Where Music Meets ArtHotel Indigo West End, Nashville

And it's FREE! One night only, a host of Nashville's power songwriting talent gets together for a demonstration and tribute to Voyage-Air Guitars.

Drop by the Lounge at the Hotel Indigo West End on October 20, 7-10pm, and hear up-close and personal performances from some of the top songwriters in Nashville - all performing on their favorite Voyage-Air guitars!

Here's the lineup: Sarah Lenore, Lisa Carver, Lorna Flowers, Josh Dunne, Chris Wallin, Shawn Mayer, Dave Gibson, Mark Dreyer, Matt Kennon, Hollie Jett, Damien Horne, Pino Squillace and Dakota Grove (featuring Daisy Dern, Camille Wallin and Scott Sanford). If you don't recognize any of these names, you will remember them by the end of this evening - guaranteed!

This will be an awesome evening of live music - all by musicians who are into the Voyage-Air guitar. If you're in Nashville, BE THERE!

Voyage-Air on the cover of the Ultimate Gear Guide

Well, maybe not a big thing. Wait, YES it is a big thing!

A breakthrough guitar from a small company in California... a product that's been available for less than a year... made the cover of Guitar Player's Annual Holiday Edition "Ultimate Gear Guide."

And note: it's the only acoustic guitar on the cover of the magazine. This, against really special new guitars from the big big manufacturers. Heck yeah!

Fact is: the Voyage-Air guitar can transform the way you think about your music. It becomes natural to spend free minutes composing, practicing, jamming, or just playing when you always have your guitar with you. A breakthrough guitar? Worthy of a spot on the cover? Something really special that you need to check out? Yes, Yes, and YES.

Look for this 2009 Edition of Guitar Player's Annual Ultimate Gear Guide... oh, about the first week of November at newsstands everywhere.

Ronnie Montrose - Hands-On with a Voyage-Air

Rock legend Ronnie Montrose took a break backstage at a recent gig, and had a chance to try a Voyage-Air Songwriter OM guitar. Veteran of the Edgar Winter group as well as his own band Montrose, Ronnie has worked with Herbie Hancock, Boz Scaggs, The Neville Brothers, Van Morrison and dozens of others.

Ronnie knows his way around a guitar. Period.

His comment? "Hey ... this is great! And it fits in that case and stays in tune? Noway. Why didn't they do this a long time ago?"

Indeed. And this was just a Songwriter.

We can't wait for his reaction to the upcoming Electric Voyage-Air!

Pete Huttlinger - WOW - gets his hands on a Voyage-Air Guitar!

Pete Huttlinger... who? He's a National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion, and also a veteran of solo Carnegie Hall performances. He's on the short list of legendary guitar players who were invited to BOTH of Eric Clapton's 'Crossroads' concerts (2004, 2007) ...

Simply stated: Pete Huttlinger is Seriously Awesome on the guitar, okay? Okay.

Recently, Pete performed at the Guitar Player Live! 2009 event in Livermore, CA. New to the concept of a folding guitar that could actually sound GOOD... he was cornered by Wesley Lem of the Voyage-Air staff. Okay, Wes basically stuffed a guitar in his hands, but the following video shows the result:



Check out Pete Huttlinger's website at: www.petehuttlinger.com, or click here for his MySpace page (that has lots of his music and stuff).

Bob K is Ready for Naples, Italy

Noted Christian composer, musician and minister Bob Kilpatrick has become a full-on Voyage-Air enthusiast over the past months. Why? Simple: there is no other guitar that plays great, sounds great, is a professional-quality instrument AND folds in half for travel! Click to watch this quick video:

Fitted with an LR Baggs pickup, the guitar you see in this video is the exact same one that Bob will be playing before a crowd of 100,000 in Naples, Italy later this month.

With his 3-times-per-day radio show on the K-LOVE radio network, Bob and his music reaches more than four-million listeners each and every day.

