Yamaha CSF1M Vintage Natural

Product Information

If you can shell out a few extra dollars, you can also opt for the all-solid variant which sounds more like a larger guitar. Its shoulders aren’t too slim, which allows a well-rounded, warm, and full tone. It’s positively surprising considering this parlor is a budget option. What I don’t like 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.

With individual piezo-electric elements for each string, the rich sound of the CSF is reproduced faithfully so you sound great whether you’re playing plugged-in or unplugged. Distinct Tone: As we’ve mentioned, Parlor guitars produce a clear mid-range tone that can shine beautifully in acoustic guitar recordings, and can well become a musician’s signature tone. This rich and balanced sound works really well if you’re playing blues, folk, bluegrass, and especially fingerstyle (more on that below).Brand: When it comes to Parlor guitars, we’ve seen that the more experienced and reputed the maker, the better the craftsmanship and sound. Because Parlor guitars are so small in size, the brand crafting it has to be very smart about its design, components, bracing, and overall craftsmanship to get the loudest projection and the best tone possible out of it. And we’ve seen that experienced brands are well-versed in this department, as are some of the up and coming, passionate young boutique brands. Intimate Performances: Parlor guitars were originally built to play loudly in an unamplified, indoor setting. This is why these guitars are a perfect choice if you’re playing to a small, intimate audience. 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. The resonance of a particular guitar largely depends on its size. As a rule of thumb, a dreadnaught will resonate better than a 0-size concert. Since parlor guitars are even smaller, most of them fail to compare with their bulkier cousins, at least when it comes to resonance—and that’s where this Alvarez outstrips its competition. It offers a generous amount of resonance, paired with a more vibrant, stronger, and fuller sound. What I don’t like

Not only will the volume be more than enough to travel across the room, but the clear, balanced, resonant tone you’ll get will be unparalleled in such a small size. The performance and build rise above any niche concept and it could be an instrument you keep returning to both at home and away, albeit something you may treasure too much to risk denting at that campfire sing-along.

Big ideas from this small-bodied travel acoustic guitar

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 This parlor is manufactured in Asia and designed by an English brand – Tanglewood. The build quality is impeccable, the design is ergonomic, and the aesthetics are simply breathtaking. What’s there to not like? Key Features The design is relatively lightweight and compact, which means you can take it with you and play anywhere—and yes, that also includes an occasional small gig. The action is low, and it’s easier to wrap your arms around its body, which makes it reasonably comfortable too. You probably won’t need to make a lot of tweaks. It should be playable right out of the box.

The Parlor guitar is a small-bodied guitar that emerged in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Unlike a classical guitar, it was strung up with steel strings and came to America from Europe. The guitar gets its ‘Parlor’ tag mainly because it was used usually for intimate performances at home or small public Parlors. 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 Overall Build and Design: By looking at the way the C9 Parlor is built, it’s easy to see why it’s such a beautiful sounding guitar. Its all-solid construction, Spanish heel construction style, and bracing style all are masterful techniques to bring the best possible sound out of the guitar. The vintage elegance is quite admirable in its design – the cedarwood and solid mahogany body has a wonderful natural brown, high gloss finish, along with glimmering and tasteful mother-of-pearl weave rosettes. The Yamaha CSF1M electro-acoustic guitar, seen here in a great looking Vintage Tint, defies expectations you have of smaller-size acoustic guitars and comes at a great price. Great Playability, Great ValueSolid Sitka Spruce forms the top of the CSF 1M, Sitka Spruce being a real go-to tonewood when it comes to acoustic guitar tops and extremely popular due to its beautiful resonance, projection and rich tones. 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 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. I’ve included some of the best parlor guitars in my roundup that won’t cost you a small fortune, but if you can afford them, high-end parlor guitars will sound and age better than most budget options. Final Thoughts While travel guitars are shaped like regular acoustics but in a smaller size, Parlor guitars are longer and thinner in comparison to acoustic guitars.