All About the Washburn Rover RO10 Guitar

Guitars are wonderful musical instruments, universally prized and used in so many of the songs we know and love. But, portability can be a problem, as big, bulky cases are required to transport these instruments wherever you go. This can present a problem for you if you have limited space and simply cannot make room for a standard-sized guitar. And that is where travel guitars come in — smaller scale models of guitars that provide a near matchless tone to regular guitars. One such model is the Washburn Rover RO10 guitar, one of the best of a newer genre of compact sized musical instruments.

Before we examine the Washburn Rover RO10 guitar closer, we will take a look at the problem standard guitars present. Likely, you are already aware of these issues, but it does not hurt to lay the foundation to present the case for travel guitars.

Standard sized guitars are simply too bulky for some people. Young students may find them hard to carry, especially on a school bus packed tight with kids. Older, people, and those suffering from a disability, may just not be able to deal with the length and girth of a guitar case. Handling the guitar itself may not pose much of a problem, but the cases alone can present a major inconvenience when taking a plane, a public bus or traveling in a car. Storage at home can be a problem too.

Adapting the standard guitar for a smaller footprint makes good sense. However, it must be lightweight, sturdy and produce near matchless sound as the bigger instruments to be worth your while. In the past, a number of smaller guitars have been offered up, some with short or sliding necks, thin bodies or just plain smaller overall dimensions. Most guitarists avoided these models because sound was compromised. If you wanted to play guitar, the compact guitars just did not cut it.

Since the 1980s, a host of smaller, travel guitars began to appear on the market. These models were different from the models previously offered, giving near matchless sound and providing ease of portability. Indeed, some models, including the Washburn Rover have won praise from guitar enthusiasts for both its size and its excellent sound. Now, “travel guitar” doesn’t mean something that you only use while on the road, rather it is a musical instrument you can use full time.

Washburn, founded in 1883, and producer of such notable models as the Nuno Bettencourt, Boosty the Collins Space bass, the Dimebag Darrell and Steve Stevens signature model, developed its Rover line to get its foot in on the emerging travel guitar market. Washburn Rovers are steel stringed acoustic guitars that come in at 24-inch scale, making use of high quality materials to deliver to you an exceptional musical instrument.

Critics say that the Washburn Rover RO10 is extremely playable with a projection and richness comparable to a full-size guitar. This model features 19 frets, a solid spruce top, a mahogany body and neck, a fingerboard made from rosewood and features high quality geared tuners. It comes in a hard, foam-line case with a molded interior and offers both interior and exterior pockets, perfect places to store picks and sheet music. If you take it on a trip, it is sized so that it will fit an airline’s overhead storage compartment — try that with a standard guitar and you will soon be told to check it. That will cost you $25 or more, an expense you can avoid on some airlines by stuffing a travel guitar in an overhead bin.

Of course, the only way to know if a travel guitar is right for you is to play one. So, head down to your local guitar store and tray a Washburn Rover RO10 on for size. You just may find a much desirable replacement for your current guitar or at least a satisfactory supplement to your current stringed instrument inventory. And priced from $150, a Washburn Rover is an affordable instrument too.

Washburn Guitars: Travel Series – http://www.washburn.com/products/acoustics/travel/index.php

Justin Miller is a professional blogger that writes for Jamplay.com. JamPlay is a leading online music educator offering 2,000+ online lessons from guitar teachers in HD.