Hohner EGS Ergonomic Guitar from 2007

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I must have missed when Mr. Wilson posted the Black Hawk version of the Hohner EGS guitar. I'm sure I would have remembered seeing something like this before.

Though it's not really to my taste, I can see this 2007 Hohner EGS being appealing to some players. It has a lot of decent hardware including Schaller Locking tuners, Ebony fretboard, and shadow piezo pickup. It also has an adjustable aluminium wing for ease of play. If it's detachable it could help make this a decent travel guitar, but at $1500 that would be a very pricy traveller.

R.W. Haller

© 2016, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Epiphone Mo'Baby. A travel sized version of the Gibson Moderne

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I've always regarded the Gibson Moderne as an important piece of guitar history and Gibson lore. From it's early days as a Gibson that basically didn't really exist, to the reissues with varying headstock designs, it certainly holds a place in the pantheon of electric guitar. 

But, I don't really like it. 

Here we have another reissue under the Epiphone flag that turns the Moderne into a smaller travel sized offering. This somehow makes more sense to me as a concept even if branding it "Mo'Baby" is a tad ridiculous.

I wonder if there is the option of keeping the built in speaker on while playing through an outboard amp as well. And if it would offer any string response or feedback to do so. Has anyone tried this wit speaker equipped electric guitars?

R.W. Haller

© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11

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Carvin Allan Holdsworth Signature HH2

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I knew Allan Holdsworth's face years before I'd ever heard him play a note.
Way back in 1985 he was predominantly featured in my Ibanez catalogue of guitars. In fact, I think i played one of his Ibanez signature models before I'd heard him play. It was red and had a spider logo on the headstock. Very cool for the 14 year old me.

So when I saw that Carvin had a signature Holdsworth model it caught my eye. I really like the look of this headless guitar. I think it wold make a great travel instrument. Carvin makes great guitars. I play with a bassist who sells and buys gear all the time. The one constant is his Carvin. Something, something......... from his cold dead hands.

Currently listed for $1200 Canadian

R.W. Haller



© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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MXB Travel Guitar by Michaud in awesome orange

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I like when somebody comes up with an original design that isn't too wacky or over the top. This MXB travel guitar is a nice take on the travel guitar. And simple. One pickup, one stacked pot, and a wraparound bridge. I also like the 4 and 2 tuner arrangement on this one.
I'd actually like to see what this body shape would look like as a full size guitar. I think it could work.
It's slightly reminiscent of the Burns Jet Sonic and is apparently one of only 47 made so far.

R.W. Haller


© 2015, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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GrassRoots GR-PGG 3TS electric travel guitar

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Hey guys,

I live in Japan and I kept seeing this strange travel guitar. It's called a GR-PPG and you can see it here or even buy it from here (I have nothing to do with this site, just saw it in English). It's supposedly made by Grassroots which is ESP's cheapo line for the Asian market, but this one doesn't even have a name on it nor is it on their website, which is why it took me a while to find it. I thought it was as stripped down as you could get while still being somewhat Strat-like.

Just thought you guys might enjoy it.

Keith.

Thanks Keith. From the front it looks like a Strat with an invisible body. It's funny, but you can almost "see" the body shape that isn't there - it's just what you are expecting, I guess. Weird one. I wonder if John Mayall approves.

G L Wilson

© 2014, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
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Bassix upright travel bass IS its own case!

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Please excuse me showing another double bass, but I couldn resist showing this bass (with what looks like a sawn-off body) just for the sheer inventiveness factor. The neck, strings, bridge and tailpiece are detachable whilst the body has a hinged lid and serves as carry case for all the other components. The inside of the body / carry case even has a pink fluffy lining so as to protect the neck, etc, whilst in transit. Apparently it's a UK-made bass from a company called Bassix, although this example currently listed on eBay UK with a starting bid of £200 is being sold as a project because it is in need of a little attention.

G L Wilson

© 2014, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

Stump Preacher - weird headless travel guitar - Made in the USA

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This Stump Preacher guitar is a weird looking critter, the weird name is rather strangely appropriate for this lumpy-looking headless design with its tuners proudly radiating around the front of the guitar body. You'd probably want a back-up instrument if this was your main stage guitar, because I can't imagine string changes are very quick to achieve. To access the tuner posts you need to open up the body which splits in half.

