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Martin GBPC Backpacker Steel-String Travel Acoustic Guitar (With Gig Bag and Strap)

A fully playable compact, travel guitar.

Overall User Ratings

Overall:
           9 out of 10
Features:
           8 out of 10
Quality:
           9 out of 10
Value:
           9 out of 10
I Want It:
           9 out of 10
Sound:
           8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
           8 out of 10
Support:
           9 out of 10
 
 

"Pack it in, play the hell out of it, pack it out. Light enough to not be to noticeable on backpacking trips and well worth the"

Overall:
          10 out of 10
Features:
          9 out of 10
Quality:
          10 out of 10
Value:
          10 out of 10
I Want It:
          8 out of 10
Sound:
          8 out of 10
User: a customer from yahoo.com
Style of Music: Country, bluegrass, CSN&Y
Location: Nosara Costa Rica, Central America

 

 
Feature:
The gig bag is perfict for this little guitar.

Quality:
Typically Martin. Construction is perfict. The finish could be nicer but, what can I say, it's still a Martin.

Value:
What can I say, it's still a Martin. It's a great value and worth every penny

Desirability:
Not much "sex appeal" (I'm not sure what this is, I've never had sex with a guitar before). It's kind of cute.

Sound:
The sound quality is super for such a small body. It's the greatest for camping and trekking. I'm a professional outdoor outfitter in Costa Rica and traveling around Central America with it is a blast. The unique appearence draws other guitarists like a magnet and you can get into some really great music momments. Sure, it doesn't sound like a D-18 but what do you want for

Overall:
I'll have this guitar for a long time. Of course I have another full size guitar to play with , but this is a fun guitar to play.

13 of 13 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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"Great little travel/recording guitar. Martin designed it to be light, packable, and to travel. It has exceded my expectations..."

Overall:
          10 out of 10
Features:
          9 out of 10
Quality:
          10 out of 10
Value:
          10 out of 10
I Want It:
          10 out of 10
Sound:
          8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
          9 out of 10
Support:
          10 out of 10
User: a customer from sfbli.com
Submitted: 6/18/2009
Style of Music: Funk, jazz/fusion, classic rock, jazz, folk....
Musical Experience: Hobbyist
Location: USA

 

 
Feature:
Comes with a Martin padded gig bag that fits it perfectly. Also comes with aMartin strap.

Quality:
The build quality is solid on the Backpacker.Feels great in my hands. Again, people complain about the width of the neck, but I love nice chunky necks, which the Backpacker has. Has quality Martin tuning keys....

Value:
The price is very reasonable on the Backpacker. Look around, shop around. ZZ has the best price I have found...

Desirability:
I love the way it looks, and it gets stares and looks when you play it out. Its a conversation piece for sure....

Sound:
The Martin Backpacker is a great little guitar. Alot of people complain about the sound. Sure it wont sound like your D-18 or your D-28 or your D-45, or whatever you have. Its a small travel guitar, and is not suppose to sound like you big, expensivve Martin. It just wont happen. It is what it is, and does what it does very well. I love to travel with it, and its perfect for taking outside sitting on the front/back porch swing, lying in the hammock, etc, and just playing. People also complain about how hard it is to sit and play it. I have worked on this, and finally found a comfortable way to play it sitting down. Im happy....

Ease of Use:
Sounds a little like a banjo. It has its own unique sound....

Support:
Uh, never dealt with Martin personally....

Overall:
I expect to have this baby for a long time.... If stolen or something happens to it, I would get another one, no hesitations...

4 of 4 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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"Best travel guitar hands down!"

Overall:
          10 out of 10
Features:
          10 out of 10
Quality:
          10 out of 10
Value:
          10 out of 10
I Want It:
          10 out of 10
User: a customer from yahoo.com
Submitted: 2/28/2002
Style of Music: Rock, folk,country, etc
Location: Augusta, GA

 

 
Come on...it's a backpacker. It's not supposed to sound like a full sized guitar. I have a baby taylor too and the intonation on the martin is much better - fullsize fretboard too. Built like a tank and so easy to travel with. Buy one, get used to holding it, and play, play,play!!!!!!
2 of 2 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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"Singularly Outstanding Quality"

Overall:
          10 out of 10
Features:
          9 out of 10
Quality:
          10 out of 10
Value:
          10 out of 10
I Want It:
          9 out of 10
Sound:
          10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
          10 out of 10
User: a customer from t-online.de
Submitted: 10/31/2007
Style of Music: Gospel, Country
Musical Experience: Hobbyist
Location: Stuttgart, Germany

 

 
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:
It has a nice travel case, though a hardshell would be a bit better. It needs a strap to play properly and it comes with one. Its made out of solid spruce and the workmanship is precisely what you would expect of a Martin, superb.

Quality:
Its very sturdy and, as mentioned above, very well made.

Value:
Its well worth the price. Other travel guitars are cheaper, but they are not Martin's either, with their excellent quality and sound.

Desirability:
I've been admiring these for years now. They are unique and they ooze craftmanship.

Sound:
This guitar is the best sounding travel guitar out there. Does it sound like my Martin D-16RGT Dreadnought? No, of course not, because it is a travel guitar. It has a nice sound though, especially when played gently and with nuance. It is perfect for hotel and dorm rooms precisely because it is not real loud, but loud enough.

