Best Travel Guitars 2024: Top Portable Instruments From Lowden, Furch, Martin and more

Martin LX1e on blue background
(Image credit: Future)

If you’re looking for something compact to take out on the road, or maybe even on holiday to keep on top of your practice schedule, then one of the best travel guitars is the way to go.

From smaller bodied acoustics that take up less space in a car or on a train, to super compact electrics designed to be taken on a plane as hand luggage, the best travel guitars mean that you don’t have to stop playing the moment you leave the house. A good travel guitar can even be great to have around the home – something with more compact dimensions can sometimes be really comfortable. 

The best travel guitars come in all shapes and sizes, and are available in both electric and acoustic formats. Here, we’ll look at what’s on offer, and provide our picks for both categories.

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Quick list

Best acoustic traveler

Best travel guitars: Wee Lowden

(Image credit: Lowden)

1. Lowden WL-35 Wee Lowden

Probably the best small bodied acoustic available

Specifications

Type: Acoustic
Body: Red cedar top, solid mahogany back and sides
Neck: 5-piece mahogany/rosewood
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale: 24.0157”
Frets: 21
Pickup: N/A

Reasons to buy

+
Sounds incredible
+
Projects like a big acoustic
+
Outstanding quality

Reasons to avoid

-
It’s very expensive

Though this might be on the larger side of a travel guitar, it is still more compact than all of Lowden’s other offerings. Simply put, the Wee Lowden is one of the best sounding smaller-bodied acoustic guitars on the market.

It’s incredibly bold and punchy, with superb note definition and clarity. Its dimensions are smaller than that of a more traditionally sized acoustic guitar, but the projection that it delivers would have you fooled – this guitar is loud when you push it. It also reacts beautifully to playing dynamics, offering all the shades of quiet and loud that you’d want.

Different versions of this guitar are available, but the mahogany back and sides combined with the red cedar top deliver a wonderfully balanced sound. The build quality is absolutely second to none; though of course, at this price point, you’d expect that.

Best with larger body

Best travel guitars: GS Mini e-Koa Plus

(Image credit: Taylor)

2. Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus

A premium, koa-stacked travel acoustic with great pickup system

Specifications

Type: Electro-acoustic
Body: Solid koa top, laminated koa back and sides
Neck: Tropical mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale: 23.5”
Frets: 20
Pickup: ES-2

Reasons to buy

+
Crisp and clear tone
+
Amazing finish
+
Flagship ES-2 pickup

Reasons to avoid

-
Though good, the case might be a bit bulky

Not Taylor’s smallest offering, but definitely one of their better sounding compact instruments, the GS Mini has proven to be a hit with all manner of guitarists. You’ll even see pros use them on the biggest stages in the world.

This GS Mini-e Koa Plus sports a solid koa top and laminate koa back and sides which allow notes and chords to ring out with complete clarity and detail. Koa responds really well to your playing – it’s responsive and dynamic so allows you to play with lots of expression. The shaded edge burst finish looks truly incredible and adds a touch of class to the whole thing too. 

This 23.5” scale guitar comes fitted with Taylor’s flagship pickup system as well – the ES-2. This allows you to amplify your guitar through a PA system or amp in a way that’s more dynamic and more natural. It ships with a fantastic Aero Case that offers nearly as much protection as a hard case, but is much lighter.

Best foldable traveler

Best travel guitars: Furch Little Jane

(Image credit: Furch)

3. Furch Little Jane

A superb sounding, foldable acoustic guitar

Specifications

Type: Acoustic
Body: Solid red cedar top, solid African mahogany back and sides
Neck: African mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale: 24.2”
Frets: 18
Pickup: N/A

Reasons to buy

+
Beautiful tone
+
Packs down really small
+
Easy to construct 

Reasons to avoid

-
Not as simple as pick up and play

Folding guitars have been done before, but the Furch Little Jane is a folding guitar that actually sounds very, very good. This acoustic travel guitar is made from all solid woods – a solid red cedar top and solid mahogany back and sides, giving it a beautiful, mellow and warm sound. It’s harmonically rich, and has some of that parlor-style punch in the midrange. It’s also extremely dynamic, projecting when you want it to, but responding nicely to softer playing. 

It’s extremely well designed. The body, neck and headstock are all separate when packed down, but it’s very quick to construct when it’s time to play. The clever locking mechanism keeps the neck in place, adding the right tension to the strings, and even retaining tuning somewhat between sessions. The Furch Little Jane even comes with its own padded backpack so you can take it on your travels right away.

