruce top which works well in enhancing resonance as well as capturing nuances and dynamics. The layered walnut body offers resilience from temperature and humidity and gives it an aesthetically pleasing look. The acoustic sports an elegant, natural look with a varnish finish.

Overall Sound Quality: Don’t be fooled by its small size- Baby Taylor BT1 delivers a surprisingly bold and loud sound for a scaled-down dreadnought. Thanks to the bright sounding spruce wood top and walnut back and sides. The guitar’s tonewood pairing works well in creating a warm and resonant tone with great definition.

Body and Neck Wood: The BT1’s top wood is expertly crafted with solid Sitka Spruce wood and teamed with a layered walnut body and a glossy smooth ebony fretboard. The sleek Maple neck feels familiar and very comfortable when held. There is no doubt that you will have an absolute blast playing this great little guitar wherever you decide to take it.

• Perfect Travel Buddy for all guitar enthusiasts
• Scaled-down dreadnought with short maple neck, easy to play
• Solid high-quality tonewoods used- Spruce top, Walnut body
• Taylor hard bag included

4. Travelcaster Deluxe Electric Guitar (Best Overall Electric)

My Review: Fender has always been known to push the envelope for quality and player-friendly features, and they’ve done it again with the neat little travelcaster deluxe. This innovatively designed electric guitar retains a full scale length, but cuts down the body design in an innovative fashion. Weighing extremely light, you can enjoy the quintessential tele sound even when on the move, thanks to its high quality single coil pickups and a delicious vintage tremolo. If you’re looking for the best travel electric guitar and are willing to spend the money, this is one of my top recommendations.

Overall Build and Size: Weighing only 5 lbs, the travelcaster scores high when it comes to portability, especially for an electric guitar. We’re quite impressed with its innovative design that retains the essential contours of an electric guitar’s S-shaped body while cutting out the rest to make it travel-friendly. Its adjustable 2 point fulcrum bridge adds even more customizability, while chrome tuning machines let you tune your strings to perfect precision. This allows you to enjoy a full scale length with a guitar that can easily fit into a cramped car space or overhead compartment of a plane.

Overall Sound Quality: This is perhaps the best part about this little wonder – unlike some other travel guitars that may sacrifice certain elements of playability or tone, the travelcaster deluxe offers the same crisp, snappy, high quality tone and sound quality that Fender is famous for, even in this compact setup. This has been made possible because of the three high quality ceramic single coil picks, and a 5-way pickup selector that lets you mix and match to zero in on the perfect tone. Finally, the vintage style tremolo lets you squeeze out a fabulous variety of sounds and sustains, so there’s nothing that holds you back from expressing your creativity, even on a travel guitar.

Body and Neck Wood: The lightweight of the travelcaster deluxe has been made possible thanks to its poplar body, which keeps the overall setup extremely portable and nimble. The maple neck and fretboard allow for butter-smooth playability anytime, anywhere.

• High quality ceramic single coil pickups
• Vintage style tremolo for more creative possibility
• 5-way pickup selector for tone customizability
• Extremely lightweight at 5 lbs
• Full scale-length

5. Traveler Guitar 6 String EG-1 Custom (Best Full Scale)

My Review: If you are scouting for a full-scale electric guitar which is also light enough to travel along with, look no further- The Traveler Guitar EG-1 Custom fits the bill. The single-cut guitar’s alder body makes it compact and lightweight while also giving it a strong, clear, and full-bodied sound. It features Traveler’s proprietary 4-channel in-built headphone amplifier, an in-body tuning system, and an aux-in jack, making it perfect to jam privately or rock out.

Overall Build and Size: The Traveler Guitar EG-1 retains the full scale 24.75” and 28.5” length of a standard-sized guitar while weighing less than 5 pounds and packs effortlessly in an airplane overhead bin. It has been cleverly designed without a headstock and built from a lightweight yet top-notch Alder, making it compact yet ideal for those unwilling to compromise on a scale as well as playing experience. It comes in a classic glossy black color.

Overall Sound Quality: The EG-1 Custom’s alder body and mahogany neck give it a rich and balanced tone with a great playing experience. It is equipped with Traveler’s custom onboard headphone amps which allow you to choose from clean, boost, overdrive, and distortion tones using the custom tone knob push-pot. With this travel guitar, you are not only getting a full-sized feel but also a world-class quality sound, thanks to the chromatic Shadow E-tuner built right into its Alnico Humbucker 9K pickup.

Body and Neck Wood: The snazzy travel guitar is crafted from premium tonewoods with an alder body, an African mahogany neck, and a walnut fingerboard. It features some fantastic aesthetically pleasing appointments such as a white-black-white binding on its glossy black Alder body, a gold humbucker with cream pickup ring, and black dish knobs with Gold caps.

• Full scale and ergonomically designed travel guitar
• Crafted from top-notch hardwood
• Built-in headphone amp with 4-channels
• Aux-in for riff learning and jamming to your favorite songs
• Chromatic E-tuner on pickup ring
• Comes with a compact, custom gig bag

6. Martin Steel-String Backpacker Travel Guitar

My Review: Martin Guitar Co.’s Backpacker has been innovatively designed to be the perfect travel mate for you. This well-built acoustic is a steal considering it has a solid Spruce wood top and is priced within an affordable range of $300. It’s incredibly fun to play and can act as a great backup guitar when your primary one is not around. This popular travel guitar was launched more than 25 years ago in the mid-nineties and we’ve only heard great things about it since. This is easily one of the best travel guitars for backpacking and trips where you just can’t bring a larger guitar.

Overall Build and Size: Martin’s Backpacker is an incredibly light and compact guitar making it easy to stow away and take along on treks or trips without a worry in the head. Although designed to be easy to carry, weighing less than 2-1/2 lbs., nowhere does it compromise in the sturdiness and durability department. Built with a solid Spruce wood top and Mahogany back and sides, it has a beautiful natural hue and a matte finish.

Overall Sound Quality: The Backpacker has a robust and impressive sound for a guitar its size. It may not give out the rich tone rendered by a typical dreadnought but don’t let that make you think that you’ll be sacrificing in the tonal quality with this little travel buddy. The guitar has been crafted from high-end hardwood which lends it an unamplified projection, making it perfect for travel.

Body and Neck Wood: This travel guitar has a solid Spruce top and Mahogany back, sides, and neck giving it the classic Martin acoustic sound. It has a narrow body with 15 frets and a flared lower bout making it extremely easy to carry. Just sling it over the shoulder and you are good to go!

• Ultra-compact and extremely light
• Made from high-end spruce and mahogany hardwood
• Narrow body, easy to carry
• Unamplified and consistent sound
• Comes with a padded gig bag and chrome tuners

7. Luna Safari Series 3/4 Size Travel Guitar

My Review: This 3/4 size dreadnought is a part of Luna’s pocket-friendly Safari series. The brand has a reputation for crafting great-looking guitars. This model features a solid mahogany top, back, and asides and has an eye-catching Celtic laser etching around the soundhole. This beautifully handcrafted guitar is lightweight but packs in a punch with its powerful tonal quality. Luna Muse Safari comes with a branded gig bag which makes it easy to carry it when you are on the go.

Overall Build and Size: This stunning acoustic has a scale length of 22.5” and weighs just shy of 4 lbs., making it an incredibly light and ultra-compact travel companion. All panels of this 3/4 sized dreadnought have been crafted with mahogany. It also comes with a 19-fret rosewood fingerboard and bridge and chrome-colored hardware. The tuning machine is sealed die-cast and the nut and saddle are Graph Tech BC6115. The charming reddish-brown shade of mahogany makes this guitar a real treat to the eyes.

Overall Sound Quality: The Mahogany body and dreadnought structure of Luna Safari Muse ensures that players enjoy a rich and articulate sound. It may not be too low-end heavy, but with its delightfully bright sound and a pocket-friendly price tag, it sure is a steal!

Body and Neck Wood: Luna Safari Muse has been entirely made out of Mahogany which is a popular tonewood known to produce and sustain a well-balanced tone. The C-shaped neck makes for a breezy playing experience. The warm natural satin finish and the mother of pearl moon phase inlay on the fingerboard give it a classy and mystical look.

• A travel-sized dreadnought with laser engraved Celtic rosette
• Fun and easy to play, ideal for younger players
• Rich and articulate sound
• Perfect for left as well as right-handed players
• Budget-friendly with most websites offering it under $200

8. Traveler Guitar Mark III MK3 MHG Acoustic-Electric Guitar

My Review: When an entire company is dedicated to building top-of-the-line travel-friendly guitars, you know you cannot go wrong when you opt for one of theirs. The Traveler Mark III MK3 Acoustic-Electric is a full scale, unique looking guitar with a Mahogany body. Like other Travelers, it too features an in-built Shadow headphone amp, an aux input for jamming, and a proprietary in-body tuning system. With a standard tuning system, this travel guitar does not need a special set of strings and works perfectly with any standard acoustic strings you prefer.

Overall Build and Size: Measuring around 30” in length while weighing less than 5 pounds, this Mahogany guitar has a minimalistic body which makes it portable and player-friendly. The in-body tuning system eliminates the need for a headstock, making it sleek and travel-sized while offering a full-scale playing experience. The Escape Mark III comes equipped with a Shadow NanoFlex piezo under-saddle pickup which produces the authentic acoustic sound while the standard ¼” output jack lets you effortlessly switch to the electric mode. The control plate allows you to adjust the volume and tone directly from the guitar.

Overall Sound Quality: The Electric-Acoustic has been cleverly built to produce exceptional electronics as well as the authentic acoustic style sound. The choice of hardwood used lends it a resonant, well-balanced tone which is carried through even when you plug in the guitar and use it as a semi-electric.

Body and Neck Wood: The Escape Mark III has a natural finish mahogany body with a cutaway for access to higher frets, and a bolt-on mahogany neck. To top it off, it has a Rosewood fretboard which is the most commonly used fretboard owing to its warm and rich tones and the ability to even out the high-end harshness.

• Full scale, versatile guitar
• Stows away comfortably in overhead bins
• Built-in headphone amp with clean, distortion, boost, and overdrive tones
• High quality, plush gig bag included
• Built-in chrome tuner

9. Cordoba Mini M Nylon String Guitar

My Review: Cordoba has a well-earned reputation for making traditional Spanish guitars with a modern twist. The brand is an innovator and leader in high-quality nylon-string guitar and the model we are about to review here is no exception.

Cordoba’s Mini M is a travel-sized traditional looker. With a mahogany body and a spruce top, it has an incredibly rich tone and a full, bright sound. The brilliant combination of its ultra-compact body and a full-sized 1.96” nut width makes it very easy to play and an ideal companion for your vacations or road trips.

Overall Build and Size: Mini M is an extremely lightweight,18-fret, nylon string parlor with a beautiful rose pattern etched out along its rosette. A short 20” scale length and full 1.96” nut width makes it an ideal travel sized guitar while retaining the string spacing and the overall feel of a full-sized guitar. The natural satin finish gives it a gorgeous sheen without betraying its woody feel. The guitar comes with a custom Aquila string set, tuned to A but can be tuned to standard E tuning with a thicker gauge. The Minis also come in three different wood combinations-spruce/mahogany, spruce/rosewood, and all ovangkol.

Overall Sound Quality: Despite its easy on the pocket price tag, Cordoba’s commitment to quality and sound with Mini M is truly admirable. It has a lightweight body with an impressively loud sound thanks to its smart design and the quality tonewoods used.

The solid spruce wood top offers a blend of clear, rich, and complex sound which is backed by a powerful tonal foundation owing to its mahogany back and sides.

Body and Neck Wood: With Mini M you get a solid Spruce wood top guitar without hurting your pocket. A solid wood top is an unbeatable vis a vis laminate or select wood, as it not only gives out a great tone but also lasts for longer. The mahogany body enhances the sturdiness property and clubbed with spruce wood top and rosewood fretboard contributes to the deep richness and resonance of this guitar. Mini M’s solid and heavy Mahogany U-shaped neck enhances the sustain and captures every nuance and detail, beautifully.

• Affordable, lightweight guitar with an impressive sound
• Solid top and body made from quality tonewoods
• Comfortable U-shaped Mahogany neck
• Includes a gig bag

10. Fender CT-140SE Travel Acoustic-Electric Guitar

My Review: Perfect for all guitar enthusiasts- whether professional or hobbyists, The CT-140SE acoustic-electric is undeniably one of the finest travel bodied guitars made by Fender. Compactly built with solid Rosewood and a spruce top, it features a sophisticated Fishman Presys pickup and preamp system, which ensures an authentic sound is reproduced even when plugged in. The solid high-end components and a hardshell case all priced under $400, make this Fender a great value and should definitely be explored when picking out a guitar for serious beginners or simply for your travel needs.

Overall Build and Size: Traveling with CT-140SE is a cakewalk thanks to its compact dimensions. An auditorium shaped travel body has been scaled down to 23.5” to ensure it fits well into cramped spaces and overhead airline compartments. With premium hardwood used through the body as well as Fishman pickups and preamp system, rolled fingerboard edges, players can expect an easy to play high-quality guitar that’s quite sturdy in its design. CT-140SE comes with two color options- Natural and Sunburst with a glossy finish and equipped with chrome-plated hardware.

Overall Sound Quality: CT-140SE offers high-quality Fender sound at a reasonable price. The spruce wood top renders a powerful sound and detailed dynamics while the rosewood body & fretboard delivers rich overtones. The scalloped, X bracing design also plays a vital role in enhancing this bolder, richer tone as well as its harmonic output.

Body and Neck Wood: The Acoustic-Electric has a solid spruce top is a popular choice of wood for acoustic tops as it offers unparalleled durability and a full, bright, and versatile sound. The rosewood body and neck mellow down the bright punch delivered by the spruce wood. All in all, you get a well-balanced tone that responds well to any style of playing, from hard strumming to fast or delicate picking.

• Top-notch fender quality with a great value
• Solid Spruce top & Rosewood body delivers a rich, balanced tone
• Scalloped, X bracing design
• Easy to play neck with rolled fretboard edges
• Sophisticated Fishman Presys pickup/preamp
•  Hardshell case included

11. Steinberger Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe

My Review: This next guitar comes from the extensive heritage NY-based brand “Steinberger”. These guitars for their distinctive shape, and high-quality construction, having been used by likes of Geddy Lee (Rush), and Sting (The Police), back in the day to more modern day artists such as Arif Miradolbaghi (Protest the Hero). They feature a headless design, and a compact size playable even on an armed office chair. The GT-Pro brings the same quality and aesthetic to a more affordable line of travel guitars.

Overall Build and Size: The original Spirit was one of the most popular attempts at making a body-less travel guitar in the 80s, and the modern Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe has some unique features to match! Featuring a full 25-½ scale length, and a tight fretboard radius, the Spirit is quite easy to handle, play and travel with. Keeping it simple with one volume and one tone knob, and including a tremolo bridge and the locking tuners make for a stable and well-tuned guitar, even without a headstock.

Overall Sound Quality: The deluxe model features a humbucker pickup on the bridge and neck, with a single coil in the middle. The twin humbuckers designed by Steinberger and perfected by Epiphone, make the Spirit sound fat and round while reducing the tinny signals to a minimum. The 5-way pickup selector also makes the guitar versatile and comfortable across a large selection of amps and amp plugins. Perfect for both the Stage pro, and the couch pro !

Body and Neck Wood: The original Spirit guitars designed by Ned Steinberger, were made from a composite of carbon-fiber, however, the new Spirit GT-Pro eschews that for a completely maple body and neck. In such a small guitar, this resonant wood makes for a big jump in playability and sustain. The Spirit is able to hold its own against full bodied guitars while delivering the same resonance and exceptional output!

• Classic Steinberger design
• Hyper compact
• Gibson (Epiphone) construction, reliability, and warranty
• Bridge and Neck Humbuckers for a well-rounded rock/metal/blues sound

12. Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar

My Review: Are you someone who doesn’t want to be away from their guitar even when traveling? Then the Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar has to be one of your top choices. It offers a full-scale length while being ultra-compact which enables you to take it along with you wherever you go. Fitted with a single Hofner open humbucker pickup, and volume and tone knobs, the Shorty is designed with no flashy bits except for its curious design.

Overall Build and Size: The Hofner Shorty has a basswood top and back, a neck made from maple, and a fretboard made from rosewood. Basswood is a lightweight wood which produces a good sound and works especially well with Hofner’s open humbucker pickup. Considering the price range, the craftsmanship and the materials used to make this guitar are of a better-than-expected quality. The black finish gives it a slight rock and roll feel. The shape of the guitar can feel a bit strange in the beginning with its short body, long neck and the headstock, but you soon get used to it. Overall, the Shorty Electric is a sturdy little guitar that needs some time to adjust to its style and shape.

Overall Sound Quality: Without amplification, the guitar sounds quiet, and is suitable for a quiet day of practice. Once amplified, the sound produced is bright, trebly, and strong. The volume and tone controls work very well and you can get a range of tones from this little guitar from clear to dirty. The action on this guitar might need a touch of adjustment.

Body and Neck Wood: The basswood body and maple neck make for better playability when playing standing up. Its small, neck-heavy body makes it a little awkward to play, which is also compounded by there being no place to rest the playing arm.

• Compact size
• Considerably lightweight
• Strong sound when amplified
• Crisp, clean tone
• Durable gig bag included
• Good bang for the buck

13. Traveler Guitar Escape Mark III

My Review: Looking for a guitar which can hold its own during travel and on stage? Look no further! The Traveler Guitar Escape Mark III offers a full-scale 25.5” while being small enough to fit into the overhead compartment in an airplane. This acoustic-electric comes packed with a plethora of features – from an in-body tuning system, a headphone output to a Shadow under-saddle pickup – that helps you stay on top of your game. This is a great lightweight option for a performer or even for a student who wants to up his game. The Escape Mark III also comes with a deluxe gig bag that keeps it protected when not in use. Overall, I would say this is one of the best travel guitars out there.

Overall Build and Size: The Escape Mark III is just 30” despite boasting a full-scale at 25.5” and has a compact mahogany body, back, and top with a bolt-on mahogany neck. The natural satin finish gives it a refined feel. The single cutaway gives the player access to the higher frets while also giving it a tasteful look. The full-sized scale has a comfortable, familiar feel to it while playing. The relatively thin body needs some getting used to and it can be difficult to rest your arm while playing, but the overall balance of the guitar is excellent. Despite being quite lightweight at 4.5 lbs, it does compromise on the quality, durability, or sturdiness of the piece.

Overall Sound Quality: When not plugged in, the Escape Mark III sounds like any other unplugged electric guitar, but once plugged into an amplification system, produces a sound that emulates a steel-string acoustic guitar. This guitar has a clean, warm, mellow sound and is not disturbed in the slightest by string hum or any other problems. The premium quality mahogany used in the guitar allows for greater resonance and a better sustain. Altogether, the way the Escape Mark III is crafted makes for a truly exceptional auditory experience.

Body and Neck Wood: This guitar features a mahogany body and neck which adds sturdiness to the piece, and the black walnut fretboard gives it a smooth feel while playing. The headstock has been removed from its traditional place and added to the body itself which gives it a different, non-traditional appearance. The In-Body tuning system is sturdy and reliable, and the tuners are protected from outside interference.

• Mahogany wood body
• Full-scale fretboard despite the compact size
• Warm, mellow sound, great resonance
• Shadow under-saddle pickups and In-Body tuning system
• Cutaway to reach higher frets easily
• Lightweight, highly portable
• Great choice for multi-city gigs

14. Voyage Air VAOM-02G2

My Review: Traveling with a guitar, be it a regular sized guitar or that of a travel variety, is awkward due to their long, thin necks. But, with the Voyage Air VAOM-02G2, its manufacturers have found an ingenious solution to that age-old problem – a patented hinge which lets you literally fold the guitar in half! It comes with its very own deluxe Voyager case in which you can stow the guitar when not in use. For someone who doesn’t want to compromise on the dimensions or the size, this is a great fit!

Overall Build and Size: The Voyage Air is a full-sized acoustic dreadnought guitar. The body is made from mahogany as are the back and the sides and has a single-ply laminate spruce top with bracing. The fingerboard and the bridge are crafted from laurel – a soft-colored, brown wood that is almost identical to rosewood. It has a high-gloss protective finish which gives it a soft look. The foldable neck-hinge has been tested under pressure and is very dependable. The build of the guitar is quite sturdy, no matter how strange it might seem to fold and unfold the guitar each time. The only thing to keep in mind is that the strings need to be slackened off before folding!

Overall Sound Quality: Despite being a travel guitar, the Voyage Air is a full-sized acoustic guitar with a full, rich sound and a good deal of projection. The full-scale fretboard offers comfortable playability and adapts to any playing style, be it fingerpicking or strumming.

Body and Neck Wood: The body and the neck are both crafted from mahogany as are the sides and the back. The top is made from a single-ply laminate spruce which can be a letdown for some people. The fretboard is made from laurel as is the bridge on the guitar.

• Foldable design for better storage and transport
• Full-size guitar that can be easily carried around
• Mahogany and spruce laminate body
• Full, rich sound like a regular sized acoustic guitar

15. Cordoba Mini II M, Mahogany, Small Body, Nylon String

My Review: The Cordoba Mini II MH travel guitar is a handsome ½ size guitar. Whether it be an impromptu performance or a relaxed practice session while camping, you won’t hesitate to bust out this beauty. It has a delightfully warm, full, well-balanced tone that seems more like a guitar than a ukulele. The Cordoba Mini II Mahogany is a beauty that ticks all the right boxes in looks, sound quality, playability as well as price!

Overall Build and Size: The small body of the Cordoba makes this an ideal choice for a travel guitar. Being a ½ sized guitar, it is easier to carry along on trips than other bigger guitars. The satin polyurethane finish gives it a more sophisticated look than other guitars in this category. Despite a slightly cramped scale at 22.8”, the guitar tunes perfectly to a standard E and the fingerboard offers overall comfortable playability. Guitar players who have slightly smaller hands will certainly find this to be a more manageable instrument than a full-sized acoustic guitar. The build of this guitar speaks of quality and a solid body that can take the pain of travel.

Overall Sound Quality: The Cordoba Mini II promises to sound more like a full-sized guitar than a ukulele – and delivers! It has a nuanced, full-bodied tone that is mellow and full of warmth. Compared to some other travel guitars, this one has a deeper body that projects the sound well. Even though it isn’t particularly loud, it has enough volume for a lonesome practice session or small, intimate performances.

Body and Neck Wood: The layered mahogany body and neck, and the Morado fretboard (with 19 frets) are instant visual hooks that draw you to this little fellow. There is a single action truss rod inside the neck. Even though this guitar doesn’t feature a full-size scale, the fretboard offers good playability and is easy to adapt to.

• Layered mahogany body and satin finish
• ½ sized guitar easy to carry along
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Warm, full tonality
• Pocket-friendly price
• Ideal for kids and players with smaller hands

16. Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar

My Review: The Traveler Ultra-Light Acoustic-Electric is marketed as the smallest, lightest full-scale travel guitar on the market, and it certainly delivers on all these counts. The compact design of the guitar without a headstock is unique, yet offers a full-scale playing experience that one gets on a full-sized acoustic. The piezo pickup delivers a bright acoustic sound when plugged into an amplifier. Despite being a higher-priced guitar, the Traveler Ultra-light Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar is certainly worth a try.

Overall Build and Size: This Traveler Ultra-light guitar really lives up to its name. Weighing in at only 3 pounds, it is one of the lightest travel guitars on the market. At only 24 ¾”, it can even fit into some suitcases and is easy to carry around. Made from a single piece of maple wood with a regular-sized fingerboard made from ebony wood, it comes with an adjustable truss rod. Despite the guitar’s shape, the detachable lap-rest makes it comfortable to play sitting down, although the different designs might take some getting used to. The overall build is quite sturdy and can easily be taken along on your travels and even stowed in the overhead bin on a flight, thanks to its detachable lap-rest. The range of satin finishes it comes in allows you to choose the color you feel the most comfortable with.

Overall Sound Quality: This Traveler guitar comes with a ¼” jack socket and a built-in acoustic piezo pickup which can be used to amplify its sound. The piezo pickup gives it a bright, crisp tone once plugged into an amplifier. This one is a silent guitar and only finds its voice through an amplifier. Given this little fact, it can’t be used to strum a few chords around a campfire but can come in handy when looking to practice quietly. It is also well-suited to live performances where there is an amplification set up at hand.

Body and Neck Wood: The body and neck of the guitar are crafted from a single piece of Eastern American Hard Maple. The full-size fingerboard is made from ebony wood and has 22 frets which are easy to adapt to from a conventional acoustic guitar. The satin finish on top gives it a smooth, hand-friendly feel while playing.

• Extremely compact build
• In-body tuning system
• Bright, crisp, articulate sound
• Piezo pickup for amplification

17. Washburn RO10 Rover Steel String Travel Acoustic Guitar

My Review: Washburn guitars have been consistently delivering guitars crafted with extreme care and quality since the 1880s. The Washburn RO10 Rover features a mahogany wood body, back and sides, a solid spruce top, and a full-size neck which makes for good playability. This guitar produces a sound that emphasizes the treble without being too loud or resonant, which makes it suitable for different playing styles – whether flat-picking or playing finger-style

Overall Build and Size: The Washburn Rover is a visually appealing 33.5” long acoustic guitar, with a beautiful mahogany body and a solid spruce top which enhances its look and overall feel. It has a rosewood fingerboard and a full-size neck which feels like a regular-sized guitar and needs no time to get used to. The fingerboard also makes for good playability. The overall build of the guitar is sturdy and robust and makes for a good, albeit heavier travel guitar. The Washburn is available in a natural finish as well as a blue finish. The deluxe gig bag, included with the instrument, makes sure that no harm comes to the guitar when carrying it around with you.

Overall Sound Quality: The Washburn isn’t made to produce a loud sound, but taking into account its compact size, the sound is quite impressive, if a little more treble-y than usual. For a travel guitar with a full-size neck, the Washburn RO10 Rover lives up to its potential.

Body and Neck Wood: The Washburn is made from a mahogany body and the fretboard is crafted from rosewood. The solid spruce top gives the guitar a nice resonance, although the wood used and the full-sized fretboard makes the guitar a tad heavier than expected.

• Robust, well-built guitar
• Full-sized neck
• Solid spruce top
• Versatile, good playability for multiple playing styles
• Moderately priced

Choosing the Right Travel Guitar (Buying Guide)

Adding a travel guitar to your collection means you can take your 6-string pal along on road trips without a worry. And as you can see from our top 17 list, there are several great options to choose from. What matters is that you pick a type of guitar that you’d prefer – be it playability, size, or tone quality. If you ask us, then our pick for the travel guitar with the most impressive sound quality would be the Baby Taylor BT1 for acoustic and the Travelcaster Deluxe for electric. Be it an intimate impromptu gig or a long road trip, this beauty sounds like a dream and is so compact to travel with.

If you ask us for a great affordable option for a 3/4 travel guitar, then the Yamaha JR1 FG Junior 3/4 Size Acoustic is worth exploring for those on a budget. Finally, for those looking to strike a balance between the top of the line quality as well as not spend a bomb then you should check out the Washburn RO10 Rover Steel String. At the end of the day, it’s all about having fun and having a portable companion that gives you the freedom to strum along wherever you are. We hope this list gave you all the information you need to take your pick. Bon voyage!

What Is a Travel Guitar?

Simply put, travel guitars or travel-sized guitars are a more compact, lighter version of a full-sized guitar. You’ll find both acoustic travel guitars and electric variants in the market, depending on your needs.

Most travel guitars have the same or almost the same scale length (distance between the nut and the guitar’s bridge) as regular guitars so that you get a more compact guitar without compromising the playability of the instrument. On the other hand, you also have travel guitar options that have 3/4, 1/2, or even 1/4 scale length as full-size guitars.

Travel guitars have smaller body and neck, which makes them lighter and easier to carry with you wherever you go – be it a month-long cross-country tour, a weekend road trip, or even a backpacking hike to the mountains!

Why Should You Buy a Travel Guitar

Whether you’re a hobby guitarist or an experienced player, there are so many good reasons to get yourself a travel guitar either way. Here are a few for you to go through:

• Light & Portable: Travel guitars are far easier and hassle-free to carry with you when traveling. This is thanks to their compact size and lightweight that lets them easily fit on flights or a vehicle.
• Great Backup Option: they work great as a backup guitar for musicians who don’t want to take their primary guitars on a trip where they’ll be roughing it out.
• Strum On the Road: Inspiration can strike a musician anytime, especially when you’re traveling! Having a travel guitar lets you flesh out your song ideas as and when you think them up – even when you’re out on the road or on vacation.
• Take Up Less Space: If you’re packing up your van for a long road trip, you’ll find that travel guitars take up far lesser space than traditional guitars do, freeing up more storage space for other things that you’d want to carry along.

What to Look For In A Travel Guitar

With several options for travel guitars available in the market, it’s crucial to know what to look for when sizing each option up. Here are the key features you should consider when comparing travel guitars and making your decision:

Full-sized scale-length vs. Reduced Scale Length

Many travel guitars come with a full-size or almost full-size scale length (around 25.5 inches). When making such travel guitars, the manufacturers choose to make them compact by reducing the size of the guitar’s body, instead of the fretboard size or length. These guitars feel like you’re almost playing a regular guitar, just more compact and more portable.

On the other hand, you also find one-half (1/2), three-quarters (3/4), or even as small as one-quarter (1/4) sized guitars. These have smaller fretboards than regular guitars. So consider the scale length you’ll be comfortable playing on when taking your pick.

Overall Size

Even amongst travel guitars, you will find options of all sizes to choose from. While some travel guitars are only slightly smaller than full-size guitars, others are extremely compact. Most full-size guitars are 38 inches in their overall size.

On the other hand, travel guitars So do consider how compact a guitar you’re looking for and look at the measurements when taking your pick.

Tone Quality

As you already might know, the wood used in the guitar’s construction affects its tone and sound quality. Woods like Maple, Spruce, Sitka Spruce, and Rosewood produce a bright, higher, slightly treble-heavy tone and sound.

On the other hand, woods like Mahogany and Koa have a richer, warmer tone that is mid to low-range in its character. So it’s all about deciding what type of sound works best for your playing and style, and going with it.

Quality of Wood Used

As is the case with full-size guitars, do consider the type of body, neck, and fretboard wood used on your potential travel guitar. The better the quality of wood used, the sweeter and richer the sound and the more durable the construction. You can choose from a wide variety of woods such as mahogany, maple, spruce, walnut, and more, depending on the look and sound you prefer.

Overall Shape and Design

Travel-friendly guitars come in a wide variety of shapes and designs. Some travel guitars are more compact versions of the classic shapes like a dreadnought, concert, or auditorium style guitars. However, you will also find extremely futuristic and innovatively-designed travel guitars as well, that are foldable, triangular-shaped, and even ones with barely any guitar body!

I know of buddies that would love a triangular-shaped travel guitar, but also know a few who wouldn’t dream of doing such a thing! So it’s all a matter of personal taste. This is why it’s important to see the shape and design that you will be comfortable playing with and carrying, and choosing accordingly.

Last but never least, it’s a good idea to have a budget in mind when browsing through options. Travel guitars are available in a wide price range – from affordable, budget-friendly options under $200, mid-range options between $200 to $400, and higher-end travel guitars that are in the $400 plus range.

Do make it a point to check the features and wood quality that you’re being offered at any price point. While very low-priced travel guitars may seem enticing at first, you may end up shelling out more in its repairs in case the instrument is not well-built. So it’s important to pick an option that is value for money, no matter its price.

My name is Chris and I’ve had a passion for music and guitars for as long as I can remember. I started this website with some of my friends who are musicians, music teachers, gear heads, and music enthusiasts so we could provide high-quality guitar and music-related content.

I’ve been playing guitar since I was 13 years old and am an avid collector. Amps, pedals, guitars, bass, drums, microphones, studio, and recording gear, I love it all.

I was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. My background is in Electrical Engineering, earning a Bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University. With my engineering experience, I’ve developed as a designer of guitar amplifiers and effects. A true passion of mine, I’ve designed, built, and repaired a wide range of guitar amps and electronics. Here at the Guitar Lobby, our aim is to share our passion for Music and gear with the rest of the music community.

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Home » Gear » best travel guitars

12 Best Travel Guitars • A BARGAIN Buyer’s Guide for 2024

Traveling the world and playing the guitar are my two greatest passions. But, unfortunately, they don’t seem to go hand-in-hand, do they? Traveling requires minimalism, and guitars are big, awkwardly shaped and are not fun to haul around in airports and buses.

For years I had to make the tough decision –  to either travel  without a guitar, or to painfully drag my oversized acoustic around the world. Both options sucked, and after years of this, I needed something different.

So finally, I bought myself one of the best travel guitars and my life literally changed forever.

As a guitarist of 15 years, and a non-stop world traveler of 10, I know exactly  what is needed from a travel guitar.

With the help of this guide, you’ll be able to easily know which of the best travel guitars is perfect for you and your style of music and travel. We’re going to cover a whole scope of six-stringed sweeties in this post: travel acoustic guitars, travel electric guitars folding neck guitars. Something for every homeless musician out there!

Get excited because here are some of these best traveling guitars and they are  epic!

Unfortunately, as I was researching which travel guitar to buy, I realized there are hundreds of travel guitars… and a ton of them suck.

Which is exactly why I wrote this epic guide to the best travel guitars.

Quick Answers – The Best Traveling Guitars

The best traveling guitars mega-list: acoustics, electrics, and a few bass guitars because why not, the best travel acoustic guitars, best travel electric guitars, the best folding guitar for travel, time for some other stringed travel instruments, traveling with a guitar – what to look for, faq about the best travel guitars, closing thoughts on the top travel guitars.

• Best Travel Acoustic Guitar – Ultra-Light Classical 6-String Guitar
• Best Travel Electric Guitar – Traveler Guitar Travel Guitar
• Best Folding Travel Guitar – Journey Instruments OF660M
• Best Travel Bass Guitar – Traveler Guitar TB-4P
• Best Travel Budget Guitar – Yamaha GL1 Guitalele

Today, we’re cutting straight to the goodies because goodies are delicious! First, we’ll round up the most portable guitars just built for travel and worldwide escapades. After that, I’ll get to the no less delicious goodies on choosing the right travel guitar for your needs.

Are you ready? Ok, you sexy shredder; let’s do this! The best guitars for travel that most certainly do not weep.

Ultra-Light Classical 6-String Guitar

• > Great action

Baby Taylor BT2

• > Taylor-made

Yamaha Guitalele

• > Vibrant classical tone

Yamaha GL1 Guitalele

Hohner HAG250P 1/2 Sized

Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric Travel Guitar

• > Humbucker pickups

Hofner 6 String Solid-Body Electric Guitar

• > 0.176 ounces
• > Gig bag included

Best Travel Electric-Acoustic Guitar

• > 2lbs 14 oz
• > Great neck

Journey Instruments OF660M Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar Matte

• Best Folding Travel Guitar > $$$$$
• > Great for professionals

Traveler Guitar TB-4P Electric Travel Bass

• Best Travel Bass Guitar > $$$
• > 6 lbs 8 oz

Kala Teak Tri-Top Concert Acoustic-electric Ukulele

• > Level-10 Portability

For the natural earthy sound. The downside of the portable guitars is the sound isn’t so rocking as an electric baest. The upside?

…Well, you don’t need an amp.

These are the travel guitars you can bring to the campfire or out at the hostel at night to the sneak into the hearts (and pants) of wayward travelers around the globe. Sexy and swooning.

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Best Travel Acoustic Guitar #1 –  Ultra-Light Classical 6-String Guitar

If you are looking for the best travel acoustic guitar, do yourself a favor and stop right here because this creature is as good as it gets.

This compact travel guitar is an extraordinary instrument and they have accomplished the goal of creating an affordable yet high-quality travel acoustic guitar.

