travel mini electric guitar

Best travel guitars: Top acoustic and electric guitars for musicians on the go

Out top picks for practicing your guitar on the move, wherever the road takes you

Best for tone

Best for volume, best for value.

• Best Strat-alike
• Best electric
• Best full-scale
• #1 acoustic-electric

Best for portability

• Best solid wood
• Buying advice
• How we choose

1. The quick list 2. Best for tone 3. Best for volume 4. Best for value 5. Best for Strat players 6. Best electric travel guitar 7. Best full-scale travel guitar 8. Best acoustic-electric model 9. Best for portability 10. Best solid-wood travel guitar 11. Buying advice 12. How we choose products

As guitar players, our passion and joy shouldn’t have to stop the second we leave the house or the practice room. Sometimes, when you’re on the go; whether that be travelling for work or just for fun, you want to be able to take your music with you. That’s where the best travel guitars come in.

Travel guitars are smaller, more compact instruments that are easier to take on the road. If you’re heading out on a road trip, and space in the car is tight, a travel guitar will fit in a much smaller gap than a full-size guitar. Some of them even pack down into a rucksack so you can take them on a plane as hand luggage.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re more into playing acoustic or electric, we’ve picked out the best travel guitars currently on offer to make sure that the music doesn’t have to stop when you hit the road.

Chris Corfield is a journalist with over 12 years of experience writing for some of the music world's biggest brands including Orange Amplification, MusicRadar, Guitar World and Dawsons Music. Chris has spent years writing about and testing guitar gear for MusicRadar, in addition to nerding out about everything from synths to microphones, DJ gear and music production hardware.

Best travel guitars: Quick list

Want to cut to the chase and find out exactly which we think are the best travel guitars on the market right now? Below, you’ll find a round-up of our top choices. You can jump to a more detailed review of every pick, along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.

This ¾-sized dreadnought comes with all the quality and projection you’d expect from one of the acoustic world’s biggest names, just in a size that can be hauled around anywhere without breaking your back. Or, indeed, your wallet. 

Read more below

The Martin Backpacker has a unique body shape, that’s for sure, but coming from a name like Martin you can rest assured this guitar will perform brilliantly. What surprised us was the volume and projection this little guitar pumps out, thanks in part to the solid mahogany used in the body.

The Steinberger Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe definitely fits the travel guitar bill due to its distinctive size and shape. Despite the smaller body, the Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe features a scale length of 25.5”, making the actual playing area larger than that of a standard Les Paul.

You can instantly see those famous Stratocaster outlines of the pickguard, the three single coil pickups and the control knobs. Yet the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed anything on the body that isn’t underneath the pickguard has been shaved away, leaving a guitar which is 35% lighter and 14% shorter than a regular Strat.

This is a short-scale travel electric guitar featuring a single mini-humbucker, two-piece poplar body, bolt-on neck and fairly sturdy tuners. It doesn’t pack down any smaller than it is, though it’s very compact already and if you really needed to, you could always take the neck off, if you were packing it up in a suitcase for example.

The Shorty provides full scale-length familiarity which, when combined with the tiny body, makes for a comfortable playing experience. The single humbucker at the bridge is meaty enough to blast out your favourite riffs, while you’ll feel instantly at home with the classic maple/rosewood combination neck and fingerboard.

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The Traveler Escape Mark III comes equipped with plenty in the way of tools and toys, and it all comes in 26% shorter and 10% lighter than a standard dreadnought. The Escape Mark III features tuning pegs within the body itself, which means it has no need for a headstock and is instead strung in reverse.

This handy, foldable acoustic is great for players who want something quality but affordable. It’s got a solid spruce top and layered mahogany back and sides. You can get a great tone from it, whether you’re playing with a pick or with fingers. It’s dynamic, and while it might not be as loud as a full size guitar, can still throw out a good amount of volume.

This is one for serious acoustic players. It bears a hefty price tag, but you can get some serious tones from this guitar. Boasting a solid red cedar top and solid African mahogany back and sides, the Furch Little Jane yields a beautiful, rich and balanced tone with a good amount of projection. 

The best travel guitars right now

MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.

Below you'll find full and detailed write-ups for each of the best travel guitars in our list.

1. Taylor Baby Taylor

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

If the more outlandish styles of travel guitar aren’t for you, maybe the Baby Taylor will be. This ¾-sized dreadnought comes with all the quality and projection you’d expect from one of the acoustic world’s biggest names, just in a size that can be hauled around anywhere without breaking your back. Or, indeed, your wallet. 

The Baby Taylor would be the perfect option as a second (or third) guitar in anyone’s collection, designed to be stashed in the included gig bag and taken anywhere. Players with larger hands may feel a bit cramped navigating the 22.75” scale length, but for the majority of people the Baby Taylor is easy to recommend.

2. Martin Backpacker

We weren’t lying when we said travel guitars can jar a bit visually. The Martin Backpacker has a unique body shape, that’s for sure, but coming from a name like Martin you can rest assured this guitar will perform brilliantly. What surprised us was the volume and projection this little guitar pumps out, thanks in part to the solid mahogany used in the body.

Originally launched in 1992, the Martin Backpacker has carved itself a nice niche in the world of travel guitars, and its exceptional build quality means it will last for many more years to come.

3. Steinberger Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe

While not officially marketed as a travel guitar, the Steinberger Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe definitely fits the bill due to its distinctive size and shape. The classic Steinberger ‘headless’ design is correct and present, making the same bold visual statement of its more expensive stablemates, yet the decision to use wood over composite materials makes the whole thing more cost-effective and suited for travelling. 

Despite the smaller body, the Spirit GT-Pro Deluxe features a scale length of 25.5”, making the actual playing area larger than that of a standard Les Paul. It’s also pretty rare to find neck-thru bodies at this price point, which all adds up to a decent value instrument regardless of how you end up using it.

Best for Strat players

4. Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe

It’s called ‘cognitive dissonance’. That conflict you feel when something you know to be right is challenged. The Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe is a relative example; to look at it, you can instantly see those famous Stratocaster outlines of the pickguard, the three single coil pickups and the control knobs. Yet the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed anything on the body that isn’t underneath the pickguard has been shaved away, leaving a guitar which is 35% lighter and 14% shorter than a regular Strat. 

Weighing in at only 5 lbs, the Travelcaster Deluxe may take some getting over visually, but in use it provides that same Strat experience, the same 25.5” scale length and the same tonal versatility of those pickups. If you can get over the cognitive dissonance, it may just be the perfect travel guitar for you.

Read the full Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe review

Best electric options

5. Blackstar Carry-On Travel Guitar ST

This is a short-scale travel electric guitar featuring a single mini-humbucker, two-piece poplar body, bolt-on neck and fairly sturdy tuners. It doesn’t pack down any smaller than it is, though it’s very compact already and if you really needed to, you could always take the neck off, if you were packing it up in a suitcase for example. 

It plays great and the shorter 20.7” scale length doesn’t take long to readjust to - younger beginners might find that they can fret chords and make stretches between frets more easily too. The mini-humbucker covers a lot of ground, so will suit any musical style you can throw at it. Whether you’re playing clean or super distorted, this little thing can really pack a punch! 

There is a more expensive version that’s around double the price with some upgrades, but in terms of value for money, we feel that the Blackstar Carry-On ST is one of the best travel guitars around. 

Best full-scale experience

6. Hofner Shorty travel guitar

The Hofner Shorty has been around since the 1980s, and has long been a favourite for players looking for a portable electric they can travel with. It provides full scale-length familiarity which, when combined with the tiny body, makes for a comfortable playing experience. The single humbucker at the bridge is meaty enough to blast out your favourite riffs, while you’ll feel instantly at home with the classic maple/rosewood combination neck and fingerboard.

Sure, it’s not going to win any awards for tone, and you’re unlikely to see them used on album-of-the-year contenders, but as an inexpensive way to add a bit of portability to your line-up the Hofner Shorty is well worth consideration. 

Best of both worlds

7. Traveler Escape MKIII Mahogany

Choosing a travel guitar doesn’t necessarily mean compromising on your needs. The Traveler Escape Mark III comes equipped with plenty in the way of tools and toys, and it all comes in 26% shorter and 10% lighter than a standard dreadnought.

The Escape Mark III features tuning pegs within the body itself, which means it has no need for a headstock and is instead strung in reverse. The onboard electronics are both extensive and useful too, with an under-saddle Shadow NanoFlex piezo system, tuner, aux-in and studio headphone out making for quite a comprehensive setup for the traveling player.

8. Journey Instruments PJ410N

This handy, foldable acoustic makes for one of the best travel guitars for players who want something quality but affordable. It’s got a solid spruce top and layered mahogany back and sides. You can get a great tone from it, whether you’re playing with a pick or with fingers. It’s dynamic, and while it might not be as loud as a full size guitar, can still throw out a good amount of volume.

It fits perfectly inside the included padded rucksack, and can be assembled in 20 seconds. Simply put the neck into position, snap it in place and lock it from the back of the body. Then you’ve got a guitar with a 23” scale ready to play. It’s great for experienced players who want something that sounds good while they’re on their travels (the bag will fit under many airline seats), but also makes for a great beginner guitar for kids . 

Best all-solid option

9. Furch Little Jane LJ-10

This is definitely one of the best travel guitars for serious acoustic players. It bears a hefty price tag, but you can get some serious tones from this guitar. Boasting a solid red cedar top and solid African mahogany back and sides, the Furch Little Jane yields a beautiful, rich and balanced tone with a good amount of projection. 

The guitar can be folded down and fit into a rucksack (included). The headstock, neck and body are separate from one another to save space but can be assembled into one piece very quickly and easily. Once the neck is locked into position using Furch’s proprietary assembly system, it’s ready to play and will even go back in tune. 

The included rucksack is well padded and will ensure that it’s protected enough on your travels. Travel acoustic guitars seldom sound this good, and to be fair the price reflects that, but it really is one of the best out there. 

Best travel guitars: Buying advice

What is a travel guitar?

Essentially, a travel guitar is a guitar designed with portability and mobility as its key function. This will usually mean the guitar has a significantly smaller body or weight, and they often boast creative solutions to common issues like tuning or storage. From conception to construction, the travel guitar is designed to be thrown in a bag and transported anywhere, everywhere, and all those places in between. 

Standard-sized guitars can be, as we know, too large, too heavy or too delicate to carry around for long stretches, so travel guitars offer a specialist tool for those specific situations. Realistically, you’ll not find too many studio musicians reaching for the travel guitar to nail that perfect tone, but then that’s not what they’re for. Portability, size and weight are order of the day here, and it helps that there are travel guitars on the market today which also nail that other crucial element; tone. 

What makes travel guitars different?

At first glance, the sight of a dedicated travel guitar can jar a little. Often, they have quite striking aesthetic differences from regular guitars. Like looking at something you know, only quite different. Manufacturers employ all kinds of measures as they seek to reduce the overall size and weight of the guitar, and it’s not uncommon to see guitars without headstocks, or with radically different shaped bodies, or even no body at all. Yet a guitar still has to function, so there is still the need for tuning pegs, a bridge, and other essential components.

