Travel and Couch Guitar

[Rad]

Originally Posted by Lausch83

Ok… I wasn’t expecting so much feedback, thanks a lot to all of you for the advice.

I’ll try to answer some of the posts above.

For the ones suggesting I leave my main guitar on a stand in a corner of my living room; it’s something I dream of doing, I’m so tired of taking it in and out of its case and I love looking at it so much but… You haven’t met my kids (3 and 6 years old tornados). That guitar wouldn’t last a week… And I do not want a single scratch on it :-)

But I’d like to have one on a stand that I’m not afraid to scratch and that my kids will eventually be able to pick up and play if they want.
Which is why I’m looking for an entry level but quality guitar in a reasonable/moderate price range.

Regarding the tele: I love tele’s, they sound and look so great. One day, I’ll buy my first electric guitar and it will definitely be a tele. But I don’t see myself lugging around an electric guitar on holiday.

I’ll be looking into guild, faith, Breedlove… a parlor guitar sounds very tempting. I checked L’arrivée, they look wonderful but it’s too expensive.

Another option could be a used 000-15, it might fit my budget…

In any case, there are much less options in Europe (vs the US), especially on the used market..

I realize I don’t want a foldable guitar as it will serve more on my couch than during my trips/holidays…

For your home guitars, Put a couple wall hangers up. The guitars would be safe and in view.

[Dadzmad]

For a small cozy acoustic I like a 0 size Seagull

For a travel - easy chair guitar this is what works for me



a recent Erlewine Chiquita

fits me perfectly in an easy chair. Plug it into an amp sim like a Joyo American Sound and run to any powered speaker - stereo system (or dashboard) sounds good clean and I can play fingerstyle on it. Think of the short scale as being capo'ed up at the 5th fret

https://erlewineguitars.com/pgs/chiquita.htm

Not inexpensive but a quality instrument

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Aspiring

I have a Journey RT660 carbon fiber that I picked up for the higher end of your price range.

Definitely a good option for leaving out and having some extra robustness. It has a bolt off neck so it can do occasional travel but generally setup for the types of use you are describing.

I have the OF660.
It is currently taken apart and in its case. But it spends a lot of time on the stand by my favorite chair tucked into the corner.
My older grandchildren leave it be.
My youngest son’s sons are both quite “busy” and they pose no threat to my little guitar.
It also sounds bigger than it is. But it is quite slick, so after three and a half years, I’ve taken to putting the strap on it, even sitting in my chair.

[TokyoNeko]

At just a bit over the high end of the budget, the Furch Little Jane might be the ticket. It packs neatly into a backpack for easy travel, but the real draw is the incredible sound that comes out of the little box.

[waterboy]

You might also consider a used Emerald X7 carbon fiber guitar. I got one of the earlier ones a couple of years ago for less than $1000 - not sure what they would go for in Europe just now though. Great sound, fun to play, stable as anything and very robust.

[rollypolly]

I had a Martin Junior 000 for months and the tone was really impressive. It had a big woody Martin sound, but I just couldn't bond with the fret spacing. I guess the scale was just a tad too short for me. It didn't sound small, just played a bit small. I moved it along to pick up a full size OM guitar. So if you like smaller scale then that would be a good option, if you like that traditional Martin tone.
I still have a Big Baby and recommend it highly for playability and tone. It's obviously a little thin and bright sounding, but I'm still on the Elixirs it came with, so maybe with some warmer strings it will be a nice travel axe. The Big Baby doesn't really feel that small though, so be warned. It's just a tad thinner in the body, very similar in size to a Gibson J-45 Studio. I love its pickup and built in tuner, very good go-to gigging guitar that you don't have to worry about.
If you're willing to go up to Taylor 100 size then the possibilities are endless. I'd recommend a used Taylor 300 level, since they are really affordable and sound good.

[JERZEY]

Try out the Martin JR series. If you want a 1 and 3/4 inch nut its about the only thing in your price range worth a spit.

[Lausch83]

I tried the GS mini and it did feel a bit cramped. I actually did not realize right away that the neck was 1 11/16 instead of 1 3/4.

I guess this might be a no go for me. I'm not very good at playing yet and it feels too weird learning on different neck sizes (my main has a 1 3/4). I feel it's going to be a pain to adjust.

Sadly, I saw that the 114/214 seem to also be 1 11/16. The 000-15M I was hoping to find used also seem to have a smaller neck width.

I'll have to try the dr jr if I can. Or try to find a ued 300 series.

Regading pure travel guitars, I diid har good things about the Little Jane but can't find one to play around me.

[Lausch83]

Hi everyone,

After looking at various options, I’m down to 2 different guitars I really like:

• The GS mini e koa
• The Martin 0015m

Pros of the Gs mini: it comes with a great case for travelling (the aerocase) and is a bit cheaper. Also, it’s Taylor, just like my main guitar.
Cons: it feels a bit cramped (probably the scale, or maybe the neck…)

Pros of the Martin: I prefer the sound of it, I like the fact that the guitar looks so understated. Also, it would be a very different guitar than the one I have.
Cons: it’s a bit more expensive, it comes with a hard case, which isn’t great to jump on an airplane.

Which one would you go for? The Gs mini sounds like the more rationale choice, but I’m leaning towards the 00-15m

Thanks in advance.

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by Lausch83

...Regading pure travel guitars, I diid har good things about the Little Jane but can't find one to play around me.

Are you by chance in the Pacific Northwest? If so, I'd be happy to let you try mine.

Originally Posted by Lausch83

...After looking at various options, I’m down to 2 different guitars I really like:

• The GS mini e koa
• The Martin 0015m

....Which one would you go for? The Gs mini sounds like the more rationale choice, but I’m leaning towards the 00-15m..

I bought a GS Mini for dual use as a couch guitar and for travel. For me it didn't work out well as either. That cramped feeling never went away. And, for travel, it still took up a lot of space in my car. Air travel might be different.

Of the two choices, if it were primarily for travel I'd go with the Mini (but if I had a third choice, I'd go with one of the more compact collapsables in that case). If it's mostly for home, the 0015m. But YMMV of course.

Good luck. Not an easy decision!

[rollypolly]

Originally Posted by Lausch83

Hi everyone,

After looking at various options, I’m down to 2 different guitars I really like:

• The GS mini e koa
• The Martin 0015m

Pros of the Gs mini: it comes with a great case for travelling (the aerocase) and is a bit cheaper. Also, it’s Taylor, just like my main guitar.
Cons: it feels a bit cramped (probably the scale, or maybe the neck…)

Pros of the Martin: I prefer the sound of it, I like the fact that the guitar looks so understated. Also, it would be a very different guitar than the one I have.
Cons: it’s a bit more expensive, it comes with a hard case, which isn’t great to jump on an airplane.

Which one would you go for? The Gs mini sounds like the more rationale choice, but I’m leaning towards the 00-15m

Thanks in advance.

The Martin is a real guitar with a full scale, or close to it. The Mini is mini and if you're scared the fret spacing will be cramped, you're probably right.

[Jim in TC]

Instead of a stand, a hanger for the wall would keep the guitar handy yet out of reach. Easy to install...
https://www.stringsbymail.com/string...tar-18887.html


I would really advocate going smaller for a travel guitar just to make it more likely it will actually travel. I very much like carbon fiber for that but except used most will be out of your price range...but maybe worth saving up for. It can also be hung on the wall without concern for humidity extremes.