5 BEST Travel Guitars under $500 ★ Acoustic Tuesday 160 

I really appreciate all you do to support the next "new" guitarists by keeping the love of acoustic guitar alive and keeping noobs informed, hopeful and motivated. Happy New Year to you! Stay safe and fingers crossed 2022 is better than '21 and '20.

I'm extremely thankful for your videos , it helped me play my first barre chord

Tony, I am not only a subscriber to your RU-vid channel, but also a life member to TAC. I want to say thank you once again. Based on this video, I went to guitar center purchased the Taylor GS mini, picked it up Friday, on my way to a lesson at the Veteran Administration Health Facility. When I took off the box, and from the case, the smell was amazing. It smelled as if the guitar was freshly cut and made hours ago from the wood. Even more amazing was the sound it produces. I am traveling to Arizona next month and this I’d definitely coming along with me!!

Just got the Taylor GS mini mahogany. Not because it was a travel guitar, but because it's was available in a lefty model and I needed a smaller guitar body because I am so petite. I love it!

Great video as always, Tony. I have a Martin LXM (Martini) that has literally been around the world. You're right, I've met MANY people as a result of this guitar and I've played it in many cool places. Recently on a vacation to Belize, I met the late Jerry Jeff Walker at the airport as a result of Martini. I had no idea who he was until his wife told my wife! Great guy. The size, playability and sound of the LXM is perfect for travelling.

Thank you for another wonderful show Tony👍👍👍💣💥

I travel in a small RPod when weather permits. I am waiting on my Taylor GS mini and should be here early spring. Glad to hear you like it and the sound. I gave a Martin LS1 to my neighbors 10 year old who just recovered from COVID. Perfect fit for him and he was so excited. It just felt too small for me.

The Eastman Travel Guitars are all solid wood and sound awesome. The solid back an sides (sapele or rosewood) really make a difference.

I’ve got a lefty GS Mini mahogany and I prefer it to my full size Breedlove. Excellent choice, and not an asterisk at all! The mahogany model sounds and plays lovely.

Great show as usual, Tony. I agree with you 100% about the Taylor GS Mini. Something that should also be mentioned is that the Mini comes with a very good preamp. When plugged in, you can dial in a very nice tone, which makes the Mini an excellent gigging instrument due also to it's convenient size and playability.

Nice to see the Puddlejumper in amongst these small guitars, it's actually a true travel guitar.

Tony, as usual, an excellent show. I am a couple of days late, will not make it a habit, but love the show and watch it every week.

I bought a GS Mini mahogany last fall to bring down to Mexico and even played it in a Christmas concert. I don’t have the plugin model but miked the guitar sounds great. Since I’m 5’2” this guitar is perfect for me.

First Tuesday show since I finally joined the TAC family last week. What a super friendly community. I've been made to feel very welcome on the forums and I've been trying to pitch in where I can to offer help. I'm a 'returning player' with a bit of experience some years ago. Even so I'm working through Stage 1 at a fair old pace, whilst taking my time on Stage 2 and I'l be running through Fretboard Wizard too. I've yet to fully bed in my practice habit, but i've played more in this last week than i have in years! I guess that's a small win!

While I don't have a travel guitar, or a preference at this time, I would like to add that I bought my Granddaughter a Baby Taylor for her 9th birthday. She loved getting a real guitar, and it has been very easy for her to play!

when I was in music school my college bought a fleet of gs mini's and I fell in love. it still had the great tone of a full sized guitar but it didn't stick out when traveling to and from campus and had the added plus of being easier to learn chords on

Gretch Jim Dandy. So cheap nobody would steal it, and if it gets broken it's no big loss and it seems really tough. It's still fun to play. I spend at least one week a month on the road, so it was a good choice for me.

Love my Dread Jr. Picked up one used for $350. Pickup on board 1 3/4 wide at the nut. really short scale 22” I think it can’t be beat

I have just bought a Yamaha APXT2 and its also electro as well as acoustic. £200 pounds which is under $300 dollars and feel it should be on your list.

Thank you Tony 😊

Under $500, Art and Lutherie, Ami model. Made in Quebec Canada. Incredible tone. Pressure tested woods. Amazing.

