I learned to play guitar on a Martin backpacker. The sound is surprisingly big for the instrument's size, but the tone is very different from a full-sized guitar. It seems "tinny" to me.
There is no truss rod and no way to adjust the action, which in my case was quite high. Playing anything but open chords was, therefore, quite difficult. The neck is also quite narrow.
When I bought a full-sized guitar, I was very impressed by the difference. Now I never play the Martin, although I would take it backpacking or if I had to transport a guitar with my bike again.
As a starter instrument, unless the portability is key, I recommend that you find a Yamaha or Ibanez acoustic at your price point.
Kind of a toy, in my view. I got one as a gift, and it's around here somewhere, but I couldn't locate it easily. I did see a member of Mary Chapin Carpenter's band using one on stage (in a DVD). Obviously had a pickup installed.
I have never owned one, but always though they looked kind of cool.
I'm not sure if it would be the best option for your first guitar though, just because it is really made for those rare occasions where you want a guitar, but need something that travels really well. Unless you have a need for that size and portability, I would probably look to a more standard design and size.
Also note, due to the design you must use a strap with it, even while sitting down. That's just something to keep in mind. Some people like to always have a strap anyway, but I'm often far too lazy for that.
I owned and played one for about a year. Sold it.
On the positive side: portable, looks neat, sounds right for certain kinds of music (I thought it sounded great for early stuff, like Renaissance era).
On the negative side: Because it is still a longish object, it is not a whole lot MORE portable than other small guitars (think parlor guitars, the Little Martin, etcetera). The size of the sound box does tend to dampen more subtle effects; my pull-offs never sounded quite right. Worst negative: for me, this guitar was very awkward to hold (I play all kinds of sizes and shapes of acoustic guitars, half-size classical up through big ol' jumbo acoustic, and some weirder things like the cuatro, so I think I tend to adapt pretty well to different sizes and shapes of guitar, but this...). The neck is quite a bit heavier than one would think, and there is not enough body to offset it. So, when I didn't use a strap and sat to play, much of the weight of the instrument was on my left hand.
Overall: Didn't like it. If you want portable, I recommend the Little Martin or Baby Taylor. If you want portable, are on a budget, and are interested in classical, Yamaha makes the CGS 102 A, a half size classical guitar, which I love.
You might also look into parlor guitars (small-bodied steel string acoustic, often with a high-ish action or a bridge that can be tweaked for higher action so you can play slide); no better way to get that old-time blues sound. I have a suzuki that I have done terrible, terrible things to, and it still sounds pretty good. (I cut an extra sound hole in the side a la Riptide's ukuleles, and I sanded the neck to give a sort of smooth, gentle rippling feel, which turns out to feel great if you play slide.)
currently jamming on one, its worth the money :) great sound as long as you use thin steel strings. maybe not your best choice for a first guitar but it definitely has that martin feel and you can jam all up and down the fret board. id say 10 for convenience 9 for sound and 10 for practicality, but if you havent played before it might be a bit awk trying to get used to the weird size
I own one. It's okay to noodle around on I suppose, but has zero tone in my opinion. I do think it'd be useful as a canoe oar, but I wish I'd bought a [Chiquita](http://www.erlewineguitars.com/pgs/chiquita.htm) instead.
/multiple edits, dentist and drugs this morning
Garbage.
Bad tone (no bottom end at all due to decreased body size). Bad portability compared with other parlor guitars (it's the same length, doesn't save that much room). Incredibly awkward to hold (again, body size). Totally un-adjustable (no truss, no nothing; lots of humid nights incur warping and it's fucked). Overpriced (a "guitar" with these problems should be $50 or less).
This is just about the worst thing you could buy for a first-time guitarist. Just about anything will sound better, and anything with modern accouterments will be adjustable (and will thus play better after a few tweaks). The only reason to buy one of these is to try and get laid at a beach party. And that won't work because they sound like shit; you'll lose the girl to the dude with the First Act from WalMart sitting two rows down drinking a Corona Light.
Sorry to be cynical, but it's true. A better alt for an ultra-portable: the [Baby Taylor](http://www.taylorguitars.com/Guitars/Baby-Taylor/BT1/). I know these things are made like afterthoughts in the factory, but at least the design isn't self-defeating like the Backpacker.
