Traveler Guitar Pro-Series

You outta know that stuff already.
2005 us made etc
One single coil one piezo 1 volume for each. toggle switch to have one or the other or a mix of both .
For a guitar of that size pretty amazing.
Comes with a gig bag, stetoscope, lace and a pick.
Cool case candy !

I like the single coil the piezo is weak but interesting mix with the single coil blend.
Drive trought a marshall mini amp ... Amazing stuff.
Master tone would have been great...
kind of noisy like all single coils are.

Obviously a very well made instrument.
I travel with it trough all kind of weather and it barely comes out of tune once in a while.
Fast action . Nice neck.
Set up with acoustic light strings (high e .10)

My intention is to play on the street with it and i think it will do just fine .
I think it is reliable for that purpose .
Bad idea to go a gig without a backup ever...

Send a mail to know what year it was made trough the serial number, got a response within 12 hours .
Nice folks.
Go see a demo on you tube

Playing for 35 years .
Too many gears to mention.
Bought it cuz i 've never seen anything like it and it fit a project i had in mind for a long time.Playing outside on a street corner with a little amp.
It is a real attention getter. Folks are amaze at what i can get from that tiny piece of wood.
I don't agree with bad reviews send by some other users.
It is a great TRAVEL guitar.
Taking out of that context i can understand some of the bad reviews but it is not meant to get on a stage .
It is light, compact, well built, original it sounds great for what it is and it's beautifull.
Some arm rest would have been great cuz when u play while sitting for more than an hour or so it can get painfull.
Put a strap on it when u get tired.

Covered adequately by others

I'm an acoustic player, so the single-coil pickup holds little interest for me. However, electric players who've tried it liken it to a Squier Strat bridge pickup, unsurprisingly. The piezo pickup is bright and quite noisy. I have used the guitar with a Pandora PX4 just for fun, and the single-coil sounds much better to me than the piezo, but what do I know? I have never played the guitar through an amp. For me, the beauty of this guitar is the ability to take it anywhare and practice acoustic stuff without annoying those around you, and for this the stethophone system is excellent. Not the actual kit supplied, however - the tubing splits easily and the ear piecesare hard and uncomfortable. Go to a medical supplies website and get something better for ??25!

The guitar played perfectly out of the box. It holds tune very well, and its intonation is spot-on. The satin finish is durable and good-looking. There are (after 3 years) no buzzes or extraneous sounds. Excellent!

The knee rest is vulnerable if the guitar is dropped or leant on. Due to the hollows for the electrics, the sides of the rest are quite thin and the screw holes for the dust covers weaken the structure further. Mine broke right through the point where the piezo volume control fits. Fixed with regular wood glue. Otherwise, it's ok.

Never used

For sheer portability and novelty, nothing touches this guitar. It sounds good through the 'phones, and is potentially gig-able as an electric. I'm an airline pilot and I take it everywhere - and several of my colleagues have followed my example. I love it!

Finish and construction solid. Mine stays in tune just fine.

It works perfect for what I need it for, to keep at work so I can practice on breaks and between shifts. Throw a decent set ofearbuds on it, though. I have run it thru a few amps and it's not my favorite thing to do, but that's what I use my others for.

My action was set up by Elderly (they are geniuses). Couldn't be happier.

Feels very solid, I've had it 3 years, not even a hint of trouble.

Playing guitar on and off for 25 years, more intently the last 6 years for church. If it were swiped, I'd get another, naturally. One can never own TOO many instruments!

Not fantastic. It sounds as a tuna can with a guitar neck. The Hofner Shorty for example sounds about 10 times better and cost much less.

The action was allright but it become very high after a while.

The picksups are so-so. The acoustic one sounds pretty bad. The electric one is all right for half an hour playing.

The guitar doesn?t look very sturdy.

I have had it for a year and I am always afraid of dropping it. I think if I would it would bread to pieces..

I wouldn?t use this guitar as a backup guitar.

In my opinion is good only to show your friends that you have too much money to spend on stupids things.

The guitar is designed by an Airforce pilot. That explains lots of the problems...

It stays in tune for about 3 minutes (that if you manage to tune it at all).

Never had to contact them.

Not a fantastic guitar. Pretty badly made and looks very easy to break.

If I were you I would go for something else really.

The guitar sounds "dead". I mean the tone is very dark and muddy and not bright or "alive" at all.

I had had two of these guitars. In the first one the laprest broke in two pieces after about 5 hours use. I sent it back to the company and they sent me a second one with very high action.

This guitar is China made. I would say the wood used to make the broom stick I have in my kitchen is about the same quality than the wood used in this guitar.

I would never use this guitar to play live. Because of the design the guitar is never completely in tune. If I wanted to buy a travel guitar I would never go for this one (lots of other guitar manufacturers are making top instruments for half the price).

The only thing I can say it so so about this instrument. I got a second guitar after the first one broke in two pieces about a month after complaining about it. They were pretty polite too.

I have been playing for about 15 years. I own lots of guitars but I usually play with a SRV Signature Strato. My favourite amp is a Fender BLues deville 4x10.

I would never buy this guitar again if it were stolen (it is a piece of crap really).

I wish I hadn?t spent 500 bucks in this piece of shit.

