We guitarists are supremely lucky – we already play an instrument that we can take and play anywhere with us. Let’s face it, drummers already look at us with envy at our relative portability. However, the best travel guitars enhance and refine that concept further to offer the ultimate in portability without compromising on tone and playability. From travel-size stalwarts from Taylor and Martin to fascinatingly unexpected options from Blackstar and Yamaha, there’s something here for everyone.
Whether you’re constantly on the move and need a travel companion to satisfy your musical urges, perhaps your office has to hear your progress with Eugene’s Trick Bag, or maybe you want something a little comfier for the couch. If so, we’ve selected the very best travel guitars for you and they’re a surprisingly varied group – from full-scale electric guitars to 3/4-size acoustic electrics.
There’s a good reason for this variety; a travel guitar needs to be portable, of course, but how it achieves that can be decided by several factors. We’ve taken them all into consideration with our choices for the best travel guitars you can buy right now. You can find our top picks below, and if you need any further guidance, head straight for our buying advice section at the bottom of the page.
Best travel guitars: The quick list
Best overall
1. Taylor GS Mini-e
Despite being released in 2010 the Taylor GS Mini-e is still one of the best implementations of travel guitar design ever. A solid top and excellent pickup make it the perfect travel guitar.
Originally made famous by Ed Sheeran, the Martin LX1E 'Little Martin' carries all the famous build quality and tonal properties of this legendary guitar maker, in a super compact format.
For the nylon string players out there, this fast-playing and unusual-looking electro-acoustic features a removable upper bout, making it easy to transport anywhere.
There aren't loads of options for electric players when it comes to travel guitars, but the Blackstar Carry-On is a fantastic choice. The body is tiny, giving you a 'proper' size neck to play on.
A marriage between ESP and the Traveler Guitar company, this mini metal guitar features locking tuners, an active humbucker, and the distinct looks of a full-size ESP LTD EC-1000.
With its cute colors, tiny build, and fantastic tone, the Epiphone Power Player SG is a great guitar for budding guitarists, whilst also being small enough to go wherever they do.
If you don’t like the Koa’s look there’s plenty of other options
Taylor’s GS Mini was ahead of most of the pack when it launched in 2010, and it still stands up as a masterful design from the company’s design wizard Andy Powers. It’s a benchmark example of a guitar that sounds far fuller than its dimensions – aided by the slight arch of its back. Although over a decade old, due to its continued success, fantastic playability, and many attempted iterations we have honored it as our number one pick.
With spruce and mahogany options proving popular, the Koa stands out for the visual clout of its dramatic figuring. A solid top, layered back and sides, Sapele neck, and ebony fingerboard provide a rich tonal recipe here.
Taylor’s Expression System preamp system (including a handy tuner) and the high-quality included gigbag round out a superb package for one of the company’s best-value models. Left-handed models are available too – yay!
Best acoustic
(Image credit: Press Material)
2. Martin LX1E Little Martin
Arguably the most famous travel guitar of all time
Our expert review:
Specifications
Type: Electro-acoustic
Scale length: 23”
Top: Solid Sitka Spruce top
Back and sides: Mahogany Pattern HPL Textured Finish
Neck: Rust Birch Laminate
Fingerboard: Richlite
Frets: 20
Electronics: Fishman Presys VT
Finish: Natural
Bag included: Yes
Reasons to buy
+
Great pickup
+
Assured Martin build quality
+
Good projection for the size
Reasons to avoid
-
Some may not like the composite neck
A firm favorite of Ed Sheeran – although he has made a move to Lowden in recent years – the Martin LX1E is Martin's pint-sized offering (and one of our top picks for the best 3/4 acoustic guitars), delivering the outstanding built quality you’d expect from the acoustic giant and a quality amplified sound.
This guitar is made with a solid Sitka spruce top and high-pressure laminate back and sides, as well as a composite neck. It may not have the elegant looks of the D-28 or HD-35, but it is incredibly strong and damn near indestructible. This mighty little guitar will undoubtedly handle any of the harsh conditions bestowed upon it.
