The Eastman E20P SB is the sunburst finish version of a Parlor guitar – close to the ‘Single O’ body size dating to the end of the 19th century. As with many other models from this builder, the Eastman E20P uses all solid wood construction. The top is Adirondack Spruce, while the sides and back are Indian Rosewood. The body blocks and slotted-peghead 14 fret neck are Mahogany, with Ebony used for the pyramid style bridge and unbound fingerboard.
Parlor
One look at the small bodied Art & Lutherie Roadhouse Parlor guitar evokes images of the train hopping or hitch hiking musicians searching for their next stage to play on. Today this amazingly portable parlor model makes for the perfect cottage, campfire or perhaps just crash on your couch guitar. It has a solid spruce top which aids in the tone production and has a nice balance of warmth and top end sparkle.
Here is a lovely Boucher HG54 M Heritage Goose Parlor 12 Fret Guitar, built with a Torrefied Adirondack Spruce top and Indian Rosewood for the back and sides. Once a dominant guitar design, the Parlor style guitar’s popularity faded along with the banjo and the introduction of Jumbo or Dreadnought body sizes in the early 1930’s. Parlor guitars tend not to be particularly loud, but do offer even, rich tone. As more players become interested in solo finger styles, the Parlor design is becoming more attractive again and builders are offering high-quality takes, such as the Boucher HG54 M.
Around the start of the twentieth century, Lyon & Healy were one of the larger musical instrument builders in the USA, with Washburn being one of their brands. This Lyon & Healy Washburn Oak parlor guitar, built in Chicago in the 1920s, is an example of the instruments available at that time. It features a ladder-braced Spruce top and Oak for the sides and back. The heavily V shaped neck with slotted peghead is likely Poplar, while the fingerboard is a dyed, hard and tight grained wood like Maple.
This instrument has sold
MORE →The Collings C10 Deluxe parlor guitar is a small bodied model, based on instruments that were common before the launch of the dreadnought and jumbo models, which rapidly took over in the 1930s. This type of guitar provides a very balanced tone. The C10 Deluxe pairs a Sitka Spruce top with Indian Rosewood for the sides and back. The neck and body blocks are Honduran Mahogany, with Ebony used for the bridge, bound head plate and bound fingerboard.
This instrument has sold
MORE →Here we’re looking at a Gibson Robert Johnson L-1 sunburst guitar, dated to January 11 2005 at the Gibson Acoustics shop in Bozeman, Montana under supervision of master luthier Ren Ferguson. Built like an early 1930’s L-1, this guitar features a scallop-braced Sitka Spruce top, with Mahogany for the sides, back, body blocks and neck. The 12-fret fingerboard and bridge are Ebony on this example.
This instrument has sold
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