Best Acoustic Travel Guitar (2024 Update)

Being a long haul truck driver, I wanted something that would move easy, store easy, be generally lightweight, and not take up much space. Weight and space are at a premium in trucks and this little number does the job. What I like about it: that Washburn feel. The neck is great, I love it. One of the machine heads on mine has the screw mounted backwards, but I think it adds character. Construction seems solid, I've been running around with it for a few weeks and so far so good. Came with all the advertised stuff, including backpack style straps for the case. Haven't had the instructional DVD out, but if I do I'll re-do this review. Cons: Sounds kind of dinky. Well, it is tiny. I was expecting a small guitar, I got a teeny little itty bitty guitar with a fullsize neck. I was advised to put some light Nanoweb strings on it, so I did and it cleaned the sound up and evened the tone. It still sounds pretty small, but you're not going to have a small guitar that sounds big without spending all the money on a higher-end instrument. I'd love a Baby Taylor, but I bought this because I didn't want my expensive guitars beating around in the truck. The case is nice, tight fit, seeminly sturdy construction, not a ton of space but room for my scale deck, a tuner, pile of picks and a couple other little knickknacks. If you're looking for something you can drag around everywhere you go to whip out and pick whenever the mood strikes you, this is it. I got the black finish and it is nice, little white trim and a nice matte black everywhere else. And the price is so nice, if I accidentally back over it with the truck I won't cry. I'll just get another one and keep on going.Marc

This is a great little travel guitar in an inexpensive but complete package. The carrying case is compact enough to fit in an overhead bin, and very durable constructed. Some reviewers have complained about the head stock being a tight fit, but the foam is compressible and can be molded to accommodate the tuners. The guitar is well constructed and with proper attention to the important details: the neck is well proportioned, binding is neatly applied, and the satin finish is comfortable to the touch. Unlike Martin's Backpacker, this guitar has a fully functional trussrod, so setup is no problem. A spare bridge blank is supplied, so feel free to adjust the action. The smallish frets are consistent and feel good. The small, shallow body is well constructed, but it does contribute to the instrument's two drawbacks: tone and balance. Don't expect concert tone from a travel guitar. It just isn't going to happen. The balance issue is a problem if you want to play seated without a strap. The strap (included) is pretty essential to playing comfortably. The body could have been designed with another inch all the way around without sacrificing portability, but it is what it is. Overall a good value, and it does what you expect from a travel guitar.Jeff E

The Washburn Rover…what a cool little travel guitar. First off, do NOT buy this thinking you will get a full-sized guitar sound…you will be disappointed. I like the Rover's tone. It's different…kind of like a cross between a 3/4 size guitar with a sound hole cover installed and a dulcimer. Before ordering the Rover, I tried both it and the Martin Backpacker locally. I preferred the Rover's sound and feel over the Backpacker. The more traditional body shape of the Rover makes it sit more comfortably than the Backpacker's triangle body. The neck has a really nice, solid feel. The backpacker's hard foam case is a REALLY great feature as well. It played OK out of the box (the neck's truss rod needed an adjustment). Then I did some tweaking to personalize it…as I always do. Lowered the action a hair, lemon oiled the fretboard, etc…all to bring it to my preferences. It's very solidly built. It has no problem staying in tune (I tend to strum aggressively at times) and isn't affected by weather/ humidity changes very much. The 24" scale is nice. The neck and fretboard have a nice, smooth feel, easy fretting of chords, little to no fret buzz, etc. Works well w/ a basic Kyser capo. Wanting to "plus" it a bit, I installed a Fishman AG series saddle pickup. It sounds awesome. Very clean when run DI. I use an EQ pedal to help boost the signal and tweak the frequency levels. Now it's the ultimate travel acoustic/electric. I've used it live with great results. It records really nicely using a single USB studio condenser mic and has added some excellent and interesting textures to recordings. Again, don't buy this expecting a dreadnought tone…but it is a cool and unique instrument.JTSolo

