Finding the best travel acoustic guitar that is small, portable, and easily placed in a backpack is challenging. Most of the time when you want a smaller acoustic guitar you end up losing tone, quality, and playability.
That doesn’t always have to be the case though. There are a number of great portable acoustic guitars that are made from quality tonewoods, play great, and still are small enough to fit in your checked bag or backseat.
We’ve reviewed several amazing guitars, so you can find the right acoustic that fits yours travel needs.
Top 3 Acoustic Travel Guitars
Contents
| Acoustic Travel Guitar | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
 |
Martin Little Martin | CURRENT PRICE |
 |
Martin Backpacker Guitar | CURRENT PRICE |
 |
Cardoba Travel Guitar | CURRENT PRICE |
Top Portable Backpack Acoustic Guitars for Traveling
Below is a list of the best acoustic travel guitars that are portable enough to fit in a small backpack and go anywhere.
- Martin LXK2 Little Martin
- Martin Backpacker Travel Acoustic Guitar
- Cordoba Mini M
- Yamaha APXT2
- Washburn RO10TR Rover Acoustic Travel Guitar
Martin LXK2 Little Martin
When it comes to acoustic guitars, only few brands can boast of delivering as much quality as Martin. This is the brand you look to when you need top quality acoustic guitars. All you need to do is look at the list of top players that rely on Martin Guitars for their performances to know what this brand is all about.
Here we are looking at the LXK2 Little Martin. This is a model from the Little Martin Series that has gained so much popularity. This particular model features a body that is smaller than the standard sized guitar with a scale length of 23 inches.
This body is made all-round with laminates. The back, sides and top feature Koa laminates while the neck is made of birch laminate. For the fretboard, it is made of richlite.
The hardware that comes with it are also of good quality. We have the enclosed tuning machines which help keep the guitar tuned, the white tusk saddle, plastic bridge pin and more.
Overall, though it looks expensive, thanks to the koa patterns that gives it a very natural look, this guitar is designed to deliver the best tone possible at a very affordable price. This makes it ideal for the traveler, student and for personal practice.
Pros
- Scale length – 23 inches.
- Bracing pattern – X-Brace.
- Playability – It plays well.
Cons
- Material – It is made of laminates.
Recommendation
This guitar’s size and cost makes it great for traveling, practice and young players. In fact, small sized adult players will also love it.
Martin Backpacker Travel Acoustic Guitar
We are continuing our review of travel acoustic guitars with another product from Martin. This is further proof of the impact this brand is having on the acoustic guitar industry.
The product we are looking at this time is the Steel String Backpacker Guitar. As the name implies, it is a guitar designed for backpacking. This is the steel string model, different from the nylon string model.
The design of this guitar is different from that of a regular guitar. Though it features a 24 inch scale length, the small body design makes this not very obvious. It has a solid sitka spruce top and the back and side are made of solid tonewood.
The neck on the other hand is made of select hardwood and spots a richlite fretboard that holds 15 frets. This uniquely shaped guitar sports a hand rubbed finish all-round.
Don’t be fooled by its small size and weight of just over 2 lbs. This guitar packs a punch in the tones department. The sound is sure to impress you, considering that it is a small sized guitar.
Pros
- Portability – It’s portable and weighs just over 2 lbs.
- Playability – It plays well.
- Tone – It has a great tone considering its overall size.
Cons
The unique design of the body may require some getting used.
Recommendation
This is no doubt a guitar that will be very convenient for travels given its size and weight. If you can get past its “different” body design, you will find the tone impressive.
Cordoba Mini M Acoustic Guitar
Cordoba is a manufacturer of various top quality string instruments. The brand prides itself in its Spanish heritage and combines the experience passed down by great traditional luthiers with modern technological advancements to deliver instruments that deliver the best of both worlds.
One such instrument from this brand is the Mini M. This is a small body nylon string guitar that is great for use as a travel guitar. Of course it can also be used as a practice guitar or something that a small sized adult or young player can play with ease.
