Sure, guitars are portable instruments, but portability takes on a whole new meaning as musicians contemplate venturing into the great outdoors. Lugging a full-size guitar on a camping trip, horseback ride, or mountain hike quickly becomes downright bothersome. Not to mention, the wood bodies of guitars are highly susceptible to damage from heat, cold, rain, or humidity changes. For musicians who can’t imagine themselves beside a crackling campfire without guitar in hand, the sturdy, little Martin Backpacker Travel Guitar is an affordable and highly portable option.
The Martin Backpacker Travel Guitar is available to avid campers, hikers, and travelers for just under $200. Weighing in at less than two and a half pounds and measuring only 36”, this guitar is designed to go just about anywhere including the cramped overhead storage compartments of airplanes.
How Does the Martin Backpacker Travel Guitar Feel?
Though the Backpacker is tiny, its fret board is full-size 24” scale length. This means transferring back and forth from the Backpacker to regular guitars shouldn’t be a problem.
One adjustment that will take a bit of getting used to is the Backpackers design. Due to its streamlined body, the Backpacker doesn’t rest comfortably on a player’s knee. In addition, the guitar’s light-weight body makes for a top heavy instrument. But, if a musician wears the strap, adjusts it to fit properly, and learns to use his right arm as a counter balance, playing the backpacker can feel natural in no time.
How Does the Martin Backpacker Guitar Sound?
With a solid spruce top and mahogany body, Martin’s Backpacker certainly isn’t a toy. This solid wood construction lends the guitar a nice appearance, substantial feel, and helps to make up for some of the tone sacrificed to a small sound chamber.
While the backpacker definitely sounds better than many travel guitars, it’s not going to pack the depth and sustain of a full-size guitar. The tone is surprisingly mellow for such a tiny instrument, but bass is notably lacking.
It’s important to go into the purchase of a travel or backpacker guitar with realistic expectations. The smaller bodies of these guitars are designed with portability in mind. No matter how well crafted, a smaller sound chamber means a smaller sound.
When comparing the sound of a backpacker guitar to a full-size guitar, musicians are bound to notice reduced volume and thinner tone. This being the case, a musician is wise to give the backpacker a test run at his local music store rather than purchasing sight unseen. If the trade-off in sound is worth the benefit of added portability, a travel guitar will make a unique addition to a musician’s collection and offer an opportunity for spontaneous music under the stars, on a beach, atop a mountain, and wherever adventurous musicians decide to go.
Travel guitars come in a variety of flavors. Readers interested in a more guitar-like travel instrument can check out a review of the Baby Taylor Travel Guitar.
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Marcy Paulson - From the moment Marcy Paulson picked up a recorder in fourth grade music class, she was hooked. Since then, her passion for music has ...