Check back for pictures, videos and more once we get those pics and videos of Bob in Italy!

Voyage-Air Drops Into the Shark Tank!

ABC-TV's newest 'reality show' named Shark Tank featured Voyage-Air President Jeff Cohen and his son Josh, during Episode #3 on August 23, 2009. Culled from thousands of applicants, the Shark Tank show chose Voyage-Air as a promising new product, and worthy of investor attention before a national TV audience.

How did it turn out? You can watch the complete episode here on your computer.

Amazed at the technology, and the fact that folded guitars stayed in tune when opened, the previously skeptical investors started a barrage of low-ball offers, bidding for a majority stake to control the company. Unfazed, seasoned entrepreneur Jeff Cohen took control and countered, with a limited license to use the Voyage-Air patent technology. No deal.

In summary, the Sharks weren't prepared to make a realistic offer for a product that is so well developed, so well established, and with a national dealer network in place. And yes, the show hinted at new products and technologies that will prove to be very very interesting. We'll report here ASAP!

Nettie Tackles Brazil with a Voyage-Air

We recently fixed up Rev. Nettie Spiwack with a Voyage-Air Songwriter, and she sent us this letter after a trip to the center of Brazil:

"As an interfaith minister, musical devotion leader and founding member of Soulfyre Musical Ministries, I've been faced with the challenge of transporting my guitar to places far and wide. Ever in search of a way to avoid the panicky moment boarding the plane: "Will there be room in the closet? In the overhead? If not will I have to >gasp< let them put it in luggage?" I have also been dealing with the uncomfortable fact that as the years have gone on, my guitar cases got heavier and heavier, with no roadie in sight!

"Due to its smaller size, I was about to buy a Baby Taylor when I found the TakeYourGuitar.com website. The Voyage-Air was the answer to my prayers! On my recent trip to Brazil, this folding guitar flew in the domestic and international overhead compartments, no problem!

"It did evoke curiousity at one security check-in. The guitar did everything promised...held its tuning, produced wonderful sound, and, critical for me, was light enough for this 50+ traveler's shoulders. All in all, it transformed my experience of bringing the music with me. Everyone who sees it folding into its case is fascinated, especially musicians.

"This is an invention too long in coming! My friend wants to know when they'll do it for 5-string banjos. Now, if only they'll add on-board electronics..."

Oh wow, and thanks Nettie! About those electronics... no pun intended, but stay tuned!

Bob Kilpatrick - Christian Radio Host, Composer, Musician

To those familiar with contemporary Christian music, Bob Kilpatrick needs no introduction. As a radio host at K-LOVE, his 3x-a-day show has over 3-million listeners. As a musician, his concerts draw 100,000+. Bob's music and message truly reaches a world-wide audience.

Last Sunday, Bob had a chance to play a Voyage-Air guitar, and passed along the following comments:

“I have played guitar all my life, and have toured the world for thirty plus years performing worship music. Some of my songs are considered "classics" in Contemporary Christian music. In fact, I’m a columnist for Christian Musician Magazine, which recently had a review about the Voyage-Air folding travel guitars.

“You know what? I read that review, in the same magazine I write for, and I didn’t believe it. How could a guitar fold in half for travel, fit in the overhead bin of an airliner, and still play and sound like a great acoustic guitar? I own high-end guitars. I know what a good one sounds like.

“Very recently, I played at a church and met Jim Wolcott of TakeYourGuitar.com. Knowing that I was skeptical, Jim raced back to his shop and brought back a Voyage-Air Dreadnought for me to try. This was an all-solid Premiere Series guitar, with solid Rosewood back and sides, and solid Sitka Spruce top.

“I was very impressed! I never imagined that a folding guitar could sound this good. I talked to Jim, and he explained the features and construction. It still doesn't make sense to me. But it doesn't have to. I know from playing it that it sounds great!

