Description
Crafter MINO ALK EQ Solid Koa Top Compact Acoustic-Electric Guitar - Natural
A compact Mino-body acoustic with a solid flamed Taiwan koa top, matching koa back and sides, a vintage slotted headstock and Crafter's DS-2 Pro+ pickup-and-mic system with a built-in Stealth Tuner - small enough to travel, deep enough to gig.
Quick Snapshot
Why You'll Love It
Most small guitars sound small. The MINO ALK is built differently - a compact body with full-size depth and bracing, a solid koa top and stage-ready electronics, in a guitar you can carry anywhere.
Big Sound From A Small Body
Crafter designed the Mino with a thick body depth and bracing similar to its full-size shapes, so it keeps long sustain and ample volume while staying compact enough for flights, couches and cramped stages.
Flamed Koa, Top To Back
A solid flamed acacia top - Taiwan koa, a close relative of Hawaiian koa - with matching flamed koa back, sides, binding and armrest. It sounds sweet and articulate, with emphasis on the highs and mids, and looks stunning in natural satin.
Plug In Anywhere
The DS-2 Pro+ blends an under-saddle pickup with a gooseneck condenser mic for a natural plugged-in sound, and the soundhole Stealth Tuner keeps you in tune with or without a cable. No hole is cut in the side.
Crafter: Korean Guitar Making Since 1972
Crafter began in April 1972 as SungEum Guitars - SungEum means "perfect sound" - when Park Hyun-Kwon set up a workshop with four craftsmen in a basement room of his home in Seoul. The workshop moved to Yangju in Gyeonggi Province in 1978, the CRAFTER name arrived in 1988, and by 1992 the company had settled the signature headstock, Dovetail Extension neck joint and inlay work that still define its guitars. Now run by the founder's grandson as Crafter Korea, it exports to more than 50 countries and keeps its headquarters, high-end production line and official after-sales service in Yangju. Each guitar is built in a climate-controlled workshop held at around 22 degrees C and 50 percent humidity, and recent Crafter developments include the VVS torrefied top, the DS-2 Pro electronics and the Stealth Tuner.
Engineered With Purpose
The Mino Body: Compact, But Deep
Launched in 2020 and developed under Crafter's third-generation leadership, the Mino shape keeps a compact outline but uses a thick body depth and bracing patterned on standard-size guitars. That combination is what gives it the sustain and volume most travel guitars lack. A wooden armrest on the lower bout and a short 590mm (23.2-inch) scale make it easy and comfortable to play.
Solid Flamed Taiwan Koa (Acacia)
The top is solid flamed acacia from Taiwan, also known as Taiwan koa. Crafter describes it as a distant relative of Hawaiian koa that offers its sweet look and sound, and as a dense hardwood with emphasis on the high and mid tones. The back and sides are layered flamed acacia for a matching look and stability in changing humidity, finished with acacia binding and a satin top over open-pore back and sides.
DS-2 Pro+ Duo-Source Electronics And Stealth Tuner
The DS-2 Pro+ combines Crafter's Platform under-saddle pickup with a miniature electret condenser mic on a flexible gooseneck, controlled from the soundhole edge: Volume, Blend, a Clarity mid-cut button for strumming and a Phase button against feedback. The mic is limited to half the pickup level to keep feedback down, and it picks up taps and percussive playing well. The Stealth Tuner is accurate to 0.5 cent, shows all 12 notes, lights green when in tune and switches off after 7 minutes.
Vintage Slotted Head And Open-Gear Tuners
A vintage slotted headstock with vintage-style open-gear tuners gives the MINO ALK a classic parlour look. Underneath is an African mahogany neck with an Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, a maple butterfly inlay, a 43mm resin nut and Crafter's 7-bar compensated saddle.
Specifications
| Model | MINO ALK (MINO/ALK) |
| Series | Crafter Mino Series |
| Body Shape | Mino (Compact, Deep Body), Non-Cutaway |
| Top | Solid Flamed Acacia (Taiwan Koa) |
| Back & Sides | Layered Flamed Acacia (Taiwan Koa) |
| Neck | African Mahogany |
| Fingerboard | Indian Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Inlay | Butterfly, Maple |
| Bridge | Indian Rosewood |
| Bridge Pins | Black |
| Scale Length | 590mm (23.2 Inch) |
| Nut | 43mm, High-Density Synthetic Resin |
| Saddle | Crafter Signature 7-Bar Saddle, High-Density Synthetic Resin |
| Binding & Armrest | Flamed Acacia Binding, Wooden Armrest |
| Headstock | Vintage Slotted Head |
| Tuners | Vintage-Style Open-Gear |
| Finish | Satin Top, Open-Pore Back & Sides |
| Electronics | Crafter DS-2 Pro+ (Under-Saddle Pickup + Gooseneck Condenser Mic), Soundhole Mounted |
| Controls | Volume, Blend, Clarity Button, Phase Button, Low Battery LED |
| Tuner | Crafter Stealth Tuner, Soundhole Mounted |
| Output | 1/4-Inch Mono Jack At Strap Pin |
| Strings | Crafter GLOW-AL, .012 - .053 |
| Case | Padded Crafter Gig Bag |
| Color | Natural |
| Designed By | Crafter Korea (Designed And Quality Controlled) |
Compare Models
| Spec | This Kit MINO ALK |
MINO Mahogany | MINO Rose | GRAND MINO ALK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body | Mino | Mino | Mino | Grand Mino (Larger) |
| Scale | 590mm | 590mm | 590mm | 648mm |
| Top | Solid Flamed Acacia (Koa) | Solid Engelmann Spruce | Solid Engelmann Spruce | Solid Flamed Acacia (Koa) |
| Back & Sides | Layered Flamed Acacia | Layered African Mahogany | Layered Indian Rosewood | Layered Flamed Acacia |
| Electronics | DS-2 Pro+ + Stealth Tuner | DS-2 Pro+ + Stealth Tuner | DS-2 Pro+ + Stealth Tuner | DS-2 Pro+ + Stealth Tuner |