One of the most famous martin guitars of all time is a sub-$200 travel friendly guitar that looks like a regular acoustic went through a sausage grinder. The Martin Steel-String Backpacker acoustic retails for only $170 bucks but has some fantastic features which maintain the high quality that Martin is quite well known for.
The Martin Backpacker's most unique feature is the carefully designed body, which is only as thick as the neck for the majority of it. Basically, after the sound hole the end of the guitar gets much wider to allow for good sound amplification.
Don't let the small size trick you though- this guitar is built of fine materials such as braced, solid tone wood top with a solid mahogany neck, back, and sides. Additionally, the guitar was built to withstand some serious abuse. The internal construction and design was meant to last years of serious abuse.
As for hardware, the guitar features classic chrome Martin tuners that hold the guitar in tune even after jamming out to campfire songs all night! The guitar itself weights less than 2.5 lbs. Includes a strap and gig bag as well.
Awesome guitar that at first, looks a bit strange but grows on you. This is the perfect guitar for someone who doesn't want to lug around a heavy guitar but still can practice with a full sized instrument. The Martin Backpacker does a great job of this and will provide years of good service.
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I want to love my Backpacker and would like to take it with me. I’m not a pro and it’s mostly for fun and sing alongs but it won’t stay in tune, or if checking it tells me all the tones are in the right place, it just sounds off (I can handle a little but it’s really noticeable when fingerpicking). I’ve seen so many good reviews (and bad reviews) that I don’t know what the problem is. I am tempted to bring it in and have them shave some off the saddle for action and change the strings (again).. do you think that would help or did I just get a “lemon”? Thanks!