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Old 06-17-2013, 01:09 PM
Deft Tungsman's Avatar
Deft Tungsman Deft Tungsman is offline
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Wink NGD: Baranik Retreux Parlor

Greetings to all!

The weather In Paris has been so crappy that I haven't been able to take any decent pictures yet, but you can see professional shots of my guitar at the following location:

http://baranikguitars.com/retreux.htm


A brown box turned up a couple of weeks ago with my latest treat, a Baranik Retreux Parlor, aka "Aloha Koa", #009 built sometime in 2010. I purchased this guitar used from The Acoustic Music Company in Brighton (UK). It arrived in immaculate condition, looking brand new down to the tiniest details. Thanks again to Trevor for an excellent transaction and customer experience.

This is my second parlor, my first being a Larrivée Koa Special Edition I bought new in 2003 and kept for ten years. The Larrivée was a fun guitar, and great for business trips or vacations because of its compact size. But it didn't have much of a voice. It felt overbuilt and was certainly no match for my Goodalls in terms of fit, finish and musicality. As a result, I rarely played it around the house, and as I began traveling less and less for work, it spent most of its life in its case. Every so often I’d catch myself dreaming about a couch guitar with a truly big voice…

In January 2013, I happened upon a Furch 00M-34SR while browsing at a local guitar store and was very favorably impressed. Very well built, it felt even classier than the Taylor 810 I'd had for over ten years, with a nice broken-in feel and a chimey, warm voice. So, I bought one, only to realize very quickly that the "00" body size is not that much smaller than my Goodall Grand Concert, and certainly no more comfortable for playing on the couch. The Furch/Hiscox case is almost exactly the same size as the Goodall's, too. Even though the Furch sounded and played much better, I began regretting having sold off the little Larrivée. Then the Baranik showed up on the TAMCO website.

Enough background, though. Let me share my impressions since I first opened the cardboard box.

First, the custom Cedar Creek case fits the guitar like a glove, offering two support arches for the neck on either side of an inner compartment with ample space for lots of odds and ends. The headstock has just enough breathing room to keep the case nice and compact, unlike my old Larrivée's TKL, which was a good 3-4 inches longer than necessary.

Now, the guitar itself.

"It's so cute!", my wife exclaimed when I took it out of the case. Indeed, it is. There is something adorable about its proportions, and the bridge adds a note of playfulness to the overall vibe. Ditto for the sound hole rosette, heel cap and end joint, done up in a streaky green acrylic that looks like malachite. The gloss finish shows off the woods and appointments in all their understated glory. The koa on mine isn't the most spectacular I've seen, and indeed Mike has built other Retreux Parlors with amazing sets of highly flamed koa, especially the multi-scale model still available from TAMCO. The Carpathian spruce top is a creamy white with a touch of variety in the grain, but again nothing visually off the charts. Bridge, pins, fingerboard and headstock veneer are all fitted out with stone-smooth ebony the color of dark chocolate. Mike sprayed a light burst on the Spanish Cedar neck, a nice complement to the koa back and sides. Inside the guitar are the telltale signs of a master craftsman working with spotless execution. The engraved wood label is a very cool touch.

In terms of playability, the Retreux is a true parlor, slightly smaller than the Larrivée, but with a 1/2" longer scale and thus more string tension under the fingers. The body shape is very comfortable, especially when sitting on the couch. The guitar is noticeably lighter than the Larrivée yet has excellent overall balance, with no tendency towards neck diving at all. The neck carve is a true joy in the hand, a nice rounded C shape that makes everything effortless. With EVO fret wire, beautifully cut bone saddle and nut and gold Gotoh tuners, the guitar plays like a dream with no tuning issues whatsoever.

Now for the real question, how does she sound?

For the first few moments, I was a bit disappointed because of the apparent lack of oomph in the low end. It reminded me of the Larrivée, whose low E string always sounded a bit like a muffled fart that happened to be in tune. After a half hour or so, I pulled out the Furch 00 to compare the two: no surprises there, the larger Furch had much more to offer in the rumbly bass department. I went back and forth a few times before I gradually stopped focusing on bass presence and began to open my ears to the subtleties of each instrument's complete tonal spectrum.

I noticed that the highly resonant Furch resonates a bit too much in fact, or too much in the same frequencies. It's a pleasant sound, but only up to a point, and that sonic signature seems more ever-present than the Baranik’s, whose superior clarity boasts a sustained fundamental and nicely balanced overtones that never sound congested. Having established those initial impressions, I put the Furch back in its case and continued to spend the past two weeks playing the Retreux almost exclusively.