The best nylon string guitar for silent practice and live tones
Our expert review:
Specifications
Type: Acoustically silent electro-acoustic with onboard effects
Scale length: 25”
Body: Mahogany body with rosewood and maple frame
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Frets: 20
Electronics: SRT pickup system
Finish: Gloss
Bag included: Yes
Reasons to buy
+
Impressive plugged-in sounds
+
Folds down for portability
+
Electric playability
Reasons to avoid
-
Unusual design may be off-putting
The Silent Guitar is an unusual proposition with a detachable frame for folding down. It’s also designed to be plugged in for amplification or via headphones – it makes very little acoustic sound of its own. This has the advantage of quiet practice but the Silent Guitar’s SRT and pickup blend system also shines via a PA or acoustic combo live for surprisingly organic tones to mimic a real acoustic being mic’d.
Its low action and slim neck will suit electric guitar players if they can accept its untraditional looks. The onboard chorus and reverb are reminiscent of the Transacoustic series and further enhance the SLG200N’s usability as a traveling companion.
When it comes to traveling, the SLG200N can be partly disassembled as the bass side of the body screws off. This allows you to slot the guitar in the Yamaha-branded gig bag like you're carrying around a laptop. Easy peasy.
Best electric
(Image credit: Blackstar)
4. Blackstar Carry-On
The best travel electric guitar on this list
Our expert review:
Specifications
Type: Singlecut travel electric
Scale length: 20.7”
Body: Okoume
Neck: Okoume
Fingerboard: Laurel
Frets: 19
Electronics: Mini humbucker
Finish: Gloss black or white top
Bag included: Yes
Reasons to buy
+
Excellent one-piece design
+
Very portable
+
Good tones for practice
Reasons to avoid
-
Pickup lacks a little bite
Blackstar have made a guitar!? Yes indeed, the guitar amp company joined forces with fellow Brits Gordon Smith Guitars on a down-sized electric; 20.7-inch scale with a ukulele-sized body is certainly compact but the result stacks up comfortably well with a full-size neck.
It’s a one piece body and neck design to aid resonance and we really like design touches like the tortoiseshell-like plastic binding and the playing comfort of the matt neck, sides and back. It’s also great to see a coil-split on the humbucker pickup for tonal versatility through an amp – you can even buy the Carry-on as a package with Blackstar’s Fly3 mini amp.
Type: Travel-size electric with built-in headphone amp
Scale length: 24.75”
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Black walnut
Frets: 22 jumbo
Electronics: ESP-designed active humbucker, four-channel headphone amp
Finish: Vintage Black or Snow White
Bag included: Yes
Reasons to buy
+
An acclaimed ESP design in compact form
+
Full scale length
+
Onboard headphone amp
Reasons to avoid
-
No built-in tuner
Another collaboration between two successful guitar brands, Traveler already have a formidable reputation for electric travel guitars and ESP build some of the finest guitars for heavy rock and metal around with its EC series; the LTD EC-1 is the combination of those skills.
The full-scale singlecut model first surfaced in 2016 and is now available in Vintage Black with gold hardware – a Traveler design calling card is to cut down on overall length by placing locking tuners within the body design. The pickup here is an ESP-designed active humbucker, so it’s ideal for higher gain tones and cutting lead work with the inbuilt headphone amp. It even features a bevelled cutaway for higher fret access.
Although Epiphone’s Power Player series has a strong appeal to a young beginner, it also presents a fantastic option for some traveling humbucker bite. The SG variant comes in three awesome finishes – Lava Red, Ice Blue, and Dark Matter Ebony – and the included Epiphone branded gig bag almost begs you to take one on your next trip.
Far from being just another beginner guitar, this SG is equipped with a set of 650R/700T ’buckers which will satisfy any cravings you may have when parted from your beloved housebound axe. Although you’ll have to bring some kind of amplification to utilize the guitar fully, a pocket-friendly headphone amplifier like the fantastic Fender Mustang Micro will have you covered.
The Slim Taper D neck profile and contoured neck heel help with playability, and we found that the string spacing feels natural enough not to mess with our muscle memory. Also, if you aren’t a fan of the slightly off-kilter feel of an SG, there’s a Les Paul variant if that’s more your thing. So, if you’re after a viable travel size option to rock out on the road, check out the Power Players, you won’t be disappointed.
Finish: Dark Red Burst, Natural, Black, Old Violin Sunburst
Bag included: Yes
Reasons to buy
+
Plays like an APX
+
Nice range of colors
Reasons to avoid
-
Feels a little on the cheap side
This is the third entry for Yamaha on this list, but we felt it needed to be included. Yamaha has taken their ever-popular APX and shrunk it down to create the APXT2. This 3/4 sized acoustic is one of the smallest on this list, measuring in at only 34 inches, and will happily fit in most traveling situations.
