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You probably will anyway but
Check the intonation especially the low E
a lot of them are sharp innit
(I like the small yams)
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10-23-2018 12:48 PM
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I took my AR610 to a old time fiddlers jam. This was a usual fiddlers jam with over a dozen fiddles and 2 guitars. The Eastman kept up with the volume of the fiddlers and kept the tempo, the fiddlers loved it. The other guitar player not so much.
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I am really interested in this. Probably not as loud as some, but would solve the travel problem very well.
Originally Posted by backdrifter
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"Travel guitar" vs "keeping up at the jam" are two pretty different issues. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
That's the swiss army knife with the fork and the scissors IMO.
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Old Sigma?
These were Martins made in Japan during the 70s and early 80s, then QCed in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
I bought one new in 1980, a DM-18, with the nice woods from back then - mahogany back, sides, and neck, sitka spruce top, Indian rosewood finger board... The Martin logo is pressed/burned into the main brace opposite the sound hole.
I always thought it sounded great with the same light strings I was putting on my electrics... cut a new bridge and put some bigger phosphor-bronze on it a few weeks ago for the first time... wow, really rings out loud and clear like never before. Almost forty years old and totally solid without flaws, great quality.
I see there are still old ones in fine condition for $400 to $500.
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On the Ovation front I haven't had one intonate sharp or flat. Keeping the string gauge in the recommended range for any fixed bridge guitar is the key. My recommendation is for the US models, not the import Celebrity or budget import Applause versions.
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After doing a bit of reading and researching I ordered a Voyage Air VAMD-02 direct from the company. They also sell on Amazon, Reverb and Ebay. (Amazon does not have the discounted price however.) Thanks to Backdrifter for the rec.
Travel guitar by Voyage Air - as seen on Shark Tank - the guitar that folds in half for easy travel
The ability to travel with it easily on an airplane pushed me that direction. I doubt it will be a volume or tone monster, but should be louder than my Godin. The videos I've watched have a nice sound.
Oh, and in the true spirit of GAS, getting one guitar doesn't mean I won't want another one in the very near future. Maybe an upgrade...
There's a short return window, so I'll see what I think and let you know. Thanks all for advice.
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Those Voyagers are intriguing. Please keep us posted when it arrives. Interesting video Rolly Brown has comparing his Voyager to his "beloved" Martin...they sound pretty much identical.
I bought a Rainsong Parlor guitar a few years ago for travel. In it's padded gig bag (with backpack straps) it fits in the overhead of any plane. If per chance it does get gate checked I would not worry about it . Added bonus I can leave it in my trunk in summer or winter.
The tone is good and it is fairly loud and punchy owing perhaps to the 12 fret design.
Parlor Series 12-fret 6 String Guitar
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My go-to flat top is a Waterloo WL-14 and will continue to be so. Nonetheless, I've been wanting a dreadnaught size guitar and recently bought a used Teton STJ105NT for $150 -- cedar top, mahogany back, sides and neck. Quality build with excellent sound, projection and playability. While I received a better-than-average used deal, they can still be found for around $225. It ain't no Martin or Gibson but it's a good option for a couple of Benjamins.
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Congrats! I think you'll love it. My Voyage Air was plenty loud and had a nice dry mahogany bark to the tone. It would've had no problem keeping up at any jam that I've been to, and I hope yours is the same. I've always said that mine wasn't just a great travel guitar, but a great guitar in general that just happened to fold in half. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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Voyage Air seems to be a small operation but they have good customer service. I had a question about my order and got a call right away from one of their techs. The 04 is identical to the 02 except aged white binding instead of black, and solid spruce top instead of laminate--cost $130 more. He said the sound out the box was very similar, but the solid top would open up more with time.
Of course for travel particularly to humid areas a laminate top might be a benefit.
The only acoustic sizes they have at present are the mini-dread (15/16)--no OM's unfortunately. There's a full-size solid-top dread on Reverb right now. They also have some electrics that look interesting as well.
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I got the Voyage Air guitar this week--the VAMD-02--mini-dread. (02 is the entry level, 04 solid tops and 06 the more expensive cutaways and special materials.) Perfect right out of the box...ALMOST in tune when the neck is straightened out...
Pretty high quality...glossy poly finish on the body, satin on the mahogany neck. Nice warm sound...kind of Tayloresque, not like a big Martin. It seems very well made, though tuners are fairly cheap and the pick guard is thin and single ply. Other than that it looks great. I would say it seems on a par with a Baby Taylor or entry-level laminate Martin.
The case is a bit larger than I expected but will be fine as an airline carry-on. Has a separate compartment for books or a laptop.
Of course the special sauce is the folding neck. Great design that I'm surprised hasn't been used before--hidden hinge joint, as used in high-quality furniture. Virtually undetectable when the neck is in position and the screw tightened.
I was initially regretting my decision to get the cheaper laminate top, but heck it sounds and looks good, and laminate would actually be better for travel to humid climates like Jamaica. (I had an old Goya classical that literally got waves on the top from the high humidity in Atlanta.)
If I like it but want to upgrade, I'm sure I won't have any trouble getting most of my money back.
If you travel a lot and need a convenient quality guitar, check it out.
