Parlour & Small Bodied Guitars

Parlour guitars are the smallest style of full-size acoustic guitar. This makes them perfect for anyone from beginners looking for a comfortable first guitar to experienced players looking for a ‘sofa guitar’.

They are the oldest style of steel strung acoustic guitar, chiefly associated with depression-era blues and roots guitarists like Robert Johnson. Due to their size, they are not particularly loud. Instead they have a charming, intimate sound that is suited to fingerpicking or gentle, mellow strumming. They resonate best with quite a soft touch, so may not be best for you heavy-handed strummers out there!

The traditional design features a 12-fret neck join. This means the body meets the neck at the 12th fret - and a slotted headstock like you find on a classical guitar. This is the style to go for if you are chasing a faithful replica of pre-war guitars. If you are drawn to a parlour guitar for its size, however, we recommend modern interpretations that have a 14-fret neck join. These give you more room for manoeuvre - and a normal headstock which is much easier to restring.

Why Should I Choose a Parlour Guitar?

• Small, comfortable size
• Intimate, mellow sound
• Old-school vibe