“By the end of the evening, I asked Jim if I could take one of these Voyage-Air guitars on my upcoming tour to Italy, and I was SERIOUS. The Voyage-Air Dreadnought is a simply amazing guitar, and I would be proud to take it on the road. A full-size Dreadnought guitar that takes only half the space would be very handy for me and all the other guitarists who are climbing on airplanes week after week. In a month, I’ll be playing in front of a festival audience of over 100,000. I would be thrilled to use a Voyage-Air guitar for that performance.”

Sincerely,

Bob Kilpatrick

Bob Kilpatrick Ministries

Dave Carroll: United Breaks Guitars!

Songwriter/Musician Dave Carroll put pen to music paper based on his experience flying to a gig on United Airlines. After watching the ground crew heaving his bass player's instrument, moments after destroying his prized Taylor 710, Carroll tried to file a damage claim with the airline.

No deal. After long and futile efforts in dealing with the airline, the official position was "you signed a damage waiver when you checked your bag. Damage is not our responsibility." You can read the whole story here.

So Carroll has created a music video of the experience, and posted it on YouTube, and you can view it here. Good stuff Dave.

Um.. Dave? have you heard about Voyage-Air Guitars?

Ray Eckhardt - SOLD on Voyage-Air

Imagine MY surprise when I recently returned a phone call from one of my customers:


"Jim, I wasn't sure you got my e-Mail, but I want to help get the word out about these Voyage-Air guitars. I bought this as a travel guitar, but I have to tell you... I have two nice Martin guitars, and two other really nice Taylor guitars... but now, this Voyage-Air is the only guitar I play."


I went back and found Ray's e-mail to me, and I'll just copy and paste it here:

"I would like to thank Jim Wolcott for a chance to own such an exquisite instrument. Jim has been quick to respond, very helpful and you won’t find a friendlier guy to deal with. This voyage-air guitar is second to none. I have owned at least one of every major brand guitar available.

"The tonal quality of the VAOM-2 is the most impressive that I have ever heard. After playing the guitar, the main reason that I bought it is actually just an added bonus. The harmonics ring out like no other guitar I have played. Fretting action is, without a doubt, equal to the best. I spent nearly a decade traveling coast to coast with rock icon Dick Clark. I was lead guitarist in a group that opened shows, lead guitarist and band director for single acts, occasional road manager of special events and tour promotion assistant in Dick Clark’s Cincinnati, OH office. Whether we were traveling by plane, bus or car I always had a guitar with me. With all of the personal items we had to pack for traveling months at a time, it would have been great to have Voyage-air guitars taking up half the space.

"If you like a full, rich acoustic sound you should consider the Voyage-air guitar. It’s not just a travel guitar; it’s a quality instrument you will be proud to own."
Ray Eckhardt
Franklin, OH

United Airlines Pays You $30 to Travel with a Voyage-Air Guitar

JUST GOT BACK from our Honeymoon trip (say 'hi' to Catherine - the new Mrs. Wolcott, next time you see her). We flew on United Airlines and traveled light - just one checked bag. And of course, we carried-on our favorite Voyage-Air rosewood Dreadnought guitar.

Imagine MY surprise when the single bag that we checked-in cost an extra $15 each way for our trip! We had already bought our tickets online, and this was completely unexpected. WOW. Like nowadays, you're expected to travel without checking any luggage? I guess so!

But had that been a regular guitar that's $15 each way - $30 - that we didn't have to spend on our trip because we carried a Voyage-Air!

With our discounted prices here at Take Your Guitar, simple math tells me that ... about 24 trips on United Airlines gets you a FREE Voyage-Air Songwriter Guitar. This, based on the savings from not having to check your full-size acoustic guitar as baggage. I have friends in the Silicon Valley that rack up this kind of travel in less than a year. True story.

Voyage-Air on Harmony-Central

Harmony-Central.com has long been the Internet resource for independent musician's reviews of guitars and other instruments. Recently, three reviews of Voyage-air guitars have appeared.

