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The Traveling Guitarist Page |
What is this web page about?
This page is a simple journal about my Martin Classic Backpacker Guitar. I hope helps others searching for information about this guitar. It also serves as a link to folks who bring their guitar while traveling for work. It's great to unwind at the hotel and practice the guitar.
I created this page before Martin introduced their new line of guitars which have a built-in pickup. I don't own one, so i can't review it. Perhaps somebody out there can send me their opinion.
The guitar was purchased for about $170 (US). I seen some ads for about the same price. This guitar is also equipped with a professionally installed microphone.
How do you hold it?
It is absolutely necessary to play the guitar with a strap. I'll try to incorporate some pictures here soon.
How does it sound?
Some purist tend to be too critical about the guitar's shortcomings.
I agree that the guitar has a very shallow thin sound and the bass response
is very flat. However, keep in mind that this is the tradeoff for the size
and weight. I've included some sample recordings for your review. The recordings
have background noise, so it isn't a true reflection of the sound.
How is the finish?
Jeff Johnson recommends oiling it with light oil (vegetable or lemon), since the wood seems to be unfinished. It helps protect the finish from the elements, especially if you take your guitar to the sea. I followed his advice, especially along the neck since the surface was originally very dry and had lots of friction while playing.
Make it heavier
Here is an excerpt form a reader:
I had my wife make a couple of little 'beanbags' small enough to fit into the soundhole. Since beans weren't heavy enough, we used BBs. When you stuff the bags into the guitar, they drop down to the lower bout and weigh down the guitar so that it stays in playing position. You still need to use a strap, but I usually use one standing or sitting, so that doesn't bother me. It helps quite a bit.
I disagree since the guitar was designed to be light for travel. My two cents.
First guitar in space?
Martin is making a great fuss over the fact that the Backpacker was the first guitar in space -- one of the Space Shuttle crew members took one up with him. Ah yes, little guitars in strange places. Read about it.
Martin's Backpacker Scheduled For NASA Shuttle Released: 1994
Unless UFO's and space aliens actually do exist, it seems that Martin's miniature Backpacker® travel guitar is about to be the first stringed musical instrument in outer space. The Backpacker already bears the distinction of trekking to the summit of Mount Everest with the Sir Edmund Hillary Expedition, and bouncing around the world on the back of a bicycle. Obviously there is a very limited amount of storage room on NASA's space shuttle. The compartment that astronauts use for personal items is barely the size of a breadbox, hence the request for the compact size six-string Backpacker guitar which was designed as a travel instrument of sorts, ideal for camping or practice, where a full size guitar is impractical... like outer space. This is not the first time that a Martin instrument has been made ready for space travel. Nearly ten years ago, the famous "Conter" ukulele was slated to go to the moon, but last minute problems with space suits required that the uke's storage compartment be utilized instead for extra life support gear. The Conter Uke had accompanied Admiral Byrd on his expeditions to the North and South Poles and is signed by the expedition crew as well as President Calvin Coolidge, who greeted them upon their return.
Adding a clip on microphone
This is an exerpt from a reader: I picked up one of those Radio Shack Tie clip mics, the discontinued ones, from suggestions on this newsgroup (model 33-1052 or something). The backpacker has an inside brace that I can clip the mic easily. It sounds great for 4-trackin'. With a little eq I'm quite happy with the signal this mic puts out with this guitar for my own purposes.
What is the best way to strap the guitar?
Tie the upper end of the strap at the head instead of leaving it at the base of the neck. - hold it by resting your right elbow on top of it to keep it from rocking. Use a standard strap which has a leather end with a hole designed to slip over a strap knob. To connect it at the head, Jeff Johnson puts a shoelace through the strap's hole and tied it to the head.
Can I improve the case?
Cut cardboard side panels for the case. I also read that some owners found hard cases intended for rifles. I personally think it will make travelling more difficult since it's heavier. I like to sling my guitar in case behind my back.
Here is an idea from stauffer@solar.ctu.upenn.edu (Michael Stauffer)
...But seriously, Ted Shuck emailed me and suggested fiberglassing the carrying case with glass cloth and epoxy (he hasn't tried this himself). I asked around where I work (Medical Research Lab) and came up with what I think will be a great solution: fiberglass casting tape. This stuff is used to make casts for animals (and humans?). You simply heat the tape in warm water, wrap it around whatever, and it sets into a fiberglass cast!! Perfect!! I plan on making a snug sheath from 1/2" or 1" foam that allows the oh-so-slim Backpacker to slip in headstock-first. Then this sheath will be coated with the fiberglass tape, as often as seems necessary. This ought to give a snug, strong a very lightweight case! Gromulet-type-things could be added to allow for strapping the case externally. A lip could be made from a separate piece of fiberglassed foam that fits snug in the opening at the top. The question is whether this will be waterproof. It can be coated with something or other to make it so.
I also read somebody made one using PVC sewage pipe stuffed with foam.
I made my own hard shell case. The soft case isn't adequate when you have a bunch of people going camping/ traveling with all kinds of gear piled into the back of the car. I also store the Backpacker in that case at home. I mean, who want to play it when you can grab the full size one?
The case is basically a retangular box. The hinge is a long piano hinge, the latches similar to a trunk, the lining a combination of foam and crushed velvet. The project was fun and the case always gets a lot of comments- like " what in the world have you got in that box? A guitar? No way !" and so on. I built the entire box and then cut it lengthwise to get the top and bottom.
Model Specification according to Martin Guitar Company
- Model: Backpacker Guitars
- Special Features: Unique Bridge on Classic accepts either Plain End or Classic Ball End strings.
- Top wood: Solid Select Tonewood
- Bracing: Unique to Backpackers
- Side Wood: Genuine Mahogany (continuous with neck)
- Back Wood: Genuine Mahogany
- Bridge Wood: Select Hardwood
- Fingerboard Wood: Select Hardwood
- Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1 11/16" Steel-String; 1 15/16" Classic
- Total Frets: 15 Frets Clear: 15
- Scale Length: 24"
- Finish: Hand-Rubbed Urethane
- Total Length: 35" Body Width: 8"
- Body Depth: 1 15/16"
- Weight: 2 lbs. 2 oz.
- Tuning Machines: Chrome Mini
- Case: Nylon Carrying Bag Available at an additional charge.
More pictures
Here is a picture of a steel string version lifted off the Martin Guitar site.
My guitar's birth certificate...