In TBB fashion, you get only the best of the best! A solid mahogany top, a unique fret design, and a 24-inch scale length mean that you’ll never have to sacrifice quality to have an amazing travel guitar.

This guitar was designed for lightweight travelers in mind. The guitar and strap only weigh a total of 2 lbs. 14 oz combined, making this our smallest travel guitar. And when placed in the included protective bag, the two combine to weight a total of 3lbs. 12oz!

• Removable lap rest
• Only 2 lbs 14 oz – the perfect small travel guitar
• Shape can be awkward or uncomfortable to some
• Very small – not ideal for professionals
• Leg rest is a bit slippy

While I clearly think this guitar is the cream of the crop… I don’t recommend it for everyone.

This traveling guitar is for backpackers; perfect for those who love to travel with their guitar but aren’t trying to do anything too hardcore with their music career. Why?

In an effort to make this mini guitar as travel-friendly as possible there is a detachable leg rest, whilst this is amazing meaning you can get the benefit of playing a full-size guitar sat down, I have found it to be a bit slippy on my pants! I’ve remedied this by wrapping a cloth around it but it’s not the ideal solution.

Bottom line:  If you are a traveling professional musician, this might not be the guitar for you. Everyone else – if you can afford it – this tiny Guitar is literally as good of a travel guitar you can get. Click the button below to see the best price.

Best Travel Acoustic Guitar #2 – Baby Taylor BT-2

Taylor guitars are one of the most reputable acoustic brands on the planet and this guitar is an incredible example of why.

The Taylor Baby BT-2 is not technically a travel guitar; it’s just one of the best 3/4 guitars out there. This means that it’s 25% smaller than a normal-sized acoustic guitar, and many 3/4 guitars are made for kids.

But obviously one can see why 25% less guitar would be very beneficial for travelers. An extra 25% of the guitar means an extra 25% weight off your back and the ability to stow this guitar on tons of flights.

Plus, along with a smaller size, you also get everything else that is amazing about Taylor guitars – solid wood, ebony fretboard, and a beautiful sound that resembles a choir of glowing angels.

• High quality and long term durability. This guitar will purr
• Great for traveling professionals
• Come with a gig bag
• Almost weighs 8 lbs with the case
• Probably too big for lightweight backpackers
• 19 frets might still not be enough for some

What you’ve got to love about this guitar is that for a 3/4 guitar’s size, it almost sounds exactly like a full-sized acoustic guitar. That’s why it’s easily one of the best travel acoustic guitars on the market. Typically 3/4 guitars sacrifice sound for size but with this Taylor, the tradeoff is barely noticeable.

Taylor has earned their reputation, and this compact guitar is another sterling example. If you don’t mind dishing out a bit more cash, you’ll be very pleased with the tone and sound of this instrument.

Bottom line – The Baby Taylor BT-1  delivers a phenomenal sound and long term durability all of which comes at 3/4 the size of a regular acoustic guitar. If you are looking for an ultralight travel guitar, look elsewhere. But if the quality is your number one concern, you may have found the mini travel guitar of your dreams.

Best Travel Classical Guitar #1 –  Yamaha Guitarlele

What happens if you cross a guitar with a Ukulele? The Yamaha Guitalele is what! This is a masterpiece of instrumental engineering, and could quite possibly be the best travel guitar ever made!

With a solid spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, and a gorgeous mahogany body, this classical guitar is stunning in that sexy classical fashion like a finely produced oil painting. Yamaha clearly invests a lot of time in design, and this travel classical guitar is one of the best examples of that.

And thankfully it sounds as good as it looks! This classical, nylon string Guitar-Ukulele is well-reviewed, giving warm and bright tones. This ensures it delivers the best sound for its size and build.

• Nylon strings for the nylon lovers
• Gorgeous looks and sound
• Comes with gig bag
• If you prefer steel strings,then this is not the guitar for you

It ain’t too pricey and it ain’t too big – good things come in compact and affordable packages! You are getting an extremely well-designed and beautiful acoustic classical guitar that is built just for travelers.

Bottom line – Whether you are a professional or casual musician – if you are looking for a travel classical guitar, this is a fantastic option at a good price.

Best Cheap Travel Guitar #1 –  Yamaha GL1 Guitalele

I’ve gone through a ton of guitars in my life, but one of the best, most durable acoustics I ever owned was a $200 Yamaha. Did it have the rich sound of a Martin? Obviously not. But it played well, had great action, and was so durable I was convinced it would survive a nuclear apocalypse.

This is exactly why the Yamaha GL1 Guitalele is my pick for the best cheap travel guitar!

Yamaha makes solid guitars for low prices, and the GL1 Guitalele is a perfect example. Well reviewed and affordable, this was an easy pick for the best budget travel guitar.

• Super affordable and well-reviewed!
• Yamaha’s products are always durable
• A cool fusion of a guitar and ukulele and their A/D/G/C/E/a tuning ensures you get a great sound
• It’s still cheap, but for $75 more you can get something significantly better
• Alternate tuning might dissuade some
• Nylon strings may not be ideal for others

Something to consider is that this is technically NOT a travel guitar . As the name would suggest, this is a hybrid between a ukulele and an acoustic guitar. To accomplish this fusion in the best way possible, Yamaha strings this guitar up to the 4th in the tuning of A/D/G/C/E/a.

If this scares the crap out of you – don’t worry! It just means due to its smaller size, this guitar sounds best with a non-standard E/A/D/G/B/e tuning. Since this is a great cheap travel guitar, this also makes for a great traveling gift !

Bottom line – If an alternate tuning doesn’t scare you and you are on a budget, then this is the best budget travel guitar. A cool guitar-ukulele-combo, the Yamaha Guitele is a solid choice for a traveler looking to save a bit of money on their instrument without compromising too much on quality. It also just happens to be the best guitalele – go figure!

Best Budget Travel Guitar #2 –  Hohner HAG250P 1/2 Sized

OK, before I continue, I should clarify: this is absolutely, without a doubt, 100% a toddler guitar. This is, however, one of the best inexpensive guitars you’ll find.

It’s small, not of the highest quality, and won’t last a lifetime… And that’s exactly why it’s the best budget travel guitar on this list! A bargain guitar this cheap means all feelings of love and affection go out the window: throw, bang, and transport this instrument on buses in Asia to your heart’s content… unless you get attached.

But we’re travelers; we don’t go in for that attachment nonsense anyway.

Think of it this way… have you ever been to a hostel and they have that small, beat up, classical guitar sitting in the main room? Or have you ever been to a beach party, and some dude with dreadlocks busts out a nylon-stringed guitar that looks like it was made in 1953 for a hobbit?

That’s exactly what this guitar is. It won’t win you a grammy, but it’s cheap, and you better believe that it will play… albeit maybe slightly out of tune.

• It’s a cheap guitar… don’t get your hopes up

The Hohner 1/2 Sized is for anyone looking for a cheap travel guitar to buy online. Simple as that.

Bottom line – This is the ‘I’m on a shoestring budget backpacking through Southeast Asia . I’m going to party on beaches and all I want is a throwaway guitar I can play some Sublime singalongs on in between cheap beers in hopes of getting laid’ choice. If this sounds like you, then look no further.

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Do you want to power those chords properly? Whammy those sustains? Really get that cheap meaningless sex at hostels in Thailand?

Then here we are: the best electric travel guitar. Something with a bit more shazam for the busker in all of us .

Best Travel Electric Guitar #1- Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric Travel Guitar

While not the most creative company name, Traveler Guitar has put together some pretty impressive traveling instruments and this was an easy pick for the best travel electric guitar.

Amazing design and stellar reviews make this electric guitar one of the coolest travel guitars on the market. The Traveler Ultra-Light comes with dual rail humbuckers and packs an impressive sound. Depending on your amp and pedals setup, this electric should be able to get whatever sound you need out of it.

The Ultra-Light guitar is 28% shorter and 68% lighter than a typical electric guitar all the which while retaining 100% of its size between the nut and the bridge. This means that while this guitar is not going to feel 100% like a full-sized electric… it’ll come close. Plus, you shed all of that weight in the process.

• 68% lighter than a standard electric guitar
• Humbucker pickups
• A gig bag is included
• Lap rest is included as well
• Might not be enough for professional traveling musicians
• Mixed reviews on comfort of detachable lap rest (and overall balance in general)

This travel electric guitar is perfect for super lightweight travelers who need an electric guitar with them at all times. But unfortunately, the lightweight build comes with some sacrifices. And the sacrifice here is the balance.

By eliminating 68% of the weight, some reviews claim the guitar is difficult to balance, or that it’s too light to play or solo on comfortably. Others claimed this was easily overcome with a couple days’ practice. Regardless, if you are considering purchasing, expect a bit of discomfort and imbalance at first, but don’t worry: you’ll be rocking that Red Hot Chili Peppers cover in no time  😉

Bottom line –  Maybe not the best choice for professional musicians but this is still a great travel size electric guitar for someone who loves to shred while they journey. While the balance might take a bit of getting used to, there is simply no better-designed travel electric guitar on the market.

Best Travel Electric Guitar #2 –  Hofner 6 String Solid-Body Electric Guitar

Just like the Ultra Light Travel Guitar, this model is unique in its design. But unlike its sibling, Traveler Guitar looked at the Hofner as an opportunity to give you a full electric experience while still trimming as much weight as possible.

To accomplish this, they’ve basically cut out everything in the body apart from a tiny area roughly the size of a pick guard on a regular guitar!

By cutting out the majority of the body, Hofner has created an electric guitar that is 14% shorter and 35% lighter than a typical electric guitar. And the impressive part? All of that is done while still keeping the guitar 100% at scale from the bridge to the neck!

• Full electric experience, but 14% shorter and 35% lighter
• Awesome for traveling professional musicians
• Gig bag included
• Too large for casual musicians
• Won’t play like a Strat (please don’t expect it to)
• Mixed reviews on its playability out of the box – might take some tweaking to get desired the feel and sound

Aside from its innovative design, this kickass travel electric guitar comes with 3 single-coil pickups, 1 volume knob and 1 tone knob.

While this compact electric guitar is highly recommended, you will still have to accept that its bold design can cause some complications.  While this travel electric attempts to mimic a full-sized electric – don’t expect it to feel exactly like a Strat or Tele. It comes close, but you can’t expect the same feeling (especially when sitting down).

Truthfully, if you are looking for one of the best electric travel guitars, there aren’t tons of well-reviewed options and Hofner is the only company putting out quality products.

Bottom line –  If you are a traveler looking to shed a few pounds off your electric guitar – this is a kickass option. The Hofner was meant to be lightweight while sacrificing as little playability as possible… Highly recommended for a professional who isn’t sure if the Ultra-Light can make the cut for them.

Best Travel Electric-Acoustic Guitar –  Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Acoustic-Electric

Welcome back Traveler Guitar! Lemme make you a tea; you’re welcome anytime as long as you keep pumping out the grade-A stories.

With their third product on this list, I have to say I’m impressed by Traveler Guitar’s commitment to their niche. This product is one of their best!

It’s 100% full scale from the nut to the bridge, but 31% shorter and 43% lighter than a typical acoustic guitar. In particular, this guitar has a nice aesthetic and a gorgeous finish. Reviews claim the neck is smooth and that the guitar is durable and stays in tune very well.

• 43% lighter than a typical acoustic guitar
• Great finish – well-reviewed neck
• Gig bag comes included as well
• Too niche – only recommended for those who ALWAYS plug in their acoustic (or record acoustic)

But where I think their other products are more versatile… I would only recommend the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Acoustic-Electric for a very specific person.

Simply put – this guitar only sounds great when it’s plugged in. Why?

Well, think about it. This guitar has no body (aka – where an acoustic gets that warm, vibrant, reverb-y sound from). In the pursuit of lightness, Traveler Guitar made an instrument that only sounds good when plugged into an amplifier – which can totally work for the right person!

When it is plugged into an amp it sounds delicious! But otherwise, it’s basically just another electric guitar that gives much less when unplugged. It’s good for recorders, buskers traveling with an amp, and people gigging… and that’s about it.

Bottom line – Look at the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Acoustic-Electric as an electric-acoustic guitar, and ONLY as an electric-acoustic guitar. If you love to record acoustic while you travel, or play a ton of live shows – this could be your axe. Everyone else – look elsewhere.

You could get a mini guitar that carries on your back… or you could just get one that folds in half completely! Holy folding guitars, Hendrix! Lookout virtual reality and simulated blowjob machines – the future is here!

In all seriousness, a folding guitar is a supreme traveling instrument. Easy to carry, stow on planes, and you’re not so likely to snap the neck. Trust me: nothing breaks your heart quite as much as a broken guitar neck.

To be fair – in terms of quality, this is absolutely the best travel guitar that money can buy. It’s the best sounding travel guitar, it’s got a gorgeous make, and it packs up real nice.

But here’s the con – it’s ridiculously expensive. Like, I peed myself a little when I first saw the price tag.

But if you have no problem dropping a bit more money, this is a guitar that will not only be your primary travel guitar… it will be your primary guitar – period. Made from carbon fiber, the Journey OF660M is a modern, durable, sexy looking axe. This guitar gives a super warm, bright and rich tone, and is extremely versatile.

• The best travel guitar on the market
• Rich sound – every note rings
• Carbon fiber is the real deal, making this guitar super-durable (important for travel!)
• Most expensive guitar on the list
• 10lbs means what you gain in quality, you lose in travel convenience

Old school guitarists might not like the new school design or the fact that it’s made of carbon fiber, but I must disagree… While I think carbon fiber is an amazing material for any guitar, it’s especially perfect for traveling guitarists!

Traditional wood guitars need to be kept out of humidity and heat to keep them from warping. In contrast, carbon fiber means you can bring your guitar in any weather and travel to any climate stress-free. While I respect the traditionalist view, carbon fiber has proven to be a durable material for guitars, while also providing the guitar with a modern, cool look. No warping, no fear of heat or humidity; this is a huge factor to consider for any traveler guitar.

Bottom line – If you have the budget, don’t need something super-light, and are looking for the best sounding travel guitar money can buy, you’ve found your match.

Everyone and their mom knows how to play the guitar! Well… that’s quite true. It would be fairer to say that everyone and their mom knows how to play a C, G, Am, and F chord. So let’s branch out… starting with a travel bass guitar.

Bass players are sexy. Have you seen their fingers? Think of the things they could do with those fingers…

The Best Travel Bass Guitar – Traveler Guitar TB-4P Electric Travel Bass

Another Traveler Guitar? Seriously? What can I say: this company does it right!

Similar to their travel guitars, this awesome travel bass guitar is designed to feel as much like a standard bass, while trimming as much of the weight as possible.

The Traveler Guitar TB-4P is well reviewed and well designed. It weighs in at 25% lighter than a standard bass – which you will definitely appreciate while traveling – an also measures at 22% shorter than a standard bass. Slap that sucker across all seven continents!

• 25% lighter and 22% shorter than a standard bass!
• Well designed – innovative wrap around tuning design
• Balance might be an issue for some
• Not going to sound as chunky as a standard bass

The Traveler Guitar Travel Bass comes with volume controls, tone controls, and the standard electronics to get your bass rigged up to any pedal or amp you need! A cool side-perk is they also include a 1/8 inch headphone jack. This means that while you are at your accommodation, you can still pop some headphones in and really jam out!

Remember though, the sound will be nice, but not as full as a typical bass. Duncan pickups help this bass to deliver some great tones but don’t expect to sound exactly like Flea.

Bottom line –  This is the best travel bass guitar money can buy. Like all of the best travel guitars, you are definitely going to sacrifice some tone for the sake traveling lighter,  but if light is what you need, then Traveler Guitar TB-4P Electric Bass got you covered.

Annnnd the Ukulele – Kala Teak Tri-Top Concert Acoustic-electric Ukulele

C’mon, you had to see this coming. It’s the quintessential rookie-backpacker move. Buy a uke, learn the aforementioned C, G, Am, F, ‘ Somewhere over the Rainbow’ and ‘I’m Yours’ , strap your new companion to your backpack , and you’re officially that guy!

I’m taking the piss. I adore ukes! …In the hands of someone who actually plays the ukulele. Once you learn the chord variations up and down the fretboard and some scales, they’re actually quite darling.

So, what’s the best ukulele for travel? Well, that’s the beauty of ukes… they all are! They’re all small enough to go as carry-on on a plane and they strap nicely to most backpacks.

So what’s the best ukulele? Well, probably not this one; I imagine the best ukulele was crafted by an ancient Hawaiian God and is sitting lodged in a rock at the bottom of some volcano somewhere waiting to be exonerated by the chosen one. Otherwise, though, there’s this one!

• Electric-acoustic so plug in for an even sweeter sound
• Built-in tuner
• Unique shape and design
• The intonation isn’t perfect for a connoisseur’s ear
• Excellent for beginner’s and a great intermediate uke but experts may seek elsewhere

It’s a sexy uke that sounds pretty. The built-in tuner is a massive plus and plugging to an amp is really gonna make this bad-boy shine (yes, I did just refer to a ukulele as a “bad-boy”). Kala make good gear and they’re not just in the ukulele space either.

Also, the Kala Teak Tri-Top Concert Acoustic-electric Ukulele just looks mega-pretty. Koa, mahogany, walnut, and a seductive satin finish to seduce the park hippies (and South Asian men) with.

All in all, if this is just you following the stereotypical first-time traveler route, there are cheaper ukuleles you can spend your money on and that’ll do the job right. But, if you’re upgrading from that phase, or are just genuinely interested in learning the ukulele it’s a fine choice.

Bottom line –  Well, my mom says ukes are cool! Actually, she hates them but she has to put up with me anyway. This may not be the best travel guitar but it’s certainly a good deal lighter and smaller than any portable guitar you’ll find.

Protip: Try finding nylon guitar strings that fit the gauges (it’s super doable) and putting them on to swap that high G out for a low one; a uke with a bass not – yum!

Now, you  could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.

So give the adventurer in your life the gift of convenience: buy them an REI Co-op gift card!  REI is The Broke Backpacker’s retailer of choice for ALL things outdoors, and an REI gift card is the perfect present you can buy from them. And then you won’t have to keep the receipt. 😉

As an avid traveler and musician, I can tell you that buying a great travel size guitar was one of the most important decisions I ever made. I can now easily transport a guitar anywhere I go in the world, meaning never have to be without a guitar again!

When it comes to the best travel guitars, there are a few things, in particular, you want to keep an eye out for. Here are some important things to consider when you are trying to pick your personal travel guitar.

1.  Do you need a top quality travel guitar?

The guitars on this list are certainly some of the best travel guitars on the market… but some are certainly higher quality than others. Keep an eye out for prices. Yes, we are all trying to save money with our broke backpacking ways , but sometimes spending the extra $50 can be the difference between a just-ok travel guitar that will get you by or an exceptional travel guitar that will literally change the game.

This is especially true if you are a traveling professional musician. Do not try and get something cheap – it will quickly come back to haunt you.

Backpackers looking for a travel-friendly guitar that they can just jam on, have a bit more leniency in their choices.

2. How many frets for your travel guitar?

Something I overlooked was the fact that travel guitars don’t always have the standard amount of frets! Obviously it makes sense as the smaller the neck, the more travel-friendly the guitar. Consider your guitar playing style. Do you prefer to shred solos high up the neck? Or are you just looking for something to jam out with beachside, and play some zombie chords?

If you don’t need the additional frets, you’ll find that your options are better and the portable guitars to choose from will be much more compact.

3. What about the length and weight of your travel size guitar?

The first thing you need to consider is your travel style. Are you a fast traveler or slow traveler ?

If you travel the world spending a month at a time in AirBnb’s , you won’t be as concerned about the size and weight of the guitar. If you blitz from hostel to hostel, then you should seriously consider purchasing one of the lighter and more compact travel guitars.

4. Remember this one important fact…

Here’s the deal…

The standard guitar is literally a miracle. It’s a perfectly crafted instrument. Over the past 500+ years the guitar has slowly been tweaked to perfection. With the modern-day guitar, the size, shape, and build of a standard guitar ensures that you get the absolute best comfort, sound and durability from this amazing instrument.

This is where traveler guitars screw the proverbial pooch.

Ultimately, travel guitars are smaller, and because they are smaller they aren’t going to sound as good as a standard guitar. There is no way around this. If you want a smaller guitar, you are going to have to make some other sacrifices. To get a guitar smaller, lighter, and more travel-friendly means sacrificing a few other important things (like possibly sound, comfort, balance).

Don’t worry- the best travel guitars sound amazing! Just don’t expect it sound like a song from ‘Eric Clapton Unplugged’ … Because it won’t.

But I promise you, whatever travel guitar you choose it will sound awesome, it’ll be lightweight, and it will accompany you around the world  🙂

Can a travel guitar replace my primary guitar?

The easy answer – absolutely.

The more complicated answer… well, it depends on your needs.

If you are more of a casual guitar player (like I am these days) then you will be stoked to know that a travel guitar can absolutely replace your primary guitar (especially if you don’t mind spending a bit more). The selections from Cordoba, Martin, and Taylor on this list are truly epic instruments, and if you don’t need to worry about gigs, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised that your travel guitar can absolutely become your primary guitar.

But people that are truly invested in their musical journey, possibly even at the sake of their world-wandering journey, a travel guitar, long-term, isn’t going to cut it. Eventually, the lack of frets, or the lower quality sound, or some other aspect is going to wear thin.

Eventually, in your world-wandering journey, you’re going to stumble across a truly magnificent instrument and that’s when your mini guitar built for travelers isn’t going to feel so special anymore.

Still have some questions? No problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:

Can you fold guitars?

Not all of them are foldable, but there are some cool options. One of them is the Journey Instruments OF660M , that can literally fold in half.

Should you get a travel guitar if you don’t know how to play?

Hell yeah, why not? Spend those long hours waiting for flights or buses by learning how to play on your cool travel guitar and impress your friends once you’re back home.

What should you look for in a travel guitar?

Keep these key-features in mind: 1. Does it have to be top quality? 2. The number of frets 3. Packability and size

What is the best affordable travel guitar?

The best budget travel guitar is the Yamaha GL1 Guitalele. It’s super durable and offers a great sound as well.

Our GREATEST Travel Secrets…

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There you have it! The 10 best travel guitars (plus two extras).

I know that with the help of this epic buyer’s guide, you’ll easily be able to identify and buy the travel guitar of your dreams. Get out there and find your baby.

Treat her well too. It’s a lonely road and there may come a night in the future where it’s just you and her alone under a bridge in the storm. Trust me, on that day

Is there anything I missed? What’s your favorite travel guitar? Comment below! It’ll help other travelers know which guitar is best for them – safe travels!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

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You need to look into the Furch Little Jane travel guitar. It will blow you away with it’s design, looks and most importantly sound. There is also a LR Bagges pickup option if you need to be plugged in. Check the company out.

You must consider the Stow-Away by Stewart in the best travel guitar list. It clearly is the best option for an electric travel guitar.

I am a resophonic guy. My 1975 Dobro 33, metal bodied has traveled all over. Altbough many reso players are strictly slide and open tuning, I prefer standard and play many genres. I’d like to see a metal bodied resophonic that truly is travel friendly and works well in standard tuning. Metal bodies, like carbon fibre tend to be highly durable, but tend to weigh alot. Still, reso is loud enough to be a busking or session guitar in a multitude of situations.

Why are, we reso players always the stepchildren of these attempts to find the holy grail of travel instruments?

Traveler makes several other travel guitars with actual small guitar bodies which include preamps and other settings, yet have full sized fretboards. You might want to take a look at them. Yamaha makes an excellent travel model too, but it’s expensive. Also, you might include a comment about their ultra-light models being good for quiet practice in those hostels and places where noise is a factor. With a small preamp, you can use headphones to get the big sound you want without disturbing others. All useful factors for a travel guitar! And remember, some of us are classical guitar players and have no interest in “jamming”, but want a full fingerboard to play/practice on. I looked up the website on the eo guitars and, as you said, there is no information on how to buy one, the price, availability, etc, nor any reviews on the quality of build or the sound. The only way to get further information is to e-mail them which is not a plus for their marketing. It looks very interesting, but it’s too much of an unknown to pursue.

Damn, Mr Rogers- those are some hot tips! Next time I update this article (which should hopefully be before too long), I’ll 100% look into Traveler and Yamaha’s model. And you’re right: quiet practice in a hostel is definitely much-appreciated. I’ve gotten told on more than once for getting too carried away hahah! But I do certainly hope some classical guitar players still wanna jam. The more the merrier 🙂

Great site! I’d like to make you aware of my folding guitar which is the smallest travel instrument in the world yet with a full size neck and scale length. Patented robust joint mechanism allows the neck to fold to be only 42 cm long and weighs <1.5kg. The ultimate portability. With integral headphone amp. Play while you stray! eo-guitars

S’up Ken!

I am most certainly aware of the eo-guitar now – I love what it’s about! Small, light, innovative, and sexy. This post will need an update eventually, however, it’d be nice to get the eo-guitar in it in the future. As it stands though, info and feedback on the guitar online is pretty sparse.

It also seems like the only way to purchase one is through your email listed on your website. It’d be great to see this being sold in some online marketplaces, and we’d love to feature your guitar once it’s more readily available. The possibility of a hands-on review might be cool too, but it’d be better if you got in direct contact for discussing that.

For anyone reading these comments though, the eo-guitar is one to keep your eye on!

I am gobsmacked you haven’t reviewed the Furch little jane. I can only assume you haven’t come across it. If you had, the others would not even come into contention.

Thanks for your comment; I took a little squizz at the Furch Little Jane and you’re right – she’s a sexy beast! Although, she’s a pretty pricey gal and a bit chunkier than a lot of other travel guitars on the market.

This post got an update not so long ago, but it’s overdue for another. As far as I know, I’m the only muso on the team, so when the world is a bit less smashed and I got the time, I’ll be updating this review. You can almost definitely expect the Little Jane to feature then 🙂

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7 Best Travel Guitars of 2024

by Allison Johnson May 11, 2023, 7:15 pm

When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

There are so many perks to owning a travel guitar. They're so lightweight and easy to transport.

Whether you're taking multiple trips to the rehearsals each week, travel to and from different cities often, or simply like the convenience of being able to play on the fly, a travel guitar is a great investment.

We recommend travel guitars for players of all levels. We included some picks for guitar students to take to and from practice, an acoustic guitar for gigs, and electric and bass guitars for rehearsals and gigs as well.

Traveling with a full-sized guitar everywhere can be a pain due to the weight, plus, you don't want to take your pricey guitars everywhere, you know?

A quality backup guitar can be a great option to bring on vacations for impromptu practice and songwriting.

Our favorite on this list has to be the Martin LX1E Little Martin . It's ideal for gigs! It has amazing playability, is lightweight (about 3 pounds), and sounds amazing.

A small, travel-friendly guitar will be your favorite investment yet. Here are 7 of the best travel guitars for everyone.

Quick Summary of the Best Travel Guitars

• Martin LX1E Little Martin (Best Travel Acoustic Guitar for Gigs)
• Martin Steel String Backpacker Travel Guitar with Bag (The Best Travel Acoustic Guitar for Practice)
• Fender CD-60S Solid Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar (Best Lightweight Dreadnought)
• Fender Squier by Fender (Best Lightweight Electric Guitar for Beginners)
• Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric (Best Lightweight Electric Guitar)
• Gibson SG Standard '61 Sideways Vibrola - Vintage Cherry (A High-End Lightweight Electric Guitar)
• Ibanez GSRM20-BS GIO SR MiKro Series Electric Bass Guitar (Best Travel Bass)

Best Travel Guitars

1. best travel acoustic guitar for gigs – martin lx1e little martin.

• Weight: 3.3 lbs
• Pickups: Fishman Isys T pickup system
• Included Accessories: Gig bag

This is a popular guitar for travel. While it's compact and lightweight, it's still a great guitar for taking on stage. The sound quality is rich and balanced. It has a solid Stika spruce top giving it fantastic resonance and projection. The tone is warm, and you may also like using this guitar in the studio.

You'll be able to use an amplifier or sound system for gigs without external mics or pickups thanks to the Fishman Isys T pickup system.

If you're mainly looking for a lightweight guitar for comfortable playability, you're going to enjoy the fret body shape and low-profile neck. It has a short scale length that's easy to navigate.

A player said it's easy to play with arthritic hands, so if you're prioritizing comfort, you'll love this guitar.

Overall, Martin is a great guitar brand, and they're known for creating reliable instruments. This guitar checks all of our boxes, so consider this as your new favorite acoustic guitar for travel.

Interested in Buying a Guitar Stand? See the Best Guitar Stands Here

2. The Best Travel Guitar for Practice – Martin Steel String Backpacker Travel Guitar

• Weight: 5 lbs
• Pickups: No

To no surprise, another Martin guitar made the list. This itty bitty acoustic guitar is the ultimate travel guitar. If you're serious about only taking along a practice-style guitar on the road, then this is a guitar to consider.

The Martin travel guitar features a solid spruce top, solid tonewood back and sides, a unique contour neck shape, and a 24-inch scale length and 15 frets for easy playability.

This travel guitar will fit in backpacks and carry-on luggage. It's a great guitar for college students looking to practice in their dorms, beginner guitarists, or even experienced guitarists that like having a small guitar nearby. Keep it in the living room, or bedroom, or take it just about anywhere.

Considering the size of the acoustic guitar, it definitely won't have the same volume and projection as a full-sized guitar. However, if you're just looking for something lightweight for practice and cozy casual playing, it's perfect.

Guitarists say it's louder than they expected though. It's definitely not a toy, so if you need something small for creativity, this is everything you could want in a travel guitar.

3. Best Lightweight Dreadnought Travel Guitar – Fender CD-60S Solid Top Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

• Included Accessories: Gig Bag, Tuner, Strap, Strings, Picks, and Austin Bazaar Instructional DVD

The Fender CD-60S is a solid option for a variety of reasons: it has a solid spruce top for excellent sound and projection. The dreadnought body shape also makes it versatile and sound super full. If you're looking for a balanced tonal response with lots of volume and bass, this is great. Consider it for fingerpicking and strumming.

As for playability, it's designed for those looking to prioritize comfort. The C-shaped neck profile allows for easy fretting. Overall, it's a great lightweight Fender acoustic.

Guitarists love how nice it looks in person and say you get the best bang for the buck! It's under $240, great for anyone on a budget.

It's lightweight and has a fantastic build. Fender is known for solid construction and making guitars that last long for years of touring.

4. Best Lightweight Electric Guitar for Beginners – Fender Squier by Fender

• Weight: 7 lbs
• Pickups: Three single coil pickups
• Included Accessories: Cable bundle available

Fender has a cool lightweight electric guitar for beginners to learn, but it also makes a great travel guitar for seasoned players looking to make trips hassle-free in airport security or even on the road.

The mini Strat has the Stratocaster shape we all know and love. The comfortable neck profile makes it a great pick for long rehearsals without fatigue. The shorter scale length makes it easy to navigate the fretboard, and this makes it a favorite amongst players will smaller hands. Kids will love it!

If you're low on space or simply like the 22.75'' string scale and downsized 3/4 body, traveling with this mini guitar is a good idea.

Overall, guitarists think it's a great travel guitar and say it's a great compact and lightweight guitar for petite players.

This travel guitar comes in 4 different colors, metallic orange and surf green really stand out.

5. Best Lightweight Electric Guitar – Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric

• Weight: 3 lbs
• Pickups: Dual-rail hum bucker pickup

Looking for something truly built for travel? This is exactly what you need. Travel Guitar makes guitars for busy musicians, they know how to build guitars that make traveling less stressful for guitarists.

The portable electric guitar is small enough to fit into travel bags and overhead bins on planes. If you fly often, this is a good fit for your lifestyle. Even though it's small, it still has a full-scale length of a regular guitar.

A nice feature that makes it a great portable guitar is the detachable lap rest frame. It'll provide stability while playing.

Guitarists are raving about the tone and say it exceeded their expectations.

The guitar is made from sturdy materials -- it features a maple body and a maple neck. You can pick from 5 designs and pick between left and right-handed options.

6. A High-End Lightweight Electric Guitar – Gibson SG Standard '61 Sideways Vibrola

• Weight: 8 lbs
• Pickups: 60s Burstbucker (neck) & 60s Burstbucker (bridge)
• Included Accessories: No

If you're set on getting a high-end guitar for travel, look no further than the SG Standard '61. This compact guitar is lighter than most electric guitars. It's a guitar that won't make you feel fatigued during long sets.

The guitar has a comfy and fast-playing neck profile. It also has a slim-tapered neck with a smooth fretboard for easy navigation. Overall, it's the playability gets a 10/10.

The 60s Burstbucker pickups recreate the sound of the 1960s-era humbuckers. We love the tones for all genres! So whether you play blues, rock, or metal you're going to love gigging with this guitar.

The guitar is beautiful. It has a gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish and nitro finishes to look vintage.

7. Best Travel Bass – Ibanez GSRM20-BS GIO SR MiKro Series Electric Bass Guitar

• Weight: 7.72 lbs
• Pickups: Ibanez Dynamix pickups

The compact bass guitar has a smaller body and shorter scale length compared to standard bass guitars. This is a great bass guitar for kids, petite adults, or for traveling musicians looking for a lightweight and affordable bass guitar for the road.

Ibanez says this is a great bass guitar for beginner and intermediate players, but also think professional players will find the size great for ease of use. It features a poplar body, maple neck and jatoba fingerboard for comfort and playability.

It sounds great too, thanks to the Ibanez Dynamix pickups, which provide a range of tones suitable for various genres and playing styles. Great for deep, punchy tones or bright and articulate sounds.

Ibanez is one of the best guitar brands out there, so if you're stuck between brands when guitar shopping, just know you'll have a well-built guitar if you go with Ibanez.

Best Travel Guitar Buyer's Guide

There are many factors to consider other than size and weight. Below, we'll dive into sound quality, build quality, playability, and a few more considerations before picking out a travel guitar.

Size & Portability

You'll want to make sure your guitar has a small body shape. Think of something that can fit into a small gig bag you wouldn't mind carrying through an airport. If it sounds like it'll be a pain, it's likely not a great option for travel.

Build Quality

You want to make sure it's a durable guitar made of materials that can handle travel. A durable guitar can handle some bumps on the road, along with temperature changes in vehicles or airports. If it can handle humidity, even better.

Sound Quality

Make sure it sounds good. Solid top and decent resonance are key.

Playability

Check the neck shape and make sure it'll feel good in your hands. Features like adjustable truss rods will allow you to fine-tune the action and intonation.

Electronics

Onboard pickups and preamps are great so you can connect an amp or PA system. This is great for gigs and rehearsals!

Make sure you invest in a quality travel guitar. Even though it might not be your go-to option for every gig, you want it to last and be durable. This means paying more for quality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the ideal weight for a travel guitar.

Try to keep it under 5-10 lbs! This is a great size for travel, especially if you'll be carrying your guitar for long periods in airports or at venues.

Are travel guitars comfortable to play?

It depends on your playing stying, be sure to look at the fretboard radius and make sure it has adjustable truss rods to customize the playability to your liking.

Can travel guitars be amplified?

Yes, built-in electronics like pickups and preamps allow for amplification.

How much should I spend on a travel guitar?

You can budget for under $500 on a great travel guitar, but if you're looking for a compact guitar for gigging or recording, you may end up paying around the normal price of a guitar or high-end guitar.

Are travel guitars suitable for beginners?

Yes! They are great for beginners on the go. If you're a beginner and practice away from home often they're a great investment.

Final Thoughts

Shopping for a travel guitar can mean something different for all guitarists. For professional musicians, some want an affordable and lightweight guitar for gigging or rehearsals, for some, that means a tiny guitar small enough to fit in an airline-friendly bag.

We rounded up options for many scenarios, but if you're looking for a good lightweight acoustic to take on the road, you'll love the Martin LX1E Little Martin for gigging.

