Voyage-Air Guitar

Note: Guitarists know Tim Brookes as the author of the critically acclaimed best-seller Guitar, An American Life. He’s also a Blogger, magazine writer, commentator on NPR Radio, and a notorious world-traveler. He occasionally sends us updates of his travels and adventures with his Voyage-Air guitar. Here’s his latest:

“I originally met custom luthier Harvey Leach when I was doing research for a book. At the time, Harvey was showing me his legendary inlay work, but then he showed me an early prototype of the Voyage-Air guitar. Harvey sent me home with that guitar, and it has changed the way that I travel, and the way that I can make music during my travels.

“My Voyage-Air guitar is now over six years old, and has been literally three-times around the world. I’ve taken it to Pakistan. A couple of times to Bangladesh. I’ve played it live at the Cairo Jazz Club in Egypt. It’s never let me down.

“I recently took a vacation to the island of Vieques, which is off the coast of Puerto Rico. This page has pictures from the trip. As usual, the Voyage-Air guitar easily fit in the overhead bin for the flight from New York to Puerto Rico.

“A much smaller plane is used for the hop from Puerto Rico to Vieques. As you can see in the first photo, the ‘baggage compartment’ is forward of the pilot, up near the prop! The Voyage-Air fit easily in this space, and the buzz from the engine caused no harm to the guitar whatsoever.

“I spent a long weekend on the island with my family. My wife plays the flute, and we performed duets as we made stops on our way around the island. Every time I opened up the Voyage-Air, it never failed to draw a crowd!

“Well, that’s the latest. It’s great to have a no-hassle, great-sounding guitar with me during my travels. Whether it’s killing time during an airport layover, or just strumming chords while hanging around the pool on a tropical island, I’ve always got my Voyage-Air!”

Tim Brookes

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Charles Picard is a helicopter engineer, and his travels take him to the northern reaches of Canada – on up near the North Pole. He works with pilots at remote ‘base camps,’ and his trips can last months at a time. Temperatures dip to 50-below zero.

Storage space is cramped on a helicopter, and Charles sorely missed having a guitar with him for off-hours practice and play. His solution? Voyage-Air!

Charles’ native language is French, and his French-Canadian accent was deep and enthusiastic during a recent satellite-link phone call. “I choose the Special Edition VAOM-06 without a pickguard,” he said. “It is for my style of play, and I prefer to see all the wood of the Solid Sitka Spruce top.

“For me, the Deluxe Voyager Case of the guitar is perfect. The hard foam padding is rugged and has the zippered pocket for my extra things. The handles make it easy to carry, and put in the helicopter. When I have to walk through the snow with my things, I wear it like a backpack.

“This guitar I have sounds beautiful and is already my favorite one, and I know it will sound better the more I play. It is more than I expected for a guitar I can take with me.”

If you’re in Northern Canada and see a helicopter zoom overhead, it might just be Charles. With his Voyage-Air guitar.

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These pictures have been taken up north quebec... (James Bay)

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"My name is Glen Harris, and I am a proud new owner of a Voyage-Air VAOM-04. I purchased this guitar based on the recommendations of an acoustic guitar forum I visit frequently. I serve in the US Military, and my job involves traveling the world. "One aspect of being a chaplain is providing the opportunity to worship in a remote setting, for men and women who are thousands of miles away from their home churches. For many, a worship service would feel incomplete without music. Music is an integral part of spirituality... but in remote countries, musical resources are often limited. "For me, the ability to strap a great sounding, great playing guitar to my back when I travel is a major asset to the ministry I can provide. That was the main reason I purchased my VAOM-04. "I keep several "go bags" packed all the time, and they include the essentials that I need, should I receive a phone call and have to mobilize in haste. My VAOM-04 is now included as one of those "go bags." I know that I can have it packed up and ready to go in less than a minute. When I get to my location, I can unpack it and play it in a worship service in no time flat. "I've owned a few other travel guitars in the past, but they all pale in comparison to my VAOM-04. First of all, most travel guitars are scaled down proportionate to full-sized guitars, which means that the neck is often uncomfortable and cramped. Not so with the VAOM-04. The neck is smooth and fast and the 1 3/4" nut width is comfortable. "Secondly, other travel guitars sound like what they are: small guitars. They often have anemic low end and shrill trebles. Since the Voyage Air is full-sized guitar, it has a rich, mature voice all across the tonal spectrum, especially with an upgraded bone saddle. "Thirdly, to keep costs low, other manufacturers often skimp on fit and finish. They exclude interior kerfing, and use cheaper satin finishes. The VAOM-04 had a great set up right out of the box. I love the gloss finish which gives the mahogany back and sides an almost flamed, three dimensional appearance. "I realize now that the VAOM-04 is a great $500 guitar. Period. I don't know of another OM guitar of equal quality in the same price range. The fact that I can fold it up, put it in a backpack and take it with me, anywhere, makes this guitar an outstanding choice for me. I am excited about this new guitar and look forward to taking it with me when I encounter other men and women of the US Military. Wherever that service may take me, you can bet my VAOM-04 will be along for the ride." Sincerely, Glen Harris

