Note: Some features and functions can only be used via the Harley Benton / Enya app
The Harley Benton TravelMate-E is an acoustic guitar made entirely from virtually indestructible carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, or CFRP for short. The key advantage that carbon fibre has over wood is that it is not hygroscopic – i.e. it doesn't absorb moisture, so it is completely resistant to climatic fluctuations. This "E" version of the Harley Benton TravelMate is fitted with the SP1 Acoustic Plus 2.0, a pickup and integrated amplification system that uses structure-borne sonic transducers to cause the instrument's body to vibrate: The guitar more or less amplifies itself, even reproducing effects such as reverb, chorus, or an equaliser! The signal can also be sent to a PA system via the standard jack output socket. Despite this array of features, it won't break the bank, making the Harley Benton TravelMate a special guitar in every respect.
The SP1 Acoustic Plus 2.0 system is activated via a combination rotary/push button on the topside of the body; in addition to controlling the volume, this is also used to activate different sound modes. Any Bluetooth-compatible device, equipped with the Harley Benton/Enya Music app, can configure the more complex sound settings of the SP1 system. The internal 2600mAh battery is charged via the USB-C socket – a full battery provides power for 10 hours of free and unfettered performance. The scale length of the Harley Benton TravelMate is a compact 587mm (23.11"), which is around 60mm less than a guitar with the standard 645mm (25.4") scale length. Designed as a travelling guitar, the Harley Benton TravelMate-E is only 89cm (35") long and is therefore significantly shorter than a regular dreadnought acoustic model. The TravelMate-E is also a real featherweight, at only 1.7kg (3.7lbs): For comparison, standard acoustic guitars will usually weigh at least 4lbs or more.
The Harley Benton TravelMate-E sounds perfectly warm, giving the lie to one of the most common preconceptions about carbon instruments. It is also genuinely loud for its size, even when played acoustically! And when the SP1 Acoustic Plus 2.0 amplifier system is activated, its sound can be further enhanced with EQ and effects. The TravelMate is constructed with a truss rod - this only needs to be adjusted when changing to a different string gauge, however. Live guitarists of all kinds will love the integrated pickup, as well as the fact that the tuning of a carbon guitar like the Harley Benton TravelMate-E is stable by its very nature. The rounded edges of the body and the short scale length make the Harley Benton TravelMate-E comfortable to play, while the narrower fret spacing will be a real boon for those with smaller hands. Still, as the width of the fingerboard and spacing of the strings are similar to a full-size acoustic guitar, the transition from a full-size model to the Harley Benton TravelMate-E will be an easy one.
Since 1998, the Harley Benton brand has been catering for the needs of countless guitarists and bassists. In addition to an extensive range of stringed instruments, Thomann's house brand also offers a wide choice of amplifiers, speakers, effect pedals, and other accessories. In total, the range includes over 1,500 products. Built by established names in the industry, all Harley Benton products combine quality and reliability at attractive and affordable prices. The continuous expansion of the range ensures that Harley Benton always provides new, exciting, and innovative products that keep players perfectly in tune with the musical world, day after day.
The Harley Benton TravelMate-E is a guitar that offers the total package: It can make music anywhere in the world, with amplification and a full complement of effects. This carbon guitar can tolerate a cool, damp autumn evening around the campfire just as well as it can handle the summer heat in the back of a van, and the gig bag included in the price means it can be easily transported by bus, train, or car. If one stops to think about it, a surprising number of occasions come to mind where a weatherproof and reliably tuned guitar like the Harley Benton TravelMate-E makes perfect sense: Sweaty concerts in underground clubs, busking outdoors in every weather, open air events with little or no protection from the elements, camping trips in the wilderness, the list goes on. The combination of its indestructible construction and short scale length also makes the Harley Benton TravelMate-E the ideal guitar for kids and teens.
Carbon guitars
The predominant material for acoustic, classical, and electric guitars is and remains wood: It offers the classic combination of structural stability and desirable sonic properties, as well as being – last but not least – simply beautiful to look at. However, wood has one serious drawback: It is hygroscopic, i.e. wood absorbs and releases water throughout its lifespan, and this goes for wooden guitars too. Most acoustic guitarists have experienced at least one winter where they've realised they can suddenly feel the fret ends sticking out when the humidity is low, and we've all noticed the way our guitars' string action changes with the seasons. In contrast, guitars made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic, or CFRP for short, do not react at all to changing environmental conditions: Once set to a string gauge, the setting remains stable. As carbon is also very light, fibre-reinforced plastic is being increasingly used in modern guitar-making.