I first learned about the Voyage Air Guitar from my friend and bandmate, John Sudia. He showed up at rehearsal one day with a large backpack over his shoulder and my first reaction was “where’s your guitar?”

He proceeded to unzip the case, unfold his Voyage Air guitar, lock the neck in place…and then play the guitar without even retuning — all in the matter of about two minutes! The guitar played in nearly perfect tuning and the tone was stunning. In that instant I was hooked.

The timing of my discovery of the Voyage Air guitar could not have been better.
My family and I had just booked a long-awaited dream vacation to Italy and I was already stressing over how in the world I was going to travel on planes and trains with all that luggage and my precious 1930 Gibson L-1. To add to the stress, I had managed to get myself a gig in Florence the very day after we arrived. As if that weren’t enough, I am left-handed.

What would happen if I can’t get my vintage Gibson onboard the plane and it gets damaged in baggage handling? Searching for a suitable replacement left-handed guitar immediately after landing in a foreign country, or trying to locate a trustworthy luthier-repairman who speaks English and persuade him to drop everything and help me, would be surefire ways to ruin a great vacation!

The Voyage Air OM to the rescue…
To put it simply, this guitar lives up to it’s promise. The portability is just part of the story — finally, somebody invented a way to get a full-sized guitar onto an airplane without sneaking past gate agents, without the fear and embarrassment of getting “busted” once on the plane. But the thing that amazes me most is its dependability. The intonation is true, the action is comfortable, the volume is strong and the tone is sweet when playing finger style and solid when strumming.
And, yes, it can be ordered in a left-handed model.

I put my Voyage Air to the ultimate test: performing solo on a real stage in front of a live audience, at a venue I never performed at before in a foreign country, less than 36 hours after landing. I am happy to say it performed flawlessly! The gig was an unforgettable experience and I can thank the Voyage Air for coming through for me. It is now a regular part of my guitar family. It gets its share practice time and gigging time. I can’t imagine going on a vacation without it.

Kindest regards,
Karl Dentino
karldentino.com ~ ragtimerelics.com

Read more from Karl

Robby LeBlanc takes his Voyage Air guitar to conquer Mt Kilimanjaro!

This story actually starts back in 2004, when Robby LeBlanc was daunted by a variety of physical ailments: many related to his being overweight. That year was a turning point in his life, where he was challenged by friends: “IF you could drop 100 pounds, what would you do? How would you celebrate?”

Robby’s immediate and offhand reply? “I would climb Mount Kilimanjaro! To the top, and play my guitar at the top to celebrate!”

Frustrating years passed as Robby struggled with his weight and his health. Finally, as his weight dropped, he stopped dodging phone calls, and started to make plans. To climb Mount Kilimanjaro with a guitar.

It was an expensive proposition. With exposure on the TV Oprah Winfrey Network, Robby found sponsors. Even so, it was down to the last minute to get his plane ticket in hand, and join an expedition that would climb the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Kilimanjaro.

His choice for a guitar? “I originally wanted to take my usual guitar, but considering its weight with the case, I knew that would be tough. Then I found out about Voyage Air Guitar, and that proved perfect: a full-size guitar with backpack straps and case, and it was overall very light to carry.”

On his first days upon arriving in the Serengeti of Africa, Robby played his Voyage Air Guitar for children and villagers in remote areas near the base of the mountain. “That was a thrill,” said Robby. “If nothing else happened, those days would have made my trip complete.”

But a lot more happened as Robby and the group began to climb the mountain. Torrential rains on Day 1 of the first base camp that nearly swamped and overturned the truck carrying their supplies. A mandatory ‘acclimation climb’ that pushed Robby to his limits, dealing with the thin air at an altitude. And in the next days, a mud slide that left Robby clinging for life, dangling over the edge of a 100-foot precipice, held by one hand from a porter/guide. In the ensuing moments, Robby was pulled to safety.

Robby said: “I have to tell you, Voyage Air, that your guitar was a trooper. For this climb, the guitar endured temperatures from the jungle tropics, down to 20 below zero. And I could always open and play it, with a bit of time for the guitar to adjust to the temperatures.

“There were times when the guitar was put in with the expedition cargo, and all of that was left outside at night, 20 below zero. Even with that exposure, lugged up the mountain under incredible conditions, the guitar looks as brand new: there are no cracks or problems.”

When Robby conquered the summit of Kilimanjaro, he pulled out his Voyage-Air Guitar and played a few of his favorite tunes. Followed by his own rendition of “Amazing Grace“ in a personal prayer of thanks for his achievement.

The ascent group bowed heads in reverence as he played, atop the highest mountain peak in the African Continent. “My fingers nearly froze while playing Amazing Grace“ said Robby. “But it was the crowning moment of my personal struggles, and this trip. Only a Voyage Air guitar could do this, and make that moment possible.”