Ned Robbins knows quite a bit about airline travel.  In fact, he’s a full-time pilot for a major airline!  His guitar is always along for the ride… in fact, Ned will soon own the Voyage-Air guitar with the most total airline miles. “I play bluegrass music,” explained Ned.  “I went to a local jam in Phoenix, AZ, and one of the other players had one of your guitars.  As a pilot, I had been looking for a travel guitar that was easy to take along on trips.  I played your guitar, and decided to order one. “I actually have 2 of your guitars.  The first one I ordered from your website: the VAOM-02 model.  I did not tell my wife that I had already ordered one, and she had ordered one for me as a Christmas present - the VAOM-04.  I like both of them but the one my wife ordered sounds a little better than the other one. “I originally contacted Voyage-Air guitar to find out about the strings.  I like the way the guitar sounds and plays so much that I only want to replace the strings with the same ones it came with. “Now that I’ve spent some time traveling with the Voyage-Air, I have a few comments: “I like the way the case for the guitar appears to be a "normal" back-pack. Most people never suspect it is a guitar, and this is great from a security point of view.  I feel comfortable leaving the case unattended for a short period, as compared to a "regular" guitar case that is not safe to leave unattended at all. “I have played with some other travelers who have the carry-on electric guitars. While they are still trying to figure out how to plug their guitar into the clock-radio in the hotel room, I am up and playing a full-size acoustic guitar in under a minute. “Finally, the compact size of the Voyage-Air guitar case meets all size requirements for carry-on luggage.  It fits in the overhead bins of every style plane in our fleet.  And it legally fits under the seats of most planes.  As a pilot, I’ve been able to personally confirm this. “Thanks for the fine product.  I’ve already handed out all the business cards that came with the guitar.  Send me more!” - Ned Robbins, Airline Pilot

In July of this year, I took my (then) brand new Transit Series VAMD-02 to Athens, Greece. Of course, all my traveling with this guitar proved it to be light, easy to carry and very comfortable. Having my guitar with me was great. The pictures attached were taken at the shoreline of the Mediteranian Sea, and at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens. The trip to Greece? My VAMD-02 guitar never made it home with me. Why? My nephew, John Alexandrides, pictured in one of the shots, decided he really liked the guitar. I gave it to him, and that VAMD-02 is now residing with him in Athens, Greece.  He takes it and plays it everywhere.  You guys need a dealer in Athens! As you know, when I got back to the states I needed another guitar and picked up the VAD-04 Songwriter. Now, I picked up my second Belair, S/N 005 and had Harvey Leach custom-inlay a few fret markers. That’s truly a one of a kind guitar.  I love it.   That makes four Voyage-Air guitars that I’ve purchased this year. Lets see what happens in 2012! Thanks for everything, especially your customer support. Very Best Regards, Bob Pellizzi, Georgia, USA

 

This just in from Andrew Palmer in Yaounde, Cameroon, Africa...

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Andrew Palmer is well on his way, traveling around the world solo on a motorcycle - with his Voyage-Air guitar. That's right: packing his guitar on a motorcycle. He's found his guitar to be a great tool for introduction in far-away lands, and considers it an essential part of his journey. Periodically, he sends us updates about his travels, and here's the latest:

Hello, Voyage-Air Guitar!
Here are some of my latest pics for you. I really hope that you can use them because it wasn't easy to take them. I'm using my smart phone to take photos and its a little too fiddly for the locals to use. That, and I dropped it in Burkina Faso damaging the screen making it near impossible to see anything on it in daylight!

I really should of taken some more pics in Nigeria as I had loads of opportunities then. Now, I'm on my own, and its not so easy, but I will bear it in mind when I next meet people who can help me take some more. 

Yaounde is a fairly modern city, but during my stay here, I spent some time with African kids in a dirt school yard.

Its a real pain finding decent internet connection out here. I'm currently sat in the Hilton hotel using their expensive, but reasonably fast WIFI.

Please stress the durability of the guitar and case as I've now fallen off loads of times, damaging myself and the bike (I'm okay) but the guitar is fine. I've included one picture of me camping with bike and guitar in Western Sahara that a soldier kindly took for me.

Regards
Andy

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See how his adventure began click here

Andrew Palmer: Motorcycle World Trip – with a Voyage-Air Guitar

Andrew Palmer has spent years planning a great adventure: to ride his motorcycle around the world.  He recently departed his native home near London, UK, and headed south through Spain.  He’s currently making his rounds of the African continent.

