Customer Reviews
Cool tiny guitar! 
2008-11-16
I bought this guitar to practice fingering for jazz/folk/fingerstyle guitar at times and in locations when my other acoustic guitars weren't available or weren't practical to use. I considered this and the Martin Backpacker (the Baby Taylor was out of my price range), and settled on this one, and am happy with my choice.
The tiny body size offers little resonance, but the fretboard is virtually full sized, at least up through 12 frets. Given why I bought it, this was fine for what I needed, and the tiny sound has a kind of ukulele/mini-banjo/mandolin quality that isn't unpleasant. The guitar holds a tune pretty well, and isn't hard to hold if you're sitting down, especially if you use the strap. I haven't traveled with it, but it's light and the case is compact and well padded, so I wouldn't worry about traveling with it.
One thing several reviewers mentioned was that this guitar smells funny, and it does. To combat this I left mine out of the case for several days and left the case open and this helped quite a bit.
Overall, I think the package deal is a real bargain--the guitar, a pretty nice (and light weight) case, strap, picks, allen wrench for adjusting the truss rod (!), and the "how-to" DVD--as long as you know ahead of time that you're buying a travel/practice instrument.
it's a stinker!! 
2008-10-21
I play a Godin guitar, and needed a light travel number to use when I'm away. The Washburn Rover seemed the best option, great case, extra stuff and a good build quality. When it arrived i got a shock, the stench from this nightmare hung in my flat days after I took it back. The smell is obnoxious and clings to your hands and clothes, giving them an acrid honk that ruined my enjoyment of this product. The laquers used are obviously not fully cured before it gets packed and this just isn't acceptable in this day and age. The stench is embewed into the case so anything you put in there also gets contaminated. My advice is side step this smelly sub-standard joke, and buy the Ozark 3330, which is a great travel guitar and worth the extra cash.
Great Travel Guitar 2008-08-25
Like other reviewers, I found that the tone of this little Rover leaves a little to be desired but at the end of the day that's not the primary reason I was looking for one. That said, it doesn't sound that bad.
What you should expect:
- Thin tone but what's to be expected from the small body
- Stays in tune despite moving it around from place to place, which is testimony to its stability
- Balance has been mentioned by other reviewers. If you rest this guitar on your left leg (if you're a right hander) in the classical guitar style, the balance is better
- The action stinks out of the box. If you work on your own gear, this isn't a problem to resolve. Otherwise take it directly to your local guitar person and have the bridge worked on or else you'll be fighting with fretting the strings.
This is a very enjoyable travel companion once you get the setup the way you like it and accept that it's never going to sound like a dreadnought.
Great Instrument! 
2008-08-24
I am amazed by the beauty and the sound of this little beast. The neck itself is a true " piece d'art".
Cool neck but smelly body 2008-05-15
The neck on this guitar is extremely playable. I love its feel and good action more than my Guild or Martin dreadnaught-sized acoustic guitars.
The sound is tinny and small, but that is to be expected from anything with such a tiny body. It fits the bill for something totally portable.
As other reviewers have said, it doesn't sit on your leg easily. That's because the neck is heavier than the body - not because it is a heavy neck (it isn't) but because the body is so light and has a smooth, almost tear-drop shape. But you just put the strap (included) on it and it stays up just fine.
One reviewer on another site (zzsounds) said it smelled like "an acre of used cat litter in a chemical dump." I would not describe the smell that way, but it is clearly a disgreeable odor. Luckily, it is not a very strong odor. You have to be playing the guitar to smell it. It won't fill the room with the awful odor. After 5 days it has dissipated a little bit (or maybe I'm getting used to it) - maybe it's down 30% lower than when it arrived. Still objectionable, it is probably the smell of the lacquer they used. Not a sweet 'solvent' laquer smell - it's more of a roachy and burnt or rotting carcas-like smell. I hope it dissipates more over the next month - I'd hate to have to return this beauty. Hey Washburn - is there any other lacquer you can use? Will this nasty smell dissipate eventually? Is there anything I can do to accelerate the dissipation or outgassing and get this guitar to smell less?
If you don't care about smells like this, and you want a travel guitar, this is the way to go. If you are sensitive to odors, you'd better try it out first to see if the odor is acceptable to you or not.
Great for vacation 2008-04-20
Play it any time or any place. Bring your Washburn Rover with you when you're on a plane, a boat, a car, the beach, camping, hiking... Anywhere! Comes with case, instructional CD ROM, strap and 3 picks.Full size 24" scaleSolid spruce topMahogany body and neckRosewood fingerboardQuality geared tunersProfessional binding and inlayComes complete with the highest quality cordura case with hard foam lined, molded interior. Internal and external storage pocketsBackpack and luggage straps3 D-rings are used for straps or luggage clip onsSized to fit airline overhead storageGreat sound, great shape, great fun!
Pleased the teenage boy! 2008-01-25
My 17-year-old son thinks this guitar is awesome. He travels a good deal, to visit his girlfriend who lives in another state, and he also camps out with his Boy Scout troop in all kinds of weather. The guitar has held up nicely, even with rough treatment. The backpack/case is substantial, but the whole thing is still lightweight. He mentioned the tinny sound that some other reviewers mentioned, but also said that it's not as bad in front of the guitar as it is for the player. He is a member of a Christian Rock band, and he uses it for practice when they don't take time to set up all the electrics and gear. Based on how much he's used it, just since Christmas, I think it is well worth the price, a great value.
Quit yer whinin' 2007-12-20
It seems that several reviews mention the "tinny sound" and that it's "hard to hold." Well yeah, I guess to a certain extent I'd have to agree with both of those statements but really people, this is a travel guitar. It's meant to be backpacked across Europe or into the woods camping. You don't want to lug your $1500 Martin into places like that so you make compromises. Compromise #1: Somewhat "thinner sound"..goes with the thinner body. Agreed. Compromise #2: "tinny sound", see compromise #1. Agreed.
Overall bottom line is that if you want a very well made instrument that has quite acceptable sound that you can easily take into some hard to get to places, this little rover would be hard to beat. Sling this baby over your back and rock on.
Fun in a case for very little money 2007-12-08
Quite a lot of fun, this little guy is light and airy and plays as such. The carrying case and extras (strap, picts) make this an easy purchase for someone who would like to take a guitar on little trips. Easy to tune and easy to play right out of the box, but don't expect a big sound. While I'd recommend the electric Traveler guitar for better play and sound for a small travel guitar, you're going to pay triple what this Rover will cost after buying an effects filter and cables and mini-amp.
So for cost and purpose, this is a good purchase.
Perfect for what it is. 2007-11-11
Ain't going to get on stage with this dog. BUT, If you need to work finger positions, run chords, or just tinker & you need to carry a less than full size guitar - It's pretty darn good. Frets are NOT spaced the same as a standard acoustic.
