Weekly Air Travel: Blackbird Rider or Journey Overhead Carbon Fiber
 

I am in need of an instrument I can fly with weekly and practice more consistently. Have researched the various threads here (thank you for all of the terrific information, this really is a great resource) and have narrowed down to two:

1. Blackbird Rider steel string in the ultralight backpack, 35.5 x 10.5 x 4.25"
2. Journey Overhead Carbon Fiber, 35.5 x 12.5 x 4.64 and of course folds to TSA compliant size

Am curious as to the pros and cons and if there are any other suggestions I may have missed. I eliminated the Voyage Air due to size; I realize that there are many fans of that full size fold-able. The Rainsong Parlor is also well received, they do not offer a fold-able model. I prefer a smaller guitar that I can pack with my regular travel setup. I currently use a carry-on roller suitcase and a briefcase or backpack depending on that week's travels. I fly a mix of full size and regional jets.

I appreciate in advance your feedback.

Although I haven’t played either of the two guitars you list, they are well-regarded so you probably can’t go wrong with either of them. You may want to also consider a Composite Acoustics (CA) Cargo. It’s a 22.75” 14 fret that sounds great and travels very well.

This is Rob's answer on another thread comparing RT660 and OF660.

I've played the Rider and it certainly "punches above its weight class". It sounds pretty darn good, and would be the most compact travel guitar that you could carry on. You would definitely want a Neck-Up riser or a strap to get it into proper position. Or worst case, pack your clothes around Rider in a checked suitcase. (I've done that with ukulele on trips to Hawaii).

Just a note on the Rider. Blackbird announced in December that they are halting production of CF instruments, in favor of ekoa. But there is no ekoa replacement for the Rider -- yet. You might want to grab one from dealer's stock now while you still can.

I second Acousticado's comments on the Cargo, but it does not fold. In a gig bag, it will be similar to the Little Martin in size. The gig bags we have for LM and Cargo are comparable, but not identical.

Another option similar in size to the Cargo is the Emerald X7; the X7 has a 24" scale vs the Cargo's scale of 22.75". I avoid flying, but the X7 is my first choice for traveling in our motorhome. Great gig bag. Very comfortable to play. Sounds much bigger than the size would have you believe.

My suggestion would be to call a dealer who is familiar with these models, describe your playing style, and the tone you are seeking.

I didn’t do this, and purchased a Journey OF 660. I ended up sending it back because it just didn’t suit my playing style.

I later called Ted at LA Guitars, and described what I was after. I ended up with the Journey OF 420 (wood, not CF), and couldn’t be happier.

Hope that helps,
Gary

Ted is definitely the “guy” when it comes to CF or travel guitars in general. I played the OF660 when I was in his shop a few years ago, and it was very impressive. I am in an odd spot where I can fit the thinner and taller case on the plane better than the backpack, or I would have left with one.
My handle implies I fly, and I do, working as a pilot. The CF material gives me great peace of mind with all the travel issues, temperatures, humidity and the inevitable occasional bump.
I got to play the rider as well, and though that wasn’t what I was after it did play and sound way better than I expected.
Consulting Ted would be a great place to start. For me it would be the OF660 because I like the idea that people don’t realize you have a guitar with you at all sometimes. That said, carrying my instrument at work has led to meeting some really great people and some fun conversations.
As said above, probably can’t go wrong either way, and I will see you out there in the airports!

I have no experience with the Ryder but I owned the OF660 for a few years and it was a great guitar. Tone was really good although a little soft unplugged but amplified it's really good. The folding mechanism is quite stout and works extremely well. The backpack case is very well thought out with extra pockets for other stuff and is the perfect size for airline travel.

I also owned an Emerald X7 for a short time and though non-foldable it's also a great choice. Better tone than the OF660 and a great little gig bag but of course will not fold so it's a little longer. It's lighter than the OF660 and louder as well unplugged.

I much prefer the shape/feel of the OF660 neck but I preferred the weight and tone of the X7. It would be a tough call for me if I needed it for plane travel. If I flew a lot then I'd likely go with the OF660.

First, I really appreciate everyone's comments and feedback. I find AGF to be one of the most thoughtful forums for feedback and discussion.

I think this is such a interesting topic because it forces compromises. In 2011 Joe from Blackbird posted this on his blog:

Regarding the folding neck, it comes back to our hollow neck/head uni-body construction which we are firmly committed to. This allows for increased responsiveness as well as the very robust internal bracing structure- a unique feature to Blackbirds (neck reinforcement into the soundbox). We've also found stiffer necks make better sounding guitars. Finally, the best composite structures combine parts rather than splitting them apart. That all aside, I certainly see the benefit of a folding neck- I just don't think it makes sense for our design.
Some other quick thoughts, lighter is nearly always better for sound, so we are going to keep pushing that in the future and I think leg rests are cool but agree that often they look anything but. We'll have to make that one a design project... along with a nice cutaway!

