Travel / silent guitar comparison thread

[jaymarsch]

I have consistently heard good things about the Furch Little Jane. Thanks for posting your experiences with these choices.

Best,
Jayne

[MChild62]

This is a FANTASTIC post! Really the best review of the spectrum of travel guitars I've come across on the web. You've done such a great job of comparing the options, ie, an assessment of the fuller-sized collapsible acoustics for those who need or want full acoustic feel and tone while traveling, and those (like me) who travel a lot and want to play a bit on their own without disturbing people in adjacent hotel rooms. The pics showing size comparisons are perfect.

I had not come across the EO, and it looks impressive in both size and weight. And when you are just going for one or a few nights, that's really the main thing that matters - how much space the guitar takes up in your carry on, leaving room for clothes, toiletries, and everything else. And, heck, does it even fit within the size limitations?

I also have a Lapaxe, which is even smaller than the ones that you've got here (I think), but it's awkward to play unless hanging from a shoulder strap, and just too compact for me. Plus it's electric so you need bring stuff to plug it into.

The best travel guitar I've used in terms of feel/scale is the T-Flite, a folding electric made by Snap-Dragon until a few years ago, one of their more expensive models. It has a full-scale Tele/Strat neck (25 inch) when unfolded, two pick ups (rail), and split coil switching from humbucker to single coil. Really an outstanding model, and I don't know why they don't make this model anymore.

I still have the Snap-Dragon T-flite, but my wife bought me their acoustic, the same Traxe Noir as Redpoint, about a year ago.

Like Redpoint, I also tried the Snapaka A acoustic briefly, with its attachable wings and, yeah... it just wasn't for me, either. In theory it's smaller than the Traxe Noir but in reality, with the wings in the bag, etc, it ends up being similar size and weight, and takes more time setting up.

Originally Posted by redpoint

I also tried the Snapdragon Snapaka A2, which I didn't like very much; the design is basically 3 levels -- the neck is on one plane, the body is in a plane below it, and then the wings attach on a 3rd plane. There's a little too much depth, if that makes any sense and the smaller body made it very trebly sounding.

I currently use a Snapdragon Traxe Noir, which only has the neck on one plane, and the body below it. 24" scale, 1 3/4" nut. It sounds ok unplugged (if you like practicing jazz chords and melodies). It still has a lot of treble, but I like the tone more than others. It's quiet enough to practice with, and I like that I can hear it without plugging anything else in.....

I agree with all of this, and also Aspiring's comments on the build quality of the less-expensive Snapdragons. The quality is acceptable considering the amazing price but, again, you have to consider the price.

While I still have the Snap-Dragon T-flite, I almost never never travel with it, because size does matter with air travel. Instead, the Traxe Noir is always with me. When packing a bag for a couple nights away in a hotel, what drives my choice isn't tone or playability as much as how much weight it will add to my carry on and how much room I will have for all my other stuff. If I can't fit everything into my carry on, then the guitar has to stay home.

[Aspiring]

Mchild thanks for the great feedback.

I felt like there wasn't a good comparison so wanted to give back a bit to the community.

As to the Lapaxe I haven't seen one of those before but looking from their specs it is both smaller while playing and then longer while travelling although possibly smaller in volume as it appears the neck doesn't detach. Edit: two versions of the Lapaxe there is one that is slightly shorter than the snapaxe e that is the dlx model and another that is a couple inches longer. That is obviously a great travel size as you suggest for portability. It's the really small scale on that which I think would be the compromise that i would not prefer. And as you said the tiny body may make playing more challenging.

I've found in my search through this it is all about what compromises are more important to you.

My goal was to be able to business travel with a single carry on knapsack and these options have achieved it. I can do it with the Klos for a three day trip and the snapaxe and EO are even easier.

[Aspiring]

I just found some videos on the snapdragon noir. I wish I had seen that sooner it does look awesome! I my have to try that one

[JERZEY]

The revamped Martin JR's are very very nice guitars and they fit in overhead on airplanes.

**Avoid the Cordoba MINI II. It s a heaping pile of junk. Its not much better then the disney guitars that sell for 80$ The old MINI is a much better instrument if you can find one with a truss rod.

[MChild62]

Originally Posted by Aspiring

two versions of the Lapaxe there is one that is slightly shorter than the snapaxe e that is the dlx model and another that is a couple inches longer. That is obviously a great travel size as you suggest for portability. It's the really small scale on that which I think would be the compromise that i would not prefer. And as you said the tiny body may make playing more challenging.

I've found in my search through this it is all about what compromises are more important to you.

My goal was to be able to business travel with a single carry on knapsack and these options have achieved it. I can do it with the Klos for a three day trip and the snapaxe and EO are even easier.

The compromise for business travel is the fun of it, ie, how many of the qualities of a guitar can be packed into as tiny a package as possible, and fit inside my carry on?

I share your enthusiasm and, like you, I don't want anything that looks like an instrument. It's not just a question of the bulk added by even a smaller-sized, non-collapsing acoustic (assuming they let you bring it on) but the additional hassles of bringing what is obviously a guitar in a gig bag to meetings or conferences on the way to or from the airport, in taxis with colleagues, etc, and all the attention it attracts.

