What do you use or want in a Camp/travel guitar?

[skitched]

I’d like to pickup a travel guitar, something I’ll use while camping, which I do mostly in the woods away from official campgrounds. I’ve been looking at all the cheap parlor guitar options as well as the A more expensive Taylor and Martin travel guitars. I’m leaning towards the Gretsch Jim dandy...but being that I live 4 hours from the closest guitar shop whatever I get will likely be through the internet.

 

[985plowboy]

I would go pawn shopping for a beater acoustic.
Bring about $150 cash and have fun.

 

[Boreas]

I’d like to pickup a travel guitar, something I’ll use while camping, which I do mostly in the woods away from official campgrounds. I’ve been looking at all the cheap parlor guitar options as well as the A more expensive Taylor and Martin travel guitars. I’m leaning towards the Gretsch Jim dandy...but being that I live 4 hours from the closest guitar shop whatever I get will likely be through the internet.

I love my Little Martin. I specifically went for the synthetic top for outdoor use. I also added some cheap transducer pickups that also work well. I had a Martin backpacker once and it sucked.

 

[schmee]

If you are going to be playing with others around a campfire, get a big loud Dreadnaught! Sound just disappears outdoors.

 

[adjason]

another vote for the little Martin- I play mine regularly out by the fire pit and the short scale makes it a breeze to play finger stretching shuffles

 

[fendrguitplayr]

A nylon stringer, like this one:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...8uU5rVd7Ox8hSy4sKe0aAg4iEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[nojazzhere]

I’d like to pickup a travel guitar, something I’ll use while camping, which I do mostly in the woods away from official campgrounds. I’ve been looking at all the cheap parlor guitar options as well as the A more expensive Taylor and Martin travel guitars. I’m leaning towards the Gretsch Jim dandy...but being that I live 4 hours from the closest guitar shop whatever I get will likely be through the internet.

I have two cheap acoustics that are used in situations like you're asking about. When I taught Special Ed, I used a little Yamaha FGJr for "music therapy". Fun, travel-size, and if anything happened to it, it wouldn't be a great loss. The other is this Rogue acoustic that I bought years ago from Musician's Friend. It was $49.99 back then, more now, but a surprisingly good player. I still have it sitting around, and it's as good as it was when I bought it ten+ years ago. Like this. It's not a Taylor or Martin....but for camping, I wouldn't take a "good" guitar.
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/gui...000030000?rNtt=rogue acoustic guitars&index=1

 

[dented]

I have had this little Galveston about 20 years. The Nux Amp I just got yesterday. It was on MF Deal of the Hour for 49.99 plus tax. It is 8watt with a bunch of little choices and settings. It will run on AA batteries. Can't wait to use it. Other than that I have a couple parlor acoustics, one Kay and one Cordoba that work just fine for my use. Use a big boomy dreadnought if you are outside at the beach or woods. Plenty of inexpensive players out there.

 

[Flaneur]

Art & Lutherie Ami. Used. Nice portable soft case, too.

 

[P Thought]

This one's perfect for a Takamine nut like me. F-312 "lawsuit" lam-top smallbody, slotted headstock, wide nut. . . .

 

[guitarsophist]

I bring a Yamaha guitalele. Nylon strings, Uke sized but six strings, tuned like a guitar capoed on the fifth fret. Comes with a soft case, $99. Fits in a suitcase.

 

[Peegoo]

Baby Taylor. If you prefer a slightly bigger tone, the Taylor GS Mini. I have both.

The mahogany-topped Mini GS is more balanced in tone than the spruce-top model. But if you're a fingerpicker and want more sparkle, go spruce.

 

[Stubee]

I took my Gibson Hummingbird on tent camping trips from the mountains of New Mexico to the Upper Peninsula of MI. If you keep it in it’s case and take basic care of it it’ll survive. And of course keep an eye on it.

I’ve had little guitars like a Backpacker & Taylor Mini and they just don’t work for me. Any LG/00-sized guitar on up can IMO start producing a bigger sound. If theft is a concern I’d take a Yamaha, Epiphone or any other decent lower priced guitar with a solid top and enjoy it.

 

[Deeve]

The advantages of my Tacoma Papoose include size & build quality -
Disadvantages include small soundboard (voice is similar to a cigar box)

There will be compromises.
I accepted the low price/ready replacable feature and limited voice.
Sort out what compromises you can live with.
Peace - Deeve

 

[LGOberean]

@skitched the Jim Dandy would be a pretty good choice. I bought mine partly because it kind of resembles a guitar my Dad had when I was a boy, but I bought it mainly to use for trips to the beach, camping, that kind of thing. I also choose it a lot of times when I just want to sit on the deck in the back yard and play.

Sorry for the blindingly white legs. Except for going to the beach, I rarely ever go outside without wearing blue jeans and boots...and I guess it shows!

 

[GoldDeluxe5E3]

 

[thechad]

I have a cheap Austin acoustic guitar for this very reason. It feels and plays well enough that I don't dislike it, but if I woke up to find it got rained on, knocked over, or even used for fire wood, at this point in its life I wouldn't be too upset. I want to enjoy camping, not be stressing about my guitar.

 

[tfarny]

I don't have a camping guitar, but if I did I would just want something cheap and playable.
I'm travelling right now and I did what I seem to do about once per year - remove the neck from a Fender style guitar, take off the strings, and throw both halves plus a fresh set of strings into my carryon. When I get to my destination it takes just a few minutes to have a full size, no compromises guitar, and new strings are cheap (a lot cheaper than a dedicated, weird travel guitar!)

Longer term I would actually like to have a very light 24.75 scale tele or hardtail strat with neck bolt inserts, but it would have to be something worth playing "normally" at home to justify a whole nother guitar. I think this will end up a partscaster project someday.

 

[nojazzhere]

@skitched the Jim Dandy would be a pretty good choice. I bought mine partly because it kind of resembles a guitar my Dad had when I was a boy, but I bought it mainly to use for trips to the beach, camping, that kind of thing. I also choose it a lot of times when I just want to sit on the deck in the back yard and play.

Sorry for the blindingly white legs. Except for going to the beach, I rarely ever go outside without wearing blue jeans and boots...and I guess it shows!

I love the retro, "Montgomery Ward"-ish cheap looks of those. I can't remember who, but some well respected maker made something that looked similar that was endorsed by Pete Anderson.....looked really cheap, with a satin finish, but was supposedly a fine instrument. Anyone else remember?

 

[39martind18]

Mine is my avatar. Where I go, it goes.