Martin Steel String Backpacker Travel Guitar with Bag

This guitar is not a toy.I played the guitar for some thirty years. Most of that time was spent playing on my Guild F-50. Seven years ago, I got married. One year after that, I put the guitar down, and I haven't touched it since. I recently came to the conclusion that I am somewhat a fraction of the man I was when I made music. I decided to bring music back to the front burner. I work in the aviation industry and fly all over Europe - all the time. Carrying luggage is a drag, and there are restrictions regarding size and number. This Martin Backpacker is absolutely the best option available - short of hiring a master luthier to build for me a quality instrument in miniature.After six years away from playing the guitar, skill, theory and creativity have eroded to a level which can only be described as sad.... Now, I've had this Martin Backpacker for just short of one month. It has already been to London, Oslo (twice), Tel Aviv and Dublin. I have no difficulty with carrying and safe stowing. Incidentally, the guitar is quite tough. I joke about it by calling it my "club." I would not want to be hit with it; I can assure you, and here is the relative comment: This guitar sounds pretty damned good - period. Don't expect the sound of an SJ-200 or something. It does serve the ear though - enough to get the job done while forced to be away from your first instrument...whatever that may be. The "job" to which I have just now referred is the task of practicing scales, learning and reawakening lost theory (see Desi Serna), playing (and singing to) a few old songs et cetera. Intonation is exact. It stays in tune. The action is just a bit high above the tenth fret, but this is not really a problem considering the overall benefit the Backpacker delivers. Martin does offer replacement saddle blanks at 1/16th inch increments that can be secured by calling their customer service number found on the documentation included in the guitar shipment. It's funny to hold at first, but you'll figure it out and make it work. Desire and necessity will conquer if you're serious about improving your guitar knowledge (or just plan having fun playing what you have mastered) while you're in places where your big "Super Jumbo" or J-45 shouldn't go.The guitar is not manufactured in Pennsylvania. It is manufactured in Mexico - NOT China...may the saints be praised! The quality is refreshingly very good...I was quite impressed. The instrument comes with an equally impressive, padded, bag-style case that has a shoulder strap and attached pouch about 12x6x2 inches. If "Made in America" is important to you, don't let the Mexico thing turn you away. Hey, that's the "global" thing...I don't much like it, but that's where humanity is headed. At least it's not made in China..., if it were, I would not have made the purchase.Pricing on this is ridiculous. Most places on the web price it at 299 USD. Stay clear of that ridiculousness. Now, I'm not some big fan of Amazon. Sometimes Amazon serves my interest; often it does not. However, I bought my Martin Backpacker from Amazon, and it arrived five days later -- shipping and tax free. I paid 167 USD flat. I've been nothing short of completely satisfied, and the price, in my view, was beyond fair. Like I said..., ridiculous.The documentation supplied indicates that the instrument may be waxed using a paste-style wax. I plan to do the waxing when I finish this month's work schedule and return home. When I am contemplating how the wax might affect the instrument, I get this impression that it could then be submerged in water, removed, shaken and meticulously wiped down..., and it would suffer no appreciable damage. It's a pretty nice little tool - this Martin.On a final note regarding this evaluation: Using only this little Martin, during those periods when not directly engaged in developing my fretboard theory, I have been working on my mastery of one very important instrumental piece which is close to my heart. Nearly one month of playing only the little Martin, the subject of this evaluation, I am quite close to mastery of "Embryonic Journey." It is a track on the old LP "Surrealistic Pillow." Now...how well do you think this guitar serves? [Update: Call me "Jorma Kaukonen"...it's been awhile since I wrote this review, but since I was writing another on a different product, I thought it would be fun to add, here, that I have mastery of "Embryonic Journey." I don't owe this to the Backpacker Guitar...I owe it to hard work, but this little guitar made it possible. Good stuff.]Buy the guitar for yourself.

I get asked how many guitars I own, and the answer is embarrassing. I have many guitars even though I'm not a professional musician. They each have a purpose, much like the Martin Backpacker.I've so far taken this to work to play on my break as a good to way to relax. I've flopped on the couch and played after a long day. I've been on the computer playing games and chatting with friends while fiddling with this guitar.What I'm trying to say is, it's the ultimate portable fits everywhere guitar. Its not going to sound like a dreadnought acoustic guitar. Look at the shape! Instead this is a little guy to throw in the back of the car, drive off, and have a guitar on hand!I will admit, I hated it when I first tried one at a local guitar store and bought a Martin LX1 (which I absolutely love). The thing is, it's not as portable or lightweight as the backpacker. 3 weeks later I'm a proud owner of this guitar and I don't regret it.The guitar does come with a nice padded gig bag and a strap. The strap is absolutely vital as the shape of the guitar and the horrible neck dive make it almost unplayable without it. If you are sitting down, I suggest playing it more like a classical guitar for the best stability, nestled right in-between the legs.If you are looking for a first guitar, look elsewhere. This is a niche guitar.

I've wanted a travel guitar for some time. The price on this item was too good to pass up, so I took the jump. I couldn't be more pleased. Having read most of the reviews, I want to clarify a few things.***You are not buying a full-sized guitar, so realize going into this that the travel guitar will not sound like a normal sized guitar. You don't get the same resonance and the bass tones aren't as rich. This is because you are sacrificing a bit of tone quality for a more convenient travel size.That being said, this guitar sounds INCREDIBLY well for it's size, and I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality and how well crafted the guitar is. The action is low, the tuning knobs are tight, and everything looks and feels solid when you play. I bought both of my kids 1/2 sized guitars for Christmas that were about half the price of this Martin and they look and feel like toy guitars compared to this. The quality of this guitar is Martin, 100%.***Some people complained about the tuning knobs and action. My guitar came just how I like it right out of the box. Each player has a preference, of course, but this guitar suits my needs just fine.***Yes, it's small enough to travel with, but the neck is normal width, so you don't have to tweak your muscle memory when playing it.***The body shape is a bit difficult to get used to, and I can understand how this would be an issue if you've only played traditionally shaped acoustic guitars. But, if you're ever played an oddly shaped electric (I played a Gibson Flying V for years), then the adjustments you have to make to play this traveler are not bad at all. Plus... it's a travel guitar. Compact size is the name of the game.Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase. I waited a long time before pulling the trigger, but I'm so glad I finally did. Many times I've traveled without a guitar because I haven't wanted to check it into baggage claim. This one is small enough you can easily find space in an overhead compartment on a plane. So stoked for my next trip to travel with this little gem.