If weight/ease of portability is a requirement....

Instruments, mechanical issues, copedents, techniques, etc.

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Which would you pick based on weight and ease of portability alone?

Justice S-10 Pro
1
9%
GFI Expo
3
27%
Mullen Discovery
6
55%
BMI Axius II
1
9%
 
Total votes: 11

Landon Johnson
Posts: 249
Joined: 3 Aug 2007 2:36 pm
Location: Washington, USA

If weight/ease of portability is a requirement....

Post by Landon Johnson »

what guitar might be best for me? I'm an intermediate player and play out more than I play in... need a guitar I can toss in the car with a moment's notice and keep in the case otherwise.

I currently have a ProLite and a Williams S-10 Widebody. I'm thinking of picking up a road guitar that's just a single S-10 with a minimum of 3 and 4. The ProLite is a bit heavier and I don't really need the pad, and the Williams is far too pretty to go on the road... So far, I feel my choices are (as far as new guitars go):

Justice S-10 Pro
GFI Expo
Mullen Discovery
BMI Axius 2 (they discontinued their flight model?)

There are others but these seem to be the lightest out there... which would you choose, and why?
Justice ProLite, Williams S-10, Quilter TT-12.
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Ken Pippus
Posts: 2618
Joined: 8 Feb 2007 7:55 am
Location: Langford, BC, Canada

Post by Ken Pippus »

I picked up a GFI Ultra keyless S-10 for that exact concern. Lighter and smaller than all of the above.

I’d just play the Williams. My other grab’n’go is a keyless Williams D-10.
Bruce Derr
Posts: 765
Joined: 26 Nov 2001 1:01 am
Location: Lee, New Hampshire, USA

Post by Bruce Derr »

+1 for GFI Ultra S-10 keyless. I love mine. You could get a lightweight case to make it even lighter.

GFI used to show a lightweight fly-gig model on their website. It had a slightly shorter scale. Someone said recently that they will still make one by request, even though they are no longer advertised. It is not keyless, though. It's puzzling that nobody makes a lightweight travel-friendly guitar that is keyless. Some keyless tuners are only a couple inches long, which would shave significant weight and length from a keyed model. It would be great for a guitar designed for flight/subway dates. It might even fit in an overhead luggage compartment.

I should mention that I have not tried the other guitars in your list. I imagine you wouldn't go wrong with any of them.
Justin Shaw
Posts: 207
Joined: 29 Oct 2022 7:26 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Post by Justin Shaw »

I don't have experience with everything in the poll, but my Excel is super light and comes in a nice fitted flight case with wheels and everything. It's incredibly portable. I guess that's not news though.
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Steve Lipsey
Posts: 1900
Joined: 9 May 2011 8:51 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
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Post by Steve Lipsey »

Williams S-10 Keyless - smaller and lighter, but zero sacrifices in tone or function, this is a total win. With a Hatton case, it is light, small, and a tone monster...(the Williams S-10 is less deep than a typical S-10, the legs are angled a bit more out to give the same stability)
And why wouldn't you take a pretty steel to a gig? It is pretty for the audience to see, right?
www.facebook.com/swingaliband & a few more....
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham "CooderNator" archtop parlor electric reso w/Fishman & Lollar string-through
Ben Bonham "ResoBorn" deep parlor acoustic reso with Weissenborn neck and Fishman
Ben Bonham Style 3 Tricone., 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor Squareneck
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