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Ok, I have been thinking of getting a new steel string acoustic for ages. I have been looking at the smaller bodied guitars and have decided to get a parlor guitar.

I like the look of this Washburn 'R 319SWKK'. It's the middle model in their range. All solid woods and has a hard case. It isn't cheap though, £499. Any got one? Or know of a good one?


Post some nice pictures.

Oh thats gorgeous, wish I could help so I'll bump the thread

edit: sounds fairly boxy

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Tanglewood make really nice parlor guitar with a solid top and back, and the Farida parlor guitar is lovely (it has laminate back and sides though).

looks nice yeah

I also just found this. A Tanglewood TW133. Solid mahogany top + back. Bonded mahogany sides. A lot cheaper, £224:



Doesn't look as nice, but its much better value.

And this, a Tanglewood TW173. Solid mahogany back and sides. Solid aged cedar top. £329.


Hmm, i like the darker coloured acoustics more. Martin 00-15 style It has good specs though, and not bad price.

argh there are so many.

I prefer the Tanglewood if I'm honest.

One of my favourite acoustics of all time is the Tanglewood TW73:



It sounds huge for such a little guitar.

That is pretty nice. A bit plain looking lol but it doesnt really matter if it sounds good.
The TW73 is £449. Same price range as the washburn.

Not a bad choice. A lot of Dreadnoughts sound too tubby for my liking, especially if you're playing with a bassist. They just get in each other's way. If on the other hand you're just doing guitar/vocal stuff a parlor guitar might not have the low end oomph required to keep up.

Yeah. I do a bit of finger picking as well, so it will be good for that. I like the idea of having something small and portable but of good quality.

The Farida M-26 is the warmest sounding parlour I've heard, looks gorgeous too.



£430 with a hardcase

I like the slotted headstock. Looks pretty cool. Dunno why they put a black burst round the edge though, argh.

i actually like them when they are more plain. I really don't like all that busy 19th century purfling stuff. I like parlor guitars but not because they're some olde tyme guitar, I just like the size. don't really care for big dreadnoughts.

I played one of those Washburns some time ago and I thought it was quite nice. That case is especially sexy.

If you want to avoid a boxy sound, definitely avoid a mahogany top. They only ever started using it for tops because the British needed spruce for planes during the war. It can work well or dreadnaughts or 00s, but on parlors there's just not enough high or low end.

You really have to try parlor guitars in person, because there are a lot or variables that become more important as the body shrinks. A lot of the companies use the same top thickness as they would on a dread, and it really suffocates the sound. Parlors need lighter bracing as well. And, when you're looking at Asian imports, they often don't get very picky about the wood. One can be great, and others will be crummy. Some are more consistent: Alvarez, Washburn, and Blueridge are usually safe bets.

Finally, sometimes looking outside the parlor shape really opens up your options. I have an Alvarez mini dreadnaught that's smaller than a parlor, yet louder and fuller than any of the parlors I compared it to. Taylor also has the GS-Mini coming out later this summer, which looks more than promising.

So yeah, try before you buy and keep your options open.

Ok, cheers Will. I will go look in some local guitar shops and try stuff out.

I'd love to try out a few of the above, but grew up playing my mom's 1936 L-00 (though not quite a Parlor), and have yet to hear anything with such bass response from a small body. I'll be bound to find something decent, a number of those Tanglewoods still seem to be a good value.

I'm not sure what's triggered in my mind, but the term "Parlor Guitar" invokes thoughts of Doogfest participants skinny guys all dressed like 19th century dandies with waxed mustaches, smoking cigarillos in Doog's backyard, thumbing guitar lines along with a wax cylinder.

Thats awesome. Anyone wanna form a band like that?

Vis wrote:Thats awesome. Anyone wanna form a band like that?

I can't grow a mustache, but I'll happily be the boyish one. Sort of the George Harrison of the group.

I have a 1930s Supertone and a book of folk songs.

edit: I also know a skinny girl with sort of a flapper haircut who plays the ukulele.

Amazon has the Washburn for $499(Link)

Get the new Taylor GS mini. small and parlorish and Shortscale (23.5" scale to be exact). If I didn't already have a Baby Taylor Rosewood with a pickup I would be all over it. I may get one anyway.

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some Tommy Shaw action too
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I have a Larrivee P 03-R parlor guitar. Spruce top and rosewood back and sides. It is one of the best parlors available. If it fits your price range (about $900.00 new), be sure to try one out.

porterhaus wrote:I have a Larrivee P 03-R parlor guitar. Spruce top and rosewood back and sides. It is one of the best parlors available. If it fits your price range (about $900.00 new), be sure to try one out.

Larrivee are generally regarded as best in their price range. They also have an all maple model which I've had eye on - Imagine the brightness and plinkety-plink!