Well, I'm another refugee from the MR forum, given up waiting for them to sort things. Glad to see so many names I remember as helpful!
Anyway, I'm off on my holidays in four weeks and taking my Hofner Shorty off the wall I rediscovered that it's so neck heavy it's unplayable for me. I can't face taking that on holiday again so I either find an alternative or don't play for a fortnight.
Looking around, the only electric travel guitar that has a standard scale length/tuning, packs small, is light and looks reasonable quality is this
theBone Mosquito. Over £600 is a lot of money for something that will mostly be used when I'm away as I have a two really nice electrics at home already - although as it packs down to hand luggage size maybe that justifies the price. I don't mind paying if I have to but I'd like to know if anyone's played one as it doesn't
look £680 worth.
The alternative are the Traveller guitars but I've heard comments that suggest the quality isn't that great, and anything else starts to look like a 16 year old's woodwork project.
Funnily enough, if I wanted an acoustic there seems to be more choice, but an electric is the way to go if you're in a hotel I think.
Any thoughts?
Comments
I just saw one this afternoon in the sadly-going-down-the-hill Electrohill.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
Plug it into an iPod or iPad with a iRig attachment.
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The main problem with all of these is weight. Even the Pignose is a pound heavier than the Shorty and we have trouble hitting the weight restrictions as it is after packing essentials like the wife's high-tech electric rotating hot brush...
So still looks like the theBone or nowt or packing no spare clothes.
TTony, I've looked at that site before as it seems to have all of the suspects in travel guitars - you'd recommend them as selling decent gear then? There seems to be a no questions asked returns policy which reassures me.
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
That said my latest Steiny is kind of unusual in that although it's got the smaller body it's actually got a bolt on neck (the 'cricket bat' ones are more usually neck thru with the mini Strat ones being the bolt ons) so I could make it even smaller I suppose.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
The comments about the Steinberger are interesting. I wanted once ever since I saw one in the 80s and it was my first choice as an upgrade to the Shorty. The trouble for me was the weight seems to be about 7lbs for the Spirits and still over 6 for the more upmarket ones - just too heavy for the amount of baggage I end up taking for a two week trip. This also counts out the cheap Tele etc. and a screwdriver approach.
So I've decided to splash out on the theBone Mosquito on the grounds it's 4lbs with the gig bag, just over three without and it breaks down and packs small enough for hand luggage. It's a bit of a risk as there's not many reviews on it, but he very nice chap I spoke to (you were right TTony) at Playaway is willing to refund it less postage if I don't like it. He's was as happy to sell me a Traveller at half the price and seems honest enough. What decided me is that ultimately the Mosquito is the smallest full scale guitar packed I can find and about the lightest - trouble is it seems you have to pay for that. There's a gap in the market for someone there I think, as it should be possible to make something similarly small for about half the money.
I'm not a great guitarist by any means but I'll post impressions once I've had a bit of time with it.
Mine's more for when I'm away working to try and keep me out of the bar of an evening..
We like to split a holiday equally between seeing the local culture and chilling. As the wife likes the sun and as I have the complexion of a banker vampire, she sits in the sun, I plug in the Amphones.
Then I start on the local beer and it all goes a bit Pete Tong :-\"
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
Music: https://www.euclideancircuits.com
Me: https://www.jamesrichmond.com