A guitar is a gorgeous instrument that is a mix of sophisticated and folksy. To make things easier for traveling musicians, guitar craftsmen have come up with the travel guitars – a class of guitars that are compact and easy to travel with. If you want to buy the best travel guitar for yourself or a loved one, then this is the best place to start. We have compiled the best guitars available online in 2023, along with reviews and an expert buying guide as well.
Make your next family vacation a breeze
Travel with your kids now and build amazing memories as a family! Get our book, written by parents just like you, that will guide you all the way.
The Best Travel Guitar for 2023 Review: Key Features, Pros, and Cons
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the number of choices online, don’t worry! To make things easier for the novice musician, we have compiled a list of the 10 best travel guitar models that you can find online. Go through this list and find the guitar that calls out to you!
| Image | Brand | Materials Used | Weight | Type of Guitar | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BEST OVERALL   | Taylor | Sitka Spruce, Sapele, & Ebony Neck Wood | 8 lbs | Acoustic and Electric | Check price |
PREMIUM PICK   | LAVA | Carbon Fiber, HPL, & Phosphor Bronze | 3.7 lbs | Acoustic and Electric | Check price |
BEST VALUE   | Johnson Guitars | Spruce | 3.94 lbs | Acoustic | Check price |
  | Fender | Mahogany & Walnut | 14.77 lbs | Acoustic and Electric | Check price |
  | Cordoba | Mahogany, Spruce, & Rosewood | 1.31 lbs | Acoustic | Check price |
  | Tanglewood | Mahogany, Spruce & Rosewood | 5.29 lbs | Acoustic | Check price |
  | C. F. Martin & Co. | Sitka Spruce, Black Birch HPL, Micarta & Richlite | 4 lbs | Acoustic | Check price |
  | LAVA | AirSonic Carbon Fiber, HPL, & Phosphor Bronze | 5 lbs | Electric | Check price |
  | Martin | Spruce, Mahogany, Hardwood, & Bronze | 5.29 lbs | Acoustic | Check price |
  | Washburn | Spruce, Mahogany, & Rosetek | 4.66 lbs | 4.66 lbs | Check price |
1. Taylor Swift Signature Baby Taylor Acoustic-Electric Travel Guitar
- Body made of solid sitka spruce and sapele
- Fingerboard made of African ebony neck wood
- Dreadnought and ¾ scale cutaway
- 6 strings and 19 frets
We love the Baby Taylor travel guitar, and we think it is the most melodious and best travel guitar that you can find online. The craftsmanship of the guitar is exquisite, the back and sides of the instrument is made of solid sitka and sapele spruce wood. The fingerboard is made of African ebony neck wood. The entire guitar is covered in an attractive matte finish also. With 19 frets, the Baby Taylor is a great starter for budding musicians.
2. LAVA ME 2 Electric-Acoustic Carbon Fiber Travel Guitar
- Body made of carbon fiber composite & HPL
- L2 pickup with percussion effect
- Phosphor Bronze Elixir Nanoweb Strings
Weighing only 3.7 lbs, the LAVA ME 2 is one of the lightest travel guitars available. The entire guitar is made of carbon fiber composites called ‘Airsonic’ & ‘Super Airsonic’. No matter what kind of environment you are in, you’ll be able to give a wonderful performance with this instrument. The guitar comes with FreeBoost, which uses the rear surface of the instrument as its speaker. I was also very impressed with the transparent case it comes in.
3. Johnson JG-TR3 Trailblazer Acoustic Travel Guitar
- Body made of spruce wood
- Fretboard is equipped with 21 frets
- Scale length of 24-¾ inches
- 6 strings and slim profile
If you’re wondering what is the best travel acoustic guitar, then the Johnson JG-TR3 trailblazer is definitely the right answer. This acoustic machine is made of spruce and weighs only 3.94 lbs. It is capable of delivering a very clear and melodious sound with the slightest coaxing. I was also very impressed with the fact that it comes with 21 frets, which makes it easy to play the high notes. The slim design is also something that I liked.
4. Fender CD-60S Dreadnought Acoustic & Electric Travel Guitar with Mahogany Top – Most Beautiful And Stylish
- Mahogany body and walnut fretboard
- Fretboard is equipped with 20 frets
- Dreadnought travel guitar
- X bracing for extra resonances
This is actually one of the most beautiful and exquisite guitars that we have ever seen. Crafted out of mahogany, the Fender CD-60S is a beautiful dreadnought instrument that is tough enough to be a reliable traveling guitar. The fretboard is made of walnut wood and provides players with a decent fingerboard radius of 12”. The guitar comes with 20 frets, making it great for all kinds of melodies. This guitar is perfect for public performances too.
5. Cordoba Mini M – Travel Guitar with Mahogany Body – Most Compact
- Mahogany back and sides & a spruce top
- Rosewood fretboard with 18 frets
- Compact and small
- Matte finish
Weighing a little over a pound, the Cordoba Mini M doesn’t really seem like much. But, a rainbow of melodies appears the moment you strum the strings of the instrument. This gorgeous travel guitar has a spruce top, a mahogany back, mahogany sides, and a rosewood fretboard. It has a rich sound and is the perfect choice for the nomadic musician. The nylon strings are Aquila. This compact little thing can even fit in the carry-on case of an airplane.
6. Tanglewood TW2TS Spruce Top & Mahogany Travel Guitar Bundle – Best for Beginners
- Mahogany back and sides & a spruce top
- Rosewood fretboard with 20 frets
- Comes with a gig bag, a tuner & picksy
- Compact
If you’re a beginner at playing the guitar, then the right instrument can make a large difference in the quality of your music. The Tanglewood TW2TS is the best travel guitar set that we have seen in a very long time. First of all, it comes in a bundle that has a gig bag, a tuner, a strap, plectrums, and a polishing cloth. It also comes with an instructional DVD that would no doubt be very valuable for beginners.