Best for small hands

Best travel guitars: Martin LX1E

(Image credit: Martin)

4. Martin LX1E

One of the most iconic travel guitars there is

Specifications

Type: Electro-acoustic
Body: Solid spruce top, HPL mahogany back and sides
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale: 23”
Frets: 20
Pickup: Fishman Sonitone

Reasons to buy

+
Superb for traveling around
+
Projects fairly well
+
Pickup on board

Reasons to avoid

-
Sounds good, but not amazing

Probably one of the most popular compact six-strings ever made, the Martin LX1E has truly earned its place on our list of the best travel guitars. It’s around a 3/4 size, with a 23” scale. Players who are already accustomed to a full size guitar might get along with this particularly well as the neck width is about the same, measuring 1 11/16” at the nut.

Solid spruce sits atop a high pressure laminate mahogany back and sides creating a balanced but fairly bright tone. There is a touch of that boxy sort of sound you often get with smaller acoustics (though nowhere near as much as some cheaper models), and there aren’t tons of low end frequencies, but that’s if we’re being picky. Overall, the projection and tone of the LX1E is excellent. 

It is available without (Martin LX1), but this is equipped with a Fishman Sonitone pickup. The controls are easily accessible and it’s very much a case of plug in and play, making it one of the best travel guitars for potentially gigging with. If you’re navigating public transport to get to shows, then this is definitely one to consider. 

Best electric traveler

Best travel guitars: Blackstar Carry On Travel Guitar

(Image credit: Blackstar)

5. Blackstar Carry On Travel Guitar

Very portable, but packing a punch

Specifications

Type: Electric
Body: One piece okoume
Neck: One piece okoume
Fingerboard: Laurel
Scale: 20.7”
Frets: 19
Pickup: Mini humbucker with coil-split via volume pot

Reasons to buy

+
Great sounding humbucker
+
Plays really well
+
Coil split adds versatility

Reasons to avoid

-
A bit too small for some

Blackstar’s Carry On range aims to provide players with quality instruments that are easy to take on planes so that you don’t have to skip your practice sessions when you’re traveling.

Cheaper versions of this are available, but the flagship Carry On model has a number of features that make this one of the best travel guitars on the market. Made in partnership with the master luthiers at Gordon Smith, this compact instrument has a one-piece okoume body, set neck and a coil-splittable humbucker. This gives you a range of amazing tones, as well as bags of sustain. 

It stays in tune well, and the intonation is just right. It’s really compact, but it plays more like a full size guitar, so you don’t lose much of the feel you’d normally get with a bigger instrument. It also comes shipped with a quality gigbag, so you’re ready to hit the road as soon as you get it.

Best with full scale length

Best travel guitars: Traveler Guitar Electric Ultra Light

(Image credit: Traveler)

6. Traveler Guitar Electric Ultra Light

Full scale but mighty compact – perfect for life on the road

Specifications

Type: Electric
Body: Maple
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Maple
Scale: 24.75”
Frets: 22
Pickup: Dual rail humbucker

Reasons to buy

+
Packs down very small
+
Full scale
+
Pickup is pretty good

Reasons to avoid

-
Feel might take some getting used to

A travel guitar doesn’t necessarily always have to be short scale, and this is a case in point. The Ultra-Light Travel Guitar boasts a full 24.75” scale length, but the entire thing measures just 28”. They say that it’s actually 28% shorter and 68% lighter than your average electric guitar. The lap rest detaches when not in use too, making it extremely portable. 

It’s fitted with a single dual rail humbucking pickup that delivers punchy but articulate tones. It’s not the most versatile instrument in the world, but that’s not really the aim here. Still, you can probably tackle most styles of music with it. The tuning pegs are also built into the body which obviously gets rid of the necessity for a headstock, and they actually work very well too.

If you’re flying a lot, or maybe space is at a premium in the car and you want to take this and maybe a battery powered amp with you, then this makes for a fantastic travel guitar. 

Best traveling offset

Best travel guitars: Squier Mini Jazzmaster

(Image credit: Squier)

7. Squier Mini Jazzmaster

This 3/4 Jazzmaster can make for the perfect travel companion

Specifications

Type: Electric
Body: Poplar
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Maple
Scale: 22.75”
Frets: 20
Pickup: Standard humbucking x 2

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful humbuckers
+
Looks great
+
Affordable

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the sound for everyone

A 3/4 size guitar is smaller all over – smaller scale length (22.75” in this case), smaller body, neck, headstock etc. You might have to adjust your playing somewhat to accommodate these shrunken features, but most players can become accustomed to it. The short scale also lends the guitar a really nice slinky feel, so you might find yourself playing a little differently to normal, which can spark creativity. 

This fantastic looking offset is fitted with a pair of quite high output, punchy sounding humbuckers. So, if you’re seeking a portable guitar for rocking big riffs and ripping solos, then this is absolutely one to consider. 