I love this little guitar. I bought mine from the GC store. I have Taylor GS mini for my RV, but it's still too big and too loud in a small rv with others. I saw the Traveller guitars and thought I'd go to a GC and try it out. I'm too new at this so got the GC sales person to play so I could hear the difference using a big amp. The ones with the pickups were hot and a little bitey for me as I only really play acoustic. The Piezo pickup acoustic sounded mellow and it was on the guitarathon sale for 100 dollars off. That tipped it for me. It's small, extremely light and when unplugged, extremely quite quiet. It's so small, I'm finding that I pick up this one more than the regular guitars. Bear in mind, it's not acoustic or electric, so it's not going to sound like anything else. I bought a headphone amp and also use a regular amp when I can be loud. When practicing unplugged at night, it's loud enough for me, but nobody else can hear it. Also, I've found that if I press it tightly to my side, the lower notes reverberate in my chest. With the acoustic pickup there is no tone or volume controls, so everything has to be done through the amp. I'm getting used to that. With no body and only the wire bottom, it takes a little time before it begins to feel normal. The only negative is if I don't hit the notes perfect, I can get some fret buzz. All in all, it's so different from any other guitar, I would suggest trying it in person first. You will either love it or hate it. And remember it's a small travel guitar you can also use regularly. Play it both amplified and unplugged and see if you think it will work for you.Mike

Great guitar for it's purpose. Very playable out of the box. I am a luthier tech and did a set up on it and now it plays even better. Very little needed to be done to set it up. Great for parlor / travel use. The sound is what it is. It is as good as the rest of the minis out there at this price point. It's small so all the kids want to play it which made me realize what a great 3/4 size kids starter guitar. After the kid learns how to play and moves up to a larger instrument, she or he now has a high quality mini travel guitar. I have been playing for 46 years and can play all stringed instruments. In my opinion this is a fine instrument and would recommend it to anyone.Dee

This is supposed to come with a gig bag, but musicians friend decided to only send the guitar. It was a Christmas present for my son, so it was really disappointing to get it open and find only the guitar but no bag. It's really been eating at me. Wanted to share.JC

The guitar looks great. The sound is warm, as you would expect with a mahogany guitar. It's a small travel guitar, so you have to be realistic about the sound. I have no complaints about the sound, especially for the price. Now for the playability. The walnut fretboard, IMO, is a mistake. It feels like unfinished wood. The biggest problem, however, is that IT WILL NOT STAY IN TUNE. I know all the tricks for keeping a guitar in tune. I know how to string them to prevent slippage. I know to put graphite on the nut and saddle. I know to stretch the strings. I even bought some Grover locking tuners. Nothing works. I don't know what the problem is, but it is very annoying. I now regret buying it.The Jett Powers Incident

This is a great little guitar! I have had several travel guitars including the Martin and Taylor versions and I think this beats them hands down. You can’t find a better travel guitar especially for the price. This is the third one I’ve purchased as I’ve given them away and moved them on— people appreciate them very fast. I do recommend using a little pillow wrote a tale so you’re are mangoes are the same as for a regular size guitar Makes it much easier to play any small guitar.I do recommend using a little pillow or rolled up small towel so your arm angles are the same as for any regular size guitar. This makes it much easier to play any small guitar. Very lightweight. One came with perfect action, but the other two I had to do a truss rod adjustment to get the optimal action which can be very good. The adjustment was simple. Orangewood customer service is excellent .Thomas B.

Not just for the money, its just a nice guitar! So my packaging had a few issues, it looked like it had gotten hung up on a fork lift tyne and dragged across the floor, I was nervous about opening it. But it was very well packed, not even a blemish. Everything I ordered was there, the guitar itself coming from California to South Alabama, undoubtedly passed through abrupt temperature and humidity changes, yet it was almost in tune out of the box. So much so, that I could tell that it had been tuned properly, and the QC person rolled the heads back about a half, or maybe 3 quarters of a turn just to relieve stress from the rod and neck. The E. Ball strings are pretty nice, feels like standard Bronze Phosphorus strings. I wiped them down with a clean cloth, and no dust or anything whatsoever came from them. I had no loose bindings, no sharp fret wires hanging over, and the ride height is perfect. Its almost unbelievable to get such a nice guitar for what I paid. The gig bag is certainly not the worst one I've ever seen, its padded nicely and has the backpack straps which I like. I hope that you guys never change your core business model, of offering the add-on accessory pack separately, which in my open leaves more room for nicer details like good strings, and real bone. And also allows you to offer slightly higher quality accessories. Very nicely done. I understand that now that you're up and running good, I hope that you still offer a guitar like the Rey at that low price point, for those who may be like I was growing up, and just couldn't afford a decent guitar. They always sounded like crap, couldn't tune them…and for a couple decades I just gave up. I'm back into it again, thanks to this guitar, I'm going to be upgrading soon, but I will probably always hang on to this one…I like it that much. Thanks guys, no complaints from me…God Bless you all, – Jeff Andrews, Mobile AL.Jeffery A.

