Guitars and Cycling?

This looks like spam to me. First post and it's a shill for some product.

oh great, thanks. Not the answer I was hoping for.

I'm gonna pull the trigger. I just ordered a Voyage-Air VAOM-02 from their website, for $399. I'll give more info when I get it. Their warehouse is nearby, I should have it this week. WooHoo! New guitar!

Yojimbo as usual is probably right about you being a spammer. But for now I'll just ignore that and hope you do the right thing and leave. As for your answer: just go buy your damn guitar and try it out.

Sorry for the negative responses. This site has been mercilessly spammed in the past by spammers asking for reviews on the "most marvelous invention in history" mostly having nothing to do with cycling. On another note, this is not really the forum to look for reviews on musical instruments. As for the pics on Voyage Air's website, advertising does not equal reality. Your best bet is to search the web for reviews on musical instrument sites.

kdelong - Thanks for the reply. Just thought I'd go to the most likely source for someone to know.

I do have some questions about fixing up those TREK bikes, and this is the place for that. I'll just keep it to bicycles from now on, sorry if I've offended anyone.

I own a Sobrinos de Domingo Esteso guitar - 1968 in mint condition.

Look it up.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Yojimbo_ [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I own a Sobrinos de Domingo Esteso guitar - 1968 in mint condition.

Look it up.

Whoa! Nice. From that vintage, probably Brazilian Rosewood, yes? Must sound awesome. My formal instruction was in Classical Guitar, so now I choose the guitars with the widest fretboards I can find. Now you've done it... I'm gonna dig out my Classical and put new strings on it tonight.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by BadjerJim [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

kdelong - Thanks for the reply. Just thought I'd go to the most likely source for someone to know.

I do have some questions about fixing up those TREK bikes, and this is the place for that. I'll just keep it to bicycles from now on, sorry if I've offended anyone.

lol it's all good, didn't offend me

Cool, thanks. I should have that Voyage-Air guitar by tomorrow or Friday. I'm jazzed. I can report back here if there is interest. If not, I'll just keep it to bicycles.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by BadjerJim [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Cool, thanks. I should have that Voyage-Air guitar by tomorrow or Friday. I'm jazzed. I can report back here if there is interest. If not, I'll just keep it to bicycles.

Instead of reporting back here just post a review. (in the review section please!!!!)

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by BadjerJim [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Whoa! Nice. From that vintage, probably Brazilian Rosewood, yes? Must sound awesome. My formal instruction was in Classical Guitar, so now I choose the guitars with the widest fretboards I can find. Now you've done it... I'm gonna dig out my Classical and put new strings on it tonight.

I believe it's cyprus although I'm not certain. It's a flamenco guitar - not a classical. The reason it's in mint condition is that after I bought it for $300 (slightly used) back in the 70's, I stopped learning and put it away in my attic and I've only just taken it out to try to learn it again.

I was offered $15K by my guitar teacher for it, and someone else offered me more. I don't want to sell it though - I want to play it. Like Sabicas (in my dreams........) (look up his Dance Arabe video on YouTube - wow).

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by Yojimbo_ [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

I believe it's cyprus although I'm not certain. It's a flamenco guitar - not a classical. The reason it's in mint condition is that after I bought it for $300 (slightly used) back in the 70's, I stopped learning and put it away in my attic and I've only just taken it out to try to learn it again.

I was offered $15K by my guitar teacher for it, and someone else offered me more. I don't want to sell it though - I want to play it. Like Sabicas (in my dreams........) (look up his Dance Arabe video on YouTube - wow).

Wow. Just wow. What an amazing instrument. It's just one of those stories: you were at the right place at the right time, and have managed to hang onto it after all these years.

That's one of the few advantages of being an old fart like me, I guess.

I think I'll install casters on my les paul case and drag it behind me.

As a professional guitarist and serious cyclist, I try not to grab too much, otherwise you are compromising the quality somewhere. I don't believe you could concentrate on a good workout, when you have a cumbersome guitar strapped on your back. However, I have have tried a folding guitar just out of curiosity, and found, as I suspected, that it desperately lacks resonance, and has poor intonation, if you are doing a pleasure cruise down the beach, take a good sounding ax, and use a backpack style gig bag that straps across your torso too. It will move around much less than the single strap sling style case.

Eitherway, enjoy your cycling and your strumming... and remember to keep cadence in both ; )

Whoa, interesting reply from a professional guitarist, Thanks TGVZG!

Well, I'm not a pro, but the wife and I are getting back into cycling (now that it's mostly stopped raining). I'd rate myself 'advanced amateur' - I've been playing all my life, and play at church every Sunday.

At any rate, I bought one of the Voyage-Air entry-level models for $399 including back-pack case. VAOM-02. First was the case: it's a really well made backpack with zippered pockets for stuff, and has a chest strap (if that's the right term) so the straps can't slide off your shoulders. Along with the guitar, there's enough room in there for a picnic lunch and drinks and other stuff.

The sound, is amazing. A folding guitar is something that just shouldn't work - but this one does. When you fold it open, it's the same size as a regular guitar, and you would never know it from a regular guitar by looking at it. The hinge locks secure, it's not wobbly at all. It's easy to play, and I found no intonation problems. And it's light too - about 9 lbs for the guitar and the case.

The sound does not compare to my Martin guitar - noway. But at the same time, I'd never take my Martin out cycling, even for a pleasure cruise, even in a backpack gig bag. And the Martin is a way more than a $<500 guitar. I actually find myself playing it a lot.

A few days after I got it, the company put on a sale price for their appearance on the Shark Tank tv show. That figures. But I called the company and they credited me back $50 on my credit card to match the sale price. That's pretty cool.

In all, this is not a serious cycling accessory - just a cool way to take the guitar along like you said for a pleasure cruise. The beach is a long way from here, but Bidwell Park in Chico is not, and I get a lot of looks when I fold open a guitar from a backpack!

Many thanks to this forum. I've learned a lot. My Trek needs new wheels and tires for sure, now that I'm riding it (had been in storage 15+ yrs). If any of the above is not right for this forum, have the webmaster take it down. I'm just passing stuff along. Never thought there would be an easy way to take a guitar on a bicycle, that actually played and sounded decent. Now there is.

Sounds like you're enjoying it - and that what counts!