Anyone here tried them, have a strong opinion about them maybe? Did you keep yours or sell it off?
I’m mostly curious about other people’s experience with the long term quality.
I already have a ibanez mikro bass I’ve been learning on for a few months, and I plan to put flatwounds on it in. I’m looking at getting a second cheap af bass just to have one for different style songs. I’m considering picking up one (bass version) off fb marketplace.
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I got a hofner shorty for keeping up practice on the road. My need was basically just for something near a full scale neck that could be tossed in a backpack as carry on luggage.
I would describe the shorty as textbook Stockholm syndrome. It is not comfortable to use until you find just the right position to perch it on your leg. It sounds mediocre to shit plugged in, but i never use it amped so, whatever. The thing is incredibly neck heavy, so in my opinion a strap that connects at the headstock is a must. Also recommend heavy strings if you want it to stay in tune for days at a time. When I’m stuck with it i spend the first day cursing it, second day accepting it, and after that i feel like it’s serving its purpose.
Not sure i would actually recommend it, but if you just want a traveling fretboard for less than 200, it certainly is that.
I didn’t know any better about how to listen for flaws or get a feel for ergonomics, so I ended up buying the“traveller guitar bass for $200. I kinda regret it.
I love how it just sounds different and thumpy, but the piezo pickup it has - it’s sounds so bad on my headphone amp. I can hear my fingers sliding over every millimeter of string, but it isn’t outrageously bad on a regular amp. On a regular amp, I couldn’t tell you why, but I like the sound of my Ibanez mikro bass so much better.
Also, the ergonomics. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to rest the travel bass on a leg sitting down, even with the detachable bar to extend the side of the guitar for lap resting. It’s hard for me to find a comfortable position sitting/atanding
I couldn’t hear the tuning either to judge quality. I found that when you pull backwards on the neck, it bring the string enough out of tune to tell, even by my hearing skills
I don’t know if this translates to the body and weight distribution of yours, but for the shorty the only position that really works (for me of course) is having the thing propped up by the bottom of the body on the thigh opposite of my fretting hand, and keeping a straight back, and keeping the thing leaning forward so that at it is engaging the strap. I think it’s similar to the classical guitar posture, but relying on the strap and the forward lean to keep it in place since there’s not enough guitar body to keep it perched otherwise.
In a similar price range I’d recommend a Steinberger spirit. Very reliable instruments in my experience.
You want a cool travel bass? Check out a u-bass. I got one for my kid, and now I want one so badly.
It has thick rubber strings for that thumpy, almost upright sound.
I tried the rubber strings at a store once, yeeears ago, looking for a cheap bass to get my bf. They sounded amazing, but felt too weird for me. Knowing how sensitive he is, I bet he would’ve said they’re too gooey, lol. I got him a cordoba acoustic bass instead
I set up mine with steel strings for more acoustic volume and tone. They still have a bit of that wobbly flab feeling but it’s much nicer.
They seem like excellent guitars. I have been eyeballing one for some time and the model I was looking at was the acoustic one in the shape of a gibson les paul body. Beautifully designed in my opinion: https://www.travelerguitar.com/cdn/shop/files/MK3NMHSfront_d13e4735-fc75-4446-af4b-e63e34d080e0.jpg?v=1725478770&width=900
Something that I noticed about (that same model) that was on display at the guitar store, however, is that there was a prominent amount of wear/scratching around the bottom hole for the tuner knobs. I’m not sure if this would be an issue for every owner, but it certainly did make that demo look less attractive. Maybe there is some type of protection that could be added to the guitar (scratch plate/custom pick guard)?
As entropicdrift mentioned already, the Steinberger spirit also looks like an excellent option. They seem to be just a little more expensive, though not by much.
Best traveler guitar: six string banjo. Well probed, indestructable, loud, annoying but it’s “traditional” so it gives you the moral high ground to annoy the fuck out of anyone else. Hell, I miss my good old banjo. Learned to pay (somewhat) on a 24h bus trip with 50 other kiids who would remember me forever. I’m not even angry they tried to trick the bus driver into leaving without me in the middle of nowhere. Maybe it’s time to get a new one. And a bus ticket…