I really like guitars from Orangewood’s “Playa” collection including my mahogany Dana mini guitar. (I also own a mahogany Rey guitar and have examined a friend’s Victoria guitar.) I will outline my recommendation reasons below, but also will attempt to temper any unrealistic expectations. Size: The diminutive Dana guitar is IMHO a great instrument for hauling around outside the home or playing where space is tight such as on the couch, or at a desk or table, where larger instruments might more readily bump into things or make playing cramped. The shorter scale length might be helpful for those with small hands, but isn’t *that* much different from longer-scale instruments to make going back and forth a big problem. Sound: A small guitar won’t have the deep, resonant tone of a larger instrument no matter how much you pay. That said, after being used for a while, the Dana “plays in” nicely — the tone getting better than out of the box. It’s voice is completely loud enough and resonant enough to satisfy reasonable expectations. Materials & construction: The bracing and general construction seem to be good. Mine is a very handsome, rich honey-chocolate brown with contrasting off-white binding. The laminated materials are a good economical choice but also don’t sacrifice much sound quality. I think this is due to the clever design of these “Playa” instruments, which seem to have thin top, back and sides as well as light bracing and a thin finish; these things together, I think, make for louder, more resonant tone. A key benefit to the laminated wood of the guitar body is that it’s less sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. I play my laminated guitars much more frequently because they are not so “fussy” — though I do nonetheless humidify them in the winter months. The light construction may benefit from lighter strings. I prefer electric-like playability, so I restring my guitars with 10-46 strings. This makes the instrument more player friendly and may also help the guitar to last by reducing string tension. The tuners are adequate, but have turning ratios that just require slow sneaking up on perfect pitches. Set up: Of the three “Playa”-collection guitars that I’ve examined in detail, NONE arrived set up to the standards of professional guitar technicians. I believe that Orangewood way oversells the “professional” set up on their “Playa”-collection guitars. However, my Dana arrived about a year later than the others, and was the best set up of the three. This guitar arrived at my doorstep with the neck having extreme forward bow. This was not just due to string tension. The double-action truss rod was actually adjusted to increase the neck relief, which was excessive to say the least. I had to tighten the truss-rod adjustment just to get to neutral tension engagement, then continue tightening to get the neck relief to an appropriate setting of about .006”. The set up required no additional adjustment. This was a big improvement over the other “Playa” guitars I’ve examined, which required both nut and saddle tweaking. I am a guitar-tech hobbyist, so I have the tools and knowledge to check out and set up acoustic guitars. My Dana had a fingerboard that was not straight from the factory. I know this because despite the slight waviness of the fingerboard when straightened as much as possible by truss-rod adjustment, the frets are surprisingly level — though they obviously vary considerably in height to compensate for the wavy fingerboard. But let me be realistic. To be able to sell a guitar at these prices, some corners will be cut when compared to the manufacture of guitars that cost five or ten or more times the price. This also applies to guitar set up, which may be the most time-consuming, and therefore expensive, single aspect of guitar creation. So, of course, the set ups on these economy guitars will be less than perfect. (Okay, that said, Orangewood might please stop way overselling their “professional” set ups done in the USA.) So my general recommendation regarding set up on these “Playa”-collection instruments is, upon delivery, to pay a good luthier/technician to check them over to assess keeping or returning, and, if a keeper, have him or her set them up for your level of play or personal preferences (that is, if you aren’t qualified to do it yourself). And that brings up my final, important set-up point, which is that the truss rod's purpose is to compensate against string tension. Action is properly adjusted at the nut and saddle. Bottom line: I have the Orangewood guitars because they are a good value, they sound good, they don’t require obsessive attention to humidity or temperature, and can be fun to play both for a beginner and a more experienced guitar player. The Dana fulfilled my final requirements, which were a guitar that travels more easily and doesn’t require quite so much space to play.Doug H.

