Voyage Air Folding Guitar - great idea or dopey gimmick?

[HemiBeers]

Here's a video on the Voyage Air Guitar with the folding neck. It was featured on several Shark Tank shows with O'Leary eventually buying into it. They licensed the neck to Fender for a small test run. So what do you think?

 

 

I've played stringed instruments for 40+ years and I consider the connection between the neck and the body sacred territory for the instrument's tone and integrity. I can't ever remember having the desire to fold the neck (unless I was really pissed at the instrument, but that's another story).

 

The tone of the instrument in the video is actually pretty respectable, but I just have the nagging feeling that the 'folding neck' idea is a gimmick or fad. I could imagine eventually having integrity issues, tuning issues, more string breakage, etc. If I was going to put $1000-2000+ into another guitar, folding neck would not be on my priority list.

 

I also would be more than pleased having that jackass O'Leary loose his ass on his investment.

Edited March 2, 2016 by 2112FirstStreet

[goose]

Hmmm... Watching the video changed my attitude. It's actually pretty cool, and like you said, sounds great.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

There's a model from the 60s that had a folding neck. Came in a double neck version too. Can't remember who made it though. Saw it at a vintage guitar show.

[Ancient Ways]

I was sure I was going to hate it but they really addressed a lot of the pitfalls. I wonder how the tuning is when it is put back into playing position. I also would have liked to hear some other positions besides the first three frets.

[HemiBeers]

Random thought. Get Pete Townsend to provide an endorsement and product testing. He's perfected the folding neck for years.

[Rush-O-Matic]

I also would have liked to hear some other positions besides the first three frets.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=C7F2yJmOZ4c

 

And, an electric version . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=HV0wLIaj0JA

[HemiBeers]

I also would have liked to hear some other positions besides the first three frets.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=C7F2yJmOZ4c

 

And, an electric version . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=HV0wLIaj0JA

Things I don't like about the electric:

That clamp for the neck looks really thick and seems like it would be uncomfortable when you play around the heel.

The combined tone and volume knob is frustration waiting to happen. Big fingers like mine would always be hitting the tone along with the volume.

Tone kinda sucked I thought.

I'm really curious, and the videos never showed, how out of tune the guitar is after you mounted the neck. I don't think guitar strings are really meant to be slackened and tightened that much.

 

Yep, don't like it.