Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric

first play
length – it measures just 28 inches – and the
tuners are housed within the body (actually
on two screwed-on blocks), while the
strings pass over plastic rollers at the end
of the minimal body, over a standard roller
saddle tune-o-matic bridge and onto the
aluminium anchor block placed behind the
nut at the tip of the neck. The body and neck
are a single piece of maple, a shade under
20mm thick, capped with an unspecified
rosewood-ish looking fingerboard.
Strap buttons are provided on both guitars
as well as a push chromed metal leg rest for
seated practice on the thinner Ultra-Light.
Feel & Sounds
The more conventional Travelcaster
Deluxe, with its vibrato, has a Strat-like
array of single coils and controls. Aside from
the light weight, the lack of body makes for
an unusual playing experience both seated
or strapped on (the latter not helped by the
dished output jack on the back of the body).
But aside from frets that lack a final polish,
it plays, well, like an entry-level Strat and
has sounds to match, albeit lacking a little
sustain and, yes, body.
The Ultra-Light is a less conventional
drive, even with its leg-rest inserted. While
the neck and fretboard are quite normal
like the Travelcaster, the lack of mass
doesn’t make for a playing experience that’s
any easier. Yes, you get used to it – up to
a point – but it takes some time and a lot
of adjustment. Likewise, the tuning. The
body-placed tuners aren’t the easiest to use
and you really do need to stretch the strings.
While doing so we broke one, and if you
thought a Bigsby was a pain to restring, this
in another level of pain altogether. There’s
less body and sustain to the sound here, too,
although, to be fair, the humbucker – with a
nicely bright and spanky voice and certainly
with some gain – resembles an electric
guitar. Unusual, yes, but with the large
choice of good sounding amp/effects apps,
all you’re going to need is your smartphone.
The Deluxe plays like
an entry-level Strat,
albeit lacking a little
sustain and body
4
4. Mounted on two
maple blocks, the
tuners aren’t the
easiest to adjust and
to say restringing
is fi ddly is an
understatement.
Note the reversed
output jack – again,
plugged in, it gets in
the way, especially
strapped on
31
december 2018 Guitarist
TRAVELER TRAVELCASTER DELUXE & ULTRA-LIGHT ELECTRIC
Mounted on two
maple blocks, the
tuners aren’t the
easiest to adjust and
to say restringing
is fi ddly is an
understatement.
Note the reversed
output jack – again,
plugged in, it gets in
the way, especially
strapped on
Video demo http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT440.rev_trav.indd 31 31/10/2018 11:45