I came in to sign up for guitar lessons as an old man. I could barely spell guitar. First thing — I would need a guitar. Soon, I was in a room full of guitars, and I had no idea what I needed. Sam Ash's man knew. Not too cheap; not too expensive; not too gaudy; try this one, try that one. After a while we decided on the Baby Taylor. What a joy he was to work with, explaining, suggesting, leading, helping. A great experience. And, I love my guitar.Ralph

Purchased in 2002 for practice and travel when I didn't want to take a full-sized guitar. I was impressed with the rich sound and ease of play. It stays in tune, even when not played for long periods of time. It's always been stored in the Baby Taylor gig bag that came with it, in a closet, when not in use. I recently took it out to practice and discovered a crack in the top near the bottom, and that the top has separated from the body all across the bottom. It's been stored in a closet, protected from humidity fluctuations, along with 3 other acoustic guitars, one of which is vintage, and none of the other guitars have any issues. I also had a vintage, hand-made, late 1800's era mandolin stored with my other instruments, and it had no issues. I have loved this Baby Taylor for many years, and I'm heartbroken to discover the quality is so poor. The sound of acoustic guitars improves with age, so a new one won't sound the same. Sadly, I can no longer recommend this guitar.CJ

Oh my gosh I love my Baby Taylor! The koa wood makes it look as good as it sounds. My main goal was to have a guitar to travel with. I have so many guitars, but I wanted something small to take on the airplane. I've always heard great things about Taylor guitars…this is my first. It did not disappoint. I didn't expect it to have the sound quality that it does for its size. So that was just a bonus to me. It doesn't have the deep, full sound like my full bodied acoustics, but it is still good enough to play under any circumstance without being embarrassed. I don't play live anymore, but I wouldn't hesitate to play my Baby Taylor on stage. The case is great too. Compact backpack style with enough padding for protection.BK

My mahogany Traveler Escape arrived yesterday from Musician's Friend. Looking at the label on the inside box it is fresh inventory just delivered to MF a few weeks ago. The build quality is quite nice. It tunes well, it intonates well, sounds like solid body guitar acoustically (loud enough for practice in a quiet room), and can sound quite good amplified. I played one 5 years ago and at the time was not able to get a decent portable amplified tone, but today's amplification options have really broadened. Into a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb (also from MF) set with bass/treble on 5 and some reverb, all I had to do was slightly tweak back the treble and bass on the guitar for a very good acoustic guitar like tone. Maybe not exactly a mic'd D28 but musical and pleasant. I can get to the same place with a Mustang Micro (also from MF) headphone amp into a Bluetooth speaker AUX input. I've found two Bluetooth speakers where the AUX inputs work well with the Mustang Micro. Not all Bluetooth speakers sound good at all so try a few. Now I've got the same great tone to go. The bottom line is the magic of a Fender Deluxe Reverb really does great stuff to the Piezo UST in this guitar (and probably many other guitars with similar pickups) and would not likely be your first thought on how to sweeten the amplified tone.Jon F.

I bought this to replace my usual travel guitar, an old Gibson acoustic. The top split on my last trip. I don't want to travel with my L-00 or any of my other guitars so I got this to replace my usual travel guitar which is now my beach guitar. This B-stock Escape Mark III is just so convenient. Small, lightweight, full scale, it's just so easy to pick up and practice on. With headphones I can practice all the time without disturbing the entire house. Just a great instrument. Can't wait to see how it handles some of my pedals.Charles K.

Was going to buy a travel guitar at a set price point but after discussion with Sophie, decided to go one up and buy an Eastman and what a guitar. Hand made with quality solid woods. Sound has opened up and for a small bodied guitar it's impressive. The sustain is outstanding. Thanks to Richard's Guitars for a perfect purchase.Alan P.

I'm really happy with my purchase, the quality of workmanship is top drawer. When I first played it, I found the projection of the sound very impressive for its size. The sort of guitar you would constantly pick up and play anywhere, which is exactly why I bought it. Nicely set-up too!Christopher G.

Had a great experience overall. I really like the videos on YouTube and it helped me make the final decision to buy this guitar. I believe the extra care Richard and his team take on setting up the guitar is worth it, and noticeable. The guitar is amazing, definitely sounds like a solid woods guitar, and is very well built. My 12 year old loves the guitar too.João B.

