Silent and travel guitar in plans -any experience?

**rlrhett** · 04-26-2017, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Jonah

It was mentioned already... But it's a bit too expensive.. and I would like to get headless guitar.

I need very compact one.

It is true. I like the one I played so much I wanted to buy one used. Didn't kill myself searching, but was surprised there were no deals to be had. Used ones were rare and not significantly cheaper than new.

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**Jonah** · 04-26-2017, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Takemitsu

It is playable with a strap. It is well balanced I guess since it weight nothing. My main problem with it is the difficulty to stabilize it, this is where the "frame" come into play. I do not plug it because I guess i prefer to imagine how it would sound on a good guitar. Having kids I often play my tele unplugged and I'm used to it.

Thanks

I have a good price offer of used one. If it works I'll get it if not I'll go for aria probably.

As per stabilisation.. I play lutes and baroque guitar.

These instruments , especially lutes, and especially swan neck or archlute are a headache to hold.. the body slides the instruments are never in balance.. and they are so light that it makes it even worse to balance

There are a few ways to fix it
1) using common strap button at the head and at the back side you make a loop and then put a strap throu the loop and sit on it.. it is fixed firmly. The only problem it may be too low depends on personal physics... may need a stool or something.
Note that in thus case yo do not have tobpass the strap over the shoulder it may go just behind your back and still be fixed if you need to lower the neck. Many players use it
2) using the strap under an arm . Basically the same thing with a bit different strapping... Hopkinton Smith today plays like this
3) Massimo Lonardi used it... left leg on right , the lute lies on it or classical stool . The dtrap is only on the back side button. He sits on it to prevent dluding
4) regular strap and a piece of leather or rubber napkin like those that are used in cars desk for phones .. you put it on your breast or belly to fix the instrument. Peter croton cab stand playing archlute like this and have it fixed

**marcwhy** · 04-26-2017, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by Rainer

I own a Frame Works classical guitar from Germany.
Attachment 41897

Not really cheap, but good.
They sell also steel string & 7 string versions.
Many of them come with additional Midi Out.

These are wonderful guitars, but unfortunately not available in the States.

**Jonah** · 04-27-2017, 01:44 AM

These are wonderful guitars, but unfortunately not available in the States.

They are but it's another mentality.. at that price I'd rather buy a flattop or some nice used archtop

**cosmic gumbo** · 04-27-2017, 01:53 AM

The classic Fernandes Nomad travel guitar...built in amp/speaker, headphone jack for silent play. They even make a bass.

**Jonah** · 04-27-2017, 02:13 AM

Most travel brands make bass models...

**mathieu76** · 04-27-2017, 03:29 AM

Check put Hohner shorty. I had to travel by air a lot these 4 past years and it followed me everywhere. It's rugged the Sound is ok. I have a tiny microjack amplifier to use with headphone or even table speakers with so-called twin emulation

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**Jonah** · 04-27-2017, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by mathieu76

Check put Hohner shorty. I had to travel by air a lot these 4 past years and it followed me everywhere. It's rugged the Sound is ok. I have a tiny microjack amplifier to use with headphone or even table speakers with so-called twin emulation

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You mean Hofner Shorty? I checked them too... they are very low price.

**m_d** · 04-27-2017, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by rlrhett

It is true. I like the one I played so much I wanted to buy one used. Didn't kill myself searching, but was surprised there were no deals to be had. Used ones were rare and not significantly cheaper than new.

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True, I sold one (steel-string) a few years back with very little depreciation over an almost five-year period which suprised me. I was no longer travelling so much.
+s impeccable construction, perfect neck, no set up necessary etc.
-s sound thru headphones though electronics have been updated since; the new ones should be better.
Selling it was maybe a little premature, I wanted to use it for late night practice and got a Yamaha THR5A amp which was advertised as suitable for it. It sounded bad on the amp's headphones out and I didn't realize, rather stupidly, that I didn't really need headphones with the THR which is very good at low volumes (it was my first amp in years). Sold both and moved on to a semi-hollow and a THR10C.
But I suppose the Yamaha Silent and a THR amp would be a great travel rig.