Ease of Use:
The reason I like Martins is because they are easy to play. I had read reviews that this backpacker was tricky to play, but that has not been my experience. If you use the strap, it is quite easy to play.

Overall:
I'll keep it as long as it lasts, and I think that will be forever.

9 of 10 people (90%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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Martin Backpacker Guitar Customer Review

Overall:
          10 out of 10
Features:
          10 out of 10
Quality:
          10 out of 10
I Want It:
          10 out of 10
Sound:
          10 out of 10
Support:
          10 out of 10
User: a customer from mofoworld.com
Submitted: 2/14/2006
Style of Music: Rock, Alternative
Musical Experience: Hobbyist
Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

 

 
Feature:
The accessories were good for the price.

Quality:
It feels very sturdy in the hands, it doesn't feel like it would break easily.

Sound:
It sounds fantastic for its size as many people have said its not supposed to sound like a full size guitar!

1 of 1 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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"Backpacker, Guitar or Not?"

Overall:
          8 out of 10
Features:
          6 out of 10
Quality:
          8 out of 10
Value:
          9 out of 10
I Want It:
          7 out of 10
Sound:
          5 out of 10
Support:
          10 out of 10
User: a customer from microgear.net
Submitted: 8/15/2004
Style of Music: all
Location: Mansfield, La. USA

 

 
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:
A strap is a necessity.

Quality:
"Martin" what else can you say, even though it is made in Mexico!

Value:
For what it is, it is a good value

Desirability:
People want to know what kind of instrument it is, some think it is a mandolin

Sound:
Can get some interesting sounds, but you have to practice and experiment. Sometimes like a mandolin, sometimes like an autoharp and others like a dulcimer and of course a guitar.

Support:
"Martin"

Overall:
Will keep and use for what it is, a portable guitar somewhat disposable if something happens.

2 of 2 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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"Good Sound that you can take anywhere without worry"

Overall:
          8 out of 10
Sound:
          8 out of 10
Submitted: 11/22/2007
Style of Music: Acoustic-rock
Musical Experience: musician
Location: CT

 

 
Sound:
For the size and weight, this guitar is very easy to play and sounds quite nice as well. Although it doesn't project like a full body would, it does well for the size-it's actually perfect for just playing and singing because your vocals are never drowned out like brighter, more loud guitar. For anyone who wants to take a guitar everywhere-school, beach, skiing, parties-this is great if you don't want to carry your best guitar around. The neck is a little thick, but overall, plays well, has an almost pleasantly twangy yet crisp sound. I'm happy, it's a Martin

3 of 3 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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"Best Bang For Your Buck Portable Guitar"

Overall:
          8 out of 10
Features:
          9 out of 10
Quality:
          6 out of 10
Value:
          10 out of 10
I Want It:
          7 out of 10
Sound:
          8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
          8 out of 10
Support:
          8 out of 10
Submitted: 3/10/2007

 

 
Feature:
It comes with a guitar strap, a gig bag, what more do you want?

Quality:
The quality is what you would expect from a portable guitar. Not any more or less than my expectation.

Value:
It's price/value ratio is high. It's perfect as a portable guitar.

Desirability:
This isn't what you would marvel over, but it's very practical.

Sound:
Due to the small body, it lacks sustain or rich warmth. But considering the fact that this is a portable guitar, it's got a nice twangy zip to it which is kinda cool.

Ease of Use:
Very light but can not play without strap since it won't balance on your lap.

2 of 2 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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"Satisfied Owner"

Overall:
          8 out of 10
Features:
          8 out of 10
Quality:
          10 out of 10
Value:
          9 out of 10
I Want It:
          9 out of 10
Sound:
          8 out of 10
User: a customer from yahoo.com
Submitted: 9/9/2005
Style of Music: rock
Musical Experience: Hobbyist
Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

 

 
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Quality:
It's a Martin, albeit made in Mexico.

Value:
It was worth the money.

Desirability:
I love the reactions from people! I get asked all sorts of questions!

Sound:
It is what it is... It's a travel guitar! It has a wonderful sound for such a small package.

Overall:
This one's a keeper! I like it for the portability. Is this my first choice for a guitar? No. It does what it's designed to do.

1 of 1 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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"Great for practice but not performance"

Overall:
          8 out of 10
Features:
          8 out of 10
Quality:
          8 out of 10
Value:
          6 out of 10
I Want It:
          8 out of 10
User: a customer from corrcomm.net
Submitted: 1/9/2002
Style of Music: I play rock, blues, country.
Location: Arab, Alabama

 

 
If you are looking for a guitar that sounds great this is not your guitar; it sounds more like a banjo than a guitar. But for a practice guitar is great because:

1) It feels just like a larger guitar
2) It's light as a feather
3) Small body allows you to get all the way up to the 15th fret so you can practice pieces that are normally reserved for electric guitar only.

One caveat: You cannot play this guitar without a strap (included). I have found that tying the strap just beside the nut works best.

If you practice a lot as I do you'll appreciate the way this instrument takes lots of strain off your back and shoulder; you could play it for hours at a time without physical strain.

2 of 2 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?    
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