This guitar is very well constructed. The quality is evident from the tuning knobs to the feel of the neck as well as the saddle and body. Though smaller than a jumbo or regular flat top acoustic. This guitar sounds just as loud. Good volume and tone!returnofthechrist

une guitare facile à jouer et pratique à transporter. Elle vous donne un son plus que correct malgré sa petite taille. Elle est beaucoup moins couteuse que la Taylor GS mini, mais de la même taille, elle pourra vous suffir si vous n'avez pas le budget pour la Taylor. Je la conseille fortement aux débutants.Aubourg g.

Vielleicht hatte ich Glck, aber ich bin super begeistert von meiner kleinen Asyla-Gitarre! Fr den Preis und die Gre ist sie echt einwandfrei, ich bin sehr positiv berrascht. Habe Silk&Steel-Saiten drauf, damit klingt sie noch etwas wrmer, und recht krftig ist der Klang sowieso. Die kleineren Abmessungen machen auch das Spielen super angenehm, ich spiele sie echt gerne.pizmayken

I own and have owed dozens of guitars. Many makes and models. This includes hollow, semi-hollow and solids. I have built and rebuilt many. With that said…this APXT2 is a fine "baby" guitar. Of course one can not expect it to sound like the full size…even with the pick-up. The bigger the body the potential lower richer tone. I play it almost every day for practicing. It is very light weight and does provide good sound. It is perfect for travel. Anyone that plays guitar could enjoy owing one of these.lottaplenty

I got this travel guitar so I could have something to do at job site during lunch. In my little Toyota truck it fits quite comfortably in the driver seat. I choose this traveler due to size, value vs other little guitars. Also I liken having built in tuner plug in capabilities. I choose it against a baby Taylor, little Martin. Sound wise apxt2 sounds pretty good. It doesnt sounds as crisp as other travelers but thats why I have my high end guitar at home. Using this little guy has helped up my game.bojackson63

I bought this out of curiosity. Didn't expect much, got more. Pure acoustic, it's not much. I have played it every day trying to beat some tone into it. It has improved but I'm probably just getting used to the tone and accepting it how it is. Like all new string instruments the nut requires some use and powdered graphite so the strings will move freely and tune properly. This little guitar really likes standard tune best, tension and tone wise. I also think best tone is achieved with a soft touch, pick or fingers. Plugged in, it comes to life. I have been using a Bose S1 Pro and couldn't be happier. I think it will get a lot of use around the house, on outdoor adventures, road trips, etc. Really can't imagine I would use it as a primary guitar for a gig, but it might be effective for a particular miced sound or visual effect.LW

The guitar is cool looking, with the moon phase fret markers and the logo on the headstock. Sounds a little tinny, but it's small and light and fun to play. A short 22 1/2" scale length makes the strings easy to fret for beginners and experienced musicians as well. The gig bag is nothing to write home about, it'll keep the dust out, but doesn't provide much protection against bumps or dings. It's basically a canvas bag with no padding whatsoever. The fit and finish on the guitar I bought was excellent. I would recommend to anyone wanting a smaller guitar for well under $200.Mshark

This is a nice little guitar for travel, camping and taking to the lake, places you might not want to take the fancy Martin or Taylor. It is light but sturdy and has a quality feel. The sound is not great, but not bad for a small 3/4 laminate guitar. It is very easy to play–the action is low and light, almost like an electric guitar. Has an attractive 'Celtic Moon' look that I like as well. All in all, not a bad little ax for hauling around on my travels.Sideflyer

Wow. I can honestly say I like this little guitar. I was skeptical about ordering it without having played it first. I took a chance after reading many positive reviews. I wanted a decent travel guitar, not wanting to spend a ton of money. I made the right choice. Good tone. Solid construction. Tuners that stay in tune. Action was decent when it arrived, I still had to adjust the truss rod a time ny bit. Good Mahogany wood. Would definitely recommend to those wanting a good travel guitar. Also, a great size for young players wanting something to fit their size.Thomas