What are the key features of travel guitars?

There are two major schools of thought when it comes to travel guitars. One is to take a regular sized guitar and zap it with a shrink ray, keeping the same proportions relatively but in a smaller overall package. This approach ensures the instrument retains its familiarity, and also makes them attractive to younger learners.

The other approach is to redesign the instrument completely, perhaps taking the tuning pegs and installing them in the body. Of course, such radical design changes can create other problems, so you may see these compensated for with the inclusion of detachable arm and leg rests, for example. While these guitars may look unfamiliar, the playing experience should be largely the same as a regular guitar. Scale lengths, fret locations and pitch will be the same, even if the physical form of the guitar is quite different.

Are travel guitars playable?

If you’ve never had the chance to play a travel guitar, you may be looking at the best travel guitars in this list and wondering if it’s playable in the same way as a regular guitar. The good news is that yes, absolutely they are playable. In the same way that jumping from the thin neck of an Ibanez RG-style electric to a 50’s style Stratocaster neck may take a bit of readjustment in your technique, so too will the leap from a regular to certain travel-sized guitars. It’s not difficult to adjust though. You may also have to sit differently to accommodate the smaller body, but as these guitars are inherently lighter in weight, this shouldn’t cause too much of a headache. Or, more accurately, backache.

Electric or acoustic?

All of the best travel guitars will either be electric or acoustic. Electrics do tend to be thinner, as the body doesn’t need to resonate as much to get a good sound, although it’s worth remembering that you’ll need an amp to get the most out of it. The body of a travel acoustic will normally be deeper, but as a result of this you can get a fairly loud sound without any amplification.

What do I get when I spend more?

The quality of the best travel guitars does vary, and as you might imagine, it does go up as you spend more money. As the price increases, you’ll likely find better hardware, which can not only help keep the guitar in tune and playing nicely, but can also improve how it sounds too, increasing resonance and sustain.

On electrics, you’ll find better quality pickups - these will be more dynamic and have a wider frequency range so you’ll get more detail and clarity. With travel acoustic guitars, you’ll get better quality, and even solid woods which will give you a better, more responsive and richer sound.

Who might use a travel guitar?

The breadth of today’s range of travel guitars means there is a guitar to suit most playing styles and genres, so the quick answer is that yes, there is a travel guitar for everyone. In terms of scenarios, travel guitars are, as their name suggests, designed to be taken places ordinary guitars cannot reach. 

Small enough to fit on your back as you scale a mountain, or taken on a plane as part of your hand luggage, travel guitars give players the freedom and convenience of being able to play anywhere, at any time. For that, we applaud them. Let’s examine some of the best travel guitar options available today.

Can you buy travel guitars for children?

Travel guitars, as well as being the perfect accompaniment to a musician on the go, can also make for great instruments for children. If you’re looking for one of the best travel guitars to get a kid started on their guitar playing journey, then look for one that has a shorter scale length. This will mean that the notes are closer together and will be easier for small hands to fret. 

Scale length and string gauge

Speaking of short scales, the gauge of strings you use is also worth considering. The strings on a guitar with a shorter scale will feel slinkier - they will be easier to bend and to some players may even feel too loose. One way to combat this is to use thicker strings, so something like 12s on an electric might make them feel a little more like 10s on a full size guitar. Though, if you’re just starting out then the thinner, slinkier strings might be better so they don’t quite hurt your fingertips as much.

How we chose the best travel guitars for this guide

Here at MusicRadar, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing, creating and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything music gear related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides. 

When choosing what we believe to be the best travel guitars available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are musicians, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best travel guitars on the market right now.

Find out more about  how we test music gear and services  at MusicRadar.

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Chris Corfield is a journalist with over 12 years of experience writing for some of the music world's biggest brands including Orange Amplification, MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Dawsons Music. Chris loves getting nerdy about everything from guitar and bass gear, to synths, microphones, DJ gear and music production hardware.

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Best travel guitars: top acoustic and electric travel guitars for portability and performance

Top travel guitar choices and buying advice for musicians on the move

• The quick list

Best overall

Best acoustic, best electric, best for metal, best for kids, more options....

• Buying advice
• How we choose

1. The quick list 2. Best overall 3. Best acoustic 4. Best nylon string 5. Best electric 6. Best for metal 7. Best for kids 8. More options... 9. Buying advice 10. How we choose products

We guitarists are supremely lucky – we already play an instrument that we can take and play anywhere with us. Let’s face it, drummers already look at us with envy at our relative portability. However, the best travel guitars enhance and refine that concept further to offer the ultimate in portability without compromising on tone and playability. From travel-size stalwarts from Taylor and Martin to fascinatingly unexpected options from Blackstar and Yamaha, there’s something here for everyone. 

Whether you’re constantly on the move and need a travel companion to satisfy your musical urges, perhaps your office has to hear your progress with Eugene’s Trick Bag, or maybe you want something a little comfier for the couch. If so, we’ve selected the very best travel guitars for you and they’re a surprisingly varied group – from full-scale electric guitars to 3/4-size acoustic electrics.

There’s a good reason for this variety; a travel guitar needs to be portable, of course, but how it achieves that can be decided by several factors. We’ve taken them all into consideration with our choices for the best travel guitars you can buy right now. You can find our top picks below, and if you need any further guidance, head straight for our buying advice section at the bottom of the page.

Rob is the Guitars Editor for  MusicRadar , handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar, he worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including as Editor of Total Guitar. He's currently set aside any pipe dreams of getting anywhere with his own songs and is enjoying playing covers in function bands.

Best travel guitars: The quick list

Despite being released in 2010 the Taylor GS Mini-e is still one of the best implementations of travel guitar design ever. A solid top and excellent pickup make it the perfect travel guitar.

Read more below

Originally made famous by Ed Sheeran, the Martin LX1E 'Little Martin' carries all the famous build quality and tonal properties of this legendary guitar maker, in a super compact format.

For the nylon string players out there, this fast-playing and unusual-looking electro-acoustic features a removable upper bout, making it easy to transport anywhere.

There aren't loads of options for electric players when it comes to travel guitars, but the Blackstar Carry-On is a fantastic choice.  The body is tiny, giving you a 'proper' size neck to play on.

A marriage between ESP and the Traveler Guitar company, this mini metal guitar features locking tuners, an active humbucker, and the distinct looks of a full-size ESP LTD EC-1000.

Read more below 

With its cute colors, tiny build, and fantastic tone, the Epiphone Power Player SG is a great guitar for budding guitarists, whilst also being small enough to go wherever they do.

The best travel guitars available today

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Here you'll find full writeups and reviews of all the best travel guitars we rate. The majority of these have been tested first hand by our writing team, so you can rely on our recommendations.

1. Taylor GS Mini-e Koa

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

Taylor’s GS Mini was ahead of most of the pack when it launched in 2010, and it still stands up as a masterful design from the company’s design wizard Andy Powers. It’s a benchmark example of a guitar that sounds far fuller than its dimensions – aided by the slight arch of its back. Although over a decade old, due to its continued success, fantastic playability, and many attempted iterations we have honored it as our number one pick. 

With spruce and mahogany options proving popular, the Koa stands out for the visual clout of its dramatic figuring. A solid top, layered back and sides, Sapele neck, and ebony fingerboard provide a rich tonal recipe here. 

Taylor’s Expression System preamp system (including a handy tuner) and the high-quality included gigbag round out a superb package for one of the company’s best-value models. Left-handed models are available too – yay! 

2. Martin LX1E Little Martin

A firm favorite of Ed Sheeran – although he has made a move to Lowden in recent years – the Martin LX1E is Martin's pint-sized offering (and one of our top picks for the best 3/4 acoustic guitars ), delivering the outstanding built quality you’d expect from the acoustic giant and a quality amplified sound. 

This guitar is made with a solid Sitka spruce top and high-pressure laminate back and sides, as well as a composite neck. It may not have the elegant looks of the D-28 or HD-35, but it is incredibly strong and damn near indestructible. This mighty little guitar will undoubtedly handle any of the harsh conditions bestowed upon it. 

Read our full Martin LX1E Little Martin review

Best nylon string

3. Yamaha SLG200N Silent Guitar

The Silent Guitar is an unusual proposition with a detachable frame for folding down. It’s also designed to be plugged in for amplification or via headphones – it makes very little acoustic sound of its own. This has the advantage of quiet practice but the Silent Guitar’s SRT and pickup blend system also shines via a PA or acoustic combo live for surprisingly organic tones to mimic a real acoustic being mic’d. 

Its low action and slim neck will suit electric guitar players if they can accept its untraditional looks. The onboard chorus and reverb are reminiscent of the Transacoustic series and further enhance the SLG200N’s usability as a traveling companion. 

When it comes to traveling, the SLG200N can be partly disassembled as the bass side of the body screws off. This allows you to slot the guitar in the Yamaha-branded gig bag like you're carrying around a laptop. Easy peasy. 

4. Blackstar Carry-On

Blackstar have made a guitar!? Yes indeed, the guitar amp company joined forces with fellow Brits Gordon Smith Guitars on a down-sized electric; 20.7-inch scale with a ukulele -sized body is certainly compact but the result stacks up comfortably well with a full-size neck.

It’s a one piece body and neck design to aid resonance and we really like design touches like the tortoiseshell-like plastic binding and the playing comfort of the matt neck, sides and back. It’s also great to see a coil-split on the humbucker pickup for tonal versatility through an amp – you can even buy the Carry-on as a package with Blackstar’s Fly3 mini amp.  

Read the full Blackstar Carry-On Deluxe Pack review  

5. Traveler Guitar LTD EC-1

Another collaboration between two successful guitar brands, Traveler already have a formidable reputation for electric travel guitars and ESP build some of the finest guitars for heavy rock and metal around with its EC series; the LTD EC-1 is the combination of those skills.

The full-scale singlecut model first surfaced in 2016 and is now available in Vintage Black with gold hardware – a Traveler design calling card is to cut down on overall length by placing locking tuners within the body design. The pickup here is an ESP-designed active humbucker, so it’s ideal for higher gain tones and cutting lead work with the inbuilt headphone amp. It even features a bevelled cutaway for higher fret access. 

6. Epiphone Power Players SG

Although Epiphone’s Power Player series has a strong appeal to a young beginner, it also presents a fantastic option for some traveling humbucker bite. The SG variant comes in three awesome finishes – Lava Red, Ice Blue, and Dark Matter Ebony – and the included Epiphone branded gig bag almost begs you to take one on your next trip. 

Far from being just another beginner guitar, this SG is equipped with a set of 650R/700T ’buckers which will satisfy any cravings you may have when parted from your beloved housebound axe. Although you’ll have to bring some kind of amplification to utilize the guitar fully, a pocket-friendly headphone amplifier like the fantastic Fender Mustang Micro will have you covered. 

