What Happened To Voyage Air Guitar From Shark Tank Season 1?

The sad reality of owning a guitar is that you can't take it with you everywhere. This dilemma ultimately drove entrepreneur Jeff Cohen to create the one and only Voyage Air Guitar, which would eventually make quite a splash on Season 1 of "Shark Tank." 

At first glance, the Voyage Air Guitar appears no different than any other instrument of its type. What sets them apart is a special hinge apparatus located at the base of the guitar's neck, which allows it to fold and easily stow away in a special backpack. This greatly reduces the length of the instrument, making it easier to take in car trunks, overhead cabins, and even bikes. Cohen came up with the idea during his days as a guitar collector after meeting a craftsperson who suggested a hybrid of a neck-bolted and dovetail neck guitar to create a foldable guitar.

Eventually, Cohen's company landed him an appearance on the third episode of "Shark Tank," along with his son Josh. The product was certainly tantalizing to the Sharks, who largely saw the vast licensing potential for the technology. However, Cohen's stubbornness put him at odds with the investors, particularly Kevin O'Leary, resulting in no deal being made. But if the sharks thought that it would be the last they ever heard from Cohen, they were in for a surprise. 

Jeff Cohen didn't enter "Shark Tank" thinking small. The entrepreneur sought $500,000 for 5% of Voyage Air Guitar, equating to a $10 million valuation. The Sharks were amazed by how effortlessly the guitar could fold up. Kevin O'Leary, a known guitar enthusiast, tested to ensure it was still in tune after reopening the instrument and was delighted to find that it still worked perfectly.

By this point, the team had sold 800 units. Each guitar sold for $500, and in total, the company brought in $400,000. However, due to the slow nature of their production rate at the time, the business had yet to be profitable. Cohen aimed to use the investment to speed up manufacturing. The Sharks felt that this was the wrong road to go down and wondered why Cohen hadn't instead licensed out the patented hinge technology to a larger guitar manufacturer and made money from royalties. Cohen stated that proving its market viability was easier with actual guitars.

Robert Herjavec then asked if he could purchase the patent outright. Cohen stated he'd only be willing to give Herjavec 49% of the patent for $1 million. Kevin O'Leary and Kevin Harrington wanted 51% of the patent for only $500,000, to which Cohen refused. Herjavec went out after this, followed by Barbara Corcoran and Daymond John, who failed to see the vision. Cohen stated that he'd be willing to do a 50/50 split on the patent with O'Leary, but the investor declined. With that, the Cohens exited the Tank, leaving behind some angry and confused sharks.

"Shark Tank" fans have grown accustomed to Kevin O'Leary's outbursts in response to such pitches as Season 6's infamous Amber Phone Charging Station and Season 7's Pavlok, a pitch O'Leary concluded with some choice words. However, Voyage Air Guitar marked the first time O'Leary uttered one of his most iconic phrases, "You're dead to me." Ironically enough, it would be O'Leary who helped breathe new life into the company. 

Jeff Cohen's "Shark Tank" debut episode aired on August 23, 2009, but it'd be far from his last time on the series as he'd have other notable "Shark Tank" interactions in the subsequent three seasons. He next appeared on Season 2 Episode 9 for his first update segment. In it, he shared how the publicity from the show helped skyrocket Voyage Air, with the business having surpassed $1.5 million in sales while new products were selling out. 

Cohen returned to the tank on Season 3 in an unaired segment where he and O'Leary managed to work out a deal, the details of which remain unknown. The reason for the pitch not airing was due to the apparent complexity of the agreement itself, which the show's producers found difficult to edit down for television audiences. His latest appearance came on Season 4 Episode 9 for a second update segment where he and O'Leary ventured to world-famous instrument manufacturer Fender to license out Voyage's hinge technology. Fender agreed to do a test run of 150 folding Fender guitars in select stores.

It's unknown what ever came of the marketing test conducted by Voyage Air Guitar and Fender. However, it's safe to assume that it didn't go anywhere. On Voyage's website, the Folding Fender Voyage Air Guitar is listed as a "Legacy" product, described as only 150 having been made, indicating that the few put out for the test didn't move all that much in stores. 

But that hasn't seemed to put a dent in Voyage's business as a whole, with the company still being very active to this day. On its official website, you can find Voyage's array of guitars, each under a different series that coincides with each instrument's special niche. These include the travel-friendly Transit series, the performance-oriented Songwriter lineup, and the deluxe Premier line. Additionally, Voyage Air also carries a line of three electric guitars known as the TransAxe series. Expect to pay quite a bit, however, as the company's guitars range in price from $799 to over $3,100. Along with guitars, Voyage Air also sells spare parts, accessories, and merchandise, including stickers, tote bags, hats and even jigsaw puzzles. Customers from around the world have shared positive reviews of their Voyage Air Guitars, with many appreciating its performance as much as its portability.

It's easy to assume that a tech-focused "Shark Tank" company from Season 1, such as the seatbelt-detection device LifeBelt, would be defunct by now. But Voyage Air Guitar has defied the odds, continuing to deliver the same winning product that made it such a noteworthy business to begin with. However, the company has yet to be the household name as other "Shark Tank" successes such as Scrub Daddy and Ring. And its founder is well aware of this.

In October 2023, Jeff Cohen spoke with whiskey community app Abov, where he briefly discussed the status of Voyage Air Guitar. "I founded the company about 15 years ago," Cohen shared. "We're still small, having made and sold about 15,000 guitars to date." In the grand scheme of things, this number isn't that much of a jump from the 800 units Cohen claimed to have sold when first appearing on "Shark Tank." However, it seems like some the halt came from forces beyond Cohen's control, with the founder continuing, "Like a lot of other businesses, we got slammed by Covid and nearly went out of business, but we're coming back and expect to launch a whole new line by the end of the year!"

While no news of this new line has been announced as of this writing, the statement gives a glimmer of hope that the team is still hard at work and will get back on track sooner rather than later. Outside of Voyage Air, Cohen also founded the medical device provider AIRx Medical in 2017, which specializes in the development of UV lights that treat ailments.