Oh yeah: all three are from TakeYourGuitar.com customers.

Click here for the reviews!

Stan Hirsch: Live in Mexico with Voyage-Air

Stan Hirsch is one of our longtime loyal customers. He's also a local legend in the Albuquerque, NM area, setting the bar for acoustic blues guitar. That's not bragging. That's just the way it is in the Land of Enchantment.

Stan's adopted his Voyage-air VAOM-06 guitar as his main stage guitar. Equipped with a K&K pickup, Stan played the Voyage-air guitar recently at the The Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival, on the coast of Mexico.

For someone of Stan's stature and experience, we're thrilled that he's discovered Voyage-air guitars, and that he continues to refer business to us here at Take Your Guitar in Chico, CA.

Thank YOU, Stan Hirsch. Thanks to you and others... word is really getting around about these amazing guitars!

Tosh in NY Reviews the VAOM-06 for Amazon.com

Tosh called us right away at Take Your Guitar when he found out about the Voyage-air travel guitar. And we're here to say: Tosh spent a lot of time on the phone, asking about every little detail of the Voyage-air instruments.

Finally, Tosh settled on the popular VAOM-06, crafted from solid Spruce top and select Mahogany for the back and sides. He bought the guitar from our shop: Take Your Guitar, of Chico, CA.

As of late, Tosh has played this guitar extensively, and traveled to Europe, where he performed with it. His final comments are posted below:

"I recently bought it [the Voyage-air VAOM-06] and have been playing for about two weeks. It has settled down nicely and started to respond very well to my playing. Although this is the lowest end of their line-ups, it has very nice mahogany sound and intonation/tuning is very stable especially when capo is used (better than my Martin). I own two high-end guitars (Martin and Collings) both of which are rosewood-based and this nicely complements my collection without spending a fortune. I also researched heavily before I purchased it and have no regrets. I highly recommend it to everyone whether you have travel needs or not. If you have any issues or questions, customer service at Voyage-air will gladly help you... they were very helpful throughout the process."

What can we say other than: 'Thanks Tosh!' We're always pleasantly surprised when loyal customers are so impressed that they... post product reviews on any website they can find - even those like Amazon.com that sell Voyage-air guitars at a higher price! Very cool.

Thanks again, Tosh!

Voyage-air Hits the (Rail)Road !

We just got this report from David Strong, who purchased one of our Voyage-air VAOM-2C guitars:

"I've been playing my new OM-2C for a while now and I absolutely love it! I was very impressed with the workmanship and quality of the woods and the tone is really amazing.

I work for a major railway and travel all the time. Now I can bring a full size acoustic to play in my spare time. This guitar has changed the way I play and practice! No more lugging around a travel guitar that doesn't feel like my regular guitar and isn't comfortable. I have always found something lacking in every other travel guitar I tried. They are always a compromise in some area.

The Voyage-Air is a no-nonsense, professional sounding instrument. It is now my main workhorse guitar AND my travel guitar. Everyone that has seen it and played it can't believe their eyes and ears!

Thanks again for the great customer service and working so hard to find me the perfect guitar."

David Strong

Oh yeah: the guitar that David sold to get the Voyage-air? A 2006 Martin OMC-28E, that retails for about $4,000. He ranks the Voyage-air as at least equal to that fine instrument.

Snapcast?

Yeah: Snapcast. Voyage-air guitar, with Savannah Music Group and technology partners G-SNAP! and BIT IPTV, hosted a free, online concert tonight. Unlike fuzzy, blurry webcasts, this technology used compressed HD video and high-quality sound so this concert looked great on anything from a cell-phone on up to a 40-inch LCD.

Not only that, but Savannah provided the talent horsepower to make this a memorable event. On the evening's roster were Hal Ketchum, Daisy and Dave Gibson, Josh Dunne, Lucie Silvas, Shawn Mayer, Dakota Grove and more.