This is a "better than nothing" guitar that will help maintain your callouses but not do much to help your playing beyond that. It's weighted incorrectly, it doesn't stay in tune, it has an awkward playing position etc. etc. It's a great concept, but poorly executed. It's easier to play with a strap. Size-wize, it does not fit inside a carry-on luggage bag, so you'd still have to carry it on your back like a backpack. I haven't attempted to bring it on a flight yet, so we shall see. I got it on-sale for just under two hundred, and I have brought it on short weekend getaway trips several times. I probably spent more time tuning it and re-tuning it than enjoying playing it. Still, like I mentioned, it's better than nothing. And, I am still happy to have bought it- though I wish it were better. I would recommend it only marginally. Pickier players will NOT like it.Detrich

I bought this not so much as a traveler , but as a guitar that was easy to always be within reach. Take to the park, beach and backyard. Maybe muted sports on tv and Traveler Guitar in hand. And B-stock? Really? I looked and looked, found one small spot that may be reason for B stock designation. I have seen new top name guitars with more “issues”. Your quality inspections must be really tough, good for you and me! Thanks.Ted I.

While you wont get a full blown acoustic experience, the build and playable quality is pretty solid enough to warrant not being bored or frustrated with, no sharp edges, no horrible not staying in tune, or sticky frets and excessive buzz. The portability of this is astounding, and works great as a practice guitar for when you cant play a full one is a real plus. You have a full scale neck, and when you plug in, you can really put the guitar to recording or amplification use via modeling or effects. It's shipped with extra light 10s and I think heavier gauges would not be ideal for this. But in contrast the light strings make for a bit of a fast play, electric like in feel and will definitely keep you engaged. The cons are just what you sacrifice to have easy access to a guitar to play on and transport. Not comfortable back bracing, a diving neck (but then it's not heavy really), a metal attachment that digs in a bit. Get a simple strap hook up and your problems are solved. Also as a tip, it's a simple guitar, if you find a blemished one or a sale at a good price it's a stupid good deal, and are you going to really care if something like this is banged up to begin with? Makes for a lot of fun, and a chance to play/practice anywhere.GuitarJunkie

I bought this guitar to check out a budget friendly offering from Yamaha. I have to say I was not disappointed! Excellent tone and volume, the top really resonates. The guitar was really well setup right out of the box. It needed about 3/4 of a clockwise truss rod adjustment, no prob. Other than that it didn't need any fret dressing whatsoever. That's really impressive for a Chinese guitar. Heck even one of my Mexican Martins needed fret dressing out of the box! Also intonation was spot on and this also is important in your guitar. Very impressed with this guitar, intermediate/advanced feel but priced at a beginner budget. You won't regret picking one up, I assure you!Big Bone Murphy

There is a point of quality when an instrument reaches when it stops being seen as "better or worse" but rather just a different flavor. This Yamaha has reached that point. You can play it alongside a guitar costing 5x more and it stands up well. Yamaha is also one of those rare companies with a long history of top quality across all kinds of products, and guitars are an area Yamaha knows well. This is just a beautiful guitar through and throughout. You can get beautiful uncompromisingly great studio recordings with this guitar. Hitting the low strings hard with strumming gives a nice deep and rich tone. Also, the hardware / tuners are nice.Scott

I've owned many acoustics over the years, MANY, and this Yamaha is one of the best sounding I've ever owned. Went to GC just to check out a few lower end acoustics to pick up for jamming on, and tried almost every one in the room. Picked this one up last just before I was ready to leave, and immediately was blown away by the sound and playability, brought a couple friends to listen and tell me which one they thought sounded the best, and hands down this won over all of them. It has the tone and warmth of a Martin D34, which I have owned a few, and it plays like a dream. The neck is so sliky smooth, easy to fly up and down with no effort. It has amazing sustain and beautiful tone, I fell in love with it and just couldn't put it down. I didn't expect a guitar of this price range to sound as good as it does, got it home and I couldn't put it down. Played for 4 hours straight, and even after trying to put it down to go to bed at 1am I found myself playing a for a few more minutes before I could actually go to sleep. Love this Yamaha more than any guitar I've bought in the last decade. The best thing about it is, It gave me the desire to pick up playing guitar again, after hardly touching any of my other guitars for almost a year it's the one I want to play more than all of them. Great guitar, wouldn't hesitate to buy another in a different color, if you want something that you won't be able to put down this baby has the sound and feel your looking for.Johnny D

