The Larrivee P-05 Mahogany is classed as a Parlor guitar, with a small body and shorter (24 inch or 610mm) scale length. The compact size of these instruments helps them in tighter spaces – for example, Col. Chris Hadfield took a Larrivee P-01 aboard the International Space Station. The Parlor format was popular in the late 1th century and into the early 20th, when ensemble players started to compete for volume against other players and much louder instruments, particularly banjos.
Ebony
Here we have the brand-new Fintan McEnroe MC18 F-style mandolin from Fintan McEnroe, working in Toronto but originally from Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, Ireland. The ‘18’ in the name refers to the mandolin serial number and production sequence. This fine instrument was very recently finished, in August of 2023.
The Collings 0002H is a 12-fret neck model combining the larger 000 size Sitka Spruce and Indian Rosewood body with a fairly long 25.5 inch (647.7mm) scale length. Here we’re looking at a well preserved Collings 0002H, built during October of 1999 at the Collings shop in Austin, Texas.
The fantastic piece seen here is a Bacon & Day Montana Silver Bell No.4 Tenor banjo, built during October 1927 in Groton, Connecticut. This model was available in both the longer Plectrum and shorter Tenor scale lengths.
The Larrivee J-25 follows the successful Jumbo 12-string design, used to great success by Guild and based on the Gibson super jumbo body originating in the late 1930s. This example of Larrivee J-25 production dates to January 29, 1990 and was built in Victoria, British Columbia. The model number identifies it as a J body – Jumbo – in 25 trim, with Sitka Spruce top and Indian Rosewood back and sides
Currently named the ‘Tennessee Rose’, the Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean 6119 first appeared in 1958, and for 1961 gained the closed, thin ElectroTone body. Chet Atkins had been urging Gretsch to take steps to reduce feedback on their hollow body designs, especially after Gibson introduced the center-block ES335 in 1958.