{"id":116106,"date":"2025-09-12T07:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T14:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/?p=116106"},"modified":"2025-09-12T07:32:29","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T14:32:29","slug":"parlor-guitars-a-brief-history-and-a-2020-buyers-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/parlor-guitars-a-brief-history-and-a-2020-buyers-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Parlor Guitars: A Brief History and Buyer\u2019s Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A parlor guitar is a compact and narrow-waisted instrument, generally smaller than Martin&#8217;s single 0 size. The name comes from the rooms in which the guitar was typically played in the late 19th century.&nbsp;Today, parlor guitars are finding renewed interest among a broad spectrum of players, both professionals and those looking for small, lightweight instruments to take to beach parties or campfire singalongs. In this <em>Acoustic Guitar<\/em> magazine guide to parlor guitars, you&#8217;ll find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#parlor-guitar-craze\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#parlor-guitar-craze\">Why interest in parlor guitars is skyrocketing<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#notable-players-parlor-guitars\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#notable-players-parlor-guitars\">Notable players on why they love parlor guitars<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#parlor-guitar-history\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#parlor-guitar-history\">A brief history of the parlor guitar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#modern-parlor-guitars\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#modern-parlor-guitars\">Is a modern parlor guitar best?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#vintage-parlor-guitars\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#vintage-parlor-guitars\">Is a vintage parlor guitar best?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#best-parlor-guitars\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#best-parlor-guitars\">10 great parlor guitars, from budget to high-end, that you can play today<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" id=\"parlor-guitar-craze\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"612\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Chris_Hadfield_Space_Oddity.jpg?fit=750%2C612&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Chris Hadfield playing a Larriv\u00e9e  parlor guitar on the International Space Station.\" class=\"wp-image-76\" title=\"chris-hadfield-parlor-guitar-larrivee\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Chris_Hadfield_Space_Oddity.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Chris_Hadfield_Space_Oddity.jpg?resize=300%2C245&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2013, in the zero-gravity atmosphere of outer space, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield made history when he reached for a floating Larriv\u00e9e parlor guitar to perform the early David Bowie hit \u201cSpace Oddity\u201d for a video clip captured live from the International Space Station. The video went viral\u2014and Larriv\u00e9e got the best publicity the solar system had ever seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back on Earth, interest in small-bodied parlor guitars\u2014precursors to the bulky modern dreadnought\u2014skyrocketed. At the 2015 Winter NAMM music retailers convention in Anaheim, California, a steady stream of curious guitarists strolled past the Santa Cruz Guitar Co.\u2019s impressive line of stalwart dreadnoughts to ogle a diminutive PJ model tucked away into a crook in the manufacturer\u2019s exhibit booth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The little parlor guitar nearly stole the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe smallest guitar that we make today was one of the biggest guitars available up until about 1870,\u201d Santa Cruz owner Richard Hoover says. \u201cThe only reason they didn\u2019t make larger guitars [in the old days] is that they didn\u2019t need to. More volume wasn\u2019t an issue until people started competing with other instruments in ensembles, or with barking dogs and banjos in vaudeville.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hoover says that today, advances in amplification and recording have rendered larger guitars less essential, resulting in the current parlor guitar craze. \u201cIn the early 1980s, interest in smaller instruments began a steady incline because people realized they didn\u2019t need the volume of the dreadnought,\u201d Hoover says. \u201cIn 1985, probably 70 percent of our guitars were dreadnoughts. Today, the majority of the instruments we make are OM, 00 size, or smaller, as more people appreciate the quality of the volume over the quantity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Santa Cruz isn\u2019t the only company experiencing growth in its sales of small-bodied instruments. In 2013, Gretsch added the low-cost <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3b8caQe\" target=\"_blank\">G9515 Jim Dandy Flat Top<\/a> model to its Roots Collection and parlor guitars were in evidence everywhere on the exhibit floor at the 2013 NAMM music-trade show in Anaheim, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The growing