On the Lapaxe: I have the normal ("larger") version. If you are so inclined, you can play it with headphones on a long distance flight in business or maybe premium economy. I've done that a couple of times on 12 hour flights between Europe and Asia, in a window seat in business, neither bothering nor bothered by other passengers (virtually unnoticed).

[Aspiring]

Originally Posted by MChild62

The compromise for business travel is the fun of it, ie, how many of the qualities of a guitar can be packed into as tiny a package as possible, and fit inside my carry on?

I share your enthusiasm and, like you, I don't want anything that looks like an instrument. It's not just a question of the bulk added by even a smaller-sized, non-collapsing acoustic (assuming they let you bring it on) but the additional hassles of bringing what is obviously a guitar in a gig bag to meetings or conferences on the way to or from the airport, in taxis with colleagues, etc, and all the attention it attracts.

On the Lapaxe: I have the normal ("larger") version. If you are so inclined, you can play it with headphones on a long distance flight in business or maybe premium economy. I've done that a couple of times on 12 hour flights between Europe and Asia, in a window seat in business, neither bothering nor bothered by other passengers (virtually unnoticed).

MChild you articulated my thoughts for business travel way better than I did thank you! Unfortunately, the company culture where I work is such that doing something for yourself on a business trip is frowned upon.

Good to know on the on board flight playing that would be an awesome way to pass time on international flights.

[Aspiring]

As an update I have had some tinkering time with both the Klos and the SnapDragon.

On the SnapDragon I installed a Kent Armstrong 12 pole floating neck pickup and have been working through the install so that it rotated out of the way and pivots with the neck. I also gutted the stock electronics and replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan mini humbucker. I also set it up with dual tone / volume controls to allow a number of sound options. I have not found room to fit a three way or 4 way switch or blend pot though. Although now that I'm thinking about this maybe I should switch one of the volume pots to a mixing pot from the two pickup hot leads that may actually result in a better range of tones and seperations.

I also routed a channel down the back of the instrument primarily for the cable run for the neck pickup but also with a thought around maybe getting a little more towards a semi hollow tone.

I am pleased with the results and I actually think I am getting quite nice cleans and distorted out of it although I still have work to do to keep the neck pickup height consistent and on the lead management for the neck pickup while rotating. I think it is a worthy platform for electronics improvements.

On the Klos, I cut a 1 inch diameter soundport into the upper bout and I believe that has made at the very least an improvement to the tone that I hear while playing and possibly a slight improvement to the overall sound. To my ears it took away some of the boxier aspects to the tone and made it sound fuller. I also switched to Daddario exp19 from the stock which increased the gauge slightly on treble and substantially on bass. Overall I liked that as well.

[Goder]

Originally Posted by Aspiring

....On the SnapDragon I installed a Kent Armstrong 12 pole floating neck pickup ....

Could you please share photos of your modifications to Snapaxe and floating neck pickup installation? I think I may miss warm jazzy neck pickup sound.

One more thing about neck nut width: all their acoustic versions have 44 mm and electric mainly 42 mm.
I've contacted SnapDragon and they said that it is possible to choose nut width on any model with no additional cost.
I mainly experienced in classic and acoustic guitar, so I'm thinking to order 44 mm neck.
What's your opinion on the neck width? Isn't it too narrow? What about thickness, is it more slim or chunky?

Thanks in advance!

[fpuhan]

A terrific read, and a lot of research into the comparisons. Thank you.

I'm a great fan of travel-size guitars. My "journey" actually began with a Pignose PGG-200 Deluxe ($99USD) which I bought on a whim, as I began my guitar "career" with a little Pignose 7-100 portable amp.



Sadly, it's truly a $99 guitar. It's heavy for its size, suffers from neck dive and doesn't stay in tune. I don't find it a "serious" guitar for traveling. Which led me to...

My KLŌS carbon fiber travel guitar. I bought mine when the company was still a crowd-funded startup. Despite its somewhat tinny sound, it is my travel guitar of choice. Once the neck is detached (a quick job using a capo, detuning and unscrewing the four neck screws) and tucked away, it fits into my suitcase, where I stuff the body with socks, t-shirts, toiletries and what-have-you. In effect, it takes up very little space and since it's carbon fiber, if I need to check my bag, I don't have to worry what the handlers might do.



I've taken to packing only the neck in the provided bag, freeing up a little more space in the suitcase. The KLŌS bag is nicely thought out, though. So it can be used for hiking, camping, etc.

I didn't buy my KLŌS with a pickup, so I turned to the "Li'l Martin," a LX1RE. Having a pickup is the only selling point of this guitar for me. It doesn't come apart, and it doesn't play or sound much like a Martin. I've taken it to parties, but that's about it.

Curiosity drove me to the Gretsch G9500 "Jim Dandy." Technically not a travel guitar but a parlor, the price convinced me to buy it ($139USD at the time). The playability and sound convinced me to keep it. It's a 12-fretter, which is the only thing working against it, in my opinion, because I play all over the neck.

