World’s Best Travel Guitar | Backpacking in Yosemite With KLOS’ Carbon Fiber Guitar

Share

When I discovered KLOS Guitars’ carbon fiber Hybrid Travel Guitar, with its light weight, unmatched durability and impressive acoustics, my life as a Yosemite wilderness guide drastically improved. Every excuse I had for not packing a guitar on backpacking trips vanished, and with the added flare of strumming to accompany campfire singalongs at the end of each day, the clients’ memories were cemented by a soundtrack from that point on. The Hybrid gave me an edge on other guides—music—and low and behold, the quality of my experiences, and tip money, skyrocketed. 

WHAT MAKES A GREAT TRAVEL GUITAR? 

The most important attributes of a travel guitar are portability, durability, and resonance. Unfortunately, those also tend to be conflicting qualities in guitar design, making most options that bid as “travel” instruments less playable — and thus less worth bringing along. 

Time-tested manufacturers like Martin and Taylor attempted to achieve this balance with wood models like the Martin Backpacking Guitar and the Baby Taylor. Both fall short in at least one category.  

I found the Martin version is weirdly shaped, tinny-sounding, and subpar in almost every aspect of its performance. The Baby Taylor did a better job, though it’s still relatively fragile and awkwardly shaped for travel. 

But with its durable carbon fiber body, portable, foldable neck, and deep resonance enhanced by top-quality components, the KLOS Deluxe nails this balance in unprecedented form. 

Why Carbon Fiber? 

Just ask a Pondarosa Pine—warping wood is an inherent side effect of the Yosemite high country’s searing dry heat and spontaneous afternoon thunderstorms. Where traditional wooden guitars don’t stand a chance against the exposure, the Hybrid’s carbon fiber body is immune.  

Weather damage becomes a non-issue, and the resilience of carbon fiber makes it less prone to dinging when accidentally brushed against granite. 

For a wooden guitar, the threat of damage compounds on trail. The task of physically getting a guitar into the high country requires lugging the clunky instrument, strapped to the outside of a pack, up miles of dusty, sun-exposed trail.  

The Hybrid is less cumbersome. Without removing the strings (they clamp to the fretboard instead), the neck unscrews and collapses, packing into a sturdy soft case alongside the body for less-awkward stowage.  

As for the issue of weight, the Hybrid’s two-pound heft is negligible next to the 50+ pounds of heavy gear I usually carry for a guide service trip. Modeling the likes of high-end mountain bikes, tennis rackets or hockey sticks, the durability and light weight of carbon fiber makes for a much more practical travel guitar. 

Then there’s the acoustics. Before trying a KLOS guitar, my skepticism in carbon fiber stemmed mostly from sound. I couldn’t imagine a manmade material carrying enough warmth and depth to rival wood.

Upon testing the Hybrid, I quickly found that the resonance naturally provided by the Hybrid’s hollow carbon fiber body is uncanny. Its small, 11-inch by 15-inch body bellows like a much larger guitar, and the full-length fretboard is easy and accommodating for the fingers. 

Top-Quality Components 

KLOS offers a more economic variation of its travel guitar—the non-electric Hybrid. While the Deluxe version I tested commands a price tag north of $1,200 for everything you get with it — including top-of-the-line components — I found it to be worth the value. 

The package comes with a compact screwdriver, a hex wrench, a capo, a guitar strap, picks, and a rain cover, along with the most robust and functional soft gig bag I’ve ever owned. 

Beyond the accouterments, the real upgrade with the Deluxe is in its components. Adorned with stout Graphtech ratio tuners, a walnut bridge, and an industry-premium Fishman Sonitone onboard preamp, it’s a gig-quality system that won’t go out of tune and will stand the test of time. 

In terms of sound, this preamp paired with the resonance from its carbon fiber body produces a tonal quality that other travel guitars just aren’t capable of achieving.  

Altogether, the Klos Hybrid Travel Guitar may not be traditional, but if my experience in the Yosemite high country (and tip money) is any indication, sometimes it pays to break tradition.