If you're a musician who can't stop writing songs, even when you're supposed to be relaxing, you need something like the Martin Steel String Backpacker Travel Guitar . Plus, you can play small gigs with it, think parks, beaches, and coffee shops.

If you want small lightweight electric guitars and bass guitars, consider the Fender Squier by Fender and the Ibanez GSRM20-BS GIO SR MiKro Series Electric Bass Guitar . Fender and Ibanez, both brands with great brand reputations! You'll get an amazing instrument, just smaller and easier to take on the road.

Photo Courtesy Amazon

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• Acoustic Guitars

The 10 Best Travel Guitars for 2024 [Backpacker’s Guide]

Our Pick: The Martin Steel String Backpacker Travel Guitar perfectly sums up all the qualities a traveler’s acoustic guitar should have. It offers great portability and its size is just perfect for any travelers who are always on the go. Though it may lack some volume, the guitar’s playability with its low action perfectly compensates it. And oh, about the price? It is one of the main reasons why travelers prefer this over other travel guitars out there.

You need a smaller and more portable guitar not because you are small, but because you find the benefits of owning one.

The best travel guitars aren’t the smallest, they are the ones that have a balance between smaller profile and tonality. In this article, I’m going to reveal to you my top 10 favorite travel guitars.

It’s not that I travel with different guitars , it’s just that I find the need to make this list and to give you more choices. I don’t want to force you to like what I like, so I will give you the freedom to choose what’s best for you .

Of course, I’ll also provide a simple guide on the factors to consider before buying your next travel guitar .

Here are the Best Travel Guitars in 2024

Martin steel-string backpacker, traveler guitar ultra-light, yamaha apxt2, fender ct-60s, martin lxk2 little martin, taylor gs mini mahogany, composite acoustics cargo carbon fiber acoustic guitar, stewart electric travel guitar, shredneck travel guitar, washburn ro10tb rover.

Designed to take on the rigors of camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities, the Martin Steel-String Backpacker will surely be your new travel companion. It’s a 24-inch guitar made of solid spruce top and solid mahogany for the neck, back, and sides. It has a unique contour neck shape that will help you access the upper frets without a problem.

This small and lightweight guitar offers a big projection. It comes with enclosed chrome tuners which are reliable to keep the guitar in tune even when frequently used. Stock strings are of good quality and sound great.

• Sounds phenomenal, which is perfect for fingerpicking
• Though it loses some volume, it still has great projection
• Action is perfect and low, no need for any adjustment
• Still awkward to play even with a strap
• The neck is heavier than the body, so more weight on your left hand
• High E-string is almost close to the edge of the guitar

Probably the smallest and the lightest electric travel guitar on the market, yet, Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light is still a full-scale guitar. It has a 24.75-inch scale length made of Eastern American Hard Maple neck-through-body. Though it’s small, it’s no less than a regular electric guitar because it’s equipped with a high-output dual-rail humbucker.

The detachable lap rest is a good add-on to this guitar. Although you’re playing a very tiny electric guitar, with the lap rest you can play it like a normal guitar and detach it when not in use. This guitar has an overall length of 28-inch weighing only over three pounds — not a noticeable add-on weight to your luggage.

• No setup required, the action is spot on
• The sound output is amazing, though it doesn’t have volume and tone controls
• Compact guitar, but with a standard scale length
• Might still be lacking when playing seated even with the lap rest
• Doesn’t hold the tune too well

If you have played the famous Yamaha APX500III , then your choice for the best travel guitar will surely be the Yamaha APXT2 . The latter is just a ¾ version of the former, featuring an ART-based pickup system and Yamaha’s very own proprietary tuner. Hence, you’ll enjoy great sensitivity and accurate tuning, respectively.

This acoustic-electric guitar is made of spruce top, Meranti back and sides, and rosewood fretboard. As a Yamaha product, you are assured that it’s well-built. So, this compact guitar will surely be a good companion on the road and wherever you go.

• Yamaha’s pickups are just great to deliver the best results
• More modern cutaway design for easier access to upper frets
• Definitely low action for great playability
• Tuning machines are of poor quality
• Fret edges aren’t rounded and tend to be sharp
• Since the action is very low, there’s fret buzz on the low E string

Isn’t it amazing to have a guitar with you every time you are summoned by Apollo to make music? With the Fender CT-60S , you’ll be able to bring an acoustic guitar anytime, anywhere. It’s a scaled-down travel guitar with Auditorium shape and 23.5-inch scale length.

It’s made of solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, and a rosewood fretboard. The easy-to-play neck profile and the rolled fretboard edges are the two major features I like about it. Weighing at only 11 pounds, it’s easy to carry around during your travels. Since it’s designed with X-bracing, you know you get the sound you love from Fender.

• Quality is remarkable for the affordable price tag
• Notes are rich, full and balanced
• Very easy to play with good intonation
• Slight adjustment of the truss rod is necessary
• Action is a bit high out of the box

Martin has a lot of travel guitars, and they are all good. However, I’ll just mention the second Martin that has captured a lot of guitarists all over the world, the Martin LXK2 Little Martin . This is a modified 0-14 guitar with a 23-inch scale length and Natural Stratabond modified low-oval neck.

Made with the same craftsmanship of high-end Martin, this one comes with Koa-grained HPL (high-pressure laminate) top, back, sides, and headstock. It has a rosewood fretboard and Natural colored Stratabond, which make it very easy to play. This is a perfect practice companion, and travel buddy, as well.

• Tone is balanced and more focused on mid-range
• Fretboard is flawless and no sharp fret edges
• Made with excellent material, slow to wear and tear
• Good for fingerstyle, but not so much with strumming
• Action is quite high out of the box

The best travel guitar list won’t be complete without the Taylor GS Mini Mahogany on it. It’s a Grand Symphony made of solid mahogany top, layered Sapele back and sides and Sapele neck. It’s a scaled-down guitar with only 23.5-inch scale length and has 20 frets distributed on its Genuine African Ebony fretboard.

Something is interesting in the GS Mini that made everyone fell in love, not just beginners. When you play the GS Mini, it’ll reveal an impressive powerful tone, like a full-size guitar. Hence, the combination of portability, playability, and musicality makes this guitar too hard to forget.

• Well-built and the Mahogany gives a beautiful appearance
• The rich and smooth tone for such small guitar
• Action is great and you can easily play barre chords
• The thin neck might be very vulnerable to breakage
• Due to the small scale, the first three frets are kind of tight

In need of a sturdy and durable travel guitar? You won’t surely be disappointed with the Composite Acoustics Cargo Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar . It’s not made of wood, but of carbon fiber , so it’s really very expensive — the priciest on the list. But, before moving into the next product, learn about this guitar first.

It boasts a 000 body shape with a single-cutaway. Probably the shortest in this list in terms of scale length as it only has 22.75-inch with 21 total number of frets on its reinforced polymer fretboard. Though its small, full-size sound and great projection are guaranteed.

• Highly resistant to climate changes and natural wear and tear
• Impressive durability with a very smooth fretboard
• Tone is good with great sustain
• If you need a loud tone, this isn’t the one for you
• Very expensive, especially for beginners

How about a full-scale guitar, but with a removable neck? If you think it’s interesting, try to take a look at the Stewart Electric Travel Guitar . It’s made of a solid Alderwood body with a 25.5-inch scale length and 22 medium frets.

The headless tuning system allows Stewart to make this guitar compact and even collapsible to meet airline policy in overhead storage restrictions. Since it’s an electric guitar, it has three single-coil pickups with the position switch, volume, and two-tone controls.

• Plays well and sounds amazing
• Easy to assemble and reassemble
• Stays in tune very well, with a smooth and fast neck
• Not all are interested in the stowaway design
• Still pricey for a travel guitar

Now, we’re down to the last guitar in this list, but the Shredneck Travel Guitar is in no way the least. It’s a ¾ scale guitar made of Nato body with Cherry burst finish over Flamed maple photo top. It has a 23.25-inch scale length with a 22-fret rosewood fretboard.

Since it’s an electric guitar, it’s equipped with two humbuckers, Master volume and tone controls, and a three-way toggle switch. Now you can play anytime with this great-sounding, stunning travel guitar.

• Has the great sound quality
• Performance is on par with regular electric guitars
• The finish is beautiful and stage-ready
• There are fret buzzes and needs truss rod adjustments

Planning to get a travel guitar that best fits the airline overhead storage? Washburn RO10TB rover is the one you need. It’s a full-scale guitar with a 24-inch scale length and has a lot of finish options. It’s made of solid spruce top, Mahogany back and sides, and rosewood fretboard.

The RO10TB features quality geared tuners for quick tuning to easily achieve sounds pleasing to the ears. This travel guitar is perfect for fingerstyle and flat-picking. With a deluxe gig bag and compact size of the guitar, it’s easy and safe to transport.

• Tiny body, but has great sound
• Narrower neck, so barre chords and bends are effortless
• Has excellent fit and color finish
• You’ll definitely need a guitar strap when playing
• Has a very high bridge out of the box

What to Consider When Buying a Travel Guitar

Of course, a travel guitar should be smaller than your regular guitar. Unless you are bringing your regular full-scale guitar when you travel, that could be your travel guitar. But, for most musicians and those who are passionate about guitars, travel guitars are handy, and portable yet has a great voice.

You already know the 10 best travel guitars on the market, but maybe you’ll ask how did I come up with the list? Very simple. I have a few considerations before jumping into the market and scavenging on what’s available. Here they are as follows:

This should be the first thing you have to consider. You know that if you are traveling, you aren’t in full control of the situation. You might bump your guitar or it’ll suddenly fall because you have a lot of baggage.

Make sure that your guitar can resist bumps and knocks. Check the wood used and the finish. Also, check the neck — very important. What’s the use of a durable body when the neck is weak?

Acoustic Guitar vs Electric Guitar

There are lots of travel acoustic guitars that are down-sized for that specific purpose. Moreover, you can also see electric guitar beginning to emerge either a scaled-down or full-sized with a detachable neck.

If you want an acoustic guitar, no problem with that. You can see a lot of small-bodied acoustics out there ready to make music anytime and anywhere. However, if you are an electric guitarist, you will always crave something an acoustic guitar can’t give you.

You can also have an electric guitar, but the first thing that you should secure after the guitar is a portable amp. An electric guitar is not as good as an acoustic guitar in the wilderness without an amp. The advantage of electric guitars is you can play it silently, using your headphones, so you won’t disturb others.

For more in-depth guides, check out our  best acoustic travel guitar  and best electric travel guitar for more info.

Full-Sized fretboard vs Scaled-Down Guitar

This depends on your preferences and how frequently you travel. If you want a guitar that feels like your regular guitar, have a guitar with the full-sized fretboard. However, if you often travel and don’t want to feel that extra weight in your luggage, get a scaled-down guitar, like the 3/4s.

One thing to remember, though, guitars with reduced fretboard have a different feel than your regular guitar. Not all guitarists are at home to this fretboard, some just hate it.

Don’t just pick it because it’s small and a good travel guitar. Make sure that you will be happy with the guitar that you choose. After all, what’s the use of the guitar when the neck is just awkward to play?

Small-Bodied vs Removable Neck

From the list, there are a lot of small body guitars , but there’s only one with a removable neck. Now, ask yourself whether you need to bring a full-scale guitar or a small travel guitar will do?

Having a small-bodied guitar won’t give you the kind of volume you need, but they are lightweight and very easy to carry. On the other hand, with the guitars with a removable neck, you can bring your regular guitar anywhere. The fear of having to detune and retune the guitar has now finally been given a solution.

If you aren’t ready to welcome a travel guitar in your life, it’s okay. Here’s a video that will help you make sense of the different guitars on the market and their sizes . Additionally, you can also explore more types of guitars – classical , acoustic, and electric.

The search is finally over and my ultimate choice for the best travel guitar is the Martin Steel-String Backpacker . It’s a scaled-down guitar with 23.5-inch scale length and 20 frets. It’s made of a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides — a common tonewood combo of affordable guitars .

It’s unbelievably affordable for a Martin that offers rich, full, and balanced tone coming from a small-bodied guitar . The craftsmanship is excellent and the playability is unmatched. So, there is nothing that can beat this Fender as the best.

Related posts:

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• Taylor 214ce Review 2024 – Is it Worth Buying?
• Fender T-Bucket 300CE Review (2024)- Balanced Guitar With Laminated Perfection
• Orangewood Brooklyn Live Acoustic-Electric Guitar Review (2024)

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• Date: December 19, 2020
• Posted In: Acoustic Guitar

10 Best Travel Guitars (2021 Buyer’s Guide)

• By Brian Lamacraft

If you’re on the go all the time, you may be looking for a travel guitar. These are smaller versions of full-size instruments. They’re ideal when you have limited space, such as on an airplane.

Quick Look: Best Travel Guitars

★ #1 Best Travel Guitar Overall: Traveler EG-1   ★

• Best Travel Guitar for Beginners: Dean FLY NYL
• Best Intermediate Travel Guitar: Washburn RO10
• Best Travel Guitar for Professionals: Traveler Viabrant Deluxe
• Best Cheap Travel Guitar: Johnson JG-TR3
• Best Travel Guitar Under $1,000: LAVA ME 2
• Best Travel Guitar Under $500: Alvarez LJ2E
• Best Electric Travel Guitar: Traveler EG-1
• Best Acoustic Travel Guitar: Washburn RO10SK
• Best Acoustic-Electric: LAVA ME2
• Best Collapsible Travel Guitar: Journey Instruments Collapsible
• Best Hiking Travel Guitar: Martin Backpacker

SEE THE FULL LIST

This guide to the best travel guitars should help you find something that works for your needs. I have reviewed several different instruments so you can find a guitar to take with you on that next trip.

• Acoustic Guitars

Acoustic Guitar Buyer’s Guides

• Best Acoustic Guitars
• Best Acoustic-Electric Guitars
• Best Resonator Guitars
• Best Semi-Acoustic Guitars
• Best Classical Guitars
• Best Travel Guitars
• Best 12-String Acoustic Guitars
• Learn More About Acoustic Guitars
• What Is a Travel Guitar?

A travel guitar is essentially a smaller version of a regular guitar . They come in both acoustic as well as electric versions. Many top manufacturers now make travel-size guitars, so you have something to play when you’re on a trip.

Some instruments collapse down, meaning you can take the neck off of them, while others don’t offer this feature. They may have more stripped-down controls or not as many frets as a regular guitar.

• What Types of Travel Guitars Are There?

There are several different types of travel guitars that you need to know about. Here are the basic types that you might want to consider purchasing.

Electric Travel Guitar

The electric travel guitar is a stripped-down version of a regular electric guitar. The instrument may have an odd shape compared to a regular electric guitar that you have to get used to, but they offer the same basic functions.

Acoustic Travel Guitar

An acoustic travel guitar offers you more options. This is because a lot of manufacturers make smaller size instruments designed for students. These would make excellent travel guitars.

Some manufacturers also make what are called “baby instruments.” These are smaller versions of regular brand name guitars. For example, both Taylor and Martin offer baby instruments, such as the Little Martin or Baby Taylor .

Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar

An acoustic-electric travel guitar is a regular acoustic guitar with a pickup system . This gives you both the sound of an acoustic guitar and electric guitar in one portable package.

Collapsible Travel Guitar

A collapsible travel guitar is a guitar where you can take off the headstock. This makes it the best guitar for airline travel since you can take it apart.

Backpacking Travel Guitar

When you’re on travels, you might want to go hiking or backpacking. It’s difficult to take a guitar with you if you want to play after your hike. This is where a backpacking travel guitar is beneficial.

A backpacking travel guitar is a small portable guitar that you can take with you. They offer great sound as well as tone in one compact package.

• 10 Best Travel Guitars Overall

As a guitarist and guitar teacher for many years, I’ve personally had the opportunity to play these travel guitars and countless more. Here’s my list of of the best travel guitars on the market today.

1. Traveler EG-1

• Scale length: 24.3
• Pickup type: Humbucker
• Body shape: Travel size
• What’s Included in the B0x: Guitar, documentation, gigbag
• Material & finish: Walnut, alder, gloss finish
• Best for: Travelers that want the tone of a humbucker

I like the Traveller EG-1 because it gives you the big tone of a humbucking pickup. This guitar also has a built-in amplifier with various effects, so you don’t have to lug an amplifier with you on your travels.

Why I Recommend It The EG-1 Is a great-sounding traveler guitar. It has an excellent pickup, a nice neck, a headphone amplifier, and an output jack, so you can jam along with your favorite tracks. It comes with a gig bag , so it’s ready to go.

VIEW ON AMAZON

2. Dean FLY NYL 6-String Nylon Travel Guitar

• Scale length: 22″
• Pickup type: N/A
• Included in the box: Guitar, documentation
• Material & finish: Mahogany, rosewood, satin finish
• Best for: Beginners that want a simple travel guitar

The Dean FLY NYL is a simple nylon string guitar . I like this model because it’s made of solid mahogany wood, so it has an excellent tone. This the best beginner travel guitar thanks to its easy playability.

Why I Recommend It The Dean FLY NYL is a good choice if you’re a beginner and want to travel with your guitar. It’s made of solid wood, has a decent tone, and it’s small enough to pack away in tight locations while you’re traveling.

3.  Taylor Mini-e Guitar

• Scale length: 24.3″
• Body shape: Dreadnought travel size
• Included in the box: Guitar, documentation, gigbag
• Material & finish: Spruce, rosewood, laminate satin finish
• Best for: Beginners or intermediate players that want a reliable acoustic for traveling

The Taylor Mini-e is ideal for anyone on the go who wants a simple acoustic travel guitar. It has an excellent tone, easy playability, and comes with a gig bag, making it one of the best travel acoustic guitars you can buy.

Why I Recommend It

I like the Taylor Mini-e since it’s a well-built guitar that sounds great. It has a great pickup, an excellent neck, a great finish, and the smaller size means it’s perfect for traveling.

4. Alvarez LJ2E Little Jumbo

• Scale length: 24″
• Pickup type: Undersaddle
• Body shape: Travel jumbo dreadnought
• Material & finish: Sitka spruce, rosewood, mahogany, gloss finish
• Best for: Travelers that want a good dreadnought style guitar

The Alvarez LG2E is a nice dreadnought jumbo style travel guitar. I like this model because it comes with a pickup, a built-in tuner, and has an excellent tone. It’s ready to go with a gig bag for your next travel adventure.

This guitar is a great choice for any traveler because it comes with a pickup, tuner, and excellent tone. I like the solid wood construction and easy-to-play neck. This is the ideal guitar for any intermediate player.

5. Traveler Guitar Viabrant Deluxe

• Scale length: 25.5″
• Pickup type: 2 x humbucking 1 x single-coil
• Body shape: Electric travel size
• Material & finish: Maple, alder, ebony, gloss finish
• Best for: Shredders that want to rock during travels

The Traveler Viabrant Deluxe is one stunning travel guitar. The instrument has two humbucking pickups and one single-coil pickup for a big tone. It also has a 24 fret guitar neck, so it’s perfect for any shredder.

The Traveler Viabrant Deluxe is quite a treat for a travel guitar. It has a huge tone with an amazing pickup combination. This is the best electric travel guitar for those into rock guitar.

6. LAVA ME 2

• Scale length: 23.62″
• Tremolo: N/A
• Pickup type: L2 pickup
• Body shape: Dreadnought
• Included in the box: Guitar, documentation, case
• Material & finish: Carbon fiber
• Best for: Advanced guitar players looking for a unique travel guitar

The LAVA Me 2 is a unique guitar for anyone traveling. It has a built-in pickup and effects, so you don’t have to use an amplifier. It’s made of carbon fiber for added tone and easy playability.

The LAVE ME 2 is a modern take on the travel guitar. This instrument has a well-rounded tone, and I like the fact that you can play it with or without an amplifier. This is one of the best travel guitar options on the current market.

7. Martin Backpacker

• Frets: 15 frets
• Included in the box: Guitar, documentation, gig bag
• Material & finish: Spruce, select tonewoods, satin finish
• Best for: Hikers or when space is limited

If you want to hike and want to play guitar, the Martin Backpacker is a great choice. It has excellent tone and sound in a small compact package. It’s the best backpacker guitar you can buy because it has that famous Martin tone.

The Martin Backpacker is a guitar you want to take with you on your travels. It’s easy to play, and its small size makes it portable for almost any situation. It’s one of the best travel guitars for airplanes or wherever you are.

8. Johnson JG-TR3 Travel Guitar

• Material & finish: Spruce, gloss finish
• Best for: Travelers that need a cheap guitar

The Johnson JG-TR3 is the ideal choice if you’re looking for the best cheap travel guitar. This instrument has a nice neck, easy playability, and its small size means you can take it with you wherever you go.

This is one of the best cheap travel guitars on the market. It has a decent tone, easy playability, and it ships with a gig bag. The guitar comes in at under $200, so it’s a great investment.

9. Journey Instruments Collapsible Guitar

• Scale length: 24.5″
• Pickup type: Transducer
• Body shape: Collapsible dreadnought
• Included in the box: Guitar, case, documentation
• Material & finish:  Mahogany, ebony, satin finish
• Best for: Those whose space is at a premium

The Journey Instruments Collapsible is an excellent guitar because it collapses right down into a small package. You can take the neck off to carry it with you on an airplane. It has a great tone, a nice finish, and easy playability.

This is the best travel guitar for airplane travel. It folds down into one nice compact package. The guitar itself has a decent tone and easy playability. I also like the solid wood construction and the pickup that it comes with.

10. Washburn Rover Spruce Top

• Scale length: 23″
• Material & finish: Spruce, mahogany, satin finish
• Best for: Beginners or intermediate players that want a reliable travel guitar.

The Washburn Rover is an excellent travel guitar. It has a great sound, a nice playing neck, and it’s suitable for backpacking because of its small size. It comes with a bunch of extras, such as a tuner, a guitar strap, and a gig bag.

The Washburn Rover is the perfect instrument for traveling. It can deal with tight spaces. Its small size means you can take it backpacking if you want. It has a great tone and is perfect for many situations.

• What Are the Best Travel Guitar Brands?

There are several travel guitar brands that you might want to buy your instrument from. All of these manufacturers make some of the best travel guitars on the market today. Here is a rundown of the best ones.

One of the better companies for travel guitars is Traveler. They have constructed travel guitars since 1992. Some of their guitars have a unique design where the tuning pegs are located in the guitar’s body and the neck is headless.

Since 1974, Taylor has been making musical instruments. They produce the excellent Baby Taylor guitar, which is their travel or student size guitar model.

Martin has been producing instruments since 1833. They have a couple of excellent travel-size guitars. Two of their better models include the Martin Backpacker and the Little Martin Guitar.

Since 1887, Yamaha has been making a wide range of musical instruments and other products. They offer several student size guitars, which make excellent travel guitars.

Washburn offers several different travel guitars. Their model is called the Rover, and it’s one of the better acoustic travel guitars on the market. This company has been in operation since 1883.

• What Are the Best Beginner Travel Guitars?

A beginner travel guitar is a basic instrument that you can take with you when you’re on-the-go. Don’t expect the best tone or sound of these instruments. You’ll have something basic to help you practice when away from home.

• Washburn Rover Spruce Top : This guitar is an excellent choice for beginners as it has a great neck, easy playability, a great finish, and it’s portable.
• Johnson JG-TR3 : This is a simple travel guitar. It has an excellent neck, easy playability, great tone, and a nice finish.
• Dean FLY NYL : This is an excellent guitar for beginners as it has nylon strings, easy playability, a great wood construction, and it comes in at a low price.
• What Are the Best Intermediate Travel Guitars?

At the intermediate level, you’ll have more options available to you in terms of travel guitars. These instruments are made with better wood, have a better tone, and are more reliable than a basic instrument.

• Traveler Lightweight Acoustic-Electric : This guitar has a nice tone and easy playability. It comes with a pickup and is easy to take with you no matter where you are.
• Martin Backpacker : This Martin guitar is one of the best travel guitars because it has a small size and a great tone. It’s made with solid wood and has a nice finish.
• Washburn RO10 : This instrument is perfect for backpacking. It has a great tone, easy playability, and it won’t take up much room no matter where you are.
• What Are the Best Travel Guitars for Professionals?

At the professional level, you’ll find an instrument that sounds amazing, has great playability, and gives you all the options you want. The instruments listed below are some of the best guitars for professionals.

• Traveler Viabrant Deluxe : This guitar has excellent pickups, a great tone, and is everything that a professional would want in a high-quality electric travel guitar.
• Tayor GS Mini-e: This instrument has the sound you expect from Taylor with a nice neck, great tone, pickup system, and wonderful finish.
• LAVE ME 2 : This instrument can be used with or without an amplifier. It has a great tone, nice neck, and unique design, making it an excellent travel guitar.
• What Are the Best Cheap Travel Guitars?

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on a travel guitar, you can still find many options that don’t cost a lot of money. Here are some of the best cheap travel guitars that you might want to consider.

• Johnson JG-TR3 : This instrument is portable and has a nice sound and good finish It comes with a gig bag, and, more importantly, it has a low price tag.
• Cordoba Mini II M : This instrument has a small size, a solid wood construction, easy-playing nylon strings, and a great tone for any beginner.
• Yamaha JR-1 FG : This guitar is a nice 3/4 size instrument with a nice tone, a smooth finish, and easy playability, making it perfect for any student or traveler.
• What Are the Best Kids Travel Guitars?

If you have small children, you may want to pick up a travel guitar for them to take with you on your vacation. Here are some options below that would make excellent travel guitars for younger kids.

• Tanglewood TW2T : This travel-size guitar kit includes an excellent guitar, strings, picks, a tuner, and everything else that a young beginner needs.
• Ibanez EWP140PN : This travel guitar features a cutaway, an excellent tone, a smooth finish, and easy playability for any small child.
• Hofner Shorty Guitar : Great electric travel guitar for kids with a good pickup, easy-playing neck, and an excellent tone.
• What Are the Best Electric Travel Guitars?

For those who don’t want to play an acoustic but prefer electric, you’ll find a wide range of electric guitars suitable for travel. Here are three of the top choices in this category, including the best electric travel guitar on my list.

• Traveler EG-1 : This guitar has a classic look, a great humbucking pickup, smooth neck, and a cutaway so that you can access all of the higher frets with ease.
• Hofner Shorty : This electric travel guitar is easy to play, and it has a comfortable neck and a great pickup. It’s suitable for beginners or intermediate players.
• Traveler Guitar Viabrant : This instrument features excellent pickups, a great tone, a smooth playing neck, and everything else you could want in an electric travel guitar.
• What Are the Best Acoustic Travel Guitars?

There are quite a few acoustic travel guitars available on the market. Here are some top choices that you might want to consider picking up.

• Washburn RO10SK : This instrument has a great tone, a nice finish, excellent tuning machines, a tuner, a strap, and it ships with a gig bag to protect your guitar.
• Cordoba Mini II M : This instrument has easy-to-play nylon strings, a solid wood construction, a great tone, and easy playability.
• Journey Instruments PJ410N : This acoustic instrument is collapsible with a smooth finish, an excellent tone, and great convenience for traveling.
• What Are the Best Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitars?

When looking for the best travel guitar, you may want the best of both acoustic and electric sounds. There are several acoustic-electric guitars on the market to choose from. Here are three choices you might want to consider.

• Traveler AG-105E : This instrument has a nice finish, comfortable neck, built-in pickup, tuner, and headphone jack. It’s one of the best travel guitars under $500.
• LAVA ME 2 : This guitar has a smooth finish, easy playability, a great tone, a solid construction, and you can play it with or without an amplifier.
• Cordoba Mini EB-CE : This guitar has a smooth finish, an excellent pickup system, easy playability, and it’s easy to take with you as it’s only 1/2 size.
• What Are the Best Collapsible Travel Guitars?

When you’re traveling, you don’t have a whole lot of room for your guitar. In this case, you’ll want one that collapses down. Here is a guide to several that are the best collapsible travel guitars you might want to go with.

• Journey Instruments OF66OR1M : This instrument has an exceptional tone, easy playability, a great neck, and it collapses down into one easy-to-carry package.
• Cross Guitar 1.0 : Offers a full acoustic guitar neck, easy playability, great tone, and it folds down so you can take it with you.
• Journey Instruments OF312 : This instrument offers an exceptional tone, has a great finish, comes with a pickup, and collapses down so you can take it with you.
• What Are the Best Backpacking Travel Guitars?

When you’re on the go and don’t have a whole lot of room to spare for your guitar, you might want to consider a small backpacking instrument. Here are a few of the best backpacking guitars you might want to pick up.

• Martin Backpacker : One of the best instruments for backpacking is the Martin Backpacker. This guitar has a great tone, easy playability, a solid construction, and you can take it with you anywhere.
• Washburn Rover 6 : This small backpacking guitar has a great tone and excellent playability. It comes with a gig bag and is easy to take with you.
• Cross Guitar 2.0 : This guitar is simple to take with you as it folds down, and it has a great tone and playability.
• Things to Consider When Choosing a Travel Guitar

There are several things that you want to consider when choosing a travel guitar. Below are the options that you should keep in mind before you make your purchase.

• Budget: Have an idea of the budget you have to spend on your instrument. You can spend anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to close to $1,000 on a travel guitar.
• Acoustic or electric: You have to decide whether you want an acoustic or an electric guitar. You could also buy an acoustic-electric guitar , so you have the best of both worlds.
• Wood: The wood choice for a travel guitar can make a difference. Some of these instruments aren’t made with the best materials, while others use solid wood in the construction.
• Playing level: If you’re new to playing guitar, you probably want an instrument that’s easy to play. If you have more experience, then you can probably go with a more complex travel guitar.

Level of Experience

You’ll find a travel guitar whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or an advanced player. What you decide to buy will all depend on your various needs. Here are some of the things you can expect at different playing levels.

Beginner Travel Guitars

At the beginner level, you can expect to find basic instruments. They’ll probably cost you only a couple of hundred dollars. They’ll have a basic tone and playability. They’re perfect for anyone that’s just starting.

Intermediate Travel Guitars

At the intermediate level, there are more options available to you. For example, you might want to go with an electric guitar as your intermediate travel instrument. These guitars cost more but use better wood and have a better sound.

Professional Travel Guitars

If you’re a professional player, you can pick something that will work for your individual needs. Whether you’re an acoustic or an electric player, there’s an option out there for you.

Some travel guitars have a full-length guitar neck, while others have a length that’s a bit shorter. You can also get instruments that are 1/2 or 3/4 size. These smaller student guitars are also perfect travel guitars for adults.

There are various types of wood used in guitars. Here are some of the options you can expect to see when you make your purchase:

• Mahogany: This word is often used in the top and sides of acoustic guitars. It has an excellent tone and resonance.
• Maple: This wood is durable and is often used in the construction of guitar necks for electric instruments.
• Spruce: Acoustic guitar tops are often made of spruce wood as it has a great tone and reliability.
• Rosewood: Fretboards of acoustic instruments as well as electric instruments are often made of rosewood. This wood is smooth and easy on the fingers as you play.
• Alder: This wood is often used to make the bodies of electric guitars as it’s reliable, long-lasting, and sounds great.
• Laminate: Some instruments are made with a combination of wood called laminate wood. This is usually used on lower-cost instruments.
• Shellac: This is used on guitars because it’s durable and long-lasting.
• Oil and wax: Some acoustic instruments are finished with oil and wax, as they bring out the wood’s natural shine.
• Nitrocellulose lacquer: This is a common finish used on modern instruments because it has an excellent shine, great durability, and it helps protect the guitar.
• Polyester: This is another common finish used, as it offers great durability and is long-lasting.

Travel guitars come in various colors. Common colors include natural, white, black, and so on. There are not as many color options for acoustic instruments, but electric ones tend to have more color options.

The Overall Tone & Sound

You want a travel instrument that has a decent sound and tone. If you can spend a little bit more on your travel guitar, it’s certain that higher-cost instruments will have the best sound.

Travel guitars come at various price ranges. Here is what you can expect when you make your purchase.

Budget Travel Guitars

At the budget level, you can expect to pay between $75 and $200. You should try to spend at least over $100 on your guitar. Instruments on the lower end of the spectrum don’t tend to be all that great.

Midrange Travel Guitars

You can expect to pay from $200 to $400 for your instrument at the mid-range or intermediate level. You’ll get better wood, better sound, and an instrument that has better playability at this price.

Top-End Travel Guitars

At the professional level, you have the most options available to you. These instruments cost anywhere between $400 and up. They have the best sound, the best tone, and the reliability you want in a professional instrument.

New vs Used

If you have some experience playing guitar, you can buy a used travel guitar if you want. If you’re new to guitar and want a travel instrument, it’s best to buy it new as you won’t have any problems.

• What’s in a Travel Guitar Box?

You can expect to find several things inside the box when you get your guitar home. Here are some of the things that are commonly found in a guitar box.

Documentation/Checked-by Tag

In the guitar box, you should find a manual or some sort of documentation. You should find a checked-by tag. This ensures that the instrument has been inspected at the factory or at the music store where it was sold.

Accessories

If you buy a guitar kit, you may have several accessories inside the box. This may include a cable, picks, strings, a guitar strap, and other related accessories that came with the package.

Hardshell Case/Gigbag

If your instrument includes a gig bag or hardshell case, you’ll find this in the box.

You may find a few tools in the guitar box. This might include allen wrenches to adjust certain aspects of your instrument.

Whenever you buy a guitar, there are a few extras that you might want to pick up. You were some of the common ones:

• Lesson books
• Guitar stand/chair
• Travel Guitar Brands to Avoid

Try to avoid low-cost guitar kits. This is anything that is under $100 or so. These instruments don’t tend to be made to a high quality. It’s far better to go with a brand name and spend a little extra on your instrument.

• Travel Guitar Parts & Accessories

There are several different parts of travel guitars. This will cover both acoustic as well as electric instruments.

The headstock is where the tuning pegs of the guitar are located. This also includes the string slot and nut. Some travel guitars don’t have headstocks, and the tuning pegs are located in the body.

The neck of a travel guitar is where you’ll find the frets. The neck is attached to the body of the guitar. The neck and headstock are usually one piece of wood.

The travel guitar body is where you’ll find the bridge and electronics if the instrument is electric. You may also find the tuning pegs located here on some guitars, such as the Traveler brand of instruments.

Strap Buttons

Most traveler guitars have two strap buttons. Some of them only have one, so you’ll have to install an extra one for your guitar strap.

Electronics

Electric and acoustic-electric guitars have electronic systems. These include pickups, tone control, volume control, input jack, and some guitars have built-in speakers.

• Frequently Asked Questions:

Here are some frequently asked questions about travel guitars that you need to know.

How Much Do Travel Guitars Cost?

There are various price ranges for travel guitars. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or more advanced player, there’s a travel guitar out there for you. The basic costs are:

• Beginner: $75-$200
• Intermediate: $200-$400
• Advanced: $400+

What Are the Best Travel Guitars?

The three instruments listed below are what I consider to be the best travel guitar that you can buy. These are suitable for all skill levels and needs.

Traveler Viabrant Deluxe: Best for Advanced Players

The Vibrant Deluxe is an excellent instrument for advanced players. This guitar features a combination of humbucking and single-coil pickups. It produces an amazing tone in one compact package.

Martin Backpacker: Best for Intermediate Players

You get the great tone and reliability of a Martin guitar in one small compact size. This instrument has excellent machine heads, a great tone, a smooth finish, and easy portability.

Dean FLY NYL: Best for Beginners

This instrument is easy to play for beginners as it features nylon strings. It has a solid wood construction, a nice neck, and it comes in at a very attractive price.

Where Are the Best Travel Guitars Made?

Most of the best travel guitars are made in the United States. Several companies offer excellent instruments, including famous brand name companies such as Taylor and Martin.

What Is the Best Sounding Travel Guitar?

The Traveler EG-1 is an excellent travel guitar because it features a great sounding humbucking pickup . I like the neck on this guitar and the fact that it has a classic electric guitar feel.

What Is the Best Guitar for Backpacking?

