love/hate: martin backpacker

eddiewagner · December 5th, 2006, 07:10 AM

hi guys,
i have to restring my martin backpacker. and while meditating about that strange guitar, i come to the conclusion, that i don´t know if i like it or not. i stays most of the time in my camper (winter and summer), once in a while i lend it out to students. i dislike everything about the guitar: sound, action, the way its balanced, the neck, the frets, the look. but if i go on trips i play it all the time. and when i come home and play the nicer guitars, its like heaven. thats about the only thing i like about that guitar. plus its indistructabel and takes very little space in my campingbus.
anybody else has one?
eddie

sharkydude50 · December 5th, 2006, 01:14 PM

2 words- Hate It!!
Not really a guitar IMHO, but a fretboard to practice on and nothing more.

popthree · December 5th, 2006, 05:51 PM

i've played one before and i thought it was just a bit to strange. if i need a travel guitar, i'll get an AMI, Art & Lutherie or something similar.

studio1087 · December 6th, 2006, 11:06 PM

I have 6 Martins.

I love Martin guitars.

I hate the Backpacker; my wife bought me one for X-Mass about 8 years ago and I had to sell it on ebay and buy an LXM. Love th LXM, I've taken it on 5 scuba trips to Mexico, no worries.

The neck on the backpacker weighs twice what the body weighd. The guitar does not balance. You must lift with the right hand while playing to balance the guitar....ANNOYING.

I wanted to take a one pound scuba weight and attatch it to the lower bout end of a guitar strap for the backpacker. I wanted to force the guitar to balance and have the neck lift up on its' own. The weighted strap would counter balance the backpacker neck weight. I never did it. I sold the Backpacker on ebay.

Good news; they sell on ebay for $80 if anyone wants one.

The LXMs are fantastic travel guitars @ $250 new.

John

morroben · December 6th, 2006, 11:08 PM

I love Martins (especially my 000-15) and hate the backpacker. A Baby Taylor isn't that much harder to haul around, and it's a much better instrument.

aznrambo481 · December 6th, 2006, 11:22 PM

hate. can't play w/o strap without getting in an awkward position, really not that useful.

Ben Harmless · December 6th, 2006, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

A Baby Taylor isn't that much harder to haul around, and it's a much better instrument.

+ a big 1!

I was really suprised the first time I picked up a Baby Taylor. It sounds... like a guitar!

Tdot · December 7th, 2006, 01:28 AM

Too funky

blue metalflake · January 1st, 2007, 09:59 AM

I used to spot these on e-bay and even threw a few bids at them. I always was convinced I needed one (don't know why) but after reading the comments here, I've gone clean off the idea.

red57strat · January 1st, 2007, 08:41 PM

I've had one for many years, since they came out.

It's really good for practice only, even then the flat fretboard is uncomfortable.

The sound is a cross between a banjo and a cigar box.

I'm not sure if I love it or hate it!

urizen · January 2nd, 2007, 01:11 AM

I put an extended nut on it and use it as lap steel. Works for me.

tbp0701 · January 2nd, 2007, 02:50 AM

I have one. A friend of my dad's dought a bunch of stuff from an estate sale, and it was part of the collection. At first he called and said he got a Martin guitar and wanted to know if I'd like to take a look at it. Well, it turned out to be a Backpacker. He wound up just giving it to me in return for helping him out with some stuff.

I have it here, in the corner by the computer, and take it out once in a while to play it. Usually that doesn't last too long. I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds is a chore to try to play. Still, they seem to be selling for surprisingly high prices on eBay.

stephent2 · January 2nd, 2007, 11:39 AM

I have a Go Travel Guitar that I really like.

http://www.go-guitars.com/guitars.html

jussishow · July 17th, 2007, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urizen

I put an extended nut on it and use it as lap steel. Works for me.

Sorry about "bumping" this old thread, but I was just thinking about doing the same with my Backpacker ...
You wouldn't happen to have any pictures of the extended nut ? Did You put in a higher saddle as well ?

I've been playing around with my Backpacker tuned in open D using a brass slide ... Sounds quite "interesting", and works OK as a "couchguitar" :-) But the action needs to be a lot higher !

/J

ROADMAN · July 18th, 2007, 03:45 PM

I wouldn't take one for free...what a piece of she-ite...fortunately the one I HAD
only cost me 100 bucks and I ended up trading it straight across for a Baby
Taylor to some guy who wanted to go backpacking.....I guess theyr'e good for that.

imwjl · July 18th, 2007, 05:30 PM

I couldn't feel right with the Backpacker, but chose the Little Martin over the Baby Taylor. Somehow the low frequencies missing from the Baby bothered me more than the high frequencies missing from the Martin, but both are fine.