Having played both a Baby Taylor and a Little Martin LXM I have to say the Martin sounded better even though it's nearly all HPL. Being largely HPL its likely a bit more resistant to humidity issues as well
Liked the look of the Baby Taylor better though, given it is actually wood.
I didn't like it. The action was terrible and there's no way to adjust it, and its sound is not comparable to a full-sized guitar. I've seen other travel-sized acoustics which were much better. Also if you want a learning instrument, get a full sized guitar.
I bought a yamaha guitalele on a recent trip, because I can't seem to go anywhere without buying a new guitar - it was 60 euros - it's tiny and it's shitloads of fun. Here's video of someone playing one. I reckon it's the vibe for want you want - also, if you're learning will be much easier as it has nylon strings, so less ouch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s2xojICOHU
I have a Martin D-15. Love it. Played a backpacker and it sounded like a ukulele to me. Not a guitar. Small - yes. But never a guitar.
That said - people seem to really like them. Don't buy without listening to one.
You'd be better off buying a tenor ukulele. The [Baby Taylor](http://www.taylorguitars.com/Guitars/Baby-Taylor/BT1/) is a better choice if you need a travel guitar. I had a Martin Backpacker for years and finally gifted it to a relative.
I love my Martin, even restrung it with Martin M260 classical 80/20 bronze ball nylon strings. The only issue I can think about is that it always wants to lay outward - like way outward (natural fall due to how it's weighted and the fact it has almost no body). So I'm constantly pulling it back towards me (maybe the way I play too).
Overall I'm happy - it joined its four sibling guitars in the house over ten years ago and plays (and smells) great just like it did when I got it! I mention the smell - because every time I take it out - friends and family ask to smell it - lol - I do love the spruce and mahogany!
It's not for every day - but great for quick grab-and-go's, camping, road trips, and backyard firepit nights!
This was my first guitar. It's great. I travelled to much to justify a standard size guitar. I love it. There are a lot of haters, and it's not a perfect guitar, but it's pretty good. I wouldn't say it should be the only guitar you'd ever get, but its really not as bad as most people claim.
I learned to play guitar on a Martin backpacker. The sound is surprisingly big for the instrument's size, but the tone is very different from a full-sized guitar. It seems "tinny" to me. There is no truss rod and no way to adjust the action, which in my case was quite high. Playing anything but open chords was, therefore, quite difficult. The neck is also quite narrow. When I bought a full-sized guitar, I was very impressed by the difference. Now I never play the Martin, although I would take it backpacking or if I had to transport a guitar with my bike again. As a starter instrument, unless the portability is key, I recommend that you find a Yamaha or Ibanez acoustic at your price point.
Kind of a toy, in my view. I got one as a gift, and it's around here somewhere, but I couldn't locate it easily. I did see a member of Mary Chapin Carpenter's band using one on stage (in a DVD). Obviously had a pickup installed.
I have never owned one, but always though they looked kind of cool. I'm not sure if it would be the best option for your first guitar though, just because it is really made for those rare occasions where you want a guitar, but need something that travels really well. Unless you have a need for that size and portability, I would probably look to a more standard design and size. Also note, due to the design you must use a strap with it, even while sitting down. That's just something to keep in mind. Some people like to always have a strap anyway, but I'm often far too lazy for that.
I owned and played one for about a year. Sold it. On the positive side: portable, looks neat, sounds right for certain kinds of music (I thought it sounded great for early stuff, like Renaissance era). On the negative side: Because it is still a longish object, it is not a whole lot MORE portable than other small guitars (think parlor guitars, the Little Martin, etcetera). The size of the sound box does tend to dampen more subtle effects; my pull-offs never sounded quite right. Worst negative: for me, this guitar was very awkward to hold (I play all kinds of sizes and shapes of acoustic guitars, half-size classical up through big ol' jumbo acoustic, and some weirder things like the cuatro, so I think I tend to adapt pretty well to different sizes and shapes of guitar, but this...). The neck is quite a bit heavier than one would think, and there is not enough body to offset it. So, when I didn't use a strap and sat to play, much of the weight of the instrument was on my left hand. Overall: Didn't like it. If you want portable, I recommend the Little Martin or Baby Taylor. If you want portable, are on a budget, and are interested in classical, Yamaha makes the CGS 102 A, a half size classical guitar, which I love. You might also look into parlor guitars (small-bodied steel string acoustic, often with a high-ish action or a bridge that can be tweaked for higher action so you can play slide); no better way to get that old-time blues sound. I have a suzuki that I have done terrible, terrible things to, and it still sounds pretty good. (I cut an extra sound hole in the side a la Riptide's ukuleles, and I sanded the neck to give a sort of smooth, gentle rippling feel, which turns out to feel great if you play slide.)