The Martin Backpacker is the best guitar for backpacking. It’s a small instrument, so you can take it with you no matter where you go. This guitar has a great tone, sound, and playability.

Where to Buy Travel Guitars

There are several places where you might want to pick up your travel guitar. You’ll have to decide whether you want an acoustic, electric, or an acoustic-electric combination. There’s a guitar available for everyone, no matter your level.

Amazon is probably the best place to buy your instrument. You can return it for your money back, read customer reviews, and they have attractive prices. Amazon often has specials so that you can get great deals.

Guitar Center

Another place to purchase online is Guitar Center. They have a huge selection and an excellent guarantee, so you’re sure to find something that meets your needs.

Your Local Music Store

You can always shop at your local music store. This might be an option if you have a location near you. Take someone with you that understands musical instruments if you’ve never bought a travel guitar before.

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Table of Contents

In Conclusion

This concludes my guide to the best travel guitars. There’s a wide range of different instruments for you to choose from depending on your skill level and requirements.

Please leave your questions and comments about travel guitars, as I want to hear from you. Have fun on your next travel adventure and enjoy playing your travel guitar.

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The Best Travel Guitars: Top 5 Picks

By: Author Jodie Chiffey

Posted on Last updated: January 31, 2023

Today we’ll be talking through some of our favorite travel electric guitars.

We’ll take a closer look at five of the best models out there, outline the pros and cons of each before giving you an idea of who we think each model best suits. Some of the most common FAQs will also be tackled so read on and you’ll be well equipped to choose your next travel-sized guitar.

For the most dedicated of players, having a trusty guitar with you at all times means you can play to your heart’s content whenever inspiration strikes. Maybe you’re sitting on a beach somewhere or watching the sunset from the top of a mountain when the perfect riff or set of chords pop into your head.

Well, fear not, getting yourself a travel guitar could be the perfect solution!

The travel guitar market is filled with plenty of options to suit all needs and styles of play. From miniature electric guitars right through to shrunken acoustic options and everything in between, there’s sure to be the right option for you.

These bespoke instruments are designed purely with portability in mind, with some incredibly clever designs that allow them to be ultra-compact and lightweight whilst also sounding as good as their larger counterparts.

Before we dive in and take an in-depth look into our five favorite travel guitars, let’s take a look at an overview of what you can expect from each one.

5 of the Best Travel Guitars

What exactly is a travel guitar.

A travel guitar is exactly that, a guitar that is designed to travel easily with. They achieve the desired levels of portability and mobility through a few clever design tricks. Firstly, the overall body is built to a much lighter spec. This usually involves reducing the overall size and using much lighter materials during construction.

Secondly, travel guitars often include a number of clever space-saving solutions, such as inventive tuning methods and well-thought-out storage options. Lastly, travel guitars are designed to be sturdy.

The overall build is much less delicate than your standard instrument as they are designed to be carried around a lot, thrown into the back of vehicles, and manhandled to a much greater extent.

Whilst portability, mobility, and reliability are the name of the game, there are other elements that cannot be overlooked. Who would buy any guitar if it didn’t sound good? That’s right, the key to the success of any travel guitar is to not only nail the travel elements but to nail the tone and overall sound too.

What Makes Travel Guitars so Different?

Due to the manufacturer’s quest for portability, travel guitars can often appear dramatically different from their more traditional counterparts. It is not uncommon to see electric guitars with little or nobody at all and some models even skip the headstock altogether.

Despite the often considerable difference in appearances, there are certain elements that all guitars, whether travel-sized or not, simply must-have. Tuning pegs and a bridge, for example, must be present in all models.

This means that the overall playing experience can differ from what you are familiar with and may take some getting used to. It is imperative that you select a model that will suit your style!

What are the Key Features of a Travel Guitar?

When it comes to the design of these specialist guitars, there are often two ways that the manufacturers go about it. The first is to essentially take a full-sized traditional guitar and shrink it down until it is deemed portable enough.

This approach works well as it allows the guitars to retain an element of familiarity and is often a popular choice for younger players or those who are slightly less experienced musicians.

The second is totally redesign the instrument from the ground up. Doing this often leads to elements of the guitar being totally repositioned and can alter the playing experience significantly.

Don’t be put off though, the company making these types of travel guitars have put millions of dollars into their research and development and often come up with innovative designs that are both portable and, crucially, playable.

Who Uses Travel Guitars?

At their core travel guitars are designed for musicians who want to take their instrument with them wherever they are in the world. They may just be heading off on vacation or planning a 6 month round the world trip but wherever they go, their guitar needs to go with them.

Alternatively, travel guitars have proved to be a popular choice with children who are not yet big enough to play a full-sized instrument. In fact, one of the guitars on our list actually started out as a design specifically aimed at kids!

In terms of style and genres, there is a travel guitar to suit all. The modern range available of electric, acoustic , and acoustic-electric options means no genre and no playing style is left uncatered for.

5 of The Best Travel Guitars Currently Available

Taylor baby taylor acoustic guitar – a classic acoustic design that produces outstanding tones.

The Taylor Baby Taylor actually started life as a guitar designed for children to play. Its compact size but the familiar layout was intended to allow younger musicians to get used to the feel of an acoustic guitar before graduating to a full-sized model.

It turned out that the design and build were so good that even players well suited to using regular-sized guitars found the sound of the Baby Taylor was perfectly good enough for them, far exceeding the expectations of a ‘learner’ model. The logical result was that the Baby Taylor became a very successful and generally well-respected traveler’s instrument.

Its classic dreadnought looks are ¾ of the size of a normal Taylor and the included gig bag makes it ultra-portable whilst being easy on the wallet. If the more outlandish designs aren’t for you then the Baby Taylor could well be a perfect choice.

Specifications

• ¾ sized dreadnought
• Solid Sitka Spruce top wood
• Layered Walnut on the back and sides
• Taylor Standard Baby X-bracing pattern
• Satin varnish finish
• Standard Taylor Baby profile
• 1 11/16-inch (42.8 mm) nut width
• Genuine African ebony fingerboard
• Sapele neck wood
• 22-¾-inch scale length
• Copafera headstock overlay
• Chrome Baby tuners & buttons
• Genuine African ebony bridge
• Micarta saddle & Nubone nut
• Taylor Deluxe Baby gig bag included
• Produces some of the best tones on our list
• Excellent build quality
• Players with larger hands may struggle

Martin Steel-String Backpacker Acoustic Guitar – A Unique Aesthetic That Won’t Appeal to Everyone

With the Martin Steel-String Backpacker , we have the first example of a guitar that has been radically changed and redesigned to fit the portability brief. Although the looks of this travel guitar won’t appeal to everyone, you can be sure that Martin has managed to deliver crisp and clear tones despite the redesign.

The solid Mahogany used in the construction of the body really helps this little guitar kick out a more than the respectable level of volume. With a name like Martin behind this one, you can rest assured you are purchasing a quality product.

This model in particular has been designed with the traveler in mind. By that, we mean that not only has it been shrunk in size, but the construction has also made this model tougher than a lot of the other options on our list.

This means that the Martin Steel-String Backpacker is the ideal choice for those planning on taking their travel guitar away on camping or hiking trips. 

• Mahogany back, neck & sides
• Chrome tuners that are enclosed
• Small, ultra-lightweight size
• Padded gig bag included for portability and protection on the road
• Creates a good level of volume
• Super easy to travel with
• Great tones
• Visually, this guitar won’t appeal to everyone

Travelcaster Deluxe Electric Travel Guitar – A Lightweight Take on a Heavyweight Electric Guitar World

The Stratocaster is an instantly recognizable electric guitar that has been around for decades. But what happens when you want to take yours away on holiday with you? Well, unless you want to be lugging around your full-sized model then you should seriously consider getting yourself a Travelcaster Deluxe Guitar !

Coming in at only 5bls, the Travelcaster is 35% lighter and 14% shorter than its older brother. Despite this difference in size, we found it to provide a pretty good version of the classic Stratocaster experience. If you can get over it visually and need your travel guitar to be electric, this is a pretty awesome one to go for.

For guitarists on the go, there aren’t too many better options. It features three single-coil pickups , one volume control, two tone controls, and a five-way pickup selection.

• Poplar body
• 1.75 inches thick
• 9 inches wide
• Bolt-on construction
• 9.5-inch neck radius
• 1.65-inch width at the nut
• Maple fingerboard
• 22 medium/jumbo frets
• Passive electronics including tone. volume, & 5-way switch
• 3-inch overall depth
• 33.75-inch overall length
• 3 ceramic single-coil pickups
• Gigbag included
• A great option if you need an electric model
• Classic Strat feel and playing experience
• Portable & lightweight
• It may not appeal to everyone. Some may say the original Strat design shouldn’t have changed or tampered with in any way.

Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar – An Electric Travel Guitar That Has Withstood the Test of Time

Originally designed and brought out by Hofner in the 1980s the Shorty Electric Guitar has proved to be a popular choice for the guitarist on the go ever since.

One of the reasons for this is that it provides that full-scale feel and familiarity a lot of players automatically look for. This full-length scale combined with its shrunken body results in one of the comfiest and best playing experiences you can get from a travel guitar.

There’s a classic Maplewood and Rosewood combination on the fretboard and neck whilst the humbucker situated on the bridge is beefy enough to blast even the most demanding of riffs.

The playability of this travel guitar is really why it made our list, along with the price. At such a low price point you really can’t go wrong. There are other models on our list that perhaps sound a little better but the Hofner Shorty is a brilliant choice if you’re not looking to break the bank.

• Basswood top & back
• Rosewood fingerboard
• 24.7-inch (62.8cm) length scale
• 42mm nut width
• Hofner Open Humbucker
• Hofner gig bag included
• Ultra-lightweight & portable
• Good quality for the price
• The overall sound isn’t as good as other options on our list

Traveler Guitar Escape Mark III Acoustic-Electric Guitar – A Full-Scale Option for the Distinguished Guitarist On-The-Go

This is a really cool piece of kit. If you’re looking to take a no-compromise approach to your playing then this could well be the model for you. Featuring internal tuning pegs and extensive onboard electrics, the Escape Mark III allows you to put on a show no matter where you are.

The internal tuning pegs mean there is effectively no headstock at all. Visually this is quite something to get over but it allows for portability whilst sacrificing little to no loss of sound quality.

At 26% shorter and 10% lighter than a standard electric-acoustic guitar, you’ll have no trouble carrying this thing around whilst the integrated electrics include things like a headphone port, an under-saddle Shadow NanoFlex piezo system, tuner, and aux-in. The overall package is perfect for just about any player.

The only downside with the Mark III is the price. It comes in as the most expensive model on our list in quite some way. Depending on how you intend to use your travel guitar and where you actually intend on traveling with it, it may be worth considering some of the cheaper options.

Of course, if the optimum sound is your thing and budget isn’t an issue then we say go for it! If, however, you’re concerned your portable companion may be exposed to a few more bumps and scrapes than your dreadnought at home then maybe consider a slightly cheaper model.

• Travel body
• Single cutaway
• Mahogany or alder wood back & sides
• Modified traditional bracing pattern
• Natural satin body finish
• 1.75-inch (44.45 mm) nut width
• Black walnut fingerboard
• Mahogany or maple neck wood
• 25.5-inch scale length
• Satin Finish
• Shadow pickup
• The best sounding guitar on our list
• Excellent electronic components
• Rich sounds when amplified
• High-quality materials used
• It’s the most expensive guitar on our list

Question: Do Travel Guitars Sound Different from Regular Guitars?

Answer: Generally speaking, yes. Due to the change in size, you will find that there may be significant changes in sound. This is particularly prevalent in acoustic models as they rely on their large bodies to convey their sounds. However, you can still expect to notice a difference in electric guitars too due to the modifications made to the electrical elements. This is not to say the overall sounds will be any worse, just that they may differ from what you are used to.

Question: Can You Use Regular Guitar Strings in a Travel Guitar?

Answer: Yes, you can. In the vast majority of cases, you are free to put your favorite strings in your travel guitar or replace them as they break. However, it is always advisable to check with the individual manufacturers before you do so just in case.

Question: Are Travel Guitars Good for Beginners?

Answer: Yes, they are perfect for beginners ! Travel guitars make ideal starting instruments as their smaller size makes them generally easier to navigate when starting out. They are often much less complicated than their full-sized counterparts and are therefore easier to play. The problem is when learning you may outgrow a travel guitar pretty quickly. Also worth noting is that due to their size and weight, travel guitars can often be the ideal models for children when starting out.

Question: How Can I Take Care of My Guitar Whilst Traveling?

Answer: There are many things to remember when taking care of your guitar . When we travel with our favorite instruments there are extra things we have to worry about to ensure no harm comes to them.

For example, it is imperative that you invest in a good quality bag that will offer a level of protection as well as portability. Many models will come with a perfectly good bag but it is always worth checking that it will give you enough protection.

Another thing to remember is to loosen your strings whilst in transit. This guards against any nasty surprises when you get to the other side, the pressure and temperature changes often experienced during a flight are well known to regularly damage guitar strings.

The Final Word: Which is The Best Travel Guitar

Choosing your perfect travel companion will come down largely to your budget and where you’re traveling to. If you’re not looking to break the bank and just want to have a little fun whilst you’re away then you can’t beat the Hofner Shorty Electric for the price.

If, however, you’re uncompromising and want nothing but the best whilst on your travels, then the Traveler Escape Mark III could well be your perfect choice.

For us though, when looking through the huge range of choices available to the traveling guitarist we kept coming back to the Taylor Baby Taylor . A classic design and beautiful tonal range married with a price tag that doesn’t instantly put you off did it for us.

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10 Best Travel Guitars in 2023

If you are here for a roundup of the 10 best travel guitars in 2023 then you are in for a treat. We have selected some pretty great products that meet the criteria for a range of different reasons, each one deserving of being a worthy candidate.

We live in an age where technology keeps us connected at our fingertips, the world wide web has made the world seem a whole lot smaller, more appealing and traveling the length and breadth of it a lot less of an impossibility.

The majority of guitarists away from home and wished they had an instrument with them, it is also fair to say that our musical instruments can hold a fair amount of value whether it is literal or sentimental. Taking them on the road inevitably means they could end up damaged.

What makes for the best traveling guitar is actually a little bit more complex than you might at first think. Along with durability issues and transportation safety measures, the size and components need to be considered.

Table of Contents

At a glance: Our top 3 picks

1. ibanez ewp14opn, 2. washburn rover, 3. traveler guitar ec1 vbkm, 4. traveler guitar eg1c blk v2, 5. taylor guitars baby taylor bt1, 6. martin lx1 little martin, 7. luna safari series muse mahogany, 8. traveler guitar mark iii mk3 mhg, 9. cordoba mini m, 10. fender ct-60s, what is a travel guitar, where to buy a travel guitar, which travel electric guitar, best backpacker guitar, best sounding travel guitar, best cheap travel guitar.

We are going rifle through the best travel size acoustic guitar reviews to determine what makes each ideal for what, where, and whom to help make your purchase a sensible one.

As ever we have included a buyers guide in which we will attempt to answer your niggling questions. Read on to find 10 top travel guitars that don't suck!

• Piccolo Size
• Gorgeous Looks
• Unique Voice
• Durable Build

Find The Best Travel Guitar Below

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Ibanez is a much-loved company in the guitarist community as its products tend to be reasonably priced while also performing like much more expensive instruments. That’s also the case with this travel guitar, which also lives up to Ibanez’s reputation for creating cool-looking axes.

The piccolo size makes this guitar ideal for taking on the road with you. It has a shorter scale length, at 17”, and can be compared in size to a ukulele. This smaller size gives it a unique voice. It is a little higher pitched than a standard acoustic while it also has something of a mandolin about its tone too. It has to be heard to be appreciated.

Also surprising for such a little instrument is the amount of volume it produces. It could easily be used to entertain a small group at a campfire or in the park.

Pros: + Piccolo Size + Gorgeous Looks + Low Price + Unique Voice + Durable Build

Why We Liked It - It’s a gorgeous little guitar that has a truly unique voice. It also provides an impressive amount of volume for a piccolo.

Fretboard size - Some travel guitars feature a small body so that they can still include a full-sized fretboard, meaning the guitar's layout will feel familiar. This is a great space-saver, but you sacrifice some of the "roundness" of sound produced by a regular-sized body, especially on travel acoustics. If sound is more important to you than portability, look at models with a full-sized body.

Miles Forman FOR MUSIC CRITIC

Diff brand & model - change content

Next up is a fantastic product from Washburn. This guitar has been designed with travel in mind. For that reason, it features a sleek, slim-bodied aesthetic that lends itself to easy portability.

Washburn has compromised on the body of the instrument to make it easier to carry around, but it hasn’t shortened the scale length. It’s got a full scale of 23.75”. That means that you can play it in the same manner as your standard acoustic.

As you’d expect for the price, this product features high-grade materials. It’s got a spruce top and body, as well as a mahogany neck and back. These materials don’t just enhance the durability of the instrument, they also contribute to a surprisingly rich, warm tone. This sound is made even better by the D’Addario strings that come as standard.

To make traveling with this lightweight product easier, Washburn provides you with a high-quality gig bag.

Pros: + Sleek Design + Perfect for Traveling + Includes Gig Bag + D’Addario Strings + Superb Sound and Tone

Why We Liked It - It’s a lightweight, sleek guitar that’s been designed for traveling. On top of that, it offers a beautiful tone, which is typical of Washburn.

If you’re looking for a premium, high-quality electric guitar for traveling, then you’ll likely be impressed by this awesome Traveler ax.

It’s a solid-body electric that weighs a little over 5lbs. This low weight allows for easy portability while you’re on the road. One of the reasons why it weighs so little is because it doesn’t have a headstock. Tuning is done within the body of the guitar. This unique design keeps the guitar shorter – therefore more portable – without having to reduce the scale length.

As this ax has been designed for traveling, it also includes lots of handy features for you to be able to play it while out and about. First, it has an in-built amp that allows you to plug your earphones in and add effects to the guitar, such as overdrive or reverb. You can also plug in your smartphone and play along to tunes on it.

Pros: + Exceptional Solid Body Guitar + Lightweight + Shorter Length + No Headstock + Includes Gig Bag

Why We Liked It - It’s simply the best electric guitar around for traveling. It’s lightweight, shorter in length, while also loaded with lots of handy features.

Travel Amps - If you're considering a electric travel guitar, then you'll need to carry a small amp around with you as well. Size and weight are the prime factors here, but you still don't want to scrimp on sound quality. A very popular choice is the tiny battery-powered Marshall MS2, which offers switchable clean and overdrive channels plus a headphone out for silent practice. And it looks SO cute!

This next travel guitar is an electric guitar option and the company has really thought about its travel abilities every step of the way throughout its design. The traditional tuning mechanism has been replaced with an entirely different more forward-thinking one. The tuning is facilitated on board within the super lightweight body itself tuning pegs are subjected to a lot especially when we travel so this is a great idea as far as we are concerned.

This steel string silent guitar is substantially shorter than a standard electronic sized guitar the lack of headstock contributes largely to this and it is around half the typical weight as well.

The built-in shadow e-tuner is integrated into the pickup offering onboard chromatic tuning which can only be beneficial. Other notable features include the V2 headphone amplifier which allows for silent guitar practice great for a late night strum in a hotel and the Jack plate auxiliary input enabling players to plug in other devices to play along to their MP3 tracks.

The sounds are pretty good, the custom tap pot allows you to cycle through clean, boost, overdrive and distortion tones, and its gold Humbucker and cream pickups stand out visually against its dark mahogany body.

Pros: + Full size scale length but smaller overall size due to head stock sacrifice. + Super Lightweight. + Great on-board features

Why We Liked It - This one makes for a fantastic choice of electronic travel guitar the range of tones are awesome and you can get away with a cheap mini-amp that doesn't need any tone abilities. We like the silent guitar playing option also all in all it is one of their original series and a contender for best traveler guitar.

Next up in our travel guitar review is the Baby Taylor BT1 the predecessor to the Mahogany body BT2 we we have already listed. This little baby was the one that kick-started the popularity among seasoned musicians looking for a small knockabout ideal for their travels that rose from a humble product aimed at children starting to learn guitar.

This Taylor guitar is a solid Sitka spruce guitar and we have included it in our review because it actually provides the rich and deep altogether fuller sound than the newer refined model. The level of volume from this ¾ sized instrument is amazing although we dare say the higher frets on the treble string are a little tinnier than would be truly desirable and this is probably the reason for the second model development.

As previously mentioned the BT2 Taylor guitar doesn't have much bass reverb, the two are equally priced o the decision between them boils down to how you prefer your overall tone.

Pros: + Powerfully naturally loud. + Best seller + Great grab and go guitar.

Why We Liked It - This Taylor guitar is a great candidate for the ultimate guitar travel companion the tonal qualities are top-notch, which is how it earned its popularity among adult players despite its initial concept being aimed at young beginners.

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The Martin LX 1 makes for a vastly superior travel guitar. It is almost twice the price of the LXK2 (the Koa we reviewed) but the differences go way beyond cosmetics. The Martin guitar features a solid spruce top which will make it a little bit more fragile in terms of dents and dings but ultimately the sound is everything you get with a traditional Martin.

This Martin guitar has a Rut-stratabond neck which features Martin'sortise joint construction, Micarta bridge, Tusq saddle and rosewood fingerboard which feature 20 frets (14 clear of the body) and the whole thing is hand-finished.

The LXK2 tones are just completely outshone by this one it is full rich and deep and a perfect starter guitar, as well as a great choice for travel but it, as we said, set you back more and you may not want to take it on particularly adventurous travels.

Pros: + Padded gig bag seems better quality than standard free gig bags. + Fullest tone. + Compact and affordable high quality.

Why We Liked It - This Martin traveler guitar is a wholesome toned compact guitar that makes it a perfect choice of travel without a 'travel guitar sound', not to mention the padded gig bag you get with it!

This Luna Safari Series Muse Mahogany
 is an attractive ¾ size travel guitar with an equally appealing price range. The production doesn't come from a top brand and however, the manufacturer seems great. The Luna Safari Series Muse Mahogany
 travel guitar is a typical dreadnought body it features a Celtic laser etched henna design and is a fairly eye-catching little beauty. It was constructed mainly from mahogany (neck back sides and top, it is non-specific when listed but the top is probably HPL considering the dramatically lower price range, it has a rosewood fingerboard.

This backpacker travel guitar has an adjustable truss rod and the overall construction good there is no tell-tale sign of substandard construction (like extra glue etc. On the whole, its pretty sturdy with its high-pressure laminate top although this doesn't give the beautiful reverberations that are expected in a great acoustic travel guitar it does mean it has good durability.

Pros: + ¾ size. + Ideal travel buddy & great backpacking guitar. + Low priced.

Why We Liked It - This Luna Safari Series Muse Mahogany
 guitar makes for a great cheap and cheerful option , the sound is pretty sweet and would be the best option for any trips where your guitar is going to face some extreme exposure. Perfect for round a campfire out into the wild style gatherings. Half the price of the Baby Taylor and hold it's own among them in terms of it's sound capabilities.

Another travel acoustic electric guitar model here from Traveler guitar, a company which formed 20 years ago with the sole purpose of providing full-size travel guitars and have been innovative front-runners from the get-go. Like the EG V2 we reviewed, it features their genius in-body tuning function eliminating head-stock from the guitar length and thus providing a full-scale length guitar that is smaller, to begin with. Overall this acoustic-electric travel guitar is 26% shorter and 47% thinner than a typical electric but the frets have not been scaled back.

Again this acoustic-electric travel guitar features the built-in shadow headphone amplifier and auxiliary input. The under-saddle pickup is super sensitive and gives an acoustic style sound without the need for bigger body resonance. It has standard EQ controls to shape your tone.

The Traveller acoustic-electric travel guitar is constructed from mahogany and has a cutaway for better access to higher frets.

Pros: + Headphones for silent guitar practice. + Aux in for jamming with tracks. + On-board tuner. + Mahogany body.

Why We Liked It - The Traveler Guitar brand are dedicated to the travel guitar niche and tailor their products to specifically cater for travel playing needs, they also come with a lifetime warranty, they are beautiful in appearance and have some nifty on-board conveniences.

Cordoba produces some amazing classical guitars in their many ranges The Cordoba Mini M is a solid spruce topped travel instrument. The classic guitar alternative has a lighter weight and can be purchased in different side and back options to suit different tonality preferences. Find some classical guitar strings here .

It has the same feel and playability as a full-size guitar as the neck is of a typical width as is the fret spacing. It comes with acoustic guitar strings tuned up a fourth from standard tuning ADGCEa. This is the recommended optimal tuning for the best vibrancy but you can replace them with a standard E set.

It sounds very bright and is surprisingly loud for a miniature musical instrument, the basses are very strong, we recommend adhering to the A tuning as the E guitar strings change it dramatically into a somewhat lackluster instrument and they hold far less tension.

Pros: + Miniature sized. + A-A tuning. + Great volume level.

Why We Liked It - It is a great deal for the dollars spent, it has good bracing and is finely constructed and is genuinely mini making it another good backpacking option.

Our last option is an excellent contribution from Fender noteworthy acoustic travel guitar lines, it also has the lowest price of all our product listings. The CT features a brand new modified body size and shape, which they aptly name “Travel” it also has a shortened scale length this is what makes it so fitting for travel pursuits.

It is a solid spruce topped instrument at 23.5” scale length, it makes for a quintessential travel buddy with it's compact size and portability. It plays better than some of Fenders other smaller model which are aimed at junior players.

This acoustic travel guitar has scalloped X bracing for added durability required when you are on the move. If you know your Fender acoustics this one is essentially the CD60S but tailored to backpacker travel needs. This acoustic travel guitar has great across board tones and plays straight out of the box and keeps good intonation.

Pros: + Affordable price. + Incredibly lightweight small travel guitar. + Solid topped. + Great portable travel guitar.

Why We Liked It - It is a great affordable entry from a leading brand, which they have developed exclusively for optimized travel abilities. Perhaps one to fit in the overhead compartment of a plane?!

Where's the headstock? A lot of electric travel guitars appear to have been in an accident, as the headstock is completely missing. Instead, the tuning is has been relocated to inside the body. Specialist manufacturers like Traveler Guitar boast rock-solid tuning. And not having a headstock allows these guitars to use a full fretboard, yet still be up to 30% shorter.

Travel Guitar Buying Guide

So you've seen our reviews now let's resolve some of your queries in our buying guide.

A travel guitar is an instrument which has been created to tackle some of the drawbacks of taking a guitar out and about whether that is for an outdoor retreat or abroad, for a long weekend or an arduous adventure. When we travel and how we travel will affect the toll taken on your musical instruments. Many guitarists feel lost without something to strum when the mood takes them and quite often when we are on holiday and relaxed or meeting new people we can find our selves wishing we hadn't left our guitar at home.

On the other hand, we also know the logistics of carrying our pride and joy into the unknown territory of travel can put it at risk of damage or even getting lost altogether. Ideally, we want a lower priced and probably even smaller sized (and weighted) travel companion as a solution especially if you intend to lug it about for long period of time. The most essential thing is that it is an easily portable guitar for travel.

There are many places to buy a backpacker travel guitar, many outlets will cater for travel options in modern times. It is, however, a huge market and in this day and age, it is easier to sift through your options online. All of the above products we have reviewed are available through Amazon. The majority can also be bought online via their brands own websites.

We have only listed 2 of the best travel electric guitars and they are both by Traveler Guitars we feel they represent the most cutting-edge electric guitars specifically designed for traveling purposes. Usually, we see instrument companies creating travel instrument models in this case travel instrument models have created a company, this speaks volumes for the quality goods which they are producing. Their electric travel guitar features and design concepts are, undeniably, "State-of-the-art". Grab some great electric guitar strings here .

If you are planning on backpacking you are going to want to streamline everything you typically take traveling so size here is key depending on how hardcore your backpacking will get you will probably want the smallest backpacker travel guitar you can get your hands on. Martin's backpacker is a great option although some have found its unique shaping awkward to get along with. In which case you could try going with the Little Martin Koa or the Taylor backpacker models.

You will likely be carrying your instrument for lengthy periods backpacking, the Cordoba Mini M is incredibly small and super lightweight if you can embrace it's higher tuning it might be another superb choice for you.

In terms of sound and strictly talking about best travel acoustic guitars for the road, the Martin LX1 is the pinnacle of our product reviews. If you want an electric option the Traveler Guitars EG1C has unbelievable onboard features and effects.

From our acoustic travel guitar reviews the Luna makes a pretty great budget travel guitar its is priced at the same region as the Fender CT-60S so either make a good low priced option it just boils down to your individual sound preference The CT60S acoustic travel guitar has a great overall tone but we feel the Luna's low might just give it the edge here in terms of sound despite Fender being the more notorious brand.

We are optimistic that our traveling guitar reviews will have made for a good selection of top travel guitars for the road to choose from and think about.

Initially, you will have to determine if you want acoustic or electric abilities there are some companies making pickups for smaller musical instruments so that can be something you could change at a later date.

The key things to remember when searching for a good travel guitar are how you intend to travel (modes of transport etc), whether you want a cheap knockabout option that you aren't too invested in or prefer something as exquisite as it is roadworthy. Is it going to sit in a hotel room and be pulled out for the local jam night at the club at the end of the strip or are you going to hitchhike your way across Europe?

Lastly, your budget is really what sets your limitations, if it is on the smaller side you ought not to expect too much from cheap travel-size guitars for the road.

Once you know what you want from a travel guitar you can make a better thought out decision and find the most practical solution for your needs.

If your heart is set on dragging around your pride and joy to show it off in all it's beauty on a worldwide scale you will want to seriously invest in some high-end flight cases for the overhead compartment.

Did You Know?

Several leading brands and their discount competitors are manufacturing fold away, collapsible or sliding guitars with some pretty advanced mechanisms, which in terms of compact guitar design solutions is pretty ground breaking so we are excited to see where guitar development goes from here as they will likely make for another great guitar for travel choice.

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The Best Travel Guitars of 2024: Find Your Perfect Portable Strummer

Imagine being miles away from home, under a clear, starlit sky, with just the rustle of leaves and your own musings for company. Suddenly, the urge strikes to strum a tune and create your own symphony against this tranquil backdrop. But would you lug your regular-sized guitar around while on the move? Probably not, and that’s where the beauty and practicality of a travel guitar come into play. A ‘best travel guitar 2024’ story creates itself from here.

Back when I started my road journey, quality portable guitar options were scarce, almost a luxury. Driven by personal experience, my exhaustive search led me to explore, experiment with and evaluate an array of travel guitars. As a seasoned musician and an avid traveler, my quest was drawn by a simple truth – a good travel guitar should never compromise on sound, even when space is at a premium. The best travel guitars, in my experience, master the delicate balance of portability and auditory delight.

So, what exactly qualifies as the ideal travel companion for a guitarist in 2024? From evaluating acoustics like the Taylor GS Mini and Martin LX1E Little Martin, or testing the metal of electric variants like the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric and Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar, let me share the insights and nuances gained over years of personal trials, performances, and globe-trotting escapades. I promise you a journey as thrilling as the destination itself.

Hold onto your plectrum, folks. This is my attempt to guide your travel-guitar-trials, shaped by thousands of miles, countless destinations, and melodious serenades under open skies. Let’s find your perfect portable strummer together.

Top Acoustic Travel Guitars

Taylor gs mini, best for portability and tone.

Transitioning from our introduction into our top picks, the Taylor GS Mini is a standout selection in the acoustic travel guitars category. When this gem debuted, not only was it a game-changer, but it swiftly became my go-to companion for my casual travels. Its scaled-down size makes it ideal for portability, and its unique ability to deliver bold projection mirrors full-size guitars. This is remarkably helpful when I’m looking to insert subtle fingerstyle melodies into spontaneous jam sessions.

Reminiscent of a campfire night, I recall strumming the GS Mini beside a warm fire with my friends. The intense richness of its tones complemented our voices perfectly, weaving an enchanting musical sphere. Compared to the Martin LX1E Little Martin and the Yamaha APXT2, the Taylor GS Mini’s tone quality and volume are unmatched in the realm of travel-sized acoustics. The Little Martin, while portable and equipped with built-in electronics, does not match the GS Mini’s vibrant, robust tone. The Yamaha APXT2, which has impressive electronics and a lower price tag, lacks the GS Mini’s warm, earthy resonance.

• The GS Mini’s potent projection marries portability with the sound quality of full-size guitars.
• Its nuanced tone also offers the versatility required for various genres.
• While affordable compared to other Taylor models, the GS Mini’s higher price range may deter budget-conscious consumers.
• Unlike the Martin LX1E and the Yamaha APXT2, it does not come with built-in electronics.

In the boundless realm of travel guitars, portability and tone are key, and the Taylor GS Mini excels in both. It stands as an excellent choice for those valuing profound sound in a compact package. As we explore further models, this unparalleled contribution by Taylor sets a high benchmark. The GS Mini has truly revolutionized the notion of what a travel guitar can be , setting a lofty standard for the contenders that follow.

Martin LX1E Little Martin

Best for acoustic-electric experience.

I’ve had my fair share of experiences with travel guitars, but the Martin LX1E Little Martin takes the cake . This solid top travel guitar surpasses any other regular model in its category. It gives you an intimate acoustic simply unmatched by others, perfect for those who yearn for the best acoustic-electric experience.

I remember a trip to a lakeside cabin where I took along the Martin LX1E. It was a sun-bathed afternoon, the soft purring of the lake as my backbeat. I tuned my Little Martin and played a few tunes for friends. Its sparkling highs and balanced mids filled the space with a depth of sound that left everyone impressed. It was light to carry – a feature most top acoustic travel guitars claim, but few deliver – and when plugged in, its Fishman Isys T electronics worked flawlessly. The enhanced sonic quality was a reminder of why it stood out in an array of acoustic travel guitars.

• Solid top enhances the tonal quality
• Portable and lightweight design
• Stellar Fishman Isys T electronics system
• Could include more tonewood options

The Martin LX1E stands tall when compared to Taylor GS Mini and Yamaha APXT2. The solid top of Little Martin provides a sonic edge over the laminated top of Yamaha APXT2 . However, the GS Mini has a slight edge in comfort due to its slightly larger body compared to the LX1E. One aspect where the Little Martin steals the show is in amplification; its Fishman electronics system provides a richness that is superior to other guitars in its category .

No model can guarantee a one-size-fits-all solution, but make no mistake: the Martin LX1E Little Martin brings sturdy build and valorous sounds to the portable guitar equation that few can match. At this rate, it might very well remain the top pick in ‘The Best Travel Guitars of 2024’ list.

Yamaha APXT2

Best for learners on-the-go.

In my many years as a music educator, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the joy of music with countless beginners. It’s in these formative stages that a travel guitar, like the Yamaha APXT2, really shines. When learners are on-the-go, the compact size and uncompromised sound make it a top-rated travel guitar.

The APXT2’s durability is akin to the supportive environment I aim to create, and its player-friendliness aligns perfectly with my teaching philosophy. I’ve seen students enthusiastically strum their first chords on this guitar, their faces lighting up with the realization of their newfound abilities. For such a compact guitar, its sound is impressively robust, rich and full. It’s made for mobility, yet doesn’t sacrifice on sound quality or playability – rare for a beginner guitar.

My personal experience with the Yamaha APXT2 led me to see how it stacks up against other guitars within the same category. The Taylor GS Mini, though excellent in its own right, is significantly more expensive , an aspect that might deter beginners. The Martin LX1E Little Martin excellently balances size and sound, but its lack of durability pales in comparison to the Yamaha APXT2.

• Compact and easy to handle for beginners.
• Excellent durability and build quality.
• Produces a rich and robust sound despite its size.
• Lacks a bit in the bass department.
• The electronics are basic without many options for tone shaping.

In conclusion, the Yamaha APXT2 stands out as a fantastic choice for beginners on-the-go. Its durability and ease of play make it a truly friendly companion during the daunting initial steps of a musical journey. As a seasoned educator, I highly endorse this as an instrumental choice for learners embarking on their own path of musical discovery.