list of other companies that have added parlor guitars to their product lines\u2014including well-crafted instruments at affordable prices\u2014is a testament to the popularity of this model. Those include Alvarez, Aria, Beddell, Breedlove, Blueridge, Cordoba, Godin, Hohner, Fender, Grace Harbor, Ibanez, the Loar, Lowden, Luna, Martin, RainSong, Recording King, Simon &amp; Patrick, Taylor, Tanglewood, and Seagull, to name a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, parlor guitars are finding renewed interest among a broad spectrum of players, both professionals and those looking for small, lightweight instruments to take to beach parties or campfire singalongs. \u201cThe parlor guitar is light, easy and fun to bring on trips,\u201d says Dom Flemons, formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. \u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful social instrument to have around for gatherings, vacations, and picnics. Everyone usually knows at least one song on the guitar, so it\u2019s really nice to have a parlor to pass between a bunch of friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Dom Flemons | Acoustic Guitar Sessions in Place\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x-2nNYBUsTA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dom Flemons plays a custom guitar made by Todd Cambio of Fraulini Guitars. It\u2019s got a \u201cmedium sized parlor body with a dreadnought parlor neck.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"notable-players-parlor-guitars\">Players \u2018Flip\u2019 Over Parlors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the modern era, parlor guitars are perhaps most closely associated with folk singers, including Joan Baez and a young Bob Dylan, as well as earlier bluesmen such as Blind Blake and Blind Lemon Jefferson. \u201cI love to play the old styles on a parlor guitar,\u201d says Flemons, who played a parlor on his recent solo debut <em>Prospect Hill<\/em>. \u201cI use a medium-size parlor\u2014a Fraulini Loretta. It has a punchy sound while still having a delicate tone; it has a great response for both fingerpicking and for using a thumb pick and the fingers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even in bluegrass, a genre in which most guitarists prefer big dreadnoughts, some players favor small guitars. \u201cJody Stecher played bluegrass on a 1-sized Martin for years, travelled all over the place with it in its original coffin case, and it just sounded incredible,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/makers-shakers-a-visit-with-eric-schoenberg\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/makers-shakers-a-visit-with-eric-schoenberg\/\">Eric Schoenberg<\/a>, vintage-guitar expert and proprietor of the eponymous store in Tiburon, California, on the shore of the San Francisco Bay. \u201cI sold Ronnie Earl, the [former] Roomful of Blues guitarist, one of those really early Martins\u2014an interesting thing I\u2019ve found is that electric blues players have just flipped over these things on a number of occasions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Orton_Playing.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mark Orton playing his Marin parlor guitar.\" class=\"wp-image-69\" title=\"mark-orton-martin-parlor-guitar\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Orton_Playing.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Orton_Playing.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mark Orton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most notable high-profile players of the parlor guitar is Mark Orton, who uses the instrument for his work in wide-reaching chamber ensembles, including Tin Hat (formerly the Tin Hat Trio), as well as in films, dance, and theater. Orton\u2019s signature sound\u2014the one that resulted in his being asked to score movies such as the Oscar-nominated <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3DukJVj\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3DukJVj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nebraska<\/a><\/em>\u2014is made possible by virtue of his using a parlor instrument. \u201cMy main guitar is a Martin 1-21 from 1893 that I\u2019ve had for years,\u201d says Orton, who also plays a 1913 Martin 2-17. \u201cIt\u2019s my pride and joy, my second wife. It\u2019s very comfortable to play, even easier than my Telecaster. It weighs next to nothing; you could practically push a pencil tip through the face of the thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so incredibly responsive,\u201d Orton adds. \u201cIt takes very little force to get great bass out of the guitar, and it works great for switching between pick and fingerstyle. I have a D-18 as well, but that guitar can get muddy-sounding, especially for doing stuff with more dissonance and with smaller intervals\u2014quicker fingerstyle patterns also really benefit from the clarity of the smaller guitar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Orton uses steel strings on his 1-21, but to make it work he had the bridge reinforced, and he uses very light strings\u2014basically a gauge-ten set in which the first string is replaced with an 11. He tunes everything down by a whole step (low to high) D G C F A D. \u201cA collector would cringe to see the things that have been done to stabilize the bridge, but I play this guitar every day of my life and will never sell it, so I don\u2019t care,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"parlor-guitar-history\">A Brief History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/51huytjL0aL._AC_SL1000_.