The onboard pickup is surprisingly good on the APXT2 and offers a tone far greater than the unplugged sound. The preamp also comes with a handy built-in guitar tuner, meaning you don't have to pack any extra gear. The satin finish not only looks great but is very smooth to play. In fact, the whole neck is very familiar, and if you have played Yamaha guitars in the past, then you'll get on with how this feels. It also comes in a range of different colors, just like its big brother, the APX500.
So if you are a fan of the APX series or are looking for a unique-looking travel guitar, then it's worth checking these out.
(Image credit: Lowden)
8. Sheeran By Lowden S03
One of the best cutaway travel acoustics
Our expert review:
Specifications
Type: Cutaway electro-acoustic
Scale length: 24.8”
Top: Solid cedar top
Back and sides: Layered rosewood / mahogany / rosewood / mahogany back and sides
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Frets: 20
Electronics: LR Baggs Element VTC
Finish: Satin
Bag included: Yes
Reasons to buy
+
Made in Northern Ireland with Lowden build quality
+
Great plugged-in sounds
+
Bigger sounds than you might expect
Reasons to avoid
-
Sheeran’s prominent name on headstock may put some players off
Whatever you think of Ed Sheeran’s music, he has great taste in luthier’s. George Lowden actually designed the Wee Lowden travel-size guitar for the songwriter and their friendship blossomed into a full series of guitars in 2019.
The S03 had a refresh in 2021 – the ‘S’ stands for small body and the latest 24.8-inch scale model features a solid cedar top but with a rosewood and mahogany layering at the back and sides this time. An impressively full sound is matched with the quality of the LR Baggs VTC system for plugging in, and with the cutaway design this is one of the best travel-size acoustics for live performance.
Should I get an electric or an acoustic travel guitar?
One of the initial choices you’ll have to make when purchasing a travel guitar is between electric and acoustic. Both have their pros and cons, so deciding what will work best for you is the most important.
With an electric travel guitar, you’ll be able to practice quietly, with the assistance of a headphone amp, so if you don’t want to bug anyone in your vicinity, an electric one may be the better option. Also, it’s far easier to record with an electric travel guitar on the move; if you have your laptop and a small audio interface then hey presto, you can record the next platinum-selling album on your bus to work. However, needing additional pieces of hardware, like a headphone amp, may put people off getting a travel electric. If you want to travel with the least faff possible, an acoustic may be the better option.
Although acoustic travel guitars don’t need additional amplification, they will be slightly deeper than their electric cousins. This depth does come with an advantage, it will project the sound a lot further and you will get a much louder sound out of an acoustic travel guitar.
What makes a great travel guitar?
A travel guitar’s portability can be due to a smaller body, lighter weight and shorter scale (this is the distance from the guitar’s nut to its saddle) but a guitar can still be great for carrying around with you and have a full-scale.
Having said that, acoustic travel guitars tend to have a shorter scale and smaller bodies to be portable, but they will still be tuned and play like a regular guitar. Indeed, the best travel guitars we have selected in this guide all shine for their playability as well as tone so they don’t take much getting used to.
Electric travel guitars can usually plug into guitar amps and PAs but some have their own inbuilt amps to use headphones with, making them all-in-one practice tools.
Can I gig with a travel guitar?
Absolutely, and many acoustic travel guitars include inbuilt pickups and preamps to allow for this. Ed Sheeran is one of the most famous living guitarists on the planet and uses a small-scale travel guitar onstage and in the studio. He likes them so much he’s even got his own series of them now.
Even electric travel guitars designed for headphone practice can be used with amps if you wish, so they could be a great choice for travelling to jams or impromptu gigs with.
What string gauge should I use for a travel guitar?
Due to their shorter scale length, the strings on a travel guitar usually feel pretty slinky and a lot bendier. This can throw some players off, particularly if your playing style includes a lot of note bends or if you’re a little heavy-handed. A way to combat this can be with a heavier string gauge. Heavier strings will compensate for a short scale length and using a set of 0.012s on a travel guitar will feel more like a set of 0.010s on a full-sized guitar. So if you’ve had trouble with super slinky strings on your travel companion go for a thicker set of strings, it should hopefully solve your issue.
How we choose the best travel guitars
(Image credit: Future)
Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar and bass related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best travel guitars available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best travel guitars on the market right now.
Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.
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Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear, while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.
