I have to admit that this is one of the coolest guitars I've ever seen: a variable geometry travel guitar by French luthier Sébastien Gavet called the Tour Bus Guitar (discovered on fellow guitar blog Guitar Wink). You just have to have a look at it to understand what it's about: folded, it takes as little space as possible, elegantly unfolded it provides leg- and arm-rests, plus a perfect look with the right amounts of futuristic ergonomic and steam punk feel.
The hand carved mahogany is sumptuous and everything is at the right place (I love the control plate - people who follow my own guitar design blog know how much I've been busy with similar things, without ever reaching this level - that comes only with actual construction). And you know what? Its price is absolutely reasonable, it ranges from 1 100 € to 1 500 € - there are 3 models, including one with a Floyd Rose trem -, so I can even dream of buying one one day, and I will!
Bertram D
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Nice to see a travel guitar with the correct (IMO) number of pickups.
ReplyDeleteWow... that really is gorgeous. I built a (terrible) travel guitar myself so I can especially appreciate seeing one done right. One thing I can't figure out though is where the tuners are for the middle two strings?
ReplyDeleteHad me flummoxed as well. ( They're in keeping w/ the ergonomic theme, perpendicular to the headstock ) Ingenious really! There's elements that lend themselves as much to furniture making as luthier's touch and I love it.
DeleteThe best stuff is written on the road and anything that enables that I'm all for! Just did my first ever re-fret, soon to be followed by my SECOND re-fret so we're all learning. Not that it turned out badly at all, I have the few high frets only stringing it will reveal, nothing that can't be filed. The truth is, if I did this for a living ( I'd absolutely starve! )
GIVEN that Travel Guitars are the fugly bastard harelipped step children of the Guitar world (and I am speaking from personal experience having purchased a Chiquita to take on a month long family trip back in '81, the damn thing wouldn't stay in tune, the battery powered amp blew up, etc...) these Gavet guitars are really something, lovely to look at and brilliantly designed. To my mind, Travel guitars took a huge step towards legitimacy with the Voyage-air Trans-Ax Electric of a few years ago, but these Gavet take the Travel Guitar to a whole new level, plus there's a Tele version, to which I am particularly partial.
ReplyDeleteJack,
DeleteGood thing it was only a month long trip huh? If that were the case, sounds like nothing most players couldn't cobble together on their own.
A very clever design. The controls on the top I have used on some of my CBG's. It really is a very good place to put them.
ReplyDeletealthough on closer inspection that big knob on the back can't be a very good idea and the tuning machines look like they might be a bit fiddly to operate.
DeleteI'm sure that all that has been carefully handled with...
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ReplyDeleteTour bus guitar is one of the famous tour in the world many tourist want to play the guitar during the bus tour but not all the companies given these type of facilities but i have one bus tour com any who give to you guitar during the tour buses from new brunswick to new york hope you will book the tour of US...
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