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The Traveler Guitar Ultra Light Electric In Torino Red
What Is A Traveler Guitar?
The Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Electric is a full-scale electric guitar with the most compact package possible, allowing the on-the-go musician to travel anywhere and have their instrument close at hand.
Created by Leon Cox in 1992 in Redlands California, and inspired by a body design of a stethoscope diaphragm used in his wife’s nursing profession, Leon came up with a concept of a compact guitar that would allow travelling guitarists to maintain their fingers on a fretboard, wherever and whenever it suited them and to provide a player with the ability to practice and play when the need arose.
Start-Up From Idea To Reality The “Traveler Guitar” Was Born
Like most startups, the production of this Guitar was humble with Coxs working on this new idea in his garage in October of 1992.
The innovative design went from a concept to a business in less than a year.
R&D
Like most new concepts and designs, research and development are another way of saying you have a lot of trial and error, to see what works and what can be changed and improved on.
Old Fashion Sales
Sales went well in the early years but increased dramatically with Cox’s friend Corey Oliver offering to take his instrument and promote it via traditional sales on the road.
Oliver managed successfully to sell more guitars in a month from his 89′ Ford Bronco than Leon was doing in a year.
Small Guitar Big Success
By the end of the 90s, this little “guitar that could” had a demand in the niche market that was so high that Fender Guitar Company toke on manufacturing this instrument in its Corona Factory before moving it overseas.
What resulted in this union was the first full-scale travel electric guitar, called the Speedster (2001) and The Traveler Acoustic Series, a true full-scale hollow-body travel guitar (2013) along with the Travelcaster Deluxe (launched in 2017.)
The Speedster still is one of the all-time best-selling models to date. (See image below)
The Speedster Standard (in Rat Black) is a full 24 ¾ inch scale electric travel guitar w/removable arm support for comfort & convenience- Image courtesy of Amazon.com.
The company has expanded its line to…
- Acoustic
- Electric basses,
- Nylon-stringed guitars & ukuleles.
After over 3 decades, Traveler Guitars still holds true to its original idea of providing you with a quality instrument with great sound and electronics.
More importantly, the ability to play, practice or record anywhere makes it the cutting-edge leader of full-scale travel guitars endorsed by top-notch players.
This article will look at the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Solid-Body Electric Guitar (ULE TRDG), Torino Red.
The Guitar
The Ultra-Light Electric guitar is one of the smallest and lightest full-scale (24.75″) electric travel-friendly guitars ever made to date, weighing in at just over 3 pounds and only 28 inches long; this allows for easy fitting into any overhead airline compartment.
The single piece of Eastern American Hard Maple w/Neck-Through-Body for incredible sustain, and the Dual-Rail High Output Humbucker Pickup (for full tone & plenty of output) and black walnut fingerboard round off this little gem.
The Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Solid-Body Electric Guitar – In Torino Red-Image courtesy of Amazon .ca
How It’s Done
With Traveler guitars, they eliminate excess body components like…
-
- Headstock
- Body size
- Tailpiece &
A Space-Saving proprietary Tuning System w/Tuning Pegs that uses standard tuning machine heads recessed into the body screwed on two blocks behind the instrument. (See image)
Tuners are housed within the body on two screwed-on blocks- Image courtesy of Amazon.com
The adjustable Tune-O-Matic style roller bridge wraps string backwards around the tail, eliminating the need for a headstock. (More on this later)
Along with the ongoing development of electronics to complement the compact aspects of this instrument.
Full Scale
It gives you an instrument that is 28% shorter and 68 % lighter than a typical full-size electric but with a full-scale natural playing experience without the added mass. (See the below image)
The Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Solid-Body Electric Guitar is full scale compared to a Gibson Les Paul Standard but 28% Shorter and 68% Lighter – Image courtesy of Amazon.
Are Travel Ultra-Light Electric Guitars Easy To Play?
You can plug the ultra-light into an amp or recording device thanks to the electric high-output dual-rail humbucker and standard 1/4-inch output, along with strap buttons, allowing you to attach any guitar strap and play standing,
A chromed metal frame detachable leg/lap rest allows for comfortable sitting while playing, and a heavy-duty travel bag gives easy transport.