It’s also well priced. Maybe you’re just seeking a guitar to take out occasionally, enabling you to leave your main instrument at home. This is of a good enough standard to do the job well, and it means that you’re not having to throw your more expensive guitar in the back of a car or van etc.

Best for Strat fans

Best travel guitars: Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe

(Image credit: Traveler)

8. Traveler Travelcaster Deluxe

The best travel guitar for that classic three single-coil sound

Specifications

Type: Electric
Body: Poplar
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Maple or laurel
Scale: 25.5”
Frets: 22
Pickup: Ceramic single coil x 3

Reasons to buy

+
Classic sound with five different voicings
+
Very light and portable
+
Full size scale length

Reasons to avoid

-
Body feels a bit strange at first

This effectively cuts the body of a Strat down to just its scratchplate, reducing its size dramatically. The 6-in-line is then reduced to 3+3 making a further size reduction. All in all, it’s about the size of a regular Strat, minus the headstock, making it altogether a lot more portable. 

You’re not having to sacrifice anything in terms of tone here. The Travelcaster has three single-coil pickups and a five-way selector, giving you all the chimey, glassy tones that you’d expect from this kind of configuration. The tremolo works nicely too – again, something you don’t have to sacrifice. 

What’s particularly great about this model is that it has the full 25.5” Strat scale length meaning that your fretting hand won’t have a clue it’s playing on a travel guitar. Chords, scales and licks will feel as they do on a full size guitar, though you might just have to slightly accommodate for a different neck profile. 

Buying advice

Blackstar Carry On next to Blackstar Fly amp

(Image credit: Future)

What Do We Mean By Travel Guitar?

You can trust Guitar Player. 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.

When we’re talking about the best travel guitars, we’re looking for instruments that are physically easier to travel with. Size and weight play a huge part, so the above choices will all be smaller than your regular full-size guitar, which in turn, will make them lighter. 

Some might just have slightly reduced dimensions when compared to a full size, making it a little more practical to take out on the go. Others might have completely different designs that render them suitable for taking on planes as hand luggage. How small you want it completely depends on your wants and needs.

Electric Or Acoustic?

Of course, one of the main considerations when shopping for the best travel guitar is whether to go electric or acoustic. Acoustics, by their very nature, tend to be a little bigger with deeper bodies, but you don’t need an amp to get the most out of it. If you’re playing live, then you’ll need some amplification, but for playing on your own or with friends, you’re fine with just the guitar.

An electric travel guitar can be played without an amp, but you’ll get more from it if you plug it into something. There are some great portable amps on offer, but there’s that, plus cables, to then consider. 

Pickups

On acoustic travel guitars, you’ll find that some of them have a pickup fitted and some of them don’t. If you’re after a compact instrument to travel to and from shows, then having a pickup installed can be really useful. If you’re just after something to take on holiday or camping perhaps, then a pickup isn’t necessary. Buying one without a pickup will probably save you a bit of money too. 

Of course, with an electric, the pickup plays a very important part in shaping your sound. You’ll find the best travel guitars are fitted with various different pickup configurations. If you’ve found a model that you like but it’s got a single coil instead of a humbucker, for example, it’s always worth checking to see if other versions are available. 

Scale Length

It’s likely that a travel guitar will have a shorter scale length. Reducing this can allow the makers to produce a physically smaller guitar. It’s worth considering how that might feel for you to play, though. If you’ve got bigger hands, you might find squeezing your fingers into frets, particularly the ones higher up, more difficult. Look at the scale length, alongside the number of frets – 18 frets spaced over 23” for example, will give your fingers more space than 22 frets over the same scale.

That said, there are travel guitars that have a full length scale. They can reduce the size of the instrument in other ways, so if you know that you’re after a full scale travel guitar, then you don’t have to compromise.

How we test

Wee Lowden Twins Series Spec 50 (L) and Wee Lowden Twins Series Spec 35 acoustic guitar

(Image credit: Future)

At Guitar Player, our team of writers aren't just music enthusiasts; we're real-life musicians. Our hands-on experience with travel guitars ensures that our reviews and recommendations are backed by practical knowledge and real-world testing.

When it comes to selecting the best travel guitars, we leave no stone unturned. Meticulously evaluating factors like tonal versatility, sonic character, build quality, and value for money, it's only after rigorous testing in a variety of playing scenarios do we choose products for our guides. We stand by our selections, ensuring that every set of strings we recommend is one we'd use ourselves.

Read more on how we test gear and service at Guitar Player.

Richard Blenkinsop

After spending a decade in music retail, I’m now a freelance writer for Guitar Player, Guitar World, MusicRadar and Reverb, specializing in electric and acoustic guitars bass, and almost anything else you can make a tune with. When my head’s not buried in the best of modern and vintage gear, I run a small company helping musicians with songwriting, production and performance, and I play bass in an alt-rock band.