Of all the things someone might take on a trip like this, Andrew knew he needed his music and his guitar along for the ride.  His pick?  A Voyage-Air guitar, strapped securely to the tail of his motorcycle!

We just got this note from Andy:
“I'm currently Morocco waiting for a visa for Mauritanian and I'm not that far from the UK really, but I'm already glad that I've brought the guitar with me. I've spent a few days relaxing in Morocco and have got to play it quite a bit. I'm likely to be in Morocco for another couple of weeks, partly due to the long distance to the border and the quality of the roads there, but mostly because of the fantastic Moroccan hospitality.

“I heard about Voyage-Air guitars from a post on the Horizons Unlimited website that was discussing traveling with musical instruments. I had tried a few other travel guitars, but just wasn't happy with the compromised sound you get from smaller bodies. Not to say that they are bad, just not as good as full size (guitar). I couldn't imagine being without a guitar for such a long time.”

Andy maintains a Blog of his world travels, and they’re fascinating: http://intotheride.wordpress.com/

So what’s involved with taking the ultimate travel guitar along with you… on an ultimate travel adventure?  On a motorcycle?  Andrew is going to keep us posted, with pictures and comments along the way.

A part of Andrew’s journey is to help raise funds for a charity: the Heswall Disabled Children’s Holiday Fund.  There’s more info here: www.hdchf.org.uk

See his latest update, click here.

 

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Travels with Angel – My Journey to the Voyage-Air
By Rev.Nettie M. Spiwack

Jim Wolcott asked me to write a few words about my experiences with my Voyage-Air, that little marvel of which I was an early adopter.

For a musician, every instrument has its unique place in your history.

One night in 2001 I had a dream about a guitar. As I came awake, the verses of Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Old Beat Up Guitar” were in my mind:

She traveled with me always, through the alleys and the bars

The songs I sang and the friends I knew were a part of that guitar…

Jerry Jeff called his guitar “Angel.” Finding, losing and then finding her again in his travels features prominently in that song he recoreded in 1972, and which I hadn’t thought of in a few decades.

Then one night in New Mexico, I stumbled into a bar

And there lay Angel smiling at me on that old beat up guitar.

The dream was a message. I was about to go out to play music for a retreat in California, and I knew it was time to go find my angel.

I had played many guitars in my life by that time, but in truth, not one of them had I selected and bought myself.

I started playing folk guitar early, in a wonderful setting that was right out of a cliché. I was nine years old; it was summer at Camp Johnny Appleseed where my mother was working that year in the camp office. With mom’s brown Favilla nylon-string guitar—bought in aspiration of her learning to play it, as my parents were part of the Hootenanny generation—I attended a group class, sitting on a porch in the Catskills and learned Woody Guthrie’s “Rambling Boy” with three whole chords in the key of A.

Mom’s brown Favilla became my guitar, the one I toted around in its cracked chipboard case—a glorified cardboard box, really—to group and then private lessons. Carrying my guitar didn’t represent too many difficulties because first of all, I was young, both the guitar and the case were light, no airplanes were involved, and no one around me then knew anything about humidity control, or if it was wise to take a guitar in a cardboard box on the NYC subways in winter. Soon, renditions of Go Tell Aunt Rhody gave way to the music of the Beatles and James Taylor and Crosby Stills & Nash.

By my years at the High School of Music & Art, I graduated to dad’s huge Epiphone grand concert. That guitar remains one of the biggest I’ve ever seen to this day. (Quantity, however, should never be confused with quality). Dad really never learned to play more than “You Are My Sunshine,” and turning his guitar over to me caused him no pain. It too, had a chipboard case, was a lot heavier to lug around, and I can still feel the indentation in my hand from the metal rings on the side of the plastic handle.

In the height of the folksinger/songwriter era, numerous other guitars had joined the family as my siblings and I played: my brother’s Guild 12-string, his Gretsch electric, my sister’s La Madrilena classical guitar, and a ¾ version of the same which my mother was determined to, this time, learn to play. (She didn’t.) There was always something to play and often someone playing it. I spent most of those years working out Joni Mitchell’s repertoire and figuring out an occasional open tuning for playing her songs.

I married a man with a Martin D-28, the gold standard of a serious player at the time. (I married up!)  He was trying to make it as a performer when we met, though that dream eventually got put aside, and both of us stopped playing for a long stretch. When years later, we parted, he was kind enough to let me keep his Martin on extended loan, for by that time I was starting my career in spiritual music, and guitar was once again front and center in my life.

