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Old 10-08-2010, 05:19 AM
neastguy neastguy is offline
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Question 12 fret vs parlor

can someone give me the pros and cons.. I've never played either... I'd like to pick on of these up and hang it in my daughters room for both of us to use.. but I also want it to be not toylike.. do the 12 fret and parlor necks feel small? or is it just the scale is shrunk down between the frets? thanks.. pros and cons.. ?
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Old 10-08-2010, 05:26 AM
Fliss Fliss is offline
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Or you can have a 12 fret parlour Scale length is a different question again, as a parlour can have a full length scale or a shorter scale, so it's all up for grabs. A shorter scale makes it easier for small hands as the stretches aren't quite so far, and the string tension is lower.

A 12 fret neck will certainly feel more compact than a 14 fret neck, but if you don't play up the neck a huge amount, it shouldn't be a big issue. Whether it would feel too small is a subjective question that only you can answer for yourself - I love parlour guitars, but some people do find them too small. It's all down to personal prreference. if you do find it small, you may find you want to hold it differently, perhaps in a more traditional classical position.

You can certainly get a good parlour that won't feel or sound like a toy - starting with brands like Seagull and Art & Lutherie, to more expensive brands like Larrivee and all the way to handbuilt custom guitars, depending how much you want to spend.

Fliss
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Old 10-08-2010, 07:00 AM
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vintageparlors vintageparlors is offline
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+1 on what Fliss says.

I've always loved the playability of a 12-fret guitar. Despite being a big guy, I like to wrap myself around the guitar, with my left hand comfortably chording the first five frets without strain. It was later on that I found out being parlor size doesn't mean you have settle for a small voice.

Take care in the final set-up of your selection so that young, tender fingers are not discouraged by (higher) action that you or I could live with.
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Old 10-08-2010, 07:54 AM
Howard Emerson Howard Emerson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neastguy View Post
can someone give me the pros and cons.. I've never played either... I'd like to pick on of these up and hang it in my daughters room for both of us to use.. but I also want it to be not toylike.. do the 12 fret and parlor necks feel small? or is it just the scale is shrunk down between the frets? thanks.. pros and cons.. ?
One thing has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

There are many huge guitars out there with 12 frets to the body.

12 frets to the body has nothing to do with scale length.

Many of the older 12 fret fret guitars, (body size aside) had huge necks, primarily because it was less expensive to make a large V shaped neck than bother installing a truss rod, adjustable or not, to avoid possible warping.

True parlor guitars, as built by CF Martin back in the late 1890's into the 1920's beyond, are way smaller than what is being hawked as parlor guitars today.

As far as their viability to please while hung on the wall or in you lap there are plenty of wonderful small guitars out there from back in the day to present day.

HE
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Old 10-08-2010, 07:57 AM
Mycroft Mycroft is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neastguy View Post
can someone give me the pros and cons.. I've never played either... I'd like to pick on of these up and hang it in my daughters room for both of us to use.. but I also want it to be not toylike.. do the 12 fret and parlor necks feel small? or is it just the scale is shrunk down between the frets? thanks.. pros and cons.. ?
How old/big is your daughter?
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Old 10-08-2010, 08:08 AM
neastguy neastguy is offline
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she is going on 4.... is the action on these parlors generally high.. I don't have an issue with shaving the bridge down... I'm kinda intrigued by the Hohner essential parlor...
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Old 10-08-2010, 08:37 AM
Mycroft Mycroft is offline
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she is going on 4.... is the action on these parlors generally high.. I don't have an issue with shaving the bridge down... I'm kinda intrigued by the Hohner essential parlor...
If you have to shave the bridge down to make it playable, I'd stay away from it. Lower the saddle, yes.

At 4, even a parlour is going to be too large for her for many hears, primarily due to the wide of the neck, body size and how far she has to reach out the neck to fret. I'd recommend that instead, if you are wanting to get her into playing by you playing together, that you get something like a baritone uke. They are tuned the same as the first for stings on a regular guitar but capoed up a bit. And chords are far more simple: a first position G-form is played by fretting the 1st string 3rd fret for example. A decent, serviceable one can often be had for a couple of hundred.

I've sold a number of ukes to parents who were looking for a guitar to get their very young children into playing. I'll often recommend that they even call it a "4-string guitar" instead of a uke, so that they feel that they are playing something like what daddy plays.

TW
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