Blueridge BR-341 Historic Series - Vintage Style In a Modern Body

For a solid portion of musicians out there, travel guitars are merely a way to stay in form during travel and a practical six-string they can take out on vacation without worrying about damaging it or taking too much space. However, the parlor domain also contains a variety of top-quality six-strings that can genuinely stand up to the big boys. One of them – and one of our top picks for the flattering title of the best travel guitar in the world – is the BR-341 model from Bluebridge. Let's see what this fella's all about!

Body & Neck

The first thing that strongly stands out the moment you touch this instrument is stellar build quality. The feel and smoothness of the finish, the resonant body, impeccable design, and a super playable and comfortable neck shine very brightly here, making it clear we are dealing with a premium instrument. The guitar comes with a choice solid mahogany back and sides mixed up with solid sitka spruce top. This might seem like a somewhat standard tonewood combo, but we can guarantee that quality craftsmanship and careful selection have done their share of work here, resulting in a sound not many travel guitars can boast. As for the neck, we are looking at a solid mahogany piece that is not prone to bending at all, making the instrument very well adapted for traveling. One of the things that makes the guitar stand out way above the rest is a top-level ebony fingerboard. This component makes the performance significantly easier, reduces fret noise to zero, and gives the six-string a smooth feel. In this department, we give the BR 341 an easy 5 out of 5!

Hardware

As is often the case with travel guitars, this fella hardly boasts an intricate hardware department, but more importantly – each of the components here does a stellar job. First of all, the included set of nickel-plated tuners excels at keeping the instrument in proper shape. Other features worthy of mentioning include a rosewood bridge, bone nut and saddle, a 24.75 inch (630 mm) scale length, a 1-7/8 inch nut width, a maple bridge plate, a dark tortoise binding, and matching sound hole rings.

Sound

As for the sound, this is one of the top sonic attacks we have ever heard from a guitar this small. The resonance, warmth, and punch are on par with many dreadnought model, and the presence of low-end frequencies has pleasantly surprised us. Parlor models usually lack basses and offer a banjo-like sound, but this guy really packs a mean punch, offering everything a quality full-grown six-string has, but in a small package. So in a nutshell, expect warm basses, punchy middles, and bright trebles. Much like with the body section, we can only give a 5/5 here.

Value/Conclusion

When all is said and combined, this is a high-end instrument with high-end features. It offers top value for money, but the price is still in the upper reach. So jot down your needs and preferences, and if you are really after the best travel guitar on the market, add this Blueridge to your list of considerations right away. For more info about Blueridge BR-341 Historic Series, click here. For more top travel acoustic guitars, click here.