Made in China. 22 fret 24 x 1 3/4 in Pao Ferro finger board. Satin finished maple body. Stethoscope bell in body allowing attachment of stethophones for silent wire free practise. Single coil and under saddle piezo 3 way pickup selector volume/volume no tone controls. Acoustic style bridge. Detachable lap rest which houses pickup selector and volume pots. Comes with stethophone padded bag and tools.

Quite bright sounding. Takes some knob twiddling to get it sounding good through a valve amp. Sound amazing through a Pandora PX4

Surprisingly good through stethophones.

If it was an ordinary guitar I think it would merit 6 but I'm giving it 9

Very well set up action and intonation perfect. It is a bit of a compromise between an acoustic and electric setup so if you're preference is for electric and wide string bends then the speedster will probably suit better. Sounds good with slide

Rock solid looks like it's built to last. Strap buttons are thumb wheels which hold the lap rest to the guitar. These can work loose

Haven't used them - 3 year limited warranty

Playing on and off 20 years for personal pleasure and others displeasure. I enjoy tradition ragtime and blues finger picking styles through to classic rock. This guitar covers these bases well.

I consider the aria sinsonido and yamaha silent guitars but this is more versatile and packs smaller.

I'd buy it again as it's such a convenient travel companion.

Guitar is a solid piece of Maple. Made in 2003 or 4 Has 22frets. 1 pickup. 3 way selector for adjusting pickup while playing through an amp. For more acoustic, solid, or combo sound. Body style is all it's own being 28" long 8" wide (without attaching arm) and headless as tuners are inclosed in body. In my opinion nothing beats it for traveling. Comes with truss rod adjuster, stethophone for private no battery necessary listening, and carry case with pocket.

In this area the only place that it is weak is in the amplified area. It sounds okay and I have used it for performances but it does have a weak sound due to the single pickup. Through my Marshal amp with some chorus and selector switch set to combo sound on the Traveler you can get decent sound. When you use the stethophone for personal listening it really brings out an acoustic balance. No it is not my Taylor 610CE ltd. But neither is it a Martin travel or Montana travel. I enjoy the sound that comes through the stethopone and even without amplification or stethophone it stills gives enough sound and balanced tune to hear and practice without disturbing anyone. Compared to the two travel guitars mentioned above and in some cases even the Taylor Baby I would want this guitar.

I had it dropped ship to me from the manufacturer in California by 8th Street on line. It was set up perfect. The action is great for playing and seemed to have no flaws.

I think this guitar will service me for the travel aspect for a long time. Everything on it appears to be great. It did have a problem after I had been playing it for a couple of months. See below. But other than that it has stood up to thousands of miles of travel and is still doing what it should

As I mentioned I had a problem three months after I got it. I was playing it for a gig when I begin to get unreal string buzz on the A string. I figured the nut had cracked. Emailed the company received a phone call next day with information on what to do. Shipped it back to them they fixed and had it back within 12 days. They also responded to a couple of follow up emails and kept me posted on when they shipped it back. I think their support was some of the best I have received in a world that sometimes seems to think that support is not necessary.

Also 8th Street.com the place I purchased the guitar were also very outgoing and helpful when I went to purchase this guitar as I was under a deadline for getting it and they went out of their way to make sure I did.

I have been playing for over 35 years. I have played semi-professionally(paid, but not richly if you know what I mean). I have done basically flat picking and some finger picking. I have done Gospel, Christian(every style), country, rock, jazz, and some blues. This guitar is great for practicing and even on occasion performing. I have owned or own a Taylor 610CE ltd (nothing I have ever played compares to this acoustically as far as I am concerned)a Martin Sigma from the 70's that was the greatest til I found my Taylor. Several lower end like Hohner, Harmony, Yamaha, Briarwood etc. Let's face it when you love guitars and have played this long you end up owning and selling or giving away many guitars and amps etc. Of the 3 travel guitars I have owned. This fits my needs and has the sound that is what I wanted for travel.

The only thing this needs if you are going to play it with or for a group is amplification. So it not sit around the campfire, hiking type of travel. But for all other aspects of travel it is the best. So overall rating is base on this.

This is a well, made, innovatively designed guitar nearly perfect for travel. The stethoscope listening system is ingenious but a bit awkward and uncomfortable. But that';s a small price to pay for the extreme portability and playability.

Plyed through the steth, it sounds just like an acoustic guitar. Plyed through a fender acoustasonic amp and using the undersaddle pickup it sounds great too. The single coil is thin, not useful.

It was set up perfectly. Tunes easily and stays in tune. Excellent action. You have to get used to holding it but once you do it's very playable...using a strap for stability helps.

Haven't delt with the company but Musician's Friend managed to send it without the manual or warrabty information. It's 10 days latter and they still haven't sent the material, despite contacting them. Never again...

This model, which has both single-coil and piezo pickups, has been described in detail below. Tuning is, as previously mentioned, somewhat awkward (but so what), as is replacing strings. It is rather clever how the tuners are tucked in where they are. One thing I don't like is the leg rest, which contains two volume controls and a switch to switch between pickups. The leg rest actually has a cable dangling from it that must be plugged into the guitar body, looking a bit slapdash. Still, the guitar is so tiny and yet full-scale--nothing feels nonstandard, unlike other small travel guitars.

