Smaller and lighter body for easier traveling to and from gigs. These have all of the electronics features of their full-size siblings also with generous chambering. It is only 10 inches wide at the lower bout!
The intent for these is to enable a 24.75” scale length and have the necks easily removable so they can fit into an airline-sized travel bag for carrying on an airplane. In that way, you know the guitar would reach your gig destination with you! It is also lighter in weight. Its big bodied tone is in direct contrast with its diminutive size and light weight and is comfortable enough to be played by those of you with even quite severe back or shoulder problems. It retains all of the versatility and variety of tones available to its bigger bretheren, the Cicada and the CamelBack.
Tone thickness and versatility would still be the hallmark of the design! The first three will be made from koa top and back, with Cuban mahogany chambered midsection. Now, bookmatched Goncala Alves and African Padauk are also available for this model!
The Prototype CamelBackPacker in Koa and Cuban Mahogany Engineering Model now completed! Very well balanced even with the 25.5" scale and inline headstock with Sperzel tuning machines! Plays like a dream begging to be fingerpicked with extremely well defined attack and forever sustain!! I also have available in stock another 6-in line maple neck such as the one pictured above and also an all Pau Ferro LP scale (24.75" scale length) 3+3 headstock neck.
This shows The Mantis chambering routs in the skeleton with a goncalo alves top inverted for viewing.
This is the padauk and kelela solid body Mantis with LP controls.
This is the other chambered body koa and Cuban mahogany Mantis with pau ferro neck and custom made floating roller string tree now in a happy customer's hands.
This is the newest build... She's a chambered poplar/birch Mantis with custom Vintage Vibe Noiseless Single Coil Strat pickups at angles which set the pole pieces directly under the strings. It also gives a progressive Strat "Quack" which is enhanced in the lower strings. This is honestly my favorite player! She is VERY light but still balanced!