As I've gotten to know “Aloha Koa” better, I've become hooked on its voice and its responsiveness, and the sound port greatly enhances the playing experience. This little parlor has a clear, punchy tone that thickens up gradually without getting squashed by a stronger attack. As a strummer, she holds up best with a light-gauge flat pick, with more jangle and less clang than my Larrivée or even the Furch, for that matter. True, the sound is bass-light compared to my larger guitars, but the bass is definitely there, warm and true, not at all muffled or farty. The midrange and high end shimmer and sustain without ever getting lost in a swirl of aural cotton candy. In comparisons with my beloved Goodalls, it shows greater versatility, at least for fingerpicking. Another Baranik owner on the forum put it well:

Quote:
Huckleberry:
I also have a Goodall CJ and owned a Collings OM1 until recently. While both are great guitars, my Baranik is just in a different league. Probably the best way to describe it is that my Goodall and Collings have very distinct sonic characters - they sound like they do and they always sound like that. My JX is so sensitive that you can really influence its character by the way you play - like adding a whole extra dimension to your playing. It will really pick up on things like different angle of attack from your fingers, and changing your picking position between bridge and neck does so much more than just changing the brightness.

I can attest that my Baranik Retreux Parlor shares many of the tonal qualities described above.

What about volume? For my purposes, so far it’s been ideal. I can play around on the couch and hear beautiful guitar music without blowing everyone else out of the room. I’m not a wall-to-wall chord basher, by any stretch of the imagination, but even light finger picking on my Goodalls produces a very big sound. The other night, for instance, we had friends over, drinking wine and talking. I listened along and noodled around on the Baranik, and everyone said that it was cool to have such soft music going on all the time. “Aloha Koa” works extremely well for vocal accompaniment, too. The dynamic range is strong enough for loud passages without ever crowding out the singer (me), so again, another plus for the Baranik.


As you can tell, I am extremely happy with this guitar!! I feel fortunate to have found one second-hand, because the brand-new price would be out of my league.

(But I have been fantasizing about having Mike build my dream guitar for me, especially after ogling all the amazing Baranik build threads I’ve been glued to for the last two weeks...)
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1922 Martin 0-28
1933 Martin 0-17
1974 Alvarez/Yairi CY120
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2013 Circa OM-18
2014 Claxton OM Traditional
2014 Blackbird Rider

Last edited by Deft Tungsman; 06-22-2013 at 01:02 PM. Reason: simplify photo search
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  #2  
Old 06-17-2013, 02:12 PM
muzz76 muzz76 is offline
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Congrats on the Retreux....Mike has a great aesthetic sense and I've heard nothing but good things about his guitars.

Enjoy that little gem.
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Old 06-17-2013, 02:57 PM
Ed C. Ed C. is offline
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I love Mike's guitars and this one sounds like another great one (what I would expect!).

Carpathian Spruce top and Koa in a Parlor should be a great combo. I have a Braz/German JX that is magnificent. The JX is a little slimmer in width and plays smaller than the size would dictate.

FYI, while in Hawaii, I got to play many Koa Uke's that sounded wonderful.

Thanks for the review and congratulations!
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Old 06-17-2013, 11:48 PM
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El Conquistador El Conquistador is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Deft Tungsman View Post
I was a bit disappointed because of the apparent lack of oomph in the low end.
True, the sound is bass-light compared to my larger guitars, but the bass is definitely there, warm and true, not at all muffled or farty.
Deft,
As Huckleberry's comment indicates, this guitar really responds to different attacks. I have found that the 6th string really likes to be driven hard. I believe that as you become less gentle with it, you will find the bass there waiting for you.

Steve

P.S. I have Retreux Parlor #001
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Old 06-18-2013, 12:17 AM
Danieldaniel Danieldaniel is offline
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The retreuxs are very nice guitars and my experience with Trevor was also very positive.

I am the happy owner of #005/2010, the older brother of your retreux.
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  #6  
Old 06-18-2013, 01:43 AM
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Deft Tungsman Deft Tungsman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by El Conquistador View Post
Deft,
As Huckleberry's comment indicates, this guitar really responds to different attacks. I have found that the 6th string really likes to be driven hard. I believe that as you become less gentle with it, you will find the bass there waiting for you.