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"362\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/51huytjL0aL._AC_SL1000_.jpg?resize=1000%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"a Washburn R314 parlor guitar\" class=\"wp-image-116112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/51huytjL0aL._AC_SL1000_.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/51huytjL0aL._AC_SL1000_.jpg?resize=300%2C109&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/51huytjL0aL._AC_SL1000_.jpg?resize=768%2C278&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/51huytjL0aL._AC_SL1000_.jpg?resize=500%2C181&amp;ssl=1 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WsqkaN\" target=\"_blank\">Washburn R314<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With their distinctively narrow bodies and short scale lengths, parlor guitars are the smallest of all six-string flattop acoustics\u2014as much as three inches shorter than the modern standard of 25.4 inches. Often seen as a bridge between the traditional Spanish nylon-string guitar and the modern steel-string, parlor guitars served a specific function when they appeared in the United States in the late 1800s. They were originally built for women\u2019s more compact frames, and they were named for their use as instruments intended to entertain guests in homes rich enough to include parlors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the mid-19th century, design distinctions between European and American guitars were minimal\u2014both were compact by today\u2019s standards, and built delicately to accommodate the comparatively weak gut strings. Near the end of the century, as European guitars became increasingly larger, some American companies, including Martin, continued building small guitar bodies while experimenting with structural elements\u2014for example, X-bracing in place of the traditional Spanish fan\u2014that would give them a heartier sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Popularity of parlor guitars waned by the early part of the 20th century when guitar makers began designing larger-body sizes structurally reinforced to handle the tension of steel strings. After Martin introduced the bigger dreadnought in 1931, to compete with other bluegrass instruments, parlor guitar sales began to wane. Today, thanks to modern sound reinforcement and recording technology, getting volume from a small instrument is no longer a big concern. And in the past decade, as guitarists have become more drawn to old music and vintage instruments, fascination with parlor guitars is on the rise. Guitar companies have rolled out new models across the spectrum of affordability\u2014from high-end Martins to budget Washburns\u2014for contemporary players drawn to the look and feel of the little instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grace Teague, of Grace Harbor Guitars, agrees that one reason there\u2019s an increase in interest in parlor guitars today is that the small bodies are friendlier to women than jumbos and dreadnoughts. \u201cAnything we can do to encourage women to play guitars is a good thing,\u201d she says, adding that a parlor model was a natural for the new line just launched by distributor Dana B. Goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"modern-parlor-guitars\">Modern Parlors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"466\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.stringlettermusic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/APA1965_Body.jpg?resize=750%2C466\" alt=\"Alvarex APA 1965 parlor guitar\" class=\"wp-image-67\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/APA1965_Body.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/APA1965_Body.jpg?resize=300%2C186&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Alvarez APA 1965<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Companies large and small now include new parlor guitars in their product lines\u2014instruments without the problems of playability inherent to 100-year-old guitars. In some instances, the rise of parlors has come from a demand for detailed recreations of golden-era instruments from before World War II. In the 1990s, Martin, for example, began revisiting small-bodied guitars with period details such as tapered slotted headstocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYears ago, I asked Martin\u2019s Custom Shop if they could build a 000-42 exactly like a 1930s model, but they didn\u2019t have the fixtures, so they turned my order down,\u201d says Martin historian Dick Boak. \u201cThen, in the mid-\u201990s, I worked at the estate of Jimmie Rodgers and got to know his historic 1927 000-45. Martin finally retooled its fixtures to create a replica of this guitar and this now allowed us to build guitars in the Vintage and Golden Era series.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The instruments in Martin\u2019s standard line that most closely resemble parlor guitars are the 0-28VS, the company\u2019s smallest full-size guitar, and the slightly larger 00-28VS. Both are equipped for steel strings. But Martin\u2019s Custom Shop has made detailed recreations of 1800s parlor models. Most recently, the company built a slightly fancier version of a mid-1800s style 2-24 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit <em>Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin<\/em>. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing requests from vintage dealers for size-2 instruments made in the old way, just as they began asking for OMs a couple of decades ago,\u201d Boak says .<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other cases, companies offer parlors as inexpensive and fun guitars, built with modern construction techniques for greater durability than their original counterparts. Washburn\u2019s Vintage Series includes decently built parlors with traditional-looking appointments and wallet-friendly price tags. Larriv\u00e9e\u2019s parlor guitar was originally conceived as a travel guitar. But with variations using several other all-solid tonewoods\u2014including Italian spruce, Indian rosewood, and genuine mahogany\u2014the parlor also happens to be an excellent instrument for performing and recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Gretchen Menn Plays Leo Brouwer&#039;s \u2018Etude No. 6\u2018 on a Custom Santa Cruz PJ Parlor Guitar\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s4IPAN3z9OI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gretchen Menn plays Leo Brouwer&#8217;s &#8216;Etude No. 6&#8217; on a Custom Santa Cruz PJ parlor guitar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the other end of the spectrum, high-end independent luthiers and boutique makers have gotten in on the fun. Stunning modern interpretations of the classic parlor form include Santa Cruz\u2019s aforementioned PJ and Style 1, and Froggy Bottom\u2019s L, P-12, and P-14. And Todd Cambio, the builder behind Fraulini Guitar Co., patterns his Loretta model after the ladder-braced guitars made by Lyon and Healy. Cambio\u2019s Loretta not only looks traditional but is built in an old-fashioned way, assembled with hide glue and finished with varnish\u2014although it does include a truss rod. \u201cThe Loretta is very light in weight, comparable to the old ones,\u201d Cambio says. \u201cThe last one I made was only two pounds, ten ounces. I try to build it delicately, like the originals, but with structural integrity. It\u2019s a balancing act, and I love the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, other luthiers are working to create something new with smaller body sizes. About ten years ago, Michael Baranik, based in California\u2019s San Luis Obispo County, scored a turn-of-the-century parlor guitar on eBay and had used it as the basis for his Retreux guitars with mid-century-inspired cosmetics. \u201cI borrowed the shape and the back brace placement of the old parlor, but redesigned just about everything else,\u201d he says. \u201cI decided to increase the scale length, from 24 to 24 \u00bd inches, and went with a 13th-fret neck joint and solid headstock, rather than a 12th-fret and slotted headstock. For the soundboard bracing, I used a traditional X with one tone bar. I also increased the depth of the guitar and use a domed braced soundboard, as well as a small oval sideport that really adds another dimension for the player.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Cameron Mizell and Charlie Rauh Perform \u201cLocal Folklore\u201c | Acoustic Guitar Sessions in Place\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/86vgmb5Ad4U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Guitarist-composer Charlie Rauh, with Cameron Mizell, performs &#8220;Local Folklore&#8221; on his custom Collings&nbsp;Parlor&nbsp;1.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"vintage-parlor-guitars\">The Market for Vintage Parlors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"1282\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Martin_Size_1.jpg?resize=750%2C1282&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Martin size 1 parlor guitar\" class=\"wp-image-68\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Martin_Size_1.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Martin_Size_1.jpg?resize=176%2C300&amp;ssl=1 176w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Martin_Size_1.jpg?resize=599%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 599w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Martin Size 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Vintage parlor guitars can be pricey, but certain originals by companies like Martin, Lyon and Healey, and Washburn can be found for a relative bargain\u2014it\u2019s not uncommon to see a late-1800s Martin with Brazilian rosewood back and sides for several thousand dollars, or a comparable Washburn for a bit less. But while those prices might be attractive to collectors, there are some obstacles in preparing the instruments for modern playability\u2014especially considering that many of the guitars were originally built for nylon strings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, not only is the typical 1800s or early-1900s parlor guitar insufficiently sturdy to accommodate a medium-gauge or heavier set of steel strings, the footprint of its bridge is too small to house the slanted saddles needed for the spot-on intonation of steel strings. But the guitars can be transformed into great players. \u201cWe tend to make these older guitars quite playable by resetting the neck angle and getting the frets perfectly leveled, the action set just right,\u201d guitar dealer Schoenberg says. \u201cMost of them do