what do you guys think of the Martin backpacker guitar?

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StudioMxpx

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how do they sound..has anyone ever played one? i need somethign to practie on during my breaks and lunch breaks at my work..is this the solution? hows the tone?
 
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The one that I played sucked very badly. It was like trying to play a 2x4 with strings and that's about what it sounded like.
 
I have the steel string one. It's kind of fun to have for travelling and stuff because it doesn't take up much space. It is well built and the setup and intonation from the factory were spot-on. The sound is not great, though. It sounds much more like a banjo than a guitar (due to the small sound chamber and light strings). It is also very hard to hold due to the weird shape (you have to use the strap). If you just want something lightweight for diddling around on, it's not bad. For serious playing or recording, it's not the best. I have used it on a couple of tracks for a more plunky banjo-like sound, which can be cool sometimes.
 
oh do you or anyone have any sound clips of it..just so i can hear what it sounds like?
 
Cr@p...to go.

Try one out. That should cure you. Just kidding...

I've played them at the local shop - one of these would be better than not having anything at all (I like the 2x4 with strings analogy), no doubt about that. But when it comes to balancing portability with playability and adequate sound if you want someone else to hear - I went with the Taylor Big Baby.

Your Mileage May Vary...
 
well i just bought one for 160 so ill be geting it in like a week if it sucks ill send it back and go with that taylor.
 
Try the Yamaha silent guitar. They play really nicely, the wings detach so its quite small to transport or store and it has a built in preamp and headphone jack.
 
I bought one years ago. Maybe in '90. The top sort of caved in a little due to the string tension. The guy who sold it to me said use extra light strings and tune down a half step. I always tuned it to concert pitch. I record with it because it has a unique sound. Sort of like a banjo, but more like a mandolin. A nice, primitive acoustic sound. I don't have any recording of just backpacker. I use it to double acoustic parts.

I thought it was extremely well put together. It has really good tuners and it was set up great. Better action than any acoustic I played. The strap button on the heel of the neck is useless. You need to tie the strap on the end, by the nut. I ride motorcycles, so it's perfect for rallies and camping trips. It is hard to play sitting down. Mine is pretty beat up. As a matter of fact, I broke a string on it at the bridge this summer and just tied a knot in the end and put it back on. It's still like that. I haven't touched it since then.

I recently played a little Dean guitar that was way worse. It sounded very bad. The little Taylor guitars and even the Ovations sound much better and are easier to play sitting down, but they're big enough to lose points on portability.

At a local annual arts festival, there is a guy with a booth who invented the backpacker and sold the idea to Martin. His guitars are really nice. they have a real acoustic guitar top and look nice. they don't sound much different, though.

I think I paid $99 for it when I bought it. I think they were $149 list. Overall, it was worth it. They aren't as bad as some say. You know how guitar players are. Bitching about everything. Those Yamaha silent guitars are way more expensive. The store had 3 backpackers, and the one I bought played infinitely better than the other 2, so I'd be leery to buy one online or mail order without playing it.

Boo
http://boocephus.blogspot.com
 
Maybe it wasn't a dean. It could have been the washburn that sounded like shit. It was a little guitar with a small body shaped roughyl like a regular acoustic. It had a really nice finish. It was very thin and weak sounding. About as loud as a hollowbody electric without an amp.

Boo
 
I have a backpacker. It's fun. It's easy to carry around. It's different. People will ask you what is THAT? However, it's not like you would use it as a normal acoustic guitar. Don't expect it to sound or play like a thousand dollar dreadnought.
 
I think they look & sound like crap.

Very similar to those electrics made in the mid 90s with the built in amp.

Both suck balls in my opinion.