The D-28 had its legendary sound, not to mention cache, but it had some drawbacks. First, it had tough action, and my hands had a touch of arthritis, which made bar chords on the very rounded neck painful to hold. And then, there was the case. This guitar had the heavy hardshell case with weighty gravitas to match its content. The problem was, I was now in my 40’s and lugging it around to gatherings near and far, and worse, through long airport corridors and onto planes, got harder and harder. Not to mention that my ex was not enthused about my traveling with it.

After that Jerry Jeff dream, I knew it was time to return the Martin to her rightful owner and to go find my own Angel to travel with me.

That Angel was the Larrivee Mahogany Orchestra Model, which fit me and my hands to a “t”; which I loved and which I lugged with its big heavy hard case through airports, across the USA, and even through India. Angel was joined by a Taylor 12-string, whose case is so heavy that she’s rarely left my living room.

But as Angel and I made our way around over the next eight years I noticed that I wasn’t getting any younger, there’s never a roadie when you need one, the airport corridors got longer, and the airplanes fuller and fuller.

I needed another Angel. One I could travel with but that could still produce worthy sound. I was heading back to Brazil, to a retreat and healing center where I often end up leading music for hundreds of people.

I scoured music stores and the internet for travel guitars. It seemed that not much had changed in the years since I’d last looked. The choices were some sticks with strings, or perhaps a parlor-sized guitar. I had just about settled on a Baby Taylor, when I did one last search. And up popped the aptly named website, TakeYourGuitar.com.  When I saw the Voyage-Air’s folding neck, I thought: it’s too good to be true!  Then I thought, it’s like rolling luggage. Once it was invented, you can’t imagine that no one had figured that one out before.

But how could I buy a guitar off of a website, never having played it or heard it?

Jim Wolcott patiently answered my many questions with great enthusiasm. His passion for the Voyage Air persuaded me. My family and friends got together and gifted one of the Songwriter series to me for my birthday.

Welcome to the era of Angel II.

I was happily surprised by everything about the guitar…how good it sounded, how easy the action was, how well my hands could manage the (mercifully flatter) neck. And how light it was! Truth be told, I have many purses and totes that are far heavier!

Since 2009, this Voyage-Air guitar has traveled twice to India, several times to Brazil, and on countless trips around the USA. It’s been on every type of airplane, and by zipping off the computer case, I even managed to squeeze it under the seat on a small flight from Madurai to Bangalore when it looked like I might have to check it.

My Voyage-Air never fails to cause a stir. It’s still not widely known, and I’ve even had flight attendants ask me to open it so they could see it!

This summer in Brazil, a classical guitarist almost fell over himself when he saw me fold the neck down. He held it mesmerized, smiling, unable to believe the sound and the engineering.

My Larrivee, Angel I, now holds court in my house and steps out once in a while for local gigs. She’s enjoying her retirement, and truth be told, sometimes I look at her wistfully when I’m going on the road, thinking maybe this time I’ll take her. But Angel II always wins out.

Now she travels with me always, through the alleys and the bars

And the friends I make and the songs I write are a part of that guitar…

Well, being a minister and all, I’m neither in alleys nor bars. But the spirit of my Angel is the same to me as Jerry Jeff’s was to him, which he captured so beautifully in that song.

Jim and I talk about my upgrading, and maybe at some point I’ll welcome Angel III. Till then, if you see me at an airport with my Voyage-Air, wave hi!

Rev. Nettie M. Spiwack
Interfaith Minister
about.me/nettiespiwack
revnettie.com
www.nettiespiwack.com

 “That Old Beat Up Guitar” by Jerry Jeff Walker, from Jerry Jeff Walker, MCA-37004 1972.

VOYAGE-AIR GUITAR HELPS THE TROOPS

His good friend and part of the Voyage-Air family, Barney Leeson, knew that it would be the best gift for Charles to take to battle. When later asked about his daily life in Afghanistan, here’s a few of the things that he had to say:

“I wanted to personally thank you for taking my story into interest and supporting my passion for playing music while I am overseas. I truly love my VAG and it has traveled to many places all over my AO (Area of Operation).

Wherever I go I always take my guitar to play for the soldiers of Devil Company in Tangi, Apache Company in Jaghato, and Creek Company in Carwile.  My fellow soldiers were shocked and amazed at the guitar! They are especially excited to get to play one too.

Thank god I can get some stress out!  The guitar has truly been the greatest form of meditation for me to deal with all the frustrations of war. The music has definitely created a mutual feeling of joy and respect despite some serious cultural and language barriers. I even teach soldiers my jedi secrets of guitar playing when they approach me and ask.  I have given a few lessons to our Command Sergeant Major, who is the head honcho for enlisted soldiers. The guitar has definitely given me much leeway when it comes to courtesies among the HIGH HIGHER soldiers commanding everything.  They always approach me with a smile and usually skip past formalities and talk to me like a normal human being, which is outrageous for a lower enlisted soldier!