As purchased, the sound of the single-coil was too thin. The piezo is thin too, with a crisp sound. I replaced the single-coil with a Seymour Duncan '59er humbucker and oh, what a difference. The '59er has treble too, but with power behind it. I also put much heavier acoustic strings on (13-58). I use a separate preamp to mix the two pickup signals together. My rating for sound is after modifications--before, it would have gotten a 5.

The construction is very good for a guitar of this price. The action is great (meaning low but not too low). I made myself a bone saddle, fine-tuning the action in the process. Relief is quite good. I prefer taller frets, but am living with the little ones. The frets are very even. A volume control in the leg rest went kaput. I don't use the leg rest ever, but don't need it because I use a strap.

Other than the failed volume control, this guitar has been like a rock. It takes strings way heavier than it was meant for.

I called and asked about good choices for replacing the single-coil pickup. I spoke to Corey, who was uncommonly helpful and generous with his time. Truly outstanding.

I've been playing for a few years and have a Gibson Les Paul and a Gibson L-7 (old archtop). I bought the Traveler for entertainment during business travel but have, after modifying it a bit, come to like it so much that I can't bring myself to bang it about in airports, planes, and taxis. I do haul it about in my car, though. What I love about it: it is the smallest full-scale guitar I've ever seen, and it feels plain good to play. What I hate: the leg rest. Lame leg rest aside, though, this guitar is well worth the money.

I bought this in January, I think it's a U.S. made model.
There's enough skinny on here regarding number of frets/switching configurations/etc already on here, if you reall want to know all the details check out their own website.

I play covers in bars & restaurants, quite a heavy gig schedule - normally four nights a week, playing for 2-3 hours per gig. I use this guitar pretty much exclusively, with a Martin Backpacker on the "sub's bench" in case a string breaks.
The Traveler neeeds a decent EQ pedal for live work, with the EQ in place the range of sounds/tones is endless.

I played mine live first day I got it, straight out of the shop and into a gig (with factory strings!!!).
The finish and setup are exemplary.
Intonation is accurate and it holds it's tuning fine (bearing in mind I use capo a lot, this is really saying something).

It's been gigging on average 4 nights a week since January, the haerdwear and finish show no sighne of deterioration.

Haven't needed 'em yet.

Prior to buying this I'd been gigging exclusively with a Martin Backpacker (still take it to gigs as a back-up) I love my Backpacker but The Traveler has a far better sound/feel/finish.
ONE BIG BIIIIIIIGGGG PROBLEM, changing strings takes ages, even replacing one snapped string takes at least 5 minutes, a disaster if you're mid-set, if anyone can suggest a set of replacement tuners that would ease this problem, I'd go out and buy 'em. I love gigging with this guitar but would not risk it without a backup/spare instrument.

This is the Traveler Pro. The neck and body are maple, the fingerboard and bridge are pau ferro. The finish is a natural satin finish. The neck is the same scale as a Les Paul - 24 3/4". Tunes normally. Neck has 22 frets and clay dot markers. There is a piezo pickup under the bridge and a single-coil pickup next to the bridge. A switch allows either one, or both pickups to be active. There is a volume control for each pickup. There is a lap-rest that is held on with a thumbscrew. For travelling you unscrew the lap-rest, flip it around and anchor it in a hole near the top of the body. Easy to do. The lap-rest contains the controls, and is linked to the body with a black shielded wire. You can also unplug the lap-rest from the body, connect a Y-cable, and run it in stereo into 2 amplifiers. Yeah sure. There is a ?stethophone? for private practicing. No batteries required. Comes with a travel bag, 1/8? allen wrench, Stethophone, manual, and second short thumbscrew for strap attachment. Weighs 3 ? lbs. Overall length 27 ??.

Changing strings takes longer than a regular guitar. Duh! It takes a lot of winding to put new strings on because the tuners are geared down quite a bit. If you take all the strings off, the spindle at the end of the body can fall off and all the little black plastic string guide wheels with it. Tuning can be tricky, because your finger can touch the string while you are trying to twist the tuner. Then you pluck the note again and try to adjust without stopping the note with your thumb again. But hey! It?s a travel guitar!

The piezo pickup sounds like an electric guitar pickup, with a lot of presence - very trebly. You can hear your fingers squeak over the strings when you play.
The single coil pickup sounds like a Stratocaster on the bridge pickup. You can blend the two pickups by switching to both pickups and adjusting their respective volume controls. The sound is very bright with a very clean, clear sound. Overall, I am really impressed with the sound. I also own a Stratocaster Plus.

The guitar I bought was new old stock - maybe 3 years on the shelf. It came with 10-48 phosphor bronze strings. I thought the pickups were just okay in the store. When I got the Traveler home I put new Blue Steel 10-46's on it. Big improvement!

As for the ?Stethophone?. I adjusted the sound pressure with the included Allen key (manual explains). I soon had decent volume for practicing. The ear buds should be replaced with something softer.

I brought my tuner to the store with me ? the intonation is bang on! Quality of construction is better than most guitars. It?s made in USA!

The neck shape, action and playability is much a like Fender electric. I like its smaller frets - more vintage style. The pau ferro fingerboard is nice too. Lots of nice grain and a bit smoother than rosewood.

