April 23, 2014

Make Your Backpacking Trip More Memorable With A Portable Guitar

By Essie Osborn


Backpacking is not just for students anymore. These days people go backpacking while they're considering a career change or they take a sabbatical from work for a few months. Backpacking can enrich your life in many different ways, especially if you travel to a developing country and gain perspective on your own world. Obviously there are some things to invest in when preparing for your trip, such as a good backpack. One investment you won't regret is getting a portable guitar.

Of course all guitars are portable since this is how the instrument was designed. However, they're not normally the most traveler friendly objects. They're awkwardly shaped and bulky. However, travel guitars are made specifically for musicians who want to be on the road a lot. They're smaller by comparison but produce a similar sound, unlike ukuleles, which produce sounds at a higher pitch.

One of the greatest things about travel guitars is that they're so easy to take with you on the airplane. Most are designed to fall within the maximum dimensions for a piece of baggage as allowed by most airlines. They're incredibly light too, so you won't have to pay extra for excess baggage. Best of all is that they're small enough to take with you as hand luggage, so you don't have to worry about your instrument being damaged by careless baggage handlers at the airport.

What makes backpacking such an adventure is that you often take the same modes of public transport that the locals do. In many developing countries, this will likely be a bus or a minibus. Drivers and their assistants often insist on placing large items on the roof of the vehicle for the journey but if your instrument is small and compact, you'll be able to keep it with you or put it in the overhead racks. This makes it easier to quickly transfer from one vehicle to another.

Many backpacking destinations offer incredible opportunities for trekking through jungle or among mountains. These journeys can take a few days and you may very well be completely removed from civilization for the duration. You'll be glad that you've brought a musical instrument to help pass the long evenings but you'll be even more grateful that this instrument weighs hardly anything and is easy to carry around.

Musical instruments can help you make friends. You might meet like-minded travelers who'll enjoy jamming with you, for instance. You may even pick up some new tricks and learn songs in other languages. If you want some quiet time, however, you can also sneak away and strum some chords while looking out over the ocean or enjoying the sunset. This will help you become centered again.

Many backpackers travel on a shoestring budget. It's very easy to overspend and then you might have to find a way to make some extra money. If you can play your instrument well enough, you may be able to make some cash through busking or by finding some gigs in local bars and restaurants. The owners of these establishments are often looking for new talent to entertain their clientele.

Stores that sell musical instruments sometimes have a travel guitar or two in stock. However, if you're looking for a variety to choose from, your best option is to look online. Some companies even specialize in making travel guitars only. If you're a serious guitarist, an alternative is to ask a luthier to build an instrument especially for you.




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