**Jonah** · 04-27-2017, 04:05 AM

I am offered now almost new
Aria Sinsonido AS-100C/SPL

at price about 25% less than new. I am really tempted.

It's nylon classical.

Do they have truss rod?

Is it possible to string it steel string or mixed if I want to? (not that I want to do it immediately but just in case...)

**Jonah** · 04-27-2017, 03:24 PM

In one of the reviews I foud that Aria AS-100C has a truss-rod. So theoretically steel strings are also possible on it.

Tommorow is a decision day... three options for used that I found locally: Aria Sinsonido AS-100C/SPL, Traveler Original Escape Nylon, Traveler Ultra-Light Steel...
(price from high to low)

Ultra - Light is the most eeficient an dpractical and really good price (twice as less as Aria)
Since for me it woudl be real travel guitar one of the advantage of the first two guitars that - though they are bigger than Ultra Light - they have bolted necks.. and Ultralight is all solid... sometimes I use low-costers... some of the will not let 75 cm item on board.

I like the idea of Escape, the concept... but I cant help the shape seems to be ugly to me... Could not they just some make it rain-drop or oval or just rounded square?

Aria - the size and the price are two things that make me think... but in all other aspects Aria just seems to be seriously an instrument though being silent and travel.

**JSP737** · 04-28-2017, 12:34 AM

I've had the Traveler Pro series for probably 10 years and while it's well made, I found it hard to hold on to.
About three years ago I got the Traveler EG-2 from their scratch and dent page and I love it. It's plenty small for travel yet substantial enough to sit comfortably on your leg. I'm an airline pilot so I take it on all my trips. Comes with a nice gig bad and easily fits in the overhead compartment, even on small commuter planes. It's very well made with a nice medium thickness, full scale neck. While it has an on board headphone amp, I usually plug it into an iPad and use Amplitube or GarageBand. Very well made. The only downside is it tends to go out of tune due to the friction of the strings going around the back of the body. Not a deal breaker for me though. Traveler Guitar EG-2 (Black) Rosewood / Tortoise

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**mathieu76** · 04-28-2017, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by Jonah

You mean Hofner Shorty? I checked them too... they are very low price.

They are cheap indeed. It is a tool to practice on special occasions. You will never play a gig with it.

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**Jonah** · 04-28-2017, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by mathieu76

They are cheap indeed. It is a tool to practice on special occasions. You will never play a gig with it.

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I don't like that they have th head. I think travel of this type should be headless

**Jonah** · 04-28-2017, 08:43 AM

I tried yamaha classical silent
At the shop...

I did not like it...

The frames are uncomfortable to me
The balance is bad... the head pulls it down maybe arua should be better balance because the tuners are in the body?

The tone is too synth for me...

Did anyone compare it with aria to tell the difference about them?

I am close to pull a trigger for a used aria...
It has practical advantage on yamaha - smaller, detachable neck, truss rod that allows steels...

But the tone? Is it close to yamaha?

**mr. beaumont** · 04-28-2017, 10:31 AM

I have the Yamaha SLG-N. I like it, used it a lot when my kids were little, now I use it a lot in my classroom during lunch and such. I was generously given this guitar by a forum member who had heard I was interested in one, and had one didn't use it. Nice cat.

But I'm not really sure I see it as a travel guitar, even though it certainly could. But I believe mine has replacement tuners because one cracked during travel during the previous owner's travels...so I do think for a real travel instrument, the headless model with recessed tuners are more durable.

As for the sound, I think it's "good enough." It's a little piezo-y, but, I'm not sure what can do when there's literally no body...through headphones it's fine, the reverbs are a little "intense," but useable.

