It is good for you if you’re traveling the world, but wait up.
Do you want to bring a guitar with you?
If you’re a true guitarist that does not want to leave your instrument behind, check out this buying guide for the best acoustic travel guitars to choose from and take on the road with you.
Now, if you’re looking for the ultimate musical instrument companion for your trip, check out our best travel guitar guide.
Contents
The Best Acoustic Travel Guitar Reviewed
- Martin Steel-String Backpacker Travel Guitar
- Cordoba Mini M Travel Guitar
- Washburn RO10 Steel String Travel Acoustic Guitar
- Orangewood Oliver Mahogany Acoustic Guitar
- KLOS Carbon Fiber Travel Acoustic Guitar
- SX Trav 1 Traveling Guitar
- Hola! Music Acoustic Guitar Bundle
- Yamaha-APXT2 Acoustic Electric Guitar
- Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar
- Fender FA-115 Acoustic Guitar Bundle
Runner Up | Editor's Choice | Also Great |
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Martin Steel-String Backpacker Travel Guitar
The Martin Steel String Backpacker Travel Guitar is a great pick for the money. After all, serious guitar players know Martin guitars offering some of the best guitars in the world I’ve seen so far.
I recommend this backpacker model, a travel-sized excellent sounding guitar, somehow with a cool and weird shape. What I liked about it is its classic sound though affordable. I took it to a test and found it impressive!
I liked its oar-shaped body that stands out versus other parlor instruments. More so, I liked that it’s best for beginners looking for ease and practicality of play.
You’d also appreciate its top-level build quality that I recommend for convenience. So if you’re taking the guitar with you all the time when traveling, I recommend this Martin acoustic guitar.
- Awesome ergonomics and functionality
- Great resonance for its mahogany body
- Minimal and basic hardware
- Not as loud sounding as other guitars
Cordoba Mini M Travel Guitar
If you’re looking for the ultimate acoustic travel guitar, you might want to take a second look at the Cordoba Mini M. The nylon string guitar is perfect for beginners that want a compact body. It also sounds big despite its small size.
The travel acoustic guitar is a great companion for vacations and simply hanging out. It is for you if you’re a wanderlust that always wants your guitar with you. It comes with a gig bag that fits an airplane compartment well.
In addition, I’m impressed with its construction. It is made of the solid spruce top along with mahogany wood back and sides. This build makes it a great sounding little instrument.
- Offers a full-sized feel
- Comes with a Cordoba gig bag
- May require constant tuning work
- Quite pricey
Washburn RO10 Steel String Travel Acoustic Guitar
Though the Washburn RO10 Rover Steel String has a standard neck size, you wouldn’t really expect an acoustic travel-size guitar to have the same sound as what a full-size guitar has.
Though this Washburn guitar doesn’t disappoint either and balances the features of musicality and playability really well.
- The sound is rich and bright for a guitar this size
- Neck size is the same as with full-size guitar
- Great value for money
- Doesn’t consistently stays in tune
Orangewood Oliver Mahogany Acoustic Guitar
A new addition to our best acoustic travel guitars list, the Oliver Mahogany Grand Concert Acoustic guitar just delivers well. It has an overall body length of 40 11/16″, and weighs only 10 pounds(I should say it’s lightweight for a guitar of this size), which makes it a really good travel guitar.
Not to mention, the mahogany build and design found on its top, back and sides, just stands out among other travel guitars on this list.
It might be a bit expensive than most travel guitars, but its features alone makes it really worth checking out.
- Great overall mahogany build & design
- Lightweight
- Small-size, perfect for traveling
- Some overlapping of sound on low-mid notes
- A bit expensive compared to other travel guitars
KLOS Carbon Fiber Travel Acoustic Guitar
Lightweight, yet robust. Small, yet loud.
Opinions may vary, but for me, if not for the price, this would have made the top of the list. This guitar already has all the features you need in an acoustic travel guitar.
A guitar perfectly made for traveling, need I say more?
So if you do have the budget, I highly recommend KLOS Carbon Fiber Guitar. You’ll regret not having this on your next trip.
- Lightweight guitar, perfect for travelling
- Carbon fiber material makes it durable compared to traditional wood-material guitars
- Quite expensive for such a small guitar
- A lot of other alternatives at its price point
SX Trav 1 Traveling Guitar
SX Trav 1 Traveling Guitar is one of the underrated guitars that is really great for traveling.
If you’re not brand-savvy and would actually consider a guitar’s features first, then this one’s for you.
- Has a full size neck and decent ton
- Innovative design
- Great action
- Really easy to travel with
- Slips easily and difficult to hold against the leg
- Needs a decent headphone and vox amp
Hola! Music Acoustic Guitar Bundle
If you’re a parent that wants to spend on the first acoustic guitar of your teenager or kid, you might want to take a second look at the Hola Music acoustic guitar bundle junior that comes with complete accessories.
