Cargo popularity

[Steve Berger]

I vote best in class for a travel guitar! Best in show goes to.....

The GO Parlor

Quite by chance, I am probably one of the only people that have been able to compare the CA Cargo and the GO Parlor guitar in a real comprehensive way.

Here are the circumstances and . . . for what it is worth, my take-aways.

I have owned a GO Parlor for three years. It is a Sitka over Pau Ferro (aka Amazon Rosewood) model with a built-in Fishman Natural 1 pick-up.

I was able to keep and play a new CA Cargo in my home studio over the course of three days about six months ago while making a buying decision.

Realizing of course that my opinion is subjective . . . here it is:

Both guitars sound(ed) very good played acoustically (without an amplifier). Both guitars had a very even and balanced sound. As expected, the bass was a little on the light side for both guitars. The Cargo and the GO Parlor both have comfortable necks (although I prefer the neck on the GO Parlor as Sam Radding shaped it to my exact specifications while I was in his shop and watched him do it.

When I hooked-up the guitars to my AER Compact 60 it was a completely different story. The Cargo sounded good but to my ears a little too sterile and a bit on the nasal side. The GO Parlor on the other hand, really comes alive. The sound (particularly the bass) that comes out of the GO Parlor really belies its small size. Just an incredible acoustic/electric sound.

The other factor that I considered was how the guitars felt (physically) while I was playing them.

Having owned the GO Parlor I am obviously used to how it feels. Although not as comfortable to play as my larger guitars (an OM a CJ and even a dread) the GO Parlor is still a pretty comfortable shape to hold and play and of course the wood feels great when held against you.

And that is another problem for me with the CA Cargo. Although I am not against new technlogies (I am definitely an early adopter) . . the feel of a composite guitar while I am holding it and playing it just doesn't feel great to me.

Hope this gives some insight. Again just my opinion

[jbryant]

Steve...I've never heard of a GO Parlor. Could you elaborate, pics, etc.

Thx, Jim

[wgnorman]

My Cargo is a great guitar - sound and playability - and rides well on the bike with me! My luthier had a chance to play mine and said he would immediately get one on order and sell his Larivee Prlor...

[ematsuda]

Originally Posted by wgnorman

My Cargo is a great guitar - sound and playability - and rides well on the bike with me! My luthier had a chance to play mine and said he would immediately get one on order and sell his Larivee Prlor...

I compared the Larivee Parlor to the Cargo before I bought the Cargo in the guitar shop. The Cargo sounded much better. My friend who owns a Lari Parlor tried my Cargo and is selling the Lari to get a Cargo. He's a regular gigging pro and said "I'd easily gig this guitar". He plugged it in to his Mackie PA system and it absolutely kicked butt.