7. C.F. Martin – Little Martin LX Acoustic Travel Guitar – Best for Professionals
- Sitka spruce and black birch HPL body
- Richlite and micarta fretboard
- Powerful sound
This is a compact travel guitar and is the best answer to the question “What is the best travel guitar for professionals?” The Little Martin LX has a black birch HPL and sitka spruce body that lends the guitar a rich and uncompromising tune. When it comes to tone and versatility, there is no substitute for the Little Martin. If you’re a professional looking for a travel guitar for the road, this model is the most obvious choice.
8. LAVA ME PRO 41” Travel Guitar with FreeBoost – Best for Rockstars
- AirSonic Carbon Fiber and HPL
- L2 PRO FreeBoost technology with Turbo Mode
- In-Built Preamp for Powerful Stage Performances
- Plek fret accuracy
We are a huge fan of futuristic guitars, and the LAVA brand has been our constant favorite for a very long time. The LAVA ME PRO is one of the most beautiful and aesthetic travel guitars that we have ever seen. Specifically designed for stage performances, this is the most powerful instrument that I’ve seen. The FreeBoost technology, built-in preamp, and the AirSonic body make it a beast of a guitar. It comes with a Turbo mode as well.
9. Martin – Steel String Backpacker Travel Guitar – Best for Travel Enthusiasts
- Unique design with spruce body
- 24-inch scale for proper versatility
- Comes with sonorous Martin steel strings
- 15 frets on tonewood fretboard
This uniquely designed travel guitar is a lovely instrument. We think that you will fall in love with its unique melody once you get used to it. The contour neck shape of this guitar and the spruce body gives it a very beautiful melody. It is a steel-string guitar, which means that it sounds a little more metallic and acoustic than other guitars. You’ll lose some volume owing to the shape of the instrument, but it’s a very worthwhile buy.
10. Washburn RO10 STBLK-A Rover Spruce Top Acoustic Travel Guitar – Best for Hipsters
- Spruce and mahogany construction
- 18 frets, 6 steel strings and ABS rosette
- Unique design with translucent blue colouring
- Comes with chromatic tuner, gig bag, and strap
This is a beautiful and unique-looking guitar with mahogany sides and back, a spruce top, and a rose fretboard. The translucent blue color of the guitar is gorgeous and is ideal for hipster musicians who want to stand out from the crowd. The fretboard comes equipped with 6 steel strings, an ABS rosette, and an offset dot fingerboard inlay. We think that this is a gorgeous travel guitar that’s ideal for both novice and experienced musicians.
Buying Guide
If you’re new to buying guitars and musical instruments online, then you’re going to need some pointers. Thankfully, our in-depth and comprehensive buying guide has got you covered. Here’s a list of all the things you need to keep in mind if you want to buy the best travel guitar.
Kind of Guitar
What kind of guitar are you looking for? Are you wondering what is the best travel acoustic guitar or electric guitar? The kind of guitar that you’re looking for will play a very important role while you are shopping. If you are just thinking of an acoustic guitar, the Fender CD-60S is a really great choice.
Type of String
The type of string also plays a big role, since it will affect the quality and type of sound that it produces. Nylon strings are widespread, but it’s a good idea to explore different kinds of strings as well. For example, Martin travel guitars come with steel strings. All LAVA guitars have in-built phosphor bronze strings.
Material of the Guitar
Travel Guitars are traditionally light, compact, and easy to carry around from place to place. We would recommend you to pick a material that is durable, lightweight, and resistant to changes in weather. Mahogany, spruce, and sitka spruce are some of the best wood choices for guitars. LAVA guitars are made entirely of carbon fiber.
Manage Your Expectations
Try to remember that a travel guitar is not a proper full-size guitar. These instruments are designed to be much smaller than a traditional guitar. As a result of this, travel guitars usually have a weaker sound as well. However, the guitars that we have listed here manage to provide a powerful sound, despite their size.
Purpose of Your Playing
Lastly, you need to think about the purpose of your playing. Are you buying a guitar for on-stage performances or for personal use? If you’re thinking of a personal use guitar, then the Cordoba Mini M and the Little Martin guitars are the best choices. For on-stage performances, I think the LAVA guitars are perfect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the best travel guitar?
In our opinion, the Taylor Swift Signature Baby Taylor, the Fender CD-60S, the Little Martin and the Cordoba Mini M are the best travel guitars that you can buy online. Despite their compact size, they’ll provide you with a rich, evocative, and mature sound.
Q: Are travel guitars actually worth it?
Yes, travel guitars are a really worthwhile purchase. When you think about what is the best travel guitar, you should remember that these instruments are inexpensive, well-crafted and melodious. If you want a musical companion while you’re traveling, these are a very good investment.
Q: What is the difference between a travel guitar and a regular guitar?
A travel guitar is much more compact than a regular guitar is. In fact, guitars like the Cordoba Mini M and the Tanglewood TW2TS are small enough to fit in airplane carry-on cases. They are also much tougher.
Q: Is the LAVA ME 2 worth it?
Yes, the LAVA ME 2 is a worthwhile purchase. It combines the best of acoustic and electric guitars, and offers musicians the chance to try out the carbon fiber technology as well. If you’re a professional, consider investing in a LAVA travel guitar.
Conclusion
This is basically everything that you need to know before you start to shop for the best travel guitar online. We hope that you’ve found our recommendations useful and we would also like to recommend you to do your own research before you make a purchase. Go through the buying guide and some expert reviews before making an investment. Lastly, we hope that the guitar you buy gives you a lot of joy and sunshine.
