I'm looking for advices about a new concept for a travel electric guitar

[buristo1]

Hi everyone, i'm a guitarist and a product design student working on his final project, and i need your help!

 

I was intrigued by modular guitars, so i did some research and i reached to the conclusion that there is not enough market for this kind of instruments (eaven if some companies produce them), basically because we love to have multiple models with their own personality.

 

This is why i switched to travel guitars. They have a much bigger market, with a lot of different models, but most of them are too big to be carried with you in an airplane and look more or less the same.

My idea is to create a collapsible travel guitar, characterized by some interchangeable parts (such as pickups, knobs, fretboard radius, neck profile, bridge…) that allows you to create your own configuration. I think that the moduar aspect in this case would be justified, because when you travel for work or when you are on holyday, you totally can’t carry more than one guitar with you, especially if you use public transports.

 

So, my questions are:

- What kind of guitarist are you?

- Wuold you buy a collapsible modular electric guitar?

- Wich features would you like to have in such instrument?

 

This is it, thank you so much for your help!

[randythoades]

I like the idea of a modular guitar definitely, would be very cool to have one guitar but be able to swap out single coil for humbuckers etc, or maple instead of rosewood neck when the whimsy takes you, but not sure why you would have one as a travel guitar. The nature of an electric guitar is that you would also need to carry an amplifier and cables, thus negating and offsetting the benefits in a collapsible travel electric unless you were going down the Pignose route and having onboard amplification.

 

A collapsible acoustic seems far more suitable like the Journey https://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-Instruments-Solid-Travel-Guitar/dp/B088D7XQYT/ref=asc_df_B088D7XQYT/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696385059988&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14344007345713079697&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007360&hvtargid=pla-932629138513&psc=1&mcid=a0f3a2e1ed28380f9fa73423ec1942cd&gad_source=1

 

To answer your questions:

I play country / southern rock / bluegrass and retro blues based rock (rockabilly and boogie styles).

Yes, I would buy a modular electric guitar.

I would like pickup/control configurations mainly. I don't think I could be bothered in changing necks on a regular basis.

[Graham50]

I owned a Washburn Travel guitar for a while, but I did find it lacking in tone. I have travelled with my Yiari parlour guitar by plane, it fits the overhead. I don’t think a collapsible would appeal to me. Sorry.

[Pbassred]

Modular yes.  Collapsible, no.  There are enough issues with inconstant action as it is without taking the neck off.  It would need to relocate exactly every time.  That means metal to metal joints, heavy sprung latches and even then where would the strings go when you fold it.  Even if you get it to work and be stable anyone who is flying somewhere to perform would want to play the best instrument for the show rather than the best instrument for the aircraft.

Travel guitars exist but they tend to be headless neck-throughs with detachable wings.  You can't get then in the over-head but you could negotiate a carry-on depending on the airline.  There are also half size guitars.

 

The one in the amazon link sounds like a wet rag.

 

I slightly disagree with Randythoades. though

On 25/10/2024 at 07:21, randythoades said:

The nature of an electric guitar is that you would also need to carry an amplifier and cables,

If you don't care enough to take your favourite Tele, your amp could be borrowed, rented or one of many modelling boxes (that are quite good now) and run direct out the PA.  its quite fashionable in some genres.

[randythoades]

8 hours ago, Pbassred said:

I slightly disagree with Randythoades. though

If you don't care enough to take your favourite Tele, your amp could be borrowed, rented or one of many modelling boxes (that are quite good now) and run direct out the PA.  its quite fashionable in some genres.

But the OP is wanting to produce a collapsible travel electric, which I am obviously missing the point on. If you were going to borrow amps then you could borrow a guitar too if necessary, although the modelling box into PA does make a lot more sense.

I do like the idea of a modular guitar, being able to swap out pickup modules and electrics would be really cool, going from a standard tele setup to double humbuckers would be good and certainly save space for those that have multiple guitars for different applications.