Best Pocket Guitar 2020 Reviews

Are you looking for the best pocket guitar reviews of 2020? Are you curious to see what the market offers for a portable guitar practice tool that allows you to practice just about anywhere? Is the number of frets important to your pocket guitar? What about the guitar dimensions? Do you need a pocket guitar with a carrying case that is easy to carry? Check out this list for reviews of the best pocket guitars!

Top Picks: Best Pocket Guitar

1. Ohuhu Portable Wooden Fretboard for Guitar - Best Overall

“Ohuhu

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 6

  • Weight: 0.35 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 17.5″
  • Length When Closed: 10″
  • Includes Carrying Case: Yes

Ohuhu is a merchant of various art and music related products, primarily colored markers, paints, and guitar stands and beginner keyboards. They primarily sell on Amazon or through their website. Their products are inexpensive and seem to be of decent quality.

The Ohuhu Portable Wooden Fretboard for Guitar is the overall best pocket guitar. This portable pocket guitar features a 6 fret span. This is a perfect amount of space for practicing guitar dexterity patterns and scales and chords. The Ohuhu comes equipped with standard guitar strings, although no description includes the string gauge.

Hopefully, you can replace the strings easily if you prefer a heavier or lighter string gauge. The string tension on the Ohuhu can be adjusted with a hex wrench via a bolt on the bottom end of the fretboard.

The Ohuhu measures 17.5″ when fully open and about 10″ when closed. This is a perfect portable size and the fretboard can easily be stored in your backpack for trips. The Ohuhu comes with a soft carrying case and is enclosed inside a high quality plastic shell. The Ohuhu weighs about a third of a pound, which is minimal for the possible benefit for your guitar playing, and is far lighter than a traditional full-size guitar.

Overall, the Ohuhu Portable Wooden Fretboard for Guitar is a fine practice tool and our Best Overall Pocket Guitar. If you are a beginner or intermediate guitarist and are looking for more ways to boost your guitar playing, the Ohuhu could be a great portable guitar practice tool on the bus or in the car on your way to work or school. If you are a professional, I wouldn’t waste time with this.

2. Moguer Pocket Guitar Practice - Budget Pick

“Moguer

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 6

  • Weight: 0.37 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 17.3″
  • Length When Closed: 9.8″
  • Includes Carrying Case: Yes

Moguer is a similar brand as Ohuhu. They primarily manufacture inexpensive art supplies and ephemeral goods. I can not find an official website for the company, but they have a selection of various products available on Amazon and other online marketplaces. This item is nearly identical to the Ohuhu Portable Wooden Fretboard, but is slightly less expensive.

The Moguer Pocket Guitar Practice is a portable pocket guitar that features a 6 fret span. This seems to be a standard number of frets for a pocket practice guitar fretboard.

This size pocket guitar is beneficial for pattern-based practice and some chords, but is not enough for practicing larger movements like the connection of scale patterns across the fretboard or the connections between chord inversions as they move up or down the neck.

The Moguer comes equipped with real metal strings and the tension of the strings can be adjusted with a hex wrench similar to the strings on the Ohuhu.

The Moguer measures 17.3″ when open and about 9.8″ when closed. This means that the Moguer is slightly smaller than the Ohuhu. The Moguer also weighs about 0.37 lbs. which is slightly more than the Ohuhu. Like the Ohuhu, the Moguer is housed inside a durable plastic shell and comes with a carrying pouch for safe keeping.

Overall, if you are looking for a pocket guitar on a budget, the Moguer Pocket Guitar Practice is the choice for you. It has all the features you might be looking for in a pocket guitar including enough frets for basic practice, real strings that are readily adjustable, a high strength plastic shell, and a handy carrying pouch. The Moguer Pocket Guitar is perfect for the beginning musician on the go!

3. Jesdoo Pocket Guitar Chord Trainer - Best Chord Trainer

“

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 6

  • Weight: 0.58 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 19″
  • Length When Closed: 11.2″
  • Includes Carrying Case: Yes

Like Moguer and Ohuhu, Jesdoo manufactures a host of seemingly random, disconnected, and ephemeral products including metal detectors and grilling and cooking accessories. It seems that they primarily sell on Amazon and other similar online marketplaces and do not have a dedicated website of their own. The Jesdoo Pocket Chord Trainer is the Best Chord Trainer on this list.