I believe they've updated this model with better electronics recently, IIRC.

**Rob Fletcher** · 04-28-2017, 01:00 PM

I bought a Traveler guitar and almost all the small parts/electronics/even the stitching on the bag broke within a few months. They finally honored (most of) the warranty but I could not recommend their product.

**Papawooly** · 04-28-2017, 01:45 PM

I (5 years ago?) bought the Nylon Sharon Ibsin "Soloette" which I thought I would get good usage out of it,

It sounds OK, however, it refuses to tune...

You can do the "cheap guitar" tune (tune to an A on each string) and it is almost playable...

But it sits unplayed in my garage, in it's nice nylon case.

I suppose I should take it to my local shop to see if it could be setup correctly.... naaahSharon Isbin - Guitars

**Jonah** · 04-28-2017, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Papawooly

I (5 years ago?) bought the Nylon Sharon Ibsin "Soloette" which I thought I would get good usage out of it,

It sounds OK, however, it refuses to tune...

You can do the "cheap guitar" tune (tune to an A on each string) and it is almost playable...

But it sits unplayed in my garage, in it's nice nylon case.

I suppose I should take it to my local shop to see if it could be setup correctly.... naaahSharon Isbin - Guitars

If it does not tune over the fretboard then it's either the frets, the neck curve or the scale...

It seems one of the problems of siloettes and arias is that they use bridge as pickup.... you can adjust the height but you cannot polish it make compensation etc as with bone or platic

**Jonah** · 04-28-2017, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Rob Fletcher

I bought a Traveler guitar and almost all the small parts/electronics/even the stitching on the bag broke within a few months. They finally honored (most of) the warranty but I could not recommend their product.

Finally I went for used aria .. I will pick it up on trip to Germany next week...

I will report as soon as I get it and feel how itworls

**Rainer** · 04-28-2017, 03:00 PM

Have a look at the Brunner Compact from Switzerland:

I was able to try it out once and it really is quite stable in tuning.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 04-28-2017, 03:14 PM

I have a thin line squire telecaster that is my go-to, throw-in-the-car, quiet, unobtrusive insurgent. Not lightweight at all really, but it's nearly perfect for quiet guitar playing with family around , even when we're all watching television etc. The semihollow gives it just that extra bit of volume versus regular electric.

It's mostly a plank and difficult to damage, and I find myself more apt to throw it in the car than I would be with most other instruments, out of concern for damaging them etc. You could take the neck off in a pinch, if you had to. Probably not what you're looking for, but it's cheap and in a short time the Tele neck has spoiled me against almost everything else.

**Jonah** · 04-28-2017, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by matt.guitarteacher

I have a thin line squire telecaster that is my go-to, throw-in-the-car, quiet, unobtrusive insurgent. Not lightweight at all really, but it's nearly perfect for quiet guitar playing with family around , even when we're all watching television etc. The semihollow gives it just that extra bit of volume versus regular electric.

It's mostly a plank and difficult to damage, and I find myself more apt to throw it in the car than I would be with most other instruments, out of concern for damaging them etc. You could take the neck off in a pinch, if you had to. Probably not what you're looking for, but it's cheap and in a short time the Tele neck has spoiled me against almost everything else.

Strat does the same job for me sometimes... But way too heavy for my purposes now.

**Jonah** · 04-28-2017, 05:37 PM

**takku** · 04-28-2017, 06:45 PM

I travel with a Steinberger Spirit. Bought it open box for about $300 maybe 8 years ago. Will definitely take a beating and I pack it in my cabin baggage all the time with the neck sticking out in its gig bag. In the hotel I plug it to my iPhone with iRig HD and AmpliTube. If you use the neck pickup and AmpliTube's Fender amp sims you get a pretty convincing jazz tone. The only negative is that the guitar tends to flop around a bit when played sitting down, kind of like a Flying V or Randy Rhoads. But definitely beats NOT playing on the road.

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