Held my breath...

 

"Are you dunking your head underwater in the hot tub, Jim?" 

No, but thanks for asking.  One more post about the teal blue Traveler guitar.

I didn't take that guitar along when I went to Mark's yesterday.  I was thinking that with just the two of us, my X10 acoustic would be enough.  It was.  If I take a guitar that is just electric, then I need an amp.  Some days it is nice to travel lite.

This morning, I went into my music room, with the expressed intent of checking the tuning on that Traveler guitar.  I picked it up, held my breath, and... it was in tune.  That's how it should work, but all the hassle I had with re-stringing that guitar made me question whether or not it was done... adequately.  I would say "properly, in regards to using that luthier's knot" but it felt like moving through quicksand while trying to get that job done.  In the end, I was happy that the strings were staying on.

To put an ending point to it: I really like this unusual guitar.  Will it replace any of my other guitars?  That's a big negatory, good buddy.  It has one design function for me: be very compact.  After restringing it and adjusting the truss rod, it plays good.  I like the neck on it... which is a good thing, because it is essentially a neck with a tiny bit of body added to the bottom.  Plus, it has fun built-in tone channels - most good guitars don't have that.  Some might call that gimmicky (effects like boost, overdrive, and distortion are done with the gain control on an amp or by using pedals); I like the fact that you have those different tones without having to bring along anything else... not even an amp if you choose to use the built-in headphone pre-amp.  Well, you have to use some kind of amp if you want anyone else to hear it.  (It pairs nicely with that small Spark amp we have.)

Until getting the Roadtrek, I have had a guitar along with us for any boat or RV excursion for decades.  This guitar allows that tradition to continue.