A few people made comments below about poor intonation. The Pro has an acoustic guitar type bridge so it would not be easy to change the setup. Anyways, the setup on mine is right on the money. No buzzing frets either. The guy who said the design is flawed because the action is higher near the bridge does not understand how guitars work. The guy who sent his guitar back to be setup, and still found the intonation out may need to change strings.

The Pro?s satin finish should hold up well without showing bumps and dents easily. The wood is very hard and won't get dented easily either.

Never had to deal with them.

I also checked out the Traveler Speedster. It has a detachable armrest that is about 3 times as thick as the guitar body. Weird! That made it not so comfortable - I kept bumping the inside of my elbow. There were a couple of dead spots on the fingerboard. Also, it has a painted finish, rather than the Pro's satin finish. So I think the finish may not be as durable. The Speedster is made in China, and the Pro is made in USA. I never plugged the Speedster in. Check out www.fender.com (under strings, parts, accessories) for more info on both of these guitars.

I tried a Soloist - this one was licensed and made by Aria. Very cool and it is the same price, but the action was more like an acoustic, rather than an electric. Also made in China. I never plugged it in.

Traveller has been making these for several years and this is not their first version of the Traveller either. If you like Fender electrics you will probably like the feel, action and sound of this guitar. It maybe the best travel guitar available.

The Traveler Guitar company has been bought out by Fender, I believe, so things may have changed, but I doubt it.

This is an update to my previous evaluation, since I still get a few e-mails asking how I have enjoyed my Traveler since originally writing the review. Well, I sold my Traveler on eBay about 18 months ago. It played fine and sounded great. However, there is a MAJOR flaw with the action, and it is inherent in the design: there is no backward pitch to the neck, that is, the neck does not tilt back slightly. Well, the bridge and saddle sit higher than the nut, so that the string action gets higher up as you go up the fretboard. Id est, the strings are the hypotenuse of a triangle. If the neck tilted back, the action would remain even along the length of the fretboard. I don't know if they have ever corrected this problem, and I don't know if the electric's action is better (probably not, but the string tension will be lower). You CANNOT fix this problem without reshaping the guitar: if the neck and body look like a straight board, it will have the action problem. The terrible action is fine if you are just learning, or doing open chords and fingerstyle stuff (the neck is a bit narrow, but overall it is OK). Doing an E7b9 or any other chord from the 7th to 12th frets is quite a chore. So if you play above the 5th fret, avoid this guitar.

Another drawback is the "stethophone", which is basically a stethoscope without the listening bell. It works tremendously well, however the earpieces are hard, and will irritate the ears in no time. I went to medical supply store and replaced the earpieces with much softer ones for about $2.

For travel these days, I use a Jay Turser Baby Shark. It looks hysterical, it has its own battery powered amp, and it actually has halfway decent action up the fretboard after it's been set up properly. It also costs about half what a Traveler Pro does (with gig bag, strap and everything, the Baby Shark goes for about $160 on eBay). Its only problem is the volume switch digs into my forearm while strumming. If I'm going on shorter trips in the car, I take my Danelectro. I play it unplugged or with headphones using a Korg Pandora PX3.

Best advice: try a few things out before buying, especially if purchasing over the internet. There are some great travel guitars out there, but some have some serious flaws in playability or even hold-ability, and your playing preferences might not jive with the design of the guitar.

Sounds great, especially using the stethophone.

Very well built.

Very durable. Great for packing in the suitcase.

Extremely friendly and helpful. My first guitar had the bridge positioned too close to the treble side, so that the High E string would slip off the fretboard when playing sometimes, especially when playing at the higher frets. They replaced it no charge. However, they did harrass the dealer who sold me the guitar, because at the time he was selling them for far below their suggested price. They demanded that the dealer ask me to change the review I had written (seen at the bottom of this webpage) to reflect a high price, or omit it from the review, which of course I did not.

I have played many guitars throughout my lifetime, but this guitar is incredible. I love the fact that it is an acoustic and electric guitar all in one. I have played the Parker Fly's and this is very well constructed. Mine is a 1997 model that was hand made by Corey at the Traveler Guitar Company. It has a maple body with gold Ping tuners, a Shadow Fishman Piezo and a Kent/Armstrong single coil.It also has a maple neck. These guitars are not made in the USA anymore but in China and is distributed by Fender.

The sound is good. I have already used it at a gig and at church. I am contemplating getting rid of my Fender 62 Re-issue Strat and Ovation Balladeer. (I MEAN IT) This guitar does it all. Why would anyone want to lug around a bunch of guitars when you can have one that does it all. The Piezo sounds great and so does the single coil. If anything, just add a Fishman or Boss Equilizer and you will be all set. The Stereo Y connection means that you can run this guitar through both your Acoustic and Tube amps and won't have to un-plug during a performance.

This guitar is well constructed. Solid Maple and a thru-neck. I belive they are contemplating using a bolt-on in the near future. Mine is one piece and the action is great. the only thing I need to do is to tweek it when I use my Capo. The guitar stays in tune and I only have to check it between each use.

As I said above, I am going to make this guitar my MAIN GUITAR during my gigs. (It's also a talk piece) Everyone love to look at this guitar. I feel that most people can't break the tradition of a standard looking guitar and will want to only use this for travel. Personally, I think this guitar is too good for travel.

The Traveler Guitar Company in Redlands, CA. is one of the best companys I have ever talked with. I spoke with Corey and he spent 30 minutes with me on the phone answering all my questions.

