Check out the Twin
Tube Classic at any
Seymour Duncan
dealer, including
these Platinum
dealers:
Travel Guitars
love playing my Traveler guitar all over the
world, especially on top of the continents,”
says Tejas. “I love the portability and durability, and you should see the locals light up
when they know you have a guitar strapped
to your back.”
about someone being able to take one of
our guitars and plug in a laptop with some
jam tracks or an iPod and just play along.”
Arizona
McKnight Guitar Company, Chandler
Rainbow Guitars, Tucson
California
Instrumental Music, Santa Barbara
LA Music Services, Torrance
Napa Music Supply, Napa
Pro Music Exchange, Orange
The Starving Musician, Santa Clara
Colorado
Drum City, Wheat Ridge
Connecticut
George’s Music, Torrington
Route 1 Guitar, Milford
Route 66 Music Gear, Newington
Florida
Metal Shop Music, Tarpon Springs
Indiana
Guitar City, Columbus
Sweetwater Sound, Fort Wayne
Louisiana
Tone Factor Music, Evans
Massachusetts
Lucchesi Vintage Instruments, Easthampton
Maryland
BillsMusic.com, Baltimore
Levin’s Washington Music Center, Wheaton
Make ‘N’ Music, Frederick
Maine
Music Toyz, Falmouth
Michigan
Pilgrims Projects, Hastings
New Jersey
American Musical Supply, Midland Park
New York
PG Music, New Hyde Park
Oregon
Centaur Guitar, Portland
Stomp Box Music, Tigard
Pennsylvania
Eighth Street Music, Philadelphia
South Carolina
Musician’s Den, Seneca
Sound Systems and More, Greenwood
Virginia
Contemporary Music Center, Chantilly
Jax Music Supply, Midlothian
Washington
American Music, Seattle
© 2008 Seymour Duncan. All rights reserved.
Most guitarists practice with their feet safely
attached to the ground, but only one guitar
company can boast an out-of-this-world
experience. As mentioned in their catalog,
the Martin Backpacker – the guitar that
helped establish the traveler niche – has
been played by NASA astronauts while
orbiting the Earth.
Even with technology on his side, Oliver
doesn’t see a problem with eventually
incorporating an iPod interface into every
Traveler guitar. As technology continues
to shrink things down, the opportunity to
increase the marketability of the Traveler
brand to a wider audience grows. “As
things continue to get smaller, we plan to
standardize more options on our guitars,”
says Oliver. “I don’t think it’ll ever be the
cell phone, camera and email, but you’ll see
more options improving the
appeal of travel guitars.”
Worth the Trip
As the amount of traveling
we do increases and security
tightens across the globe,
travel guitars continue to be
Climber Vern Tejas on top of the world with his Traveler. the best bet for getting your
instrument to your destination unscathed,
whether it’s that arduous business trip or
the obligatory visit to Aunt Bertha’s every
summer. Even though these guitars exist in
a microcosm of the larger guitar industry,
there is an impressive variety of designs and
options to choose from. Whatever turns
you on, whether it’s sleek design and lots of
options or a classic, traditional sound and
feel, these guitars are the ticket to a more
tune-filled trip.
While Traveler has found a
solid market for technology-driven guitars, Miranda and
Vagabond feel most comfortable making traditional
instruments with a travel spin.
Neither company has plans
for any major changes on the
horizon, but they suggest
that some modifications and
additions could be possible.
“We may develop a left-handed version of our steel-string model [S-250] because
of its increasing popularity,
especially with U.S. players,”
says Miranda’s Green.
We’re not just pickups anymore.
www.seymourduncan.com
5427 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
To Infinity and Beyond
The travel guitar sector is definitely poised
for growth in the years ahead, but the
founders of these small companies can’t
seem to agree on the direction that growth
will move. More features and smaller
designs are inevitable, but will tradition be
pushed aside for the sake of technology?
For some builders, the possibility of
expanding the technology available on their
guitars is exciting. In addition to incorporating headphone amps into their guitars,
Traveler is looking to include an equally
advanced feature on their latest model,
which won’t be released until later this year.
“We have a model coming out with an iPod
interface,” says Oliver. “We’re really excited
travelerguitar.com
miranda-tech.com
stringsmith.com (Vagabond Guitars)