I remember seeing these guitars online several years ago, but the Stump Preacher website has long since vanished so I guess that the company is no longer a going concern. It also means that it's difficult to find out details of these guitars, but the seller of this example tells us that:

The one-piece body of this guitar begins with an internal core with properties similar to those of wood. This core is then wrapped with carbon fiber composite. The density can of this internal core can also be adjusted to produce different tone and sustain characteristics. [...] The neck is made of the same epoxy/graphite composite material used in snowboards, and the body is a high-impact polyurethane found on car bumpers. The only lumber to be found on the guitar is on its fret board.

This particular example is is finished in purple, but other Stump Preachers featured graphic designs which were "...actually molded into the body of the guitar between the composite and outermost layer so it won't just scratch off."

Currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $1,500.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!
Please read our photo and content policy.

Hofner Shorty - the little guitar that is ripe for modding

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This eBay UK seller, impressed with the quality and playability of Hofner's inexpensive little travel guitar, the Hofner Shorty, has modded seven of them installing the Wilkinson WVS50 two-point trem system on each, and made them available for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now price of £175 a piece.

He makes a very good case for the playability and versatility of these babies, as evidenced in the above video.

Meanwhile, another modder has routed out the body of his Hofner Shorty, reinstalled a new top and bridge, and with the help of piezo pickups and a little technology has converted it into a quite convincing sounding electro-acoustic guitar for busking.

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!

Cupit nylon-string travel guitar: a small instrument with a big sound

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Travel guitars, particularly the acoustic variety, are all too often a compromise with sound being sacrificed for portability. The Cupit travel guitar has a length of 22.5" (which makes what? A scale length of 18 or 19 inches? That's positively ukulele territory!) but manages to produce a full rich sound. As the website explains:

This guitar's patented revolutionary unique design joins the end of the neck to the body creating an all around brace removing the need for a truss rod. The three sound holes in the top side create a better listening perspective for the player. The round hole and F hole help to distribute the tones equally along the front of the instrument.

I guess that volume-wise (I'm talking litres rather than decibels) the body is of similar size - although a very different shape - to that of a regular classical guitar. The video below gives a good indication of how good it sounds/.

The Cupit travel guitar has a list price of $499.99, but according to the website it appears to currently have a sale price of $349.99. Just one last comment: that name "Cupit"... judging by the logo it looks as if someone couldn't spell "Cupid".

G L Wilson

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!

Sébastien Gavet's Tour Bus Guitar

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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

© 2013, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - the blog that goes all the way to 11!

Years before Steinberger: C.F. Martin's headless practice/travel guitars

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Now here's something quite fascinating. According to the eBay seller:

These are 2 of 5, custom made by Martin employee John Huber, for himself and other Martin employees for business travel. Purchased, by a collector, at the Martin Factory between 1965 and 1976, these guitars have been display pieces and not used instrumentally since. Both are solid folding body of 3/4" unknown wood species. They do not have electronics. Bridge and saddle work appear solid, however the "action" is not suitable for comfortable playing. [...] These models have been authenticated in 2010 by Martin employee Mike Dickinson, Exotic Guitars. Appraised at $500 to $750 each.

Note how the central body section, if you were to remove the detachable body wings, would make the guitars appear very similar in appearance to the legendary Steinberger design. But as guitars with no acoustic soundbox, nor electrics for amplification, I can only assume that these guitars were intended for quiet practice.

G L Wilson

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - 10 years and counting!

Tanglewood Evolution TB Baby has teething problems ... any suggestions?

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Please forgive what may look like a gratuitous photo of my cat, Elsa, but her appearance here does help to put the size of this Tanglewood Evolution TB Baby acoustic guitar into perspective. This is Tanglewood's answer to the Taylor Baby. With a scale length of approx 22 3/4", the TB Baby is intended as an acoustic travel guitar, but despite its small size it is a quality instrument as I hope these photos help illustrate.

I bought this particular Tanglewood Evolution TB Baby recently; it was brand new but I got it for about a third of the normal retail price. However - as is often said - "there's no such thing as a free lunch". In other words, there's a good reason why I got it so cheap. 

It has a cedar top, mahogany back and sides, and mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, attractive maple binding and an abalone soundhole rosette.

Check the detail on the heel of the neck (below), with the abalone Tanglewood "T" set in a heel-cap of maple.

Tanglewood guitars are a British company, and you'll notice they proudly display "United Kingdom" on the back of the headstock...

...and also on the label inside the guitar. Despite this open display of "British-ness" I can't help thinking that the guitar was probably made out in China or elsewhere in the Far East. Note it doesn't actually say "Made in..." anywhere, and the United Kingdom references may just be to the nationality of the company. But this wasn't what I really wanted to talk about...