Look, just wanted to reply to some reviews that say this guitar sounds well…..thin. Duh, yes its not a jumbo acoustic or even a regular body acoustic. Its a thinline acoustic so it sounds just like what it is. Ive played several thinline guitars and they all sound…well…thin. That doesnt mean its cheaply made or a bad sounding guitar. It has its own sound. If you want a deep bass, then buy a jumbo or regular acoustic. I like the easy neck movement. The chords sound fine and this guitar doesnt require anymore tuning than any other in this price range. I tried ten guitars at guitar center including more expensive brands like fender, mitchell, yamaha and others and this was the only one under 400 dollars that stayed in tune from an E chord to a C chord. I bought it because Ive owned Ibanez before and never regretted it. To each his own but keep in mind a thinline guitar is not going to have a deep rich sound, but, I record my bass along with it so it sounds fine. It is what it is…a nice thinline acoustic-electric guitar.Kjmmusician

I had been playing a very old and very nice acoustic at church for night service, and didn't want to subject it to the rigors of live playing on a regular basis. After some research, it came down to purchasing a Talman or a Stratacoustic. I went with the Talman due to the price, and Ibanez's reputation. When the guitar arrived, I was a little apprehensive as the neck felt awesome, but the setup was awful. The strings were heavy gauge, and were set way too high. After some work shaving down the bridge, changing to light strings, and adjusting the truss rod, this baby plays great! I love that the electronics are really easy to use, and it was made to plug in. The sound when you are practicing unplugged isn't as full or rich as you get with a full sized acoustic, but this guitar wasn't made for that – it was made to be plugged in. I was able to eliminate having to use pedals to get the proper volume and EQ, which makes the live rig way easier to set up and tear down. I play it through a Line 6 spider II 75 watt head running through a Marshall 4×12 cabinet. The spider's clean channel is great for acoustic as it does not color the tone, and the Marshall is plenty loud for a church sanctuary. Overall, I am quite happy with the Talman, even though I had to put in some extra work to get it the way I like my guitars. It is a steal at the price if you have the skills and are willing to play with the setup.Stratbuilder

A fine, good looking guitar that sounds every bit as good as it looks. The Fender feel is right there and the tone. The design has been adhered to rigidly, this is transferred over to the player , it blends into the body. Then of course, the price, I would have willingly paid a lot more than the Fender price for a guitar that was up to the Fender standard . Unbeatable.footballer10sweeper

Sounds great and does everything it needs to! Ticks all the boxes for me as I’m just starting out as a guartarist… thoroughly recommend for anybody starting out, although consider whether you want an amp or not first, this version doesn’t have an audio output…Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this guitar for my wife to learn how to play and it is perfect. I have been a Fender devotee my whole life and could not believe the great value for money this guitar was. Manny's allowed for a trouble free purchase, I can recommend them for both price and service!Greg

I really liked this little guitar, BUT…I read the reviews and decided to buy in-store so I could play the guitar before buying, and I'm SO glad I did. I went into my local Guitar Center and played THREE of these Martin LX1E guitars, including one that had been specially unboxed so I could try it after two others failed my examination. All three guitars had a very pronounced buzz in the frets. It was not that noticeable when I played them acoustically, but the buzz was very noticeable when I plugged them in to an amp. I even tested the amp with other guitars, to make sure it wasn't the amp. It wasn't. Its a great little guitar, great tone and very playable, BUT my advice would be not to buy this one on-line. Play it first. Play up and down the whole fretboard, and plug it into an amplifier and play again. I have been playing for more than fifty years and have never experienced playing three brand new Martins that were simply not up to snuff. Weird!Tele Playr

The guitar itself can have five stars. Nothing wrong with it. The problem I have is that it is not the old LX1E lefty that Martin used to make and I used to own. It is advertised incorrectly here as containing the Fishman I-sys electronics that contained a volume, base/treble controls and a phasing button for feedback. It also no longer contains the tuner. This is basically the LX1 Little Martin with a Sonitone pickup under the bridge and tone/volume control in the sound hole, which I despise. I prefer the old version where the tuner and controls were on top side (as shown in the picture variety). This needs to be updated!!! I now have no tuner on this guitar when I fully expected one. I would recommend the Little Martin guitar but it needs to be advertised correctly.Jules