Top Electric Travel Guitars

Traveler guitar ultra-light electric, best for electric guitar purists.

When the urge for electrified melodies arises during your travels, my top recommendation in the realm of lightweight travel guitars would undeniably be the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric. Its innovative design from headstock to tail stands as a testament to its relevance in the ‘Top Electric Travel Guitars’ category.

This remarkable instrument, built for the electric guitar purists, is the epitome of portability without any sacrifice in sound or playability. The Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric offers matchless tonal quality . It’s the minimalist’s dream come to life, where every ounce counts, and extra baggage is a non-starter.

Its distinguishing factor, like its name suggests, is its ultra-lightweight, compact design . This makes it effortlessly convenient, be it for an impromptu jamming session backstage, or for a secluded serenade at a mountaintop. Every strum, every note resonates with the importance it lends to portability and sound purity, especially for those of us continually on the go.

It’s not merely about its ground-breaking design, but also about the authentic, crisp, the electric tone created. Its dedication to retaining the true electrical aura, while providing extreme portability, sets it apart within this niche market.

Successive sections will detail the offerings of competing electric travel guitars such as the Hofner Shorty and the Anygig AGS, but the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric undeniably holds its high ground. It stands as a testament that sometimes, less truly is more.

Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar

Best for classic vibes on-the-move.

Transitioning from the solid and efficient performance of the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric , my journey through the realm of top electric travel guitars led me to the harbinger of classic vibes on-the-move – the Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar . Standing among the best mini travel guitars , the Hofner Shorty effortlessly marries the nostalgia of yesteryears with the pragmatism of modern travel needs.

But what sets the Hofner Shorty apart? It’s the balance it strikes. My enduring fascination with the timeless tones of vintage guitars feels at home in this compact instrument. It provides the charm of those warm, enveloping tones that I’ve always been drawn to, neatly bundled within a portable body.

The Hofner Shorty is an ode to the past, fashioned for the future . From neighborhood jam sessions to impromptu concerts on the road, it stands as a companion, offering a uniquely authentic and accessible musical experience. Its compact design makes it a breeze to carry, while its robust tone doesn’t compromise on the quality of sound, showing the true essence of what the best travel guitars should offer.

To sum up the Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar: it’s a vintage-themed, portable strummer that brings you the classic sound you cherish, wherever your feet may roam. As we move on to delve into the Anygig AGS, remember the distinct allure of the Hofner – a manifestation of nostalgia in a modern, mobile package.

Anygig AGS Portable Travel Guitar

Best for space-saving design.

Continuing our exploration of top electric travel guitars, our attention turns to the innovative Anygig AGS Portable Travel Guitar. A gem in the portable guitar market , the AGS infuses a blend of high-quality sound, remarkable portability, and an unbeatable playability factor.

Finding guitar technology that respects space limitations while retaining excellent sound quality is no small feat. However, the Anygig AGS, renowned as the best for space-saving design , stands as a prime example of this attainment . During my retreat to a remote studio framed by a daunting landscape, this foldable travel guitar revealed its mastery in harmonizing elements of convenience and high-level performance. Its compact design made it the ideal musical companion for such an environment.

An impressive aspect of the AGS is its foldability. Not many guitars can boast about retaining a full-scale neck while being collapsible . This top-notch feature ensures that, even while travelling, your hands never have to falter from their well-versed paths on the fretboard.

Thus, in my experience, the Anygig AGS exemplifies a sterling balance of portability and performance. Its capacity to adapt to both the serene vibes of a city park and the harsh conditions of a remote studio without its quality being compromised makes it shine brightly in the cluster of electric travel guitars. Not to mention, its sleek, modern aesthetics that never fail to turn a few heads wherever you unpack this marvel of a guitar.

As we delve deeper into the realm of portable guitars, the Anygig AGS, with its unique foldable, space-saving features, undoubtedly has etched its mark. Making it the perfect instrument for musicians that are constantly on the move.

How to Choose the Best Travel Guitar

Reflecting on years of experience to fine-tune my personal sound, the myriad stages, locker rooms, forests, and living rooms became my muse. Each location demanded something different from me and my instrument, shaping the way I think about travel guitars. How could I carry my signature resonation anywhere I went? I experimented, I stumbled, I learned. From these lessons was born my travel guitar buying guide. It focuses as much on the tangibles like construction, material, and size as it does on the intangibles like feeling and essence.

It wasn’t a serendipitous journey, though. I had quite the palette of sounds to experiment with. The warmth of a mahogany travel guitar, the crisp resonance of a carbon fiber travel guitar , and the balanced, neither-too-bright-nor-too-dark sonic results of laminate travel guitars . Every performance brought a new revelation, a new understanding of how different materials influenced the tone, and, in turn, my music.

So, what are the indispensable secrets for choosing a travel guitar that feels like an extension of your musical soul?

The answer lies not only in understanding the technical aspects of the guitar but also in understanding your musical identity. That’s the magic of music, it’s deeply personal. The first secret is knowing your sound. What do you want your music to feel like? Crisp and clear? Warm and full? Once you’re sure about this, the journey becomes a lot smoother.

Next, understand the importance of the instrument’s framework. This is where material comes into play. If warm, rounded tones resonate with your style, mahogany travel guitars are your best bet. But, if your ears lean towards an invigorating, bright resonance, carbon fiber should be your material of choice. And for those of us seeking the best of both worlds, laminate travel guitars have you covered.

Now, let’s talk about size. You’d be forgiven for thinking that smaller is always better when it comes to travel guitars. Sure, we want portability, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of sound. Promise yourself that you won’t compromise here. My rule of thumb? Choose a size that provides rich tones without creating a burden during your travels.

The last secret I offer you is the need to feel a connection with your travel guitar. Remember, you’re selecting not just a product but a companion, an extension of your musical soul.

As we segue into our next segment, examining specific models like the Taylor GS Mini or the Anygig AGS, keep these considerations forefront in your mind. Remember, your travel guitar should be an ally on your musical journey, empowering your performances, and amplifying your voice. This connection, this bond, is where musical magic truly blooms.

Travel Guitar Reviews

In the quest for the perfect portable strummer, I have hugged the curves of many travel guitars, each whispering its unique music-imbued saga to me, a silent confidante. Burdened and enlightened with these narratives penciled into their fretboards and finishes, I steer you through the jukebox of travel guitar reviews I’ve compiled on this thrilling journey.

What makes these travel guitars stand out from the rest? Let’s unpack the details in an unfiltered spotlight on quality and character.

With every strum on the Taylor GS Mini, tucked under my arm in countless hotel rooms and campfires, I’ve felt joy dripping down my fingers to the strings, creating magic. This travel guitar managed to condense the majesty of a full-sized guitar into compact charm, without compromising the rich tonality. Straight off the bat, the GS Mini’s vintage look, coupled with its clear, balanced sound, wins my endorsement in this travel guitar comparison.

Talking about reducing size but not soul, the Martin LX1E Little Martin is a myriadin an oyster-shell. It boasts rich, vibrant tones that defiantly burst through its small frame. Doubling as an acoustic-electric guitar, its versatility just broadened the horizon of my sonic exploration. This Little Martin has stolen a big piece of my heart.

Through my travels, when space was sparse, and the yearning for melody was a demanding guest, my Yamaha APXT2 filled the silence. Its slim profile, easy playability, and considerable durability make it a reliable travel companion. From subtle finger-style work to energetic strumming, this guitar responded with grace and consistency. It has earned its place in my travel guitar recommendations.

Moving from the acoustic spectrum to the electric edge, encounter the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric—a true embodiment of utility meeting style . Its minimalist frame belies its sonic capabilities. From bluesy riffs to hard-rock shredding, this extroverted introvert proves that good things truly come in small packages.

Perhaps the most visually distinctive in my roster, the Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar is pure eccentric charm. Its clear-cut, concise tones, wrapped in a nostalgic aesthetic, have made it a novel addition to my travel guitar menagerie.

Rounding off my reviews with the revelations of the Anygig AGS Portable Travel Guitar. Never have I encountered a guitar so intricately crafted for travel. Its design resolves into a fine balance of portability, playability, and sound quality. Highly adjustable, it breaks down barriers between varying skill levels and playing styles. Anygig, indeed.

Before closing the curtains on this chapter, I’ll emphasize that a captivating solo isn’t exclusive to a specific guitar. It thrives in the hands of the musician, guided by their taste and preferences. Therein lies the beauty of guide posts like travel guitar reviews; they narrate tales of strings and sound, serving as a compass navigating towards the Echo’s Everest. But remember, in the end, the melody is in your hands. It’s your journey, your shrill highs and profound lows, and your sonic story waiting to be strummed through the rugged terrains and gleaming cities on your road-map.

What are the best travel guitars of 2024?

Why is the martin backpacker considered one of the best travel guitars, what makes the taylor gs mini a top travel guitar pick, why is baby taylor bt2 included in the best travel guitars.

As we reach the final chord of our travel guitar journey, reflect on how the right choice can echo through your music for years to come. We’ve delved deep into the world of top acoustic travel guitars, including the Taylor GS Mini , the Martin LX1E Little Martin , and the Yamaha APXT2 . We’ve also explored the realm of top electric travel guitars, featuring the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric , the Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar and the handy Anygig AGS Portable Travel Guitar .

Looking back on the stages that span the world and sessions that have deepened my appreciation for every kind of guitar, I offer these final thoughts with a sense of gratitude. Among the mentioned gems, you will find what could be your best travel guitar for professionals, or the most suited travel guitar for beginners. Both professionals seeking a tour-proof workhorse and beginners in search of a great practice partner will find a match in our carefully curated collection. Each travel guitar brings its unique strengths to the table, inviting you to dive into a world of magnificent melodies and harmonious chords.

I’ve tried my best to guide you through the musical maze, to candidly share what I’ve learned from every strum and chord. Each guitar mentioned has been tried and lived, their distinct tunes and tones echoing in hallways and stadiums alike. The goal is for you to find the one that resonates most with your musical journey, your aspirations, your stage – whether it’s a cozy fireside or a roaring rock concert.

You’re looking for more than just a piece of wood with strings.’ You’re searching for a trusted partner that will not only bring your music to life but will accompany you on your path, amplifying your talent and passion. So, make your choice, the perfect travel guitar is out there, waiting to join you on your remarkable journey into the fascinating world of music. Let the sweet melodies flow!

Teja Gerken, a fingerstyle guitarist with a unique blend of folk, classical, jazz, and world music, has made significant contributions to the guitar world. Known for albums like ‘On My Way’ and ‘Postcards’, and as a co-founder of Peghead Nation, he brings his expertise from intimate venues to global stages. At Fretterverse, Gerken offers deep insights into diverse fingerstyle techniques and musical fusion.

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Best Travel Guitars: A Guide To A Portable Adventure

Travel and music are soulmates that create memories to last a lifetime. Whether you're sitting around a campfire, lounging on a beach, or unwinding in a cozy hotel room, a guitar can be your best companion.

In this guide, we'll explore the world of travel guitars, those compact and portable instruments designed for the wandering musician. From their unique designs to their surprising sound quality, we'll help you find the perfect travel guitar that doesn’t compromise on quality or playability.

So, pack your bags and tune your strings, as we look at the best travel guitars, ensuring your next adventure is musically unforgettable!

Included in this guide:

Related Article: Best Starter Acoustic Guitars: Top 5 Picks For Beginners

The Top 5 Best Travel Guitars

Martin Backpacker Travel Acoustic Guitar

The most notable feature of this travel guitar is its unique narrow and slender backpacker body shape, making handling and storage easier. When it comes to sound quality, this guitar produces more sustained notes—thanks to its mahogany and Sitka spruce tonewoods . Additionally, this 6-string Martin guitar is made with alloy steel, contributing to the sound's liveliness. Alloy steel strings are also known for their increased magnetic capacity. They’re excellent at playing high notes, too.

• Compact and lightweight, weighing a little more than two pounds and only about 24 inches in length
• Loud and professional sound quality, considering its size and price
• Made with highly durable, sustainable, and low-maintenance hardwood
• The unique shape can be unappealing to some users. 
• Lacks electronic support and has no strap lock.
• The nuts aren’t the best quality since they have poor lubricating properties and are less hard.

Taylor BT2 Baby Acoustic Guitar

This small-form dreadnought guitar from the leading acoustic guitar manufacturer projects soft, mellow tunes with excellent depth. This portable dreadnought guitar weighs about 4.4 pounds and is about 34 inches long. Its top and body are sturdy mahogany wood, while the back and side material is layered sapele. 

High-quality ebony wood makes up its guitar’s fretting board. This material is reputable for its extreme durability and resistance to wear. Meanwhile, its bronze strings allow smooth and light-tension strumming. Lastly, the chrome-plated tuners are stable and smooth to operate.

• Slim neck and smooth frets allow for better grip
• Promising sound volume despite its compact size
• The screw-on removable neck allows better storage or transport
• For users who prefer a more refined electronics system, this guitar model isn’t the best bet. 
• Lacks an in-built strap lock to secure guitar straps
• Bass tones are a bit muddy

Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric

Measuring about 25 inches and weighing less than 3 pounds, this travel-friendly electric guitar is an excellent choice for traveling professionals and beginners alike. Despite its small size, the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric guitar is a full-scale and full-featured guitar model. 

This guitar features an Eastern American hard maple body and neck. Interestingly, this hardwood is long-lasting and highly resistant to environmental changes. Its fingerboard material is black walnut with micarta nuts and chrome closed-gear tuners, which seals the gear from dust and elements. Each purchase includes a foam lap rest and a heavy-duty gig bag.

• Produces high-quality professional sound that can match full-size electric guitars when plugged
• Its extremely lightweight and portable design makes it easy to store in luggage or airline bins
• With its piezo pickup and output jack, you can connect it to any device (e.g., headphone amp or a recording device)
• Despite being compact, the fretboard is full-sized, so it may not offer a good grip for beginners or those with small hands
• Quieter than full-sized electric guitars when unplugged.

Fender Squier Mini Electric Guitar

The Fender Squier Mini Stratocaster electric guitar features a vintage-style headstock with synthetic bone nuts. Its body material is made of poplar with a glossy polyurethane finish. The hardtail bridge and single-coil pickups support solid and smooth tuning stability. Meanwhile, its nickel-plated strings and light string gauge contribute to the lively sound output. Plus, this type of string is highly resistant to corrosion.

• Highly affordable, costing less than $200
• Best for children, beginners, and users with small grip due to its slim and lightweight design
• Loud sound projection for a compact model
• The durability and quality of this guitar aren’t as promising, so it may not be suitable for daily use. 
• Since it’s marketed as the ideal instrument for children or beginners, it may not appeal to intermediate users and pros seeking excellent tonal depth.
• The frets are rough.

Yamaha JR1 ¾ Size Acoustic Guitar

With its laminated wood body, mahogany wood back, and spruce top, this compact guitar features excellent craftsmanship. This guitar also has an open chrome tuning machine and bronze strings that produce smooth and warm sounds. Consequently, its Rosewood fingerboard allows warm and full-tone projections. The Yamaha JR1 weighs about 5 pounds and measures 22 inches in length.

• Beginner-friendly and compatible with the Yamaha Player Port mobile application that has a free tuner and professional tutorials to guide newbie guitarists
• Its configuration is compatible with both right-handed and left-handed users.
• Its short, slender neck allows better grip and comfort.
• Made with laminated wood, it may not be as durable and wear-resistant as its solid wood counterpart. 
• The sound quality and depth of this Yamaha guitar isn't as excellent as full-scale acoustic guitars like its Yamaha FG predecessor.
• The gig bag doesn't have backpack straps, which can disadvantage some users.

Related Article: Best Mini Guitar Amps: Compact Powerhouses With Amazing Tone

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The ideal size for a travel guitar depends on your needs and comfort. Generally, a ¾ size guitar is a great balance between portability and playability. These guitars are small enough to be easily carried, yet large enough to offer a satisfying playing experience.

Not necessarily. Travel guitars are designed to be more compact, which might require some adjustment in playing style, especially for those used to full-size guitars. However, many travel guitars are built with playability in mind, so with a little practice, they shouldn't be harder to play.

Travel guitars typically do not require special strings. They can be strung with the same types of strings as standard guitars. However, considering the guitar's size and scale length, lighter gauge strings might be more suitable and comfortable for some models.

To protect your guitar while traveling, invest in a good quality, padded gig bag or a hard case. It's also wise to loosen the strings slightly to reduce tension on the neck, and if you're flying, check airline regulations regarding instruments as carry-ons or checked baggage.

Absolutely! Travel guitars can be excellent for beginners. Their smaller size can be less intimidating and easier to handle for new players. Just keep in mind that transitioning to a full-size guitar later might require some adjustment.

Product Recap

In conclusion, choosing the right travel guitar can elevate your musical journey to new heights. Our top pick, the Martin Backpacker , stands out for its exceptional sound quality and portability, perfect for the traveler seeking a premium experience. For those who prefer a close second, the Tay lor BT2 Baby Acoustic Guitar offers a splendid blend of tone and convenience. And if you're on a budget, the Yamaha JR1 is an unbeatable choice, delivering quality at an affordable price. No matter where your travels take you, these guitars promise to be reliable and melodious companions on your adventures. Safe travels and happy strumming!

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10 Best Travel Guitars (Acoustic & Electric)

Do you miss your guitar when you are traveling? Or hate trying to get your guitar on a plane ?

Then you need a travel guitar. Yes, they exist, and no I’m not talking about guitars for children. I’m talking about amazing guitars by premium brands, which were specifically designed to be portable and travel-friendly.

In this review, I will show you both acoustic and electric travel guitars, as well as a couple of versatile options. No matter what you are looking for, there is something here for you.

At A Glance: Our Top Travel Acoustic & Electric Guitars

• BEST ACOUSTIC TRAVEL GUITAR Journey Instruments OF660 Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar Jump To Review
• Best Lightweight Guitar Yamaha GL1 PB Guitalele Jump To Review
• BEST ELECTRIC Traveler Guitar 6 String Travelcaster Deluxe Jump To Review
• Most VERSATILE Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light 6 String Acoustic-Electric Guitar Jump To Review

All of the travel guitars featured in this review are praised by happy owners and rated highly on dozens of websites. Find out which travel guitars are the best travel guitar options for you!

Top Product Overview

Top 10 travel guitars, martin steel string backpacker travel guitar.

The Martin travel acoustic guitar features a  t op made from solid spruce and sides made from tonewood. It has a 24” scale length and features  15 frets, which is not that much less than the usual 19. And it  comes with both a strap and a case , so traveling with it is going to be very easy.

In fact,  you can actually fit this guitar in overhead bins in planes.  Some airlines will make you pay extra for it, but you shouldn’t usually have any issues if you call or email the airline beforehand. Just give them the dimensions of the bag and you’ll be fine.

Oh, and you can put some extra clothes in the bag – not only will this make your other suitcase lighter, but it will also protect your travel guitar.

The Backpacker travel acoustic guitar is very lightweight at only 2.4 lbs. Meaning that it’s super easy to carry anywhere and that it won’t weigh you down one bit.

Martin is known for making backpacker guitars, and this one is one of their best-selling models. That is because it is  insanely portable , but also because the sound quality is really good.  You will lose some volume, but that’s expected considering the size of this guitar.

And it has  a great price tag  on it. It is by no means the cheapest travel guitar out of the bunch, but it is far away from being the most expensive one.

• Reasonably priced acoustic guitar
• Very portable and lightweight
• Comes with a strap and gig bag
• Doesn’t always stay put on your body

Product Information

• Dimensions: 4.72” x 36.22” x 9.45”
• Weight: 2.5 lbs
• Bag Included: Yes

Journey Instruments OF660 Carbon Fiber Acoustic Guitar

The Journey Instruments travel guitar comes with a really high saddle, which means the action is also really high. But, it also comes with a shorter saddle, which will give you lower action. And you can always adjust that until you find your perfect setup. It has 20 frets and 6 strings, and the sound quality is just as good (if not better) than your normal guitar.

What makes this acoustic guitar amazing for travel is the collapsible neck. You can disassemble it in less than a minute and pack it in its travel backpack. The backpack is carry-on sized and features a TSA-friendly laptop compartment,  so it is an excellent addition to this amazing travel guitar.

The OF660 has  a body made from carbon fiber,  which is reinforced with fiberglass on the back and sides. What that means is that you  never have to worry about humidity  with this acoustic guitar – you can leave it out in pouring rain, and there won’t be any consequences. Plus, it makes the guitar look very elegant and sleek.

The price of this travel guitar is a pretty big downside. In fact, this is the most expensive travel guitar that I found, and it is definitely not for everyone’s budget. But, you are paying for the amazing sound, portability, and quality of the build.

Another thing that could be improved is the weight. This guitar is a bit bigger than most others I’ve shown you, and it’s also heavier. While that doesn’t impact its portability too much, it does mean that it’s not going to be as convenient to carry around as some of the ones that weigh less than 2.5 lbs.

• Collapsible neck
• Amazing sound quality
• Excellent quality
• Very expensive
• A bit heavy
• Dimensions: 4.64” x 35.5” x 12.5”
• Weight: 4.1 lbs

Yamaha GL1 PB Guitalele

The Yamaha GL1 is  a cross between a guitar and a ukulele (something Hawaii is known for ) . It has the size of a baritone ukulele (17” scale), but it also features  6 strings,  just like a guitar. But the  strings are nylon  – that’s neither the best quality nor sound you can get out of a travel guitar. However, nothing is stopping you from cutting them off and putting regular metal strings on the GL1.

What you will love about these acoustic travel guitars are the size and weight. The Yamaha guitar was designed specifically for travel,  and you will be able to take it anywhere you want. And you will get  a soft gig case  with the guitar. Plus, it is a great option for kids to play – even though it wasn’t designed as a children’s guitar, its size makes it more than suitable for the little ones.

This travel guitar is also  feather-light, at only 2.65 lbs.  That means that the GL1 traveler guitar weighs less than most laptops, which you are carrying to work every single day and not complaining. And that is one of the things that makes the Yamaha an amazing option for travel. You could even call it a backpacking guitar.

Another reason why you will love the Guitalele is the price. It’s  very affordable, especially considering who makes it – Yamaha is a brand known for manufacturing quality everything, from motorcycles to survival bows .

Obviously, you can’t expect this to sound just like a full-sized guitar, but it is going to sound amazing for its size. This means that it is going to be perfectly suitable for practice on the go or for entertaining your friends on the beach. A great all-around acoustic travel guitar!

• Very affordable
• High quality
• Remarkably lightweight
• Not entirely a guitar
• Nylon strings
• Dimensions: 26.75” x 12” x 4”
• Weight: 2.65 lbs

Martin LXK2 Little Martin Guitar

Little Martin is  the smallest guitar from this amazing brand,  and it’s definitely a contender. It features  Koa-grained high-pressure laminate on its top, sides, and back, with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge . The neck of this guitar is carved out of Stratabond.

Even though this guitar is tiny, it produces great sound and is fun to play. With 6 steel strings and 20 frets , this is going to sound fairly close to your favorite guitar. But the Little Martin has the advantage that you can take it anywhere you want –  it weighs only 3.4 lbs and it is a very small guitar, which makes it perfect for the road.

And this guitar is great not just for travel, but also for children and adults with small hands.

The durability of Little Martin is another amazing thing about it. It is  built to survive road trips, children, and all kinds of weather.  Especially if you regularly carry it in the gig bag that comes with it. Which has an exterior made from ballistic nylon, and an interior lined with plush.

It also features backpack straps and a front zipper compartment, for any other items you want to keep close.

And the price of this guitar is not too bad either. It’s not among the cheapest options, but it is also not ridiculously expensive either. It is a little pricier than most other travel guitars in this review, but it’s undoubtedly worth it, considering the quality of both sound and build.

• Very small and portable
• Great sound
• High quality gig bag
• A bit pricey
• Action is quite high
• Dimensions: 6.3” x 38.58” x 18.11”
• Weight: 3.38 lbs

Cordoba Mini M Travel Guitar

Cordoba has a series of mini guitars, and the M Travel Guitar is their most popular model. The main difference between them is the wood combinations -the M features a solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides. The Mini M is also the best value for money – it is a high-quality guitar with a very affordable price tag ,  and it’s perfect if you’re on a tight budget.

The downside is that this small guitar comes with nylon strings,  so you’re not getting amazing sound out of the box. But that’s a replaceable part of the guitar, and should not be a deal-breaker. And if you normally prefer nylon strings, then the Mini M is going to play perfectly as is.

What could be a deal-breaker is that this is a right-hand guitar.  The others that I showed you were either ambidextrous, or you could choose between right and left hand. With the Mini M, you get no such choice.

And there’s nothing else bad about it. The acoustic guitar weighs a mere 2.5 lbs,  which makes it perfect for travel. It is  small enough that it easily fits into overhead compartments in airplanes , and it comes with a really solid gig bag.

It doesn’t sound like a full-sized guitar, but it definitely sounds like a guitar and not like a ukulele. It has a scale length of 20”, a nut width of 1.96”, and a total of 18 frets,  which not only feel familiar but also make it sound more like a traditional guitar.

• Very lightweight and portable
• Sound is great for its size
• Fits in overhead compartments on airplanes
• Right hand guitar
• Dimensions: 30.5” x 10” x 3.25”

Traveler Guitar 6 String Travelcaster Deluxe

Traveler Guitar is a brand that makes some insanely portable guitars, both acoustic and electric. So, I will show you several options from them in this section, starting with the Travelcaster Deluxe . It is a  full 25.5” scale travel guitar with 14:1 gear ratio turners.

This means that the playable area of the guitar is the exact same size as a full-size guitar –   only its body is smaller.

The Travelcaster features an overall length of 33.75” and weighs a mere 5.2 lbs.  It comes with a soft gig case for ultimate portability –  the entire case and the guitar only weigh 6.8 lbs.  What’s even better is that you are not sacrificing playability for portability – Traveler Guitar is proud of how all of their guitars sound, and we have no complaints either.

In fact, you can check out the demo of this Traveler guitar right here:

This electric guitar comes with 3 single-coil pickups – 2 tone controls, 1 volume control, and a 5-way pickup selector.  It also has a  2-point fulcrum tremolo for better and more stable tuning , as well as steel saddles for excellent playing tone.

The guitar boasts  a poplar body with a maple neck and a maple fretboard with bone nut,  which not only sound great but also look pretty good. And you can  get it in three colors  – the black gloss option is unique because it features a catalpa fretboard with a bone nut.

• Very portable
• Reasonably priced
• A little heavy
• Dimensions: 33.75” x 1.75” x 9”
• Weight: 5.2 lbs

Yamaha APXT2 3/4-Size Acoustic-Electric Guitar

Back to Yamaha –  the APXT2 is an excellent choice if you want a versatile guitar.  It is both  acoustic and electric , with a gorgeous exterior and an affordable price tag. This guitar features  a spruce top, with a rosewood fingerboard and bridge , for great appearance and sound.

It is a 3/4 sized guitar, and it is pretty much just a smaller version of the APX500III. It is equipped with an  ART-based preamp, system 68 contact pickup, and an onboard tuner,  which give you a full-bodied acoustic tone when you plug it in. And you can also tune the guitar without having to plug it in any extra gear, which is convenient and great for travel.

One downside to the Yamaha guitar is that  its orientation is right-handed  and there are no other options. So, it is definitely not going to be a good fit for all of you.

An upside is that you get a gig bag with the Yamaha, so you can really carry it anywhere. And it  weighs just a little over 5 lbs , which is pretty good for a versatile guitar. It is not the lightest option you have, but it is great for a guitar that is capable of so much.

Meaning that the APXT2 is not just a good option for travel, but also for kids learning to play, as well as petite adults that find regular guitars too big.

• Acoustic and electric
• Built-in tuner
• Excellent build quality
• Neck edges are pretty sharp
• Right handed
• Dimensions: 33.1” x 2.9” x 11.8”
• Weight: 5.29 lbs

Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Solid-Body Electric Guitar

This is the  smallest full-scale electric guitar  you can get your hands on, and it is perfect if you’re looking for something ultra-portable. And at  only 3.1 lbs,  this is also the lightest electric travel guitar out of the bunch. It also comes with a  detachable lap rest , for easy transport.

Obviously, this travel guitar doesn’t have a proper headstock. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t tune it – in fact,  the tuning system is included in its body, and it features a dual-rail humbucker pickup .

The chrome tuning machines feature a 14:1 ratio, for extremely precise tuning. This means that you can have almost the same playing experience on this guitar, as you have on a full-bodied electric guitar that weighs a lot more.

One great thing about this guitar is that you have options –  you can choose from four colors, three wood types, and also your hand orientation . And that means that it is going to be very easy for you to pick out a guitar that is perfectly suitable for you.

It  comes with a lightweight gig bag  that easily fits into overhead compartments in airplanes. Meaning that this guitar is just perfect for transport. You can carry it wherever you want, and you can fit some extra gear in the  front pocket of the gig bag. 

Other things worth noting are that this guitar features a  standard 1/4” output  and that it features a one-piece neck-through-body design.

• Remarkably lightweight and portable
• In-body tuning system
• Removable lap rest
• Lacks balance
• No volume control
• Dimensions: 31.2” x 5.25” x 2”
• Weight: 3.1 lbs

Leo Jaymz 24.75" Single Cut Curved Top Electric Guitar

The Leo Jaymz guitar features some rather  stunning and unique decals on the body . I know that alone is not reason enough to buy it, but it sure is nice to see something other than a solid color body. It is an excellent option if you want  something unique that plays extraordinarily well . It features a  mahogany body with a smooth rosewood fingerboard and a maple neck.

This travel guitar comes with 6 (stainless steel) Jaymz strings that are excellent quality and overall, it is a very compact and lightweight guitar. And  you also get an extra set for spare parts,  which is rather generous from the brand.

It features  original Grover machines that help with stable tuning , as well as  two volume and two tone switches . This electric guitar also comes with  a soft gig bag that has a front pocket for your additional gear.

While I really love the general design and quality of the Leo Jaymz guitar, I am not impressed with its portability. Compared with the other travel electric guitars in this review, this is one of the least portable ones, because of both its size and weight.

However,  if you want something that plays and feels just like a proper electric guitar, but that ultimately is more portable than one, then I think this is the right choice for you.

• Beautiful decals on body
• High build quality
• Some shipping issues
• Not the most portable option
• Dimensions: 34.48” x 16.12” x 3.2”
• Weight: 12.5 lbs (shipping weight!)

Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light 6 String Acoustic-Electric Guitar

I know this looks a lot like the previous Traveler Guitar I showed you, but there’s one huge difference – this one is  both acoustic and electric.  It has an  in-body tuning system  just like the other Traveler Guitar, and it comes with  a detachable lap rest.  But this one is lighter, more portable, and more versatile, making it one of my top choices.

And you get to choose which type of wood you want in your guitar, just like , you can choose whether you want right or left-hand orientation. 

It doesn’t have a headstock, so it is going to take some time to get used to this travel guitar. But once you do, I’m confident you will love it and carry it anywhere – you will get the full-scale playing experience but in a much smaller package.

Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light features an under-saddle Piezo pickup , for amazing acoustic sound. And the  standard 1/4” output  allows you to plug this in the regular or headphone amp you already have.

Bear in mind that even though this guitar is going to sound amazing, it is going to be  rather quiet in acoustic mode.  Which is great for practice, but not that useful for showing off. You are compromising on that, but in return, you are getting an instrument so portable you will want to take it wherever you go. And I think that is still a really good deal.

• Detachable lap rest
• Versatile guitar
• Extraordinarily lightweight and portable
• Very quiet in acoustic mode
• Takes some getting used to
• Dimensions: 28” x 2” x 5.2”
• Weight: 2.9 lbs

What To Look For

Acoustic or electric.

The main thing you should know is whether you’re looking for a travel acoustic guitar or an electric guitar. Obviously, you should get the one that you prefer playing.

The review is divided into two sections – the first section features the 5 best travel acoustic guitars, and the second section shows the 5 best electric travel guitars. So, there’s something for you regardless of what you’re looking for.

And if you’re looking for both, you might not need to buy two guitars – there are some acoustic-electric guitars, and you will find them in the second half of the review.

What Kind Of Portable Do You Need?

There are loads of ways in which a guitar can be portable. Some of them are  nearly full-sized but insanely lightweight . And there are guitars that aren’t too lightweight, but that has a really tiny body with a very small soundhole. This usually means that the sound is not nearly as good as it is on your normal guitar.

There is also a guitar that has a collapsible neck  – this is a feature patented by  Journey Instruments , and it is one of the best guitars in this entire review. You can remove the neck from the body of the guitar and easily pack it in a backpack, for ultimate portability. However, this feature is unique to this guitar, which happens to be very expensive.

Some guitars also have a pretty short neck, which also means fewer frets and weaker sound . But those are also  very portable , and a great option for air travel since they are usually treated as carry-ons.

In general, you should figure out which kind of portable suits your needs best. And  which aspect of the guitar you are not willing to compromise on . I’ve shown you enough variety, and I’m pretty sure that at least one of the guitars you’ve seen in this review is what you are looking for.

Hand Orientation

The ideal guitar for you depends on which hand you play with.  Most of the guitars that I’ve shown above are either ambidextrous or feature a choice of hand orientation.  However,  some of them are only for right-handed people, and you can see that info in the “cons” boxes below each product.

If you don’t see anything about hand orientation in the pro/con boxes, you can assume that the guitar is available in both options.

Price Range

Travel guitars are usually more expensive than regular guitars.  They are designed specifically to be lightweight and portable, and that’s going to cost you.  The usual price range of these guitars is between $150-300,  but you will find some that are much more expensive than that.

Whenever a guitar is pricier than the expected price range, it will be listed in the cons boxes. I haven’t really found any really cheap guitars – I don’t consider those to be the top guitars for travel that are available.

Our Favorite Choices For Travel Guitar

Not sure which of these travel guitars is the right option for you? That’s okay – go for one of our top choices and you will not be disappointed!

The best travel acoustic guitar is undoubtedly the one by Journey Instruments .  It is an amazing guitar that is perfect for pros, and it actually  sounds better than some full-sized guitars.  It also has a unique feature patented by Journey Instruments – a collapsible neck.  You can assemble and disassemble this guitar in just a few seconds, which is perfect for playing on the go.

• FINALLY A FULL SIZE GUITAR THAT'S EASY TO TAKE WITH YOU - Our mini travel folding bass guitar with patented collapsible neck system allows you to quickly assemble and disassemble it in around 20 seconds, so you can carry it with you at all times.
• STURDY CARBON FIBER FOR PIECE OF MIND - This collapsible acoustic bass guitar has quality pre-impregnated carbon fiber fabrics on all core components making it stable and durable, so you can enjoy transfer of energy and significantly longer sustain. Whether you are performing for yourself, small crowd or a huge gig, your Journey Instruments Guitar is ready to deliver an epic performance.

My favorite electric guitar for travel is the Travelcaster Deluxe ,  which comes with a soft gig case. It is a full-scale guitar that not only sounds amazing   but also looks pretty cool . It features three single-coil pickups, two tone controls, and one volume control, which is everything you need to sound amazing. Well, in addition to your talent – but that’s a given.

• Full 25 1/2" Scale Guitar
• 5 lbs. 3 oz. And 33 3/4" long

The most versatile guitar for travel would have to be the Traveler Guitar Acoustic/Electric option .  It is remarkably lightweight, it has an in-body tuning system and it sounds really good no matter how you play it thanks to the Piezo pickup. Sure, it’s not going to be as loud as regular acoustic guitars, but all you need to do to get volume is plug it in. And you get the standard 1/4” output for that.

