I've been playing guitar for around 8 years I'd say and went for the body size that I'd heard of as my first choice... dreadnought, Faith Saturn Natural. I then decided I wanted to have something small and comfortable to use on the settee so in came a travel size guitar, a Faith Nomad Mini Saturn which has been played to death as it is so easy to pick up, the sound is clearly affected by the diminished size but I do tune in to it. 12 months ago I thought the perfect size would be something in between and was thinking about a parplour size guitar when I spotted a Taylor GT Urban Ash for sale on our forum which I bought and enjoy very much but I was still hankering after a parlour style so very bought Harley Benton CLP-15ME SolidWood.
I generally only play at home or occassionally at a mates house and I'm finding I rarely pick up the dreadnought, though when I do I really enjoy the sound overall I'd say it is the best sounding of the 4 but I don't enjoy the physical size.
Up until a few weeks ago playing was spread between the travel guitar and the Taylor, one up stairs and one down both really comfortable though the sound is so, so much better from the Taylor.
Then along came the disrupter, the parlour guitar, the cheapest of the lot. It is so comfortable and the sound is great to my ears, a quite different (fuller than I expected) sound to the Taylor. Basically the travel guitar has been usurped!
I may end up having two of my beloved adopted, which would break my heart in one sense, though in another I'd sooner them be used rather than gathering dust. There's no rush to move on and writing this is part of my therapy!
Have you gone through a similar process? How did it end for you? Any regerets?
What size if any did you settle on? Or have you not?
Comments
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
But I like variety. I have two huge jumbos, a dred, two GAs, a Trad, an 808, and a 00. I don't have a parlour. I dare say I will one day, though they tend to be tinny little things - good-sounding parlours are quite uncommon.
Have to say 14 fret OM for versatility. Sounds good fingerstyle and strummed. Just enough bass - not too much or too little. And very comfortable to play.
My YouTube Channel
00/parlour for the couch.
Dreads getting a bit large for me as I age and shoulder/neck ache limit playing time. Annoying! Used to always play a dread.
0 starts to be too boxy to me.
OM/000 sound great but start to feel a bit ungainly.
Dreads are just too big (and too loud) to feel intimate enough for me.
Dreads I find too uncomfortable to play for any length of time. I love how a parlour just fits into my hands but of the few I've played I've never found a sound I really like.
Having said that I've just bought a triple O...
Ian
Lowering my expectations has succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.
I do prefer the dreadnought sound from what I've played but in reality being comfortable as possibly more important to me, my overall sound improves the more I practice.
Thanks for the insigt.
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