Guitar on the road

[ukuleleN64]

I live in a Dodge Ram Van, and i play the guitar.

A great instrument to buy for the road is either the martin backpacker guitar (http://www.amazon.com/MARTIN-BACKPACKER-TRAVEL-GUITAR-ACOUSTIC/dp/B0002IL37Y) or (what i have) the guitarlele (http://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha-Mini-6-String-Nylon-Guitalele-106570088-i1809175.gc).

The guitarlele esp. is great for small spaces and can be as cheap as 100$ and get a 20$ year warranty!


Would definitely recommend, you can do a lot with the guitarlele, it's basically a small classical guitar.

A few of my favorite demonstrations

Pachelbel Canon ()
I'm Yours ()

Here's a review video of the Yamaha Guitalele

()

 

[Patrick46]

Oooooo.....I like that guitalele!

I used to carry a guitar in my semi truck with me, but that little rascal would have taken up ALOT less room in my small sleeper then that ful size guitar did. (of course, this was 30 years ago)

LIKE!

 

[caseyc]

I bought a full size Epiphone acoustic guitar recently and had grand hopes of learning how to play it. But I encountered 2 major problems. First major problem is that I simply don't have the room to store the guitar in my van.

Second major problem is that learning the guitar is sure HARDER than I had imagined! Dang, it's not easy plucking those strings with both hands! I ended up storing the guitar at a friend's place. Hopefully one day I can make better use of it.

By the way, those 2 links for Amazon and GuitarCenter don't work for me. Might you have a better link?

 

[user 423]

I might try building a cheap cigar box guitar and hope playing slide would be easier. Who knows, I might make it up to the busker level of expertise and earn a little extra cash.

 

[bobbert]

Pachelbel Canon is awesome!
I've acquired a few guitars in my time, but I always keep gravitating to playing classical guitar.
Matter of fact, I just sold my Ibanez AF55 jazz archtop that I heavily modified (had Seymour Duncan Antiquities). I'm gonna miss her. I sold it to make way for a Kremona Fiesta Cedar Classical .

I also have the Martin Backpacker (Classical, nylon string). I have yet to find any guitar-"purist" to respect it.
Yet, mine rarely goes out of tune, even when I have it sit in my Forester all day.
The wood stinks to high-heaven & makes me gag everytime I play it. But it is playable. I also adjusted the action by grinding down the bridge. No string buzz.

I find that now I have sold my Fender Rumble 350 basshead & 2 custom speakers, I have a little more room in my Forester. I also save battery juice!
Nonetheless, when I quit my job, get rid of my car, I'm prolly just use the Backpacker, and ride my bike around.
*** Do any of you have ideas on how to transport a full-size classical guitar by bicycle?
I really don't want to carry it on my back, nor do I want a pull-behind cargo trailer.

 

[Tinman74]

I used to play guitar but my present musical hobby takes up a lot less room. I usually carry two or more Harmonicas with me. Lots of room, just have to watch I don't misplace them!

 

[Jamo]

I carry my small bodied Martin 0017 acoustic with me everywhere I go but I have the room in my Toyota Dolphin. It sure fun to meet up with people who like to sit around a campfire and jam. Bob, does anybody ever play instruments around your camp at Quartzite?

Also, there are a few "Pasture Pickin'" happenings here in Western Montana. Most are completely free and are held in large back yards or on pastures that are privately owned by acoustic music fans. Many different kinds of rigs show up from big class A rigs to tent campers. Everybody comes to play or just to camp and listen. Some of these gatherings last for a week or more. All the Pasture Pickin' get togethers I've been to are dry camping only but some of the landowners do have water available and a a porta potti. One of the week-long events also has a dumpster. When people provide porta pottis or a dumpster, many people slip the landowner a ten dollar bill, or more, if they can afford it. Heck $10 is pretty cheap for a week of free camping with music and campfires thrown in! You don't have to play any instrument, you just have to be good people. It seems like everybody on this site would fit in just perfectly...

Jamo