The Slim Taper D neck profile and contoured neck heel help with playability, and we found that the string spacing feels natural enough not to mess with our muscle memory. Also, if you aren’t a fan of the slightly off-kilter feel of an SG, there’s a Les Paul variant if that’s more your thing. So, if you’re after a viable travel size option to rock out on the road, check out the Power Players, you won’t be disappointed. 

Read the full Epiphone Power Players review

7. Yamaha CSF3M

A firm favorite of Ed Sheeran – although he has made a move to Lowden in recent years – the Martin LX1E is Martin's pint-sized offering (and one of our top picks for the best 3/4 acoustic guitars ), delivering the outstanding build quality you’d expect from the acoustic giant and a quality amplified sound. 

8. Guild Jumbo Junior

Guild knows a thing or two about acoustic guitars, specifically the jumbo-bodied variety having produced them since the ’70s. Here, we get Guild’s iconic jumbo but shrunk down to a more portable format. It’s got a solid Sitka spruce top, and mahogany back and sides – the former arched to aid resonance and projection. 

Adding to this, the JJ comes equipped with a Guild/Fishman GT-1 system so you can plug in for gigs and quick recording. Tonally, it’s a punchy little strummer with a sweet high end and you can always rely on Guild for providing a smooth playing experience. 

Guild is going for the GS-mini’s throne and although it certainly gets you in that ballpark at a more affordable price, it does lack the pronounced low-end of Taylor’s version. However, we’re splitting hairs here and the Jumbo Junior gives you classic looks from an iconic brand at a very attractive price.

9. Yamaha APXT2

This is the third entry for Yamaha on this list, but we felt it needed to be included. Yamaha has taken their ever-popular APX and shrunk it down to create the APXT2. This 3/4 sized acoustic is one of the smallest on this list, measuring in at only 34 inches, and will happily fit in most traveling situations. 

The onboard pickup is surprisingly good on the APXT2 and offers a tone far greater than the unplugged sound. The preamp also comes with a handy built-in guitar tuner , meaning you don't have to pack any extra gear. The satin finish not only looks great but is very smooth to play. In fact, the whole neck is very familiar, and if you have played Yamaha guitars in the past, then you'll get on with how this feels. It also comes in a range of different colors, just like its big brother, the APX500. 

So if you are a fan of the APX series or are looking for a unique-looking travel guitar, then it's worth checking these out. 

10. Sheeran By Lowden S03

Whatever you think of Ed Sheeran’s music, he has great taste in luthier’s. George Lowden actually designed the Wee Lowden travel-size guitar for the songwriter and their friendship blossomed into a full series of guitars in 2019.

The S03 had a refresh in 2021 – the ‘S’ stands for small body and the latest 24.8-inch scale model features a solid cedar top but with a rosewood and mahogany layering at the back and sides this time. An impressively full sound is matched with the quality of the LR Baggs VTC system for plugging in, and with the cutaway design this is one of the best travel-size acoustics for live performance. 

Read the full Sheeran By Lowden SO3 review  

Best travel guitars: Buying advice

Should I get an electric or an acoustic travel guitar?

One of the initial choices you’ll have to make when purchasing a travel guitar is between electric and acoustic. Both have their pros and cons, so deciding what will work best for you is the most important.

With an electric travel guitar, you’ll be able to practice quietly, with the assistance of a headphone amp, so if you don’t want to bug anyone in your vicinity, an electric one may be the better option. Also, it’s far easier to record with an electric travel guitar on the move; if you have your laptop and a small audio interface then hey presto, you can record the next platinum-selling album on your bus to work. However, needing additional pieces of hardware, like a headphone amp, may put people off getting a travel electric. If you want to travel with the least faff possible, an acoustic may be the better option.

Although acoustic travel guitars don’t need additional amplification, they will be slightly deeper than their electric cousins. This depth does come with an advantage, it will project the sound a lot further and you will get a much louder sound out of an acoustic travel guitar.

What makes a great travel guitar?

A travel guitar’s portability can be due to a smaller body, lighter weight and shorter scale (this is the distance from the guitar’s nut to its saddle) but a guitar can still be great for carrying around with you and have a full-scale. 

Having said that, acoustic travel guitars tend to have a shorter scale and smaller bodies to be portable, but they will still be tuned and play like a regular guitar. Indeed, the best travel guitars we have selected in this guide all shine for their playability as well as tone so they don’t take much getting used to. 

Electric travel guitars can usually plug into guitar amps and PAs but some have their own inbuilt amps to use headphones with, making them all-in-one practice tools. 

Can I gig with a travel guitar?

Absolutely, and many acoustic travel guitars include inbuilt pickups and preamps to allow for this. Ed Sheeran is one of the most famous living guitarists on the planet and uses a small-scale travel guitar onstage and in the studio. He likes them so much he’s even got his own series of them now.

Even electric travel guitars designed for headphone practice can be used with amps if you wish, so they could be a great choice for travelling to jams or impromptu gigs with. 

What string gauge should I use for a travel guitar?

Due to their shorter scale length, the strings on a travel guitar usually feel pretty slinky and a lot bendier. This can throw some players off, particularly if your playing style includes a lot of note bends or if you’re a little heavy-handed. A way to combat this can be with a heavier string gauge. Heavier strings will compensate for a short scale length and using a set of 0.012s on a travel guitar will feel more like a set of 0.010s on a full-sized guitar. So if you’ve had trouble with super slinky strings on your travel companion go for a thicker set of strings, it should hopefully solve your issue.

How we choose the best travel guitars

Here at  Guitar World , we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar and bass related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.

When choosing what we believe to be the best travel guitars available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.

First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best travel guitars on the market right now.

Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly  how we test  each product.  

Related buyer's guides

• The best acoustic guitars for beginners
• Freshen up with the best acoustic guitar strings  

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10 Best Travel Electric Guitars in 2023

Typically many of us will opt to take a scaled down acoustic on our travels, but for some, the need to plug and play is just too much. Fortunately, many companies have cottoned on to what we want, so today we are reviewing the 10 best travel electric guitars in 2023.

Who hasn't been camping and craved their six-string companion? Who doesn't want to risk hauling their high-end guitar around for the weekend? A travel electric guitar is a sensible solution that won't set you back too much thanks to a saturated competitive market.

Table of Contents

At a glance: Our top 3 picks

1. stewart electric travel guitar, 2. traveler ultra-light travel guitar, 3. traveler guitar spd hrr v2 speedster, 4. shredneck travel guitar - cherry sunburst, 5. anygig age, 6. traveler guitar 6 string acoustic-electric guitar, 7. sing f ltd anygig guitar enhanced, 8. traveler guitar 6 string eg-1 blackout electric, 9. hofner hctshcgo cadillac green travel, 10. traveler guitar full-scale natural electric bundle, what is a travel electric guitar, can i take an electric travel guitar on a plane.

Electric travel guitars are a relatively new trend, though many manufacturers have been marketing ¾ scale or junior models for years. A smaller model, in general, is a quick fix solution but many guitarists can feel clumsy on a smaller sale fingerboard that doesn't allow for fine flourishes. Some companies are a little more on the current than others and are developing some rather genius ways to reduce the size of the guitar without reducing its neck or fret presence.

There are a host of different  travel guitars that provide the vital portability required for rocking out on a road-trip each boasting superiority over the next, or under-cutting one another for prime position on the best -sellers list.

With so many to choose from it can quickly become a tough market to navigate, and often its not clear exactly what each model offers over its competitor. To help make your shopping a little less taxing we are going to compare ten worthy candidates for best travel electric guitars and answer your recent inquiries in our buyers guide section.

• Incredibly compact size for transit.
• Forward thinking design concept.
• Regular guitar with an assemble yourself attitude.

View The Best Travel Electric Guitar Below

First up we have a full-scale electric guitar model which has a completely removable bolt-on neck. It is a little smaller than a Stratocaster, exceptionally well built but a little pricey.

It comes apart with ease and the strings stay attached to the tuning machinery. They neatly hang over the cutaway wings (or horns) of the Strat-like body contours. You then place the neck behind the body at a diagonal angle, so that the whole instrument has a footprint no larger in dimension than the body itself.

Obviously, this is going to mean some fumbling with assembly when you travel to and from places, but the designers have found a way around size issue without compromising on the scale of the instrument, which is neat.

Pros: + Incredibly compact size for transit. + Forward thinking design concept. + Regular guitar with an assemble yourself attitude.

Why We Liked It - It is a rather unusual solution, which undoubtedly impacts the footprint of the instrument, nearly halving it altogether.

For Beginners - Travel guitars can be amazing picks for beginner or advanced guitarists as these instruments make it easy to practice while on the go. These can also serve as introductory instruments if you're still ironing out the basics. Plus, many of these guitars come with a convenient gig bag as a standard.

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Now for a compact light-weight ¾ sized full-scale solid-body guitar. The body shape has been more than halved on this travel guitar, it is shaped sort of like an oar it has two cut outs either side of where the neck meets which house the in-body tuning hardware. This innovative placement eliminates the space required for a traditional headstock. It has a detachable lap rest which makes playing it a little easier.

It weighs 68% lighter than most full-size electric guitars and is 28% shorter. Its unique design and non-typical dimensions mean it needs a tailored carry-case which they have fortunately included in the price.

Pros: + Ultra-compact body. + No head stock. + Premium wood.

Why We Liked It - Its a stylish little travel companion and super lightweight, it holds great intonation and plays well.

Another model from traveler which also features their proprietary tune-o-Matic in-body tuning methods is their Speedster V2. It again features a tiny solid body, but this time incorporates a detachable upper armrest to support your strumming hand, it removes to further reduce the footprint of the instrument for traveling around.

It has a one-piece neck-through design crafted from Easter American hard maple. It offers sonic versatility and features a meaty humbucking pick-up with a coil-split for awesome distortion. It is a little heavier than the Ultra-Light model but still around 58% lighter than the average full-size electric guitar.

It also has an auxiliary output for headphone listening and silent practice, ideal for traveling from hotel to hotel without noise complaints.

Pros: + Compact. + In-body tuning, + Detachable rest.

Why We Liked It - Some of the more radically redesigned solid body travel options just feel too unfamiliar to play for some, the detachable rest brings back the added comfort a full size contoured body gives a guitarist.

Sound Quality - Note that with travel instruments you most likely will be sacrificing some level of sound quality. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, this might not be your "one and only" guitar if you're a sucker for that classic electric sound. These guitars certainly have their purpose although for portability alone.

Next up we have another superb scaled down model its ¾ length is what makes it most suited to being a good traveling option. It has a typical ¾ sized body, so there is no loss in the natural acoustics of the instrument, it is a little streamlined to help with shedding little weight.

It is competitively priced and durably built. It features the familiar contours of a Les Paul and is decked out in a gorgeous cherry sunburst color design that is as appealing as its price-tag . It really is a miniature guitar in appearance but plays mightily enough.