Steve

P.S. I have Retreux Parlor #001

I concur, Steve. I think at the beginning my muscle memory was treating the Baranik as if it were a Goodall Standard. I have now grown used to the response of this guitar, and my right hand has sussed out the feel of the different strings. I've been playing with a thumb pick and nails, and going through my repertoire of Jim Croce songs on the Retreux has given hours and hours of joy!!
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Old 06-18-2013, 04:31 AM
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Deft Tungsman Deft Tungsman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danieldaniel View Post
I am the happy owner of #005/2010, the older brother of your retreux.
Yours may be the classiest of the entire lot, Danieldaniel. Do you have the matching tuxedo?

And I totally dig the blue accents on Steve's #001! Nice koa, too, bro.
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Old 06-19-2013, 03:07 AM
colins colins is offline
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Welcome to the Baranik club! I received my first CX in 2006 and it still amazes me every time I play it. I hope you get similar enjoyment out of your Retreaux.

Col
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Old 06-19-2013, 06:03 AM
Gasworker Gasworker is offline
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Let me start off by saying I feel for the people of Paris. So much rain I'm sure if Martin or Taylor were the comparison manufacturers the AGF would be up in flames. Having said this though, I just ordered a Larrivee Parlour and if it makes muffled but in tune farting noises on any string I will be one happy camper.
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Last edited by Gasworker; 06-19-2013 at 03:44 PM.
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Old 09-29-2019, 02:06 AM
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Deft Tungsman Deft Tungsman is offline
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Default Six-years, already!!

It's another rainy Sunday in Paris.

Over the past six years, I have added some truly world-class guitars to my collection.

This little charmer was the gateway vehicle.






After all this time I still get a tingle of excitement every time I take it out for a spin. This comfy little go-kart handles everything I throw at it.

The ride goes on, as thrilling as ever, Retreux-style!
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Old 09-29-2019, 04:06 AM
colins colins is offline
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It's a beauty for sure Deft, although I am biased about small Baraniks in koa!
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Old 02-03-2022, 12:36 PM
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Deft Tungsman Deft Tungsman is offline
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For more gushin' about this lil' darlin', see this recent thread started by TomB'sox :

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=637793

We most often associate playability with factors like neck carve, scale length, string spacing and action, all of which join in making this guitar feel so good.

What makes it utterly addictive? How easy it is to control.

On larger guitars with the same level of punch, I find that things can quickly get out of hand. This Retreux Parlor gives me all the thrills of the big rides, minus the clenched teeth and white knuckles.

As fans of small guitars will tell you, the go-cart can be way more fun than the Ferrari.


Here she is in the hands of Will McNicol, one of the finest players around :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUe-WvfWyb4
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1922 Martin 0-28
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1974 Alvarez/Yairi CY120
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2013 Circa OM-18
2014 Claxton OM Traditional
2014 Blackbird Rider

Last edited by Deft Tungsman; 02-03-2022 at 05:41 PM.
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Old 02-03-2022, 04:17 PM
colins colins is offline
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Hey DT, you don't need to convince me of the joys of a little Baranik. I recently restrung mine with GHS Vintage Bronze and am very impressed with the sound.

I went to your second link for the playing, but it is a repeat of the first link to Tom's thread.
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Old 02-03-2022, 05:42 PM
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Deft Tungsman Deft Tungsman is offline
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2nd link corrected, thanks Colin !
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2014 Claxton OM Traditional
2014 Blackbird Rider
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  #15  
Old 09-05-2022, 04:30 AM
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Deft Tungsman Deft Tungsman is offline
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Default More Retreux Joy



Here I am on a Croatian island with my Retreux Parlor. From this balcony I have a view that includes a lighthouse off in the distance. So I've decided to plunge into learning "Lighthouse", one of many evocative tunes penned by the wonderful human being that is Will McNicol. (Check it out on YouTube. Or better yet, buy his Dragonflies, Frogs and Bumblebees album for a veritable smorgasbord of beautiful solo acoustic music!)

"Lighthouse" has standard tuning on strings 1 through 3 but goes way low to C-G-C on strings 4 through 6.

Believe me when I say that this pint-sized, short-scale Retreux can rumble along with the throbbing pulse that underpins this beautiful composition without losing any of its expressive power.

Thus, the love affair continues...
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1933 Martin 0-17
1974 Alvarez/Yairi CY120
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2013 Circa OM-18
2014 Claxton OM Traditional
2014 Blackbird Rider
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