|
| Washburn Steel String Travel Acoustic Guitar | 
 enlarge | Brand: Washburn
Category: Musical Instruments
List Price: $199.99
Buy New: $140.00
You Save: $59.99 (30%)
New (8) from $140.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 429
Color: Natural
Media: Electronics
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 8.1
Dimensions (in): 37 x 7 x 12
Warranty: One year warranty on electronic controls. Nontransferable limited lifetime warranty. Warranty terms vary. Check with manufacturer for specific product warranty.
MPN: RO10
Model: RO10
UPC: 801128004204
EAN: 0801128004402
ASIN: B00064TZYW
Release Date: June 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 22 | | NEXT » |
 Great in all respects but one. November 26, 2008
And that one is the size. Of course, the reason you'd buy a travel guitar is so that it is compact and easy to carry, but the size makes it extremely difficult to play. There is absolutely no way to rest it against your body, or to rest your arm on it like a regular guitar, so you're left half-carrying the guitar with your fretting hand, making it impossible to play. Also, the guitar is neck-heavy because of the small body, so even with a strap, you need to carry the guitar with your fretting hand, making playing difficult.
It comes in a cheesy cardboard box that makes it look like a $50 toy (which left me extremely apprehensive), but once you open it up, this guitar is gold. It comes in a case that looks and feels like a soft case, but give it a rap with your knuckles and you'll find that it's plenty solid. I took it with me to China for a month, and it survived without a problem. The only issue with the case is that it grips the headstock so tightly that putting the guitar in or taking it out of the case detunes the guitar every time, but it's a problem I'm willing to put up with for the protection it affords.
It is important to note that the guitar has low action like an electric guitar, and has a sound on the thin side. It has bedroom volume, good enough for jamming on trains and in hotel rooms, but not performance-worthy. The finish on the guitar is satin-y, a very thin varnish that probably does not offer very good protection, but the feel is superb, smooth as butter. The value of comfort, action, volume, and finish are yours to judge.
My opinion? Get it. I love the low action, prop the guitar up on its case to mitigate the size issue, and only play it softly anyway. It's a perfect fit for me, although you might weigh the issues differently.
 Cool tiny guitar! November 16, 2008
I bought this guitar to practice fingering for jazz/folk/fingerstyle guitar at times and in locations when my other acoustic guitars weren't available or weren't practical to use. I considered this and the Martin Backpacker (the Baby Taylor was out of my price range), and settled on this one, and am happy with my choice.
The tiny body size offers little resonance, but the fretboard is virtually full sized, at least up through 12 frets. Given why I bought it, this was fine for what I needed, and the tiny sound has a kind of ukulele/mini-banjo/mandolin quality that isn't unpleasant. The guitar holds a tune pretty well, and isn't hard to hold if you're sitting down, especially if you use the strap. I haven't traveled with it, but it's light and the case is compact and well padded, so I wouldn't worry about traveling with it.
One thing several reviewers mentioned was that this guitar smells funny, and it does. To combat this I left mine out of the case for several days and left the case open and this helped quite a bit.
Overall, I think the package deal is a real bargain--the guitar, a pretty nice (and light weight) case, strap, picks, allen wrench for adjusting the truss rod (!), and the "how-to" DVD--as long as you know ahead of time that you're buying a travel/practice instrument.
 it's a stinker!! October 21, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I play a Godin guitar, and needed a light travel number to use when I'm away. The Washburn Rover seemed the best option, great case, extra stuff and a good build quality. When it arrived i got a shock, the stench from this nightmare hung in my flat days after I took it back. The smell is obnoxious and clings to your hands and clothes, giving them an acrid honk that ruined my enjoyment of this product. The laquers used are obviously not fully cured before it gets packed and this just isn't acceptable in this day and age. The stench is embewed into the case so anything you put in there also gets contaminated. My advice is side step this smelly sub-standard joke, and buy the Ozark 3330, which is a great travel guitar and worth the extra cash.
Great Travel Guitar August 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Like other reviewers, I found that the tone of this little Rover leaves a little to be desired but at the end of the day that's not the primary reason I was looking for one. That said, it doesn't sound that bad.
What you should expect:
- Thin tone but what's to be expected from the small body
- Stays in tune despite moving it around from place to place, which is testimony to its stability
- Balance has been mentioned by other reviewers. If you rest this guitar on your left leg (if you're a right hander) in the classical guitar style, the balance is better
- The action stinks out of the box. If you work on your own gear, this isn't a problem to resolve. Otherwise take it directly to your local guitar person and have the bridge worked on or else you'll be fighting with fretting the strings.
This is a very enjoyable travel companion once you get the setup the way you like it and accept that it's never going to sound like a dreadnought.
Great Instrument! August 24, 2008
I am amazed by the beauty and the sound of this little beast. The neck itself is a true " piece d'art".
|
|
|
 | |
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.