I have played just about every type of guitar made, from Fenders to Gibsons, Ovations, Stienbergers and Kramers. I have been guitar since I was 10 and I am going to be 50 in December. This is the coolest guitar I have ever owned. Like I said above, this guitar (although it was designed for travel) is much, much more than that. The single coil can be replaced with whatever you would like to use. You can create more bass by adding a Equilizer. This is a Electric Guitar,an Acoustic Guitar all in one that only weighs 3/1/2 pounds. If you have not tried one, just plug it in and you will see what I'm talking about.

Features as described in other reviews.

Sound is too quiet to get much out of it unplugged, but that is not a problem. Plugged it I am impressed by the pickups. For the price and style of this guitar they really are rather remarkable. I would give the sound an 8 or 9 EXCEPT it sound out of tune. Read on.

Action on mine is a bit too high. The finish is matte, and that made the neck a little slow. I used fine steel wool the smooth the neck, put three coats of finish on the neck (smoothing each one with steel wool) and its much better. My biggest complaint is tuning it. Even an electronic tuner reads a little shaky on this guitar. when I finally get it to what look to be in tune and play, oh say an open "A" chord it is very discordant and out of tune. I sent it back to the factory. They checked the intonation and say its fine. I still have the same problem. Ill send it back to them one more time to try to get this resolved. I would have given theis catagory a 9 because it is very well made, EXCEPT for the tuning problem.

Very durable little critter. Except for the tuning problem.

Customer support is very nice to deal with. They polished up the guitar when I sent it back, replaced the big plastic string rollers to try to get it to tune better, and checked the placement of the bridge for intonation. Problem is its still discordant when played.

I also have an Epi Dot 335, a Fender DG-14S, an Applause, and a Kramer Focus 111S. If I had to save one only it would be the 335. If this were stolen I would buy a Steinberger from MusicYo for about $20 more and have an in tune travel companion.

The other reviews pretty much cover the construction and style of this instrument. Everyone I have shown this guitar to has been greatly impressed.

I play a pretty broad spectrum of 50's to present day rock and blues with a tele and strat through a fender hot rod deluxe with an Ibanez digital delay and Danelectro fabtone distortion pedal. The traveler actually sounds pretty decent with that setup, although that's not why I bought it. If you were playing this guitar and someone heard you from another room, he would probably be quite surprised when he walked in and saw what you were playing . I work 12 hour night shifts staring at monitors all night. I can now increase my practice time quite a bit and still do my job. The only dislike I have is putting strings on it. It takes twice as long as a regular guitar to do this. I think a set of those fender tuners like the ones on my other guitars would be a big improvement in this area - the ones where you can just stick the string down the center post and start winding.

I ordered this guitar without actually even playing one, so I was a little nervous until I got it. That feeling didn't last long when I finally received it. This instrument is very well made and the neck feels very similiar to my fenders as far as playability. It came with 10 - 46 wound g string setup, but I put my standard 09 - 42's on it and the action is great.

You could play this guitar on a live gig, although it would take some getting used to as far as hanging on to it. I would do it for a few songs just to see the audience reaction. I don't think I would use it as a main guitar. As I said before, I bought this guitar for a specific purpose and it fufills that purpose beautifully.

Haven't had any reason to call them yet

If this guitar were lost or stolen, I would definitely replace it. It is the shortest ( 28" ) travel guitar with a standard size neck that I could find. you could take it anywhere with the stethaphone for private practice or a pignose around the campfire to a Marshall stack in a stadium. I have been playing for 35 years and I only wish someone would have invented this sooner.

2001, Made in USA
22 frets
single coil magnetic
piezo under the bridge
bare maple
soft bag
unique stethoscope headset

Piezo pickup provides a bright "acoustic" sound
Original single coil magnetic pickup does not have much punch and, as is typical of a single pickup coil, it hummed.
I replaced it with a Seymour Duncan Lil 59er humbucker (get the one made for the Strat) and it is really really fine!!! It made a huge difference in tone. Highly recommend this mod.

Very nice action! The neck is smooth and fast. Tuners are very good and easy to use once you get used to them. Overall, the instrument is nicely put together and the maple is really hard. The guitar is really portable.

You can strap it on or rest it on your knee. Either way it's very comfortable. It balances effortlessly. A delight to play. I do not use the stethoscope much cause I don't like sticking things in my ears. I play it into a POD with headphones or a Honeytone.

I called about the problem I was having with the mag pickup and they were very helpful and told me about the Seymour Duncan. My only complaint is that they don't use that pickup at the factory but some people prefer single coil pickups and it would add to the price.

I have been playing guitar for 35 years. I also have a Martin D-18, PRS Artist, TommyHawk baby guitar and a Pimentel Classical. I am a pilot so I'm on the move a lot. The Traveler is a keeper.

Others reviews have covered this. This one had maple satin finish, Two pickups, mini switch. Guitar really is kind of ingenious, there really isn't anything out there like this.Tuners are above average, and work well although takes practice to tune (use an electronic tuner). Guitar folds so well, in gig bag, fits easily in overhead and really even under the seat if careful. Gig bag is not well padded but the guitar is made of maple, it would take a pretty good whack. Light and more compact, easier for air travel than my Taylor Baby (although the Baby is totally different). Have been using for air travel because I am concerned that the Baby will get smashed, it is so light.