It's actually a very sweet sounding guitar, with a very pleasing tone, quite unlike that of a full size dreadnought. Unfortunately, this guitar has issues. As I believe is often a problem with short-scale guitars such as this, the intonation is way out. At first I wondered if the bridge saddle had been inserted the wrong way around, but I have checked it and it seems fine. What I am not so sure about, however, is the fretting. I don't know what you think, but to me the distance between the nut and the first fret appears to be too large for the scale being used here. Take a look at the photo below and see what you think?

I have tried playing with a capo at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fret positions and it does perform a little better - you can actually play so that the guitar manages to play in tune with itself. Even better, I found, is to tune the guitar up a semi-tone and then use a capo. However, this is far from ideal because it means that we're having to deal with an even shorter scale and are being forced into playing in keys we might not want to play in.

Anyway, the guitar is - supposedly - designed to play in standard tuning. If I was forced to keep in permanently in another key, just tuning it up a semi-tone seems hardly worthwhile. Tuning up to G would seem more useful, but when I tried tuning up to G, the tension on the strings was just too much. Different gauge strings might be an answer, but then again they may intone just as badly.

The way I see it I have three options:

1. Try the guitar with different gauge strings and see if a different tuning helps. However I'm almost convinced that this option will not bear fruit because I very strongly suspect that the intonation problem stems from the incorrect distance from nut to first fret having been used (my experiments with the capo would seem to confirm this), but it has to remain a consideration.
2. Try the guitar with nylon strings which are known to be much more forgiving when it comes to intonation. And - yes - you can get nylon strings with ball ends nowadays, but the nut slots would need widening.
3. Get someone competent to install a (tall) zero fret or maybe some kind of compensating nut such as an Earvana (although I'd prefer not to pay Earvana prices).

So, it looks like it's a case of either spend money on a bunch of different kinds of strings to see what works, or else spend money with a luthier or guitar repairer.

Does anyone have any further suggestions? Or maybe you have had intonation problems with a guitar like this? Please let us know via the comments below.

G L Wilson

 © 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Erlewine Lazer headless travel guitar and a ghost mystery

guitarz.blogspot.com:

We previously looked at an Erlewine Lazer last year here on Guitarz but that was a heavily modified example. The Erlewine Lazer we are looking at today is a much finer example, being in superb condition; it also has two pickups, a singlecoil in the neck position and DiMarzio humbucker at the bridge.

These guitars, as favoured by Johnny Winter, are - despite their diminutive size - full-scale length guitars, and are built by luthier Mark Erlewine, the man responsible for bringing us the original Chiquita guitar as used by Michael J Fox in the now legendary Back To The Future opening sequence.

What is unusual about this particular Lazer, however, is the "Ghost" legend applied beneath the "Erlewine Lazer" decal on the body. To quote from the eBay listing:

An interested eBayer asked. "(W)hy does it say "ghost" under the Lazer label? I have never seen that on a Lazer." Indeed, none of the photographs of Lazers I have found have this moniker. A close examination indicates the "ghost" in lower case black lettering is below the clear nitrocellulose lacquer as if it was original to the guitar, so I telephoned Mark Erlewine at his Austin Texas office to inquire. Mr. Erlewine does not recall having ever made a special Lazer with the word "ghost” added, and he does not have records that would indicate a special order to add the word “ghost” to one of his custom made guitars.

A conversation with the widow of the original owner revealed that the owner was fascinated with ghost iconography; especially flaming skulls. This was a theme he carried into many of his artistic endeavors. She does not have information about specifics, but it seems reasonable that the original owner would have named his guitar the ghost and added the name. If so, the addition was professionally done by someone who understands how to work nitrocellulose lacquer.

If the new buyer wanted to remove the name, nitrocellulose lacquer is malleable enough that a craftsman would be able to remove the “ghost” within the multiple layers of clear lacquer, which brings up another point.

Erlewine stated that he would perform a full setup of the Lazer for less than $200, including strings of choice. I personally cannot think of anyone better to set the Lazer for the new owner’s playing preference than the skillful luthier who designed and built it in the first place. The new owner may want to ask Mr. Erlewine what he would charge to remove the “ghost” and re-lacquer the guitar, however I personally believe that this historical evidence of the guitar’s journey should remain. In other words, one should probably not mess too much with the “ghost”.

I agree with the eBay seller that the "ghost" should be allowed to stay. It's part of the guitar's history, and it isn't as if it's an unsightly blemish.

This guitar is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $2,500 - the auction ends later today.

