Amigo AMT-10 Backpacker

Made in Romania Amigo AMT-10 Travel Backpacker. Same as the Montana MTG1 (see additional reviews for this guitar). Solid Spruce top. Tear-shaped, lute-like body. Glossy finish. Plastic bridge. Full-size fingerboard. Tuners are low end generic open. Includes barely padded gig bag. I rate it higher because of the solid top and solid feel of the instrument. I deduct points for the very inferior tuners and plastic bridge. The gig bag is a wash -- nice to have for certain applications, but will not give much protection in others.

OK -- In the end, this is why I bought the instrument, plus the convenience factor and novelty. I was intrigued by a backpacker guitar. I tried some Martin Backpackers, which had higher quality woods and tuners. However, I could not get beyond the Martin's anemic sound -- and the high price! The Amigo was clearly better in both departments. I like the "treble-y" sound, reminding me of a mountain (4-string) dulcimer. I have a nice jumbo and a dreadnought if I want the deep bass. Based on a couple of other reviews, I did try putting on nylon strings. Must be personal preference, but I didn't think it sounded like much of an improvement except for adding a very little bass, at the expense of the treble which I liked. I settled temporarily for a hybrid of "EAD" nylon strings and returned the bronze wound lights for the "GBE" strings. I rate the sound NOT as a guitar, but as the unique instrument that it is.

Finish and assembly seems fine. No rough edges on the frets. The neck and headstock feel solid, and appear attached solidly to the body, but I am no expert here. It is an attractive instrument visually. Action was VERY high, almost unplayable out of the box. However, I faced this problem on my full-sized guitars in the past anyway. So I removed the bridge saddle and sanded it down carefully. Now the action is great! The tuners were so poor that it was almost a deal-breaker for me. While the tuners do tune ok, they are not smooth operating, and the shafts of the tuning keys are not rounded at the top, they stick up above the head too high, and they tend to snag on the tight-fitting gig bag. I actually used an old sock to put over the headstock so the guitar would slide in and out of the gig bag better. In my opinion, if the manufacturer just improves the tuners, it would greatly increase its market attractiveness. Based on another review, I upgraded the tuners myself. This also helped with the gig-bag problem. Now, between the greatly improved action and Wilkinson tuners, I like what the end result is. But of course, this is a hobby for me. I like tinkering with instruments, and I didn't mind spending $27 more to upgrade the tuners. I rate the instrument based on its arrival out of the box, and not the improvements I made to it.

This is not designed as a live-playing instrument, but I am curious as to how it would complement an acoustic set. I think it is convenient and portable, and in the end that is a significant reason why I kept it. The finish on the body seems protective enough. The finish on the fingerboard is questionable. The one strap button seems solid.
Don't bother installing a second strap button on the body, as it needs a guitar strap fastened at the neck for balancing the instrument while playing, due to the small body. For my purposes of playing around the house, or taking it on a trip in the car, I think it is durable enough if one is careful. The case is not protective enough in my opinion for air travel luggage racks or true backpacking.

Limited lifetime warranty out of the box. I assume that this no longer applies, as I replaced the original tuners. But like I said earlier, the tuner upgrade was a must for me. I have not needed customer support, so I simply rate the warranty out of the box.

I have been playing almost thirty years, for personal enjoyment and over 20 years live, mainly in church worship. I have had the instrument about three weeks now. I am glad that I have it for the future road trips with the family as, in the past, I did not have room for one of my two full-size acoustics. It is a fun, novelty instrument! If it were lost or stolen, I would consider getting another. But if I had the opportunity I would also like to play a Johnson JG-TR1 or a Washburn Rover steel string for comparison, which I was unable to do this time around. Both of those are higher priced out of the box, however. Like I said, I did try some Martin backpackers and thought the Amigo had better sound, probably due to its rounded tear-shaped body. Its shape, in my opinion, also makes it easier to play than the Martin. My final rating is for this instrument's unique sound, value-price, inclusion of a gig bag, and for its convenience.

