Best Sounding Travel Guitar (2024 Update)

This is really a great package and value. It’s a slightly smaller guitar (travel), but doesn’t look undersized. The tone represents the size—so not a big booming sound if that’s what you’re looking for. The electronics are more than I expected, not a huge fan of the tuner, but the eq is appreciated. Would definitely buy again.TIMOTHY

I love this guitar. I've been looking for a traveler guitar for awhile. This deal was too good to pass up. Nice action and playability without having to make any adjustments. Good sound for a smaller guitar. Looks nice too.Daniel

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

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

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

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.

Thanks for this; the service was faultless. I was kept informed all the way and the guitar came in packaging that would have survived a meteor strike. The guitar was set up as requested and plays really well. It's easily a match for the Taylor travel guitars I have. For anyone looking to purchase one, they are quality instruments but certainly not the smallest travel guitar you'll find. They about an inch deeper than a 3/4 size and near enough the same length as a standard electric guitar. If that works for you they are a great choice.Neil T.

If you are looking for a guitar buy from Richard's. Sound advice, good communication, with progress update emails. A professional set up before your guitar is despatched to you. Absolutely recommend. Oh and the guitar is a stunner. Amazing presence. Great resonance.Max C.

Really nice to play and I love it but be aware there is a neck dive issue as the body is so light so it takes some time to get used to!siwei8878

Bought this as a damaged item to tinker with and see if it could become playable. I could not raise the crushed area around the bridge as it had epoxy poured on so I just used more resin to level it up, sanded and painted, glued a small section of bridge material against the existing bridge to raise the low E string to level, put some silk and steel light strings on and she played fine. Happy to have a great travel guitar for half the R.R.P. I meant high E string of course.nigelw3012

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.

Great little guitar, has a good sound for a small body. Takes getting used to holding it being so small. But perfect for travel.tbra5791

Great little acoustic guitar. I bought it to learn and practice on. Having a lot of success. Sounds great and stays in tune. I really love the neck, and the size and shape of it. The frets are little sharp on the ends though. The gig bag is a tight fit, especially with a strap. I love this little guitar!unger-2012

This is a great tiny guitar for travelling. I changed the strings to D'Addario Custom Light EJ26 right when I got it. I also glued bonded leather to one side of guitar to stop it from constantly sliding down my thigh when played (the guitar is neck heavy). Pros: good quality very beautiful stays in tune the neck is full scale bag included great size for children would be great for a person who likes to play while standing . Cons: the sound is a little bit shallow (because the body size is small). Bass is very tiny. feels awkward in hands due to small size and being neck heavy no electronicsluckyhamsterhandmade

Okay this product is good. The pickup is fine and it's a great amount of fun. BUT: The fret work is terrible. Really. They stick out of the neck, and it feels like playing with sandpaper on your fingers. Terrible rash after half an hour of playing, still has not worn off. Also the action is really bad and the second fret is buzzing like crazy on mine. I need to get that fixed, but I hoped to get it working right off the box as I am travelling a lot and don't have time to take care of my guitars (which is why I took this one). Overall if the item and the object is really fun and smart and cool (you really get that "cool" factor when playing live and people notice and start laughing at your baby-sized guitar. Also includes a "cute" factor for those who are into that.) But the quality is really poor and needs quite a bit of work to be really useful without cutting your hand. Also a mild annoyance, but the headstock is not blue. I selected this one because the picture showed a blue headstock and it looked cooler than the black one. I got the black one. Minor annoyance, still an annoyance. I would not make this choice again I think, or be prepared to go to the guitar store and invest an additional 100 dollars in fret work and proper setting.pauwohre_0

I purchased this guitar a few years ago and it is my go-to ever since whether I am at home or while traveling. I have rather small hands and not very good stretch so it makes playing my other guitars rather painful after an extended period of time. I like playing this guitar because even though it has a full scale fretboard, everything just feels smaller in my hands when I play it. The width of the neck is smaller than my other guitars makes it easier for me to reach and my hands don't get as fatigued as easily. The sound is great! I only play for fun and have a small 100W amp but it sounds excellent no matter whether I'm playing metal or jazz. The only problem I have with it is there is a little bit of fret buzz when I am playing certain notes. It is not really a problem with the instrument itself. I ordered this by mail and never had it set up after it arrived. I am not comfortable doing it myself so I will have to take it into the store whenever I get the chance. I am sure that once I get it adjusted properly, I will have no problems with it. I love this little beast.Sordesco

A solid four stars. Travel guitars all have their limitations and this one is certainly no exception. But despite those limitations this instrument fulfilled its needs on a recent trip. Which is why I waited to write this review until after it was used for its intended function. It's size and weight were convenient for traveling through airports and overhead bins. It was durable despite being mashed by other carry on luggage. It was fun to play through Vox classic rock plug in amp with ear buds but difficult to stay in tune. Also used a basic leather strap with rough suede to compensate for awkward weight distribution. This kept the strap from sliding in that the guitar is neck heavy. All travel guitars like the Traveler series suffer the same malady. The Neck is straight as an arrow and the action is very good. Haven't changed the strings yet but the stop tailpiece is adjacent to the pickup which may make string changes difficult. All in all, I would not gig with this guitar but for the money it served its purpose preparing for a gig upon my return. A good value overall with some limitations.Rockinvet

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 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