Produced in conjunction with Voyage-air guitar, all music was played on (what else) Voyage-air guitars. And it was free!

They're planning to do more of these free concerts, and there's talk of giving away a guitar during the course of the concert... all you have to do to win is register and watch. Check back, and we'll give you more notice for the next concert.

Voyage-air in a Wheelchair

Okay, one of our shy customers, David, is confined to a wheelchair. A longtime guitar player who suffered a setback that landed him in a 'chair, David recently passed this along:

"Jim, you can't believe the difference that this Voyage-air Songwriter guitar will make. Like, if I wanted to play, someone would have to carry the guitar for me. The Voyage-air changed all that. Someone like me can just sling that backpack case over the back of the wheelchair and it goes wherever I go. That is so cool. It really changes everything. If you can, pass the word to other weelchair guitar players."

Wow. Will do, David. Thanks so much... and if and when, please send us a pic of you playing that guitar! More info about David's Voyage-air Songwriter guitar is here: http://www.takeyourguitar.com/entrySONG.html

We're Number One!

Just confirmed by Michael Ferrucci, VP of Sales and Marketing for Voyage-air Guitars:

We're the Number One Voyage-air Guitar Dealer in the Country. Period.

The Number One dealer, most guitars sold in the USA.

"Jim Wolcott has done an amazing job at spreading the word about Voyage-air guitars" said Ferrucci. "Jim knows guitars and knows the industry. In fact, if I were shopping for a guitar, Jim would be the first guy I'd contact."

And here's a big 'thank you' to you: our loyal customers, who have helped spread the word about our guitars, prices and service.

After all, our business is connecting people and guitars. But it's all of you that helped make this happen. Thank YOU!

Voyage-air Premier Guitars - Inventory Vanishing!

It's amazing.

The folks at Voyage-air probably went to market backwards: they started making the absolute best-quality guitars, of the finest solid woods, and spare-no-expense construction. Which resulted in jaw-dropping amazing amazing acoustic guitars. Guitars that could stand alone on their sonic merits, let alone the fact that they folded in half for travel.

Backwards? Yes. In my estimation, Voyage-air should have started with affordable travel guitars. Let the word get around about how freaking amazing they sound... and THEN produce expensive all-solid-wood guitars.

Oh well. Fact is: there are now less than 300 of the first Voyage-air Premier series guitars left in inventory. When they're gone, that's it.

A few years from now, lots of guitar nuts will be sitting around, lamenting about the 'old days' of folding travel guitars. "Wow, remember when Voyage-air made them killer East Indian Rosewood guitars? Folks were slow to pick them up? I remember those days... but try to find one now!"

Seriously: that day is coming soon.

Want a Voyage-air Premier, all solid-wood acoustic guitar now? At a price that's over $200 less than any online Internet price? With full factory warranty, from an authorized dealer?

Go to: http://www.takeyourguitar.com/

Benefit Concert for the Family of Lance McCollum

Short notice, but friends and associates are putting on a benefit concert, with the proceeds going to Lance McCollum's widow and family. The list of performers is long and distinguished.

All this is happening in Colfax, CA. Sunday, March 1st, starting at 3pm. The $20 ticket price is a bargain.

More information is here.

Be there. Lance would have been.

Traveler Guitars - Yep. Official Authorized Dealers!

And while we were waiting for the other shoe to drop... yes, we're now official authorized dealers for the entire line of Traveler Guitar products. This company really was the trailblazer in quality full-fretboard travel guitars, and has always been the benchmark against which others are compared.

And yep, we're on their dealer page here.

We've got models in stock now: check it out here.

Finally - We're Official Dealers for MiniStar Guitar

Okay, may not sound like much, but wait 'til you see one of these. Full-size fret board, and the absolute minimum of everything else. Plays like a dream. And plugged in? Whoa.

Solid maple body. Built-in pickups, and includes strap, cord, zippered case, ready to rock.

