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Martin Backpacker - Steel String Compact Acoustic Travel Guitar

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Martin Backpacker - Steel String Compact Acoustic Travel Guitar

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Nice small Backpack Guitar. Constructed of Mahogany with solid wood top. Weighing 2 lbs 2 ozs this is a guitar that you can take anywhere. Short 24" scale length, 33" overall length. With Carry Bag. Weighs 1 lb. (synonyms: small guitar, travel guitar, portable guitar)

List Price:	$299.00
Our Price:	$199.99
You Save:	$99.01 (32%)

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Product Details

Average Customer Rating:

based on 12 reviews

Features

Built to withstand the rigors of camping, hiking, and off-road traveling
Includes high-quality chrome-enclosed tuners and a unique bridge on the nylon string version that accepts either plain or ball-end classic strings
Weighs less than 2-1/2 lbs
Ships With Gig Bag & Strap

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review: 4.0

Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

Fun and easy to play Sep 18, 2008
I got my Backpacker a few months ago and didn't expect to find myself playing it nearly every day. After I had the guitar set up and the action lowered slightly, it played wonderfully. You have to use the strap or it won't behave. But once you get used to it, it's natural and is a great little guitar.

Sure, like all the other reviews state very well, it doesn't sound like a full size guitar. It sounds like someone used a graphic EQ to knock 15db off the 150hz slider. But this sound can still be useful for some recording projects for its own special character. Throw a capo on to hear the effect. Experiment!

I did travel with my Backpacker and it survived the trip well. I'm not fond of the soft, padded case. I had to keep my eagle eyes trained for anyone else who wanted to put their carry-on luggage on top of my Martin. Early on, I made the mistake of setting the Backpacker on a chair. Its top-heavy neck caused the guitar to tip over and fall on our hardwood floor. The top was cracked and mooshed in several spots. I paid nearly the original cost of the guitar to have it repaired & setup, and I don't regret the expense for a minute. It plays even better now!

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

Awesome! Mar 05, 2008
I own a Martin DC-15E, which for the non Martin afficianados is a Solid Mahogany, cut away, steel stringed guitar. It is a beatiful Instrument, but it is a bit large and heavy to lug up a mountainside or even go to outerspace, (a backpacker was specially made for an Astronaut who took it up with him on the shuttle Columbia in 1994) so I bought a backpacker. It is a wonderful instrument. It is light enough to go backpacking, and it is ton's of fun to play around the camp fire. It also has a beautiful voice. There is a reason why Martin is the oldest guitar manufacturer in America, and why it is considered by many to be the finest manufacturer of accoustic guitars in the world. That reason is evident even in the humble inexpensive backpacker, it is a joy to play! Do yourself a favor, and if you are looking for a small guitar for backpacking or travel, don't waste your time with anything else. Your enjoyment of the instrument has a direct relationship with it's quality and you won't find that type of quality from any other manufacturer. They have instilled that quality in their workmanship since 1833, and a gentleman named Martin still signs the checks there, so you know he cares what the instruments with his name on them sound like. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine. P.S. If you happen to have a small hand like I do, you will truly appreciate the neck on the backpacker, sometimes I prefer it over my expensive DC-15E for it's ease of play.

Excellent instrument Jan 31, 2008
I have had a backpacker for almost a year now and absolutely love it! Though it takes some time to get used to holding (key is to always use the strap), the intonation is excellent, the durability is astounding, the quality is well above expectations, and hey..it's portable. I prefer this instrument around the home and on lunches at work over my full size Martin HD28 and Fender Strat. I highly recommend the Martin Backpacker guitar for anyone wanting a side-kick guitar to take where ever and play when ever.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

Need to call it something other than a "guitar" Nov 15, 2007
This is an interesting instrument, but the sound is so anemic that I'd hesitate to call it a "guitar". It is to a guitar what a rubber practice pad is to a drum.

It's not something you can play in front of other people. Maybe if you want to practice by yourself and you don't care about sound quality, it is acceptable. But I have to wonder about anyone who would rate this item 4-5 stars. That's being exceptionally generous.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

A different breed of guitar Nov 22, 2006
The cool thing about this guitar is that it's very portable, but don't compare it to your regular, full-size acoustic.

It's a bit hard to get used to, as the guitar wants to twist and turn in your hands, and it can't be rested on your leg when you play sitting. You have to use the strap, even when seated, and you kinda rest your forearm and elbow on the "side" of the guitar to offset the weight of the neck. Once you get the hang of it your hand will fall right over the strings and the instrument becomes very playable. I got mine because of a shoulder injury, and when held properly I don't have to reach over the top of the guitar as my elbow is pretty much right at my side. And while the neck is a bit thick, it plays and feels much like a normal size guitar.

I took the advice of another here and put Martin Silk & Steel strings on it. Wow, what a difference. While it doesn't sound like a D-18, it really sounds like a guitar now. Go ahead and play it with the included strings, but I highly recommend changing over to hear the difference. You'll lose just a bit of tone and sustain from the steel strings, but in my opinion it's well worth the tradeoff. That banjo sound, which some like and some hate, is gone now.

The guitar seems to be made extremely well, and looks like you could use it to paddle down the river, beat off a few wild animals yet still play tunes when you get back to camp.

I gave it 5 stars for what it is, and I would not recommend this as an only guitar or a first guitar for a beginner or child. It really is made for travel, to have as another unique guitar for your collection or just to have fun with. However, once my shoulder healed I still pick it up a lot.

Do watch our for cheap knockoffs that look like the Backpacker. The Martin is made of all solid tonewoods and sounds like it. It's not a toy.