I liked that it comes with a good padded gig bag, D’Addario EXP16 Steel Strings, picks and guitar strap. The 36-Inch HG-36N also has a natural satin finish, adding to its sleek and modern look.
This travel acoustic guitar is made of top quality woods – spruce top and mahogany neck, back and side. They’re greatly sounding tonewoods that also look stylish.
It also has a rosewood fingerboard, which is what even professional players prefer for their musical instruments.
- Ideal for beginners for its ¾ size
- Great sound out of the box
- Might not be for professional players
- Requires constant tuning work
Yamaha-APXT2 Acoustic Electric Guitar
You love to play your guitar, so you don’t want to leave it when traveling or going for vacations or road trips. To take your music anywhere you go, you might want the Yamaha-APXT2 Acoustic Electric Guitar.
This APXT2 is a compact and well-build combo acoustic travel guitar featuring Yamaha’s proprietary tuner and an ART-based pickup system that gives it supreme accuracy and sensitivity.
It is also built with rosewood bridge and fingerboard and spruce top that makes it a top choice even for advanced players. The compact guitar is your perfect road companion for its portability and compact construction.
- Great sensitivity for improved accuracy
- Comes with a built-in tuner
- Somehow cheap-looking gig bag
- Can be a bit heavy
Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar
Another travel acoustic guitar not to forget on the list is the Taylor BT2 Baby Taylor Acoustic Guitar. It’s maintained its quality as an excellent musical instrument that you or your kid will enjoy.
The ¾ Dreadnought is a travel companion even for professional musicians looking for ideas and inspiration while on the road.
In addition, the Baby Tailor acoustic guitar already includes a gig bag to ensure the protection of your musical instrument.
When it comes to the tonewood, the Dreadnought has a solid mahogany back and sides, helping produce a great sound. It also has an original African ebony fingerboard and sapele neckwood.
- Designed with Taylor Standard Baby X-Bracing
- Dreadnought body type
- Some might not like its Matte 2.0 Electro finish
- Not for left-handed players
Fender FA-115 Acoustic Guitar Bundle
Check out the Fender FA-115 Acoustic Guitar Bundle if you’re looking to start playing out of the box because it includes all that you need.
I liked that it is designed with a full-size dreadnought body, offering vibrant and full tone. It only means the travel acoustic guitar suits all music playing styles.
In addition, the acoustic guitar includes a gig bag that protects the musical instrument from damage and scratch. I also liked that it is made of a spruce top completed with a gloss natural finish for a classic look.
One more thing that makes the Fender FA-115 Acoustic Guitar Bundle is its complete accessories, including an additional set of strings, guitar picks, guitar straps, a clip-on digital tuner and an instructional DVD.
Definitely, the guitar bundle is a sure value for money. You might want to consider it if you’re looking for a quality practice or performance acoustic guitar.
- Full size dreadnought body delivers full and vibrant tone
- Comes with complete accessories
- Not as great sounding as the others for its laminated spruce top
- Not as loud for large venue performances
How To Choose The Best Acoustic Travel Guitar
Before going about the shopping process, you should consider certain factors to choose the right travel guitar.
Price matters
First, you should factor in the price, the amount you’re willing to spend on the purchase. Would you like to spend on quick replacement for buying a cheap acoustic guitar? Or do you want a quality but pricier option for long-term use?
Read: Are travel guitars worth it?
Just the right size for travel
How much size it will take also matters. But remember, its size affects the sound it produces and its playability.
ALSO READ: Our ultimate list of the best acoustic guitar
Construction consideration: solid wood or laminate wood?
Gearank.com said that laminated wood doesn’t produce as full-bodied sound than a solid wood acoustic guitar can. It’s because of its nature of construction.
Laminated wood is made of thin wood sheets pressed together. Solid wood, on the other hand, is a solid piece of wood.
For this difference, you can sense that laminated wood won’t resonate as freely as the other can.
All these said solid wood is still the better choice if you’re looking for an excellent sounding travel guitar.
On the upside, laminated wood can be more temperature- and humidity- resistant than solid wood is.
Nylon or steel strings?
Nylon strings can produce a mellow and softer tone, so they’re used in flamenco-style and folk music playing.
On the other hand, steel strings are chosen by pop, country and rock musicians. So based on your playing style, determine if nylon or steel strings are for you.
Using a guitar for practice or performance?
Lastly, the smaller you go, the quieter the guitar will be. Think about that based on where you intend to play – on the streets or in a coffeehouse.
How to Travel with Guitar (Infographic)
Read full Post: How to Travel with Guitar
What is the Best Acoustic Travel Guitar?
Quick Answer: Martin Steel String Backpacker is the best acoustic travel guitar. This is the ideal guitar for those who travel a lot as it is very lightweight and portable, weighing at only 5.3 pounds. However, it’s a small guitar made for travelers, so there might be some noticeable volume issues.
