You want to travel with a guitar and you are not a professional musician. How can you take your music with you and still keep your load light? I’ve been doing this for years and have accumulated a few ideas that you might want to implement.
Whether you are driving or flying or cruising the high seas, taking along your music can be a great way to add to the enjoyment. The scenery can inspire you to write the next hit or just allow you to relax just a little bit more. I’ve mentioned travel guitars in a previous post but there are some details to keep in mind beyond the instrument itself.
Go Small or Stay Home
This should be somewhat obvious but many of us are dedicated to our favorite axe and can’t think of any other that would be adequate. There are many options for smaller guitars that will fit the bill that you should consider. The fact that you don’t have your trusty guitar at your side should not stop you. You are on vacation. Lighten up! Here are some good alternatives:
- Martin Backpacker – surprisingly loud for its size but best used with a strap as it is too small to sit on your lap.
- Erlewine Chiquita Guitar – diminutive electric guitar with a long history. Add a headphone amp start a personal concert for yourself!
- Yamaha Silent Guitar – See through, too! Basically a neck with outriggers to form the frame of a guitar. Easy to play on your lap like a full size guitar.
I have the Aria version of the Yamaha Silent Guitar and the picture above shows the bottom of it where the tuning pegs are located. Aria no longer manufactures them but you can find them used for about half the price of the Yamaha. Before you laugh and move on, consider Lee Ritenour with his Silent Guitar.
Headphones are Cool
Well, they may not be so cool but they sure are convenient when you want to hear yourself with two of the options above! Choose a good quality set of earbuds or headphones. They are going to need to take a bit of beating as they get tossed into your bag. The cheap ones I have bought over the years do not survive the rigors of travel. Further, the compromise on sound isn’t worth it. I figured I could go with less while on vacation but…I can’t and you will find neither can you.
The compromises you are already making going from a full sized guitar to a travel guitar doesn’t need to be accentuated with terrible sound. Do yourself a favor and get a nice sounding set for your ears.
Travel With a Guitar and a Little Gear
If you have an iPad or other IOS device, you can expand to a virtual rig. In the picture above, I have the Amplitube software with an iRig HD interface into an iPad Mini. I also use this on stage in church. This makes a nicely compact rig with an amazing array of options at your disposal. Amplitube Acoustic is free and you get more software when you purchase one of the iRig interfaces such as the iRig 2. The iRig HD 2 is pictured above.
Going with a little gear can allow you to record while you travel or stream yourself live to an audience. How cool is that? We live in a wonderful time for musicians and a great time for guitarists. It used to be only painters and sketchers would sit out on a hillside and create. Now you can, too!
In Conclusion
So, now you have some freedom to move about the world (pandemics notwithstanding) and make music where ever you go. Find your guitar and your muse and get out there! Maybe we will bump into each other on a hillside looking for just the right inspiration.