What's so hard about carrying around a regular sized guitar? I never have problems.
 
scrubs said:
I have the steel string one. It's kind of fun to have for travelling and stuff because it doesn't take up much space. It is well built and the setup and intonation from the factory were spot-on. The sound is not great, though. It sounds much more like a banjo than a guitar (due to the small sound chamber and light strings). It is also very hard to hold due to the weird shape (you have to use the strap). If you just want something lightweight for diddling around on, it's not bad. For serious playing or recording, it's not the best. I have used it on a couple of tracks for a more plunky banjo-like sound, which can be cool sometimes.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I would have said ! :p Or do say :rolleyes:

I have travelled with mine since '94 - It's been from Trinidad to Tokyo to Seoul to Mexico, and all points in between.
Very easy to travel with, that's it's most redeeming feature for sure.
Wanted to sell it many times, but just not worth it - too many miles, too many memories, not enough dollars ...
That's why I like it.
 
ibanezrocks said:
Try the Yamaha silent guitar. They play really nicely, the wings detach so its quite small to transport or store and it has a built in preamp and headphone jack.
Click to expand...

Good call! I tried this out at the GC a few weeks ago. It's on my holiday wishlist. I travel a lot...it sounded rather decent and felt more like a real guitar unlike the backpacker which was just too weird to hold.
 
The Taylor Baby or Big Baby is a much better guitar IMO. And since you are not backpacking, the minor size increase shouldn't hurt too bad. Plus they are damn near the same price and one sounds much better. ;)
 
Took one to Thailand and tried playing it a couple of times and gave up. Sold it on my return. Instead of a convenience, it ended up being something useless that I had to carry. Thin banjo tone, which is to be expected given the body size, I suppose. But the balance of the thing is just terrible - very hard to play comfortably.

The silent Yamaha guitar is a good suggestion, if you're not planning on sitting around a campfire singing with yer mates (you'll need a headphone distributer for that purpose!).
 
I have an older Martin Backpacker stuffed away somewhere that gets little use. I did have fun for a while setting it up using Nashville tuning with a set of SIT strings. I remember using a capo at the 5th or 7th fret and getting an interesting almost mandolin-like quality.
 
invisiblenemies said:
What's so hard about carrying around a regular sized guitar? I never have problems.
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they're made for travel. do you really want to carry a full sized acoustic guitar with you on an airplane/taxi/subway/cruise ship/train/bus?

whether you like the sound or not, it's a good idea that allows people to bring a guitar with them when they are on a trip. i personally think the sound is crappy, but it's better than nothing, and carrying a real guitar everywhere is not as easy as you pretend it is, troll.
 
invisiblenemies said:
I think they look & sound like crap.

Very similar to those electrics made in the mid 90s with the built in amp.

Both suck balls in my opinion.

What's so hard about carrying around a regular sized guitar? I never have problems.
Click to expand...


Regular sized guitars are nice for home, maybe. But go travel making music for you paycheck and then realize you're sharing a van with 4 bandmates and a roadie...your space is limited. While the BackPacker lacks in tone, it's incredibly convenient to have around when traveling or when you're killing time before the show.

Ever stop to think...and forget to start again?
 
As soon as you get it, switch to Silk'n'Steel ultralights. That will help a lot with the intonation. It doesn't sound great, but it's convenient for travelling.

I had mine in the case one time when I went to pick up my wife for a trip. She was working in a skyscraper downtown, and I was waiting in the lobby for her to come down the elevator. It was cold outside, so I had on a big jacket and my fingerless gloves.

The security guard came up and asked if he could help me. I said, "No, I'm just waiting for my wife."

I watched him walk over and talk to some of his security guard buddies. They were looking at me and talking. A minute later, he came back over to me. "What's in the case? Is that a golf club?" he asked.

"No, it's a guitar." I said, and I took it out and showed him. I strummed a few chords.

"That's a relief, Son." He said as he put his hand on my shoulder. "I thought you had an automatic weapon in there."
 
ibanezrocks said:
Try the Yamaha silent guitar. They play really nicely, the wings detach so its quite small to transport or store and it has a built in preamp and headphone jack.
Click to expand...

I haven't liked the few travel guitars I've tried--with such a small body, the tone is just too weak for me to enjoy the experience. Although I've never played nor heard it, I'd bet that this silent guitar would be a better option. The DD55 digital drum machine (a toy-like thing) is actually among my favorite cheapo purchases in recent years; I'm using it often while recording since the sound is suprisingly good. I'm guessing that the e-travel guitar sound, with similar sampling technology, would kick the pants off a typical mini-guitar sound that relies solely on acoustic sound production. There's always a trade-off or two, but I'd throw the Yammie into the decision mix.

J.
 
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