nies we talked to, Traveler Guitar has the
largest selection of full-sized electric travel
guitars, including a variety of color, size
and shape options.
“We are the first to admit our guitars can’t
be used around campfires,” says Oliver,
referring to the fact that their guitars are
designed for silent practice through headphones or with an amp. “But when it comes
to size, portability and a full-scale neck,
we’ve got that lock, stock and barrel. Our
range is fantastic. We’ve got left-handed
models, nylon and steel strings, Les Paul
scales, Fender scales, jumbo frets, standard frets and various pickup configurations.” Players can choose from a variety
of pickups, including a full-size humbucker
(Escape EG-I), an L.R. Baggs undersaddle
Hybrid Element transducer (Escape MK-II),
a Shadow Electronics piezo (Pro Series) or a
Dual-Rail humbucker (Speedster). Options
like headphone amps, onboard EQ, tone
controls and clean/distortion settings are
also available for players who want all of
their playing needs in one package.
Vagabond Guitars keep things light
without collapsable parts
Travel Guitars
But even with the large selection of extras
and options, Traveler doesn’t like to mess
with established luthier formulas. “We stick
with traditional woods,” explains Oliver.
“We use a maple neck and rosewood fingerboards because it’s the look and feel
people are accustomed to. These guitars
stand up to the rigors of travel just like the
Fender you’ve had for 30 years.”
Traveler has also used woods like alder for
their non-gloss versions because of the
wood’s weight and durability. According to
Oliver, another of alder’s benefits is that it
wears extremely well, providing an easy-to-repair surface when the inevitable dings
and dents occur. For players constantly
on the go, this equals an instrument able
to stand up to their demanding schedule
without having a detrimental effect on
sound quality.
To keep prices down on these feature-rich
instruments, Traveler outsources all of their
production to China, completing a quality check when the instruments arrive on
American soil. In contrast, while both