The sound is bright and a bit thin. With the acoustic pickup there is a relatively full sound which is quite clean. Very good for practicing without effects, particularly if amplified, which allows focus on technique. Match with a Pandora PX2 or PX3, which fit into the gig bag compartment with small headphones and a small cord and you are set regardless of where you are. The stethoscope is fine, and the sound more acoustic like with it, but a bit uncomfortable with time, the Pandora with earbud headphones are far better. I am a Doc and changing the eartips to soft ones helps on the stethophone. There are far better stethoscopes for not much money that would be better than what is supplied. Guitar is in tune to top frets and overall much better than expected for relatively low cost.

The action on the one I chose is excellent, no buzz, but not high. However, I played 8 of these in the store before I found one that was set up right. Some buzzed, some were not true to tone in higher frets, with cacophonous harmonics. I understand there is some latitude for set up with the allen wrenches, have not tried yet. Frets are well polished, the neck is true and comfortable, as good as my 1973 Strat anyway. String spacing is good. Finish good, satin and maple will take punishment and not show. Good for a relatively inexpensive guitar but I was slightly disturbed by variability in the action between the 8 new guitars. Moral: play yours before you buy.

I think this thing is built like a tank. As the others have mentioned, the only design error is that there is a wire connecting the body with pickups to the volume controls, this should have been done with a plug or the volume controls should have been in the body. It will hold up with care but may need replacement over time depending on how you baby it. The finish is tough, and hardware is tough. The electronic covers are gloss plastic, will scratch, would have used matte or wood. Strap buttons? YOu will hold this on your lap most of the time, not really a gig guitar. I tune it each time, it needs it. Have not found problems of the others when using an electronic tuner and coming up from below.

No interaction.

Playing 20 years, 7 guitars. This one is a good one to have, you will use it where you don't use your others. I take it to work and sneak in some practice, you couldn't do that with any of your other guitars. Definitely worth it, would buy another.

The serial number on my guitar starts with 96, so I think it's an older one and not actually the Pro that's now being sold. I got my guitar used for $100.00 through a "right time right place" bit of luck. Mine is MAHOGONY (sorry, I like Mahogony). It was in pretty good shape when I got it except the piezo had a poor quality. I suspect it may have been changed by a previous owner because the ones I play in stores have a super quality piezo sound. I tried replacing with a Dean Markley piezo but really it's the "passive piezo" sound, not that great. (As I mentioned, I like the stock Traveler piezo sound I hear playing them in the stores, and I like how blending piezo and mag pickups can get that nice semi-acoustic 335 sound). I've thought about asked the company to re-fit a new piezo, or myself to install a "Pick Up The World" piezo I've heard so much about. I had much better luck replacing the mag pickup with a Duncan Lil' 59'er. Wow, good move! The guitar really makes my ears do a double-take: the mag signal sounds Gibson-y and killed the rf buzz. The tuning problems others report are defeated once you learn to "tune up from below" and get the strings stabilized. I got this guitar for its light weight and play out with it semi-regularly, especially since the mag pickup swap. I am considering getting it refretted with jumbos and adding locking tuners. I string with Earnie Ball Slinky 11's set (Power Slinkies?) I'm wondering if any other people have fitted their Travelers a bit seriously as I have? Love to hear from you!

The way I got it the piezo wasn't top, but as I mentioned I have listened to them in stores and been pleased with the piezo sound. I think mine will get sorted out. The stock mag sound was ok but buzzy, and I've explained I'm very happy with the mod I made (Duncan Lil' 59'er). I even imagine sometimes that I can hear the mahogony tone (crazy!) I'll be very happy if I end up with matched piezo and mag tones and matched outputs, a real problem with passive piezo and mag outputs. The ones I tried in stores were well balanced that way, so I hope to end up with that too.

High quality parts and construction. Sometimes the funny output jack placement is puzzling, but not a big deal. I'd like a tone control, but I see having seperate volumes really helps blend mag and piezo sound you want.

Very usable and I do take it out, play on stage through Fenders and the like, only rarely do I put it through an effects rig but the Duncan really quieted it down and now I'm not afraid to do anything with it.

Never contacted them that I recall.

I'm happy with it, happier even than the sum of its parts. When I don't have to look conservative or have a trem, I take it when I play out. Really helps since my back has "Les Paul-itus" and this weighs nothing. I might end up getting a refret with jumbos, but only as a luxery.

Same specs as the other reviewers, who've already done a good job on the features.

I'll add that Fender (FMIC) is doing the distribution (it's in their "Frontline" publication), and Traveler is handling the warranty work (if needed).

The neck has that "rolled edge" feel to it too, just like on the American Series Fender guitars (makes it feel comfy, with no fret edges snagging you when you glide your hand along the neck edges, like a "broken in" guitar.

The tuners are good and it holds its tuning well, day-to-day. I've had no trouble getting it tuned up, although it takes more fussing intially, 'till the strings settle in on the rollers around the back of the body. Once tuned and settled, it's very stable.

I like using it plugged into a Korg PX3 Pandora's Box headphone processor. Sounds great!!

The "Stethophone" works well too, and can be adjusted. In mine the high E street was muffled at first, but a little tweaking of the diaphram with the included Allen wrench, as instructed, and it balances good now.