Great video as always Tony! My favorite Travel guitars are: 1. the Yamaha GL1 guitarlele, because it was a little gift from my wife. Funny instrument! 2. my all time favorite by faaaar (and I’ve played a lot included the GSmini, Voyage, Journey Instrumens etc etc) is my 2016 Furch LJ10 CM - Little Jane !! All solid construction (Cedar Top, Mahogany b&s, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard n bridge and LR Baggs Pickup - awesome projection, pretty balanced and louder than some of my dreadnoughts.. Greetings from Germany! Stay save and.. Guitar Geeks Unite ! ;) Dom

Tony, a great travel guitar that I use is a Yamaha APXT2 . Not only a great travel guitar it is the ultimate couch guitar. Always there when you want to noodle around. With built in pickup, electronics, and on board tuner, you can't beat it. Rich

Yes, they are still making the GS Mini Mahogany. Mine is from August, 2020.

LOL!!! After your comments about guitar fragrance I had to stop the video to smell my Fender. Actually, I'm surprised that I hadn't thought to do that right after I got it. I used to have a woodworking shop and I love how wood smells! Turns out that the Fender isn't strongly fragrant, though it does smell good. But I'm having a giggle imagining the look on the owner's face the next time I walk into my favorite record/guitar shop, Hot Poop, and start smelling the guitars.

"Fadretboard Vizards Junite"...........Thank you Tony. As they would say in the 80s, Totally Awesome.

In my experience Voyage-Air guitars play and travel well. Though they exceed the 500$ criterion, they are worth the extra cost. It's also fun to see the reaction when you unlock the neck and bend it to put it in the carry-on case. Both electric and acoustic models. They are relatively inexpensive, more conventional in size and scale length, and they fold into a back pack for air travel.

Hey Tony! Is that a Beard Sidecar or Southside guitar in your lap? Thanks for all you do.

I must confess my travel guitars are over $500. My long time camping guitar is Voyage Air, solid spruce and rosewood with a hinged mahogany neck. It is full size but fits under my campers dinette bench seat. I recently purchased a Furch Little Jane in Alpine Spruce and Cocobolo. I have been looking for a small parlor guitar and while the Jane has 14 frets the size and sound are what I was looking for and bonus, even easier to travel with than my Voyage Air. This is my last guitar purchase (at least for 2020)!

Really like the Taylor GS Mini But got the grandchildren a Spruce top and coming for Christmas, a GS Mini Koa. Yes not the 500 limit but great guitars.

Love your show Tony - have you tried the Furch Lil Jane?

I agree, the Taylor GS Mini is a gorgous guitar. I bought a Taylor Big Baby around 10 years ago and loved it but sold it on. I've just picked up a Martin LXK2 and what a gorgeous girl she is - looks gorgeous and sounds killer!

I have a guild jumbo junior flamed maple & completely in love with it.

Excellent video. Veterans Day, I will be playing my old Trumpet, from 1970, to warm up the lip. Then @ 11:00 I'll will be playing TAPS from my bugle in Newport News VA at the Victory Arch. My grandfather exited his ship there, returning from Europe to catch a train and return to West Virginia. The Trumpet has been in my life since my brother started on a cornet when I was 4. The guitar has been with me for 2 months. So SLOW learning and caring for the blisters on my fingers. I did not learn the trumpet over night. I have to remember patience learning the guitar. My Taylor Academy 12e.

Love the GS Mini Koa plus, just got one recently and can’t out it down, it’s beautiful and sounds amazing. 🤘😎

I decided on a Yamaha APXT-2EW great little travel guitar.

I searched for and purchased a Taylor GS Mini Mahogany online about two months ago -- after reviewing an older "Tony" video on best smaller guitars that I found when I was looking to buy a smaller guitar to practice on since I had surgery on my right shoulder, summer 2019. I physically cannot practice on my 30-year plus Celebrity Ovation because of shoulder pain (had it 30 years and never had had time to learn to really play it). I have now actually started to learn how to play guitar since I purchased the mini and have become a member of TAC. I am off-practice schedule right now due to being ill with the nasty Covid virus, beginning on Halloween, and have been trying to recover from it. My plan is to restart my practice sessions in the next few days as I am beginning to get my strength back. Thank you, Tony, for having information out there to help people select a really good one when needing a smaller guitar for travel, short arms & small hands (which I also have), and for physical limitations that require use of a smaller guitar to prevent pain while playing. I LOVE MY GS MINI!! Rudy B

