Pono Parlor Guitar Owners...

[Naboz]

I will chime in and state that you need not fear buying a Pono; I have not been able to put mine down since getting it this week!
John K. and I worked something out where I ended up with a 000-10DC (cedar/acacia w/cutaway) and it is easily on par with the Larrivees I have owned. At Pono price points and free shipping--with a very nice case--these are a great purchase. And John is excellent with prompt communication at every stage.
*More specific review and pics to follow...soon.*

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by Naboz

I will chime in and state that you need not fear buying a Pono; I have not been able to put mine down since getting it this week!
John K. and I worked something out where I ended up with a 000-10DC (cedar/acacia w/cutaway) and it is easily on par with the Larrivees I have owned. At Pono price points and free shipping--with a very nice case--these are a great purchase. And John is excellent with prompt communication at every stage.
*More specific review and pics to follow...soon.*

Couldn't have said it better.

[sandy99]

my pono gets WAY more attention than my Martin just now. Something about the size, lightness and playability that just makes it so ideal. Incredibly well balanced. The tone is not as rich as my Martin - but it is a parlor after all......

[Steve97365]

I just yesterday ordered a basic O-10 from John at Pono. I was in Hawaii for several weeks and purchased a very nice solid Acacia tenor uke from Pono at HMS.
I was so impressed with the build quality and sound that when I found out they also had a guitar line, I had to have one.

My wife's rule is buy one, sell one, so now I have a minty Voyage Air VAOM 06 for sale!

Got to keep darling wife happy in order for me to be happy.

Can't wait for my new Pono to arrive!

[katmandue]

Hi I am a newbie to posting in a guitar forum, but I have been reading them for advice for years and have played /performed on many guitars for over 30 years. I want to thank the posters on this forum for pointing me in the direction of Pono, and to lend my support and appreciation for their guitar company. Also their testimonials on their website are true: ‘I don’t just like this guitar, I love it!’, I do.

I was looking for a very specific kind of guitar: wide neck for fingerstyle, small body for acoustic performances (and easier for travel), short scale for ease of play for over 3 hour long shows; and cutaway to access the upper frets. There are not too many options with all these conditions, but the Pono OP-10DC is right on the mark. I ordered and received a gorgeous cedar top cutaway with slot head and satin finish. I trusted strangers in a different country (I am in Canada now), and they came through with a great guitar :@) It immediately became, and has remained, my primary acoustic performance and home guitar, and came with a nice case too. It is beautiful in sound and feel and looks.

For those of you used to playing a more common kind of guitar, the neck is wider and flatter, and the frets are a bit closer together than a typical dreadnought. May take a bit to get used to, but I like and chose it that way, preferred for me for fingerstyle. I also play hard sometimes (both fingerstyle and strumming with a pick) and this guitar seems to ring true at all volumes, very little breakup for its size, and the fact it is a cedar top. I love the warmth, and people are continually remarking on its full sound and eye appeal.

A bit of advice if you are performing and have never changed a string on a slotted headstock: you may want to practice changing the strings at home before you have to do it in a rush on stage! I found it a bit awkward the first time I did it compared to a peg head, but I love the look of the slotted head so much it is worth it. Also worth mentioning if you play heavy sometimes that the satin finish and a cedar top is more prone to damage. I put a clear pickguard on mine, custom cut to where I tend to scratch up guitars.

In trying to present a balanced review I did find only one thing I did not love: for those of you who also peek occasionally at the fret markers, I find the fret dots on the top of the neck are too small to see well, but I have lousy eyes and often play in dim lighting.

All in all very very happy with my purchase, and quite willing to recommend them to others here too…trusted seller, lovely very well made guitar, and I found them great to communicate with.

[Rosewood99]

Welcome to the Pono Guitar family! Glad you like yours. Still enjoying mine.

[kenneelee]

I am new to this forum, just purchased 2 Pono parlors while in Hawaii. Couldn't make up my mind. I'll be selling one, the OP 20DC(S) as soon as I can figure out how to get it in the classifieds on AG forum.

[cooper59]

hear a lot about them every1 likes them but seems like 80% of them are sold again within 2 months. for such a small amount of sales there sure are a lot of the on the used market

[Pippin]

Originally Posted by cooper59

hear a lot about them every1 likes them but seems like 80% of them are sold again within 2 months. for such a small amount of sales there sure are a lot of the on the used market

Not sure if that's accurate.

If you are talking about the 2015 end of year Pono sale:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=406357

I saw there're 25 models for sale to start with and then a much shorter updated list shortly into the sale. Even if we assume there are only 1-2 instruments for each model, Pono would have ended up selling at least 20-30+ guitars by the end of November 2015.

I certainly did not see 16+ (~80%) Pono guitars for sale within 2 months here on the AGF classified?

I for sure did not sell the three I got during the sale (D20, D30SP, and OP30-12; in fact just played two of them an hour ago) and have no plan to do so... Even did a review for them!

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=418580

If you see one up for grab and like it, go for it!

[jaymarsch]

I purchased an OP-10 DC a year ago and I have been very pleased with it. It is well made with great tone for its size. It is not boxy sounding like some parlors can be and mine is a bit deeper than most parlors which really gives it a great bass response in balance with the mids and trebles. It is easy to play with a nice neck profile.

After my Wingerts, it is the guitar I play the most. It is a keeper for sure.

I look forward to hearing about yours, Steve.

Best,
Jayne

[Br1ck]

I've probably posted earlier on this thread, but will do so again. I first bought a Pono MT Uke, and it's build quality was far greater than its modest price would indicate. I was contemplating a UL 40 when an OP 30 came up for sale so I snagged that. Then I got a OP12-30. All are good sounding and playing guitars, and the fit and finish are as good as anything, and for the price, they beat the other parlors I played. Yes, a SCGC or a Collings would be nice, but to fill in a niche in my collection, there is not a better value out there.

As for Ponos coming up for sale, there are a lot of supposedly holy grail type instruments being sold too. The Ponos have no plastic on them anywhere, and the wood is first rate. The necks are in Martin low oval territory, and you can send them back.

[DanleyJ]

Well, I for one have just joined the Ponoheads this past week. I snatched up an OP-20DC (Cedar/Mahogany) from the classifieds here on AGF after Pippins thread on Monel strings and it should arrive in my hands day after tomorrow. The waiting is agony but I will hang in there and will post my NGD after I've played it a bit. I have every expectation that this will be a keeper but of course buying without playing makes me a bit nervous. But I've got a very good feeling about this one. I've been mulling Pono guitars over in my head since I joined the forum a couple of months ago and am convinced this one won't need to find another home ever. All the threads concerning Pono have been a great influence in my choice not to mention all the great videos and sound bytes that are available.

[Br1ck]

Cedar/hog should be a very lovely tone. It will surely be comfortable to play.