Single coil noise is normal. Doesn't seem like the strings are grounded, but I could be wrong about that. It's a bit noisy but no more than you'd expect from a strat-type pickup.
The piezo is balanced and works pretty well despite being completely passive. Through a piezo pre-amp it should be killer.
The pickups have a stereo plug for separating, which is great, making sound possibilities much more versatile.

If using the passive controls panel, it exits as a mono 1/4" and blends with the onboard volume pots pretty well, though the taper is abrupt.

First class quality. Well setup. Plays very well and is lots of fun.
Nice maple natural finish with a pauferro fingerboard (like rosewood).
Frets are well finished and precision. Nice silky feel.
Really well engineered and executed.

Simple design. Maple hardwood. Good materials, hardware, workmanship.
No worries.
Passive electronics (no batteries).

Nothing much to fail that I can see.

Nice website.

No experience with this company.

43 years experience. Tele's mostly.

I'd replace in kind immediately, even if not traveling.

This really solves the problem of practicing away from home on ANY kind of carrier or lodging.

A great design, well manufactured.

See all of the above for the basics. I appreciated the gig bag with ample compartment and nice padding. This rides a lot in overhead luggage bins and travels nicely. I noticed one of the reviewers complains about tuning. I found that if you follow their instructions, this is very easily tuned. What works best for me is to tune a whole step below where you want to be and slowly tune up.

For my tastes, the sound is kinda thin, to be expected with piezo/single coil setup. It is OK for what I use it for which is practice in a hotel room!

Tremendous for a travel guitar. I played them all looking for a guitar to take on the road and this really plays the best. Very light, well balanced and ultra cool looking.

It says in the literature that it was designed by a retired military guy and it looks it. Very well built, clever little features like combination strap/assembly nuts with knurled grips, nesting arm with electronics, etc.

I can't imagine needing any customer support unless I break something carelessly. The contact info came with my guitar looks complete.

I have a bunch of guitars for different uses and for what this is, it is really great. I never play it except for when I am travelling and have always appreciated it's features, looks and portability. This is a purchase I have been very happy with.

find the features at:
http://www.travelerguitar.com

i really like the sound of this guitar. playing with just the
acoustic pickup is my favorite. it sounds pretty balanced.
i string it up with a high string (aka nashville) tuning.
sounds sweet! sounds pretty good through the stethophone
that came with it too. although that thing is uncomfortable
to me.
you can get some variety from mixing or switching between
the two pickups.
the single coil is a little noisy, but of course that's
typical for single coils. i never have been a fan of them
in the rear position either. too bright for me. i could
do without it on this guitar.
the acoustic pickup is quiet as can be. this is the one
i will use the most definetely.

the guitar was set up great from the factory. the action was just
fine for me. and what most impressed me was that the intonation
is almost perfect. which is VERY rare for a guitar with this type
of bridge and saddle setup.

i think this guitar is definetely reliable. pretty much everying
seems solid. i just wonder how the strap buttons which must
screw in and out when assembling the leg piece will hold up.
i'm going to install one strap button permanently on the bottom
left soon, and i think it will be cool after that.
the cord that goes from the leg rest to the guitar body might
be a concern eventually. but it looks pretty sturdy for now.

they've always been quick to reply and helpful with any questions
i've asked. excellent support for their product!

overall i think this is a really cool guitar! it's a lot more portable
than any other travel guitars i've played, and i would actually
use this thing on a gig. i like the sound and feel of it. it's
a groovy guitar.

things i don't like:
this has got to be one of THE most annoying guitars to change
strings on.
the input for going to an amp is in a weird, kinda hard to
reach place on the legrest. they recommend using an angled chord,
i'm sure that would help, but i don't have one right now. a
standard cord will work, it's just annoying to plug and unplug.
but at least the input is tight. doesn't seem like it's likely
to come loose like the inputs on a lot of other guitars i've
dealt with..
overal, in my opinion it's a good instrument!

I like the combo of the Piezo and single coil pickups. They blend together very well. The Stethophone is the most innovative guitar invention since the Les Paul itself! It is basically a stethoscope with the diaphragm inside the guitar, acoustically amplifying the sound without disturbing others. It sounds much better than I expected! I only wish the stethophone would "plug in" somewhere else. The hose is in the waywhen you paly sitting down.

This little beast sounds better than my squier strat I had. It's kinda quiet when you're not plugged in and you don't want to use the stethophone, but that's okay, because it's a TRAVEL guitar.

This thing was very well built. Feels very solid and sturdy. the cable plugging the pickups into the electronics seems kinda scary, but it'll probably hold up; it looks sturdy.

This thing wasn't meant to be beat up, but i think it *could* take a bit of a beating. My only concern is the external cable which connects the pickups to the electronics. It looks like it might go bad after some years of wear and tear, but it'll probably hold up.

3 Year Warranty. I just got it recently, so I'm not sure about the customer service.

This is in my opinion THE BEST travel guitar. I originally went to the store to pick up a Martin Backpacker to play at work on my breaks, but the owner of the store recommended I check out the Traveler. it cost a hundred bucks more, but it was well worth it! This thing doesn't sound like a 2x4 with rubber bands strung on it like the Backpacker. IF YOU WANT A TRAVEL GUITAR, BUY THIS ONE!

