review Travel guitar round-up Away We Go 102 Guitarist Summer 2016 GIT410.rev_travel.
Travel guitar round-up review Are so-called ‘travel guitars’ a viable genre or just another way for makers to grab our cash? We present four of the best and find out… Words Dave Burrluck Photography Joseph Branston Summer 2016 Guitarist GIT410.rev_travel.
review TRAVEL GUITAR ROUND-UP TRAVEL GUITAR ROUND-UP £259 to £645 M akers large and small usually like to attach the ‘travel’ label to shorter-scaled instruments typically downsized from the standard body sizes – dreadnought, jumbo and so on – that we play every day. They’re presumably intended to pack in a plane’s overhead compartment or, more likely, a car boot stuffed with camping equipment and kids/ mates – and unless you’re very lucky, you’re going to use that guitar for a couple of weeks a year.
TRAVEL GUITAR ROUND-UP Few guitar players will fail to engage with the GS Mini. There’s a lovely intimacy that makes any style a pleasure suits the style but is very nicely and evenly applied. Okay, the bridge does seem a little clunky and sharp-edged, but string spacing is full-width, while the wood-bound fingerboard is nicely edge-rounded and the frets mirror-polished.
review TRAVEL GUITAR ROUND-UP really don’t feel short-changed. Its more conventional sound perhaps leads us to traditional ‘American’ fingerstyle, and its pushy voice would certainly be heard above bigger guitars, both in an ensemble or a recording. Serious fun. To be picky, the Faith’s larger head and bigger tuners do make it feel a little unbalanced played seated – though in actual use, it’s easily balanced by your right forearm.
TRAVEL GUITAR ROUND-UP 2. The Faith has a proprietary CnR-3 electric system. Fully featured and with a built-in tuner, it provides an impressive plugged-in sound 3. The Vintage’s dark brown Natural Antique finish and striking herringbone purfling around the edges and soundhole give it a very old-school vibe credible modern voice here with a nicely balanced, not over-cooked bass end and plenty of high-end zing without it sounding overly ‘piezo-y’.
review TRAVEL GUITAR ROUND-UP 4 5 The Martin LX1E does feel a bit more utilitarian but packs a very endearing and classic steelstring punch each will add its own voice to any recording that you happen to be working on. The GS Mini is our most expensive guitar on test; you could buy a credible full-size instrument for its price. But it does include the best gigbag of our bunch and employs Taylor’s top-flight ES-2.
TRAVEL GUITAR ROUND-UP TAYLOR GS MINI-E MAHOGANY MARTIN LX1E LITTLE MARTIN FAITH NOMAD MININEPTUNE ELECTRO PRICE: £645 (inc gigbag) ORIGIN: Mexico TYPE: 14-fret, ‘modern day parlour’ non-cutaway electro-acoustic TOP: Solid mahogany BACK/SIDES: Layered (laminate) sapele MAX RIM DEPTH: 102mm tapering to 83mm MAX BODY WIDTH: 365mm NECK: Sapele TUNERS: Chrome enclosed NUT: Graph Tech Tusq FINGERBOARD: Ebony, 406mm (16”) radius, with 5mm dot inlay FRETS: 20, small BRIDGE: Ebony with compensated Tusq saddle E