The joy of music continues to thrive throughout Afghanistan as long as I have a breath in my body and my Voyage Air at my side!  It lifts the spirits of us all and has been my weapon of choice since it arrived here!  Thank you so much for all of the support and I will continue to spread the word of VAG to the citizens of Afghanistan!

Thank you for everything you do back home to spread the joy of music!

 

Very Respectfully,
Charles Norby

FECC, HHC, 2nd Battalion 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division

 

Well, Charles, THANK YOU very much for protecting our freedom, first and foremost. It’s the greatest reward for our company to hear from people like you! You will be in our thoughts and prayers and we look forward to a second interview when you return!

 

 

Have Guitar (Voyage Air) WILL Travel...

Heading from Waterbury Ct. to Lake George N.Y. Americade Bike Week, 1st time in 13 years I am able to bring a "Real" Guitar. Thanks!

 

 

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Dale Doerman plays his VAMD-02 off road, in The Badlands (pardon the wind).

 

One Happy Sailor!

Sydney to Dubai, with my Voyage-Air as hand luggage no problem. Next stop London! Here with my Voyage-Air in the bar at Heathrow Airport waiting for our lift to Bristol. Got a story or photo from "On The Road" you'd like to share? Click here to submit your story now.

 

Here I am playing my VAD-2 at The Commodore Grille in Nashville, TN. Voyage-Air guitars are not only easy to carry around without taking up a lot of space, but they also sound great. My VAD-2 has the depth and projection that my 10 year old Martin has. It's always fun to fold it up in front of the crowd and watch their facial expressions as I walk off stage.

Thanks again Voyage-Air. 

Scott Honaker

 

 

 

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Simon Todd performing in the Club Tent at the Cambridge Folk Festival 2011.

Air travel with a guitar is freaky business. Flying on a regional plane in the States, you'll at least have to gate check a full sized guitar. And even that freaks me out without a flight case.

So as I prepared to fly out for the Catskills Irish Arts Week last year to give a presentation on the Dunn Family Collection, I decided to not bring a guitar. I already had to bring a laptop, A/V gear, a couple visuals... I decided I should skip the guitar, especially since I didn't have a flight case for my tru sty Martin D-15. Hey, I was going to be busy, so I wouldn't miss the guitar, right?

Of course I was wrong and should have known better. CIAW always has some legendary sessions throughout the week. I made some good friends the first day I was there and was kicking myself for not having a guitar at hand to play tunes.

Luckily I ran into a fellow guitar player from Michigan who'd I met via email a couple months before--and he happened to have two guitars with him (thanks, Dane!). So I was able to join in the fun a bit the last couple nights I was around.

Dane and I chatted about air travel with a guitar (he'd driven out), and he mentioned that he'd tried a Voyage-Air guitar. He was surprised that a guitar that could fold in half could sound that good. I stored that info in my memory bank.

After getting back home, I started researching some options, more focused on getting a beefy flight case. At some of the festivals I attended last year with the archives, I got some opinions and experiences from other guitar and bouzouki players.

I heard some pretty harrowing stories. Even with some serious flight cases, I heard of some serious guitar destruction. And of course, I couldn't forget the United Breaks Guitars song and video.

Knowing that I'd soon be traveling to Toronto to visit the friends I made at CIAW, I ruled out the flight case idea. I'd already tried the smaller travel guitars on the market and wasn't really digging them.

After reading more reviews, I decided to give a Voyage-Air a try. I opted for the VAD-06, since I do favor a dreadnought size, and they'd gotten favorable reviews on tone and playability.

After a good setup, my VAD-06 plays very nicely. It has a pretty distinct tone, with a more prominent high end than my D-15. It doesn't have a big boomy low end, which actually is a blessing when backing Irish music (I don't want to feel like I'm blasting away at the other players in a session). Does it "beat" the Martin? Overall I'd say no, but I'm satisfied with the tone for casual playing and road gigs.

The best thing about this guitar, of course, is it's portability. When folded up in it's case, it fits in the overhead bin of a smaller regional plane. On one flight, I was near the emergency exit, and it even fit in the smaller compartment (which did require a bit of arrangement gymnastics, but it worked in the end). However, if your bin already has a couple larger roller suitcases, you'll have to find another one to stash the guitar in.

So overall, I'm happy to have an easily transportable guitar to take on flights. I won't have to chose to leave a guitar at home any more!

*a quick note: I'm not endorsed by Voyage-Air in any way, this review is just my opinion.

Jeff Ksiazek in Milwaukee

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*Voyage-Air Owner's Club Note* Jeff is very active in Milwaukee's Irish community, working as the archivist at the Ward Irish Music Archives and teaching flute and whistle at the Irish Fest School of Music. In 2007, Jeff recorded a duo album with Milwaukee-based fiddler TJ Hull entitled Éist. This is a post from his Blog.