This has already been discussed, so I'll save my comments for later.

The sound is average. The Single coil pickup sounds okay, like a normal guitar (i.e. Squire Strat, Washburn, etc.) but the piezo pickup is darn near useless. It doesn't sound at all acoustic. I wish there was a tone control.

The finish of the guitar is good - no loose screws (though the 'legrest' screw constantly needs to be tightened). Great wood and nice satin natural finish. A note - you CAN NOT TUNE THIS GUITAR. It comes close, but because of the overall design, you cannot tune this guitar. I'm serious.

Herein lies the problem - my guitar quickly developed a lot of hiss to the amp and it buzzes all over the place as well. The strap buttons are very poorly designed, they don't feel right and the strap doesn't sit right on your shoulder. The thing doesn't feel like it's going to break, but I woulnd't gig with it.

N/A

It's a practice/travel guitar, and don't let them tell you different. The thing is IMPOSSIBLE to tune correctly. No pro would use it (Sorry!)

This is a seriously cool guitar. A friend of mine described it as an "electric can-opener." It is definitely striking looking. Nice natural finish. Two volume controls, one for the electric pickup and one for the acoustic, as well as a three-position switch for the pickups, allowing you to use either one alone, or both together. The switch is the only part of the guitar that seems a little less than sturdy, and I'll probably have to replace it in the future.

The sound on this thing is surprising! It is not that loud, but if you are playing a travel guitar, you probably don't want it to go to 11 anyway. The two pickups give you a nice range of tone. What pleasantly surprised me was how great it sounds through the "stethophone!" I hadn't expected this to work well at all, but it gives a wonderful, rich acoustic tone! I really like it! I give it a 10 for sound for what it is- a great sounding travel sized guitar. You're not gonna throw away your strat, though.

Nicely set up; as noted above, the pickup switch is a little dicey.

I haven't had it for too long, but it seems solid and I get the sense that it would hold up well to the rigors of travelling. If you are looking for a travel guitar, this is it!!

haven't dealt with them

I have played other travel guitars, and this is a great one! It is amazingly small and light, and folds up to be smaller and lighter. For all that, it is a very nice playing guitar! You are not sacrificing quality for size and/or weight.

I have lots of guitars, but nothing comes close to this guitar for cool! You have to see one to understand, at http://www.travelerguitar.com This guitar is only 28 inches long, is 5 1/8 inch when collapsed, and weighs only 3 1/2 pounds! The Traveler is made of two pieces of Eastern American Hard Maple in a satin, natural finish, that just rings when touched, and the fretboard is pao ferro. It comes with a custom single coil pickup, a shadow piezo pickup, and a hole for your "stethophone" (see below), which is included. The tuners are down in the body, which makes the weight distribution VERY nice, and the electronics are in a hollowed compartment which helps the guitar resonate. The scale length is a full 24 3/4 inches, and the width of the neck is full size. Another EXCELLENT feature is the collapsible legrest, which also holds the volume controls (2) and the 3-way selector switch. The legrest makes this guitar SO much easier to hold, so you can actually play the thing, and not hold it up with your hands or balance it, like you do the Martin Backpacker

This guitar sounds incredible! Even as a solidbody, it still makes nice tones, albeit not loud ones. That's a key feature: when you're traveling, you don't want to crank your sound about in a crowded area. Especially the annoying cacophony of those tinny little acoustic travel guitars. Instead, you get quality sound through the 2 pickups, both acoustic and electric. But if you're traveling, do you really want to carry around a little amp? No? Then this guitar comes with a "stethophone", somewhat a misnomer, since the Greek word "stethos" means "chest". It's basically a stethoscope without the listening piece (or "bell") that you attach to an outlet on the top of the guitar. The result? No one can here you more than 10 feet away (my wife and kids watch TV right next to me without my horrible playing bothering them), but in your ears you have a Martin dreadnought booming away. Without batteries or electricity (very important if you're traveling in the wild). Too cool!

This Traveler has a nice satin, natural finish. It looks like it just came off your dad's workbench in the garage. It makes me nervous should anything sully it's surface, however. The frets and pickups are very well finished. The overall craftsmanship on this piece is superlative. The action is a little high, even with the incredibly easy action adjustment offered by an indwelling screw and an allen wrench (provided). A quick saddle shave should ease that problem.

This guitar appears well made. It is a new release, and I've owned mine for less than a month. The finish worries me, but thus far I've had no problems. I feel very comfortable taking with me to work (I have down time!), and plan to take it overseas next year. I would even use this as a backup instrument, since it is so small and light.

I've never dealt with the Traveler Guitar company, but as with other small start-up companies trying to build reputations, I'm sure their customer support is responsive and excellent.

If you need a travel guitar for work, travel, or even in your backyard, then buy this one! It is an incredible bargain, considering all its features (ah, now they'll raise their prices). It plays like a dream, with its excellent weight distribution, it's full scalelength and neck width, and it sounds great. No wimpy, anemic sounds while cramming your fingers on miniature frets and narrow strings and trying to hold your guitar in position. Compared to a Martin Backpacker....a joke. It's so light and small, I can take this thing anywhere, even overhead compartments on airplanes. Try that with a Baby Taylor or an Ovation Outbound. It's easier to assemble that a Soloette, and costs half as much. What's not to love?