Hohner HC03 – Travel Size On The Cheap

Body And Neck:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

• Check Price

The issue with cheap travel guitars comes from the fact that their shapes already limits their tone in many ways. Once you add cheap materials into the mix, many are wondering if it is even worth it? Well, it depends on which cheap travel guitar you get. For example, Hohner HC03 here is dirt cheap, yet it still sounds more than decent. As a matter of fact, it's among the cheapest travel guitars which are worth investing in. So, what do you get with this package?

Body And Neck

Featuring a classic concert shape only scaled down to travel size, Hohner HC03 sports a spruce top paired with a catalpa back and sides. The craftsmanship is pretty good all things considered, and everything feels solid when you pick it up. The neck is a mahogany piece fitted with a nice, smooth fretboard. The guitar is well balanced and just feels good in your hands. The most surprising thing about the HC03 is the fact that they didn't use laminated tonewood. In this price range, laminate wood is more or less the standard. Hohner took things in a different direction, and that is something we just have to respect.

Hardware

One category where this guitar comes across as average is the hardware. You get a standard bridge fitted with a synthetic compensated saddle. On the headstock, you will find a set of regular die-cast tuning machines. Nothing special, but definitely in line with the price range we are discussing here. In terms of performance, the hardware is more or less on point. Bridge offers more than enough sustain for a travel sized guitar, while the tuning machines do well with tuning retention. Naturally, if you go wild and bend the strings excessively, you will probably have to adjust the tuning rather frequently.

Sound

For a travel guitar, Hohner HC03 sounds just as you would expect it to. Crisp trebles with a noticeably absent low-end response. Compared to other travel guitars out there, HC03 holds up pretty well. It might not have all the warmth nor definition we would like it to, but considering the price, we simply can't complain. This is a classical guitar, so fingerstyle should be something it is good at. As it turns out, that is exactly the case. One thing to look for is to check whether the guitar is properly set up out of the box.If not, one trip to your local guitar shop can seriously improve the performance of your HC03.

Conclusion

In the world full of expensive travel guitars, Hohner HC03 comes across as a great
cost effective solution. Those who need a compact classical guitar will find their answer in this model, especially if they are heavily limited by their budget. In this price range, you will hardly find a better acoustic guitar, period. As long as you do a proper setup, Hohner HC03 should satisfy even the more demanding standard some guitar players have.

For more info about the Hohner HC03,click here.
For more top travel acoustic guitars, click here.