The Washburn Travel Guitar - What the Pros Choose

Lugging around a full-body guitar can be awkward and difficult. It takes up a lot of space in a car, and is too big to travel in an airplane overhead compartment. Checking a guitar at the counter so it can take its chances in the luggage compartment is not only risky, but can be a stressful experience. A Washburn travel guitar can save the hassle and stress for a musician on-the-go.

The Washburn Rover is a full-size 24" scale guitar with a solid spruce top, mahogany body and neck, and rosewood fingerboard. It comes with a high-quality, durable cordura case with a hard foam, molded interior that provides complete protection for the neck and body of the guitar.

The quality geared tuners make tuning easy, and the guitar holds its tune reasonably well. The Rover's small size makes it convenient to travel by car, train or boat, and even fits in the overhead compartment in an airplane.

The Rover has a surprisingly impressive sound. Although a little small and contained compared to a full-bodied guitar, the warm sound of the Rover exceeds the sound of other travel guitars and is easy on the ears. While it is not boomy or big enough to make a suitable recording instrument, the Rover is a great campfire or travel guitar that is fun to play.

Another reason it is fun to play its excellent action. The Rover feels like a full-bodied guitar, except for the actual body size. Installing and using the strap is a must, as the small body is not easy to balance on a knee and will distract the musician while he or she tries to find the right position. With a strap, however, the string spacing, neck feel and action are outstanding, making the Washburn travel guitar a great choice for a musician that cannot stand to be away from his or her wooden friend

As with any stringed instrument, you will want to run it by your local luthier upon receipt of the guitar to make sure the initial setup is right for your particular playing style. If you like flat picking, the you might want to go get the action taken down a little bit. This can usually be handled by lowering the bridge saddle and nut. You should never try to do this yourself unless you are a trained luthier or have a lot of experience working on instruments.