Finding the best parlor guitar with that full acoustic sound isn’t always easy. Acoustic parlour guitars are smaller than traditional acoustic guitars, but they typically have the same scale length. In other words, it’s a full-sized guitar with a smaller body.
Parlor guitars go back to the 1950s when folk and blues guitarists preferred them because their smaller body shapes made them more portable and easier to bring on the road. They were also cheaper than regular acoustic guitar back in the day as well. Today parlor-style guitars have amazing tone because they are made of high-quality tone woods. They make a great guitar for anyone who wants a smaller, more comfortable body shape, like Ed Sheeran, or just something smaller to travel with.
Let’s check out some of the most popular, top-rated parlor guitars and compare their specs, features, pros, and cons, so you can find the right one for your playing styles.
Compare the Top Parlor Acoustic Guitars in 2021
Contents
- 1 Compare the Top Parlor Acoustic Guitars in 2021
- 1.1 Baby Taylor BT2 Acoustic Guitar
- 1.2 Martin LX1E Acoustic-Electric Parlor Guitar
- 1.3 Yamaha CSF1M Acoustic Guitar
- 1.4 Gretsch G5021E Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- 1.5 Fender CP-60S Parlor Acoustic Guitar
- 1.6 Ibanez PN15 Acoustic Guitar
- 1.7 Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top
- 1.8 Luna Gypsy Muse Acoustic Guitar
- 1.9 Blueridge BR-341 Acoustic Guitar
- 2 What We Recommend and Why
Here is a list of the best parlor guitars on the market today that are built from quality tonewoods and sound great!
- Baby Taylor BT2
- Martin LX1E Parlor Guitar
- Yamaha CSF1M
- Gretsch G5021E
- Fender CP-60S
- Ibanez PN15
- Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top
- Luna Gypsy Muse
- Blueridge BR-341
Baby Taylor BT2 Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Taylor Guitars has been associated with some very good quality acoustic guitars, such that musicians now expect nothing but the best from the brand. Better known for high-end guitars, it offers some good quality mid-range ones like this Baby Taylor BT2 Acoustic Guitar.
As far as parlor or travel guitars go, this is one of the top rated ones. Unlike most travel or parlor guitars, though quite compact in size, this one is slightly larger with its standard dreadnought body design.
The top of this guitar is made of solid mahogany while the back and sides are made of layered sapele. The neck is made of sapele with a rosewood fingerboard.
Taylor’s expected quality of craftsmanship is pretty clear as the guitar almost has a handmade-like quality.
The tone you get from this guitar is warm while also sparkling with clarity and definition. The volume it also generates from its dreadnought body belies its smaller size. It gives you the tonal quality you expect from a Taylor.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – It has a warm, clear and well-defined tone with good volume.
- Craftsmanship – It’s very well-made.
- Playability – It’s quite easy to play.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Layered back and sides – This may be a turn off for some.
Bottom Line
When you need a parlor or travel guitar that can rub shoulders with the very best, this is the guitar you turn to. Many regard this baby Taylor as one of the best in its class. Thankfully, it is quite affordable.
Martin LX1E Acoustic-Electric Parlor Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Martin Guitars has for almost two centuries been one of the best manufacturers of acoustic guitars. This particular guitar, the LX1e also known as Little Martin is the smallest guitar from the brand and includes an electronic section for easy amplification. It’s an ideal parlor of travel guitar that delivers a volume that is bigger than it.
The body of this guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top and a back and sides made of high pressure laminate mahogany. The neck is made of mahogany while the fretboard appears to be made of ebony.
For the electronic section, it features a Fishman Sonitone pickup system. This comes with controls like the pre-set EQ and contour switch that help you clean up and fine tune the sound to your taste.
Anyone who loves the Martin sound will love this guitar’s tone because it simply delivers this tone. Plugged in, you can tweak the controls to achieve different tonal options. This is similar to Ed Sheeran Martin Guitar.
While this may not be a performance guitar, it can sure make your play a lot more fun.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – It offers a tone you can associate with a Martin.
- Build – Looks well-built.
- Playability – The smooth neck and overall size makes it easy to play.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Back and sides – The laminate material used may be a minus.
Bottom Line
This guitar is great as a travel, parlor of beginner guitar. It offers good tonal options and will be easy for a wide range of persons to play.