It harbors 2 humbucking pickups and 3-way switching for tone sculpting your sound to your preference. It has a wide maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard with crown inlays. It comes, thoughtfully with a custom gig-bag suitable for its aberrant head-stock

Pros: + ¾ scale model. + Les Paul look. + Double humbucking pickup for heavier players.

Why We Liked It - It is a fab short scale guitar, which for a travel solution is an easy option. It features a familiar form which is comfortable and preferable for many musicians, especially if the unconventional compact models have bodies which don't appeal to you because you find them simply too bizarre.

This is one of two Anygig models we are having a nose at, The AGE model is a pretty awesome take on a travel guitar design. It is remarkably compact in the body department and once again has no headstock. The strings are instead tuned via a tune-o-Matic style system in 3 dedicated sets of 2 tuners located around the top, side, and bottom of the minute maple body.

The neck is u-shaped and also maple, it supports a rosewood fingerboard with a 400mm radius and a 42mm nut width.

They feature a full 24 frets but are around 75-80% lighter than a full-size electric guitar which is pretty astonishing. They come in a full range of bright colors.

It is bestowed with an own brand made in-house Anygig Glow Humbucker pickup which thickens the sound efficiently. The manufacturers have forgone any onboard pre-amp equalization or gain controls to maintain minimum size weight and fabrication costs. Instead, it features a square Les Paul-style output connection.

Pros: + Affordably priced model. + Distinctly compact body. + Tune-o-matic hardware. + Humbucking pick-up.

Why We Liked It - It is another very different take on a travel guitar, it is unbelievably small and the manufacturers have included a detachable rest for extra comfort as these atypical instruments take a little getting used to. It is genuinely mind-boggling how much you can cut out and still get a jam-tastic travel worthy instrument, this little guy weighs just 1.4kgs which is practically unbeatable.

Back to travelers' dynamic range of travel options, this time for a model that in essence matches all of the specs of the original Ultra-Light model, but has seen some refinements in circuitry as well as a trendy new face-lift. It comes in an array of tasty color options and features the same important factors as its progenitor.

It weighs just over 2lbs and sports the same oar-like design shape with a detachable metal leg-rest stand.

The tuning is once again in-body saving on the space a head-stock can hog, and reducing the length of the instrument to around 30% smaller than most ¾ sized full-scale guitars.

It is beautifully machined from solid maple and is a one-piece neck through model like the rest of the gang. It benefits from a black walnut fingerboard. It features an updated piezoelectric pickup for amplification and comes with a gig-bag made especially to fit its curious form.

Pros: + Eye-catching range. + In body tuning. + Updated pickup.

Why We Liked It - Traveler know a thing or two about product innovation and when it comes to a good travel guitar the clue is in the guitar brand name , every aspect of these guys has clearly been designed with traveling in mind from start to finish.

Over to an alternative super-compact model from Anygig guitars travel series. The Sing model is actually even smaller the Traveler Ultra-Light designs. It features on-board body-tuners which are located top and bottom of its tiny body. It is ergonomically designed with a handy comfortable detachable arm rest bone.

It is a 3-piece u shaped neck design all pieces are solid maple. It has great resonance and despite its smaller surface area, plays deceptively well. The company has opted for a sonokelin rosewood fingerboard, it harbors full-scale frets which are dotted for you and it comes with a fully-adjustable carry-bag.

The pickup is an open black Humbucker, directly mounted and it features a square output jack similar to a Les Paul. A noteworthy point is it features no pre-amp controls, opting to go without again reduces the size and weight and ultimately the price tag. It has great natural levels to send and you can shape your tone with most decent amps or maybe plug in via a pedal board if you are pickier.

Pros: + Ergonomic design. + Super-compact body. + No head-stock.

Why We Liked It - This tiny travel buddy weighs even less than the Ultra-Light Travelers we have heavily highlighter in this article coming in with a net weight of just 1.5 lbs which is incredible. We like its extrinsic body style, it actually resembles a large head stock and neck in reverse with no body at all.

The blackout electric is a traveler guitar model that stays true to a more traditional guitar, its body though smaller, by comparison, emulates that early telecaster look, with a hook cutaways for further fret access.

It harbors a proprietary in body tuning system for the same head-stock elimination the smaller lighter models boast. It is definitely on the heavier side but it is a well-built full-size ¾ scale electric guitar with a larger footprint than some of their more unconventional designs.

It produces some exceptionally heavy tones as it is decked out with an awesome high gain Humbucker (Seymour Duncan Devastator) in the bridge position.

The jack-plate sports auxiliary input connections you can connect mobiles and other devices to jam along to tracks with.

Pros: + ¾ size electric guitar without a head-stock. + Devastator high gain Humbucker. + Aux in.

Why We Liked It - We like this as it differs very little from a regular ¾ size guitar, making it an easy transition instrument, the in-body tuning shaves just enough off of its length to keep it within carry-on overhead storage dimensions

Okay, so we have sifted through a tonne of Traveler models, but it is fair to say that Hofner is hot on the heels of some of the best-selling travel models on the market. This model is based on the 1980's shorty model and is ideal for traveling players.

It is one of our lowest priced options, it just about undercuts all of its competitors and is not far off your typical full-size electric guitar. The body has seen a size reduction in comparison to most Hofner models but it features a full-size neck and headstock. This scaling down of its larger parts means nothing else is compromised in the quest for a guitar that can fit in the overhead of a plane.

They come in a range of striking colors this one is an eye-catching Cadillac green. It comes with a gig-bag to handle its humbler proportion.

Pros: + Low price. + Best seller. + Eye-catching.

Why We Liked It - It is an affordably priced classic guitar with pleasing aesthetics a good pick-up that is just small enough to become a travel option.

We are ending todays review section with another Traveler model, it is as lightweight as the other Ultra-Light models we have listed but instead of an Americana piezoelectric single pick-up it is equipped with a delectable dual-rail humbucking pick-up which certainly packs a bit more of a punch.

The rest of the specs don't deviate too heavily from the original conceptual design; it is once again a one-piece solid maple body that houses its tuning hardware within its cut-through bare bones body.

It is priced no higher than the other Ultra-Light series models but caters to those of us who like a grittier vibe.

Pros: + Super compact and lightweight. + Head-stock-less. + Impressive distortion.

Why We Liked It - It provides some authentic vintage rock tones and is one of the most lightweight and innovative models on the current market.

Compact Ampfliers - You'll want to factor in the cost of a compact amplifier into your budget in order to properly use your travel guitar. Luckily, small travel amplifiers are usually super affordable so you won't have to shell out an arm and a leg to complete your electric set up.

Travel Electric Guitar Buyers Guide:

A travel electric guitar is an electric guitar which has been designed with easy transportation in mind, their design concepts will incorporate features created to tackle the drawbacks traveling can have.

Many guitarists feel like their instrument is an innate part of their personality or even an extension of themselves. Sometimes when we are on holiday, relaxing or new people we often wish we had a guitar to pick up and play, but the logistics of carrying a cherished instrument into unknown territory presents us with a tonne of factors to consider.

The places we travel to and the manner in which we travel play a huge part in how much your instrument will need to be capable of enduring. Traveling with a guitar puts it at risk of damage, exposes it to the elements and you also have to face the fact that it could wind up lost altogether. That's if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to cover the excess baggage weight charges.

So how do manufacturers cater to combat all of the above? Often their dimensions will be much smaller to make them more portable, so you may not have as many frets as you are familiar with.

They will also source lighter tonewoods to begin with. They not only shrink the body sizes down but in some cases, the shapes of the solid bodies are changed entirely. Occasionally to a point where they hardly resemble a guitar at all, squares, circles and triangles have all been seen sporting a traditional guitar neck. All in the effort to downsize the weight and footprint dramatically.

Other ways they might have made the product suitable for journeying with include increased durability and reduced production costs for a less expensive price-tag. Let's face it no one wants to invest too heavily in an instrument that is going to have to be able to handle a few hard knocks on its travels.

Some electric travel guitar options are actually semi-acoustic or electric-acoustic options which still have a hollow body, rather than the solid body we generally associate with electric guitars. You will probably find they are ¾ sized or shorter scaled and typically won't have as much of depth, so as to take up less space.

A smaller bodied guitar, unfortunately, resonates less than a roomier model, so travel models for some are close but no cigar, as far as sound superiority goes. Many manufacturers enhance designs to really make the most of the instrument, and constant developmental refinements mean we are actually seeing some awesome travel-worthy electric guitars.

If quality is key you may need to think about amping up your allocated budget we love the seductive Strobel Rambler travel models, which are conveniently designed to fit inside a suitcase. They are exceptionally well built and come in a variety of pretty jaw-dropping designs. These condensed bodies are almost flying V-shaped and their in-body integrated Tune-o-matic hardware is tidily arranged inside of its angular curves.

Unfortunately, we are not in the position to give a definitive answer, as what you can and cannot fly with is always down to individual operators and their policies and regulations will differ from provider to provider. Next, you have to consider the countries you are traveling from and to and their rules too.

There are some airlines which actually allow a guitar as hand luggage, so long as it isn't over the size or weight limitations of the company.

So long as the luggage restrictions don't specify "No Instruments" you should be completely fine, though you will want to ensure it is sufficiently protected to travel in the hold. A good flight case would be a wise investment.

In an effort to keep up with the fast pace of our modern lives, and are always on the go nature, there is an abundance of travel guitar options out there to cater to your needs.

When your shopping for a travel guitar, portability is essential and should come above all else. Unless you are a touring musician needing to tow a guitar about to perform with, then you don't really need to think about the sound as much as you do, its dimensions and durability. Travel guitars are at the end of the day built for weekend retreats, backpacking around Europe, open campfires and kicking back.

The market is changing and manufacturers constantly adapting updating and improving to the point where we are seeing some phenomenally innovative and not to mention interesting design concepts.

What to look for in the best travel guitar for you is really down to how you intend to get about. If you intend to lug it about for a long period of time you will obviously want the smallest and lightest you can find. If it is to be kept in a boot to have at hand you might not need to be so fussy. Consider your needs carefully, keep our buyers guide advice in mind, re-read today's reviews and you should find choosing a model a doddle.

If you do buy a travel electric guitar, you are going to need an amplifier which is easily portable to go with it we suggest looking at some of these little beauts in our 5 Best Small Tube Amps article .

Did you Know

Snap-Dragon make some awesome fold-able electric guitars with necks that simply snap into place to shred with and snap back to a smaller footprint to pack away again.

If you've enjoyed this review by Music Critic , please leave a positive rating:

The 10 Best Mini Travel Guitars for the Road 2024

by Marko Jovanovic Last Updated October 18, 2021

Marko Jovanovic

Marko is a professional bassist who has been playing and touring with his band for over a decade now. When he’s not playing with his band or recording in the studio, he spends his time teaching others how to play both bass and the guitar. Other hobbies of his include quality music gear, King Crimson, and sifting the web for the latest music updates - and ofcourse writing about them.