The Jesdoo Pocket Chord Trainer features a 6 fret span and metal strings. Like the other models, the strings on the Jesdoo can be adjusted with a hex wrench on the bottom side of the trainer. The Jesdoo has a rotating LED screen that displays common chord shapes (1). The Jesdoo can be programmed to display chord progressions and loops so that you can practice different chord shapes together, which will speed up your development and muscle memory. As the brilliant guitarist Andres Segovia says (2):

The guitar is the easiest instrument to play and the hardest to play well.

Additionally, the Jesdoo even includes a built-in metronome so you can practice these chord loops with a steady beat!

Because of the built-in LED screen, the Jesdoo is slightly larger than the previous two models and measures about 19″ when fully open and about 11.2″ when closed. The screen does not fold and remains exposed when the fretboard is covered, so you will need to be careful not to damage it. Fortunately, the Jesdoo also includes a handy pouch for safe transport.

Overall, the Jesdoo Pocket Chord Trainer Guitar is the best portable pocket guitar for practicing chords. The combination of basic features like 6 frets and real strings with a rotating LED screen and the option of creating and practicing with various chord progressions is an awesome benefit to the beginning guitarist.

4. Suny Smiling Mini Wooden Pocket Guitar

“Suny

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 6

  • Weight: 0.41 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 17.7″
  • Length When Closed: 10.2″
  • Includes Carrying Case: No

Suny Smiling manufactures a range of items including gymnastics and climbing equipment, backpacks, and pots and pans. Like the other brands on this list, Suny Smiling primarily sells on Amazon and other online marketplaces. They do not have their own website as far as we can tell.

The Suny Smiling Mini Wooden Pocket Guitar is a 6 fret pocket guitar and is similar in style and design to the Ohuhu and Moguer portable guitar products. The Suny Smiling is not a guitar chord practice tool and does not include an LED screen. The Suny Smiling comes equipped with 6 strings made of genuine steel like a traditional electric guitar. Like the other models, the strings can be tuned as you desire and the tension of the strings can also be adjusted with a hex wrench on the bottom of the device.

The Suny Smiling Mini Wooden Pocket Guitar is similar in dimensions to the Ohuhu and Moguer models. The Suny Smiling measures 17.7″ when fully opened and about 10.2″ when closed. This is a convenient size for storage and makes the Suny Smiling a perfect travel companion. The Suny Smiling weighs only about 0.41 lbs., which is slightly heavier than the previous models. The Suny Smiling does not include a carrying case, but is housed in a high strength plastic case.

Overall, the Suny Smiling Mini Wooden Pocket Guitar is a decent choice for a portable pocket guitar. While it is less expensive than other models on the list, the reviews on Amazon indicate that it is basically a useless piece of trash and you shouldn’t buy it (3).

This is why the Suny Smiling is not our budget pick, even though it is the least expensive portable guitar on this list.

5. Moreup Digital Guitar Chords Trainer

“Moreup

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 6

  • Weight: 0.43 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 18.9″
  • Length When Closed: 9.8″
  • Includes Carrying Case: Yes

Moreup is a manufacturer of music practice devices primarily for younger, beginning musicians. They produce a digital drum pad kit, a super cool LED light-up ukulele, and a guitar humidifier among other products. Like the other brands represented so far, Moreup primarily sells through Amazon and other online marketplaces and does not have a dedicated website of their own.

The Moreup Digital Guitar Chords Trainer is a 6 fret portable guitar chord tool. The Moreup is similar to the Jesdoo in that it is designed to be a guitar chord practice tool.

The Moreup features a rotating LED screen that can display over 400 different chord shapes.

The chords are displayed using a standard chord box diagram, but don’t appear to indicate any finger numbers. The chords can be looped and played with a metronome to further develop your time feel.

The Moreup Digital Guitar Chord Trainer is similar in size to the Jesdoo model. The Moreup measures 18.9″ when fully open and 9.8″ when closed. Additionally, the Moreup weights about 0.43 lbs., making it easy to bring along for the ride. The Moreup even includes a cloth carry case to keep the screen protected.

Overall, the Moreup Digital Guitar Chord Trainer is a fine portable chord trainer with many high quality features to enhance your skills. It includes 6 frets, 6 strings, an LED screen that displays chord diagrams, and a metronome to keep time. However, the Moreup is about 50% more expensive than the Jesdoo, for no apparent reason.

6. Yuevan Pocket Guitar Practice Neck

“Yuevan

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 6

  • Weight: 0.37 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 17.3″
  • Length When Closed: 9.8″
  • Includes Carrying Case: Yes

Yuevan is a manufacturer of a number of interesting items including pocket saxophone, badminton accessories, and portable car vacuum cleaners. Like all of these other brands, they sell primarily on Amazon and do not have a dedicated website of their own. The Yuevan Pocket Guitar Practice Neck is comparable to the Ohuhu, Moguer, and Suny Smiling models.