Label says Amigo by Loguszo (or something similar, there are some funny (Cyrillic?) or illegible symbols.. the legible portion is Lo_us__). This is a model AMT 10 which is apparently the same as the Montana MTG1. Teardrop shaped body travel guitar with full-size neck. Made in Romania. 19 Frets, solid spruce top, all wood. Because of the body shape, all frets are conceivably usable, although comfortably 15-17 is about about as high as I would normally go. At any rate, it provides much better access to the higher frets than a normal dreadnaught shape would. The fretboard is slightly concaved and slightly wider than the average acoustic.. somewhere between a regular and a classical guitar. Tuners are generic non-sealed.. they work acceptably but could certainly be better. Comes with a nylon gig bag which fits snugly and is not very padded, but provides protection against the elements and has backpack type straps. Guitar has only one strap peg.

I play basic rock/blues rock and for the size of this guitar, it has excellent tone and projection. Strings will buzz and sound tinny IF strummed coarsly or harshly, but with a little care a clear loud sound can be produced, and suprizingly full for the size. Obviously it does not produce as much bass as a full-size, and the sound is generally bright and trebbly, but if played properly it does not sound tinny as one might expect for an instrument of this size and price.

Tuners, bridge, and nut are all cheap but do their jobs well enough and if they arn't good enough then they can be replaced/upgraded... for $60 everything is fine. The body and neck are solid, nice-looking, and sturdy.

This is not a performance guitar, but it is perfect for small groups, road trips, camping, etc. Wood and finish seem quite solid and resistant to scratches/dents, and in the approximately two years I have owned it it has undergone quite a few minor bumps and drops, none of which have ever resulted in any damage, even cosmetically.

As I remember the warranty was 5 years but it was very limited and for the cost/trouble of shipping and the possibility that the manufacturer might not decide the problem was covered I would probably just replace if beyond simple repair.

Been playing casually for about 4 years, also own Ovation Celebrity 026, Goya 3/4 size acoustic, Fender Japan mid-80's 72 Telecaster Thinline Reissue, Epiphone Demon V. Would definately replace if lost/stolen, great value for the money, always nice to have a guitar which can be brought and played nearly anywhere, and sounds great for the size too. Might sound even better with nylon strings, haven't tried them yet. The unique body shape takes a little getting used to, but guitar can be played sitting down in comfort, or even standing up without a strap because it is so light. Without a strap, sitting or standing, the left hand does have to bear some of the weight in any situation so if your playing style involves alot of movement up and down the neck a strap is probably a good idea. The body can be sort of cradled by the right arm. Once you figure out how to hold it it is a great instrument to bring anywhere that a fullsize is inconvienient. For the money it is unbeatable.

Made in Romania, 19 frets, SOLID TOP, teardrop shaped full-scale "backpacker" type shallow body guitar. Beautiful 2-piece neck - mahogany? Came with gigbag that fits like a glove. Open back tuners that are smooth feeling with "lyre" accent. Neck is standard-acoustic feel with medium frets. Overall size is extremely compact while still retaining the full scale. No adjusting the trussrod that I can see, but neck straight as an arrow.

This guitar is meant to be a backpacking type or travle guitar, and would serve those purposes well with it's size and snug gigbag. My wife bought it for me mostly as a practice guitar to grab and play while watching the tube, etc. - but after hearing the sound of it, I'm sure I will be using it on some home recordings also. It has a great "parlor" guitar sound - almost resonator-like when picked near the bridge - to full and mellow when picked at the neck. Great for finger picking. I love the sounds, feel and look of it - very Lute-looking.

The quality is amazing for a guitar priced under $100 - and NOT made in the far east! I can't find any flaws - even the inside of the guitar is finished well. I will want to lower the bridge a bit, but that is standard for any guitar from the factory. The woods used are beautiful.

The guitar seems as though it will wear well, and last.

5 YEAR WARRANTY!!!

I have been playing for 40 years, and own 15 ither instruments including Gretsch, G&L, Rickenbacker, DeArmond, Epiphone. I can't think of anything that I don't like about it - it is extremely comfortable to sit and play - you can hold it like an electric solidbody. I've even seen them for less that my wife paid for it - which I think was a bargain. Half the price of a Martin Backpacker, and I believe with a much better sound. The only thing that might affect the sales is the "Amigo" brand name which sounds a tad tacky. This is a great little guitar - and it comes from a Romanian company that has been making violins and other instruments for years. SOLID TOP!!