Some of you might know that I have recently started taking guitar lessons. I was just musing about how handy it would be to have a miniature guitar that would be convenient to carry around and pull out to practice my chords when I had nothing else to do – like waiting for my wife.
I did some Internet searching and I came up with the backpacker guitar, specifically, one by Martin priced at about $200 and one by Austin Bazaar, priced at about $40. Needless to say, getting this purchase approved by my wife would be a lot easier at the $40 level.
Any information, advice, suggestions, about these things?
IMHO they basically sound like crap and are only good if you want to, as you say, practice without caring much about how it sounds.
I haven’t played the cheaper brand you refer to but for $40, if the action is okay enough to let you run through chords or scales, that should be fine. I don’t get the love for Martin Backpackers - even Martin can’t make a portable design like that sound decent, so why pay $200 for the Martin name?
There are tons of other travel guitars - Baby Taylors and equivalent which are more like 3/4 size guitars - much bigger vs. backpackers but they actually can sound good and play more like a real guitar. There are plenty of travel electrics, too.
I owned a Martin Backpacker in the late to mid nineties. I bought it for dorn room use (so as not to wake the neighbors and all that). It server its purpose, but I agree with the above post that it sounded like crap. It was very well made, and played fairly well (given the shortened neck), but when it was damaged in moving years later I didn’t bother replacing it.
For practicing chords or idly strumming, it was fine, but the tone was so muddy and thin as to be comical.
FWIW I know this isn’t exactly what you’re wanting, but I keep a couple of decent quality ukuleles around for travelling, camping trips, playing while waiting for my wife, etc.
I don’t think they still make the guitar models anymore*, but look around for a Risa Guitar-Solid (formerly Guitar-Stick). I have one of their Uke-Solids and it’s built spectacularly well. It’s electric, and makes practically no sound, so you can play it on a train without disturbing your seatmates. Plug in a little headphone amp and you can rock out. I really like being able to practice silently. And they don’t get any smaller than that. Of course if you need the instrument to make sound, this won’t help you unless you carry an amplifier…
*they’ve moved on to ukuleles, because ukuleles are awesome.
Looks like those are listed at $900. That’s almost twice what my “real” guitar cost. I like the idea of the acoustic ones better than the electric ones. I don’t want to have to wear headpones.
The really funny thing about the Martin Backpacker is it’s not a very practical guitar for backpacking, either - if you just need something to practice on and no one else needs to hear it, a cheap electric in a gig bag would be better. If you need an acoustic to take around in the woods, then get an el cheapo with a laminate top and a gig bag. Try not to fall on it! Then again, the Martin wouldn’t be in very good shape if you fell on it, either.
I remember seeing pictures of Bruce Cockburn circa 1985, standing by the campfire on a canoe trip with a custom made, early '80s Norman.
I wish I could find a review that mentioned what she was playing, but the last time I saw Jane Siberry at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music she got an absolutely astounding tone from an undersized guitar. She apparently had a mid-life crisis, gave away all her possessions, changed her name to “Issa” and went on the road with one guitar.