• BUILT FOR TRAVEL: The Ultra-Light is a portable and travel-friendly version of your favorite at-home guitar that you can take anywhere and everywhere you go. Weighing 2 lbs 14 oz and measuring 28”, this will be your steadfast road companion.
• PERFORMANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE: Our proprietary In-Body Tuning System eliminates the need for a headstock by relocating standard tuning machines into the body. Even though it’s small, it’s still crafted with a full 24 3/4" scale experience with 22 frets.

Head over to Amazon to see the prices of all of the best travel guitars featured in this review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do travel guitars sound good.

Some guitarists swear that travel guitars do not sound as good as full-sized guitars. Others say that although they sound different they have a place in your guitar collection.

What is a travel sized guitar?

Travel guitars are usually smaller than full-sized guitars so that they are lighter and easier to transport.

What size guitar is best for Travelling?

Many travel guitars are 3/4 sized which makes for a good compromise between size, weight and sound quality.

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Best Travel Guitar: My Top Picks for Portable Playability

Traveling with a guitar can pose several challenges due to its size and fragility. This is where travel guitars come in. With their compact size and portability, they become essential companions for musicians on the go. These instruments are designed to withstand the rigors of the road while still delivering quality sound. Whether for campfire sing-alongs, impromptu jam sessions, or maintaining practice routines while away from home, travel guitars ensure that music is always at hand.

When picking a travel guitar, there are several factors to consider to find the perfect match for your needs. Size and portability are obvious concerns; a good travel guitar must fit in overhead compartments or be comfortable to carry for extended periods. Sound quality, however, should not be sacrificed for size. Many travel guitars now offer innovative designs that produce voluminous tones rivaling their full-sized counterparts. Durability is also key – materials and construction need to handle the occasional bump or knock.

Beyond physical attributes, playability is crucial. A travel guitar’s neck should feel comfortable in your hand, and the action – the distance between the strings and the fretboard – should be low enough to play easily but high enough to avoid buzzing. Additional features like built-in pickups for amplification and removable necks for even more compact storage can enhance the travel guitar experience.

We’ve dedicated hours to evaluating various travel guitars to identify the best blend of portability, playability, and rich sound. Whether you’re a professional musician or a hobbyist, the right travel guitar can be a reliable and inspiring musical partner.

Top Travel Guitars

We’ve scoured the market to curate a list of top travel guitars that offer a perfect balance of portability, playability, and rich sound. Whether you’re an avid musician on the go or just seeking a compact companion for your musical journeys, our selection is tailored to meet a diverse range of needs and preferences. With attention to craftsmanship, tone, and overall value, our recommended picks will enhance your playing experience wherever your travels take you.

Donner HUSH-I Travel Guitar

For musicians on the move, the Donner HUSH-I offers a harmonious blend of portability and enjoyable playability that’s hard to resist.

• Compact and travel-friendly design
• Ultra-quiet functionality for discreet practice
• Comfortable neck shape and beginner-friendly frets
• Tuners might take some getting used to
• Limited acoustic performance when unplugged
• Some players may not prefer the headless design

Strapping the Donner HUSH-I on, the first thing we notice is its portability. It’s slim, nearly the weight of a laptop, and slides effortlessly into its gig bag. We’re boarding flights hassle-free, thanks to their overhead bin-friendly size, and setting up for impromptu sessions in no time.

The peacefulness of practice sessions with this guitar is a notable highlight. Strumming silently at -30-45dB avoids disturbing others, perfect for late-night creativity surges in our apartment. Plugging in headphones, the preamp system delivers a surprisingly rich acoustic tone that encourages us to lose ourselves in the music.

Comfort is a game-changer, and the asymmetric neck of the HUSH-I does wonders for our hands. Long hours breeze by, and our wrists thank us. The customized round frets, a subtle but appreciated touch, ensure our fingers are spared any unnecessary strain.

While the HUSH-I excels in its specific niche for quiet, travel-friendly practice, it’s important to remember that it isn’t a traditional acoustic-electric. Therefore, we might need to look elsewhere if we’re after the authentic raw acoustic sound. In summary, when we need a reliable travel companion to practice without making a peep, the Donner HUSH-I unquestionably strikes a chord with us.

Martin Backpacker Guitar

We think you’ll be satisfied with the Martin Backpacker Guitar – it blends portability with the renowned Martin tone, perfect for musicians on the move.

• Exceptional portability for travel
• Solid tonewood enhances durability
• Stays in tune after long travel days
• The sound may lack the depth of larger guitars
• Unconventional shapes might feel awkward initially
• Limited fretboard space for complex fingerwork

After strumming on the Martin Backpacker Guitar, its utility as a travel instrument was straightforward. This guitar slips into compact spaces with ease, a remarkable feat considering its solid build. Its unique contours are a talking point and contribute to its lightness – a breeze to carry around.

The craftsmanship of the Martin Backpacker Guitar immediately stands out. Playing it feels different, yet familiar. The surprisingly rich sound quality belies its slim profile. It might not match the full-bodied resonance of a dreadnought, but it’s loud enough to gather a crowd around a bonfire.

Our long-term experience with this guitar has reinforced its reliability. Tuning is straightforward, and once set, it holds pitch admirably across various climates. For musicians wanting to maintain practice or share tunes while on adventures, this Martin is an astute choice. Some may find the narrow neck and fewer frets challenging, but with a little adaptation, its playability is unquestionable.

Enya Nova Go

If you’re in the market for a robust and traveler-friendly guitar, the Enya Nova Go is a reliable companion for your musical journey.

• Resistant to humidity and temperature changes
• Solid one-piece construction and ease of play
• Includes practical accessories like a gig bag
• It may feel different from traditional wooden guitars
• smaller size might not suit all playing styles
• Sound projection may not match larger guitars

Having just strummed the Enya Nova Go, its resilience against nature’s elements is immediately noteworthy. The carbon fiber build means it doesn’t flinch in the face of scorching sun or freezing cold, an undoubtedly reassuring feature for outdoor play. Our chords felt stable, the strings were responsive, and this pleasing lightness made playing for hours effortless.

The one-piece construction stood out as we explored the Nova Go’s features. Typical concerns over bridge durability fade away since it’s part and parcel of the guitar top. And should you wish to tweak string action, the included truss rod has got you covered right out of the gate. Adjustments are a breeze, ensuring the guitar is comfortable for various hand sizes.

Finally, the thoughtful addition of accessories speaks to the practical needs of musicians. Carrying it around in the complementary gig bag felt secure, and it’s easy to see this guitar being a splendid gift, owing to the colorful and considerate packaging. The Enya Nova Go feels like a tool built with the pragmatic side of music-making in mind.

Traveler Ultra-Light

We think the Traveler Ultra-Light is a stellar choice for musicians on the move, providing a full-scale playing experience in a compact form.

• Remarkably lightweight and compact
• Full-scale neck preserves familiar playing feel
• Detachable lap rest enhances portability
• Unconventional look may not appeal to all
• Limited acoustic volume without amplification
• Some may find the in-body tuning system awkward at first

Having experienced the portability of the Traveler Ultra-Light firsthand, we can attest to its convenience and functionality. Its incredibly light form factor makes it a joy to carry through airports and cities. Stowing this guitar in a crowded plane cabin is a breeze – it fits snugly in overhead compartments without the fear of damage.

The performance offered by this travel guitar is impressively uncompromised. Despite its small stature, it feels like you’re playing a full-sized guitar with a standard scale length and a neck that allows for deft finger movements and chords. It’s refreshing to see this level of detail in a guitar designed for travel.

The Traveler Ultra-Light’s simplicity is its charm. There’s no need for bulky cases or extra gear – just grab the included gig bag, and you’re ready to go. While the piezo pickup delivers electronic sound to your preferred amplifier, keep in mind that the acoustic sound is less robust due to the body size. However, plugging in brings your music back to life with surprising clarity.

Traveler Ultra-Light Electric

If you’re a musician on the move, the Traveler Ultra-Light Electric will impress you with its portability. It doesn’t sacrifice the full-scale playing experience.

• Incredibly lightweight and travel-friendly
• Full-scale neck provides familiar playing experience
• Detachable lap rest for convenient packing
• It lacks the presence of a traditional headstock
• Single pickup may limit tonal variety
• No built-in volume control on the guitar itself

After taking the Ultra-Light Electric on a weekend trip, we appreciated how effortlessly it fit into the overhead compartment. We also noticed how it felt like playing a regular electric guitar.

The in-body tuning system cleverly removes the headstock, contributing to the guitar’s diminutive size. Thanks to the full-scale neck, its streamlined form didn’t hinder us from diving into familiar riffs and chords.

We savored the convenience of hooking it up directly to our travel amp for a spontaneous jam session. Plus, the gig bag made it a breeze to carry around.

Enjoying the same tactile sensations as we would on our full-sized instruments made it a joy to use. We could warm up backstage or relax in our hotel room without any issues.

The sound quality from the single high-output humbucker pickup was robust and clear, a delightful surprise for such a compact instrument. While we missed tweaking volume directly on the guitar, plugging into our favorite portable amp solved that quickly.

The Traveler Ultra-Light Electric has become a staple for us during travels. It’s a game-changer for any guitarist wanting to keep their music close without the bulk.

Buying Guide

Determining your needs.

We must first consider our primary use for a travel guitar. Is it for practice, songwriting, or as a primary instrument for performances? Knowing this will guide our choices.

Size and Portability

We look for a balance between portability and playability. The guitar should be lightweight and compact without compromising too much on sound quality or playing comfort.

Acoustic vs. Electric

Acoustic travel guitars are self-amplifying, great for unplugged sessions. Electric travel guitars require an amp, but can offer a wider range of sound options.

Materials and Durability

We seek out materials that can withstand the wear and tear of travel. Laminated woods or alternative materials can offer good durability.

Playability

A comfortable neck profile and action setup are crucial for ease of play. We test the guitar to ensure it feels right in our hands and doesn’t cause fatigue.

Sound Quality

We compare the tonal characteristics of different guitars to find the best sound. This often involves striking a balance between the guitar’s size and the richness of its tone.

We consider our budget. Travel guitars come in a range of prices, and we determine what features are must-haves versus nice-to-haves.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section aims to provide clear and concise answers to common queries regarding travel guitars to assist you in making an informed decision.

What are the top-rated travel guitars for acoustic performance?

Our research shows that the Martin Steel String Backpacker and the Taylor GS Mini are highly praised for their acoustic performance. These guitars are revered for their clear sound and portability.

Which electric travel guitar is considered the best by experienced musicians?

Many experienced musicians give top marks to the Traveler Guitar EG-1 Custom. Its full-scale neck and compact body make it a favorite for electric guitarists on the move.

What do beginner guitarists recommend as the best travel guitar for starters?

Beginners often recommend the Yamaha APXT2 as an excellent starter travel guitar due to its manageable size, affordable price, and the quality it offers for new players.

Which travel guitar offers the best value for a tight budget?

The Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top is renowned for offering great value. It’s well-crafted, has a retro look, and produces a decent sound quality while keeping the budget in check.

Among mini travel guitars, which model stands out for quality and compactness?

For quality and compactness in mini travel guitars, the Little Martin LX1E stands out. Its solid build and the inclusion of electronics make it a leading choice for those prioritizing small size without sacrificing quality.

Is there a significant difference in playability between standard and travel guitars?

Travel guitars are designed for portability. There can be a notable difference in playability. They often have shorter scale lengths and smaller bodies. These differences may affect the playing experience for those used to standard-sized guitars. However, many find them remarkably comfortable and adaptable.

Traveler and blogger Living in Guadalajara, Mexico

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The 25 Best Travel Guitars (Acoustic, Electric) In 2024

It is not easy to find the ideal travel companion as a musician as guitars are designed to perform instead of traveling. They are heavy, fragile, and sometimes too expensive to travel with and play on the go, which is always a shame as you can not play your guitar at perfect moments.

Luckily, now there are acoustic and electric guitars designed with on-the-go musicians in mind. They allow you to travel with them easily, thanks to their compact sizes, lightweight designs, and extra added durability for any case.

So here are 25 of the best guitars that can be the ideal travel companions for guitarists.

Taylor Baby Mahogany BT2

• 6-string Acoustic Guitar with Mahogany Top
• Layered Sapele Back
• Sides - Natural
• Neck Width 1-11/16 inch
• 6-String 3/4 Size Dreadnought
• Layered Sapele back and sides
• Tropical American Mahogany top
• Laser-Etched soundhole rosette 
• Tropical American Mahogany neck
• Ebony Fretboard
• Ebony Bridge
• Tusq Nut/Micarta Saddle 

Taylor Baby Mahogany BT2 is a compact dreadnought guitar with its 3/4-scale yet full voice. The portable guitar has a warm and sweet tone like a full-scale guitar, and it shines with its versatility for different playing styles, from strumming chords to playing with alternative tunings. 

It comes with a solid mahogany top, layered Sapele sides and back, mahogany neck, and ebony fretboard. The mahogany body gives an excellent mid-range punch and an attractive dark color. This mid-range punch is often called the bluesy edge, as mahogany guitars shine with their bluesy mid-range tones, which are ideal for genres like blues and classic rock.

Furthermore, the looks and the feel of the guitar are also amazing again, thanks to the great quality mahogany wood on the neck and the body.

Washburn Rover

• Solid spruce top with mahogany back and sides, matte finish
• Travel size/mini body
• Quarter sawn scalloped Sitka Spruce bracing
• ABS Rosette, Mahogany neck with 18 frets and offset dot inlay
• Solid Spruce top
• Mahogany back, sides, and neck
• Engineered wood fingerboard
• 1-11/16″ Nut Width

Equipped with a solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, a full 23.75″ scale length, engineered wood fingerboard, and different color finish options, Washburn Rover is an excellent blend of feel, sound, and great looks.

Furthermore, it comes with a deluxe gig bag for safe transport. The guitar is lightweight, the smooth finish feels great in the hands, and the guitar’s sound is quite powerful and balanced. The compact guitar has 18 frets on the fretboard, which is quite enough to play on the go.

Enya Nova Go Carbon Fiber

• ♫ A TASTE OF CARBON FIBER - Carbon Fiber may have become a buzzword in...
• ♫ WHY CARBON FIBER - Nova Go is made of carbon fiber composite material,...
• ♫ SOLID BUILD & EASY TO PLAY - The body of Nova Go is 1/2 sized (35 in.),...
• ♫ ZERO FRET - Also, the "Zero Fret" feature is added to this acoustic...
• 1/2 sized (33 in.) body, molded all in one piece
• “Zero Fret” feature is added to this acoustic guitar for smoother tuning
• Fret ends are polished to round edges for a more comfortable hand feel
• Comes with an EVA case, custom-made

Carbon Fiber guitars may be a topic of huge discussion, but there is no denying that they are perfect for traveling with. Often carbon fiber guitars are pretty expensive, but Enya Nova Go Carbon Fiber is an exception. The guitar is lightweight, it also feels and sounds great, but also it is pretty affordable for a carbon fiber guitar.

Carbon fiber guitars are perfect choices if you do not want to worry about temperature, humidity, or impacts. They are highly durable and resistant, so you can travel as you’d like, and this guitar will follow you without any issue.

Ibanez EWP14OPN Exotic Wood Piccolo

• Piccolo cutaway style EW body Ovangkol top Ovangkol back and sides Rosewood...
• Smaller scale instruments have increased in popularity over the past few...
• From the on-the-go businessperson who needs a guitar that can fit in a...
• The EWP14OPN is a 1/3-size, steel string Piccolo acoustic guitar
• Cutaway Tenor Style EW body
• Solid Ovangkol top
• Ovangkol back & Ovangkol sides
• EWP Okoume neck
• Purpleheart fretboard
• Maple dot inlays
• Abalone Soundhole Rosette
• Chrome Die-cast Tuner machines

Ibanez EWP14OPN is a very compact instrument that has the ⅓ size of a traditional guitar. It is somewhere between a guitar and a Baritone ukulele (17”). Plus, it has an EW-style cutaway body made from Ovangkol wood, like the top and back. The EWP Okoume neck and Purpleheart fretboard also feel great in hand.

For travelers, children, and beginners, Ibanez EWP14OPN Exotic Wood Piccolo is a great choice. If you are looking for a small guitar to play while on the road, you should check this one.

Journey Instruments OF660M Overhead Carbon Fiber

• The guitar can collapse into a compact size with a unique removable neck system.
• It can fit into any luggage and overhead compartment on the planes when folded.
• The carbon fiber is temperature and humidity-resistant to prevent cracks and warps.
• The Low C profile neck and 24.5” scale fretboard is a highly playable instrument.
• Easy access to all 20 frets on the fretboard thanks to the scoop away function
• Under-saddle transducer pickup provides greatly amplified tones
• Bone nut and saddle, along with the ebony bridge pins, give extra sustain, stability, and tonal richness 
•  It comes with a travel backpack with a TSA-compliant laptop foldout

Journey Instruments OF660M Overhead is another great carbon fiber guitar built for traveling musicians. It has a unique removable neck system, allowing you to assemble and disassemble the guitar in a few minutes. When disassembled, the guitar fits into a small bag that can accommodate a car’s small trunk to an airplane’s overhead compartments.

The bag is specially designed for TSA regulations, and the airport security can scan the panel on the bag, so you would not even need to open the bag.

The guitar has a peculiar shape with a deeper depth than a dreadnought. This way, the guitar delivers a powerful sound like a full-scale guitar with its small body. The offset soundhole also helps the resonance to be more powerful. Also, the proprietary bracing also gives the tone fantastic clarity.

Gretsch G9520E Gin Rickey

• Solid Spruce Top w/ Laminated Maple Back & Sides, Midnight Sapphire Color...
• 25" Scale Standard "U" Maple Neck w/ Rosewood Fingerboard
• Built-In Chromatic Tuner w/ On/Off Switch, Volume, Bass, Mid, Treble...
• Rosewood Bridge & Deluxe Die-Cast Tuners
• Highly playable parlor-style acoustics for powerful volume
• Gretsch Deltoluxe acoustic magnetic soundhole pickup provides great tones and volume
• Basswood body with supported X-bracing for enriched tones
• Walnut fretboard with a 24-inch scale
• Walnut bridge with synthetic bone saddle
• Vintage frets, open-gear die-cast tuning machines, and pin strap

One of the earliest instruments of Gretsch was the Gin Rickey from their Roots collection. This reissue of the vintage guitar is an excellent instrument with the smooth walnut fingerboard and 24-inch scale nato neck. Thanks to the classic parlor-style design and Gretsch Deltoluxe acoustic magnetic soundhole pickup, the volume is amazing for the size.

The compact and lightweight guitar is a great travel companion and delivers a big, bold, and full sound for live performances, practices, or recording on the go.

Cordoba Mini II M

• Comfortable 1/2 size guitar, with standard tuning
• Layered Mahogany top, back and sides
• Nub one nut, 1. 875" Width
• C-profile Mahogany neck; 22. 875" Scale Length
• Layered Mahogany top, back, and sides
• Nub one nut, 1. 875″ Width
• C-profile Mahogany neck; 22. 875″ Scale Length
• Satin polyurethane Body and neck finish

This guitar is light and portable for those on the move or for younger learners. It has the feel of a guitar but with the sound of a ukulele. It is a well-made instrument with a good tone.

The neck is quite wide for a small guitar, and there are some limitations with regard to the range of tones that the Cordoba Mini can produce. Nevertheless, it will be ideal for use at open mic nights or on trips away with the walking group. Not so sure about the strings that came with it, though. The fourth string is already on its way out, and it has been less than a month since I purchased the instrument. 

Taylor GS Mini-e

• Great looking and sounding solid koa top
• Excellent tones with the Hawaiian Koa back and sides
• Comfort and high playability with Sapele neck and ebony fingerboard
• Great koa grain patterns on the body without a pickguard
• Good ES-B pickup
• 5mm Dot fretboard inlays, chrome tuners, and 3-ring rosette accent

One of the best and most popular travel guitars is the GS Mini-E model of the great Taylor Guitars. The guitar is inspired by the Taylor’s Grand Symphony (GS) body shape but built with portability in mind. It offers great playability in comfortable travel size and fantastic sound with a full-voiced and tonally rich sound palette.

The guitar features an Expression System-B that uses a proprietary pickup behind the saddle instead of under-saddle piezo transducers. The custom-designed preamp system delivers a hotter signal up to %25. The overall sound is very natural, rich in dynamic range, and highly responsive, thanks to these innovative approaches from Taylor.

Luna Safari Acoustic-Electric

• Design by Alex Morgan
• Body: 3/4 Travel
• Top: Select Spruce
• Outstanding performance and looks for a great price
• Great artistic design made by lasers
• Dynamic and expressive spruce top
• Rich mahogany back and sides
• Comfortable 3/4-sized Dreadnought body style

Luna Safari is yet another great travel-size acoustic-electric guitar made from high-quality woods such as dynamic spruce and mahogany. The dreadnought 3/4 size body is quite comfortable to hold and sounds good with enough punch, balance, and overall output volume.

One of the most significant aspects of this guitar is its looks. Luna Safari has great artistic touches made from a laser and luna Pearloid dots on the fretboard. It also has a nonboard preamp with 3-band EQ, master volume, and phase controls. Plus, the onboard tuner is convenient on the stage or in the house.

Martin Backpacker

• Solid Spruce Top
• Solid Tonewood Back and Sides
• Unique Contour Neck Shape
• Features 24-Inch Scale Length
• Features 15 Frets

Martin Backpacker is a trendy travel guitar thanks to the Martin quality and reliability. The compact guitar features a solid spruce top and solid tonewood back and sides. The rich and warm sound of the high-quality woods makes it one of the best-sounding travel guitars.

Furthermore, it is very light, around 2.5 lbs, and the guitar comes with a great padded-back gig bag for safe traveling and a Martin woven strap. It only has 15 frets with a 24-inch scale, but the sound is so fantastic you will not be looking for the extra frets.

Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1

• BUILT FOR TRAVEL: The LTD EC-1 is a portable and travel-friendly version of...
• PERFORMANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE: Our proprietary In-Body Tuning System...
• PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT: This electric guitar includes a custom gig bag...
• UNMATCHED FEATURES: Equipped with an active ESP designed pickup, an aux-in,...
• Built-in conjunction with ESP LTD
• 24.75″-scale guitar in a 28.5″ frame
• Compact design to fit in a luggage
• Resonant mahogany body
• ALH-200B active humbucker
• Built-in headphone amplifier with onboard distortion
• 1/8″ auxiliary input

Traveler Guitar’s LTD EC-1 shines with its full scale and handy features that you’d expect from an ideal guitar on the road. The compact body with a full 24.75″-scale, an active humbucker, onboard headphone amp , and aux input are great touches for versatility. Plus, the guitar can easily fit anywhere from a piece of luggage to airplane overhead compartments.

The looks of the guitar are also pretty sleek. It is small but does not feel small in hand. It is one of the greatest innovative travel guitar designs ever made.

Squier Mini Jazzmaster HH

• 100% Designed by Fender
• Thin and lightweight body
• Dual humbucking pickups
• Sealed die-cast tuning machines
• 3/4-size Jazzmaster guitar, perfect for young and-or entry-level players
• Great humbucker pickups
• Real maple neck and fingerboard
• Comfortable slim “C” neck profile and 22.75-inch scale length
• Chrome hardware
• Hardtail 6-saddle bridge

Jazzmaster Squier Mini Jazzmaster HH might be ideal for you if you want a smaller version of an iconic guitar to travel with. It comes with a HH pickup layout with great-sounding two humbucking pickups. The sound is much bigger than the compact guitar’s size and instantly gets you ready to rock n’ roll.

The 3/4 sized guitar comes with a three-way toggle switch, single volume knob, and single tone knob layout. Plus, it has a short 22.75-inch scale making the barre chords and long stretches easier for beginners and small-handed players. The mini C-shaped neck is highly comfortable and playable, while the maple neck feels great and smooth.

PRS SE Parlor P20E

• 6-string Acoustic-electric Guitar with Mahogany Top
• Ebony Fingerboard - Pink Lotus
• Mahogany Neck
• Compact parlor sized acoustic-electric guitar.
• Made from the solid mahogany top, back, and sides for a rich and warm tone
• Fishman GT1 under-saddle pickup system 
• Mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard
• Great looking herringbone rosette and accents
• Bone nut and saddle for enriched tone support

PRS SE Parlor P20E is ideal for players looking for a parlor-sized yet full-sounding acoustic-electric guitar. The guitar has an eye-catching look with its traditional acoustic appearance combined with modern adornments and embellishments. The construction quality is impressive with the solid mahogany top, X-brace/classical hybrid bracing, herringbone rosette and accents, and a bone nut and saddle. 

The electronics also perform great as the Fishman GT1 under-saddle pickup system delivers powerful tones. The crystal-clear sound and ample projection are great features to go with the PRS SE Parlor P20E, along with its comfortable neck, easy-to-pack, and travel with system.

Traveler Guitar Travelcaster Deluxe

• Travel-size compact guitar with a full-scale and S-style body
• Made of poplar and maple wood
• 3 single-coil pickups layout
• Vintage type tremolo
• 5 lbs weight and 33.75 inches long
• Comes with a padded gig bag

As the name suggests, Traveler Guitar Travelcaster Deluxe was created with mobility in mind. The 25.5-inch scale length, solid body from poplar, maple necks, fingerboard, and 5 lbs weight make the guitar great for playing on the road with the sound of a traditional guitar.

The 3 single-coil pickups design and traditional controls give you good versatility and make it feel like playing a Strat. The vintage-style tremolo gives extra sustain and control. Finally, it comes with a padded gig bag, and its compact size can fit most luggage and overhead airplane compartments.

Martin LXK2 Little Martin

• Koa Wood Pattern HPL Textured Finish
• Natural Stratabond neck
• Richlite fingerboard material
• Rosewood bridge
• Padded gig bag

Another great travel guitar by Martin is the Martin LXK2 Little Martin model. The guitar features a Koa wood pattern high-pressure laminate on the body, top, back, sides, and headstock. The fretboard and the bridge are made with rosewood, while the neck is created from natural Stratabond. The great Martin workmanship can be felt all over the instruments as the guitar sounds quite fantastic.

The instrument is highly durable and comfortable to play. The pick-up-and-play design makes it highly easy to play the guitar, and the padded gig bag gives extra safety for the road. 

Journey Instruments FP412 FirstClass Parlor

• FINALLY A FULL SIZE GUITAR THAT'S EASY TO TAKE WITH YOU - Our mini travel...
• QUALITY SOUND SYSTEM TO AMAZE THE CROWD - Traditional sound-hole boasts a...
• BACKPACKER’S HEAVEN - Fit our premium TSA compliant carry-on backpack on...
• LIFETIME WARRANTY - Your satisfaction is guaranteed! Our stainless steel...
• Travel-ready, collapsible acoustic-electric delivers outstanding tone and playability.
• Patented collapsible neck system that lets you detach and reattach the guitar neck with just a few simple clicks and turns
• It easily fits inside its included travel backpack and into overhead bins on planes.
• Solid spruce top and solid Sapele body for exceptionally rich acoustic tone
• A proprietary under-bridge transducer pickup system delivers stellar amplified acoustic tone.
• Ovangkol Bridge and bone nut and saddle add to the rich tone.

When you need portability and great tone, the FP412 FirstClass Solid Sitka/Sapele Parlor acoustic-electric from Journey Instruments is an amazing instrument that truly has to be experienced to be believed. The FP412 features Journey Instrument’s patented collapsible neck system that lets you detach and reattach the guitar neck with just a few simple clicks and turns, letting you easily fit the FP412 inside its included travel backpack and into overhead bins on planes.

This traditional parlor acoustic features a solid spruce top and solid Sapele body for a vibrant acoustic tone. A solid Sapele neck with carbon fiber reinforcement is beautifully playable and responsive. When you are ready for the plugin, a Proprietary under-bridge transducer pickup system delivers stellar amplified acoustic tone.

Gretsch G5021E Rancher Penguin 

• Body Body type: Parlor Cutaway: Non-cutaway Top wood: Spruce Solid Back &...
• The G5021WPE Rancher Penguin Parlor Acoustic/Electric delivers classic...
• The Isys III pickup/preamp system provides a modern sonic complement to...
• Elegant look with gold hardware, unique finish, and headstock designs
• Maple back and sides, solid spruce top delivers great sonic performance with a punchy direct tone
• Fishman Presys III pickup system for top-quality sound
• U shaped neck for increased playability and comfort
• Compact parlor body shape for extra mobility

Gretsch G5021E Rancher Penguin is one of the top-quality travel-sized acoustic-electric guitars with its Rancher style from the ’50s. The iconic looks with triangle soundhole and compact design combined with the great sound of the instrument make this one the ideal travel guitar for acoustic guitar lovers.

The unique look of the guitar is pretty elegant and eye-catching. The high-quality wood used in the construction delivers amazing tones, while the Fishman Presys III helps fantastically to amplify the sound when necessary. 

The natural timbre is present without any coloration with the pickup. You can also shape your sound with volume mid-sweep and bass knobs on the control board of the guitar. Plus, it also has a chromatic tuner.

Takamine GY93 New Yorker 

• Solid spruce top, rosewood sides and a stunning three piece rosewood/quilt...
• Slim mahogany neck and 12"-radius bound rosewood fingerboard provide great...
• Split-saddle design of the rosewood bridge provides superior intonation for...
• Maple body, neck and headstock binding
• Parlor-style guitar with a unique tone
• Solid spruce top for the extra resonant body along with X-bracing for extra volume output
• Maple center with 3-piece walnut back for tonal flexibility and high definition
• Mahogany neck with laurel fretboard on top
• 20 frets with dot inlays on the fingerboard
• Gold finished machine heads

When it comes to acoustic guitars, Takamine is one of the most reliable and popular brands on the market. The GY93 New Yorker model shines with its parlor-style construction, compact size for mobility, and high-quality woods such as solid spruce top, maple center, mahogany back and neck, and laurel fretboard. The sound of the guitar is fantastic, just like its pretty look, all thanks to the high-quality wood used in the workmanship.

The neck is highly slim for an acoustic guitar, making it an extremely comfortable and fun-to-play guitar. The 12-inch radius laurel fingerboard has a fantastic feel to it, and the playability is in the sky.

Furthermore, it has a Takamine TK-40D preamp system with a built-in tuner, three-band EQ, gain controls, notch filter, EQ bypass, and a mid contour switch for increased versatility and sound quality.

Luna Gypsy Parlor Mahogany

• This full parlor guitar is part of our all mahogany Gypsy series which...
• A surprisingly affordable price is paired with elegant features
• Features walnut stringers at the back, Luna's signature moon phase fret...
• This acoustic is ideal for finger-style players who desire a powerful punch...
• Mahogany top, back, and sides
• Mahogany set neck, C profile
• Black walnut fingerboard, 14″ radius, MOP Moon Phase inlays
• 25.25″ scale length, 21 frets
• 1.6875″ nut
• Black walnut bridge
• Chrome sealed die-cast tuners.

Parlor-sized guitars are great for traveling with, as you probably have figured out by now. This one, Luna Gypsy Parlor Mahogany, is a relatively affordable acoustic travel guitar with a big sound that you would not expect from such a compact body.

The guitar features a great-looking mahogany top, back, and sides, along with blackwood stringers on the backside of the neck. The black walnut fingerboard has a 14” radius and is quite comfortable to play with. Another great detail is the Luna signature MOP moon phase design of the dot inlays.

There is also a Celtic-themed rosette which looks fantastic with the quality tonewoods. The sound is pretty warm and clear, with great mid frequencies. The neck has a C-shaped profile that is great for beginners and small-handed players. For the price offered, Luna Gypsy Parlor Mahogany is a great travel acoustic guitar with its comfortable playability and amazing sonic performance.

Fender PS-220E

• Compact sized parlor guitar from Fender with traditional and modern features combines
• Sitka spruce top and mahogany body for warm and natural sound
• C-shaped mahogany neck with ovangkol fretboard
• Fender-Fishman Sonitone Plus Soundhole pickup system for organic amplified tones
• Ovangkol bridge, ebony pins, open-back tuners for a traditional appearance

If you are after the Fender quality for your travel guitar, Fender PS-220E is a great choice. It is inspired by parlor guitars and combines the traditional features with modern enhancements for amazing looks and sonic performance. The guitar performs and looks fantastic with the mixture of high-quality tonewoods, including mahogany, Sitka spruce, and ovangkol.

The acoustic-electric guitar has a highly resonant tone which is organically reflected by the Fender-Fishman Sonitone Plus Soundhole pickup system. The sound of the natural woody tones gives impressive results, while the volume and blend controls are there to help you shape your tone as you would like. It is a great overall guitar in terms of sound and feel, as you would expect from Fender.

Kala Solid Cedar Top Parlor

• The KALA solid Cedar top Parlor guitar is a smaller-bodied guitar
• Its tone is very warm and full-bodied and pleasant without being...
• It is dressed in walnut Binding with herringbone purfling, an ebony...
• Every solid Cedar top Parlor guitar come with a gig bag, making this...
• The solid cedar top 
• Mahogany back and sides 
• Comfortable mahogany neck
• Easy-playing 19-fret ebony fingerboard
• Toneful bone nut and saddle
• Light-diffusing satin finish

Kala Solid Cedar Top Parlor is one of the most portable guitars on the list. It is a great choice for recording, songwriting, or performing while on the road with its lightweight and compact design. The guitar features a solid cedar top, mahogany back, sides, and neck, an ebony fingerboard with 19 frets, as well as a toneful bone nut and saddle. The light-diffusing sating finish looks excellent and adds to the elegance of the instrument.

The playability of the guitar is extremely high thanks to the smooth neck, balanced weight, and 19-fret ebony fingerboard. Thanks to the bone nut and saddle, the sustain and tone are increased. 

The price range is also great for this guitar as it can be considered affordable. The small body, big sound, and fantastic looks make this guitar ear, eye, and budget pleasing all at the same time.

Guild P-240 Memoir

• 6-string Acoustic Guitar with Solid Spruce Top
• Pau Ferro Fingerboard - Natural
• Mahogany Back and Sides
• Mahogany back and sides align with solid spruce top
• Outstanding mahogany neck with Pau Ferro fingerboard for increased comfort and playability
• X-bracing for enhanced tone
• 24.75-inch scale length and 19 frets 
• Mother-of-pearl rosette and vintage-inspired Guild script logo on the slotted headstock 

Guild P-240 Memoir is another compact yet big-sounding guitar for singers and songwriters. The parlor size and the lightweight are ideal for traveling with the instrument. The woods used in the construction are mahogany for the back, sides, and the neck, Pau Ferro for the fretboard, and solid spruce for the top. The combination of the woods provides a rich, full and varied tone.

The guitar has 19 frets and a 24.75” scale length which is ideal for fingerpicking and flatpicking. The Pau Ferro fingerboard feels great and plays incredibly well on the 16” radius C-shaped neck profile.

The guitar is one of the best travel guitars for recording as it provides amazing tones with a natural woody touch.

Squier Mini Strat Electric

• Three single-coil pickups
• 3/4-size Stratocaster-style guitar, for the traveler or younger players
• 3 single-coil pickup configuration like a traditional Stratocaster
• Great-feeling maple neck
• Indian Laurel fretboard
• Traditional vintage-style large headstock
• Chrome-finished tuners and hardware
• Hardtail bridge with 6 saddles

The Squier Mini Strat is the perfect choice for guitarists who are after a compact Stratocaster while on the road. It is also a great entry-level guitar for younger players and beginners. Just like a traditional Stratocaster, it comes with three single-coil pickups, tone and master volume controls, a 5-way pickup switch, and the famous great-feeling maple neck of Strats.

The guitar’s sonic versatility is impressive, just like a genuine Stratocaster. You can shape the sound with tone and volume controls and a pickup switcher. Thanks to the real maple neck and Indian Laurel fingerboard, the neck is highly playable and comfortable. 

The guitar also looks great with its vintage design and large headstock. There are multiple color options for different tastes as well. Overall, it is the perfect guitar for kids, small-handed players, and musicians on the move.

