Father’s Day Gift Guide: The Coolest Instruments For Travel

If your pop loves to hang out around a fire, whether he’s camping, relaxing at the beach, or entertaining loved ones in the backyard, he’ll likely appreciate a musical instrument or device that is versatile and easily transportable. If you plan on traveling with your family this summer, you might want to consider bringing along a backpack guitar or ukulele, compact speaker, or harmonica to add a little joy to the adventure. Just think about how fun it would be to stay in a vacation rental or Airbnb with a portable record player and all of your dad’s favorite albums. Keep reading to learn about the coolest music makers for travel, perfect for your dad this Father’s Day.

Victrola: Revolution GO Portable Rechargeable Record Player

If your dad has uttered the sentiment that the warmth, richness, and depth of music sounds better on a record, then get him the Victrola Revolution GO Portable Rechargeable Record Player for Father’s Day. He can bring his favorite albums to the family lake house or to the vacation rental this summer and wax poetic about the smooth auditory experience. Choose from two different colors. This modern three-speed belt driven turn table has an integrated Bluetooth stereo speaker and a rechargeable lithium battery. There’s a cool removable guitar strap for easy carrying and the detachable lid doubles as a display for his favorite records so he can showoff the album art. ($150)

Reverb: Kala Surf Series Swell Concert Ukulele

In Northampton, Massachusetts sits Downtown Sounds, a worker owned cooperative with a brick-and-mortar store that sells instruments, offers a music school, and does repairs. The Kala Surf Series Swell Concert Ukulele, available on Reverb, the Chicago-based music gear marketplace, not only has a nice sound, but also, it’s not bad to look at either. Celebrating California’s colorful surf culture, this lightweight ukulele has retro-inspired surf patterns and is simply fun to play and hold in your hands—your dad (and everyone in the family) will love it. ($80)

Reverb: Taylor GS Mini Mahogany Acoustic Guitar

Another travel-friendly fun find listed on Reverb is the Taylor GS Mini Mahogany Acoustic Guitar. Whether your dad is a musical novice or a seasoned pro, he’ll appreciate this high-quality portable guitar made with the signature Taylor intonation. Picture your dad sitting on the cabin porch or lounging under a palm tree at the beach—no matter where he is on vacation, he’ll love having this mobile (it fits in the overhead compartment of a plane) acoustic beauty by his side. ($599)

SOUL: S-STORM MAX

This sleek and stylish, lightweight, and portable Bluetooth speaker has it all. From customizable LED mood lights to a long battery life to a booming sound to a resistance to dust and water, SOUL’s S-STORM MAX has up to 15 hours of continuous playtime. Bring this speaker to the pool, skatepark, backyard BBQ, or beach. If you’re looking for the perfect travel-friendly wireless speaker full of easy functionality for your dad this Father’s Day, this is it. ($90)

Sweetwater: Hohner Rocket Amp Pro Harmonica

Whether hiking or backpacking, car camping, or simply ambling about the neighborhood with the dogs in tow, a good harmonica is a fun way to add a little joy to your dad’s life. Like most instruments, the pricing varies widely depending on what brand and style you select, but a great middle of the road starter pack is Sweetwater’s Hohner Rocket Amp Pro, which comes in a five-piece diatonic set in the keys of C, G, A, D, and B Flat. These harmonicas, built with a classic Hohner tone, are designed to work well with microphones. And, of course, it doesn’t get more portable than a harmonica. ($240)