Oh yeah: prices start at $129.

NOT a typo. $129.

Their website is here. Yeah, it hurts our eyes too. But the guitars are worth it.

In fond memory: Lance McCollum, Luthier

Lance McCollum, one of the absolute best independent luthiers, passed away unexpectedly this past Sunday. A zest for life, a loving father, and an eye for quality, Lance crafted some of the finest acoustic guitars ever made.

I first met Lance over 10 years ago, at a gathering of the RMMGA usenet group. He was showing off one of his Brazilian-Rosewood Dreadnought guitars that... well, he was bragging that he had finally built a guitar for himself. With such fine appointments and inlay work that he boasted "This guitar is for me, I'll always have it because... nobody can afford what I'd have to charge for it." That was about a week before someone with good taste, foresight, and deep pockets met his asking price.

Lance was always a big advocate of the Dovetail-joint 'set neck' design for acoustic guitars. Whether that's the best design is still open to opinion, but one thing is for sure: it is the hardest design to build, and absolutely the hardest design to build perfectly. And Lance always built his guitars to ... perfection.

In his final year, Lance was a key part of the Voyage-air success story, hand-fitting necks on prototype guitars, and doing meticulous quality-control work on the very first folding travel instruments offered by Voyage-air. In fact, I last saw Lance at the Voyage-air booth at the Winter NAMM 2009 show in Anaheim, just weeks before his passing. I introduced him to my fiancee, and pointed out to her that Lance was doing what he always did best: making sure everything was perfect.

You will be missed, Lance McCollum. Yes sir, you will.

Update:
With Lance's passing, the outpouring from the guitar community has been amazing. Hundreds have stepped up, as I have to offer their sentiments about a true gentleman, artist, artisan, craftsman, musician and true proponent of the art of the acoustic guitar. Here's a few links:

Voyage-air has a touching story written by one of Lance's friends, Harvey Leach. Worth a read.

Acoustic Guitar Magazine has a cool article here.

Luthier's Mercantile, supplier of woods and accessories to guitar builders, posted some touching comments.

Voyage-air in Mayapur, India (Dharma Forest)

Wow. When we said 'Travel" - we meant it! Here a pilgrim takes a Voyage-air to the United Religion Initiatives Global Assembly in Mayapur, India. Ideally suited for take-anywhere travel, the OM-cutaway model was a hit.

Reed from Guitar Center said...

Later that same night, with a gathering crowd and the Philosophy of Soul doing a motel-room Jam/Concert...

... Reed Williams, director of purchasing for Guitar Center took a spin with the Voyage-air Dreadnought guitar. His comment?

"You know, every year I go to this NAMM show, and when I get back, they always ask me, 'what did you see that was amazing?' And every year I have to say 'nothing, same old stuff.' Well, this year, I DID see something, this Voyage-air guitar. This guitar is amazing. You open it up and it's in tune, and ready to play. I'm blown away."

Couldn't have said it better ourselves. Thanks, Reed.

Philosophy of Soul and Voyage-air Guitar

Friday night, a chance to take a break from the NAMM show, and a group of us landed in the room of rock-empresario Mr. James Ames. As usual, talk centered around the Voyage-air guitar we'd brought to the show.

Not so usual was the appearance of the band Philosophy of Soul, and lead guitar Danny Avila, who was taken with the folding guitar. Danny grabbed the guitar and circled his band - right there in the room. The next 2 hours was the coolest informal jam of... "let's see what this folding guitar can do!"

Now in fairness, I'd spent a lot of time playing this guitar, and showing it around to folks in the industry... so I was pretty darn sure of the results.

But it's still always a rush when a professional musician has a chance to 'wring out' a Voyage-air for the first time.

And I'm here to tell you: put to the test, the Voyage-air screamed. It's the kind of instrument that makes you want to play and play and play... just to see how it handles different combinations of sounds. Killer guitar. Just ask Danny.