I bought this guitar for my son so he can have a smaller guitar to lug around in school. We were surprised when we received the product that the pickup that was installed is a Sonitone pickup instead of what's advertised – an Isys T preamp. The Isys preamp has a tuner, phase and tone control whereas the Sonitone is built into the sound hole and only has the volume and tone control. I brought this up with customer support saying I only wanted the product that I thought we were buying. I received excuses and a repeated offer to return the guitar. We chose to keep it because we need it and like the Martin sound. However MF does not stand up to what they advertise and could not provide a reasonable explanation why the product was switched. Even as I write this review, the description still says it has the Isys pickup. Good luck to future buyers and know that you are buying a different product.Pasigenyo

Guitar works great and so do the electric components of the guitar (the tuner and volume). Would recommend. The guitar i received is a right-handed guitar.Michael

I've owned one of these for years. It doesn't hang well (neck dive), has the sound that you'd expect out of a shoebox sized cavity (no bass), and is over priced. The only reason for owning one of these is if you are severly cramped for space. Get a Baby Taylor, instead of this thing. They are close to the same price, the last time that I checked.Ken

When I first saw these in the CF Martin catalog, I thought how weird looking they were. When I asked at a local shop about them, I was told they would order one for me, but I would not like it! But I liked classical, nylon string guitars and I wanted to own something from CF Martin. Other than this, Martin GTR does not make anything else like that, unless they invented something since I quit looking. I was very fortunate to discover Musicians Friend, and they at one time had these with a passive pickup. These were on sale at a very good price! I ordered one, it arrived in very good shape, in very good time. I fell absolutely totally in love with it, weird shape and all. You could tell it was a Martin, it reeked quality. It's small, the tone is great, but the volume is not huge. Use it for travel, camping, hanging on the wall for odd moments of practice. It's not a case queen, fussy little guitar, but protect it from too much heat and moisture, it is made with wood and glue. With a pickup you could probably blow away a concert hall with it. Look in the sound hole, it will say where it was made there, and tell you to always use extra-lite nylon strings. No truss rod was standard for ages with nylon string guitars, the Backpacker does not have one. Most guitars eventually need the action adjusted to suit the player, including ones costing 10 to 20 times as much as this one. Mine came with a very nice strap and a special gig bag, both very useful. If this appeals to you, don't hesitate to give it a try. I've had mine for years and still love it. Check on you-tube.Still Learning

I have had mine for 10 years or more and enjoy it very much. It's not full body sound it's there to have something to practice and play when on holiday or outside on the deck enjoying a cold one. It doesn't take up much room when packing the car either And yes the one I have is an actual classical backpacker guitar that Martin made years ago. I use it with high tension strings DAddario Pro Arte at standard tuning and it holds up very good stays in tune never have a problem with it going outGerry

So I originally wanted to buy a Taylor T5 because they feel so good and sound so awesome. This guitar sounds just as good as a Taylor T5 and about the third of the price. And its appearance is just absolutely beautiful. I was all set to upgrade the strings and set it up to my own preferences but once I started playing it it was just perfect. Vendor was excellent to work with. Very professional. Very efficient. The guitar was delivered a day earlier740*gn

This is my first classic style guitar. Its heavy, really heavy, I thought it would be light to pick up. Its really well made. The pick up are great and very bright. Shipping strings are good. No case or cover, box was well done, awesome even. Has a nubone nut, had to lube quite a bit for tuning. I feel like its a bit over priced, but that might just be me. Again, its solid, like you can smack someone with it and it won't care. I love the head stock. I got this because my hands are falling into ruin from diabetes. I'm trying really hard to find a falt for it, its just a beefy hard core classic style guitar. Volume is pretty low. If your getting into nylon strings i'd recommend it. I honestly can't find any faults for it. Heavy, beefy, Rawr.Meatpopsicle

So after about 40 years of playing music and traveling everywhere I had never actually owned and played a hybrid acoustic guitar. I wanted a Taylor T5, so sweet. $2000 was more than I wanted to give to add to my collection of 30 guitars already. My I caught this gorgeous ESP Telluride acoustic electric guitar. Playing it acoustically was nice but running it through an amp I was extremely impressed with the overall sound quality specially wearing a suit of quality headphones such as you would use in a recording session. I had about a third of the price of the T5 the quality is exceptional, not as good as a T5 before the price it is well worth it. I love this guitar and since I've bought it I rarely play anything else. Awesome guitarGary