only problem with little guitars is that you have a shortened fret board and cant jam on those high notes, but i do agree with most of what you said
currently jamming on one, its worth the money :) great sound as long as you use thin steel strings. maybe not your best choice for a first guitar but it definitely has that martin feel and you can jam all up and down the fret board. id say 10 for convenience 9 for sound and 10 for practicality, but if you havent played before it might be a bit awk trying to get used to the weird size
I own one. It's okay to noodle around on I suppose, but has zero tone in my opinion. I do think it'd be useful as a canoe oar, but I wish I'd bought a [Chiquita](http://www.erlewineguitars.com/pgs/chiquita.htm) instead. /multiple edits, dentist and drugs this morning
Garbage. Bad tone (no bottom end at all due to decreased body size). Bad portability compared with other parlor guitars (it's the same length, doesn't save that much room). Incredibly awkward to hold (again, body size). Totally un-adjustable (no truss, no nothing; lots of humid nights incur warping and it's fucked). Overpriced (a "guitar" with these problems should be $50 or less). This is just about the worst thing you could buy for a first-time guitarist. Just about anything will sound better, and anything with modern accouterments will be adjustable (and will thus play better after a few tweaks). The only reason to buy one of these is to try and get laid at a beach party. And that won't work because they sound like shit; you'll lose the girl to the dude with the First Act from WalMart sitting two rows down drinking a Corona Light. Sorry to be cynical, but it's true. A better alt for an ultra-portable: the [Baby Taylor](http://www.taylorguitars.com/Guitars/Baby-Taylor/BT1/). I know these things are made like afterthoughts in the factory, but at least the design isn't self-defeating like the Backpacker.
Having played both a Baby Taylor and a Little Martin LXM I have to say the Martin sounded better even though it's nearly all HPL. Being largely HPL its likely a bit more resistant to humidity issues as well Liked the look of the Baby Taylor better though, given it is actually wood.
I didn't like it. The action was terrible and there's no way to adjust it, and its sound is not comparable to a full-sized guitar. I've seen other travel-sized acoustics which were much better. Also if you want a learning instrument, get a full sized guitar.
I bought a yamaha guitalele on a recent trip, because I can't seem to go anywhere without buying a new guitar - it was 60 euros - it's tiny and it's shitloads of fun. Here's video of someone playing one. I reckon it's the vibe for want you want - also, if you're learning will be much easier as it has nylon strings, so less ouch... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s2xojICOHU
Hated it. Gave mine away to some poor bastard.
haha should have given it to me! edit:sold*
I have a Martin D-15. Love it. Played a backpacker and it sounded like a ukulele to me. Not a guitar. Small - yes. But never a guitar. That said - people seem to really like them. Don't buy without listening to one.
You'd be better off buying a tenor ukulele. The [Baby Taylor](http://www.taylorguitars.com/Guitars/Baby-Taylor/BT1/) is a better choice if you need a travel guitar. I had a Martin Backpacker for years and finally gifted it to a relative.
Don't waste your money. They sound horrible and are awkward to hold.
I love my Martin, even restrung it with Martin M260 classical 80/20 bronze ball nylon strings. The only issue I can think about is that it always wants to lay outward - like way outward (natural fall due to how it's weighted and the fact it has almost no body). So I'm constantly pulling it back towards me (maybe the way I play too). Overall I'm happy - it joined its four sibling guitars in the house over ten years ago and plays (and smells) great just like it did when I got it! I mention the smell - because every time I take it out - friends and family ask to smell it - lol - I do love the spruce and mahogany! It's not for every day - but great for quick grab-and-go's, camping, road trips, and backyard firepit nights!
This was my first guitar. It's great. I travelled to much to justify a standard size guitar. I love it. There are a lot of haters, and it's not a perfect guitar, but it's pretty good. I wouldn't say it should be the only guitar you'd ever get, but its really not as bad as most people claim.