Consordinis articles are written by musicians who independently research, test, and recommend the best instruments and products. We are reader-supported. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Welcome to our reviews of the best travel guitars in 2024. We’ve scoured the market for the best-sounding roadworthy mini acoustic and electric guitars and have come up with the list of 10 models that excel in performance, aesthetics, versatility, playability, affordability, and all of the above, so without any further ado, let’s dive into the reviews.

Here are the best travel guitars 2024:

• Traveler Guitar EG-1 Custom
• Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus
• Traveler Guitar Travelcaster Deluxe
• Journey Instruments Overhead OC520
• Washburn Festival EA20
• Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric
• Martin Backpacker
• Traveler Guitar Redlands Mini
• Luna Safari Bamboo
• Cordoba Mini II

1. Traveler Guitar EG-1 Custom

We’re starting off our travel guitar reviews with what is undoubtedly the best travel guitar on the market – the Traveler Guitar EG-1 Custom. Aside from its unique shape, it brings plenty of benefits to the table, including a beautifully designed and decorated body, amazing sound quality, and an exceptional selection of popular tonewoods.

The first thing you’ll notice about the EG-1 Custom is that it doesn’t have a traditional head ; rather it sports a set of machine heads built into its body, which makes the fear of bumping (and de-tuning) your new guitar a bit less of a nuisance.

Let’s start from the very top; this is a six-string solid-body electric guitar that features a mahogany body, a mahogany neck, and a walnut-made fingerboard. In terms of sonic performance, its tone is pretty warm , although it’s incomparably more versatile than most travel guitars. It actually sounds more like a traditional high-quality electric guitar, and it could be used as your main axe or a replacement.

Aesthetics-wise, it’s painted in elegant black and sports a marvelous high gloss finish; if it wasn’t for the peculiar design of the headstock and the placement of the tuning pegs, most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the EG-1 Custom and, say an upper-tier Ibanez or a Yamaha electric guitar.

As far as playability goes, the EG-1 Custom rocks 21 jumbo frets that are super-easy to grip; this works for chord play and single notes, arpeggios, soloing, and similar techniques. It’s actually as rewarding to experienced players as it is welcoming to fresh guitarists who are setting onto their first tour.

Lastly, let’s have a quick overview of the hardware that this travel guitar comes supplied with; there’s a fully adjustable top-quality Roll-o-matic bridge, a gold-plated closed-gear set of tuners built into the body, and a single Alnico humbucking bridge pickup that is fairly hot but decently controllable.

Speaking of controllable, you’ll be able to use the volume and tone controls to find the sweet sonic spot, but this guitar also features a 0.125-inch auxiliary input and a 0.125-inch headphone input that you can use to record or practice your songs without getting annoyed by the humming of the road truck/van.

It’s pretty fair to say that the EG-1 Custom by Traveler Guitar is the ultimate roadworthy electric guitar; it packs onboard distortion, auxiliary in and headphone out, a built-in set of tuning heads, excellent action, it looks phenomenal, and the tonewoods it comes outfitted with are both eclectic and sturdy.

It’s slightly pricier than some people might feel comfortable with, but its performance is on par with some of the best-sounding boutique electric guitars.

2. Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus

A high-end guitar for professional touring musicians

Our next pick is a boutique guitar that we warmly recommend to veterans and professional touring musicians. Taylor is widely known as the brand that produces some of the most durable and best-sounding acoustic guitars, and GS Mini-e Koa Plus is definitely not an exception.

In a nutshell, this is one of the best mini guitar models in the high-end department of the acoustic-electric guitar market, not only because it features some of the finest tonewoods and hardware but also because it offers unparalleled sustain and soaring overtones.

Contrary to what you might initially think of Grand Symphony guitar body shapes, the ‘Mini’ variant of such is actually quite petite and tiny.

This is a six-string GS semi-acoustic guitar that features a Hawaiian koa top, layered koa back and sides, a fingerboard made of ebony, and a neck made of tropical mahogany. Again, these tonewoods sound exotic and might sound ‘warm’, but this guitar is actually very well-rounded and balanced in the sense of sonic performance.

One of the main reasons why GS Mini-e Koa Plus is drastically more expensive than most acoustic-electric guitars is that its tonewoods are not exactly common. The tonewoods used in the manufacturing process of this guitar were refined beyond perfection, allowing the instrument to retain maximal sonic resonance and responsiveness while not losing any portion of its durability.

Let’s switch gears a bit and say a few words about this guitar’s playability. First of all, the GS Mini-e Koa Plus features 20 medium-sized frets with standard dotted inlays, as well as a slightly shorter scale length of 23.5 inches. In essence, its playability is excellent , especially if you have smaller hands and a slightly smaller finger reach.

Its hardware is over the top, as it packs premium NuBone nut, well-rounded Expression System 2 electronics, and Elixir’s Phosphor-Bronze medium-gauge strings. Taylor typically provides complementary features with each purchase, and this time around you’ll get a soft-shell case that was specifically made to be lighter and more durable for traveling guitarists.

If you can agree with the maxim ‘you can’t put a price tag on quality’, you might want to check out the Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus. Essentially, this is an upgraded version of the heavily acclaimed GS Mini-e, and it features a sturdier setup, enhanced electronics, and minor tweaks that have uplifted its already-tremendous performance to the point of near perfection. It does cost an arm and a leg, though.

3. Traveler Guitar Travelcaster Deluxe

The best portable electric travel guitar

Our next pick is the Travelcaster Deluxe, which bears the label of ‘best portable electric travel guitar’. It could also easily fit the description of being the ‘best value travel guitar’, as well as ‘best affordable guitar’, but its performance wouldn’t exactly be portrayed in full that way.

Traveler Guitar is a brand that earned most of their fame through very unique guitar body shapes; the Travelcaster is basically a hybrid guitar that borrows specs and features from the iconic Stratocaster while sporting a half-cut body that provides extra flexibility, finger mobility, and allows for easier commuting with it in tow.

The body of the Travelcaster is its most unique feature; it’s nearly half the weight of an actual Stratocaster, it’s drastically shorter than the original, and yet it still features the exact scale length and sonic functionalities.

This is a six-string solid-body guitar that features a poplar body with a high gloss finish painted in the recognizable Surf Green color; it sports a maple neck with a 9.5-inch radius and a maple fingerboard. It sounds just slightly different from the original Stratocaster, but that’s mainly because of the fact that the body was ‘cut’ so as to provide more portability.

The Travelcaster sports 22 medium-jumbo frets and a 25.5-inch scale length, a two-point fully adjustable Fulcrum bridge and a Tremolo block, chrome machine heads, and three ceramic single-coil pickups.

Essentially, this is a perfect guitar for Stratocaster users who can’t afford the extra space; on another hand, if you have a vintage Strat that you don’t want to expose to potential damages, the Travelcaster Deluxe might be an excellent replacement for you.

Stratocaster owners cherish their guitars and are often reluctant to take them unless a high-profile gig is at stake. If you’re worried that your favorite axe might get damaged on a longer tour, we suggest that you check out the slightly modified and drastically more affordable Travelcaster Deluxe. You’ll get similar specs and a massive boon to mobility at a fraction of the price of the original.

4. Journey Instruments Overhead OC520

The biggest-sounding acoustic travel guitar

Many ‘travel’ guitars are there for people who need something to practice on, and most of them don’t actually sound too great. If you are looking for a guitar that is portable and still sounds bigger than life , you might want to see what the Journey Instruments OC520 has to offer to you.

This is a mid-range acoustic-electric travel guitar that sports some of the most unique tonewoods, passive hardware, a durable construction, and light strings that are as easy to play as they are vibrant and rich with tone.

Essentially, this is a six-string classical guitar that features a beautiful natural color with a satin-polyurethane finish; its top is made of strong solid cedar; its back and sides feature pau ferro tonewoods while its neck is made of high-quality mahogany. As far as its natural tone is of concern, it’s pretty neutral, leaning towards both brighter and warmer ends of the tonal spectrum.

It also sports 20 medium-large frets and a scale length of 25.5 inches; the hardware of OC520 is impeccable too; it sports bone nut and saddle, it comes pre-strung with Savarez light-gauge nylon strings, and you’ll even get a complementary backpack bag that can easily fit the guitar along with all necessary accessories.

One of the best things about the OC520 is the fact that its neck is removable ; this unique technology literally cuts down its travel size down in half while still leaving you with the option to reassemble it when you need to play it. Due to its full ‘assembled’ size it produces a much stronger sound. It’s incredibly versatile in terms of sonic performance, and it’s definitely one of the best-sounding travel guitar models available on the market.

To top it all, it even comes supplied with Journey Instruments’ passive transducer that will allow you to wire it up to a guitar amp. This is what makes it so great for both recording and performing live shows.

Travel guitars generally feature modified bodies that help reduce their size and weight, and the first casualty of such a process is the quality of sound. However, this does not apply in the case of the OC520; this guitar boasts a sound that is on a level of its own, and if you don’t want to trade your tone for a bit of extra sturdiness and portability, this might be a perfect guitar for you.

5. Washburn Festival EA20

The best travel guitar for rock and jazz styles

Washburn is the brand that rockers, metalheads, and jazz cats turn to when they’re looking for an instrument. Their guitars are often shaped in a very unique way; they sound a bit darker and stronger, and ultimately, Washburn guitars offer drastically more playability than most guitars in the same price range.

The best representative of the aforementioned qualities is the Festival Series EA20 acoustic-electric guitar. This is one of the best-sounding travel-size guitar models around as it features an eclectic selection of thoroughly refined tonewoods and top-quality hardware.

Let us start with the basics; this is a six-string Mini Jumbo acoustic-electric guitar that rocks a natural color with a gloss finish. Its top is made of select spruce material, its back and sides feature flamed maple, its neck is made of high-quality maple, and its fingerboard is made of engineered wood.

Generally speaking, the Festival EA20 is substantially more robust and durable than an average mid-range guitar, but it also has a richer, fuller sound . Maple, being one of the brightest-sounding tonewoods out there, is the most dominant material in the construction of this guitar; even so, it still boasts a massively versatile level of tonal well-roundedness.

The Festival EA20 features 20 medium frets and a full-scale length (25.5 inches); it also packs chrome machine heads that hold the tune nicely, the exquisite NuBone nut, and the EQ4T pickup system. Last, but not least, the Festival EA20 is also outfitted with D’Addario’s light-gauge .012 strings.

Exotic tonewoods and peculiar, unique shape topped with premium-quality electronics and nearly unparalleled acoustic performance would be the best way to describe the Washburn Festival Series EA20 Mini Jumbo guitar. This is a guitar made for professionals by professionals, although given the fact that it’s available at such a low price, we recommend it to enthusiasts and hobbyists as well.

6. Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric

The most compact electric travel guitar

Typically, musicians turn to travel guitars when they don’t have too much space to spare; while professional musicians travel in big, spacious vans and buses, enthusiasts, and recreational players who do not wish to get rusty after a month of not playing their instrument usually can’t afford such commodities.

If you’re struggling with backpack space and still want to have a guitar by your side, we warmly recommend the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric. This is, without any shadow of a doubt, one of the finest portable guitar models that the market has to offer; it’s not too expensive, it’s a compact guitar with a huge sound, and it’s nearly three times smaller than an actual guitar.

Even though it has a very unique and rather unusual design, the Ultra-Light Electric features tonewoods that are much akin to those that ‘normal’ guitars are supplied with.

This is a six-string electric guitar that rocks a tiny body colored in matte black with a satin finish; it rocks a body made of Eastern American hard maple, a neck made of maple, and a fingerboard made of black walnut. In terms of resonance and overtones, the Ultra-light Electric is bright but fairly adjustable and customizable.

It sports 22 medium-sized frets and a slightly shortened scale length of 24.75 inches; this is what also makes it perfect for people with a bit smaller hands, as well as great for children and teens.

The Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric axe features a fully adjustable tailpiece, a set of closed-gear chrome machine heads, and a single dual-rail humbucking pickup. Additionally, it also comes pre-strung with D’Addario’s EXL110 strings and a complementary gig bag.

This is a pocket electric guitar that is light as a feather and sounds like a caged beast; its playability is impeccable, and it’s definitely one of the most valuable possessions you could take on a tour. Its affordability also makes it an excellent choice for amateur guitarists who want to continue practicing while on a vacation too.

7. Martin Backpacker

The best mini guitar for practicing on the road

If you are looking for a quality guitar for taking on the road, look no further than the Martin Backpacker. This is our choice for the best backpacker guitar, and it’s absolutely perfect for musicians that want to stay in shape while being constantly on the move.

This is an exquisite guitar in terms of body shape, which is called ‘Backpacker’ after the instrument itself. It packs 15 frets and rocks shortened sides, allowing you to stuff this guitar in an actual backpack, whereas most standard guitars wouldn’t be able to fit, even in the largest of backpacks (with exception of huge cases and containers).

While the biggest and most obvious benefit of having this guitar is its portability, it also has a couple of downsides to it; namely, it’s made of hardwood for the most part, which is not the best-sounding tonewood per se. On a bit brighter note, its top is made of spruce and its back and sides are built from mahogany, so it’s not necessarily a bad-sounding guitar – it’s just that it isn’t as versatile as standard-sized and standard-shaped models.

Another interesting thing about the Martin Backpacker is the peculiar design of the fingerboard; it has only 15 frets, and the inlays are only on the 5th and 12th frets. Its scale length is also obviously shorter, measuring 24 inches.

Contrary to what most people might think of after seeing such a petite guitar, the Backpacker is actually very durable; as we’ve mentioned earlier, it’s mostly made from hardwood materials, which are known for their impeccable robustness.

Hardware-wise, the Backpacker rocks chrome machine heads with ultra-small knobs, a Corian-made nut, and it comes pre-strung with Authentic Acoustic bronze light-gauge .10 strings.

Additionally, Martin is including a complementary gig bag free of charge, which can be used to store both the Backpacker guitar and all the guitar accessories you might need for the road.

Although the Martin Backpacker might not be your go-to instrument for a gig, it’s an excellent (and a rather cheap) choice for people who want to keep their chops up while on the road. Regardless of whether you’re a veteran or if you’ve just started playing guitar, you’ll find the Backpacker as a helpful tool to improve your techniques and playstyle on the go.

8. Traveler Guitar Redlands Mini

A nice backup option for practice on the road

Next up we have the Traveler Guitar Redlands Mini, which we highly recommend as a backup practice instrument for touring musicians; alternatively, if you’re someone who’s recently picked up on playing guitar and don’t want to damage the one you have at home, you might want to take the Redlands Mini into consideration.

Basically, this is a six-string acoustic guitar with a Travel body shape; it rocks a natural color with a beautiful gloss finish that is somewhat resistant to scratches, so it should be able to endure even the longest runs if it’s in a case.

Luckily, the brand provides a complementary gig bag , although you should keep in mind that it’s not exactly thoroughly padded. If you’re frequently hopping from one place to another, you might want to upgrade to a hard-shell case.

In terms of tonewoods, the Redlands Mini features a mahogany top, black basswood on back and sides, ABS binding, and nato (eastern mahogany) neck. Surprisingly enough, this guitar has a very eclectic soundstage that is drastically more versatile than most entry-level and budget guitars .

The Redlands Mini is a terrific guitar for traveling if you’re on a cash-strapped budget, but its affordability is not the only benefit you should expect from it. The ‘Mini’ hints that it has a ‘trimmed-down’ body, and that the tonewoods it comes outfitted with complement its size by making the body both light and durable .

This acoustic axe also sports 20 medium-sized frets, and a super-short scale length of 22.15 inches, so even the youngest of children and teens, and obviously, adults with smaller hands.

Last but not least, let’s have a quick overview of the hardware that the Redlands Mini comes outfitted with; it sports a nut made of phenolic resin, closed-gear machine heads that hold the tune for hours and days, as well as D’Addario’s .011 strings.

Apart from looking uniquely beautiful and elegant, the Redlands Mini also sounds amazing and feels lighter than you’d expect. This is a durable, roadworthy budget guitar that will invariably help out guitarists of all skill levels while their main instrument is not available.

9. Luna Safari Bamboo

The best for traveling buskers and street performers

Buskers and street performers sometimes find that their favorite spots in their hometown have become too small for them; this often leads to them hitting the road; exploring new places on foot is pretty beautiful, but it’s not something you’d want to do with just any guitar. That’s why we recommend a robust, roadworthy guitar such as the Luna Safari Bamboo.

Aside from the fact that this is one of the sturdiest acoustic guitars in the budget price range, the Safari Bamboo actually offers exceptional sustain and resonance topped with great tonal characteristics and a chirpy sound. In fact, you could even use this guitar to record in a studio if you want to, but it sits best in the hands of people who are constantly on the move.

First things first, this is a 3/4 dreadnought six-string guitar that sports a natural color and an elegant satin finish. Just like the title suggests, it’s mostly made of bamboo material , with the only exceptions being the neck (which is made of mahogany) and the fingerboard (which is made of walnut).

One of the coolest things about Luna guitars, in general, is that they typically feature uniquely designed inlays; the Bamboo Safari guitar rocks Mother-of-Pearl Moon inlays that portray different moon phases. It sports 19 medium-sized frets and a shorter scale length of 22.5 inches.

Intonation-wise, this guitar is equipped with open-gear machine heads that will keep it in tune for days, even if you’re playing it non-stop. Additionally, it has a relatively flimsy nut made of plastic, and it comes pre-strung with light-gauge D’Addario .012 strings.

Luna guitars are some of the finest-looking, best-sounding entry-level instruments that offer high value for the money in nearly every case and scenario. The Safari Bamboo boasts a robust, exquisite sound, and the only potential problem you might have with it is relatively flimsy hardware.

10. Cordoba Mini II

A good budget option for traveling under $200

If you’re on the market looking for a classical travel guitar, we advise you to look no further than the Cordoba Mini II. This is one of the finest budget guitars, and it might just be the best travel guitar under $200. This guitar is incredibly light , and the tonewoods it comes supplied with provide a warm, highly controllable tone.

This is a nylon-string classical guitar that rocks a beautiful satin-polyurethane finish and a natural body, although you are free to choose from several different color style options, including mahogany and stripped ebony.

It sports flamed mahogany back, sides, and top, a neck made of mahogany, and a composite fingerboard. Furthermore, it sports a shortened scale length of 22.835 inches and 19 tall and narrow frets.

Just like you would expect out of a classical guitar, the Mini II’s tone is airy, characterized by soaring highs and deep, thumpy lows. Its mid-range leaves some room for improvement, but that does not take away even the slightest chunks of its value since it compensates for it with unparalleled affordability.

Its hardware is, surprisingly enough, pretty great; the Cordoba Mini II features NuBone nut and is pre-strung with Savarez’s proprietary Cristal Corum 500CJ strings that are about as durable as the body of this guitar.

Even though it’s a cheap travel guitar, the Cordoba Mini II brings a myriad of benefits to the table. It’s perfect for new guitar players who are preparing to go on a vacation, but it’s also fun to have even if you’re a professional who likes to compose in-between gigs. Overall, we only didn’t like its presence, but otherwise, it’s a great-sounding entry-level guitar.

Mini travel guitars buying guide

Mini guitars are obviously different from standard guitars, so the general rules of ‘what you should be looking for’ don’t apply in full. This buying guide is dedicated to explaining different criteria that we’ve taken into account while evaluating each of the models in the ‘Reviews’ section, so let’s hop straight to it.

Obviously, the most notable difference between ‘standard’ and ‘mini’ guitars is their size. However, there are smaller than average guitars, and there are models that are as petite that they could almost fit inside a pocket. The question that you have to answer is just how small of a guitar do I need?

Some people struggle with storage space while others simply don’t like the notion of bringing their favorite guitar on the road. In the case of the former, you might want to check out what Traveler Guitars brand has in store; this brand specializes in manufacturing tiny guitars, whereas other brands ‘remodel’ their flagship instruments into smaller, down-scaled versions.

Size affects the weight of the guitar, so ultimately a mini guitar will be lighter than a standard-sized one. However, this is not always the case.

The weight of a guitar is affected by several different factors ; the most impactful and important one is the combination of tonewoods used in the construction process. For instance, koa wood is slightly heavier than spruce, basswood and maple are a bit heavier than mahogany while hardwood and poplar are generally ultra-heavy.

The reason why you should take the weight of the guitar into consideration is that a heavy guitar can easily damage some of the other goodies you’re bringing along. Obviously enough, lighter guitars are a bit easier to play, although there are many players who actually prefer using heavier guitars.

The purpose for which you need a travel guitar plays a key role, just like size and weight. Are you a traveling musician who needs a roadworthy backup or a hobbyist that is simply too hooked onto playing an instrument that you can’t let go of it for a couple of weeks? Are you a traveling performer who needs a quality classical guitar or a guitarist that needs to practice for upcoming recording sessions?

There are many reasons why guitarists search for mini guitars and depending on the answer, your pick will most likely be different.

Boutique travel guitars, such as the Traveler Guitar EG-1 Custom or the Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus are perfect for touring musicians; mid-range guitars like the OC520 or the Travelcaster are excellent warm-up tools while entry-level and budget guitars are generally always welcome.

• The best budget acoustic guitars under $200
• The best cheap electric guitars under $200-300 (great for beginners)

Sound quality

Travel guitars, just like every other guitar type, sound differently depending on their tonewoods and electronics. However, not everyone is concerned with how a mini guitar sounds like. Although it is in your best interest to find a model that sounds as best as it can for the budget you are able to afford, there are scenarios where tone doesn’t matter all that much.

