Parlor Guitars

A parlor guitar is an acoustic guitar with a small, narrow body and a slim waist, smaller and shallower than a dreadnought. It is comfortable to hold when you sit on the sofa and suits blues, folk and fingerpicking, where you play the strings with your fingers. Its tone is focused on the mids with less bass, so the melody and individual strings stand out even when you play quietly. Here you will find acoustic and electro-acoustic parlor guitars from Bromo, Fender, Gretsch, Takamine, Sire, Epiphone, Yamaha, Guild and LAG.

How does a parlor guitar differ from a dreadnought?

A parlor has a smaller body with a narrower waist, so it rests comfortably on your leg as you play and your right arm does not have to reach over a large top. The scale length is usually shorter: the Gretsch Jim Dandy Parlor has a 610 mm scale and the Fender CP-60S 628 mm, while the dreadnoughts in our range most often have 648 mm. With a shorter scale the strings are easier to press down, which smaller players and beginners will appreciate. If you want loud accompaniment for singing with a strong bass, take a look at dreadnought guitars. For trips with a rucksack there are even smaller travel and folding guitars.

Acoustic or electro-acoustic parlor guitar?

Acoustic parlor guitars without electronics, such as the Fender CP-60S, Gretsch Jim Dandy, Bromo BAR6H or Baton Rouge X11LS/P, are made for playing at home, around the campfire and for practice. Electro-acoustic models have a built-in pickup and preamp, so you can plug them into an amplifier or a mixing desk and play them on stage too. Fishman electronics are fitted to the Bromo BAR6E, Fender Highway Series Parlor, Gretsch G5021E Rancher Penguin and Epiphone Blues King Studio, while the Takamine GY93E and P3NY have a Takamine preamp. The Yamaha CSF-TA TransAcoustic adds reverb and chorus straight from the body of the guitar, with no amplifier. You will find more guitars with a pickup among our electro-acoustic guitars.

What should you look for when choosing a parlor guitar?

• Top: solid spruce sounds bright and open (Fender CP-60S, Bromo BAR6H, Takamine GY93E), solid cedar softer and warmer (Bromo BAR6E, Takamine P3NY), solid mahogany darker (Fender Highway Series Parlor All-Mahogany).
• All-solid or laminate: the Bromo BAR6E, BAR6H and Fender Highway Series Parlor have a solid top as well as solid back and sides, while the laminate Gretsch Jim Dandy models cope better with changes in temperature and humidity.
• Neck width: at the nut most models measure between 42.5 and 43.5 mm, the Bromo BAR6H 47 mm and the Baton Rouge X11LS/P 46 mm. A wider neck gives your fingers more room for fingerpicking.
• Sets: the Fender CP-60S, Bromo BAR6H and BAR6E also come in sets with accessories to get you started.