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Oh 2 other things...the saddle and nut look like they're Tusq not plastic, which is nice.
And yes the Kay on the right is missing a string. It was set for slide--high tension, and the D string broke. I haven't had a chance to get a new set yet (chrome flats on that one).
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Glad to hear that it will work for you. I remember thinking that the case was larger than I expected it to be too, but it easily fits in an overhead compartment and I never had any issues with it. The backpack design of mine was very comfortable as well - I once wore it for hours on end on a trip to Europe.
I travel a lot and am always looking for better solutions for taking a guitar along. Nothing is perfect, but the Voyage Airs have a lot going for them. My top three, in no particular order, have been:
- Voyage Air: The best option I’ve found if you really want a full-scale acoustic. Very portable for what it is, nice sound, reasonable price.
- Blackbird Rider carbon fiber guitar: The best option for an indestructible acoustic travel guitar. Super light weight (under 3 lb) and Almost-full 24.5” scale, nice sound for what it is. Smaller and boxier sounding than the Voyage Air, but satisfying tone. The one to take if you ever need to use your guitar as a paddle. I once dropped mine in a lake while boating. I pulled it out, dried the tuners as well as I could, and kept playing! Expensive, but a really neat and usable travel guitar.
- Steinberger Spirit Pro: This is my current travel guitar. I’d prefer to have an acoustic, but the electric offers a lot of benefits. With a headphone amp I can loop and play with backing tracks. I can and have plugged in and played silently without bothering anyone around me during a layover at the airport. Heck, one time when I was sitting by my family on the way to a vacation, I played for two hours during the actual flight! I travel mostly for work and within the States and I HATE checking bags. The number one reason that this has become my main travel guitar is that I can throw it in my backpack and shove it underneath the seat in front of me on a flight and still put my luggage in the overhead compartment. A full 25.5” scale guitar that is 30” long and fits under the seat. Brilliant. My ONLY complaint is that it is heavier than it should be, and you notice it in a backpack. If it weighed around 4 lb, it would be perfection (for me).
Sorry for rambling! Enjoy your Voyage Air. You now own one of that best travel guitars out there, and may it accompany you on many wonderful trips!
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Check the Yamaha lightweight dreadnaughts.
I checked one out for someone in a music store that a guy was buying
for his daughter a few years back and was surprised that the Yamaha was under $200.
Same model might be higher now but much like the Yamaha Pacifica Electrics- this particular one was Pro Sounding .
Caveat- you have to go to a store that has them and play a few...
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Well, waaay too late to recommend looking for an old "lawsuit" Takamine. I have an F340S (solid spruce top, lam hog back and sides, hog neck). A great playing and good sounding guitar that I've had for 41 years now. I think I paid $200 new, maybe with case; it's about what I see them listed for on Craigslist now. With Tony Rice's death triggering some flattop time, I've been playing it a lot for a week now and jeez it's nice for jazz! Mine has a round-ish top end instead of a sparkly sound which I like. And since it was my first guitar and the only one I had for the first 7 years I played, it just feels like home.
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Wow...old post back from the dead.
Funny to read what you wrote even 2 years ago. My brain was in a slightly different place then.
Makes me think that heaven is where you relive the good moments as you remember them. Hell is where you relive every waking moment exactly as they happened.
Or, as Wilco said, maybe Hell is Chrome.
Anyway, I am always on the lookout for a new guitar, so will keep my eye out for a Takamine.
I still have the Voyage Air, though unfortunately haven’t taken it anywhere lately. One pleasant observation is that when fully deployed and hanging on the wall, it hardly goes out of tune. I’ve had a lot of unfoldable guitars that can’t manage that trick. I kind of wish I had an OM with a solid spruce top, but haven’t COVID-binge-bought it yet.
In the meanwhile, I have acquired a Taylor 500e 12-string which I love. IT has the chiming, boomy sound that I was looking for, and I have taken it to some jam sessions. Everyone oohs and awes over the guitar sound...my playing, well not as much...
Anyway, highly recommended if strumming and singing (off-key) is your thing. At well under $1000, it’s a real bargain as well. I checked out a number of other lower-cost 12-strings, and the Taylor is far and away a more quality product in every respect.
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These gatherings are, in my experience, not about guitar improvisation. When the folkie's aren't singing, they strum louder. And even an18" archtop with .014's. can't overcome several enthusiastically strummed dreadnoughts when playing single note lines. Of course, I did have the last word by switching to saxophone. The 12 string is a good choice I think. Goes with the vibe and flow.
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It is fun to see this thread again. My Ovation observation is they sound loud to the player with wide dispersal from the sound hole because of the curved back and louder than most things to the front. X bracing gives a brighter sound and the A bracing a full sound with warm mids.
On the affordable end I'd second anything by Godin. Seagull, Art and Lutherie etc... I love my beater Folk Cedar.
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Exactly where a brass-bodied resonator excels. Of course you've got to keep it muted the rest of the time, but when it's your turn to take a chorus, just let it ring.... Originally Posted by Spook410
I use a Mudslide with mine, or the stainless steel tube my son custom-made for me.
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Recommandations for Hollowbodies for $600 and under?
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