Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi.

I am just starting my A2 Design and Technology Design and Make project and have decided to make a travel guitar. I would really appreciate as many comments as possible on:

1) What you like/dislike about travel guitars
2) How i would go about building this guitar
3) Which components to use?

Basically any information you can give me to help me with my primary research, secondary research and overall function of my product would be appreciated.

I know guitars are expensive to built so i am trying to find a way to cut the cost of production. e.g. use an existing electric guitar from a car boot sale and then adapt the pieces to make a travel guitar. I am really not sure how to go about this. It may even be easier to start from scratch. Innotive features would also be of great benefit.

Barny

Barny, this might help.

http://crodog.org/travel/travel%20electric.htm

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Aoibeann

Thank you so much for that! Very good resource! Any more resources/ info would be greatly appreciated. The more, the better!

Barny

I have built a couple. They are always headless and have detachable necks, and removable backs. I usually start by measuring my suitcase. Since the back is removable, everything (guitar and clothes) fits in my 22" suitcase. My first was a cigar box type guitar. The one I just finished and took on vacation was a headless acoustic 8 string.

I prefer this to checking the instrument case. Short of a flight case, I don't think any of them will last. I am happy give my novice advice if you have any questions.

I do like that idea on basing the length on the size of your suitcase. How are the necks aand bodys of your ones detachable? What kind of system do you use to secure them on when in use?

Barney!!!

I'm TEACHING A-level engineering, so any help you need shoot me an email or pm me, I'll help, honest!!

I answered you in the other thread, so have a look there.....

but, I don't use a travel, I take a mando.

for parts I can't reccomend guitarfetish.com highly enough. and if you're in the UK, they put really low value on the parcel for customs so you don 't get caught!!

if you want other parts like a fretboard etc lemme know and I'll let you have them for cost.

M

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

The first ones used an electric style bolt on approach. The screws go into the back of the neck block, which is inside the guitar (not a problem since the back is removable).

The most recent one was a little like the Cumpiano Neck Joint. Mine was more of a butt joint, no mortise. So the two cabinet nuts are in the neck heel, and socket head bolts are inserted in the sound box to attach the neck. I was really nervous about holes lining up and stuff, but it worked out well. The neck seems really stable.

I built this a little too quickly to have ready for a trip, so it is a little sloppy but here is a pic:

I would be tempted to do something like the martin with a short scale length
The Padma builds some instruments in a similar vein out of one piece of hard wood sawn to
produce neck and sides..this gets you off to a flying start

I truly dislike travel guitars when they are not real guitars. Harvey Leach's voyage air is a fantastic design. A real guitar that folds up. Doesn't look like a travel guitar. His neck joint is very cool. He has considered authorizing others to use his neck joint in exchange for a guitar. In other words you build one of your guitars with his neck joint and give itvto him and he will license you a certain number of neck joints. I don't know if he is still considering this deal.

For me I build all of my guitars with a double mortice and tenon bolt on neck so all of them have removable necks. I built a nice parlor a few years back and I travel with it...
I loosen the strings. Add a coulpe of capos to hold them in place. Remove the neck. Most of the time I don't even put all the bolts in when traveling. Just the 2 heel bolts. Guitar fits in a knapsack and I carry it on the plane.

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Andy that looks awesome. The back is stunning. A guy demonstrated one of the Voyage Airs at the store a while back. It was cool, but it broke a string when folding. Still, much faster than my solution. I was amazed that I could not see the crack in the fingerboard when it was unfolded. I keep a cigar box guitar in the trunk of my hot car, and take it to the beach without guilt. I wouldn't do that with my nice acoustics.

Here is my 8 string in the suitcase.