2010s Martin Backpacker Steel String Travel Guitar

How many Backpackers have I seen? Too many Backpackers! They're popular, they're convenient, they sound a lot like a dulcimer in their attack and sustain, and they're perfectly-usable if what you want is guitar fingering for chords while you're out and about. You need to use the strap, though, or they're almost unplayable.

I'm not sure of the build year on this guy but it's within the last 5 or 10 years. It plays spot-on and works as it should and is relatively clean, too, save for medium fretwear and the "usual thing" that happens with these guys. That "usual thing" is that -- because there's no crosswise bracing below the soundhole -- the top distorts and sinks in that area. The instrument stays stable, but around the soundhole every Backpacker I've played has "the dip." It just is.

I gave this a quick setup and it's ready to go. Word to the wise: the label in the soundhole saying, "use extra light strings only," is not just a suggestion...

Repairs included: setup, restring.

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid mahogany

Bracing type: tonebar

Bridge: synthetic

Fretboard: synthetic

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 46w-10 extra lights

Neck shape: medium C

Board radius: ~14-16"

Truss rod: none

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-narrow

Scale length: 24"

Nut width: 1 11/16"

Body width: 8"

Body depth: 2"

Weight: 2 lbs 7 oz

Condition notes: it has mild/medium fretwear in first position but it's not bothering the tone any at the moment. As mentioned above, the soundhole area has "the dip" that all of these get. It's not an issue save aesthetically.

It comes with: its original gigbag and brown strap.