*Voyage-Air Owner's Club Note* Bob lives on a sailboat, is taking guitar lessons, and has an active Blog in the Seattle area. Recently, he discovered Voyage-Air Guitar. When you live on a sailboat, space is tight. Bob was thrilled to find a full-size acoustic guitar that fits into a compact space, with a super backpack-style case. In fact, he ended up calling it "...the ideal boat guitar." Here's his Blog post:  I couldn't resist.  I ordered an ideal boat guitar for myself. It came in just under a week, shipped by FedEx in a huge box surrounded by lots of padding; it arrived in perfect condition. Inside the box was the advertised backpack softcase containing the folded guitar. First surprise:  it is light weight! In fact it is amazingly light in weight compared to my Hohner and semi-hard case.  You (literally) can lift it with one finger.  Easily. Second surprise: A quality backpack This is not just a guitar case - it really is a quality backpack, designed from scratch to hold the guitar.  The surface that contacts your back when you don it has extra foam padding and is covered with breathable mesh.  For hand-carrying, there is a padded handle on both the top and on one side, should you prefer to carry it that way instead of wearing it on your back.  And there is a huge zipper pocket to hold music and easily your laptop as well. Zip open the specially contoured top, and there is the guitar, perfectly happy but looking broken.  The strings are stuffed in the sound hole, and the neck rests on a specially formed padded support to prevent it from scratching the guitar top. Remove it from the case and unfold it - the hinge goes slightly over-center so that it is not difficult to hold against the string tension.  While holding, tighten the thumbscrew.   The neck is a little floppy when it is folded, but once unfolded and locked down, it is as rigid as your guitar.  The hinge joint is almost invisible when the guitar is unfolded - a good design well executed. The only other deviation from normal guitar design is that the nut is not simply notched to take the strings.  Instead it has bored holes to keep the strings from going too far astray when the guitar is folded. Keeping in mind that this is intended for use on our boat, I bought the VAOM-02.  This is a little smaller than a full dr eadnought (it's an orchestra model), but it has a full sized 1-3/4" bridge and 25 1/2" neck.  What this means to me is that I won't bang it into things as much while moving around the boat. Next surprise: It is easy to play I'm not sure why this might be, but I would swear that this guitar is easier to finger than my Hohner.  And I'm not talking about the action here - I mean it is as if the strings have less tension or something.  Regardless of the reason, this guitar is a pleasure to finger. And it sounds good.   No, it sounds really good.  Of course it would sound even better if played by somebody who knows what they are doing, but then we can't have everything, can we? Final assessment (now based on actual physical appraisal): This is the ideal boat guitar.  Bob - Windborne in Puget Sound Do you have a story to share? Click here

Backpack soft case Looks weird, doesn't it?

 

Where do folks take their Voyage-Air guitar? We just received this from Jonathan Bell:

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"Last week, I played my new VAD-04 at Wenshi Crater Lake at the edge of civilization in central Ethiopia.

"I don't think the village children had ever seen a guitar before, much less a guitar that folds!

"Wenshi Crater Lake is located at about 10,000 feet above sea level. The crater lip is approximately 11,400 feet. You can drive to the top of the rim along a 45 km dirt road that climbs up the outside of the crater. Then you have to hike down to the lake.

"I started playing along the lakefront, where there is an ancient village and a group of children very politely gathered to listen. I then went over to them, and started playing Wagonwheel by Old Crow Medicine Show.

"The children got so into the music that, well, I taught them the song. My daughter's cell-phone battery died before the song was over, but we got most of it on video."

The Voyage-Air Guitar is the only viable answer for serious guitar playing motorcycle riders.

I have been looking for a guitar that I could take with me, when I ride my 2007 Harley-Davidson VROD.  I have owned Baby Taylor, Little Martin and Composite Acoustics Cargo "travel guitars".  They can all be strapped to your back, but they all have three problems in common.

1.  They all have shortened, but solid necks and headstocks.  This means that the neck and headstock of the guitar, when strapped snugly to your back, will project above you head, making it difficult to tilt your head back, especially when wearing a helmet.  The more "forward" your riding stance is, the more prevalent this problem will be.  Walking through an airport, this isn't an issue.  Riding on a motorcycle, this can be lethal.

In addition, at high speeds, that protruding neck and headstock can catch the air and begin to twist and pull at the rider, in the wind.  The faster you're going, the more of a problem this can be.  The turbulence these protrusions can cause at +80mph, can be substantial and unsafe.  Anyone who has ever stuck their arm out of the window, while driving on the highway, knows how hard the wind can blow at those speeds.  Imagine something the size of your arm, that is flat like sail, twisting around behind you.  Not good.