I’ve been playing a Taylor 310 for 25 years and was looking for something smaller and lighter to transport. Having read a lot of reviews and listened to the videos I thought I would try the GS Mini Koa and see what all the fuzz was about. This guitar sounds amazing! The Koa gives it a depth AND sparkle that you don’t expect from a small guitar. I keep asking myself does it lack depth compared to my dreadnought, technically it does but actually I don’t miss it because the sound is so full. The volume too is quite exceptional, I tend to strum a lot with a pick and don’t mind digging in hard….. this guitar just sings under those circumstances. It get’s louder and louder without noticeably going out of tune. At the other end there is such clarity and sustain that quiet finger picking also sounds great. You can easily hear a single note melody within a chord. Are there any downsides? Well if you have big hands then the reduced neck length may feel too cramped…. For me this is actually more comfortable than a full size neck but you wouldn’t want it any smaller. In summary I’m blown away, just amazing.David

Wow… what a stunner! Opening the case for the first time was quite an experience. This is a seriously beautiful guitar with beautiful craftsmanship. As a beginner with small hands (even for a lady) I have found acoustic guitars in the past to be very uncomfortable to play, the size of the body, the width of the neck, the high action, and after struggling with a Lorenzo Flame Series for the past year I decided enough was enough, electrics aren't almost impossible to play so why should I have to struggle with acoustic? I did some research and everything was pointing me towards the Taylor GS Mini-E series. Holding this guitar in my hands for the first time felt like a revelation. It felt like Taylor had made a guitar specifically for me – wearing a strap the body fits easily under my arm and my fingers just know exactly where they're meant to go. The sound of the guitar is rich and vibrant with a bright top tone – quite a feat in a parlour size guitar. After watching reviews it seems that this is due to the Koa body. The guitar also comes with soft, well-padded case that feels like it'll protect well from bumps and bruises whilst travelling. It has some nice shoulder straps so it feels like you're wearing a large (but light!) backpack. The best thing about this guitar though is that it's such a joy to hold and play that I can't put it down; my playing ability has increased so much in the past few weeks since buying it. As a beginner I absolutely recommend this guitar as an introduction to acoustic guitars. If you're a beginner and you've been playing an electric for while but want to get into playing acoustic, try out a Taylor GS Mini-e – it might be the one for you.Laura K.

Having relatively recently started learning guitar on an electric stratocaster-style guitar this was a great transition to the acoustic segment. The thinner body makes it much more comfortable to play than say a dreadnought and the neck is comfortable to transition too, yet the guitar doesn't seem to sacrifice as much sound as you'd expect from a thinner guitar. The finish of the guitar is that of a more expensive guitar for example the rosewood finger board. On arrival I actually thought the guitar looked better than the pictures on the website suggest but do note that because of the finish it is prone to showing finger marks which would need cleaning time to time. I would highly recommend this guitar.Richard P.

After suffering a permanent back injury I could no longer play my elictric guitar as it was too heavy or my acoustic electric guitar because it felt like it was twice it's normal size because I could no longer find a comfortable position for myself to play it. I bought a keyboard thinking that I could still play music. Afterv two weeks of playing around with the keyboard I gave up pllaying. Then I saw on the internet one night an advertisement for a 3/4 size Yamaha acoustic electric guitar guitar with a slimline bosy which looked like a nice guitar so I checked out males and females playing it and sounded very nice so I bought one. Man am I'm so glad I did. I got the sunburst like this one on sale. I was excited as l took it out of the box and went straight to my mancave and started playing it. It was perfecty in tune and for a guitar of this size it's got such a beautiful tone playing ACOUSTIC. So I plugged it in and it's as good as it sounded on YouTube. As an 67 yesr old man who started playing guitar when I was 16 years old, this is a beauty. I recommend this guitar to beginners, anyone with small hands and even people who want a good guitar to take with them without taking up much space in your car. Yep, it's a beaty.Deano

Great intermediate acoustic. Thinner, lightweight body that makes it very comfortable. Neck design more like an electric with rolled fingerboard edges and smooth frets. Cutaway enables a surprising amount of high end fret access. Piezo amplifier is really deep and rich sounding. Colours and design features convey nice 1950s vibe: well made and very good finish. Action a little high, but badly so, just that it could be lower – but a set up would rectify this. Overall a fear guitar at a superb price and inspiring to look at and play.Chazz

This Fender guitar is awesome. Out of the box it is almost perfectly set up. The intonation is off just by a little bit and only with 2 or 3 strings. The sound seems a little washed while playing chords, but single notes are loud and clear. All the frets have edge treatment, nice and smooth. The synthetic bone used for the nut and bridge are way better than plastic, allowing for a long sustain. The guitar could use better tuning keys, but the guitar stays in tune good enough. Over all my guitar was built well, and I'm glad it sounds good, too. I would recommend this guitar for all beginner guitar players because of the sound quality, and anyone else who don't have the money for their dream guitar.Tim

I just purchased a Fender Newporter Player in Ice Blue Satin and I'm very happy with it. I hadn't picked up a guitar in twenty years and finally decided to do so. This guitar has a full, rich tone and is easy to play. The walnut fretboard is very smooth and the neck is straight and the intonation is consistent. Regardless of where you play a note on the fretboard, it has the same exact sound. I cannot say that of guitars I have owned in the past. This is an excellent guitar for rhythm, fingerpicking, and singing. The only downside is that you won't be able to do a lot of lead work on this guitar. I recommend changing out to lighter strings, but only one or two grades lighter. Still, you won't get the same action as a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster. But that is what the Strat and the Tele are for. Overall, this guitar is an excellent investment. Have fun playing!Billy G.