Customer Reviews

New Natural Backpacker Travel Acoustic Guitar with Bag

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is not a dulcimer. This is obviously a cheap knockoff of the Martin Backpacker. That said, it is still a fun little knockaround guitar. Once you figure out the floating bridge and exactly how to tune the thing (which is not entirely futile), you can get some good sound from it. It is not solid wood in any way shape or form, except possibly the neck, but that has no impact on tone, really.

This is just a cheap piece of garbage, but it IS FUN TO PLAY! SERIOUSLY! If you are away from home and do not want to take your good guitar out with you, just take this little thing. If you fall on it and totally tear it to bits, what's the loss?

Then again, if you're getting this little backpacker clone from this guy, you're paying way too much. You should pay about $1.00 or LESS for the guitar.

I would advise getting on ebay and looking up "Backpacker" as you can get this exact same guitar for $1.00. Yes...Just one dollar. I was extremely surprised to see this on here for $30. That's how much mine cost in total with the gig-bag, strings, picks, tuner, and shipping and handeling and insurance. If you get this from this guy on Amazon, you are getting screwed. If you purchased this already, you should go get the lube, my friend.

I give this 4 stars because you get what you pay for, and nothing more. If all else fails, you've gotten yourself a decent gig-bag for your future Martin Backpacker. Personally, I got it while I wait for my wife to let me have my real guitar for Christmas.

So I got this this thing looking for something pretty transportable, something I wouldn't care about dropping in a campfire, falling on, or dropping off the side of a cliff. Let me tell you though, I like this guitar a lot. Don't get me wrong, I am used to good quality guitars. My friend plays an expensive Taylor, I have a fender acoustic, my other friend has an acoustic seagull. So I know a sweet sound when I hear one, granted this thing isn't even close to the quality of any of these, but what do expect from a $30 dinky guitar. So anyway I got mine probably a week or two ago and I've been loving it ever since. However, it did take me two days to actually tune the instrument and I'm going to tell you how to do that right now
Tuning
-remove the strings from the tuners, however they do it in the factory is not sufficient
-check to make sure the nut is in its groove securely. If its not remove it and place or work with the wood to make it so it does fit snugly (don't have to use glue again, well at least I didn't)
-wipe down the fretboard if necessary, make sure excess glue isn't on frets. don't go at it with sandpaper, just give it a few gently swipes and remove any glue or residue on the frets that might make the strings buzz with contact.
-restring the guitar up making sure the all the strings make contact with the awkwardly placed first fret. This is key and the main reason the guitar won't come in tune. When mine came in the mail the last two strings weren't touching this fret so its impossible to tune otherwise.
-after making all the strings align and touch this first fret. go and give a tuning job. I recommend using this video to tune it in

[...]

-after this the guitar sounded like a new guitar, like Pinocchio coming to life. the sound is tinny and the playing can be awkward without a strap (I made one with some handy dandy duct tape). But all in all you can sing with it, and be on key and sound half way decent. This thing is a ton of fun, and beats buying a martin backpacker that would make me cry if I busted it buy accidentally dropping it on a trail. I suggest this for anyone out there who's really looking to hike with this thing, like me, and doesn't want to bring a $200 guitar with them. Actually I think the sound is comparable to a martin backpacker. I may give a sound test to show you guys. Actually I think this guitar is the same as the other blue, black, and red guitars that show up on amazon. Final words, its a lot fun, sounds pretty good once tuned, but it takes a little effort to get there

The travel guitar only cost $29, not much money. I tuned it up like my
dulcimer, using DAA tuning two strings for each note. The travel guitar has more volume than my mountain dulcimer and you don't have to keep figuring out what you are going to do about some of the half steps, (sharps, flats), because they are right there.Combining the bass string notes with the melody string notes you have a huge range. (My only experience is on the mountain dulcimer)
I used my digital tuner to check the notes and each fret is a half step.
Maybe it didn't cost much, but for the places we go (senior centers, fairs and rest homes) this shold be great, and the price is right. This instrument should be a lot of fun.

Whaddayawant for a $30 guitar? Somewhat disappointed when I received the sunburst model, since I had ordered "Natural". Aside from that, the intonation sucks. Only somewhat satisfying as a slide, where intonation is up to you the consumer.

This guitar is a cheap piece of junk. Which I expected, for $30. Mine came with strings and a bag, but the strings the guitar ships with are too heavy--I thought they were going to break the guitar's body. Intonation is absolutely terrible--I suspect they changed design, or started buying fretboards from a different supplier--without doing any math. Either they used the wrong fretboard, or they glued the bridge on in the wrong place. It's wrong by half an inch. For guitars, that's a huge error--it means anything past the second fret is out of tune.

Do not buy this guitar for someone looking to learn to play. It will disappoint them.

Absolute junk. I too was taken in by the idea of a cheap Martin Backpacker copy. This company has made a lot of money from us cheapos trying to get a good deal. For the others who have also been duped and still scratching their heads on how to tune or play this thing, here is a tip. Put a capo on the first fret and restring with super slinky electric guitar strings. It will now play cheaply, but it is a pain to keep in tune, and forget about ever getting it harmonically perfect. It will always sound just a bit off. I have since bought a Washburn Rover, and what a gem. You do get what you pay for.

I bought this for a grandchild who had enjoyed playing a nearly identical one at my house. It looked to me that they came here in the same container, made by the same 3rd world manufacturer.

Pro: This is the cheapest that it is possible to get a working guitar. Holds it's tune fairly well once it has been tuned a few times. It has a fairly soft touch, well suited to young fingers. It is compact and would make a good travel guitar if your audience is generous or drunk. Came with a gig bag and some spare strings.

Con: It is cheaply made with many imperfections. The sound isn't as good as the similarly designed Martin, but even that got poor ratings. If you want it for a decoration hang it where it will not get close inspection.

I had a lot of fun with mine, but have since bought something that sounds a lot better,

Fun to play around with. Obviously not the same quality as higher priced instruments but worth the money.

Please, take my advice and do not buy this item.Cheap construction,horrible workmanship, completly unplayable in any tuning.
If you want a strumstick, go with McNally, the best product on the market.
If you want a cheap guitar,many vendors offer good guitars for under $50.00
Zero stars!!! do not buy!!