Parlor Guitars - This Year's Fad or Useful?

[Sweetfinger]

If it's a fad, it's a long one- going on 150 years now.
Great sounding guitars are always in style.

[Jim Moulton]

I think you see more, just like ukeles are real popular, I like the tone of a Dreadnought, they are a bit uncomfortable to play, but I love my Alvarez.

[hunter]

And to follow up on my earlier post:

I don't really consider a 000 to be exactly parlor sized. And I do believe parlors are useful. They often record much better than dreads. While the overall voice is not as powerful as a dread, they can cut through better than expected live since they tend to live in a slightly different frequency range.

I recently played a "romantic" (nylon string) that was a damn fine guitar. Surprising full sound, projection and sweet tone for a very compact package. Unfortunately, in addition to having lots of inlay and being too flashy for me, it was major bucks (like $5K) so I had to walk. If I could get one a little plainer, and it sounded like that one, I'd probably go for it.

The uke thing kinda boggles my mind, but I know some players who got ukes and are having a lot of fun with em. And fun is good.

hunter

[lamenlovinit]

Originally Posted by hunter

And to follow up on my earlier post:

I don't really consider a 000 to be exactly parlor sized.
hunter

They aren't close. They are at least two "O"s bigger

[hunter]

Originally Posted by lamenlovinit

They aren't close. They are at least two "O"s bigger

Yep.

And I should add plainer AND cheaper to my romantic comment.

hunter

[martyncrew]

Thanks for all the input. I went down to Gryphon and played a bunch of small bodied guitars. The winner? Taylor GS Mini. This guitar not only seemed the most versatile of the small body designs but has the biggest and most balanced tone. $500??? cool beans as well.

[codyj84]

I have a Gibson L-00 Pro and I absolutely love it. It has a really nice and balanced tone. I use it live every week and t wounds great. Not as "big" or "deep" as a jumbo, but being that I'm only 5'6" and 145 lbs..... most acoustics swallow me. I love the guitar because it is incredibly comfortable to play and doesn't dwarf me. I actually first took notice of smaller bodied acoustics from Keith Urban and his Maton guitars.

[ib2010]

I've got a little Takamine "New Yorker" and leave it out for quick grabs, ends up getting a lot of my play time. The built in tuner is a big plus too. Played it once under a tin shed, in the rain, at a campout event, and it actually worked out. I also have a Collings 00 that REALLY puts out some sound, i was quite surprised at it's robust "voice".

[doc]

My main at home acoustic I usually pick up is a '30s Martin 1-17. Fabulous fingerpicking guitar. I have a dread that I use to accompany singing in a larger than living room size space unamplified, but in a "home" environment I go for the little guy. The small guitars are actually more versatile IMHO, just pop a pickup in 'em and they're less likely to feedback on stage and easier to transport.

[zombywoof]

Hard to answer because the definition of just what is a parlor guitar is all over the place. To me though any guitar with more than a 13 1/2" lower bout (a Martin O size) ain't a parlor.

I have played what I have always thought of as concerts for decades and still have two - an Oscar Schmidt Stella and May-Bell all-mahogany round soundhole archtop.

[Da5Id]

My Beneteau parlor is one of the sweetest fingerpickers, particularly if you have a light touch. It just rings like a bell and is ultra smooth. This is it (literally).

http://www.beneteauguitars.com/guitr...l/0_pop_1.html

[Timinator]

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but if you travel International with a full size guitar many carriers will charge you, where as a 3/4 size guitar get's free passage. I have a Zager I just took to Tahiti. My buddy brought his little Baby Taylor and we played and sang almost every night. A full size would have been a much bigger pain in the butt.

[Trickstaaah]

Originally Posted by doc

My main at home acoustic I usually pick up is a '30s Martin 1-17. Fabulous fingerpicking guitar.

Any pics? (And why don't we have an envy smiley?)

[Jim Moulton]

I love the Takemine New Yorker!!

[teleman1]

Anyone have a small Parlour case for a Gibson LG1??? A hardcase;reasonable price? PM me.