Chiquita Travel guitar, or travel guitars in general.

[lexx9]

Does anyone know if they are still made or where to get one?
I am looking for a travel guitar does not have to be a Chiquita or electric for that matter, and was wondering if anyone else has one and can advise me what to get. Thanks lexx9

[PK]

I bought a MArtin Backpacker off ebay last summer thinking I could take it with me here n there. BUT, although playability was decent, the tone was so damn tinnywussyweak I hated it. I advise picking up an inexpensive dreadnought (Martin DX?) and just travel with a lower priced full sized axe. If you get robbed or it is lost in airport baggage you wont cry too bad.

PK

[Crotalus Atrox]

For what it's worth, I have a Chiquita that I hardly ever play because the small fretboard drives me nuts. It's like most of the muscle memory I've worked to develope on full size guitars is worthless, and everything is twice as hard to play. I'd go for something with a grownup size fretboard.

[getbent]

http://www.erlewineguitars.com/pgs/chiquita.htm

that'll get'er.

[R.M.S.]

I used to have a Yamaha's "guitarlele". Fun gimmick, but crappy tone and a fretboard that's waaay to small. Wouldn't recommend it or any other travel guitar for that matter.

[Nub]

I have a Traveler guitar that I've used for years, it's my "hotel room" guitar. I keep a Little Smokey amp in the gig bag pocket along with a short cord. The Smokey will just do clean & dirty at a very low volume; I have a Roland MicroCube that I use when I want effects, or more volume (both amps are battery powered).

www.travelerguitar.com

One of my friends has a Fernandes Nomad; I think the neck is not as comfortable as the Traveler, but it's got a complete Digitech RP100 effects unit & drum machine built in. The speaker is weak, but it sounds killer through a set of headphones! It will run on batteries, but the effects drain them pretty quickly.

http://www.fernandesguitars.com/nmd.html

[telel6s]

I picked up the standard Nomad for a ski vacation this past winter. I now take it on work trips sometimes also. The standard does not have the effects but the batteries last much longer. For $200, it's a great thing. Standard size neck with better fret job than some more expensive standard size guitars I've played. For vacation, I unbolted the neck and stuck it in a suitcase; work trips it usually goes in the plane's overhead.

By its very nature there are compromises, but its nice to have something to pick a few tunes while on the road or a drunken sing-a-long while on vacation. The worst thing is the funky headstock. You have to wrap the high E and B in the opposite direction from the others. I snapped one E string because I forgot that and just tuned it too tight. A compact headstock ala Music Man would have made more sense to me.


The flames were sold out when I bought mine; I've got the Union Jack instead.

I also have a Taylor Baby which is a fun little instrument. But I don't take it on planes because you can't be guaranteed they'll let you take it carry-on.

[fungusyoung]

I just bought a Little Martin a couple weeks ago... actually bought it on the way to the airport when I was flying to Spain. I am so glad I did this. Flying with guitars has gotten more & more dicey just within the past 2 years. This easily fits in most overhead bins (except maybe for props or those small commuter jets).

The tones are VERY impressive for such a small guitar. I played it a lot last week, and its great to have something like this for future trips... especially the long ones.