Hey Tony, love, love, love your acoustic Tuesdays! I just figured out how to get my account up an running being a 70 year old technically challenge old fart. My main ride is a Taylor 712 c short scale 12 fret that is becoming less fun to play with my arthritic hands. I also have a Martin 000 junior 10 with a 24” scale that is so much easier (FUNNER) to play. I have also owned a GS mini but found the narrow nut and 23.5 ‘ scale uncomfortable and cramped. I’d like a guitar with a bit more low end and volume than the Martin 000 Jr. 10. I do perform a bit as well and generally use the K&K mini. Do you have any recommendations? Ie Taylor GT or Martin DR JR 10. I really appreciate your time. Thanks, John

I have a couple of the Art & Lutherie AMI. I believe these are in this price range and they are rugged guitars and withstand the Minnesota weather very well (better than my Martin D35!). Very playable and a great finger style guitar. Lots of my students have had them too!

I have a Yamaha JR2 for traveling, which does the job just fine. And because of it's inexpensiveness you don't have to take as much care as you would with a GS Mini for example. There is also the JR2S which is a little more expensive, but has a solid top. Also I have a Gretsch G9126 Guitarlele. All Mahogany with a solid top. She sounds and plays awesome and beats the Yamaha GL1 in every aspect I think. But is a little more expensive also.

Damn.. that’s some cool playing 👍🏼

Hi Tony. Thanks for another great show. I do not own a travel guitar but would love to get one. Hopefully, before I start traveling again! I lean toward having one with the removable neck like the Journey Puddle Jumper. It has been years since I was on a flight that would allow even a small guitar case in the overhead bin like your personal video featured. For $100 more both the Martin Dreadnough Jr. or the Taylor GS Mini both deliver much better sound. Perhaps, I should consider 2 travel guitars? One for air travel and one for road trips. BTW - My guitarsenal has already grown from 3 to 5 instruments since I first discovered Acoustic Tuesday last December. My wife is very supportive of my acquisitions and I don't want to stretch the envelope. Of course, if I showed up with a new Journey in the backpack case she wouldn't even realize I bought another guitar until our next airline trip together - likely a year or more away. Hmmm. I am curious if you ever plan to move back into your studio for Acoustic Tuesday? How is Colorado Kyle doing? I have really been enjoying the shorter and simplified format of your homespun shows. But I also miss the more in depth topics and features that your studio shows always featured.

Hi Tony, , My travel guitar is a Yamaha APXT2, its tiny and plays and sounds great for its 200$ price tag it cant be beat! its acoustic electric and has a cutaway.

Great show as always Tony 👍👍 Went and checked out Mike Dawes video, flipping awesome 👏 subscribed to his channel, thanks for the heads up 😊

Love my GSmini mahogany. Added LRbaggs anthem SL pickups and tonewood amp. The bowl backside does make using the tonewood a compromise since it attaches to the back.

If you had to pick between guild m20 and Taylor gs mini mahogany which do you prefer?

Eastman makes the ACTG2E-OV travel size that is really nice.

I have a Furch Litte Jane and its an absolute stunner. Its around 1k, but its made from solid woods.

Love my Orangewood Dana M. Perfect! My youngest boys have Yamaha JR1s. Perfect for them!

TP,, could you some day speak about entry/ intermediate level mandolins?

Are there any carbon fiber travel guitars that you add on this list?

Martin Dred Jr & LX1E are my fav's.

I spend a lot of money on my guitars so I have a lot of fun searching for the ultimate cheap outdoor guitars..The best cheapy so far is the DEAN PARLOR..All fake wood sounds great..I paid 120 new factory second.

Recenty went into a local shop and played the gs mini and ended up buying a yamaha cfs 3m, the guitar is build really well for a cheaper price.

What is that guitar you got?

What sunburst Guitar are you holding

Hello Tony, what brand is the sunburst guitar you show in the video. Thanks

Big Baby Taylor was chosen overLX-1. Thanks. 🍁

The Taylors and Martin's you listed for sure. I don't think I would have picked that Yamaha and would go with the CFM1 which I have and is great. Gretsch Jim Dandy also not bad and super affordable. The under $500 is the kicker.....plenty more above $500.