Making a hollow neck carbon fiber travel guitar is certainly doable from an engineering standpoint and would have obvious benefits as far as portability. But there are downsides as well particularly in terms of tone- all things being equal, adding such a joint reduces sustain and resonance.
The reason is, composite structures- particularly in the hollow monococque embodiment- do best with no joints at all or glue joints if necessary rather than mechanical joints. Sure you can always glue metal hardware into the composite (they do it all the time in F1) and get a good strong joint but you're breaking up the continuous fiber as a result. The continuous long strand fiber be it unidirectional, plain weave, or twill is the main reason for the tremendous strength-to-weight advantages that CF affords. That is one of the advantages of CF uni-body over wood.

I'm wanting to spend more time practicing so finding a way to take my instrument with me becomes the primary factor. (Rule #1, have a guitar) People seem to be able to carry-on their instruments now with only a few exceptions. I do not want to check a bag so between my suitcase and backpack/briefcase I would either need to start checking something or find a way to carry less and carry the full size guitar. In most instances, people suggest checking your bag and carrying the guitar on. Hence, the folding guitar appears very attractive. I've looked at some of the smaller options such as the Lapstick but I'm leaning towards the Journey OF660M.

I own on OF660 and can say go for it! I have taken it on 3 trips so far and it is a piece of cake whisking through the airport, security and the flight.

Weekly Air Travel: Blackbird Rider or Journey Overhead Carbon Fiber
 

I’m going to get some hate mail due to my response but I can deal with it. For travel I carry a Voyage-Air dreadnaught. It’s a wonderful full size guitar with great sound and action. I know it’s not CF but I’ve traveled many times and the backpack case always fits in overhead compartments. The back and sides are laminated so I’ve never had any issues. Unfold the neck and you’re ready to play! And it’s only $500 when they’re in stock. OK start the hate mail [emoji30]

No hate here. I used to own an all laminate VA OM-02, bought right after their Shark Tank appearance. It did not sound as nice as the solid wood VA's or my solid wood guitars, but it was decent and was more durable in exchange. And a fine feeling neck too. Since I no longer travel by air, I sold it to a friend who does extensive motorcycle touring. The backpack was perfect for his use.

Technically the VA does not fit the airline approved size because the neck heel sticks out beyond the official "box". You could be forced to check it by some cranky gate agent, but I don't recall hearing of anyone who was not allowed to carry it on. Forgive my cynicism, but I've traveled a LOT and have seen every bad airline experience you can imagine -- short of actually crashing.

BT44;

We love you man. A number of us have had a VA or 2. They are great guitars. But we also appreciate the quality sound, durability and beauty of CF guitars. I stuck with a VA until I got my Blackbird Rider.

Hey guys,

Here's a couple of quick comments. My recommendation is if you're backpacking and lightness is your main criterion - go for the Blackbird. If you're traveling regional jets with 2-3 seats across - you're going to want an Overhead. I've been on 230+ flights in 12+ countries and I've never checked my guitar in once.

The earlier versions (first 6-10 months production) of the Overhead have a little less volume than the newer ones. So you should be really happy with anything that has the new soundhole shape.

If you're in temp controlled environments (biz trips, hotels, etc) wood is a great option. If you travel with small children, or experience extreme humidity and temp changes - carbon is the way to go. It's a dream to go from 38 degrees winter where I live to 90 degrees rainforest in Thailand or Bali with absolutely no stress. We've had artists literally drop their guitar w/ case in a river with it submerged for over an hour, then dry it out and perform on stage that evening.

Take care,
Rob

Leaning towards the Journey due to the removable neck and carbon fiber. Did find a couple of interesting variations by Brunner and Furch. Brunner produces a carbon body with wood neck model while Furch produces an interesting variation with the neck and head separating and storing the neck in the body of the guitar. The Furch would be very interesting in carbon.

For what it's worth I'm in a similar situation and went with a folding "acoustic" guitar theBone. More info here: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...hlight=thebone

After owning this thing for about a month I think the OP is on the right track. I'm not thrilled about the prospect of checking luggage but I'm not really enjoying the guitar I picked and I'm pretty sure a real acoustic instrument would be more fun. For practice it does do what I hoped but a silent guitar just isn't the same to me as making music with an acoustic.

Journey Overhead was what I was leaning to when I was debating this a few months back basically because of TSA compliance.