Introducing The Trouper
The Trouper came about as a result of a trip to the beach. Bob wanted to take a travel guitar along, but was disappointed in what he found. Instead, the holiday was spent dreaming and designing. What was clear was that regular tuners were a problem in small and headless guitars. They either used standard tuners in awkward ways, or required oddly shaped bodies and uncommon strings, and were often hard to use. And so, our integrated tuner/bridge was invented and the Trouper was born!
By mating the compact machined brass tuner housing to the bridge, the contact to the strings is unmatched. Standard buttons are used, so the guitar is easy to tune and the 20:1 gear ratio keeps the tuning rock solid. The self-locking strings means no tools or tying techniques are required to install strings, just insert, turn the knobs to pitch and go. Perfect setups are made possible with the fully adjustable saddles.
Playability is the first concern, so the one-piece body is balanced and smooth, with the tuners mounted in the guitar, making the guitar a joy to play. The headpiece is shaped to provide some meat to hold on, and along with the flat rear bout and offset strap button, allows you to take a break using a standard hanger (try that on most headless guitars) or simply leaning it against a wall. The heel-mounted truss rod also strengthens the headpiece against damage in the event of a fall.
A pair of custom-built premium pickups and top-end sealed electronics offer a robust and professional sound, with a variety of pickup styles available for purchase. The C-shaped neck and 12" radius fretboard can be supplied with nickel, EVO or stainless frets to match anyone's preferences. Earth friendly low-VOC finishes range from oil to poly to, yes, even lacquer, to provide both beauty and long-lasting protection.
One of the coolest parts of playing the Trouper is the intimate feel of the guitar. The light weight, small size and comfortable feel allows for easy playing on your left knee, classical style, reducing twisting and shoulder soreness. Not having to contend with larger body means the strings feel more like an extension of your hands, and after playing this for a while, picking up another guitar will feel a little clunky. The Trouper may well become your favorite guitar. It's unique look and great sound is great for beginners, younger and older people who need smaller instruments, and professionals looking to project a new and different image.
Pickups Available for the Trouper
Our pickups have been custom designed for use in the Trouper by some of the most outstanding pickup manufacturers in the USA. Typical pickup rings don't work with the small format of the Trouper, so the mounting screws are located within the pickup body itself. We've selected a variety of magnets and windings to give you a the best output and a wide range of sounds to meet everyone's needs. Note that the resistance outputs, while typical, will vary from set to set.
Ceramic Magnets
Neck: 16 kΩ Bridge: 17.5 kΩ
Sound: High output, modern. Metal, progressive
A5 Magnets
Neck: 7.5 kΩ Bridge: 11.4 kΩ
Sound: Neck is bluesy, Bridge is classic rock.
Porter Pickups Humbuckers - Flame Maple cover shown
A5 Magnets
Neck: 7.2 kΩ Bridge: 7.8 kΩ
Sound: Classic PAF
Porter Pickups Ricochet P-90s - Walnut cover shown
A5 Magnets
Neck: 5.2 kΩ Bridge: 5.9 kΩ
Sound: Somewhere between a Filtertron and a P-90
Tonewoods Available for the Trouper
We have selected a variety of woods for our Trouper guitars, looking for woods that are durable, sustainable, attractive, and most important will sound and feel great. Our standard woods are grown in the USA, although we offer a variety of more exotic woods also. What is listed below is what is in our wood library, but we are always adding new materials, so contact us, if there is something specific you are interested in. Note, we will not accept all requests, as some woods may be endangered, toxic to work with, not available in the sizes required, or simply not durable enough for our needs. These are all representative pictures, not the material you would actually get.
Body Woods
Black Cherry
Maple
Black Walnut
Canary
Sapele
Fretboards
Granadillo
Ziricote
Black Richlite
Macassar Ebony
Specifications
Rolling StringZ offers a variety of models and configurations of Trouper guitar. Watch the in-stock and for current build campaigns for exact details
-
Body: Solid one-piece neck-through
-
Body woods vary by model:
-
Cherry​
-
Black Walnut
-
Maple
-
Other specialty woods
-
-
Dimensions:
-
Scale Length: 24.6"
-
Overall: 26.75" x 7" x 1.25"
-
-
Weight: Approx. 4 pounds
​
-
Number of frets: 22
-
Truss Rod: Heel adjust dual action
-
Neck Shape: Medium C
-
Nut width: 44 mm
-
Fretboard woods vary by model:
-
Granadillo
-
Richlite
-
Other specialty woods
-
-
Frets vary by model:
-
Nickel
-
Stainless Steel
-
EVO​
-
-
Bridge: Compact Peachtree Bridge
-
Hardware: Machined Brass varies by model
-
Natural polished brass​
-
Chrome plated brass
-
​
-
Loxx Low Profile Strap Locks
-
Dual Pickups vary by model:
-
Humbuckers:
-
Vintage Vibe
-
Porter Humbucker
-
Tone Planet Humbucker
-
DiMarzio
-
-
Single Coil:
-
Vintage Vibe Blade-90​
-
Porter Ricochet
-
-
-
Body Mounted pickups​​
-
Controls:
-
Volume and Tone - Bourns Model 95
-
Switch - NKK Three Way Toggle
-
​
-
Finishes vary by model:
-
Low-VOC Oil
-
Water-based Lacquer
-
Water-based Polyurethane
-