Small Acoustic

Going on a motorcycle trip in May and I prefer to camp. I'd like to get a traveling or backpack guitar. I stopped in at my FLGS and tried a Taylor GSMini which is a scaled down acoustic but it sounds pretty good. I also found the go-guitar website and the guitars are about half the cost of the Taylor ($499 for the Taylor, about $250 or so for the go).

Anyone with an alternate suggestion or has tried the go and the Taylor and have a comparison?

Alternately, Mandolin or Uke :smile:

Carl

The guitar store next to Guitars, Etc had a travel guitar with a hinge on the neck, held it's tune very well. The neck folds over, the strings go slack, straighten it out turn one thumbscrew and Bobs your uncle. FLGS = favorite little guitar store?

I prefer the Baby Taylor. It is more durable that it seems. It holds its tune and has high playability. Strings are fairly low, no buzzes and doesn't sound muted like the little Martins. I guess I just like the sound it produces. It's actually my main acoustic, because it's high quality and easy to play.

The GS Mini was not a good guitar for me. It buzzed around the neck and was difficult to play for me at best. Not good tone, and I tried out a lot of them.

jmo

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Guitar-Ukulele-Guitalele-GL1/dp/B004N6RBWW I have one of these and it just stays in the car. There a whole lot of fun and come with a bag.

Voyage-aire is the way to go. Fits in a compact case, unfold the hinged neck, snap it into place and IT'S IN TUNE!!!! Really. I saw Roy Bookbinder in concert and he played one all night long. They were made in (I think) Sweden around $1400, but the company now is manufacturing them somewhere offshore, probably China and you can get one in a soft bag (like a gig bag) for around $400. Seriously, these are awesome. I want one.

The guitar store next to Guitars, Etc had a travel guitar with a hinge on the neck, held it's tune very well. The neck folds over, the strings go slack, straighten it out turn one thumbscrew and Bobs your uncle. FLGS = favorite little guitar store?

Sounds good, I'll stop in and check it out. I think I've seen that somewhere else as well.

FLGS - Friendly Local Guitar Store. In gaming terms, FLGS is Friendly Local Game Store, like Stonebridge across the street (unfortunately closed a couple of weeks ago) but it works well either way :smile:

Carl

I prefer the Baby Taylor. It is more durable that it seems. It holds its tune and has high playability. Strings are fairly low, no buzzes and doesn't sound muted like the little Martins. I guess I just like the sound it produces. It's actually my main acoustic, because it's high quality and easy to play.

The GS Mini was not a good guitar for me. It buzzed around the neck and was difficult to play for me at best. Not good tone, and I tried out a lot of them.

jmo

I tried the baby taylor as well but it didn't have as much sound as the GS (wasn't as loud). Since I'm looking at selling my Fender acoustic to replace it with the smaller one, I figured I should try to get the same or close to the same sound out of it.

Carl

I mentioned the Mandolin in part because it seems to be in the family. I have an old picture of my great grandfather in a band with a mandolin.

Carl

Yamaha FG JR-1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bKhOYZPITQ&feature=related

If you are looking to replace a full sized acoustic then I would suggest the GS Mini. Travel sized guitars like the Baby Taylor sound small.....it's a compromise for size. The GS Mini has a wide lower bout like a jumbo. Sounds big. I love mine.

You might consider an old Stella, Silvertone or Harmony from Cl's. Durable & alot less $$$$ in case something happens to them on a cycle camping trip you won't fgel so bad.

Gretsch Americana series. They go on sale for as little as 39$ sometimes. I bought one for 50$.

Here is one for 100$

http://www.overstock.com/Gifts-Flowers/Gretsch-Americana-Sundown-Serenade-Acoustic-Guitar/3141294/product.html

It is a very nice inexpensive guitar.

You might consider an old Stella, Silvertone or Harmony from Cl's. Durable & alot less $$$$ in case something happens to them on a cycle camping trip you won't fgel so bad.

A Stella is a Harmony (unless you are talking a pre-1940 guitar and they ain't that cheap). Key with the mail order el cheapo is to find one without issues. More than a few of them were not the easiest guitars to play when new.

You might look into a Guild GAD-Series, perhaps something like an M20, used. Well made guitars, quite affordable off Craigslist and so forth. Be careful though on buying one that is marked "used" or has a different serial number over the original...that equals "came from a reclamation center'...might be a terrific buy...or not.

The Blueridge Parlour BR 341 sounds pretty good for a small guitar.

This guy gets a nice sound out of one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pcI9enQzxE&list=UUOdjN9P5_y6FI5mzumhmYyg&index=16&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qtno0mQAtM&list=UUOdjN9P5_y6FI5mzumhmYyg&index=11&feature=plcp

I have not tried on yet but this looks interesting. I've seen them online for $250-300.

Walden T550 (http://www.waldenguitars.com/T550.html)

Jim

I am also jumping on the baby taylor bandwagon! I have a big baby elec/acoustic and it is a great sounding gtr!Old stella's(my first gtr back in 1969) were going for about 200.00 or more on cl. I wanted one just to have my first gtr.that my parents bought me,but $$ I can live with the memories!

I'm something of a fiend for small guitars.

I've owned the following:

Martin Backpacker: Wins for portability, but it's the furthest from a real guitar.

Gretsch Americana: Small enough to take places you couldn't take a dread. Fairly rugged, very affordable. I bought 4 when they were on sale for $50. Three play great, one won't stop buzzing no matter how much truss rod adjustment I try.

Larrivee Parlour: This is a real guitar. It might be small, but it sounds better than many full size guitars. I bought it back before they made them all fancy and tripled the price. It was supposed to be my travel guitar, but it's too nice. In fact, if I could keep only one of my flat tops, this would be the one.

Emerald X5: Carbon fiber + tiny size = the ultimate in portability. No worries about temperature and humidity, and it's not much bigger than a tennis racket. It isn't as loud as a full sized guitar, but it's loud enough for a camp fire, and plugged in you'd never know it's so small. However, I just haven't bonded with it, so I'm planning on selling it (PM me if you're interested).

Walden T550: Like the Larrivee, this is also a real guitar. It's my brother's main guitar. It sounds smaller than the Larrivee, but it costs a lot less too. It's a very decent instrument for the price, and not too much of a compromise from a full sized guitar.

Just bought a Seagull S6 Coastline Folk (mid sized....probably 00 in Martin terms). Love it.

Solid cedar top.....HPL Wild Cherry Sides.... $399.

Played a lot of similars and this sounded best to my ear :)

Big Baby Taylor (model 307) is mighty fine, but it is larger than both the Baby and the GS Mini (although thinner body wise than the GS). Might be too long to carry on a bike. It is 15/16 size, almost a full size dread. Great sound though. Personally, I think they are using the GS Mini to "get it (the Big Baby) off the assembly line" like Jeep did the Cherokee Standard Sport. Works too well.

Voyage-aire is the way to go. Fits in a compact case, unfold the hinged neck, snap it into place and IT'S IN TUNE!!!! Really. I saw Roy Bookbinder in concert and he played one all night long. They were made in (I think) Sweden around $1400, but the company now is manufacturing them somewhere offshore, probably China and you can get one in a soft bag (like a gig bag) for around $400. Seriously, these are awesome. I want one.

Roy Bookbinder plays a Brunner Outdoor guitar made by Swiss luthier Lukas Brunner. Same principle as the Voyage Aire but not a factory guitar. And probably costs more than $1400.

Gall darn...you're right davenumber2, funny I even talked to him about his teaching videos on break and mentioned the folding guitar. Googled later and just assumed it was a Voyagaire.