This is a good quality guitar which features a solid spruce top with the sides and back made of mahogany. The neck is also made of mahogany and the 18 frets rest on a rosewood fretboard. It is a lovely looking guitar and the satin polyurethane finish makes its natural hue even lovelier. Aside from being small, it is also very lightweight.
Tone wise, you will get a clear, rich tone that is surprisingly loud considering the size of the guitar. This guitar ships with a Cordoba gig bag.
Pros
- Construction – Solid spruce top.
- Tone – Clear, rich and loud.
- Portability – Small and lightweight.
Cons
The nylon strings may make it better for finger picking than strumming.
Recommendation
There is no doubt that this is a good little guitar for anyone who needs something small, lightweight and plays like a full-size guitar. It’s simply a lovely travel guitar that will also serve a beginner or small-sized adult.
Yamaha APXT2 Acoustic Guitar
Yamaha is one of those brands that so much is expected of mainly because they have set the bar very high for themselves. The brand is known for its ability to offer products to practically all classes of musicians. Beginners as well as world class musicians will all find something that fits them perfectly with this brand.
For this review, Yamaha offers us the APXT2, a ¾ size acoustic-electric guitar. This guitar was modeled after the APX500III which is easily the brand’s most sought after guitar. The APXT2 is however smaller sized, making it more convenient for traveling, younger players as well as small sized adults.
It’s solidly built with a spruce top, meranti sides and back and a nato neck with a rosewood fretboard. Unlike most travel guitars, this offers much more than just its petite frame and great build. It is loaded with features which are mainly found in the electronics section included in it.
First, there is the System68 electronics which includes ART-based pickup system and a preamp, and then an in-built tuner. You can gig with this guitar on a live stage with ease. This makes traveling as a solo musician less stressful.
Pros
- Portability – ¾ size.
- Performance – Offers acoustic and electric options.
- Tone – Sounds well both unplugged and plugged in.
Cons
May require a few part upgrades to really make it shine.
Recommendation
If you are looking for an acoustic guitar from a top brand that you can easily take on your trips and also gig with on stage, then this may be a good option to consider.
Washburn RO10TR Rover Travel Acoustic Guitar
Washburn has been in the game of guitar manufacturing and sales for a really long time. Though ownership of the brand has changed hands a few times, the core values and quality offered by the brand has remained through the years.
We are looking at the RO10TR from the brand’s Rover Series. This series offers guitars that are suitable for traveling and other applications in which a full-size instrument will be inconvenient.
First, this guitar offers a full 24 inch scale length. The main design adjustment can be found in the body which is greatly reduced, making it smaller. This body is comprised of a solid spruce top, a mahogany side, back and neck. The fretboard is however made of rosewood. You will also notice good quality hardware like the chrome diecast tuning machines and bridge.
This guitar is designed to offer value across three major points – portability, performance and aesthetics. We are glad to note that it does well on all three fronts. Thankfully, it is also very pocket friendly considering the quality you will be getting.
It ships with a deluxe gig bag which makes it even easier to take around with you.
Pros
- Portability – Small and lightweight.
- Scale length – 23 inches.
- Playability – Plays well after some setup.
Cons
- Setup – May require some setup at first.
Recommendation
If you are a traveler who loves to move around with a guitar or you are small sized and so have problems playing full sized acoustic guitars, then you should totally consider this guitar. You will enjoy portability, good performance and its lovely look.
Our Opinion
It’s been another interesting journey looking through the world of musical instruments; in this case, top travel acoustic guitars. We have certainly seen some interesting offerings from different brands and each one had its merits.
Since we must name one our top choice, we carefully reviewed each guitar on this list and based on factors such as portability, tone/performance/versatility and cost, we chose the Martin Little Martin as our Top Acoustic Travel Guitar.
Though this guitar may require a few upgrades to really shine, the cost difference between it and the Martin Little Martin more than covers any cost for these upgrades and it still offers a lot of other great and handy features.