I just picked up a Traveler Redlands Concert Mahogany Acoustic Electric for $450 from Sweetwater (June 2022), and it is amazing! I played the Taylor’s at Sweetwater and I like the Redlands just as much tone wise, but it also has some other features that I really like. Would love it if you could review one of those, (if you haven’t already).

With that first Yamaha, does it use custom gauge nylon strings? Or standard?

Breedlove Pursuit concertina red cedar e! It has bone nuts like me and its a small parlor shape but sounds BIG and is Beautiful Looking and Sounding!

Journey RT 410...sounds "awesome", with excellent low end, for a travel guitar.

I have a Tacoma Papoose that I purchased at a online auction for $200. The online prices for these fluctuates a great deal depending on wood type and shape. The one I purchased needed some of my amateur luthier skills to execute some minor repairs. The Papoose was designed by George Gruhn of Gruhn Guitars here in Nashville. They are no longer made but it is built with a solid cedar top and solid mahogany back and sides and very compact at on 31 inches overall length. I keep it tuned G to G. I also have a Zager travel guitar that is front, back and sides all solid African Mahogany. It has a great bass and is only 35.5" overall. I got it on sale for $495 but I believe they have gone up in price to about $695. I am in the process of carving a new Ivory saddle for it as I write this.

I have bought 3 Martin LX-1's, one acoustic and 2 acoustic-electrics. I beat up one of them traveling with it so much--knocked a piece off the side and the bracing started coming apart after several years. Had it repaired and it plays fine again now. Gave the acoustic to my daughter, and was traveling with the newest acoustic-electric (which sounds pretty nice plugged in) before COVID. I got a Taylor GS-Mini last year, ostensibly for my granddaughter when she's old enough, and it sounds pretty good too, especially plugged in. The Taylor and Martin sound different, but are closely comparable quality, I think. I'm biased though, having 5 other Martins (12-string, Road Series, Woodstock commemorative, and OMC-18 Laurence Juber custom edition) and no other Taylors. Seems to me that in general, you have to pay a LOT more for a Taylor to get comparable sound quality, compared to Martin. I've found lots of relatively inexpensive Martins that I love the sound of, and no Taylors below $2,000 or so. Maybe just my ear preference

Yamaha CSF1M or CSF3M? The 3M is and all solid wood model with scalloped bracing and can be had for under $600.

Not even a little mention for the Martin backpacker? I love this guitar

I have a gs mini and the small scale length is hard for me. If I want a full scale, what's the best option ?

Guild makes a sweet little guitar called a Jumbo Junior. Lots of volume, real good low end, all good.

Hi, very interesting comparision of these guitars, thank you ! What I'm missing is the hint, that the sound of a guitar also depend very much on the kind of strings (phosphor or bronze 80/20). And also the in my opinion very important, the material of sadle and nut !! Many?most of the cheaper guitars have these made of plastik which gives a "narrow" sound. A change to real bone will increase the dynamical range so widely !!! I got an old richwood, changed to bone sadle and bronze 80/20 strings and got an improvement of much more than double. Kind regards, Markus

When I saw young Tony with the short hair I thought it was Ashton Kutcher. As far as travel guitars go, I recently purchased a used Journey Instruments OF510 for a little over $400. The 5 in the model number indicates Cedar top, which they no longer make, so I had to buy used. I've been wanting a cedar top guitar for a long time and it was the best sounding of all the clips on RU-vid. It doesn't disappoint and has quickly become my number one player. I love the compact size, though I would like to get something a little bigger, maybe 00 size. It is one of the clearest sounding guitars I've ever heard and the intonation is spot on. The fact that you can just pack it up and carry it like a back pack is a great bonus, especially if you're traveling in areas where you don't want to necessarily advertise that you have a guitar. Works for me.

Sorry if I missed it but what is the guitar that he is holding that has that tabbaco burst acoustic

I wanted a guitar for the house, and to teach my kids on. I used to have a couple of nice acoustics, however they were stolen at the same time from my church. Sad day. I then bought a Martin DCX1E model and it's OK. I decided it was time to buy a Taylor guitar once again, and landed on the GS MINI-E KOA PLUS. I bough sight unseen and unplayed. After owning it for a few months and putting it through it's paces, I am blown away as it keeps opening up and getting better and better! I can't wait to try some of those SantaCruz strings. Should I use the low or mid tension?