G L Wilson

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Vintage & Rare guitar of the week: 1962 Gretsch Bikini Bass

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I guess that without the foldaway hinged "wings" making up the body this 1962 Gretsch Bikini Bass would resemble a LaBaye 2x4. Note how the volume and tone controls are mounted on the top edge of the central section. It makes me wonder if this was an early take on the travel guitar, one that folds down into a small package. I'm pretty sure that Gretsch also made a 6-string guitar neck too which would also fit into the same hinged body. The Who's John Entwistle had a doubleneck Gretsch Bikini in his collection; the foldaway nature of the instrument would be a definite advantage on a cumbersome doubleneck and you would also be able to choose which way around to arrange the necks (bass on top and guitar on bottom, or guitar on top and bass on bottom).

This bass is currently being offered for sale via Vintage & Rare priced at €1344.

G L Wilson

© 2012, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Guild X-92 Harvey Citron Breakaway travel guitar from 1985 fully loaded with EMG pickups and Kahler trem

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Blimey, for such a little guitar this Guild X-92 Harvey Citron Breakaway travel guitar sure has a lot of names! Designed by Harvey Citron (which explains half of the names) it was manufactured slap bang in the middle of the 1980s and has the features that you would expect on a guitar from that decade including three EMG pickups in Strat-like formation, a Kahler tremolo system for extreme dive bombing, and a body shape to keep the average hair-metaller grinning like a Cheshire cat. The clever part - as you will see in the above photo - is that the top fin is removable allowing the guitar to be packed into a diminutive gig bag for travel purposes. And if you're asking yourself why have the top fin at all, I have two answers for you: (1) aesthetics and (2) right forearm support. (Ever play a minimalistic-bodied travel guitar without forearm support? Believe me, it does get tiring.)

The guitar is listed on Gbase priced at $3,430. I appreciate it may be a rare beast but in the current financial climate I can't see anyone snapping it up soon unless they are rabid Guild collectors.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Heritage USA Red, White and Blue Little One travel guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Heritage Guitars was founded in 1985 by former employees of the Gibson guitar factory following Gibson's re-location to Nashville. Unsurprisingly, most their guitars are distinctly Gibson-flavoured, although this Heritage Little One would seem to be an exception as it's not obviously a Gibson-derived design. Body and neck are made of multiple laminates of dyed wood to give a very striking red, white and blue design.

The seller tells us that:

The idea behind the Little One series is to have a practical-sized guitar for someone who travels and performs. It is not neck heavy like some SGs. The Red, White and Blue version is a highly customized Little One. They will not make any more. The hardware is top notch!

The wood is the amazing part of this story. It is similar to maple in density but more water resistant. It is used in high end firearm stocks, archery bows, and for some military applications. Thin slices were soaked in vats of dye until the color filled the wood. The slices were then glued together. The laminate block was then cut at an angle to give the striped appearance. The neck itself consists of over 30 laminates. Note in the control cavity that the dye is completely through the wood.

There is no finish on the wood. It is impervious to water. Heritage recommends applying furniture polish to it twice a year. The neck is stronger than maple and should never crack.The tone is bright and is full spectrum with great lows and highs. The sound is amazingly good and is NOT a compromise.

I am reminded of the Gibson "Zoot Suit" SG which employed similar dyed laminates in its construction.

Currently listed on eBay with a starting price of $1,295 and a Buy It Now of $1,895, and currently with no bids and just over a day and a half to go before the auction finishes (at the time of writing).

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

What guitar is Zaniboni playing in this video clip?

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Check out the guitar in this video.

Zaniboni is a French singer. I love her guitar - so small and well-designed. A cute little acoustic. Plus she's a great singer and guitarist. I have no idea what she's singing! Thanks for the help!

Tone Deaf Radio!

Hey Tone! I reckon that's a Yamaha APX-T1, the travel-friendly model in Yamaha's acclaimed APX electro-acoustic series. Thanks for recommending the video; I enjoyed that! Maybe Bertram will be able to enlighten us as to what she's singing about.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

What is this old German travel guitar?

guitarz.blogspot.com

I'm doubtful, on one hand this travel guitar looks definitely handmade - its fretless fingerboard over the body/neck junction could come from a typically east-german hollow-body Schlaggitarre and the electronics are limited to pickups and Flying V-style jack output... On the other hand I've seen this body shape before - though I can't remember where...

So what do you think: is it an awkward retrofit, a crude copy, a Frankenstein, a steampunk prototype?

Bertram

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!