The Yuevan Pocket Guitar Practice Neck features a 6 fret neck for adequate practice of scale and chord patterns. The Yuevan also included 6 strings made of steel and that can be tuned and adjusted with a hex wrench like the other products on this list. The product description claims the fretboard is made of maple, but that is difficult to verify. If so, that would make the Yuevan the most realistic feeling portable pocket guitar on this list.

The Yuevan Pocket Guitar is comparable in size and weight to the other similar products on this list. The Yuevan measures in at 17.3″ when fully open and about 9.8″ when closed. This is about average in comparison to the other models. The Yuevan also weighs in at 0.37 lbs., which again is about average. Additionally, the Yuevan Pocket Guitar comes with a cloth carrying case for safe travels.

Overall, the Yuevan Pocket Guitar is comparable to any of the other products on this list. The Yuevan Pocket Guitar features the average number of frets, 6 genuine steel strings, and a fine plastic shell. For some reason, the Yuevan is a few dollars more, so if you are on a tight budget, the best choice would be the Ohuhu or Moguer models.

7. Greenten Pocket Guitar Practice

“Greenten

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 6

  • Weight: 0.37 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 17.3″
  • Length When Closed: 10″
  • Includes Carrying Case: Yes

Greenten is a manufacturer of replacement guitar and bass parts. They produce back plates, bridges, bone nuts, and piezo pickups among other products. They do not seem to have a dedicated website and sell primarily through Amazon and other online marketplaces. The Greenten Pocket Guitar Practice is comparable to the Ohuhu, Moguer, Suny Smiling, and Yuevan products.

The Greenten Pocket Guitar Practice features a comfortable 6 frets and 6 genuine steel strings that can be adjusted with a hex wrench on the bottom of the device. This is standard among all the pocket guitars on this list. The product description claims that the fretboard is made of mahogany. This is doubtful as true mahogany is becoming more rare and it is unlikely that a producer of inexpensive items like Greenten would put mahogany in a cheap practice tool like this (4). However, if it is true, then that is a great benefit and would make the Greenten Pocket Guitar Practice feel quite realistic.

The Greenten is about the same dimensions as the other pocket guitars on this list. When fully open, the Greenten measures about 17″. When closed, the Greenten is about 10″. The Greenten Pocket Guitar Practice also comes with a cloth carrying case, so you won’t have to worry about scratching up the high quality plastic exterior!

Overall, the Greenten Pocket Guitar Practice is a fine pocket guitar and comparable to many of the other devices on this list. It includes the standard number of frets and strings and is fully adjustable like the other products on this list. Remember, none of the products on this list are designed to make any noise, so don’t be alarmed when you try to strum the Greenten and now sound comes out!

8. Sutila Pocket Guitar Practice Neck

“Sutila

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 21

  • Weight: 2.86 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 25.2″
  • Length When Closed: 25.2″
  • Includes Carrying Case: No

The Sutila Pocket Guitar Practice Neck is a unique product on this list. Sutila is a manufacturer of various musical instruments including bamboo flutes, steel drums, and kalimbas. They primarily sell on Amazon and have good ratings.

The Sutila Pocket Guitar Practice Neck is a pocket guitar trainer that will really boost your guitar skills. Unlike the other instruments on this list, the Sutila features a full 21 fret guitar neck. All the other products on this list only feature a 6 fret neck. Having a full length neck that is easy to carry is a huge boost to your guitar playing skills. The Sutila Pocket guitar comes with a built-in pickup as well, meaning you can plug into a speaker or headphone amplifier. However, the Sutila can also be strummed like an acoustic guitar, a feature that no other product on this list offers.

Because the Sutila Pocket Guitar trainer features a full 21 fret neck, it is larger and heavier than any other product on this list. The Sutila is the most realistic finger exerciser. The Sutila weighs in at 2.86 lbs. and is over 25″ long. The Sutila is the most like a musical instrument and cannot be folded like the other products. The Sutila does not come with a case either.

Overall, the Sutila Pocket Guitar is one of the best guitar practice tools on this list. The Sutila is great for a student guitarist looking for more time to practice. The Sutila guitar is made to resemble a true acoustic guitar and its full length neck makes it one the best practice guitars available. The only drawback is it is significantly more expensive than any other product on this list.