I have the gs mini taylor and it is one of the better guitars.the sound is beautiful and loud for a little guitar. I highly recommend this guitar. I got the one that's made of maple it has a warm sound. I use medium gauge strings.

Great video! Question for you. About 10 years ago I bought a random acoustic guitar off the shelf at a music store with the intention of teaching myself to play. It was so big and hard to hold and I never really got the hang of it so naturally I returned it. I now have learned there are smaller guitar sizes. Is it worth buying a “travel” or smaller sized guitar so it is easier to hold? Thanks for answering! Every time I go to a music store no one is around to ask questions to or get advice.

Nice! I have a baby Taylor that I use to travel with and busk. I believe I got it for $250.

thanks for this easy guide! I'm trying to find one on this list for a decent price in Sweden - unfortunately they normally start at *at least* the equivalent in SEK x10 (which is more than in USD), but more often than not it's *even more* expensive than that; e.g. the Mini Mahogany starts at 6199 SEK, which is $684 :-( I'll keep an eye on the 2nd hand market

Tony, if you haven’t already done so, this to the ding Milk Carton Kids did with Molly Tuttle. Wow!

What beautiful sunburst are you holding in this video???

What guitar is that in your intro?

I Like My Peavey Composer Acoustic Electric Parlor Guitar.

When it comes to the little martin lx1 i would recommend using elixir strings

Enya Go Carbon fiber travel guitar. You should do a demo on that guitar. Also a Luna Tribal guitalele I take everywhere. I owned a Yamaha guitalele like you have on your show I gave to my son. Bought the Luna I like just as well.

Hi Tony. First off hope Emerson and Whitney are doing well . I got a Tanglewood crossroads whiskey barrel £99: Sterling from gearformusic online highly recommend this company By the way. I'm nearly sure it has a Soild mahogany (type) top and neck . I got a friend to lower the action and I put Ej11 strings da darios on it . Outstanding little guitar seriously seriously good. Highly recommended it .

Epiphone Lil Tex. A great travel guitar with a solid spruce top.

What about carbon fiber guitars for travel? Under 1500?

The kerfing should be spanish cedar too. Seriously the best smell ever.

What. Was that classical piece the yammaha gl1 played at the start ?

Beautiful

I'm still loving my Cort Mini OP, I think it's mahogany back and sides, with no varnish at all, hence the OP (open pore) and a very lightly varnished solid spruce top. I bougt it to have a guitar that was easier and more comfortable to play, but still with a nice warm sound. I think they're made in the same factory that makes Taylor's, and the quality of the build and wood is comparable. The fitments aren't top quality, but I'm gonna replace the tuners, nut and bridge eventually. Amazingly, the price point was just £140. So a real bargain imo.

My favorite travel guitar is my Big Baby Taylor. It's the closest thing I own to a travel guitar.

Next evaluate the SX Trav 1! It’s awesome for the price, AND resembles an 18th century Spanish guitar, AND the neck meets the body at fret 14, not just at fret 12 = more playing space… bang for the buck!

I bougth a Taylor GS Mini E Koa... and I hate it. It has been a disaster! Why? Because my much more expensive guitars are left in their cases, forlorn and neglected... unplayed and feeling unloved! All because that GS Mini came in and totally took over! It is amazing and looks CRAZY... that flamed koa top and sides sounds as good as it sounds.... And that is really saying something.

that GS MINI from taylor is a couple hundred up! $$ some like KOA are $999!

I have so many Guitars that if I found someone who loves to play but couldn’t afford to buy one I would probably give one away ! That’s a great story about Jack White helping out Matt 👍

Almost all of them sound decent; the only one that actually got a "Gack; no way" out of me was the Journey. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with it quality-wise, but the tone just didn't do it for me at all. Normally I swing towards Taylors, and that's the case here too, but the Martins sound just fine too.

Martin electonics take a 9 volt battery which I prefer .....last a longer time than the 2032 coin type on Taylor & other guitars.

One can say the guitar smells good but one can go deeper to say that the Good smell comes from the WOOD which gives LIFE to the guitar, which is at the bottom, Wood. :) I love the smell of Wood on guitars! Even before starting to play, I would smell them when crossing one lol.

My fave is yamaha csf3m. It's an all solid. There is also a solid top only csf1m. A guy offered me a hair more than what I paid and I let it go. I'd prefer a solid top model with no pickup. Maybe someday

God bless Jack White..Soooo awesome