Tech Specs
GENERAL
- Number of Strings – 6
- Left-/Right-handed – Right-handed
- Product Dimensions– 81.28 x 30.48 x 12.7 cm
- Item model number – ULE TRDG
- Item Weight-1.45 kg/3.197 lb
BODY
- Body Type – Solidbody
- Body Shape-Ultra-Light Electric
- Body Material-
- Top Body Material – Maple
- Back Material – Maple
- Body Finish-Gloss
- Colour name – Torino Red
NECK
- Neck Material –Eastern American Hard Maple
- Neck Joint Construction –Neck-through body
- Neck Fretboard Radius- 400mm or 15.75″
- Fingerboard Material Type-Black Walnut
- Fingerboard Inlay –Dots
- Number of Frets –22, Medium
- Full-Scale Length –24.75″
- Neck width at Nut- 44.5 mm or 1.75″
- Nut Material –Aluminum
HARDWARE
Bridge/Tailpiece System –Adjustable Tune-O-Matic Bridge with the strings passing over plastic rollers at the end of a minimal designed body. (See image)
Adjustable Tune-o-Matic style roller bridge wrapping string backwards around the tail-Image courtesy of reverb.com
- Tuners-Chrome Closed-gear ratio, 14:1
ELECTRONICS
Dual-Rail Humbucker Pickup with H configuration. The humbucking pickup in its bridge position offers a full tone with plenty of output.
Dual-Rail Humbucker Pickup with H configuration-image courtesy of Amazon
Do Travel Guitars Sound Good?
This is a fully capable electric guitar for rehearsal or live performance with a full band.
Playing clean, dry, or with a wide choice of good-sounding amp/effects or smartphone apps, you can get the tones you love with this instrument.
Special Features
Anchor Block w/Handle
An aluminum anchor block is placed behind the Nut at the tip of the neck. (See image)
Image courtesy of sweetwater.com
Travel Guitar Lap Rest
A chromed padded metal frame attachable & detachable leg/lap rest allowing for comfortable sitting while playing. (See Image)
Low-profile Leg rest that is attachable and removable quickly, so to play standing or sitting easily-Image courtesy of Amazon.com
Padded Gig Bag
The included gig bag is well padded to keep the Guitar safe during transport and features a shoulder strap, carry handle, and a large pocket for storing accessories.
Video
Final Thoughts
I played my first Ultra-Light Solid-Body Electric several years back through a friend jamming with us while we were in China on a work project.
It was quite the design, and I could see why it had become so popular in the niche market.
It played nice and sounded great, but it did take some getting used to.
You get all the components of a “Regular Guitar,” and sounds quiet without plugging it into an amp but is far from being familiar, even with the leg-rest attachment.
It still takes some time to adjust to the lack of mass despite the fact that the neck and fretboard are relatively normal; for instance, your right hand will have difficulty finding a place to sit without a body.
Also, the positioning of the tuners and restringing is not the easiest.
I could see how having this instrument if you travel often relieves a lot of internal stress if you cannot travel with the size and weight of a full guitar but still need to have your fingers on a fretboard for technical maintenance or just playing.
Not to mention the hassle of bringing a favourite axe through check-in luggage with added costs of flight cases and potential guitar damage in transport.
This “carry on in an overhead bin and sling over your shoulder as a backpack” instrument gives you an option now between having a Guitar to play on in your journeys or not.
Truly brilliant.
Get The Traveler Ultra-Light Solid-Body Electric Guitar (ULE TRDG) Here.
Should You Add This To Your Collection
If you are like me, that travels a lot and feel like you should be picking up the instrument at least to get your fingers on the fretboard, then yes, take the leap; you will be glad you did.
If you are just looking to add this to your collection, then NO, there are many more guitars you can purchase that will give you a much better value.
But for the “Traveler,” you will not go wrong with this full-scale “little Guitar that could.”
Did You Like This Article
Check out my review of the Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG 200s
Also…
Leave your comments in the section below if you would like me to review a favourite guitar.
As always, stay the course and keep playing.
Feature image of the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light Solid Body Electric guitar (ULE TRDG) Torino Red & Smaller images front and back courtesy of Amazon.ca
The Traveler Guitar Ultra Light Electric
$349.99
Starting A Journey At 7 Years Of Age, The Love For The Guitar Only Became Stronger Going Into My Teens. This Leading To An Exciting Time Of Teaching, Performing, And Recording. Join Me Now As We Can Bring The Love Of This Instrument To Other Musicians Globally.
