Parlor Guitars

I started to build some baritone ukuleles.  A baritone ukulele is tuned one-fifth below a tenor or soprano ukulele, making the 4 strings of a baritone ukulele the same as the top 4 strings on a guitar.  I realized that if I put a 6 string neck on what would normally be a baritone ukulele body, I would have a little ‘parlor’ guitar.

What really is the difference between a baritone guitalele or a small parlor guitar?  Really nothing. 6 strings, small body, baritone class scale length. A terz guitar is the same instrument tuned up a third. Martin Guitar made a “size 5” up through 1989. The body is my standard baritone ukulele body. This instrument is almost identical in dimensions to those Martin size 5’s guitars, which Martin called a 3/4 guitar or a terz guitar in the later years.

A ‘parlor’ guitar because guitars used to be much smaller, when they were played for enjoyment around the parlor.  Guitars got ‘big’ when they became a band and stage instrument.  I have always found that a modern guitar is too big and seems awkward to hold and play.  You have to reach way around the big body to get to the strings.  These little parlor guitars are very comfortable to hold, and feel much more personal.  In spite of the smaller size, they are resonate very well and have good volume.

(Click on an image to see all of the pictures of an instrument.   Click on any picture to see a full resolution picture.)

Parlor Guitars for sale.