The reason Parlor guitars were so popular in the early 1900s was their extraordinary ability to play at loud volumes while unamplified, and produce rich tones in spite of their small body. The Yamaha’s CSF1M is geared towards performance and build, and it does not disappoint. It distinguishes itself from other parlors since it doesn’t have that boxy tone you’ve come to associate with compact travel-size acoustics. Key Features Unlike most parlor manufacturers which have only recently jumped into the parlor resurgence ring, Gretsch’s parlor guitars have been around for more than nine decades. Even though their line of parlor guitars is iconic, they’re still budget-friendly. The G9500 is no exception. Key Features Credit subject to status and affordability. Terms & Conditions Apply. Guitar Guitar Limited is a credit broker and is Authorised Owing to their fabulous workmanship, superb sound, and great playability, Blueridge’s guitars can go toe-to-toe with high-end brands like Martin or Taylor, but what makes them different from these premium manufacturers is the fact that you can get your hands on a Blueridge for a fraction of a Martin’s price. Key Features

Included with the Yamaha CSF1M is a hard bag so you can protect your guitar during transport and storage. Perfect For Fingerstyle Guitarists: If you’re a fingerstyle guitarist, then playing a Parlor guitar will feel like a gift from heaven. This is because a Parlor guitar’s small body requires a lot less force to produce a crystal clear, rich, loud tone with your fingers.

With an affordable price tag and on-board electronics, Yahama’s CSF1M is probably one of the most popular parlor-sized hybrids on the market today, and for a good reason. The design is a no-nonsense classic with a natural high gloss finish, but you can also opt for a tobacco sunburst finish if you favor a more old-school look.

Several of the brands we’ve included in our list were actually around when the Parlor guitars were first pioneered, so they’ve lived through that era. However, that is not to say that newer brands can’t make great Parlor guitars. Whether legacy brands or boutique ones, it all boils down to the knowledge and thought you put into the design. What is a Parlor Guitar? My Review: We did say we’ll include guitars for ALL budgets, so it’s only fair to include the best of the best in here, even though it may prove to be quite pricey for many of us. Say hello to the Gibson Modern EC Parlor. If you do plan to shell out a pretty penny over your Parlor, then do it on a guitar like this one, because it will be well worth it.

For your consideration

The tone is boxy, and there are certainly better options in terms of tonal quality, but that’s to be expected from a low-end model, like this one. Pros My Review: Crafted with all-solid wood, the tone, playability, and aesthetics of the Blueridge BR 341 puts it up there as one of the best. This Parlor guitar is part of the brand’s popular Historic series that is known to be comfortable to hold, easy to play and deliver a bright, crisp tone. If you have a generous budget in mind and are looking for a piece that doesn’t compromise on a single element of a Parlor guitar, then do explore the Blueridge BR 341.

Finally, last but definitely not least, we recommend the Fender CP-60S, the Dean AXS, and the Ibanez PN15 as the best sounding budget-friendly guitars, be it for beginners or experienced musicians. That being said, you probably won’t have any complaints with the sound. It’s surprisingly rich and full for a laminated body. Additionally, it’s drop-dead gorgeous and relatively easy to play. Good stuff. What I don’t like Now, coming to the Transacoustic part – to be honest, we were *pretty* excited when we first got our hands on the CSF-TA. Simply because we’d already heard so much about the brand’s Transacoustic technology that lets you tweak reverb and chorus without needing to plug in your guitar. We hadn’t tried it as yet and weren’t sure if it would live up to the hype. Well, we gave it a go and weren’t disappointed. Overall Build and Design: Luna is a brand that’s famed for taking special care in the visual aesthetics of their guitar, and they’ve done it again with the Gypsy Muse Parlor guitar. The classic elongated Parlor shape is in a dark, deep brown mahogany shade in an open-pore finish, which adds a satiny smooth feel to it. The intricate design around the soundhole is lasered onto the body. Playability wise, this model sits quite comfortably and is easy to play for beginners and experienced musicians alike. Overall Build and Design: The Gibson Modern EC has one of the most well-designed bodies we’ve come across, and with this model, the god is in the details. Once you’re done fawning over its vintage style body, mother of pearl inlay, and sunburst finish, you’ll see that it has used a traditional, hand-scalloped X-bracing. This style not only offers more support to the body than other bracing techniques but also makes for one of the most flexible and responsive soundboards.

Body & Neck

The fretboard is choice ebony, which minimizes fret noise and gives you a smoother experience. The sound and the warm basses, in particular, would give you a feeling that you’re strumming a dreadnaught, not a travel size. What I don’t like Whether a high-end dreadnought or an affordable travel guitar, you can always rely on Yamaha to have a model to offer – and the parlor guitar market is no different. Part of the newly released CSF Series, the CSF1M is an affordable electro-acoustic parlor guitar that is well on its way to becoming one of the most popular parlors on the market. Let’s see why. Although there’s debate on the exact definition, a Parlor guitar is widely accepted to mean a small-bodied acoustic guitar that’s narrower than current standards. If you want to get even more specific, then Parlor guitars are all those that are smaller in size than the size 0 concert guitar sold by Martin & co, the legendary guitar crafters. Even though this Fender’s volume won’t rival a dreadnaught’s, it still has enough volume for playing indoors and offers affordability to boot. Key Features

This Gretsch would make a great addition to any guitarist’s collection. It’s great for those impromptu strumming sessions, and since it’s so affordable, it would make a perfect first guitar if you’re a beginner. Overall Rating: 4.7/5 My Review: Founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, Gretch is one of the oldest guitar makers in the business. Even though the Jim Dandy Flat Top Parlor is modestly priced, Gretsch has made sure that it offers a lovely warm tone that’s quite versatile. Thanks to a good combination of affordability and quality, this model is a good Parlor guitar to start with for beginners, and especially if you’re on a tight budget. Even a budget parlor with on-board electronics will sound almost as good as a dreadnaught when you feed it to an amp. If you’re a beginner, you don’t need fancy electronics just yet, and a simple acoustic will do just fine. Budget On the other hand, other Parlor guitars have a slightly more balanced shape where the bottom half is only slightly wider than the top. While a wider lower half adds slightly more bass to the tone, a more balanced body shape will have more of a mid-range tone. While these effects may be minimal, they’re important to keep in mind. It may be easy to confuse a travel guitar for a Parlor and vice versa. But if you pay attention, there are small but crucial differences between the two.

Success

It’s not just the aesthetics; the sound is also a nod to classical acoustic guitars. It’s punchy, sparkly, and immaculately clean. The tones are well-rounded, far better than vintage acoustics. What I don’t like Thanks to being cleverly designed, even a tiny Parlor guitar projected loud, distinct, resonant tones – a quality that was greatly appreciated by musicians frequently playing in indoor and outdoor Parlor settings, as well as doing so unamplified. This makes for butter-smooth playing with minimal exertion. In contrast, large body guitars like dreadnoughts require fingerstyle players to exert a lot of force to be able to get the same volume. The system utilises individual piezoelectric elementsfor each string to faithfully reproduce the rich sound of the CSF1M Buy the Yamaha CSF1M electro-acoustic guitar now to get the great, focused tone of a smaller guitar with the playability of a larger guitar. Yamaha CSF1M Electro-Acoustic Vintage Tint Specs: