The very first "real" guitar I owned was a parlor guitar. My mom bought it at Sears and it came with a cheap nylon gig bag, pitch pipe, 2 sets of strings, and a Mel Bay book. I played that for a while til my dad got me my first electric guitar when I was 15. I still have the electric guitar but I don't recall what happened to the parlor guitar. I'd like to get another one to noodle around with.
Tell me about parlor guitars…
- Thread starter Nate D
- Start date
guitarface
Most Honored Senior Member
I’d get one but I don’t have a parlor.
Rosa must be all kinds of stupid. Showing the world you're completely useless at your job isn't exactly good for business. Still being that inept after more than three decades suggests he's not really a learning animal. In my book, anyone who takes on a repair in the knowledge that they don't fully understand how to carry it out should be out of business. I wrote a book on brass musical instruments, with all the repair procedures we could think of. Every single one of them had a section called: "What can go wrong?" No one should attempt a repair until they understand what collateral damage can occur, and are confident they can fix that too.
Exactly so. There's a lovely, almost intimate, feel to a parlour guitar when fingerpicked, but they tend to be a tad boxy when strummed. I was sent a Tanglewood parlour guitar years ago, and was very tempted to buy it. The instrument is aptly named.
Not having the strength in my fingers anymore for fingerpicking an acoustic, I have two dreadnoughts. I'm even relearning flat-picking, because I like the definition and attack they deliver. My friend Andy has an old Levin acoustic that has a body size somewhere between the two extremes, and I think it's a really good size for all styles. He starts playing it 28 seconds in. (The tosh at the beginning is us playing what we considered 'jazz' as 17-year-olds. Yeah right!
)
davidKOS
not posting these days
that's exactly what I was talking about in terms of the tonal balance.
and nice stuff, too
davidKOS
not posting these days
I'd stick with the solid tops.
The laminated top instruments could sound very good. But that's as good as they will sound, although they will be durable.
The solid top instruments have the potential to improve in tone over years of playing.
Unless you need a guitar for your sailboat! (carbon fiber?)
Nate D
Dr. Stratster
Rosa must be all kinds of stupid. Showing the world you're completely useless at your job isn't exactly good for business. Still being that inept after more than three decades suggests he's not really a learning animal. In my book, anyone who takes on a repair in the knowledge that they don't fully understand how to carry it out should be out of business. I wrote a book on brass musical instruments, with all the repair procedures we could think of. Every single one of them had a section called: "What can go wrong?" No one should attempt a repair until they understand what collateral damage can occur, and are confident they can fix that too.
Exactly so. There's a lovely, almost intimate, feel to a parlour guitar when fingerpicked, but they tend to be a tad boxy when strummed. I was sent a Tanglewood parlour guitar years ago, and was very tempted to buy it. The instrument is aptly named.
Not having the strength in my fingers anymore for fingerpicking an acoustic, I have two dreadnoughts. I'm even relearning flat-picking, because I like the definition and attack they deliver. My friend Andy has an old Levin acoustic that has a body size somewhere between the two extremes, and I think it's a really good size for all styles. He starts playing it 28 seconds in. (The tosh at the beginning is us playing what we considered 'jazz' as 17-year-olds. Yeah right!
Ooooh I really like that. That’s the tone ballpark I’m kind of looking for.
I’ve got a D-28 and an OM-28 but I almost always play the OM. I just really find myself liking small bodied acoustics for some reason. I think it’s the sweetness.
PonyB
Most Honored Senior Member
Do you have a budget, Nate?
Tragedician
Strat-Talker
Ok… these all look great. You’re not helping my cause. Lol
Does anyone have any sound clips of their guitars. By chance?
I have a Martin 000 Jr which is similar to a parlor size guitar as well. Great guitar, very easy to play, and sounds great: plenty full and warm enough. Also, solid top, back, and sides, which is really cool for the price point ($500-ish new).
Here’s a clip through the pickup I installed in it:
Dreadnoughts and other larger sized acoustics are probably the most common styles now but they were originally popularized to project enough to play with others (like a fiddler, banjo player, etc). But that’s not such an issue with amplification and they’re not particularly comfortable IMO.
Edit: this is the one I have:
Martin 000Jr-10 Acoustic Guitar - Natural
6-string Acoustic Guitar with Spruce Top, Sapele Back and Sides, Hardwood Neck, and Richlite Fingerboard - Natural
www.sweetwater.com
Nate D
Dr. Stratster
No, but I’m just really trying to learn about them. A bucket list guitar is a 00-42, but that’s pricey pricey pricey.
davidKOS
not posting these days
those O and OOO Martin sizes are just what I'm talking about.
I can appreciate dreadnoughts and jumbo acoustics for what they do well, but those smaller acoustic guitars have a lot of appeal for their tone too.
BuckNekkid
Strat-O-Master
I love parlor-sized guitars. I specified "sized" because most of the ones I have aren't shaped like an elongated kidney bean like some think they should be. Maybe that's traditional, but to me, size matters more than shape.
My first foray into the itty-bitty guitar world came when I was looking for an indestructible travel guitar. I happened upon KLŌS, who were just starting up as a crowdfunded company. I bought their travel guitar (carbon fiber body, wood neck) and haven't looked back.
Since then, I've purchased a Martin LX1RE, which is a touch larger
And the most surprising, a Gretsch G9500 "Jim Dandy," which I bought as a beater (to take when visiting the grandkids) and which turned out to be a great sounding, great playing guitar!
My first foray into the itty-bitty guitar world came when I was looking for an indestructible travel guitar. I happened upon KLŌS, who were just starting up as a crowdfunded company. I bought their travel guitar (carbon fiber body, wood neck) and haven't looked back.
Since then, I've purchased a Martin LX1RE, which is a touch larger
And the most surprising, a Gretsch G9500 "Jim Dandy," which I bought as a beater (to take when visiting the grandkids) and which turned out to be a great sounding, great playing guitar!
I have a Martin 000 Jr which is similar to a parlor size guitar as well. Great guitar, very easy to play, and sounds great: plenty full and warm enough. Also, solid top, back, and sides, which is really cool for the price point ($500-ish new).
Here’s a clip through the pickup I installed in it:
Dreadnoughts and other larger sized acoustics are probably the most common styles now but they were originally popularized to project enough to play with others (like a fiddler, banjo player, etc). But that’s not such an issue with amplification and they’re not particularly comfortable IMO.
Edit: this is the one I have:
Martin 000Jr-10 Acoustic Guitar - Natural
6-string Acoustic Guitar with Spruce Top, Sapele Back and Sides, Hardwood Neck, and Richlite Fingerboard - Natural
Lovely sound and playing! Interestingly, when I asked the owner of our local guitar store for a second opinion on the value of a Takamine electro-acoustic I'm selling for one of my wife's friends, he said the dreadnaught size would make it a harder sell. I guess volume and projection isn't very important if you're going to amplify it.
Apparently, a lot of players find the big-body guitars awkward. I'm a jumbo-sized guy, so that didn't occur to me. Come to think of it, my wife's friend is on the petite side, so it obviously didn't occur to her either.
I don't want to jinx the deal but guitar shop guy suggested I might go as low as £399 for a quick sale. In about 14 hours, I have someone coming to try it out at an asking price of £580…
I recently picked up this solid wood Bedell.
I like parlor size because a dreadnought feels like a house on my lap, and I don't need that volume
Ymmv
Peace
I like parlor size because a dreadnought feels like a house on my lap, and I don't need that volume
Ymmv
Peace
Last edited:
I have never been a fan of dreads. Only one of my 14 acoustics is a dread.
I have a Recording King parlor that has a wide nut (great for fingerpicking). It also has lot more volume than you would expect based on the body size.
I also have a Martin OOO Jr. While not truly a parlor it is a very small bodied guitar, very comfortable to play. 1 3/4” nut. All solid wood and has that ‘Martin’ sound. It is my most played guitar. A lot more volume and a fuller sound than I had expected. A great deal for $500.
I have a Recording King parlor that has a wide nut (great for fingerpicking). It also has lot more volume than you would expect based on the body size.
I also have a Martin OOO Jr. While not truly a parlor it is a very small bodied guitar, very comfortable to play. 1 3/4” nut. All solid wood and has that ‘Martin’ sound. It is my most played guitar. A lot more volume and a fuller sound than I had expected. A great deal for $500.
Nate D
Dr. Stratster
I really like the OM. The 000 body size but the longer scale length is really nice. Mine has a wide neck with the vintage style string spacing that almost makes you play it finger style.
It’s got some top end sweetness the dreadnaughts don’t have. At least to my ear.
crankmeister
Most Honored Senior Member
The closest I’ve come to a parlor is an Epiphone L-00. It was sweet sounding but lacked a punch that I wanted. But a Gibson L-00 or something comparable has me curious.
I also got to play a fella’s Martin 00-18 and it was amazing.
I used to swear by dreadnoughts, had to have that thump. Not as much anymore.
I also got to play a fella’s Martin 00-18 and it was amazing.
I used to swear by dreadnoughts, had to have that thump. Not as much anymore.
Nate D
Dr. Stratster
I’ve played an L-00 and it was really cool.
I have a Martin D Jr, small body guitar. I use it to sit at the computer trying to learn something.
Wulfrik
Strat-O-Master
I had a Fylde Ariel for a few years. Slightly bigger in the lower bout than most traditional parlours, but correspondingly not as boxy under my heavy mitts.
They still make them I believe. In Dadgad tuning and capo’d at the second it was almost harpsichord sounding — lots of fundamental note at the start and then the decay would have a shimmer off the other strings.
I sold it to get a new cylinder head for my Land Rover after overheating it towing a trailer in France, then sadly that Land Rover never lived again and I’ve missed the little guitar ever since.
They still make them I believe. In Dadgad tuning and capo’d at the second it was almost harpsichord sounding — lots of fundamental note at the start and then the decay would have a shimmer off the other strings.
I sold it to get a new cylinder head for my Land Rover after overheating it towing a trailer in France, then sadly that Land Rover never lived again and I’ve missed the little guitar ever since.