Yamaha CSF1M Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Yamaha as always knows how to ensure it caters to the needs of different classes and levels of musicians. The CSF1M is one of Yamaha’s offering to the travel or parlor guitar market. With a scale length 34mm less than the standard size, it still plays and sounds almost like a full-size guitar.
The top is made of solid Sitka spruce while the back and sides are made of laminate mahogany. The C shape neck is also made of mahogany and the finish is so smooth that playing on it is easy and fun.
The tone you get from this guitar is very open and rich. Though not as loud as what you will get from a full-size guitar, it is plenty enough for what it is called – a parlor or travel guitar.
For more performance options, it comes with a passive pickup which makes it easy to plug into an amplifier.
Whether you are an experienced player looking for a parlor or travel guitar or you are searching for something a child or adult with small hands can learn on, this is a good one to consider.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – Rich and open.
- Playability – Fun and easy to play.
- Gig bag – Comes with a hard gig bag.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Back and sides – Made of laminate mahogany.
Bottom Line
This is an affordable guitar that offers great value and can serve a wide range of uses. It can be the ideal travel, parlor or beginner guitar.
Gretsch G5021E Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
With more than 130 years on the music scene, Gretsch is one of those really experienced musical instrument manufacturing companies in America. Seeing the design of the Gretsch G5021E comes as no surprise because the brand loves reaching into the past to relive some of its memories.
Every aspect of this retro-style guitar is designed to be outstanding. It features a solid spruce top and laminated maple back and sides. The U shaped neck is made of solid maple with a rosewood fretboard on which are 20 frets.
Going with the general retro theme, the sound hole is triangular in shape mimicking the brand’s 1950s Rancher guitars. The paint job is also very retro and the Casino Gold finish as well as the silver sparkle binding all around the guitar ensures that it will always stand out.
Further adding to its value is the Fishman Presys III system that provides more performance options. The system includes a piezo pickup and a good quality preamp. For controls, you have a volume control, 3-band EQ and an on-board tuner.
This is a well-built guitar that offers great visual value as well as a well-balanced tone.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – Nicely balanced.
- Design – Outstanding, retro look.
- Electronics – Good quality.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- The back and sides are made of laminates.
Bottom Line
If you love retro or stand-out guitars then you will likely love this too. It’s one of those guitars that attract attention. Thankfully, it also offers a well-balanced tone.
Fender CP-60S Parlor Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
As Fender continues to make its impact felt in the acoustic guitar scene, it is ensuring it presents guitars in the different acoustic categories.
The Fender CP-60S is its contribution to the parlor guitar category. This model replaces the CP-100 which it no longer produces.
Let’s see what this offers.
The body of this guitar consists of a solid spruce top and mahogany laminate sides and back. The body sports a glossy finish which combines nicely with the binding and rosette, resulting in a truly lovely piece of equipment.
It has a 24.75” scale length neck that is made of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard on which are 20 frets. The neck also has a glossy finish and is quite easy to play. Thanks to Fender’s rolled neck design.
Other hardware that contributes to the smooth functioning of this guitar includes the sealed chrome tuning machines and rosewood bridge, which ensure easy tuning and stability respectively.
As with most modern parlor guitars, the CP06S delivers more volume than older parlor guitars can. Its tone is tight and pretty much focused. You may just notice a little prominence of the mid-range.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – It has a tight and focused tone.
- Playability – It’s easy and fun to play.
- Build – It’s lovely and well-built.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Nut and Saddle – These are sadly made of plastic.
Bottom Line
This is very lovely guitar that offers great tonal, visual and comfort value. Best of all, the price is really affordable.
Ibanez PN15 Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Many musicians know that Ibanez makes some great guitars and basses. What many may however not know is that they also offer some good quality acoustic guitars.
The PN15 is one of such acoustic guitars. This is a parlor size acoustic guitar. A close look at the size will however reveal that it is a bit bigger than other parlor size guitars. This may be an advantage or disadvantage depending on who you ask. One thing the slightly bigger body however achieves is more sound projection.
The guitar has a top made of laminate spruce and a back and sides made of laminate mahogany. These are finished in high-gloss mellow brown sunburst which gives it a kind of traditional look.
The neck is made of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard that has 18 frets on it. The neck has a gloss finish.
The hardware that come with the guitar are just good enough to get the job done. These include the stock tuning machines, Advantage bridge pins, nandu bridge, and an Ivorex II nut and saddle.
This guitar offers a tone that is open and well projected.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – Well-built for its level. It also looks lovely.