The Voyage-Air folds in half.  It straps as comfortably to my back, as any knapsack would, with no protrusions or projections, enabling my helmeted head, to move freely left and right, as well as back and forth, safely.

2.  The Taylor, Martin and CA are all 00 sized, or smaller, changing the voicing, playing position and neck feel.  I always need playing time to recover the "feel" of any of these instruments, if I'm practiced up, on a standard sized guitar.

The Voyage-Air is a full sized guitar that sounds normal, plays well, and feels right.

3.  All three of the others, present problems with amplification.  Advertisements aside, I will tell you that from a practical standpoint, it's next to impossible to get a true, decent amplified sound from any of these other instruments.

The Voyage-Air can have any after-market pickup system installed, producing amplified sound that is by design, up to par with any well made, full-sized guitar.

At the end of the day, for a serious guitarist who rides a motorcycle, there is no other alternative.  Thank you for having the daring and innovation to invent a truly motorcycle-portable instrument, that can accommodate all of my needs as a player.

Wendell Choy
Honolulu, Hawaii

 

Cheryl Warren: Guitar, Bike, Beach "I teach evening guitar classes at the Solano Community College, in California...both at the Fairfield and Vallejo campuses (yes, after my day job). I always bring my Voyage-Air guitar. I love to ask the question of how "this" guitar fits in "this" backpack. In other words, Voyage Air gets a lot of exposure. I have around 20-25 students each semester. This guitar gets a lot of attention everywhere I bring it! "I also bring it with me when I ride on the back of my husband's motorcycle. Now we don't need to choose between the bike and the guitar. We both get the best of both our worlds. And last summer we took my parents to Carmel for the weekend. We told them part of the deal was hanging out on the beach with some good food, wine, and guitar. They loved it (ok...so my dad is my biggest fan). We had a great time. As a matter of fact, tomorrow we're going to the Napa Valley with some friends and they said to bring a guitar...guess which one I'll bring.... "You are selling a great product. If you ever need a spokesperson you know how to get in touch with me....!" Thanks again and take care, Cheryl Warren

 

Tim Brookes, world-known blogger and world-traveler, recently wrote a conclusion to his travels in Egypt. While blogging and documenting his travels in Cairo, he proudly uses his Voyage-Air guitar as an entre to meet new friends and fellow musicians:

"...Sensing an opportunity, I said what I’ve taken to saying under these circumstances: stay here and I’ll be back to show you something you’ve never seen before. I ran off to my room and came back with my social passe-partout, my Voyage-Air folding guitar."

Tim notes a wide-range of world adventures on his blog, and his Voyage-Air guitar has always proven a worthy traveling companion.

Seann Xenja Just got back from a two week trip to Brazil with my new VAD-2. I do a lot of international travel, and it was so great to have a beautiful looking and sounding, full size, no compromise guitar to play on the trip. Didn't have any trouble with airline security, customs, or fitting the case into overhead bins, even on domestic flights with smaller planes. You may have to zip off the laptop bag part, but that is fast and easy to do. For me, playing guitar, practicing, singing, and enjoying the sound of a fine instrument, is a huge enhancement to the whole travel experience. It's going to be played daily at home, too, as one of my favorite guitars. The whole package and design are very well thought out, and I am impressed by how well the travel case is made. Really love the guitar. It's giving my Taylor serious competition for playing time! Thanks so much!!! Seann Xenja

Jerry Kern talks about his VAD-06: I've been a bass player in rock bands for years from Northeastern Pensylvania to Charleston, SC, Washington DC and South Florida. I had a bunch of fun and made lifelong friends in those bands, but have now decided that the rock band thing is over for me. I can't, however, give up playing altogether.

I've always had an acoustic guitar around for writing, supplementing my bass playing or just for sitting around and playing songs for friends. When I moved to Florida, I discovered that some of my neighbors are very good musicians. Eventually, we got together and had a jam session and since then have been playing parties in the neighborhood and have been offered gigs at local venues (which may happen, but the party gigs are too fun to give up). We call ourselves the Black Flamingos. The concept is that anyone who sits in to jam with us in any capacity automatically becomes a band member.

I have a great career which includes some travelling and we fly to visit family and friends at least a few times a year, so I started looking for a travel guitar this year. I did some extensive research and found the options to be very limited, with most being mini guitars or guitar-like sticks with strings. I eventually played a Voyage Air and immediately ordered one from takeyourguitar.com. I was absolutely stunned by the sound and playability of this guitar, but there's one more aspect of it that really made a difference for me. The Black Flamingos play a lot of acoustic versions of rock songs, and with a bunch of people with tambourines, gourd shakers, cowbells and all singing along, the guitars can be easily drowned out. Well, not my VAD-06; this thing projects like crazy! I really couldn't be more satisfied with this instrument. There are a lot of parties in it's future and trips to friends and family.