The Little Martin has been perfect as an item I share with my daughter. It is a real instrument for her to learn on opposed to her First Act guitar, and the plastic and plywood construction holds up to beach and car trips. I'll also throw it in the Burley bike trailer when I take a kid to play at the neighborhood park. The short scale and tone only really both me if I play it back to back with a premium regular guitar.

PK · July 19th, 2007, 08:01 AM

I hated mine, and sold it after a week! Strangely, this past weekend while backpacking in the sierras I was thinking how much of an idiot I was to sell it cuz I could've used it for its intended purpose! I was thinking travel guitar when I bought it, and after selling it I bought a nice custom sant cruz for #1, and now use my HD28 as my travel guitar.

PK

whodatpat · July 23rd, 2007, 12:45 PM

After I saw the ground crew “pass” my Alvarez Yari 20 feet through the air before bouncing it onto the conveyor belt to put it in the plane I swore I’d never check another guitar.

I love my Backpacker. But I got the classical version. The steel string has absolutely no volume at all. Kind of like playing a Strat unplugged.
The Classical version has a much better tone and is better suited for what I do with it. It is my sitting around watching TV guitar. I also bring it on trips. I travel A LOT. I never have to gate check it because of its size, so I carry it right on the plane. (Be careful on Southwest, they may ask you to sing if they are delayed!)

It is what it is. A tiny guitar for picking around that does not weigh much and takes up very little room. I cant speak for the Baby Taylor, but I imagine as small as it is, it would still frequently be the subject of a “gate check.”

Patrick

imwjl · July 23rd, 2007, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whodatpat

I cant speak for the Baby Taylor, but I imagine as small as it is, it would still frequently be the subject of a “gate check.”

Patrick

I think the Baby Taylor has slightly shorter scale than the Little Martin but slightly more length. That something I learned when GC tried to think I would not notice the Martin in a Taylor case because they lost the case for my Little Martin. They did resolve it, and my price was well more than fair for a sold as new product.

You had a good insight on the nylon string Backpacker, but I no longer travel frequently, and am glad I got the Little.

Thank the Little or Baby are perfect purchases for what they are especially if you have a kid learning.

:)

Alex W · August 16th, 2007, 12:43 PM

hate it. i could forgive the thin sound if only i could play it sitting down.

December 5th, 2006, 07:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
eddiewagner Friend of Leo's Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: ROCK!linghausen/germany Age: 49 Posts: 3,774 27 Photos	love/hate: martin backpacker hi guys, i have to restring my martin backpacker. and while meditating about that strange guitar, i come to the conclusion, that i don´t know if i like it or not. i stays most of the time in my camper (winter and summer), once in a while i lend it out to students. i dislike everything about the guitar: sound, action, the way its balanced, the neck, the frets, the look. but if i go on trips i play it all the time. and when i come home and play the nicer guitars, its like heaven. thats about the only thing i like about that guitar. plus its indistructabel and takes very little space in my campingbus. anybody else has one? eddie __________________ My Drum/Guitar-Duo: www.myspace.com/captaintwangandhisrhythmcat

December 5th, 2006, 01:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
sharkydude50 Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Location: South Florida Posts: 170 9 Photos	Backpacker 2 words- Hate It!! Not really a guitar IMHO, but a fretboard to practice on and nothing more. __________________ Sharkymon- Acoustics Baby Yeah!

December 5th, 2006, 05:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
popthree Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Tulsa Age: 43 Posts: 2,682 44 Photos	i've played one before and i thought it was just a bit to strange. if i need a travel guitar, i'll get an AMI, Art & Lutherie or something similar. __________________ don't taze me bro !

December 6th, 2006, 11:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
studio1087 Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2003 Location: Near Milwaukee Age: 44 Posts: 3,765 36 Photos	I have 6 Martins. I love Martin guitars. I hate the Backpacker; my wife bought me one for X-Mass about 8 years ago and I had to sell it on ebay and buy an LXM. Love th LXM, I've taken it on 5 scuba trips to Mexico, no worries. The neck on the backpacker weighs twice what the body weighd. The guitar does not balance. You must lift with the right hand while playing to balance the guitar....ANNOYING. I wanted to take a one pound scuba weight and attatch it to the lower bout end of a guitar strap for the backpacker. I wanted to force the guitar to balance and have the neck lift up on its' own. The weighted strap would counter balance the backpacker neck weight. I never did it. I sold the Backpacker on ebay. Good news; they sell on ebay for $80 if anyone wants one. The LXMs are fantastic travel guitars @ $250 new. John __________________ JLG Carry On Last edited by studio1087; December 8th, 2006 at 07:34 AM.

December 6th, 2006, 11:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
aznrambo481 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: La Jolla, California Age: 17 Posts: 2,842 6 Photos	hate. can't play w/o strap without getting in an awkward position, really not that useful. __________________ "Never age. Never die. Live forever in that one last white-hot moment, when the crowd screamed. When every note was a heartbeat. Burn across the sky."-Terry Pratchett, Soul Music.