- Tone – It has an open and well projected tone.
- Playability – Offers a good level playability.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Material – All laminate.
Bottom Line
This is a good guitar for someone taking beginner guitar lessons or anyone who just needs something small for casual playing. It offers good value for the price.
Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top
Specs, features, and benefits
This is another Gretsch so we should be ready to take a trip down memory lane. Back in the 1930s and many years after that, anyone who wanted parlor or beginner guitar was almost going to get a Gretsch Rex. That was “THE” guitar in that class back then.
Fast forward to today and Gretsch is reinventing that guitar and offering it as the G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top.
This vintage style guitar has its top, sides and back all made of agathis laminate. The body sports a vintage semi-gloss finish on top of the super-retro Chieftan Red Burst color.
The C shaped neck is made of nato and the fretboard, which holds 18 frets, is made of rosewood. In keeping with the retro styling, at the end of the neck you have a 50s-style Gretsch headstock.
Other hardware components you will find in this guitar include a set of open-gear die-cast tuning machines, a rosewood bridge, and a compensated saddle.
This is a well-made guitar especially for its price. The good build coupled with the sweet and somewhat boxy tone it offers makes it a good buy for a beginner guitarist and other users.
Pros and Highlights
- Build – It is lovely and well-built.
- Tone – Has a sweet tone.
- Playability – Easy to play neck.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Setup – Requires setup.
Bottom Line
This is another well-made and affordable guitar that will adequately serve a beginner, adult with small hands or anyone who needs a simple guitar for casual play.
Luna Gypsy Muse Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Luna Guitars has always been focused on offering guitars that are of good quality and also affordable. This is a good thing for beginners and casual players as it makes it easier for them to get instruments of reasonable quality.
The Luna Gypsy Muse Parlor Acoustic Guitar from the brand’s Gypsy series is one such offering. It features an all mahogany construction – mahogany top, sides, back and neck. The fretboard is however made of walnut and holds 20 frets.
Adding some ornamental value to the guitar are the brand’s signature inlays – mother-of-pearl moon phase – and the Celtic Knot rosette which adorns the soundhole. For hardware, it comes with sealed die-cast tuning machines, a rosewood bridge and D’Addario EXP16 coated strings.
Looking at the side of the guitar, you are likely to think it is an acoustic-electric because of the electronic panel you will find there. This is simply a built-in digital tuner which is surely a lovely addition.
This guitar offers a tone that is cheerful, bright and clear. Considering its size, its projection is also decent.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – It has cheerful, bright tone.
- Build – It’s very lovely and well-built.
- Case – It comes with a gig bag.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Material – It is an all-laminate construction.
Bottom Line
This is one well-made guitar that a beginner as well as an experienced player can enjoy. Looking at the quality and the price at which it is sold, it is more or less a steal.
Blueridge BR-341 Acoustic Guitar
Specs, features, and benefits
Saga Music, owners of the Blueridge brand have consistently sought ways to improve the quality of their offerings. The BR-341 was inspired by the quality of instruments produced in the aftermath of the 1906 great San Francisco quake. This guitar is a celebration of that same spirit of creativity.
This is a solidly build parlor guitar with an all-solid wood construction. It features a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany sides and back.
The neck is also made of mahogany while the fretboard is made of ebony. The performance improvement that this fretboard brings is amazing.
The hardware that comes with it maintains the same high standards we have seen so far. These include Gotoh vintage slotted peghead style tuning machines that really get the job done, a rosewood bridge plus bone nut and saddle.
The guitar has a lovely natural high gloss finish and combining with the tortoise soundhole rings and matching binding, it presents an understated elegance that is to be expected from a well-made guitar.
Hearing the sound of this guitar without seeing it, you wouldn’t believe that it is a parlor guitar. It has a punch and resonance that is lovely plus a warmth that is soothing.
Pros and Highlights
- Tone – Has an amazing tone with lots of resonance and warmth.
- Build – Well built.
- Playability – Enhanced playability.
Cons and Potential Flaws
- Price – Costs more than many it its class.
Bottom Line
If you need a high-end and top performing parlor guitar, look no further than this.
What We Recommend and Why
After carefully considering the nine guitars on this list, we could not but choose the Blueridge BR-341 Acoustic Guitar as our To Parlor Acoustic Guitar. Despite being the most expensive of the lot, the value it offers fully justifies its cost. It delivers in all compartments – tone, build, playability and appearance.