Fender Sonoran Mini Acoustic Guitar

• Fender-exclusive Sonoran Mini body shape
• Spruce or mahogany top with scalloped “X” bracing; mahogany back and...
• ¾ body size; 23.3” scale length
• Nato neck with slim-taper "C"-shaped profile; walnut fingerboard and bridge
• Classical acoustic guitar with a vintage design
• Compact sized body for improved playability and comfort
• High-quality mahogany top, back, and sides for warm tones
• C-shaped neck and Walnut fingerboard for increased playability and comfort
• Short scale length for portability and softer string feel

Fender Sonoran Mini is a unique travel-sized acoustic guitar equipped with a scaled-down, all-mahogany body for meaty, beefy, and present tones. The guitar competes with full-scale guitars in terms of sound as its innovative and high-quality design provides impressive tonal versatility and richness. 

The compact size and lightweight are ideal for traveling with this guitar. You can use it on the stage, in the studio, on the street, or wherever you are without any hesitation. Thanks to the C-shaped neck and Walnut fingerboard, the guitar also looks pretty good, and the neck feels great in hand.

Yamaha APXT2 3/4-size Thin-line

• 6-string 3/4-sized acoustic-electric guitar with spruce top
• Meranti back and sides
• Hardwood neck
• The compact version of Yamaha’s iconic and popular APX500 acoustic-electric guitar
• The 3/4 size is perfect for a travel companion instrument
• The high-quality tonewoods deliver natural and balanced acoustic tones
• ART-based preamp and System 68 contact pickup provides amazing amplified sound when plugged in
• Built-in-tuner and volume-tone controls come in handy for tone shaping and getting ready for playing

Yamaha APXT2 3/4-size Thin-line is a versatile travel-sized 3/4 acoustic-electric guitar for musicians on the go. The guitar blends quality, performance, looks, and versatility in one pot, offering one of the best travel companions. It can also be a great choice for small-handed players.

The guitar has the APXT2 with a System 68 contact pickup and active preamp for plugged-in performance, which successfully reflects the balanced and natural tones of the guitar provided by the high-quality tonewoods. Plus, it comes with a great gig bag to carry it around with.

Travel guitars come in so many shapes and forms. They are different in size and style. Whether you need acoustic or electric, there is a lot to choose from. Today, fortunately, companies improved travel guitars a lot, and they are much more functional than travel guitars in the past. Most of them really are pretty inexpensive, and if you travel a lot, buying one is a no-brainer.

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Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Best travel guitar – your perfect companion on the go.

Looking for the best travel guitar? As a passionate musician, I understand the need for a reliable and portable instrument that allows you to continue playing music wherever your adventures take you. Whether you’re a frequent traveler, an outdoor enthusiast, or simply looking for a compact guitar for convenience, travel guitars are the ideal solution. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the features that make a guitar suitable for travel and provide you with examples of four exceptional travel guitar models: the Martin LX1, Taylor GS Mini-3 Koa, Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1, and Martin Backpacker.

Table of Contents

What Makes a Guitar Suitable for Travel?

When it comes to travel guitars, several key features to consider ensure their suitability for life on the road.

Compact and Lightweight Design

Travel guitars are specifically designed to be portable, featuring smaller body sizes and lightweight materials. Their compact dimensions make them easy to carry, whether you’re embarking on a cross-country road trip or hopping on a plane to your next destination. By reducing weight, these guitars won’t burden you during your travels.

Durable Construction

Traveling can be rough on instruments, which is why durability is crucial. Look for travel guitars with solid tops or high-pressure laminate construction that can withstand the rigors of transportation. Additionally, reinforced parts like necks and braces provide extra protection against bumps and temperature changes, ensuring your guitar stays in optimal condition.

Playability and Comfort

Playing comfort is paramount, even on a smaller instrument. Travel guitars should have a comfortable neck profile and an appropriate scale length, allowing you to play without strain or discomfort. Additionally, easy access to the fretboard ensures you can comfortably reach higher notes, maintaining playability across the entire range.

Sound Quality

While compact, travel guitars should still deliver a satisfying and balanced tone. Solid tops or high-quality laminates contribute to a resonant sound with good projection. If you prefer to amplify your sound, consider models with suitable electronics, such as built-in pickups or preamps, that allow you to connect to an amplifier or PA system.

Examples of Travel Guitars

Now, let’s dive into the specifics of four outstanding travel guitar models that embody our discussed qualities.

Martin LX1 Little Martin

The Martin LX1 guitar is a compact and portable instrument that delivers surprising sound quality and craftsmanship. Its solid Sitka spruce top and mahogany pattern HPL back and sides contribute to its rich and balanced tone, making it a popular choice for both beginners and experienced guitarists on the go.

Solid Construction and Quality Materials

The Martin LX1 guitar is a remarkable instrument known for its exceptional craftsmanship. It features a solid Sitka spruce top, which provides excellent resonance and projection. The back and sides are made of mahogany pattern high-pressure laminate (HPL), a durable and sustainable material that contributes to the guitar’s overall strength and stability. This combination of materials ensures that the LX1 delivers a high-quality sound that surpasses expectations for its compact size.

Comfortable and Portable Design

The LX1’s compact size makes it incredibly comfortable to play, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced guitarist. Its small body allows for easy reach of the frets and makes it a breeze to hold and carry.

This design is particularly appealing for travelers, musicians on the go, or those who prefer a more portable instrument. You can take the LX1 with you wherever you roam without sacrificing the quality of sound.

Surprisingly Rich and Balanced Tone

Despite its small size, the Martin LX1 produces a surprisingly rich and balanced tone. The solid Sitka spruce top contributes to its clarity and resonance, while the mahogany pattern HPL back and sides add warmth to the overall sound. This combination results in a well-rounded tone that is both pleasing to the ear and versatile in terms of musical styles. Whether you’re strumming chords, fingerpicking, or playing melodic lines, the LX1 delivers a satisfying and enjoyable sound.

Reliable and Durable Construction

Martin is renowned for its commitment to quality, and the LX1 is no exception. The guitar is built to withstand the demands of regular playing and is constructed with durability in mind. The HPL back and sides are resistant to temperature and humidity changes, making the LX1 a reliable choice for different environments. The high-quality craftsmanship ensures that the guitar will stand the test of time and provide years of enjoyable playing.

Taylor GS Mini-e Koa

The Taylor GS Mini-e Koa is a visually stunning and sonically impressive guitar that delivers remarkable sound in a compact size. Its solid koa top and layered koa back and sides offer a warm and balanced tone, making it an exceptional choice for players seeking portability without compromising on quality.

The Taylor GS Mini-e Koa is a guitar that defies its small size with a big and impressive sound. Despite its compact body, this instrument delivers a rich and resonant tone that surpasses expectations. The solid koa top is responsible for its warm and well-balanced sound, while the layered koa back and sides contribute to its durability and stability. The GS Mini-e Koa proves that great things can come in small packages.

Beautiful Koa Wood Construction

One of the standout features of the GS Mini-e Koa is its stunning koa wood construction. Koa is highly regarded for its unique grain patterns and striking visual appeal. The solid koa top not only contributes to the guitar’s exceptional sound but also adds a touch of elegance to its overall aesthetic. The layered koa back and sides provide both durability and a harmonious visual match. The combination of the tonewood’s beauty and craftsmanship makes the GS Mini-e Koa a guitar that truly stands out.

Versatile and Reliable Performance

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, the GS Mini-e Koa is a versatile instrument that accommodates a wide range of musical styles and playing techniques. Its smaller size makes it comfortable to hold and play, while still maintaining excellent playability and resonance. The guitar’s impressive projection and tonal balance ensure that it sounds great whether you’re strumming chords or fingerpicking intricate melodies. From intimate solo performances to casual jam sessions, the GS Mini-e Koa delivers reliable and impressive sound quality.

Ideal for Practice, Performance, and Songwriting

The GS Mini-e Koa is designed to be a go-to instrument for various musical endeavors. Its compact size makes it an excellent choice for practice and travel, allowing you to take your music with you wherever you go. Its exceptional tonal qualities and reliable performance also make it a great companion for live performances, both on stage and in the studio. Additionally, the GS Mini-e Koa is favored by songwriters who appreciate its versatility and inspiring sound, making it an instrument that sparks creativity and expression.

Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1

The Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 is a remarkable electric travel guitar that merges the distinctive ESP vibe with Traveler Guitar’s innovative engineering. Designed as a compact and portable instrument, it offers ESP players the convenience of a travel-friendly guitar without compromising on tone, playability, or visual appeal.

The Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 brings together the renowned quality and vibe of ESP guitars with the innovative engineering of Traveler Guitar. This unique collaboration has resulted in a full 24 ¾-inch scale electric travel guitar based on LTD’s best-selling EC series. It’s designed to provide ESP players with an exceptional travel companion that maintains the essence of their favorite guitars.

Slick LTD-Inspired Appointments and Impressive Engineering

With its LTD-inspired appointments, the Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 exudes a sleek and stylish look. The guitar features a carved Arch-Top mahogany body, locking tuning machines, Gold anodized hardware, a beveled neck for easy access to high frets, and 6-ply binding. The LTD-style fingerboard inlays add to its overall aesthetic appeal. These visual appointments contribute to the guitar’s unique vibe and make it a standout instrument.

Powerful Drive and Articulate Tone

Equipped with the ESP-designed ALH-200B active humbucker, the Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 delivers powerful drive and articulate tone. This pickup ensures that you can achieve a wide range of sounds and styles, from clean and crisp to heavily distorted. You’ll be able to unleash your creativity and explore various musical genres with confidence.

Innovative Design for Portability and Playability

One of the standout features of the Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 is its innovative In-Body tuning system. By relocating the tuning machines into the body, Traveler Guitar has eliminated the need for a headstock. This design innovation allows for a full-scale playing experience on a guitar that’s 24% shorter and 29% lighter than a comparable full-sized instrument. You’ll enjoy the same comfort and playability of a standard guitar in a compact and travel-friendly package.

Built-In Headphone Amplifier and Versatile Connectivity

The Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 includes a built-in headphone amplifier, providing you with the freedom to play at full volume without disturbing others. You can cycle through clean, boost, overdrive, and distortion tones using the custom tap-pot, all while listening through headphones or connecting to your favorite amp. Additionally, the guitar is equipped with an aux-in, allowing you to connect your mobile device and play along with your favorite tracks.

Perfect Solution for Traveling Musicians

Designed for traveling musicians seeking a modern, high-gain guitar that’s compact and comfortable, the Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1 is the perfect solution. Its exceptional playability, impressive tone, and portability make it a reliable companion for gigs, practice sessions, or wherever your musical journey takes you. The guitar easily fits in airline overhead compartments, and the included deluxe gig bag ensures hassle-free transportation and protection.

Martin Backpacker

The Martin Backpacker is a unique and portable travel guitar that is perfect for musicians on the move. With its compact size and rugged construction, this guitar is designed to accompany you on your adventures while still delivering a surprisingly rich and resonant sound.

The Martin Backpacker is a remarkable travel guitar that combines convenience and portability without compromising on sound quality. With its unique and compact design, this instrument is perfect for musicians who love to explore and play wherever they go. Its lightweight construction and small size make it easy to carry and fit into tight spaces, making it an ideal choice for backpackers, campers, and travelers.

Surprisingly Rich and Resonant Sound

Don’t let its small size fool you—the Martin Backpacker delivers a surprisingly rich and resonant sound. This guitar’s solid top and unique bracing system contribute to its impressive tone, ensuring that it offers more than just portability. Whether you’re strumming chords or picking intricate melodies, the Backpacker delivers a balanced and pleasing sound that can captivate both players and listeners. It’s an excellent option for impromptu performances or personal practice sessions on the go.

Durable Construction for Long-Lasting Adventures

The Martin Backpacker is built to withstand the rigors of travel and outdoor adventures. Its solid construction and quality materials ensure durability and reliability wherever you take it. The guitar features a solid spruce top, providing excellent resonance and projection, while the mahogany neck adds stability and strength. The unique shape and design of the Backpacker not only enhance its portability but also contribute to its overall durability, making it a reliable companion for countless journeys.

Comfortable Playability for On-the-Go Musicians

Despite its compact size, the Martin Backpacker is designed with playability in mind. Its slim and ergonomic neck profile makes it comfortable to play, allowing for smooth chord transitions and effortless fingerpicking. The 15-fret fingerboard offers ample room for exploration and creativity. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced guitarist, the Backpacker’s playability ensures that you can enjoy playing your favorite songs wherever you find inspiration.

Best Travel Guitar – Conclusion

Travel guitars offer musicians the freedom to continue playing their beloved instrument wherever their journeys take them. When choosing a travel guitar, consider the compact and lightweight design, durable construction, playability and comfort, and sound quality. The Martin LX1, Taylor GS Mini-3 Koa, Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1, and Martin Backpacker exemplify the characteristics of exceptional travel guitars, each with its unique features and benefits. Explore these options to find the perfect companion that suits your travel needs and musical preferences.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

 can i use a travel guitar as my primary instrument.

Absolutely! Many musicians use travel guitars as their primary instruments due to their playability, sound quality, and portability.

Are travel guitars suitable for professional musicians?

Yes, travel guitars are suitable for professionals who need a reliable instrument on the go, whether for touring, recording, or impromptu performances.

Can I play different genres of music on a travel guitar?

Yes, travel guitars are versatile and can handle various musical styles, including folk, blues, rock, and more. They offer a surprising range of tones.

Do travel guitars come with built-in electronics?

Some travel guitars come with built-in pickups or preamps, allowing you to amplify your sound when connected to an amplifier or PA system.

Are travel guitars suitable for beginners?

Absolutely! Travel guitars are an excellent choice for beginners due to their comfortable playability, smaller size, and affordability.

James Walker

Hi, I'm James Walker, and I have a deep understanding of guitars as a dedicated educator and enthusiast. With years of experience, I enjoy imparting my extensive knowledge of guitars and techniques to aspiring players. Through teaching, I inspire a love for music and empower students to reach their full potential on the guitar.

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The 10 Best Travel Guitar Options in 2024 [Acoustic & Electric]

The best travel guitar makes a perfect companion for busy, on-the-go guitarists searching for playability that’s built to move. There are electric options, acoustic options, and even hybrid electro-acoustic travel guitars. Whether it’s for practice and warming up, or full-blown gigging and session work, there is a unique portable guitar for every musician.

What Differentiates “Travel Guitars” from Regular Guitars

Portability is the number one feature of the “travel” guitar, which typically comes in the form of shorter scale lengths, smaller bodies, and lighter weight. Some guitars retain a normal scale length, and thus a regular playing  feel, but they’ve been otherwise shrunk down to squeeze into the travel category.

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Features to Look for in a Travel Guitar

Other features to look for in a travel guitar are pretty much the same as when shopping for a regular guitar. The first distinction will be acoustic, electric, or electro-acoustic based on your playing style and needs. Travel guitars sometimes have features exclusive to the category, such as built-in headphone outputs for practice. In most cases, however, the right guitar for you shouldn’t be too difficult to determine — you know best!

The 5 Best Travel Guitar Options for Acoustic Players

1. taylor baby taylor.

The Baby Taylor series is one of the most popular 3/4-size acoustic guitars ever made. Everything about the design makes it a great choice for beginners because the necks are slim and easy to play. Experienced players can enjoy a Baby Taylor as a travel or practice guitar as well. Options include different top woods and the choice of built-in electronics.

2. Martin Backpacker

The steel-string Martin Backpacker is one of the best examples of an acoustic travel guitar. It has 15 frets with a 24″ scale length, with a uniquely shaped body that cuts away all of the bulk of a traditional acoustic. This is ideal for anyone prioritizing portability.

• RELATED: Martin Special D Review: A Perfect Mid-Level Acoustic?

3. Traveler Escape Mark III

The Traveler Escape Mark III offers familiar electric guitar-style playability in an acoustic package with built-in electronics. Highlights include 22 medium frets with a 25.5″ scale length. Active electronics come with volume, bass, and treble adjustments, as well as an aux input and headphone output.

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4. Taylor GS Mini-e Koa

The Taylor GS Mini-e Koa is a mid-range travel guitar for serious players. Despite its small size, the guitar’s voice is huge, and even comes with a built-in pickup for electro-acoustic playability. Compact scale length seats this in the travel category, but it’s really just a nice all-around acoustic-electric guitar.

• RELATED: Yamaha APX600 Review: Is This Thinbody Acoustic Worth the Price?

5. Yamaha CSF3M

A travel guitar in the most traditional sense, the Yamaha CSF3M is a parlor-style acoustic similar to those which traveling guitarists played in the early 1900s. While much more compact than a full dreadnought-style acoustic, these guitars are excellent for the studio or the stage, with a built-in passive undersaddle pickup for amplification.

• RELATED: The 9 Best Acoustic Guitar Pickups
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The 5 Best Travel Electric Guitar Options

1. travelcaster deluxe electric travel guitar.

Ever wanted to know what an S-style guitar looked like if everything around the pick guard was gone? Well, here it is! This is a very cool electric mini guitar with a traditional 25.5″ scale length, three single-coil pickups, 5-way pickup selector, and all the appointments of a standard S-type — with much smaller body!

2. Blackstar Carry-On

Anything but traditional, the Blackstar Carry-On is an innovative instrument and quintessentially made to move. It features 18 frets on a 20.7″ scale, with a single mini-humbucker with coil-split. The guitar is strung with 12-54 gauge strings to recreate standard scale tension on a very short scale instrument.

3. Steinberger Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe

Steinberger headless guitars debuted in 1979. At the time, and for many years, there was nothing quite like them. They’re amongst the most playable and versatile small guitars around. The Spirit GT-Pro has 24 frets, a 25.5″ scale length, an HSH pickup configuration, 14″ radius, and a tremolo system.

4. Hofner Shorty Travel Guitar

Hofner Shorties came out in the ’80s, aimed at players who didn’t want to miss a moment of practice. The familiar feel is a major selling point for many guitarists, with 24 frets on a 24.75″ scale length. There is a single humbucker with volume/tone controls, and a simple gig back to take on the road.

5. VOX SDC-1 Mini

Last but not least, we have the VOX SDC-1 Mini. With 19 medium jumbo frets and an 18.75″ scale, it’s perfect for beginner guitarists, players with smaller hands, or anyone looking to take their instrument with them anywhere.

• RELATED: The 10 Best Acoustic Guitar Strings to Consider in 2023

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7 Best Travel Guitars to Bring on the Road (2024)

Being a guitarist and having the travel bug don’t often mix. In fact, traveling with a guitar, especially by air, can be a bit of a nightmare. Luckily for you, travel guitars exist, and if you invest in a good one, these portable instruments may not sound much different than a standard guitar!

In this post, I’ve selected 7 of the best travel guitars. From small portable acoustic to creative electric counterparts, this list will cover all your needs.

This post may contain some partner links, which means I receive a tiny commission – at no extra cost to you. Don’t worry, this partnership doesn’t affect my recommendations whatsoever. It just helps me keep the lights on.

Best Travel Guitars 2024

• Taylor GS-mini Mahogany
• Martin Backpacker
• Taylor BT2 Baby
• Donner HUSH-I
• Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe
• Traveler Escape MKIII Mahogany
• Blackstar Carry-On Travel Guitar ST

1. Taylor GS-mini Mahogany (Best overall)

• "Body Body type: Taylor Grand Symphony Mini Cutaway: No Top wood:...
• "There's something undeniably inviting about the Taylor GS Mini's...
• That mix of portability and musicality has proven to be a winning...
• It's not too big, it's not too precious, and it's not too expensive
• Top : Tropical Mahogany
• Body : Layered Sapele
• Neck : Mahogany
• Length : 17.8 inches
• Weight : 11 lbs
• # of frets : 20

What’s great

• Fits perfectly in any car, subway, or plane overhead.
• The GS-mini has a big sound for its size, giving you that big guitar feel without the bulk. 
• I loved its slim and comfy neck design, which gave me a smooth playing experience.
• Consists of ES-B, a built-in digital tuner, and easy-to-use tone and volume controls, so you get effortless sound shaping at your fingertips.
• Every GS Mini comes with a gig bag for worry-free travel. 

What’s not so great

• Due to its smaller size, it may lack projection in larger settings.
• The GS-mini has a relatively higher cost.
• I wasn’t impressed with its low-end, which sounded limited compared to larger guitars. Its smaller soundhole is also to blame for that. 
• It may struggle to compete with louder instruments in a band setting.

The GS-mini’s sound is impressive. The mahogany top and layered Sapele back and sides create a warm and full tone. Strumming or fingerpicking it delivers a surprisingly rich sound. It’s not the loudest guitar, but it packs a punch, making it suitable for various playing styles and settings.

Size/Portability

At just over 36″, it’s compact and travel-friendly. It fits easily in overhead compartments and is great for road trips or plane rides. It’s not a folding guitar, but its smaller size makes it a convenient choice for musicians on the go.

In terms of cost, the GS-mini is relatively expensive, but it offers good value for a Taylor guitar. It’s not overly expensive, considering the quality of materials and craftsmanship.

This Taylor travel guitar is pretty sturdy. That said, being a standard acoustic, you will have to be pretty careful with it. It should hold up fairly well to the wear and tear of travel, but it may get some scratches and dents.

Should you buy it?

If you can afford to spend about $700 on a traveling guitar, by all means, you should go for it, as you get the Taylor brand assurance, along with a good sound for a small and portable guitar.

2. Martin Backpacker (Best for volume/loudness)

• Solid Spruce Top
• Solid Tonewood Back and Sides
• Unique Contour Neck Shape
• Features 24-Inch Scale Length
• Top : Spruce
• Body : Mahogany
• Neck : Hardwood 
• Length : 24 inches
• Weight : 5.15 lbs
• # of frets : 15
• The guitar is exceptionally compact. Martin did a good job of designing a portable guitar without making it ugly.
• Despite its small size, the guitar produces a good sound. It’s somewhere in between a banjo and a guitar in terms of tone.
• The lack of a body makes the guitar awkward to play, and the imbalance between the heavier neck and the absent body requires additional effort to hold up with the left hand.
• This travel guitar only features 15 frets.
• The sound of the Martin Backpacker does not meet the standards associated with the Martin brand. The design is a potential cause of the less-than-great sound, described as both a blessing and a curse.

I can vouch for the Martin Backpacker’s impressive volume, but I noticed a minor trade-off in bass resonance, giving it a brighter “tinny” tone. It might not perfectly match the classic Martin sound, but it is something worth considering if you have specific expectations.

This is the best travel guitar for those who want something lightweight and easy to take on the move. One of its standout features is its slender and elongated body, making it lightweight, compact, and super easy to carry on a plane. This is my go-to choice for plane travel. 

Due to the size and sturdy build of this Martin travel guitar, it scores highly by me in terms of durability. The thinner body makes it less likely to get dinged up when in transit and will withstand most small drops.

The Martin Backpacker travel guitar is priced at $300, which is a great price for what you get. You can certainly find cheaper options, but they won’t sound as good or be as easy to travel with as this guitar.

Want more budget guitar recommendations? Head over to my list of the best cheap acoustic guitars .

If portability and volume are your top priorities, the Martin Backpacker could be a solid choice. Its look and feel are very unusual compared to the guitars you must be used to playing, but overall, it’s designed for traveling purposes only.

3. Taylor BT2 Baby (Best overall sound)

• 6-string Acoustic Guitar with Mahogany Top
• Layered Sapele Back
• Sides - Natural
• Neck Width 1-11/16 inch
• Top : Mahogany
• Back : Sapele
• Length : 38 inches
• Weight : 4.4 lbs
• # of frets : 19
• The Taylor BT2 has a high-quality sound, with little noticeable sonic difference from a standard-size guitar.
• Weighing in at just over 4 lbs. and measuring 38 inches in length, the Baby Taylor is highly portable.
• Despite its smaller size, the Baby Taylor delivers a remarkably rich sound that surpassed my expectations.
• I found issues with the guitar staying in tune , requiring frequent tuning adjustments.
• It is a bit more expensive than other options.

Despite its size, the Baby Taylor produces a surprisingly loud sound, making it suitable for acoustic jam sessions and travel. Overall, it offers a wonderful balance of volume, brightness, and clarity. Open chords may sound a bit muddy, but barre chords and riffing sound very clear.

The guitar’s weight of under 5 lbs and its short length makes it ideal for travel. Its compact size ensures ease of transportation, making it a favorable choice for musicians on the move.

Mahagony is an extremely durable wood that can withstand most general wear and tear. Although hollow, this Taylor guitar is pretty tough and will hold up well as a carry-on for flights and other travel situations.

The Taylor BT2 Baby is priced at $449, which is a pretty reasonable cost for a guitar of its quality, comfort, and portability. That said, there are cheaper options out there if you are looking for a budget travel guitar.

Head over to my guide on the best guitars for less than $500 for more recommendations.

If you prioritize comfort, portability, and a rich sound, the Taylor BT2 Baby is a perfect choice. Its compact size and impressive tonal qualities make it suitable for both beginners and experienced players. 

However, you must be aware of reported tuning stability issues and consider whether the aesthetics meet their expectations.

4. Donner HUSH-I (Best budget travel guitar)

• [Best Partner for Travel] - Donner HUSH portable guitar is as...
• [Practice Anytime, Anywhere] - Ultra-quiet -30-45dB LEVEL pizzicato...
• [Superior Sound Quality] - The ideal practice guitar is equipped with...
• [Make Practice More Comfortable] - The HUSH travel acoustic guitar has...
• Body : Maple
• Neck : Maple
• Length : 33.5 inches
• Weight : 7.3 lbs
• # of frets : 21
• Ultra-quiet -30-45dB level pizzicato playing, suitable for silent practice with natural-sounding acoustic tones through headphones.
• Powered by a 9V battery, providing 50 hours of headphone usage or 30 days of 6.35 speaker usage.
• Anti-phase button for noise reduction, 2-stage EQ, and volume knobs for customized tones.
• Neck design offers better performance and reduced wrist fatigue.
• HUSH-I’s asymmetrical neck design may not be for everyone.
• I noticed some scratchiness and static using the aux input.

The Donner HUSH-I pleasantly surprised me with its tonal versatility. The clean tones are crisp and articulate, while pushing it into overdrive yields a satisfying crunch without compromising clarity. 

The dynamics are noteworthy, responding well to nuances in playing style. What’s impressive is that it maintains a quality sound even at higher volumes, making it suitable for various musical genres. 

While not equivalent to a high-end traditional guitar, the sound quality certainly exceeds expectations, given it is a low-cost travel guitar .

Here’s where the HUSH-I truly shines. Designed for travel, it is lightweight and fits in an airplane overhead bin with a compact gig bag.

Weighing in at just 7 pounds and measuring 33 inches in length, this guitar is designed for guitarists who are always on the move.

One issue with this guitar is the build quality. The metal wires that surround the body are not the most durable and may eventually break or loosen over time. While it is a nice touch to include a removable frame, it compromises the durability.

Other than these frames, the guitar is pretty sturdy.

The Donner HUSH-I strikes an excellent balance between cost and quality. It’s a budget-friendly option without skimping on the essentials. For musicians looking for a reliable travel guitar that won’t break the bank, this is a solid choice.

If you appreciate the harmonious mixture of sound quality, portability, and affordability in one guitar, then this definitely wins its place as an ideal companion.

From impressive tones to travel-friendly design and a price tag that won’t give you a headache, I highly recommend this guitar.

5. Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe (Best strat travel guitar)

• BUILT FOR TRAVEL: The Travelcaster Deluxe is a portable and...
• PERFORMANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE: Even though it’s small, this guitar...
• PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT: This electric guitar includes a custom gig...
• UNMATCHED FEATURES: Equipped with standard volume control, a 5-way...
• Body : Poplar
• Neck : Poplar
• Length : 33.7 inches
• Weight : 3.19 lbs
• # of frets : 22
• The guitar has a travel-friendly design and is compact and lightweight.
• The three single-coil pickups deliver a descent tone reminiscent of classic Stratocasters.
• Maintains a comfortable 25 ½” scale length despite its compact size.
• Comes with a quality padded gig bag for travel protection.
• The whammy bar and strings included with the travel guitar are not very good quality.
• It does not have a very versatile sound.

The Traveler Guitar Travelcaster Deluxe has three pickups that provide classic electric guitar tones – think Texas blues or country twang . Even though it’s small, it doesn’t lose that inspiring sound you’d expect from a standard-sized guitar. 

While it’s great for travel and practice, I cannot vouch for its usability for recording and production, as the overall tones are not very versatile.

This guitar is super light, just a bit over 3 pounds., and not too long at 33.75 inches. It’s perfect for fitting into your luggage or backpack. 

The gig bag it comes with is like a bodyguard for your guitar – it keeps it safe wherever you go. Thanks to its poplar body and maple neck, it’s comfortable to play with.

While the design may not look very tough, it is a surprisingly durable build. Essentially a Stratocaster body with 50% less wood, it is definitely strong enough to handle frequent travels.

Travelcaster Deluxe, at a $300 price point, gives you a good deal. It’s not crazy expensive, and you won’t be far off from a full-size guitar experience. This is definitely the best electric travel guitar for the price on the market.

If you’re a musician on the move, the Travelcaster Deluxe could be your go-to companion. It’s ready to play right away. However, I suggest trying it out or listening to videos of other players before buying it to ensure you like the way it sounds.

6. Traveler Escape MKIII Mahogany (Best traveling acoustic guitar)

• BUILT FOR TRAVEL: The Escape Mark III is a portable and...
• PERFORMANCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE: Our proprietary In-Body Tuning System...
• PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT: This acoustic guitar includes a custom gig...
• UNMATCHED FEATURES: Equipped with an under saddle acoustic piezo...
• Length : 29.5 inches
• Weight : 4.38 lbs
• Has an innovative In-Body Tuning System.
• Despite its size, it retains a full 25.5-inch scale.
• Its mahogany body offers a warm, slightly muted tone with impressive sustain.
• Unlike some travel guitars, it doesn’t fold down, which may be a consideration if you want ultra-compactness.
• It is a bit more expensive than some other travel guitars.

The Traveler Escape MKIII Mahogany is definitely a hidden gem in the guitar world. The mahogany body produces a warm and slightly muted tone that’s truly captivating. While it may not fill the room with booming volume, it still has a well-rounded tone that you can definitely use for practice or small gigs.

The Traveler Escape MKIII may not fold like some travel guitars, but it’s a compact powerhouse. Despite its smaller size, the full 25.5-inch scale ensures a playing experience comparable to a standard guitar.

The absence of a headstock, thanks to the In-Body Tuning System, makes it 26% shorter and 47% thinner than a typical acoustic . Remarkably, it fits seamlessly into overhead compartments on flights.

This travel guitar is a tough, travel-friendly answer to a standard acoustic. It is thinner, with less hollow space, so it is less likely to break or be crushed when traveling. The minimalism of the guitar essentially eliminates any unnecessary risks so that you can carry on with your travels worry-free!

While it may not be the most budget-friendly option, the mahogany build and innovative design justify the cost. It’s a unique instrument that stands out in terms of both aesthetics and functionality. 

The inclusion of a deluxe gig bag enhances the overall value, making it a purchase that pays dividends in quality and style.

MKIII Mahogany’s distinctive sound may not appeal to everyone, but if you like how it sounds, go for it! If you appreciate uniqueness and want an instrument that commands attention, this is one of the best traveling acoustic guitars out there.

7. Blackstar Carry-On Travel Guitar ST (Best electric travel guitar)

• Perfect Companion: The Blackstar CarryOn is the perfect companion for...
• Essential Travel Item: CarryOn is an essential travel item for all...
• Portable Size: Using 12-54 gauge strings, this guitar has the feel of...
• Construction: The body is built from a single piece of Okoume and...
• Length : 20.7 inches
• # of frets : 18
• Blackstar Carry-On ST has a small yet durable construction.
• With beautiful aesthetics, especially the blue and yellow versions, this guitar looks pleasing to the eyes.
• Despite its compact size, this petite guitar has impressive sound quality and remarkable versatility.
• Carry-On ST has a stable tuner and is suitable for doodling, composing, and practicing songs for longer periods.

What’s not so great 

• It doesn’t come with a gig bag.

Despite being on the smaller side, the Blackstar Carry-On packs a punch. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the sound. It’s got this balanced tone that you wouldn’t expect from a travel guitar. 

Overall, it has versatile sonics! Whether you’re into strumming or picking, it’s got your back.

Blackstar designed this guitar with the traveler in mind, making it compact enough to fit into those tight spaces and easy to carry around.

The build quality is solid, which is great for anyone who wants to bring an electric guitar with them on vacay. Plus, it’s quite fun and comfortable playing it, with its neck and fretboard being comfortable and light. 

Despite the affordability of this travel guitar, it is quite sturdy. I don’t really have any complaints in terms of build quality.

This Blackstar travel guitar is priced quite reasonably. For under $200, you get a good return.

In a nutshell, the Blackstar Carry-On Travel Guitar ST is a solid choice for musicians who are always on the go. It’s got the portability, the build, the playability, and the sound.

What makes a travel guitar good?

Think about it! Traveling is not the most convenient or comfortable activity to do. While you’re traveling, regular guitars can be quite a liability, as they are heavy and fragile.

So, having an instrument that is designed specifically for traveling is an excellent choice. When looking for the perfect travel guitar, here are some of the most important factors I considered.

Even though it’s smaller, a good travel guitar should still belt out a sweet sound. It might not be as booming as a big guitar, but it should be good enough for playing anywhere – from your room to the outdoors. Quality construction and materials also contribute significantly to the instrument’s sound.

The size of a travel guitar is one of the most important features to consider. It should strike a balance between being compact enough for easy portability and large enough to provide a comfortable playing experience. Picture this: it’s small enough to carry easily but not so tiny that it’s awkward to play.

A well-designed travel guitar ensures that it is not too bulky, making it convenient for travel, yet retains a playable and ergonomic form.

Affordability is also a key consideration, especially for those who see the travel guitar as a secondary instrument. It should provide value for money without compromising on essential features. Your choice must be such that you get a great deal without skimping on quality.

Since travel involves various environmental conditions and handling, a good travel guitar should be built to endure these challenges. Sturdy construction and reliable materials ensure that the instrument remains in good condition despite the rigors of travel.

A good quality travel guitar is a real treat for any guitarist. Check out my list of the best gifts for guitar players if you want more tips.

Final tips for buying travel guitars

Here are a few additional things to consider when searching for the best travel guitar.

Try Before You Buy

Test the guitar firsthand and strum a few chords to feel its vibe. Make sure it’s comfortable and resonates well with your style. I suggest you make this purchase offline or at least visit the store and try different options, and then go for the best deal, whether online or offline.

Stick to Trusted Brands

Opt for brands with a solid rep . Check online reviews and go for those known for quality instruments. A trusted brand often ensures a better musical journey.

Explore Your Options

Don’t settle too quickly. Explore different models and brands. Whether it’s acoustic or electric, find the one that fits your musical groove.

What is a good size for a travel guitar?

Most people find travel guitars, which are 3/4 times the size of a regular guitar, as the ideal size, which is generally 40 to 30 inches (100 to 76cm) long. However, your preferences may be different, so choose accordingly. 

Are travel guitars easy to play?

If you’re used to playing a regular-sized guitar, initially, you may find it challenging to play a travel guitar. It’s all about getting used to and bringing your instrument to your muscle memory.

Do travel guitars sound different?

Travel guitars sound different due to their smaller size and soundhole, resulting in lower volume, especially in the bass frequencies. Although well-constructed travel guitars may match the overall volume, they might still lack low end.

Wrapping up

Travel guitars open up the doors for many musicians who love to travel. With the right instrument, you’ll be able to travel the world and bring a decent guitar with you while you move! 

If you are looking to purchase a portable amp to go along with your travel guitar, check out my guide on the best travel amps .

Last updated 2024-04-18 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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About The Author

Is there a benefit to buying a more expensive guitar as your first?

Entry-level or mid-grade? Which guitar offers better value for the beginner? If you’re just starting out, will an entry-level axe do, or should you invest in a fancier guitar with a price tag to match?