9. Shredneck Practice Guitar Neck

“Shredneck

Specifications

  • Number of Frets: 12

  • Weight: 1 lbs.
  • Length When Open: 16.75″
  • Length When Closed: 16.75″
  • Includes Carrying Case: No

The Shredneck Practice Guitar Neck is a 12 fret pocket guitar designed to mimic the 12th to 24th frets on a traditional guitar. Shredneck makes a few different models of pocket guitar finger trainers, including a few signature series models from artists such as Zakk Wylde, Jason Becker, and Billy Sheehan. They also make a pocket guitar finger exerciser designed to mimic a nylon string acoustic guitar, which looks awesome.

The Shredneck Practice Guitar Neck is made for guitar beginners looking for a certain shredder guitarist aesthetic. This finger exerciser guitar is made from real wood and real frets and features a rosewood dot fingerboard with chrome hardware. These realistic elements will be a great boost to your guitar playing skills.

The Shredneck is more like the Sutila mini guitar than any other product on this list. The Shredneck does not fold up like the other products and does not include any case or anything like that. It weighs in at just about 1 pound and measures 16.75 inches long. The headstock of the Shredneck is a little egregious and sticks out pretty far, which might be annoying to some players. The Shredneck also has built-in strap pins so you can find time to practice anywhere.

Overall, the Shredneck is a pocket size musical instrument great for building your muscle memory. This pocket guitar is made for practicing shredding above the 12th fret and even features 12 frets, which is six frets more than most of the other products on this list. If you are interested in this sort of shredder aesthetic, maybe that will justify the high price tag.

Things to Consider When Purchasing a Pocket Guitar

The Number of Frets on the Pocket Guitar

The most important thing to consider when purchasing the best pocket guitar is the number of frets. After all, why would you purchase the best pocket guitar if it didn’t have enough frets to actually get some real work done? All of the products on this pocket guitar review feature 6 frets. 6 frets is enough to accomplish some basic tasks like chromatic dexterity exercises, basic scale patterns like the 5 forms of the major scale and pentatonic scales, and some basic chord shapes.

However, 6 frets is not enough space to practice any scale patterns in relation to one another. You would need a pocket guitar with at least 8 frets to have that benefit. There is no pocket guitar on the market with 8 frets, as far as we know. Additionally, 6 frets does not allow enough room to practice any chord inversions and how they relate to one another. Similarly, you would need a portable guitar with at least 8 frets to have that benefit.

The Dimensions of the Pocket Guitar

It is also important to consider the product’s dimensions when purchasing a pocket guitar. The best pocket guitars are designed to be more portable than a real guitar and should be smaller, lighter, and more compact. The famous musician Joan Jett describes her guitar as (5):

… It is an extension of myself. It is who I am.

If this is how you feel, then a pocket guitar might be the best guitar practice tool for you as well. Further, all of the best pocket guitars on this list weigh under 1 pound, and many weigh in at under 1/2 pound. This is important and allows the pocket guitar practice tool to be transported anywhere in a purse or backpack.

Additionally, all of the pocket guitars on this list measure under 20″ when extended and about 10″ when closed. All of the best pocket guitars are compact and come with a high quality sliding shell feature that keeps the fretboard area safe and clean when not in use. All of these benefits combine to make a portable pocket guitar a great guitar practice tool for the times when you can’t bring a real guitar along for the ride.

FAQs

No, pocket guitars do not make any sound. Pocket guitars are generally just a portion of a fretboard with 6 strings like a traditional guitar. Pocket guitars are designed to be a portable practice tool and allows you to practice without making any sound.

Pocket guitars are worth it if you are a beginner and you are interested in a portable practice tool. If you are a professional, you probably have created a solid routine for guitar playing and don’t need something like a portable pocket guitar to practice.

Pocket guitars are neither electric nor acoustic. Pocket guitars do not make any sound on their own and are designed to be a portable guitar practice tool for situations when you have limited space and can not bring a real guitar.

  1. Jesdoo Pocket Guitar Chord Trainer. Retrieved from: https://www.amazon.com/Luzon-Trainer%EF%BC%8CPortable-Practice-Rotatable-Beginner/dp/B07SM9DVGH/
  2. Guitar Sayings and Quotes. Retrieved from: https://www.wisesayings.com/guitar-quotes/page-1/
  3. Suny Smiling Mini Wooden Pocket Guitar. Retrieved from: https://www.amazon.com/Suny-Smiling-Portable-Practice-Fingering/dp/B082HBRFWJ/
  4. Guitar makers regret loss of rare woods. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/06/business/worldbusiness/06iht-sbiz.4.6026426.html
  5. Guitar Quotes. Retrieved from: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/joan_jett_391801?src=t_guitar