Parlor Guitars (Parlour)

acutejam

OK, so nobody has really confirmed it, but I'm convinced Eddie was playing something like a Martin O-18 [edit: he was indeed, that's his big brown guitar, doh! confirmed the small one was a Size 5 Mini Martin "Terz"] on the recent solo tour -- doesn't quite match what I've seen from 50s-90s (those primarily have pickguards), different sound hole decal, color, etc. It might actually be one of the early 1900s versions (I've seen a 1920s one that had a soundhole decal, no pickguard -- but the "classical" slotted headstock)! Of course alterations can be done, but, I'd love to know what ya'll think! (Elvis had an O-18!) Here's the pic, dimensions look exactly like an O-18 or new Size 5 Mini Martin:
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/04/03/eddie-vedder-digs-deep-into-song-shirt-archives-in-vancouver/

So yeah, now I'm totally hooked on Parlor Guitars, nice change of pace from my Martin Dread, and was down at Guitar Center checkin' them out (yes, I'm very impressionable, instrumentality-wise)! Then I've been pouring through google searches and acoustic guitar forums checkin more info out and have compiled that here, for you, the awesomeness that is the PJ Musicians and Gearheads forum!

Wiki: Parlor (Parlour) guitar usually refers to smaller-bodied guitars that had peak popularity between the late 19th century until the 1950's. The defining feature in terms of classification is the size of the instrument, defined as smaller than that of a concert guitar. Many blues and folk musicians have used smaller-bodied guitars, which were often more affordable, mass production models.

I have seen them referred to as: "classic 12-fret O-size body" a scale length usually under 24 (Martin's is 21, but I'm not sure you can definte Parlor on scale length alone), and to finding "european parlors from 1850-1930" and guitars that "look a lot like early Martin OOS models." A man can dream!

A Definitive Parlor Today:
Size 5 Mini Martin - List: $3,899 (The O-18 discontinued in '95 I think.)
http://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/choosing/guitars.php?p=z&g=f&m=Size%205%20Mini%20Martin

One Can Dream:
Santa Cruz PJ - List: $3,350
http://www.santacruzguitar.com/acousticguitars/details/pj.html

Froggy Bottom P-12 - Price: $5,000+
http://www.froggybottomguitars.com/guitars/p12_model.html

The Most Often Cited Travelling Workhorse:
Larrivee P-05 - List: $1,648
http://www.larrivee.com/3_products/products_loadMovie/05%20series/P05/load%20movie/P05.html

The Pricebuster Alternative:
A&L AMI - List: $250
http://www.artandlutherieguitars.com/amis.htm

Some others:
Washburn R316SWR 125th Anniversary Parlor
http://www.washburn.com/products/acoustics/125/r316swr.aspx

Seagull Grand (12)
http://www.seagullguitars.com/productgrand.htm

Goodall Pacific
http://www.goodallguitars.com/pacific.htm

Tacoma P1 Papoose (The late '90s PM20 seems to be discountinued at $650 - $900)
http://www.tacomaguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0381400321

Blueridge BR-341 - List: $995
http://www.sagamusic.com/catalog/details.asp?ProductID=BR-341

Gibson 1937 L-00 - List: $6,919!!
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Divisions/Gibson%20Acoustic/Legends/1937%20L-00/

Fender GDP 100 Parlor - List: $300
http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0958901021

Takamine makes the Takamini!
http://www.takamine.com/?fa=series&sid=357

Ibanez DT10 Daytripper
http://www.ibanez.com/acoustic/guitar.aspx?m=DTMANT

Little Martin
Baby Taylor
K. Yairi Rag6 14-f guitar


Collings C-10 and 00 models? Not sure, but seen "Collings Parlors" talked about in the $3,500+ range of course.
They make a Baby Collings: http://www.collingsguitars.com/baby.htm

John Mays Guitars:
http://www.mayesguitars.com/canzonet.html

Brook Bovey Guitars:
http://www.celticguitartalk.com/assets/guitars/brook/index.shtml

David Fammang Guitars:
http://www.flammangguitars.com/guitars.htm

Martin 1961 O16-NY
And interesting read: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-General-649/Old-Martin-Guitar-1.htm

Read about Sting's Limited Edition Martin Size-5 here:
http://www.martinguitar.com/artists/display_artist.php?d=318

So yeah, shopping around for an O-18, but pretty sure I'm just gonna score the "Larry" at GC! Any thoughts? Any of you playing any of these?

Pacomc79

The Larrivee is my favorite.

mccreadyisgod

Proud owner of an Art & Lutherie Ami...

acutejam

Was in NY this week, went into Sam Ash on 48th.

In the very last case of the acoustic room, they have a Prototype Size 5 Martin "Terz" guitar. And a Larrivee P-09 hanging, so you can A/B them if yer in the area.

The prototype must be many years old, the strings are as black as ... well, damn black and oxidized, very old. So a tough A/B but heck, for half the price the Larrivee held up exceedingly well!

And this was definitely the "little guitar" that Ed was playin on his solo tour (yeah, only 2 months later):
http://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/choosing/guitars.php?p=z&z=f&m=5-15

Pacomc79

acutejam wrote:

Was in NY this week, went into Sam Ash on 48th.

In the very last case of the acoustic room, they have a Prototype Size 5 Martin "Terz" guitar. And a Larrivee P-09 hanging, so you can A/B them if yer in the area.

The prototype must be many years old, the strings are as black as ... well, damn black and oxidized, very old. So a tough A/B but heck, for half the price the Larrivee held up exceedingly well!

And this was definitely the "little guitar" that Ed was playin on his solo tour (yeah, only 2 months later):
http://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/choosing/guitars.php?p=z&z=f&m=5-15

lets see black strings on a martin... yeah I'd say it's been there about a week and a half. I think martin pulls thier strings out of the ocean before they install them at the factory.