Andrew & Bill

I have a kacapi-suling (bamboo flute) duo with Andrew Timar, from Evergreen Club. Recently, we have been integrating other instruments. For Andrew different flutes and kacapi, and for me the Martin Backpacker guitar. I am interested in developing a kacapi approach to my guitar playing that has been emerging over the last year.

Kacapi & the Guitar

This summer Andrew and I did a performance at Electric Eclectics 6. It was a wonderful event filled with a wide range experimental music and visual art. The site is on a hill overlooking a valley and the view is what I needed – a summer vista. Andrew and I improvised for over two hours and fortunately Steve Benesko video taped some of it.

Sunda Duo @ Electric Eclectics 2011 from Steve Benesko on Vimeo.

Martin Backpacker Guitar

For guitar players interested in the Martin Backpacker guitar (that I call a Travel Guitar) the video above gives you a good sense its character. I have a nylon string version, though it comes in steel. What I like about the guitar is its sound, weight, portability, and design.

Its sound is subtle but complex. Quiet yet resonant. The lack of bottom end due to the body shape creates a unique sound that encourages a different approach to your playing, both physically and aurally. Plus, I don’t expect it to resemble a full body guitar.

It is very light which I enjoy because after nearly forty-years of playing my body needs a respite from my heavier guitars (Fender Stratocaster, a Gibson ES-335, and Godin LG). From late spring to early fall I take the Backpacker on bike rides to secluded spots on the Don River, the Scarborough Bluffs, or Lake Ontario. It fits well into my panier (saddle bag).

I have integrated the guitar into my performances. With a good microphone and an attentive audience the instrument is evocative and effective.

Traveling by air these days is not any easier with a Martin Backpacker guitar. Airlines are strict about the dimensions of your carry-on luggage. What I do is store the guitar in its soft-shell case enveloped in bubble wrap and then pack it into a cardboard box also with bubble wrap. I take it to Special Handling and so far so good. I am more concerned with it getting stolen than broken. But the low cost of replacing it makes it less stressful.