If any of you are ever in the West Palm Beach area - look us up, chances are there's a party in the neighborhood. Check us out on facebook and let us know if you want to join us! http://www.facebook.com/theblackflamingos 

Sincerely,
Jerry Kern 

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Eric Berg about his adventures with his new Voyage-Air guitar in the Cayman Islands: "The picture was taken at Sandy Cay on Grand Cayman a few weeks ago. I was part of a crew that was sailing a 37' Island Packet from Key Largo to the Panama Canal. "I am very much enjoying my Voyage-Air. I purchased it last December, with this trip as well as future travels in mind. "Needless to say, the environment aboard a sailboat isn't ideal for a guitar. It's wet and salty, high humidity, bumpy, and cramped for space. "I am fortunate in that I own a number of nice acoustic guitars ( Martin OM-42, a 000-18GE, a D-35, and a Custom Shop 000-28, a Santa Cruz 00-28, and several vintage Yamaha FGs). I even bought a Calton case for traveling, but it's so heavy it was a pain to lug around. More to the point, I wasn't keen on subjecting any of my $2000+ guitars to the harsh marine environment. "The entry-level VAOM-06 seemed to be just the ticket. The backpack case was the deal clincher. "I had read about Voyage-Air guitars on the Usenet newsgroup , and knew that many of the forum participants reviewed them favorably. As there are no dealers in my area, I purchased mine on faith and word of mouth. "I have not been disappointed. In fact, quite the opposite. While I wanted the portability and ease of conveyance in a travel guitar, I didn't want to sacrifice tone and playability. "I am happy to report that my VAOM-06 has exceeded my expectations on all counts. "In fact, I've taken the guitar to a number of jam sessions and received numerous compliments on its sound. When I fold it up at the end of a session, the look on people's faces is priceless. "Just this past weekend, someone remarked that I've been bringing my Voyage-Air to jams more frequently than I have my other Martin guitars. Hmmm..... "So, in a nutshell, that's my story. Congratulations to all of you on a wonderful, innovative product. I wish Voyage-Air continued success, and I will be certain to continue to be a "good will ambassador." Regards, Eric Berg

Dan Gribbin taking his VAG to France

I am happy to inform you that I just posted on my website a photo of my Voyage-Air guitar in the Place des Vosges in Paris. Our friends in France loved the fact that we were able to share our music with them,

I am happy to inform you that I just posted on my website a photo of my Voyage-Air guitar in the Place des Vosges in Paris. Our friends in France loved the fact that we were able to share our music with them, and the case for the guitar not only protected my iPad nicely but really came into its own in being able to be split in two by unzipping. That allowed for stowage in even the stingiest of overhead baggage areas.

Thanks so much for making it possible for me to take my guitar to France.

 

Dan Gribbin,

on behalf of my wife, keyboardist and photographer, Martha Brandt. 

Uncle Bunkle goes Voyage-Air! Known throughout the Pacific Northwest as 'Uncle Bunkle,' Todd Schneider is a school safety expert, consultant, and, well, YES - he knows a lot about how to bring peace, and a good learning environment to classrooms almost anywhere.

Todd is also an avid story teller and guitar player. He brings those talents to classrooms throughout his region, calling himself "Uncle Bunkle." Generations of children in the area can remember that special day when 'Uncle Bunkle' dropped by their school to play a special song, or tell a special story.

Well now, Uncle Bunkle has a Voyage-Air acoustic guitar... and he always takes it with him to visits at elementary schools. Here's a pic from a few days ago, where he plays his new VAOM-06 Songwriter at the Deer Creek Elementary School.

Click here for more about Uncle Bunkle, his stories and his music.

Sometimes we get letters from customers that... well, really deliver the Voyage-Air message. This is one of them:

"My name is Ruth Bloomquist. In April I bought a Voyage-Air Songwriter VAOM-06. I had been playing dreadnought size guitars, I have a Martin D-35 and a Guild D-25, for many years. I recently decided that I wanted something smaller. Plus we were going to Europe to play music and I wanted something easier to travel with this time. Though I never had any trouble from the airlines when traveling with my D-35. The idea to look into Voyage-Air was planted when I saw Deb Cowan perform with hers last October.

"In May my band, The Ruth & Max Bloomquist Band set off for gigs in Belgium and France. The VAOM-06 fit in overheads like a dream. On one plane where my partner John was asked to side check his guitar, mine fit under the seat. It was easy to carry on and off trains as well.

"However, the sound is what really knocks me out. Most of out gigs were sans P.A. but that didn't seem to be a problem with my Voyage Air! I really love this guitar.

"...Anybody want to buy a nice 1979 Martin D-35?"

Many Thanks,
Ruth Bloomquist
www.ruthbloomquist.com