It’s an age-old conundrum. Do you heed the voice of reason in your head, or give in to those ceaseless impassioned cries from your heart? 

On the surface, choosing a cheap instrument over a more expensive model is the most sensible route into guitar ownership. You may decide early on that playing the guitar isn’t for you after all, so you’ll want to cut your losses.  

Then there’s imposter syndrome, an anxiousness that, as a beginner, you’re not deserving enough to own a decent instrument. It will be wasted on you.

But on the other hand, your inspiration for playing the guitar is probably rooted in the iconic instruments you’ve seen planted in the hands of your favorite artists. The Fender Strat and Tele , Gibson’s Les Paul or ES 335, the Martin D28. Surely, these are the instruments for you, so why settle for less? Buy once, buy well, right?

For many of us, the best solution will lie somewhere between these two extremes. If you’re well on your way to making your second billion then heck, spend whatever you want, knock yourself out. Or, if money is tight, take comfort from the fact that you can buy a very good beginner electric guitar for less than a couple of hundred bucks.

That said, stretching your budget a little further can give you some impressive gains, especially if you’re an acoustic player. Read on to discover when it’s worth spending that little bit more.

1. The joy of ownership

+ Your dream guitar may cost a little more + Mid-level acoustics are noticeably better than entry-level + It will inspire you to keep playing - Some entry-level electrics are excellent. Why pay more? - Expensive guitars are wasted on young children who show no interest in playing

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Is a high-end guitar wasted on a beginner? No. I’m a firm believer that adult acoustic players should buy the very best instrument they can afford. If that’s a beginner instrument, bought on a budget, then great. However, if you can afford more, then spend it. You’ll end up learning on a guitar that’s both easier to play and more pleasurable to listen to. An instrument that’s easy to fall in love with and hard to blame for your playing inadequacies.

Buying advice is less clear cut for electric guitars because their lower action makes them more comfortable to play than acoustics for beginners. They’re easier to adjust if the set-up isn’t quite right too. Additionally, unlike acoustics, solid-body electrics such as Strats and Teles don’t need an expertly crafted, resonant body to generate tone. So, provided the neck is good, entry-level electric guitars from brands such as Squier and Epiphone can sound very close to their mid-level Fender and Gibson stablemates. However, there’s something very comforting about owning a guitar that’s that little bit more special.

2. Solid wood vs laminate vs veneer

+ Solid wood is more resonant than laminate of the same thickness + Solid wood acoustics have a more complex tone + Guitars with solid tops aren't too expensive - Laminate acoustics can still sound great - Laminate is stronger, and more resistant to temperature change - Premium brands like Martin make some laminate guitars

Many guitarists consider a solid wood top to be a mark of quality for an acoustic guitar , bettered only if the entire instrument is constructed from thin sheets of solid tonewood. The alternative is laminate, a sandwich of separate layers of material bonded together with resin.

Solid wood is preferable for tone hounds because it vibrates more freely

Laminates, of which there are several different kinds, are popular with guitar brands because they’re inexpensive, consistent, readily available, strong, resistant to temperature change and look just as good as solid wood. However, solid wood is preferable for tone hounds because it vibrates more freely, resulting in a guitar that’s louder and more resonant, with a sound characterized by additional complexity.

Acoustic guitars at the budget end of the market are likely to have bodies made completely from laminate, but spend a little more and you’ll find plenty of brands boasting instruments with solid tops. There’s rarely mention of the rest of the guitar body at this price point because the top is the instrument’s soundboard, which makes it a more critical component than the back and sides. Fork out quite a lot more and you’ll be the proud owner of an all-solid guitar.

It's worth recognizing that laminates aren’t all bad. Prestigious brand C F Martin makes many of its lower-end guitars from High Pressure Laminate (HPL), a material composed of bonded sheets of wood fiber and paper. Many archtop guitars, including Gibson’s legendary, and somewhat pricey, 335 line, are also made from laminate because it’s an easy material to press into shape.

Low-cost electric guitars with ornately flamed tops that look like a million dollars, are probably made from a cheap material, such as medium density fibreboard (MDF) or plywood, that’s been covered in a very thin sheet of wood called a veneer. These can look great and may sound acceptable, but the finish is prone to chipping easily.

Of course, Gibson’s expensive Les Paul model usually features a maple cap, one that’s often elaborately flamed or features a gorgeous burst of color. Don’t worry, this cap is way too thick to be a veneer, its true purpose is to bring balance to the tone of the guitar’s heavy mahogany body. The stunning appearance is just the icing on the cake.

3. Solid body electrics built from multiple pieces of material

+ Fewer pieces of body material may be more resonant + It may help your guitar’s natural sustain + Transparent finishes look better with fewer visible pieces - Multiple pieces of material may look ugly, but that’s what paint’s for - Multi-piece bodies may be stronger

Top-of-the-line solid body guitars, such as a Fender Strat or Tele will be made from as few pieces of wood as possible. Perhaps two or three, maybe just the one. Cheaper guitars are commonly made by bonding multiple chunks – as many as six or seven – of wood together. 

Will this affect your tone? The jury’s still out on this one. Some guitarists maintain that bodies made from many separate pieces of wood resonate better. Others claim this is nonsense and will actively seek out single-piece bodies instead.

Frankly, if the guitar you’re choosing has a painted body, then aesthetically it’s of little consequence. On the other hand, if you favor a natural look, or a semi-opaque burst, then the separate pieces of wood can interrupt the visual flow of the finish.

4. The importance of intonation

+ Well-made guitars are more likely to intonate accurately + Intonation issues with cheap acoustics can be hard to fix - Electric guitars, even cheaper models, can be adjusted to intonate well

Electronic guitar tuners and smartphone apps make light work of tuning the open strings of your guitar. Many amps are equipped with tuners too, as are pretty much all DAWs. 

However, getting notes to ring out in tune up and down the fretboard on a cheaply built guitar can have you pulling your hair out in frustration. The issue is intonation, or more accurately, the lack of it. 

Intonation is the accuracy of pitch across the fretboard, so a poorly intonated guitar will sound horribly out of tune as you fret different notes and their intervals, most noticeably octaves. A good way to test for this is to tune the guitar up and then sound the strings at the twelfth fret, which should be exactly an octave up (most tuners can be used to check for this). Unfortunately, it’s a condition that can be difficult if not impossible to rectify, especially when it afflicts a badly made acoustic.

If you’re lucky, cheap, poorly made strings can be the culprit, so replacing them may cure the issue. In fact, replacing the strings on any cheap guitar is an excellent, inexpensive upgrade. 

Another relatively easy fix on electric guitars is to adjust the bridge saddles with a screwdriver, shortening the strings if they’re a bit flat and lengthening them if they’re a little sharp. It’s also possible to adjust the bridge on an acoustic, but it’s skilled work that’s likely to cost.

Finally, it could be that the action is way too high, the neck relief is all over the shop or the frets have been spaced by a luthier who left their glasses on the bus. All of these issues are fixable but they’re rarely worth the expense on a cheap guitar. 

5. Better tuners

+ Quality tuners make a guitar easier to tune + A guitar with great tuners will stay in tune longer - In most cases, tuners are easily upgraded

Poor quality machine heads, popularly known as tuners, are the bane of every guitarist's life. Unsurprisingly, if a tuner isn’t doing its job correctly then your guitar’s going to slip out of tune at every opportunity.

Tuners are complex pieces of kit that need to be manufactured to within precise tolerances. There are a few different kinds, with most consisting of a capstan that holds the string, mounted in the center of a pinion gear. Linked to this is a short metal shaft with a tuning button at one end and a worm gear at the other. As you turn the button, the worm gear engages the pinion gear, rotating the capstan and winding, or loosening, the string. Many acoustic guitars have exposed, open tuners for a retro look, while electric guitars tend to be specced with permanently encased gears, which are usually lubricated for life.

Any play in the system will make a guitar devilishly hard to tune. What’s more, it’s unlikely to stay in tune for any useful amount of time. Tuning a guitar is enough of a pain as it is. Don’t make your life worse by buying a guitar with awful tuners.

6. Better strings

+ Bad quality strings sound awful + Cheap strings rarely stay in tune, or intonate well - Strings are a consumable that are easily replaced

Buy a cheap guitar and you’ll almost certainly end up with nasty strings. Not only will they suck every ounce of glorious tone from your instrument, they’re also likely to be a nightmare to tune and can plague your guitar with intonation issues (see above). Do yourself a favor, rip them off at the earliest opportunity and replace them.

Bricks ’n’ mortar guitar stores are wonderful sources of expert advice, making them reassuring places to purchase a first guitar. However, they’ll invariably let anyone play their stock, even the high-end kit, which can result in tired-sounding strings. Don’t be shy to ask for them to be changed.

7. Action replay

+ A great action makes any guitar a dream to play + Action is rarely poor on decent quality instruments + A high action on an acoustic can be frustrating to fix - Inexpensive electric guitars can have their action adjusted

Acoustic guitars made hurriedly in a factory by careless workers are unlikely to go through any meaningful QC check. These instruments can be fraught with problems, with the most common, and most serious, being a crazy high or low action. If you’re not that familiar with guitar terminology, a guitar’s action is the height at which the strings sit above the frets.

If you’ve got tender newbie fingers, you’ll find trying to fret a note with strings as fine as cheese wire difficult enough, without having to wrestle with a high action

Too low and the guitar will exhibit fret buzz. Too high, which is the more likely scenario, and you’ll suffer tuning issues, intonation problems and, worst of all, a painful playing experience. If you’ve got tender newbie fingers, you’ll find trying to fret a note with strings as fine as cheese wire difficult enough, without having to wrestle with a high action. The spot with most potential for pain is behind the first fret, which is where beginners spend much of their time.

There are multiple reasons why a guitar’s action can be intolerably high or low. A badly cut nut, a poorly adjusted saddle, a wonky fretboard or awful neck relief are just a few of the culprits.

There are a couple of caveats. If you’re a beginner, or an electric player trying an acoustic for the first time, you’ll likely find the action feels a bit high anyway. However, if it’s around 2.5-2.75mm at the 12th fret then it’s probably in the right ballpark. Trust us, you’ll soon get used to it.

Action issues are less prevalent with electric guitars because they are so much easier to adjust. They can tolerate a lower action too, which makes them a more attractive instrument for beginners .

8. Pups, pots and switches

+ Spending more guarantees improved tone + An onboard pickup and preamp are a blessing for the gigging acoustic guitarist   + Better switches and jacks are quieter and more reliable - Electronics can be upgraded in the future - Acoustic guitars can be retrofit with pickups and preamps

You may have noticed that guitarists love accessories and upgrades – pretty much anything that will customize and personalize their playing experience. 

An entry-level acoustic probably won’t come equipped with a pickup and preamp system. No matter, if your ambition is to play live you can quite easily add these upgrades later from brands such as Fishman and LR Baggs. They, and others, sell a huge range of aftermarket soundhole pickups, piezo pickups and guitar mics, many of which you can install yourself, provided you’re happy taking a drill to your six-string.

Mid-level acoustics often come with electronics pre-installed, which may be enough to justify their additional purchase price. Conversely, high-end acoustics often don’t feature any onboard electronics, or they remain optional, probably because super expensive guitars are rarely gigged or tend to be miked up for a more authentic sound.

Electric guitars are, of course, always packed with pickups, pots and switches, which have a huge influence on an instrument’s tone. The more you spend the more promise these components hold. Budget electric guitars, for example, will feature mass-produced machine-wound pickups, while high-end custom instruments can be blessed with boutique, hand-wound beauties made with vintage-correct materials.

Fortunately, the market is swarming with aftermarket components, both from the major guitar brands such as Fender and aftermarket specialists like Seymour Duncan and Bare Knuckle Pickups. Compatibility issues are something to be aware of, but there’s nothing to stop you buying an entry-level Squier Strat and swapping out the electronics for something much more desirable. 

9. Resale value

+ Premier brands tend to hold their value better + Sought-after guitars can bring a decent return - If the market slides, you’ll lose less on a cheaper guitar

Resale is a tricky one. Like most things, the vast majority of new guitars will fall considerably in value as soon as you buy them. A cheap guitar won’t have far to fall, but then it will never be worth much, however long you keep it.

Mid-market, standard-issue guitars can hold their value quite well, but they’re rarely investment vehicles! For example, eBay and Reverb are swamped with 20-year-old Fender USA Strats. Those in good condition will sell for about the same as their original RRP, which is a significant loss once inflation is accounted for.

Depending on spec, condition and provenance, high-end guitars can sell for a decent profit, especially if they’re associated with a famous artist. Brand is important, a high-end Taylor or Martin will always be easier to sell on than a high-end Yamaha, even if the Yammie is a better guitar.

Unless you really know what you are doing and can afford to take the occasional hit, it’s best to think of guitar ownership in terms of an investment in pleasure rather than a pension fund.

There’s no getting away from it. The more you spend on a guitar the easier it will be on the eye and the more comfortable it will be to play. Not only will it sound better but you’re more likely to find a tone that forges a personal connection. That sound that’s been swimming around in your head for years? Well, it can finally be realized.

Entry-level guitars sound a bit generic because they’re built from commonplace materials and, where applicable, unexceptional electronics. While a Chinese-sourced Squier Sonic Strat will obviously sound different to an Epiphone Les Paul Studio E1, it won’t have much character beyond sounding suitably Fenderish. Similarly, the Epi will radiate that Gibson vibe, but little more. It’s the same with acoustic guitars, a Yamaha F310 is a well-built budget instrument that sounds good but not epic.

As an example, spend just a little more on that Squier and you will land yourself an Affinity model, bringing more pickup options, jumbo frets and a better-quality bridge. Increase your spend by a few hundred $/£ and you’re immediately in Fender Made in Mexico territory, eyeing up its Player series. A proper Fender logo is slapped on the headstock, materials and components are improved, and more options are introduced, including artist specials like the Robert Cray Standard Stratocaster . The progression in quality continues through Fender’s various USA-manufactured lines, right up to its Custom Shop guitars that can be built to your exact specifications. Each step of the way, your money is buying you an instrument that more and more closely aligns with the ideal in your head.

But boy, does the law of diminishing returns apply here. The Squier Sonic Strat is a solid choice, yet the Fender Player Series is a big leap up in quality. However, is there really much difference in tone and playability between a similarly specced top-of-the-line Fender USA Ultra Strat and a Custom Shop model that costs twice as much? Other than aesthetics and bling, probably not.

Is there a sweet spot? It’s hard to be objective because choosing an instrument is such a subjective experience, but spending around $1,300-$1,800 will buy you all the guitar you’ll ever need. However, don’t be disappointed if you only have the budget for a made in the Far East Squier, Epiphone, Yamaha Pacifica or other budget electric guitar . Quality at the lower end of the market is currently through the roof, so sinking $300 in a guitar from a respected brand is a great investment.

Buying admission into acoustic ownership is going to cost you a bit more, because crafting these guitars takes time, skill and quality materials. However, provided you avoid the very bottom of the market you’ll find plenty of instruments worth treasuring. Spending around the $500 mark will buy you a fine guitar. At the other end of the scale, acoustics top out at more than $10,000, but $2,500 will buy you an heirloom-quality guitar.

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When Simon's childhood classical guitar teacher boasted he 'enjoyed a challenge', the poor man had no idea how much he'd underestimated the scale of the task ahead. Despite Simon's lack of talent, the experience did spark a lifelong passion for music. His classical guitar was discarded for an electric, then a room full of electrics before Simon discovered the joys of keys. Against all odds, Simon somehow managed to blag a career as a fashion journalist, but he's now more suitably employed writing for Guitar World and MusicRadar. When not writing or playing, he can be found terrifying himself on his mountain bike.

“Continues to set the standard for eco-conscious innovation in the musical instruments industry”: Martin’s DSS Biosphere II is a fully FSC-certified, 100% plastic-free build that raises awareness for sustainability in the guitar world

“His style is so specific and refined. It's not something I could just jump into”: Steve Vai explains the hardest part of replicating Robert Fripp’s playing style

“The first 4 songs are played so often that staff in guitar stores can no longer hear them”: New research reveals the world’s most Googled guitar riffs and chord progressions

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These Are the Best Frequent Flier Programs of 2024

Only the best will do.

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Summer vacation is just around the corner, which means many of you will be taking to the skies to get to your dream destinations. But, before you do, make sure to sign up for a frequent flier program to ensure you maximize those travel benefits. But, which one should you be signing up for exactly? WalletHub has the answer.

The personal finance website released its report on the 2024 Best Frequent Flier Programs . The report ranks the 10 largest domestic airlines based on 21 key metrics, including everything from the "value of a point/mile" to "blackout dates for reward flights." The team also created three distinct consumer profiles, a "Light Flier," who spends roughly $355 on annual airline travel, an "Average Flier," who spends roughly $3,736 on annual airline travel, and a "Frequent Flier," who spends $7,117 on annual airline travel, so see how each program pans out for every traveler. 

After looking at all the data, WalletHub named Alaska Airline's program the best in the business. 

"Alaska Mileage Plan is the best frequent flier program of 2024, beating last year’s winner United MileagePlus," WalletHub wrote in its findings. The airline won thanks to its policy to never allow miles to expire, its high number of destinations and partner airlines, and the value earned by every category of traveler (light, average, and frequent). 

It was joined in the top five programs by United Airlines and its MileagePlus program in second, followed by Delta Air Lines' SkyMiles, Hawaiian Airlines' HawaiianMiles, and American Airlines' AAdvantage. 

The good news is, no matter which program you choose you'll likely be winning. According to WalletHub, seven of the 10 largest airlines are "offering more rewards value in 2024 than in 2023. On average, the top 10 airlines are offering 18 percent more value than they did last year."  

"For any good and sustainable airline rewards program, it has to be a win-win situation. Consumers get perks such as priority boarding and free check-in luggage; gradually, they become more loyal to that specific airline, make more purchases, and spread more positive Word of Mouth over time," Wan Yang, an associate professor and associate editor of International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, The Collins College of Hospitality Management, shared in the findings about what makes one program better than another. "Meanwhile, they will accumulate more miles with that company, which makes 'switching brands' more costly. Eventually, the airline company will gain great long-term benefits from those loyal consumers, also known as more 'Lifetime Value' from consumers." 

Beyond the study, WalletHub also shared a custom calculator that allows travelers to personalize the results of the best frequent flier programs based on their own budget. This way, you can always pick the one that's right for you. 

The Best Sandals for Travel, Hiking & Walking All Day

From a classic pair of birkenstocks to a modern set of sorels, these are the sandals that will keep your feet cool and comfy no matter how many steps you take..

We independently selected these deals and products because we love them, and we think you might like them at these prices. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a commission if you purchase something through our links. Items are sold by the retailer, not E!. Prices are accurate as of publish time.

When it starts to get warm out , I wear sandals every day. But, since I also live in New York City, I walk everywhere, so I need a pair of sandals that can hold up to running for the train , going on coffee runs, and chasing my preschooler down the street. But, you don't have to live in the city to need a comfortable and functional pair of sandals. Whether you're traveling, on a hike, or just want some footwear that will hold up to a lot of steps, these are the best sandals for walking all day. I've put together a mix of styles, support, and waterproof options , and broke down what specs you should look for, so read on.

What to Look for When Shopping for Walking Sandals

There are some factors to consider when you're picking out walking sandals:

• Fit: Make sure that the shoe fits you comfortably. If your toes are right up to the top of the shoe, you may benefit from going up half a size. As you walk long distances, your feet expand , so if they're already tight, they'll get even tighter. 
• Straps: Keep an eye out for a walking sandal with adjustable straps, or straps that are flexible and expand. If the straps aren't designed to move with you and your foot, you could risk pain or blisters.
• Soles: You want your sandals to have a sole that's supportive, avoid something hard or heavy. Additionally, look for some gripping that can make sure you don't slip.
• Height: Sandals with a flat bottom or flip flops may not provide the support you need when you're on the move. But, you also don't want something that's too high. The right amount of arch support and height are key.
• Breathability: Yes, we're talking about sandals, which are typically open to the elements, but sometimes they can have too many straps or they're made of a material that makes you sweat. And, since you're walking and your feet are already sweating, this is something you want to avoid. Make sure your sandals allow air to flow and keep your feet cool.

So, keep on reading to find the best walking sandals for you. There's a mix of shoe sizes, widths, styles, cushioning, and more, for every kind of activity. You'll look great, you'll feel great, and your feet will thank you.

Teva Women's Original Universal Sandal

These Teva sandals are backed by over 18,000 5-star Amazon reviews, where fans praise their comfort and design. They feature multiple points of adjustability for just the right fit, a rubber outsole for traction, and a molded EVA footbed with heel cupping and arch support. One fan reported, "My favorite adventure sandals. Worn hiking, to the beach, paddle boarding."

• Available colors: 56
• Available sizes: 5 to 13

Skechers Women's On-The-go 600-Brillancy Sport Sandal

Another popular pick for footwear are these Skechers sport sandals . They're lightweight with a cushioned footbed and adjustable straps for the perfect fit. Reviewers rave that they're durable and sturdy, leaving one user to note, "I walked around for a week, 20k+ steps a day and not a single blister."

• Available colors: 5
• Available sizes: 5 to 12, including wide sizing

Dr. Scholl's Shoes Women's Islander Strappy Flat Sandal

Featuring a soft lining that's made from recycled bottles, these Dr. Scholl's sandals are a stylish and eco-friendly option. The straps are not adjustable, but they're stretchy and the sandals are easy to pull on. They're lightweight, with anatomical cushioning and support for your feet, and one reviewer to rave, "I've had to walk a long way in these shoes. They were so comfortable i didn't even notice them. Lots of compliments."

• Available colors:  6
• Available sizes:  6 to 11, including half sizing

SOREL Kinetic Impact II Sling Low Sandal

With a thick, scalloped sole, bright colorblocking, and adjustable straps, you'll turn heads with these walking sandals . There's cushioning for your feet and one reviewer reported, "Super comfy to wear all day long."

• Available colors:  3
• Available sizes: 5.5 to 10, including half sizing

Merrell Women's Bravada Backstrap Sport Sandal

Adjustable straps, a grippy outsole, and cushioned insole make these Merrell sport sandals  perfect for any kind of activity. One reviewer raved that they're easy to clean and added, "I wore them walking all over Europe. I also wear them daily on 5 mile walks."

• Available sizes: 5 to 11

OOFOS OOriginal Sandal

If you're looking for a supportive sandal that's more than just a flip flop, these OOFOS are it. They're designed to absorb impact with every step, support your arches, and reduce stress when your feet are sore. They also come with over 19,000 5-star Amazon reviews, including this fan who raved, "They are like walking on a cloud. [...] I've walked miles in them with no issues whatsoever!"

• Available colors:  15
• Available sizes: 5 to 18

BEARPAW Crest Black

I have a pair of these stylish BEARPAWs and the cushioned EVA midsole, adjustable straps, and faux leather feel keep me supported (and looking good) all day long. I walk everywhere in them and I'm tempted to buy another pair in coffee or orchid.

Birkenstock Women's Gizeh Sandals

Everyone needs a classic pair of Birkenstocks in their wardrobe. They're so durable and comfortable, due to the contoured cork footbed and adjustable strap, plus you can get them in over 100 different colors. One shopper noted, "Best sandals for walking or being on your feet a lot especially if you have arch issues."

• Available colors:  132
• Available sizes:  4 to 15, including half sizing

KEEN Women's Elle Backstrap Casual Platform Open Toe Wedge Sandals

With stretchy straps, a cushy EVA midsole, and plenty of traction, these sandals are great for walking or traveling all day. Featured here is an eye-catching neon color, but there are 18 colorways to choose from, including tie dye. A satisfied shopper reported, "I wore them to walk around Disney World, walking 20,000+ steps a day for 4 days and they were amazing."

• Available colors:  18
• Available sizes: 5 to 11, including half sizing

Teva Zymic Sandals

Looking for some comfy Tevas with a little more lift? Then you have to check out these sandals . They're cushioned, made of recycled plastic, and feature puffy, adjustable straps that fit like a dream. One user noted, "I wear them on hikes, walks, day trips, anything."

• Available sizes:  6 to 10

Hoka Hopara

Hoka sandals ? I'm listening. They're just as comfortable as Hoka sneakers and can hold up to any hike's terrain. There's an adjustable lace for just the right fit, a cushioned footbed, and plenty of traction, even if it gets wet. A fan wrote, "These are the best summer shoes I've ever owned."

• Available colors:  2

KEEN Women's Rose Casual Closed Toe Sandals

If you like the look of the Hokas, but want something a little more budget-friendly, these KEEN sandals  with a closed toe design are a solid option. They're adjustable, cushioned, and have lots of traction. Best of all, they're washable when you need a refresh and one shopper reported that they were "able to walk long distances immediately."

• Available colors:  16
• Available sizes: 5 to 12, including half sizing

Teva Women's Hurricane Xlt2 Sandal

These Tevas are a modernized version of previous models and include better traction and softer padding. They're cute, cushioned, adjustable, and designed for hiking or walking. One reviewer added, "I wore them for my 11 hour work day where I walk a ton and my feet didn't hurt at all."

• Available colors:  44
• Available sizes:  5 to 14

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The 6 best tablets for travel in 2024

With the world opening up once again for tourists, you’re going to want to buy a tablet to beat the boredom of long flights and waiting times. Not all models will be able to serve this purpose though, so to help you decide what to purchase, we’ve rounded up our recommendations for the best tablets for travel. We acknowledge that there are different types of travelers, so we picked devices that will cater to each of them, while considering a specific set of criteria when making our selections.

While you can also use your smartphone during your trips, the larger screen of tablets will help provide more amusing entertainment when you need it. The best tablets for travel will let you catch up on work, watch streaming shows , check social media, and whatever else you may think of doing while you’re on the way to your destination, or while you’re taking a break from all the sights and sounds. Read onward to figure out the best tablet for travel for you, then go ahead and purchase it so that the device will be ready and waiting for your next adventure.

The best tablets for travel in 2024

• Buy the if you want the best overall tablet for travel.
• Buy the if you want a tablet for travel that will keep you productive.
• Buy the if you want a tablet for travel to watch streaming content and play mobile games.
• Buy the if you want to get your child a tablet for travel.
• Buy the if you want a tablet for travel that’s extremely portable.
• Buy the if you want a tablet for travel for an affordable price.

Apple iPad Air 5th Gen

Best tablet for travel for most people.

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It’s not a surprise that our top choice among the best tablets is also the first tablet for travel that we recommend. Simply put, the fifth-generation Apple iPad Air is that good. Performance is amazing with Apple’s M1 processor, as you wouldn’t want to get even more frustrated when you’re already dealing with the stress of travel. The tablet also features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, which is bright and colorful to help you better enjoy your favorite content.

The Apple iPad Air 5th Gen will take advantage of the features of the iPadOS 17 , which is the latest version of Apple’s operating system for tablets. It’s slim and light so it’s easy to bring with you during your travels, it comes with a USB-C port for wide compatibility, and it works with the Apple Pencil 2 and the Magic Keyboard as extra accessories for additional input options.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Best tablet for travel for professionals.

For those who are planning to work even while they’re traveling, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 will make sure that you’ll remain productive. It runs on Windows 11 Home , so you’ll be able to use it with the most popular productivity apps — Microsoft Office — and it will make sure that you can get all your tasks done quickly with its 12th-generation Intel Core i7 Evo processor and 16GB of RAM.

As a tablet, the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 offers a 13-inch PixelSense touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, and you can prop it up using its built-in kickstand. However, it transforms into a laptop using the Surface Keyboard that comes bundled with it, in case you need to respond to an email or make a quick report. Some people prefer bringing their work with them on their trips, but that’s why the Microsoft Surface Pro 9  is one of the best tablets for travel — it will help you get back to your vacation as soon as possible.

OnePlus Pad

Best tablet for travel to watch movies and play games.

The OnePlus Pad sits on top of our rankings of the best Android tablets , and that’s partly because of its sharp and vibrant 11.6-inch LCD touchscreen. With 2800 x 2000 pixel resolution and an up to 144Hz refresh rate, it’s an excellent display for watching streaming content and playing mobile games because you’ll be seeing sharp images and smooth movements. The tablet also supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to enable a personal cinema, and the viewing is even more immersive because of the narrow bezels surrounding the screen.

Adding to the reasons why the OnePlus Pad is one of our best tablets for travel are its slim and lightweight design with a thickness of just 6.5 millimeters and weight of 552 grams, its smooth CNC aluminum unibody, and an all-day battery life that will go from zero to full charge after just over 60 minutes of being plugged in.

Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro

Best tablet for travel to keep your children entertained.

If you want to keep your children busy during your travels, giving them a tablet is one of the easiest options, and the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro will be your best bet. It’s not the most powerful device out there with just 3GB of RAM, but it will be more than enough for your children as they play games and watch videos on its 10.1-inch touchscreen with Full HD resolution, and they’ll be kept busy with its 13-hour battery life.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is great for children because it comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which offers age-appropriate books, games, videos, and apps. It’s also bundled with a kid-proof case to keep the tablet safe from damage, though it features a two-year worry-free guarantee — if the tablet breaks within that period, it will be replaced for free.

Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen

Best tablet for travel that’s easy to carry.

If you want to make sure that you won’t have trouble finding a place for your tablet in your luggage, get something compact like the Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen . It’s very portable with its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display and weight of just below 300 grams. However, despite its small size, it offers fast performance for your apps with Apple’s A15 Bionic chip and 4GB of RAM, which is the same configuration that you’ll find in the iPhone 13 .

The Apple iPad Mini 6th Gen is compatible with the Apple Pencil 2 if you’re thinking about using it to take notes or draw sketches of the places you visit, and it may be upgraded to iPadOS 17 so that you have access to the operating system’s latest features. It’s also equipped with a USB-C port for charging and other accessories.

Lenovo Tab M10 Plus 3rd Gen

Best tablet for travel with a cheap price.

For those who just need a simple tablet for their travels, the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus 3rd Gen is an affordable but decent option. Its display is relatively large for a budget device at 10.6 inches, and it’s bright and sharp enough for most purposes. The tablet also features a quad-speaker system with Dolby Atmos, so that you can better enjoy watching streaming shows and the videos that you’ll take with it.

The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus 3rd Gen is equipped with an all-day battery so it can keep you company throughout your trip, and it’s protected by a durable aluminum chassis that keeps the tablet light at 465 grams. Book lovers can activate the device’s Immersive Reading Mode to make the screen easier on the eyes, which will be helpful if you’ll be stuck on a plane or train for hours.

How we chose these tablets for travel

Not all tablets are excellent choices as travel companions, and to determine which ones are, we came up with this set of criteria that we followed to narrow down our choices for the best tablets for travel. While certain characteristics will be more important for different types of travelers, you generally want a tablet that will check all these boxes so that you won’t find it lacking once you’re already on your trip.

Portability

The first thing that most people will think about when choosing a tablet for travel purposes is whether the device will be portable. While tablets with larger screens will need a bit more effort if you want to make space for it in your luggage, they may still be considered portable if they’re slim enough to easily slide into your bag. As an electronic device, you wouldn’t want to have your tablet placed somewhere that’s going to be out of your sight, so it’s important that the device you buy will fit into the hand-carry bag that you always bring with you during your travels.

In selecting the best tablets for travel, we chose devices that maintain portability even if they have relatively large displays, though of course, that will still depend on the biggest device that you’ll be comfortable bringing with you.

Versatility

While you may have a specific purpose in mind for your tablet while you travel, it would be better if the device is versatile enough to handle different kinds of activities. For example, if your tablet is primarily for browsing the internet, it should still have a display with decent resolution in case you decide to watch a video. If you think you’re going to be playing mobile games most of the time on your tablet, you should still think about having enough storage space left over when you need it to take footage of anything awesome that you come across in your trip.

Some tablets have accessories, either bundled with the device or requiring a separate purchase, that will give you extra options. A stylus will help you pass the time by drawing the sights that you see, while a keyboard will make it easier to compose emails or write on your travel blog. This versatility helps make the best tablets for travel very valuable companions.

Compatibility

If you use a specific set of apps for work and play, or if you have accessories that you can’t leave home without, you better make sure that they will work with the tablet that you buy. The best tablets for travel are widely compatible with all of the popular apps and accessories, as they’re powered by top operating systems and they come with a complete set of ports.

We made sure to select tablets that will work with everything that you usually use, which means going for trusted brands that have taken this into consideration when building their devices. Whether you’re an iPadOS or Android fan, there’s something for you in our list of the best tablets for travel if you want to stick to the ecosystem that you’re used to back home.

Traveling requires a lot of movement, which will possibly expose your tablet to much more wear and tear compared to using it at home. We chose devices that are relatively durable because you wouldn’t want to go home with a broken tablet, which will be an additional expense to repair or replace. Tablets with built-in protection for their touchscreens and made with tough materials are excellent choices as travel companions.

For the more adventurous travelers, you may want to buy a rugged case or something similar for your tablet so that it will better withstand potential damage. This is partly why we chose some of the most popular models for our list of the best tablets for travel, as there will surely be rugged cases and similar accessories available for them.

Value for money

Last but not least, we believe that you should receive fantastic value for money with every purchase, and getting a tablet for travel is no exception. Whether you’re on a tight budget or you’re willing to make a significant investment, the device that you buy should make you feel that you paid more than what it cost you.

Affordable tablets should still provide decent performance, and premium tablets should pack all the latest features. It would be a good idea to set a maximum budget for your purchase to further narrow down your options, but no matter what, you won’t regret spending your cash on any of the best tablets for travel that we’ve highlighted above.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.

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Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with tech ever since. A gamer at heart, Aaron believes that while the tech industry is often dealing with side quests and boss fights, it always remains on track with the mission to save the world.

Phone deals feel extra sweet when they involve a discount on an already great value phone. That’s the case with the Google Pixel 7a which is currently on sale at Amazon for just $349. Usually priced at $499, it’s even better value while it’s $150 off. It’s unlikely to stay this price for too long and it’s already proving popular, so if you want to get in on the action, do so now. If you’re not certain, take a look at what we have to say about it below.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel 7a The Google Pixel 7a is a big upgrade from its predecessor and while our review pointed out that its increased price was an issue, that’s no longer something to worry about while it’s on sale. One of the best cheap phones, it offers a lot of great features. One immediate thing to notice is its 6.1-inch OLED display. It’s a full HD screen with a 1080 x 2400 resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for durability. It also has a 90Hz adaptive refresh rate so you get smoother scrolling and a generally better experience when watching videos or playing a game.

If you're looking for affordable tablet deals, your search has a good chance of ending with Walmart's offer for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. The 64GB model of the device, which comes with its own S Pen stylus, is available with a $150 discount that slashes its price to just $199 from $349. There's no indication on when the bargain ends, so if  you think this is the perfect device for you, you shouldn't hesitate with your purchase if you want to be able to pocket the savings.

Why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite The Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024) has arrived with an updated processor and Android 14 out of the box, but its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2020), is still a pretty capable tablet as long as you manage your expectations for the affordable device. The cheaper variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 features a 10.4-inch touchscreen with Full HD resolution, for vivid colors and sharp details, and it's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G processor. It's not going to be as fast as the best tablets, but it's more than enough for basic tasks like browsing the internet, checking social media, and watching streaming shows.

If even the best tablet deals still don’t mean you can afford an iPad Mini, how about a Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite instead? Usually priced at $159, it’s down to just $99 at Walmart right now and it’s perfect if the main thing you want is a small tablet for browsing online or watching occasional videos. If that sounds tempting, keep reading while we take you through what it has to offer.

Why you should buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite won’t be featured among the best tablets around, but that isn’t to say that it’s not worth considering. It has an attractive 8.7-inch screen which is slightly larger than the iPad Mini's 8.3-inch display. It’s not as sharp but it’s just fine for watching YouTube videos or similar. If you want to read on the move, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite is a good bet for that too.