fine with pretty light steel strings, unlike the typical modern guitar on which heavy strings are needed just to pull the sound out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Provided that it\u2019s receptive to a modern setup, a good parlor guitar will have a sweet sound that is well-balanced between the registers, and even a healthy amount of volume and projection. \u201cPractically every day we have customers who are absolutely blown away by the sounds that emerge from these instruments,\u201d Schoenberg says. \u201cBut the truth is, with such a small size, it\u2019s easy to drive the top and enjoy a greater frequency range, especially in the high end. People just assume that a small instrument will make a small sound\u2014even though a Gibson mandolin, for instance, is incredibly loud. The nicest parlor guitars actually have a big, full sound\u20141800s Martins are some of the best-sounding steel guitars ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Brazilian rosewood being used less often and costing much more on new instruments, finding an old parlor guitar might seem like a great way to access this prized tonewood. But old or so-called good wood doesn\u2019t necessarily make a fine-sounding instrument, as evidenced in the varying sonic merits of those small early guitars made from Brazilian rosewood. \u201cIt\u2019s interesting how Washburn and other companies used what we now consider to be really fine materials on cheap guitars,\u201d Schoenberg says. \u201cMany of them were just sort of student-grade, and they can really run the gamut. Some sound great; others, not so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/reverb.grsm.io\/ag?query=Recording%20King%20RPH-P2-TS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/rph-p2-ts_body.png?resize=1000%2C1000&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Recording King RPH-P2-TS parlor guitar\" class=\"wp-image-116111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/rph-p2-ts_body.png?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/rph-p2-ts_body.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/rph-p2-ts_body.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/rph-p2-ts_body.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/rph-p2-ts_body.png?resize=500%2C500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/rph-p2-ts_body.png?resize=125%2C125&amp;ssl=1 125w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/rph-p2-ts_body.png?resize=50%2C50&amp;ssl=1 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/reverb.grsm.io\/ag?query=Recording%20King%20RPH-P2-TS\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/reverb.grsm.io\/ag?query=Recording%20King%20RPH-P2-TS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Recording King RPH-P2-TS<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"best-parlor-guitars\">2025 Buyer&#8217;s Guide<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are ten parlor and small-size guitars ranging from budget models to high-end instruments. One of these might be the best parlor guitar for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3a3LKiJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fender CP-60S<\/a><br>Street price: $209.99<br>With its 24.75-inch scale length, the CP-60S is designed for the beginner with smaller hands, but it\u2019s a fun guitar for a musician of any ability and mitt size to play.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3D4KvgF\">Gretsch G9520E Gin Rickey<\/a><br>Street price: &nbsp;$279<br>Reviewer&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/acoustic-guitar-review-gretsch-g9520e-gin-rickey-is-a-secret-tone-weapon\/\">Nick Millevoi reports<\/a>&nbsp;that this unique model is \u201cexactly what it claims to be: a low-cost guitar that\u2019s meant for fun, is comfortable to hold, and sounds great.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/33xHHsr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alvarez AP66SHB<\/a><br>Street price: $489.99<br>With its slotted headstock and Shadowburst gloss finish, the affordable AP66SHB cuts a handsome figure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3zzAwkH\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3zzAwkH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PRS SE Parlor P20E<\/a>&nbsp;<br>Street price: $649<br><a href=\"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/guitar-review-prs-punchy-tonare-parlor-se-p20e-evokes-a-bygone-era-at-a-budget-price\/\">According to writer James Rotondi<\/a>, this guitar \u201cevokes the spirit, sound, and form factor of a classic parlor while bearing the undeniable imprint of PRS\u2019 signature aesthetics and playability.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4lxPyfT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Martin 012-28 Modern Deluxe<\/a><br>Street price: $4,599<br>It might be a stretch to call the 012-28 Modern Deluxe a parlor, but this 12-fret beauty is Martin\u2019s smallest full-sized guitar. With its spruce VTS top, dovetail neck joint, and protein-glue construction, it delivers that aged-in Martin richness, while the flamed maple binding, gold frets, and pearl \u201930s-style logo set it apart visually. Add in Liquidmetal bridge pins, a carbon-fiber bridgeplate, and a slightly asymmetrical neck carve, and you\u2019ve got a small-bodied guitar that feels as forward-thinking as it does traditional.