Which brings me to the Furch Little Jane. Having learned from my KLŌS-Martin experience, I purchased the LJ10-CE with a pickup, which added to the price, but not once have I regretted my decision. In fact, the Little Jane plays and sounds so good (plugged or unplugged) that it now stays assembled and within arm's reach.



I'll travel with my KLŌS, but for sheer playing pleasure, the Furch can't be beat.

[Aspiring]

Originally Posted by Goder

Could you please share photos of your modifications to Snapaxe and floating neck pickup installation? I think I may miss warm jazzy neck pickup sound.



One more thing about neck nut width: all their acoustic versions have 44 mm and electric mainly 42 mm.

I've contacted SnapDragon and they said that it is possible to choose nut width on any model with no additional cost.

I mainly experienced in classic and acoustic guitar, so I'm thinking to order 44 mm neck.

What's your opinion on the neck width? Isn't it too narrow? What about thickness, is it more slim or chunky?



Thanks in advance!

I apologize for not seeing this! My snapaxe is a an electric so for me I have been ok with the neck width even though I prefer a wider neck typically.

I was very happy with the pickup upgrades they make a heck of a difference and I too prefer the warm jazzy neck tones.

I'm now using it with the fender muatang micro amp when I travel. That is the only picture I could find in my gallery and I will see if I can add some more on the install when I return home.721563358.jpg

[Aspiring]

Originally Posted by fpuhan

A terrific read, and a lot of research into the comparisons. Thank you.



I'm a great fan of travel-size guitars. My "journey" actually began with a Pignose PGG-200 Deluxe ($99USD) which I bought on a whim, as I began my guitar "career" with a little Pignose 7-100 portable amp.







Sadly, it's truly a $99 guitar. It's heavy for its size, suffers from neck dive and doesn't stay in tune. I don't find it a "serious" guitar for traveling. Which led me to...



My KLŌS carbon fiber travel guitar. I bought mine when the company was still a crowd-funded startup. Despite its somewhat tinny sound, it is my travel guitar of choice. Once the neck is detached (a quick job using a capo, detuning and unscrewing the four neck screws) and tucked away, it fits into my suitcase, where I stuff the body with socks, t-shirts, toiletries and what-have-you. In effect, it takes up very little space and since it's carbon fiber, if I need to check my bag, I don't have to worry what the handlers might do.







I've taken to packing only the neck in the provided bag, freeing up a little more space in the suitcase. The KLŌS bag is nicely thought out, though. So it can be used for hiking, camping, etc.



I didn't buy my KLŌS with a pickup, so I turned to the "Li'l Martin," a LX1RE. Having a pickup is the only selling point of this guitar for me. It doesn't come apart, and it doesn't play or sound much like a Martin. I've taken it to parties, but that's about it.



Curiosity drove me to the Gretsch G9500 "Jim Dandy." Technically not a travel guitar but a parlor, the price convinced me to buy it ($139USD at the time). The playability and sound convinced me to keep it. It's a 12-fretter, which is the only thing working against it, in my opinion, because I play all over the neck.



Which brings me to the Furch Little Jane. Having learned from my KLŌS-Martin experience, I purchased the LJ10-CE with a pickup, which added to the price, but not once have I regretted my decision. In fact, the Little Jane plays and sounds so good (plugged or unplugged) that it now stays assembled and within arm's reach.







I'll travel with my KLŌS, but for sheer playing pleasure, the Furch can't be beat.

Thank you! I enjoy my travel guitars for sure and I am glad to see that the thread is being read. It has been a couple years since I wrote this and I have both acquired a couple more for the stable and moved to a new job where I am travelling one week every month by plane. As a result I am using my travel guitars even more.

I typically take my EO folding classical now for most of my work trips along with a Nux small amp.

I have also picked up the full size Klos that I found used at a local guitar store. And I picked up a deluxe Furch Little Jane with the alpine spruce top and cocobolo back and sides.

I also added a Koaloha Opio G6 guitalele in Terz tuning to my collection.

I'm currently on a vacation in Maui and this time my Klos full size with neck detached (and K&K pickup) along with my guitalele made the trip. I usually would have taken the Furch and like the spacing on the Furch better but this time I figured I may be playing at the beach and leaving the guitar in the hot car a bit so the Klos got the nod. I have to say with the convertible gig bag the full size Klos came on the plane quite nicely. I am considering seeing if I can get a Warmoth neck with wider spacing as an option on the Furch.

I highly recommend the K&K or better yet an ultratonic in the Klos guitars. I have an ultratonic that I installed in my Little Jane that sounds amazing. You would barely know it's a small body guitar played acoustically.

[Brushwood]

Brunner Guitars. Look ‘em up…

[jp2558]

The Taylor GS-Mini makes a great travel guitar. Solid wood top, hpl back and sides, rw or hog top choices, padded gig bag. Great price, great sound. I took one to Costa Rica two months ago as a carry-on.

[Aspiring]

Originally Posted by Brushwood

Brunner Guitars. Look ‘em up…

I definitely have they look very cool.