Product: Applause AA-10 Voyager
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
10/04/2007
at
08:47pm
by
CampPlucker
Features
:
10
laminated top. plastic back. sturdy neck. regular scale. just what i was looking for. mine is a Korean model. normal (slightly shrunken) Ovation headstock. excellent construction.
Sound
:
9
it's a TRAVEL GUITAR. a small body does not make for stellar acoustics. STILL,..this guitar projects better than any similar guitar i've tried (including the Washburn Rover and the Martin Backpacker).
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
straight neck. good tuners. PINLESS bridge (nice), truss rod, no worries.
Reliability/Durability
:
No Opinion
very sturdy. plastic back is a bonus for a travel guitar. it is more solidly built than any other guitar (of its type) that i've seen.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
trick question.
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
i'd been looking for a TRUE travel guitar for several years. i'm NOT talking about a shrunken dreadnought (ala Baby Taylor/Little Martin). i can only compare this guitar to the Washburn Rover (previously owned) and the Martin Backpacker (previously demoed). this guitar DESTROYS those two in every respect. (1) it is MORE DURABLE with the plastic back. the neck is sturdier also. (2) it PROJECTS better than either of those two guitars. (3) it actually is easier to hold/balance than either of those to guitars. NOTE: it IS an Ovation style guitar but the plastic back IS NOT ROUNDED. it has FLAT edges. it fits in the lap and is easily playable even WITHOUT as strap. (4) it has a PINLESS bridge. who wants to fool with pins if you break a string in a Rocky Mountain campsite? not me. (5) the neck "feels" like a regular acoustic neck (albiet "slightly" Ovation-esque) and NOT like a log (Backpacker) or a cheapo fretholder (Rover). I really like this guitar. I'm gonna toss in a thinline pickup and keep a Boss Micro BR handy for the ultimate in travel adventures. i cannont recommend this guitar AS A TRAVEL GUITAR enough.
p.s AGAIN,..mine it the "Made In Korea" model (not the China version). i cannot vouch for the durability/playability of the latter. cheers.
Product: Applause AA-10 Voyager
Price Paid: US
Submitted
04/27/2001
at
09:17pm
by
Tom Young
Features
:
6
Narrow molded body with (I think) solid top. Older smaller Applause headstock and non-sealed tuners. Made in Korea. Full length scale and nice neck shape (same as my Ovation Celebrity Deluxe) which makes it easy to play. Came with padded bag. I traded a Martin Backpacker for this because the sound is much better and the body shape allows playing without a strap.
Sound
:
7
Sound is bright and a little weak as expected...Good for a travel guitar. Much better than Martin Backpacker.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
6
This is a pretty basic guitar. Action is good. The tuners are cheap, I think newer models of this guitar have sealed Ovation tuners.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
This guitar is very durable. I take it aboard a sailboat for the Summer. It stays in tune under changes in humidity and temp and I don't worry about it.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
No experience
Overall Rating
:
9
I have been playing seriously for a little more than a year, but owned guitars for 20 years. This is just for fun when I travel and it works perfectly. It is especially good because it is so similar to my Ovation.
Product: Applause AA-10 Voyager
Price Paid: US $150
Submitted
12/12/2000
at
02:02pm
by
Pete G.
Email: none
Features
:
8
Great little travel guitar that looks like a canoe paddle. It has a spruce top, and plastic back like an Ovation. Mine doesn't have the standard Applause/Ovation headstock though. Mine has a smaller headstock, which is fine with me. It came with a padded bag, which draws attention when I'm at the airport because it looks like I've got a sawed-off shotgun!
I bought mine in 98 as a factory second. It was a second due to sharp edges on the frets, which I took care of at home with a little sanding and elbow grease.
Sound
:
7
Sound wise it blows away those Martin travelling guitars! It is much louder, and carries farther. As expected for a travel guitar, it has a bright sound, almost mandolin like on the higher notes. You're going to get drowned out if you're trying to keep up with someone playing a dreadnaught, but then again, not to many people would lug a big guitar around with them when backpacking. I've never tried miking it up, but I expect it would be really bright.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
7
The guitar was pretty well set up, and other than the sharp frets, was ready to go. After a year though, the E string tuner began to pull out of its socket. One of the holes for the screws that hold in the tuner was misaligned and the screw pulled out. I fixed it in place with a little wood epoxy and it's held up so far.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
This is one tough little guitar! It has been banged around, crammed into overhead bins on airlines, dropped 15 feet onto granite while in the bag, rained on, survived below freezing temperatures in my car, and been knocked over countless times. It refuses to die. It will go out of tune depending on the climate, but that's to be expected.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never tried to contact them. Pretty good website at http://www.kamanmusic.com
Overall Rating
:
8
I wanted a travel guitar that could keep up with me. I wanted one that was small enough to fit in an overhead bin on an airplane. I didn't want to spend a fortune in case it got lost/stolen/destroyed. This guitar fits the bill. Be sure to get a strap for it, because it is a little awkward to play while sitting, due to the narrow body shape. It's not impossible, but I prefer to have a stap, to raise it up a little.
I would definitely buy another if something happened it. It blows away the other 1/4 size and travel guitars that I tried.