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/fraulini.com\/models\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fraulini Guitar Co. Loretta<\/a><br>Price: From $3,750<br>The Loretta is the luthier Todd Cambio\u2019s tribute to the ladder-braced parlor guitars built in Chicago in the early 1900s by companies like Lyon &amp; Healy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/reverb.grsm.io\/ag?query=Froggy%20Bottom%20Model%20L\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/reverb.grsm.io\/ag?query=Froggy%20Bottom%20Model%20L\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Froggy Bottom Model L<\/a><br>Price: From $7,645<br>After Froggy Bottom\u2019s founder, Michael Millard, repaired an old Martin 1-17 by replacing its trashed top, everyone in his shop was so impressed by the guitar\u2019s stunning voice that the company incorporated the parlor-sized Model L into its line.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/santacruzguitar.com\/pj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Santa Cruz Guitar Company PJ<\/a><br>Price: From $9,760<br>Before 2019, Santa Cruz\u2019s refined take on a parlor guitar cam standard with a Sitka spruce top, but the instrument is now available in a wide range of tonewoods and custom appointments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/reverb.grsm.io\/ag?query=bourgeois%20piccolo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bourgeois Piccolo Parlor<\/a><br>Price: From $6,699<br>Bourgeois\u2019 smallest guitar, the Piccolo Parlor has a 25-inch scale fretboard and a full and dynamic voice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/reverb.grsm.io\/ag?query=collings%20parlor%20series\" target=\"_blank\">Collings Parlor Series<\/a><br>Price: From $6,025<br>As with all Collings instruments, those in the recent Parlor series, including the 1 T and 2H T, are meticulously crafted and can be ordered with a variety of tonewood and decorative options.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The article originally appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/collections\/digital-archive-bundles\/products\/digital-archive-2015\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/collections\/digital-archive-bundles\/products\/digital-archive-2015\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">June 2015<\/a> issue of <em>Acoustic Guitar<\/em> magazine. The Buyer&#8217;s Guide section was last updated on September 12, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/acoustic-guitar-owners-manual?utm_source=article&amp;utm_medium=link&amp;utm_term=article_linking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Acoustic-Guitar-Owners-Manual.png?resize=600%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-110581\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Acoustic-Guitar-Owners-Manual.png?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Acoustic-Guitar-Owners-Manual.png?resize=300%2C100&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:14px\">Please note this post contains affiliate links, meaning\u00a0<em>Acoustic Guitar<\/em>\u00a0will earn a small commission (at no cost to you) when you click through and make a purchase. We do not accept payment in exchange for editorial coverage; products are reviewed independently by <em>Acoustic Guitar <\/em>editors. Thanks for your support!<br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/support-acoustic-guitar\/\">And, to learn more about how you can support this site, please click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interest in small-bodied parlor guitars\u2014precursors to the bulky modern dreadnought\u2014is skyrocketing. Learn all about these guitars, why players love them, and which model could be right for you. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":122205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"A parlor guitar is a compact and narrow-waisted instrument, generally smaller than Martin's single 0 size. The name comes from the rooms in which the guitar was typically played in the late 19th century. ","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1669],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[1541],"class_list":["post-116106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gear-guides"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/parlor-guitar-models-fender-alvarez-washburn-martin.png?fit=1116%2C615&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":1541,"user_id":24,"is_guest":0,"slug":"adam-perlmutterstringletter-com","display_name":"Adam Perlmutter","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Adam-Perlmutter.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Adam-Perlmutter.jpg"},"author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"Perlmutter","first_name":"Adam","job_title":"","description":"Adam Perlmutter holds a bachelor of music degree from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and a master's degree in Contemporary Improvisation from the New England Conservatory. He is the editor of <i>Acoustic Guitar<\/i>."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116106"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116106\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148710,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116106\/revisions\/148710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116106"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=116106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}