For instance, the Backpacker has all the qualities but doesn’t really excel in sonic performance while Redlands Mini and the Travelcaster are exceptional in this particular field. Once again, you should scale your budget with your needs to keep practicing while on the go, which will help you determine what kind of a mini guitar you need.

Hardware is generally considered as the least expensive component of a guitar unless we’re talking about travel guitars. Mini guitars are usually equipped with specially designed hardware that can keep the tuning up for extended periods of time.

Additionally, hardware pieces of a travel guitar should be a bit more durable than average; all it takes is one sharp turn for the guitar to bump into the side of the car/truck, and one of the machine pegs might be ruined.

Last, but certainly not least, hardware pieces are cheap and easy to order, but this obviously does not apply to people who are on the road. You could always search for guitar shops, but there’s always a chance that you won’t be able to find adequate replacements.

Acoustic or Electric

Essentially, this is a matter of subjective preference. The durability and versatility of a guitar are not conditioned by the ‘type’; rather these are conditioned by the quality of the tonewoods, the level of technologies involved in the manufacturing process, and the skill of the engineers who’ve actually made the guitar.

As a general rule of thumb, you can adhere to the following principle – acoustic travel guitars are generally a bit more valuable because you will otherwise have to worry about finding an amp too. Mini electric guitars do not sound as clear and vibrant when their strings are plucked while they are ‘unplugged’.

The market is not exactly flooded with high-quality travel guitars, so finding models that are universally ‘great’ is not a small task. We hope that you’ve liked our picks and that you were able to find what you were looking for; before you start cherry picking, we also suggest that you take a look at our buying guide, as it could prove to be a very valuable tool for making the right pick.

6 Best Mini Electric Guitars Under $200

There are many benefits to a travel or mini electric guitar. It can go just about anywhere without taking up much space.  And the size alone makes it an optimal choice for beginners, in particular children as it fits their hands far better than a regular-sized guitar.

As there are a number of travel/mini electric guitars, to narrow things down to what may be the best, if not the most recommended, I used a general criteria meant for young, novice guitarists: price, comfort, and simplicity.

A mini guitar designed with age in mind, with 20 frets and ¾ scale for much shorter reach, strings requiring less tension to play, and a wide range of sound. It also comes in many colors so your child can choose their favorite.

When it comes to choosing a starter instrument for your budding musician, you want them to have the best, but you probably don’t want to break the bank.

How to Choose the Right Mini Electric Guitar

There are many factors to consider before diving into the world of mini guitars. Since these are designed mainly with mobility in mind, I recommend not emptying out your wallet for one. Although durable, they tend not to be as sturdy as larger guitars, so you don’t want to pour hundreds of dollars into one. This review intends to help novice, young players that I suspect will move onto regular-sized guitars. Go on and save your money for the bigger ones later on.

Stylish, with great sound, and easy to play, this is one of the lightest full-scale options; over 40 percent lighter than a traditional guitar.

The quality of the sound is quite impressive.

Great option for young ones who are learning to play the guitar.

Able to produce a sound quality that is very similar to my full-size model.

The sound projection that this guitar offers is great for indoor playing.

Give it a louder resonance, but plucking the strings sounds better when you are in an outdoor environment.

3/4 Size Acoustic-Electric available in a few different colors.

Built-in tuner on the guitar as well as a headphone jack that allows you to play without the sound

Still, even though you aren’t shelling out hundreds to thousands of dollars, you should be sure not to sacrifice quality. Look into a few things before deciding to purchase a mini electric guitar.

What Exactly is a Mini Electric Guitar?

A mini electric guitar is a type of travel guitar. Travel guitars live up to their name: they’re portable, compact, and serve as stand-ins for regular-sized guitars. These types of guitars aren’t only electric. They can be acoustic or electric-acoustic as well. Mini electric guitars perform just like the larger ones. Some even have built-in headphone outputs for silent playing. A design like that can be a good idea when in the car with a practicing musician.

Why You Should Choose a Mini Electric Guitar

Now, I know some of you may still be debating on why you should purchase a travel guitar over a larger one when you can get a regular-sized guitar and call it a day. More so, as this pertains to young players, you may be thinking about that cheaper instrument you passed in your local toy store. Choosing a travel guitar over either a larger one or the toy store ones is based on factors such as budget and quality.

To first address toy stores, guitars found there will always be toy-like in quality. If your little one is truly devoted to learning how to play, then you should think about providing for this hobby properly. After all, a hobby can easily transform into a career. Those cheaper, toy guitars are not meant to hold up as well as the real deal. They are low-quality and are not usually dependable.

You don’t want to throw away money at a toy-like product, but you also may want to think about how much you truly want to invest depending on the guitarist and how likely they are to keep up with playing. Larger, more expensive electric guitars can often break $2,000, so for those on a budget, those are typically not on the table to begin with. Although some mini electric guitars sell for hundreds, there are plenty below $200.

Size is another consideration when purchasing a mini electric guitar. The larger instruments tend to not fit smaller hands, which can make for an uncomfortable playing experience. Comfort is key to learning any instrument. Travel guitars are easy to carry and reach around. They can fit in a car or even on a plane. Your young player can take it anywhere from a road trip to heading over to their grandparents’ house.

Some Drawbacks to Travel Guitars

Despite the fact that I personally feel the benefits outweigh the cons concerning these instruments, it is inevitable that something will come with negative traits. One of the biggest negativities concerns overall quality, more so when compared to larger guitars. Travel guitars are just that: travel guitars. Many musicians opt for using them in place of their more expensive gear that they either can’t bring with them or don’t want to damage on the road.

Due to that, mini electric guitars may not be as sturdy as their larger counterparts. It’s rather simple to cycle through them as they can get bumped, scratched, or damaged in other ways when carrying them on the road so often.

Also, it may not always be easy to tune some mini electric guitars. The strings aren’t always the best in terms of quality either. Veteran and beginning players alike can find some frustration in the possibility of less-than-stellar strings and having to re-tune frequently.

Understanding Tuning and Proper Set Up

Regardless of size, not every guitar will sound great from the get-go. It is important to understand not just general tuning, but also how to modify your mini guitar to make it sound as best as it possibly can. This is also an excellent part of teaching novice guitarists how to care for and maintain their instrument.

Here is a great demonstration of a quick set up of a ¾ mini electric guitar:

Be Aware of Accessories

As you decide on which mini electric guitar to choose, be sure to remember the accessories that go along with playing one. To be frank, it needs just about everything you would get for a regular-sized guitar. In addition to fulfilling a necessity, accessories are a good way to personalize the guitar so your amateur musician can feel like the instrument is truly theirs alone. I’ve listed some of the more common accessories to consider:

Case/Gig Bag  – When not in play, it is important to keep your mini electric guitar protected. A secured guitar will not only look better in the long run, but it will maintain its sound.

Straps –   For anyone that wants to stand and play, a strap is a necessity. More so, they are the ideal method for customizing a look and showing off personality. They come in dozens of colors and designs, and they are relatively inexpensive.

Amplifier  – A mini electric guitar can hook up to an amp just like any other electric guitar. Now, although some do come with built-in headphone amps, not all of them are designed with that feature. In that case, you may want to invest in a travel amplifier to keep on-the-go. Over at Musician’s Friend, there are many available with some priced as low as $19.99.

Picks  – Picks are a given as a needed accessory. They are cheap as well, so you can purchase a pack of them in the event young players just so happen to misplace one.

Tuner  – In order for the guitar to have the best sound possible, it needs to be in tune. There’s an endless variety of tuners to choose from designed for each type of play style and artist.

Strings  – It is important that the guitar sounds as best as it can, so you need the right strings. Sometimes, the guitar itself may not have the right ones, so you have to think about replacing them. Also, strings break, so think about buying in bulk. It isn’t something a novice guitarist will understand right off the bat, so consider this accessory on an as-needed basis. Your budding musician will come to learn how to restring in no time.

My Recommendation: Squier Mini Strat Electric Guitar

Credit: Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

In my opinion, the best mini electric guitar for young beginners is the Squier Mini Strat by Fender. This is a mini guitar designed with age in mind. With the 20 frets and ¾ scale, there is a much shorter reach needed. Young guitarists have more comfort with a shorter scale.

TLDR: The Squier Mini Stratocaster is a great budget option for beginners and intermediate players, with some limitations due to its smaller size, but still a good choice for those looking for a portable guitar. It beats the Harley Benson and is worth considering for its affordable price.

Even though it is smaller in size, it still has all the features of a regular Stratocaster. For example, Fender single coil pickups, a five-position switch, and tone controls.

A good budget option for beginners and intermediate players, but the tuners may not be top quality.

It may not be ideal for speed picking, but could be good for those with smaller hands or as a portable option.

Less tension is needed when touching the fret notes. Smaller fingers sometimes cannot produce the pressure required to play notes properly, so this low action design eases that strain for a relaxed playing experience.

Additional convenience is seen with the vintage C-shaped neck profile. This oval-like shape is suited for smaller hands. Along with the thin body and lightweight feel, young ones should have no problem holding and reaching over the instrument.

Another quality I enjoy about the Squier Mini is that maintaining it is made simple. It has a hard tail bridge, vintage-inspired, that provides many benefits for novice players such as the restringing process.

As brought up earlier in the review, it may be necessary to replace the strings on these as they are not always the best sounding and may drop tune from time-to-time. Making that process simpler is a good idea when it comes to players just learning.

The Squier Mini also has a rather nice sound to it, and all in a small package. It uses a traditional three single-coil set up. This gives it a greater dynamic and bright sound. In addition, it has a versatile 5-position switch so you can have an even wider array of sounds to go from. The rosewood fingerboard aids with adding warmer tones.

To go back to the hard tail bridge, that gives the Squier Mini greater sustain as well. Also, the guitar has master volume and tone controls. You can plug in and jam out as you would with larger-scale guitars. If you want to, hear the Squier Mini in action on this short, but comprehensive video ( on YouTube ).

A nice addition to the Squier Mini is the personalization that young guitarists will surely enjoy. At Musician’s Friend, you can find this instrument in either black or Torino red. Amazon has those two colors with the addition of pink. Other places may sell it in colors not listed here, so feel free to shop around.

The Runner-Up: Epiphone Les Paul Express Electric Guitar

Credit: Epiphone

This choice almost tied with the Squier Mini Strat. It landed in the runner-up spot instead due to things concerning quality that I feel doesn’t match up well to it being priced over $100. It can sometimes have intonation issues that can be difficult to fix, especially for beginners. Otherwise, it is close with my top choice.

Fully-adjustable fixed bridge not only adds sustain, but it allows for an easier time changing strings.

The Epiphone Les Paul Express manages to capture the power and sound behind the larger version. It is made in a mirror-like image of the classic Les Paul with the mahogany body. However, the neck is hard maple instead. This change in neck design gives the mini guitar brighter tones. Give the Les Paul Express a quick listen ( video on YouTube ) and decide for yourself if you like the sound.