December 6th, 2006, 11:08 PM	#5 (permalink)
morroben Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: california Age: 32 Posts: 1,777 18 Photos	I love Martins (especially my 000-15) and hate the backpacker. A Baby Taylor isn't that much harder to haul around, and it's a much better instrument.

December 7th, 2006, 01:28 AM	#8 (permalink)
Tdot Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Back of the Wasatch, UT Posts: 3,511 58 Photos	Too funky __________________ And now for some feedback: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

January 1st, 2007, 09:59 AM	#9 (permalink)
blue metalflake Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: ireland Age: 55 Posts: 2,322 10 Photos	I used to spot these on e-bay and even threw a few bids at them. I always was convinced I needed one (don't know why) but after reading the comments here, I've gone clean off the idea.

January 1st, 2007, 08:41 PM	#10 (permalink)
red57strat Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 1,118	I've had one for many years, since they came out. It's really good for practice only, even then the flat fretboard is uncomfortable. The sound is a cross between a banjo and a cigar box. I'm not sure if I love it or hate it! __________________ Don

January 2nd, 2007, 01:11 AM	#11 (permalink)
urizen Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SoCal Posts: 299	I put an extended nut on it and use it as lap steel. Works for me.

January 2nd, 2007, 02:50 AM	#12 (permalink)
tbp0701 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 418	I have one. A friend of my dad's dought a bunch of stuff from an estate sale, and it was part of the collection. At first he called and said he got a Martin guitar and wanted to know if I'd like to take a look at it. Well, it turned out to be a Backpacker. He wound up just giving it to me in return for helping him out with some stuff. I have it here, in the corner by the computer, and take it out once in a while to play it. Usually that doesn't last too long. I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds is a chore to try to play. Still, they seem to be selling for surprisingly high prices on eBay. Last edited by tbp0701; January 2nd, 2007 at 12:55 PM.

January 2nd, 2007, 11:39 AM	#13 (permalink)
stephent2 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA. Age: 57 Posts: 2,321 20 Photos	I have a Go Travel Guitar that I really like. http://www.go-guitars.com/guitars.html __________________ "and the women,.... great googly-moogly". --Howlin' Wolf

July 18th, 2007, 03:45 PM	#15 (permalink)
ROADMAN Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: delta b.c. canada Age: 53 Posts: 1,011	I wouldn't take one for free...what a piece of she-ite...fortunately the one I HAD only cost me 100 bucks and I ended up trading it straight across for a Baby Taylor to some guy who wanted to go backpacking.....I guess theyr'e good for that.

July 18th, 2007, 05:30 PM	#16 (permalink)
imwjl Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 1,160	The Little and Baby. I couldn't feel right with the Backpacker, but chose the Little Martin over the Baby Taylor. Somehow the low frequencies missing from the Baby bothered me more than the high frequencies missing from the Martin, but both are fine. The Little Martin has been perfect as an item I share with my daughter. It is a real instrument for her to learn on opposed to her First Act guitar, and the plastic and plywood construction holds up to beach and car trips. I'll also throw it in the Burley bike trailer when I take a kid to play at the neighborhood park. The short scale and tone only really both me if I play it back to back with a premium regular guitar.

July 19th, 2007, 08:01 AM	#17 (permalink)
PK Tele-Holic Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ventura California Age: 49 Posts: 587 7 Photos	I hated mine, and sold it after a week! Strangely, this past weekend while backpacking in the sierras I was thinking how much of an idiot I was to sell it cuz I could've used it for its intended purpose! I was thinking travel guitar when I bought it, and after selling it I bought a nice custom sant cruz for #1, and now use my HD28 as my travel guitar. PK __________________ Wharf Rat

July 23rd, 2007, 12:45 PM	#18 (permalink)
whodatpat Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: College Park MD Age: 36 Posts: 267	After I saw the ground crew “pass” my Alvarez Yari 20 feet through the air before bouncing it onto the conveyor belt to put it in the plane I swore I’d never check another guitar. I love my Backpacker. But I got the classical version. The steel string has absolutely no volume at all. Kind of like playing a Strat unplugged. The Classical version has a much better tone and is better suited for what I do with it. It is my sitting around watching TV guitar. I also bring it on trips. I travel A LOT. I never have to gate check it because of its size, so I carry it right on the plane. (Be careful on Southwest, they may ask you to sing if they are delayed!) It is what it is. A tiny guitar for picking around that does not weigh much and takes up very little room. I cant speak for the Baby Taylor, but I imagine as small as it is, it would still frequently be the subject of a “gate check.” Patrick __________________ What this thread needs is more cowbell. Run Pat Run

August 16th, 2007, 12:43 PM	#20 (permalink)
Alex W Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Kentucky Age: 40 Posts: 142	hate it. i could forgive the thin sound if only i could play it sitting down.