What exactly is a parlor guitar? Whats the history of parlor guitars? Who plays these little instruments? Find out now!

Parlor (or Parlour) guitars got their name from the smaller rooms in which they were historically played.  

From the late 19th Century until as recently as the 1950’s this size and style of guitar was among the most popular and easily available.  Washburn and CF Martin were two companies often identified with the Parlor and credited with fueling their popularity.

In recent years we’ve seen a renaissance of these guitars from nearly all of the guitar manufacturers we represent.  Their small size make them ideal for smaller and younger players, more comfortable playing and even for travel.  And today’s Parlors are braced in such a way that their volume is often surprising.

Among those known for performing and recording with Parlor-sized guitars are the legendary Robert Johnson, Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Marty Robins and Joan Baez.