It also has needed comfort for younger players. The fully-adjustable fixed bridge not only adds sustain, but it allows for an easier time changing strings. String tension has been loosened due to the shorter fret scale, and the recessed bolts that secure the neck makes the upper fret more readily accessible.

The Les Paul Express comes available in either Vintage Sunburst or Ebony.

Other Products to Consider:

Rogue rocketeer rr50 7/8 scale electric guitar.

Credit: Amazon.com

This is a rather decent starting guitar for younger players. It has a master volume control built-in, which is always a nice touch. The body is basswood while the neck is maple. The RR50 is a nice, budget-friendly mini guitar for novice players or even professionals who are in the mood for a compact instrument to carry around.

Remarkably affordable, and it easily combines an excellent module with onboard playing pads.

With the placement of the frets, however, it can have some intonation problems that can make it sound out of tune even if it is tuned. Strings are not the best, but if replaced, the Rogue should play fast and effortlessly. It has some appealing finishes (Wine Burst, Red Burst, Black, and Red), and it even comes with a strap, picks, a cable, and both a carrying and gig bag.

Hofner Shorty Electric Travel Guitar

Since the 1980s, Hofner has been designing the electric travel guitar. Features include a basswood top and back with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. It has good tones and pick up. There are 22 frets, and both the neck and frets are full-scale length at 24.7 in. The overall body of the Shorty is small enough for a young player.

Good tones and pick up.

However, as the neck and frets are full-scale, some smaller children (under the age of eight) may have some difficulty stretching their fingers across the neck. Also, the body may be a bit too compact as you tend to have to use a strap to keep it from moving around. For the price, it makes for a good travel guitar. For the price, it makes for a good travel guitar. It even comes in nice finishes of Blue, Black, or Red.

Loog Electric Guitar 3-String Solid-Body

Credit: Loog Guitars

Out of every mini electric guitar mentioned in this review, the Loog is perhaps the one most designed for children players. It is designed with only three strings so young players can focus purely on scales and understand exactly what they are playing before diving into more advanced work.

Designed with only three strings so c hildren, teens, and beginners players can focus purely on scales.

When you purchase it, you have to first finish building it, which is something parents and children can enjoy doing together. The neck is ultra-slim and the bridge is adjustable to allow for the action to be raised or lower depending on preference. It has a single, clean pickup even if the sound may come across as rather basic. Look-wise, it comes in five colors that children are sure to like.

SX RST ¾ LH 3TS Left Handed Short Scale 3 Tones Guitar

What caught my eye with this mini electric guitar is that it is designed with left-handed players in mind. It is a nice touch, I feel. The body of the guitar is contoured for relaxed playing, and the dual cutaway and solid basswood gives you access to high frets.

As a first guitar for younger players, there isn’t much wrong with the Sawtooth mini electric guitar. For what it offers, it can be worth giving your young, novice player this guitar to try out while they plan for a more high-quality one in the future.

This can be found on Amazon where it also comes with an amp, carry bag, strap, cable, and an instructional DVD. It is just about everything a beginner can want or need.

The amp has a master volume control with a headphone jack so your budding guitarist can practice without disturbing anyone else. Sliding across the fret is smooth as well. It doesn’t exactly sound like a professional guitar, however. The quality is meant for younger players just starting out. Still, it is a rather decent deal considering everything it comes with.

As a recap, here’s the full competition:

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River tram: timetable and route along the Moscow River

Table of contents:, great leisure opportunities, unique water walks, muscovites' favorite - river bus, from the bustle of the city to the bosomnature, excellent information content, the weather is not a hindrance to travel, majestic city through the eyes of tourists, and inalone and with friends, the long history of the tram, the most requested route, work for people, not only for guests of the capital, when a tram brings joy.

2024 Author : Harold Hamphrey | [email protected] . Last modified: 2024-01-17 11:40

Many travel to the huge metropolis, the capital of Russia, to learn more about the city and its many attractions. For some, this is the first time, someone has already been there more than once, but visits the city again, always finding something new and interesting. How can you learn and see better and more in a short stay in the capital? Everyone has their own methods.

Convenience for travel lies in the waterways that run through the city in many places. But the main one, which gave the name to the city itself, is, of course, the Moskva River, which flows for almost 80 kilometers in the very city. The river not only crosses the metropolis from the northwest to the southeast, but also forms some meanders. In the middle of one of the bends, at the very top, is the city center - the Kremlin.

There are many ways for guests and residents of the capital to get acquainted with the sights of the city, see all its beauty and enjoy beautiful panoramas. One of these ways are river walks.tram. This is a unique opportunity, thanks to the independent choice of the route. The trip can last from one to five hours. During the walk you can see all the beauty of the huge city.

For everyone who wants to spend the whole day exploring the city, there is an opportunity to purchase tickets with an unlimited number of landings and landings. This will give a great opportunity to get acquainted with the beauties of the city. Each waterbus route covers a certain number of berths, so it will be easy to see all the sights and capture them on camera.

For many Muscovites, the river bus is the most favorite mode of transport in the warm season. With the onset of spring, from mid-April, this type of transport begins to function. Throughout the summer and until mid-autumn, citizens and guests of the capital can give themselves pleasure - ride a river bus. Fascinating walks take place not only along the Moscow River, but also along reservoirs, along the Canal. Moscow.

Due to the fact that the main artery of the river stretches for more than a hundred kilometers along the city coast, it is possible to see all the beauty of the picturesque areas of the capital. The river bus route along the Moscow River passes by the majestic and unique Moscow Kremlin. You can admire its architectural ensemble and splendor created by great architects.

The river bus will enable travelers to enjoy the most beautiful architectural monuments, learn more about the rich history of the city, and see the unique landscapes of the metropolis. This is always a great opportunity not only to admire the amazing views of the capital, but also a chance to step back from the bustle of the city. Staying close to the city, tourists are alone with nature and history.

Walking along the Moscow River on a water bus will help you not only have a great time, but also get distracted from household chores, work or study. Such walks will give you unforgettable meetings with friends, give you the opportunity to make new, interesting acquaintances, or give you a chance to just be alone, dream and enjoy the most beautiful views overboard.

Get drunk on the fresh air, ride on the water surface, leaving the bustle of the city behind - what could be more pleasant on a warm spring or hot summer day? Such sensations can be given by a river tram along the Moscow River. The schedule can be checked with one of the tour operators or at the river berths. You can also buy tickets for the ride there. For the most accurate schedule information, please visit the website of the Capital Shipping Company.

At any pier, before buying a ticket, you can also find out the tram schedule in advance, and then plan your trip. There will be no difficulties with sending, as the transport runsevery twenty minutes. Almost all trams have two decks, one of which is open and the other is closed. Therefore, any weather will not interfere with an exciting excursion.

In warm, sunny summer weather, it is always nice to be on the open deck to breathe in cool and clean air. If the weather is cloudy and rainy, then it is amusing to contemplate the landscapes passing by, sitting comfortably on the deck closed from the wind and rain. The river bus is great for walking in any weather, especially if there are like-minded people nearby.

Traveling in a tram, even local residents note that a completely different view of already familiar places opens up from the river. No city noise is heard, roads and residential buildings are not visible. A grandiose picture appears before travelers, where churches show all their splendor, illuminating the audience with golden domes. From this angle, the Kremlin wall looks completely different, the monument to Peter the Great is striking in its grandeur.

To see all the beauty, it's worth taking a ride on a river bus in Moscow. The Kultury Park and the Luzhniki sports complex are slowly giving way to the Moscow City skyscrapers. Architectural monuments are replaced by the raging greenery of the park area, each trip will become unforgettable and unique. It is a must to capture these happy moments on camera to remember the great times.

On the way, the river bus stops at all marinas, so it will not be difficult, if necessary, to get off at one of them and visit the place chosen for the excursion. Now more and more often they make fun walks on trams with whole groups of friends, order walks for loved ones or celebrate birthdays and other holidays. Such a solemn moment will surely be remembered by all those present and will impress.

If you look a little into history, you can find out that the first river trams appeared in Moscow back in 1923. They included 70 small boats that could take on board from 40 to 100 passengers. Even before the Great Patriotic War, the most popular routes were from Kamenny Bridge to Zaozerye and from Dorogomilovsky Bridge to the AMO plant.

Already in the sixties, not only urban, but also suburban lines appeared, which were served by high-speed hydrofoil ships. Over time, all Moscow water transport began to engage in excursions and walks. Therefore, it will not be difficult for guests of the capital to choose the best route for an informative and interesting walk.

Looking at the schedule of river buses, you can immediately determine that the most common route is starting from the Kievsky railway station and following to the Novospassky bridge. Transport departs every 25 minutes as in onedirection, and in the opposite direction, from noon to eight o'clock in the evening.

The next most visited route is from the Central Park of Culture and Culture to the Rossiya Hotel and back, here trams depart at half an hour intervals.

The trip from Sparrow Hills to Ustinsky Bridge will be exciting, which will end again at Sparrow Hills. In an hour and a half of travel, you can see amazing landscapes, extraordinary beautythe capital and hear a lot of interesting things from a guide accompanying you along the way. Such trips are remembered for a lifetime by their splendor and originality.

A large amount of water transport is provided by the Capital Shipping Company, but in addition to it, private companies offer river trips, which operate many additional routes. Thanks to this, there are no problems with overloading of trams, and all tourists can safely enjoy their vacation on the river surface.

For guests arriving in the metropolis, it is worth mentioning that there are 16 berths along the entire river. It will not be difficult to get to the right place and see the many sights located by the water, which will look even more majestic.

Muscovites often use waterbuses, as they make life easier for them. Despite the constant construction of freeways, it is quite difficult to travel by car in the city due to constant traffic jams. The metro is also overloaded, and in the warm season, there is not always a desire to go underground. River transport comes to the rescue, which will easily and comfortably take residents to the right place.

The hasty metropolis fades into the background, when you can calmly, sitting in a tram cafe, watch the beauties of the city. Many citizens are happy to go on river walks at night, because it is a real pleasure to see Moscow shining with lights, enjoying not only all its beauty, but also relaxing in a comfortable environment. The lights of buildings, the play of advertising make the city magical and unearthly in the dark.

When the established summer comes, not all residents can go to seaside resorts. River navigation comes to their aid, because moorings are also equipped in the Moscow region. On the shore of the Klyazma reservoir there is an excellent sandy beach, which is framed by a pine forest that helps to keep cool. There are many cafes and shops on the territory, so vacationers go with pleasure to enjoy clean air and a magnificent beach. In order to get to the beach, you need to find out the schedule of river buses in order to get to your vacation without delay.

Fans of fishing can go to the Pestovskoye reservoir, where you can combine fishing with a pleasant stay. Everything here is equipped for a great holiday, not only a beach with shops and cafes, but also a boat station offers its own inventory.

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