Tourbus Guitar

The foldable Guitar

The Tourbus is the foldable guitar designed and manufactured to be a true guitar, unlike the vast majority of guitars on the market. By ‘true guitar,’ I mean an instrument where there is no compromise in terms of ergonomics and sound compared to a more traditional-sized guitar.

The Tourbus is the first model of travel guitar that I designed and built. It has evolved considerably over the past 10 years based on the feedback and experiences shared by its users.

It comes in various versions tailored to different playing styles and musical genres.

These instruments are crafted by hand in my workshop and can be completely custom-made or be predefined models corresponding to specific sound and style references.

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Principle of the Tourbus: a foldable ergonomic guitar incorporating 2 points of support for the guitarist.

When playing seated, two points of support are necessary. The first is the support point on the right or left leg. This point also defines the tilting point of the guitar, ensuring that the neck either falls naturally into the hand or not. On the Tourbus, the distribution of the guitar’s mass ensures that it is balanced. The second point of support is the arm, which allows the arm to be raised so that the position of the right hand (for a right-handed player) is comfortable and leaves the wrist free.

These two points have been modeled after those of the Stratocaster.

For playing standing up, the two strap attachment points located on the back of the guitar also allow for balanced playing. In this case, only the arm support point is necessary.

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The folding principle of the Tourbus.

To unfold the arm side, rotate the piece and then lock it using the 2 linkages. To fold this piece back, unlock the 2 linkages and then fold the arm.

To unfold the leg side, unscrew the knob, slide the piece, and then tighten the knob. To fold it back, reverse the process.

The headstock of the Tourbus is ultra-compact, featuring staggered tuners.

One important feature of the Tourbus is its ultra-compact headstock with its 6 staggered tuners. This feature not only reduces the length of the guitar but is also crucial for ensuring the balance of the guitar mentioned earlier, so that the neck does not “fall” into the hand.

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The Tourbus case is compact, sturdy, and practical.

The case is made of Cordura, a waterproof and durable technical fabric. It is padded and equipped with two backpack-style straps, allowing it to be easily carried anywhere. It can be transported on its own or alongside a backpack.

The Tourbus on stage

Olivier Louvel et his Tourbus on stage with Nicolas Folmer

Vincent and his Tourbus on stage with the band hum and the compagny Griffe

La Tourbus in the Press.

La Tourbus Acoustic dans le Guitarist Acoustic n°76

La Tourbus dans les Guitarextrem n°53 et hors série n°1

– Test audiofanzine par shanka

– Test laguitare.com par Brice Delage/Jacques Carbonneaux

The different models of Tourbus Guitars.

The Tourbus models are completely custom-made and crafted by hand in my workshop. This means you can choose everything from the wood species, pickups, neck dimensions, to the hardware.

However, I have defined a number of base models corresponding to different playing styles or in reference to iconic guitars. Thus, there are several major families, including the Tourbus ‘Caster, Tourbus Junior, Tourbus Prestige, and Tourbus Acoustic.

On the Tourbus Custom page, you can find details about the various possibilities.