In 2022 I found myself booked in for a trip away to Bali and Nepal. The trip was going to be 6 weeks’ worth or exploring with a group of friends. Before leaving I was still very much into practicing and playing guitar and I had a wedding to play at about 2 weeks after we got back from the holiday.
I thought 6 weeks away would have a great impact on my playing. Thinking I would forget everything I learned somehow while away, I was looking for options to bring an instrument over to play and practice in my spare time.
I ended up finding a 2nd hand Martin backpacker guitar and decided to bite the bullet and purchased it to take overseas. So, was it worth it?
Portability
The martin backpacker guitar is perfect for traveling due to its short neck and the shape of the body. it is about 87cm in length from the top of the neck to the bottom of the body and 22cm wide at the biggest part of the body.
Due to the length and my poor planning, it didn’t fit inside my bag I was traveling with, and the airline wouldn’t let me strap it to the outside of my bag as it was still technically 2 bags. Luckily one of my friends had quite the tall bag and offered to put it inside their pack. This saved the day that was almost ruined even before the trip started.
For the rest of the trip it was super easy to carry around, in its case it would either be strapped to the side of my bag or be slung over my shoulder and was hardly a nuisance at all. The size of the guitar and the great case it comes with makes it perfect for travelling compared to a normal guitar.
Durability
The guitar is very well made. I was concerned about it going through airline baggage stops, different flights etc. but It held up perfectly and came out after 6 weeks of travel practically without a scratch.
A lot of this is due to the great case the guitar comes with. Though it is a soft case, it is well padded and keeps the guitar snug and protected. Good quality stitching and zips that stop the case from falling apart. A little bit of extra room in the case and a extra pocket on the outside allows for packing in extra strings a capo or whatever else you would like.
The guitar itself is very sturdy, the neck is quite thick and chunky, it feels good in your hands but makes for a strong guitar that is solid and stable. This thick strong neck is also needed as there is no truss rod in the guitar, so it reduces the chances of warping in the neck.
The shape of the body makes it very sturdy, and the wood of the body is also thick and string but still very resonant. Though I was being very careful with the guitar throughout the trip there was one or two times a big bag was sat on top of it, but again it came home with no damage.
Don’t be like me
In Nepal we were hiking the Anapurna base camp. On the way back from base camp, it was pouring down 24/7 for the three days we made our way down. Though the guitar was under waterproof cover, when we got back, I checked in the case, and it was slightly moist inside. I thought I’d completely ruined the guitar and that this would warp the wood and I would be unplayable. I let it dry out and kept playing it over the next couple of days and even the months after we returned home. There was no effect to the guitar, and it always played just as well as when I got it.
How does it sound?
The martin backpacker has a great sound, it’s not going to be as loud and resonate as a normal sized martin guitar, but it almost has its own type of sound that works well for the type of setting your likely to be playing it in. due to the body size and shape the guitar doesn’t resonate the lower tones and bass notes like a normal acoustic guitar but the steel string give a great ring to the guitar that is really pleasant.
There are a few great videos online to further get an idea of how the guitar sounds.
Overall, at the end of the day it won’t sound as well as a normal sized acoustic but is perfect for what your using it for. Just being able to easily carry it around and the size and weight makes the small downside of the sound all worth it. After a while if you’re traveling and playing it along the way you will forget about the difference of sound and really enjoy playing it while you’re out and exploring. Whether you’re a beginner guitarist or a pro it will enhance your travels and allow you to express yourself on the instrument when you find yourself with a spare moment to fill.
I believe it was well worth it purchasing a martin backpacker guitar and to bring on holiday. It helped with practice while away from home and bought lots of good times mucking around playing some tunes overseas.
