Parlor Question

[The Third]

No...not a Larrivee Parlor question

I'm looking for a cheap beginner guitar for my wife and want a smaller bodied parlor, or grand concert style.  Budget is something under $200.

Has anyone tried the Fender parlor?  Trying to decide if it might be a better option than an A&L Ami since it is solid topped...Thoughts?

[jwieties]

While the A&L is a little toyish to me (mostly because of the colors) they are great little guitars.  I actually like them better then the fender parlor I tried.
-josh

[The Third]

Thanks.  I just realized I should have posted this in the other forum.  Sorry for that.

[orsino]

How about a Baby Taylor? Nice little instruments.

[Caleb]

How about a Baby Taylor? Nice little instruments.

i'll second that.  

[Ratishna]

The Olympia line imported by Tacoma has a decent parlor guitar.  Cheap too: less than $150.

E. Shoaf

[Roman]

The A&L AMI is pretty sweet for all liminate.  It sounds very nice, 12 fret (short scale) plus, it has a 1 3/4" nut.  All for around $100.

[jwieties]

The Olympia line imported by Tacoma has a decent parlor guitar.  Cheap too: less than $150.

E. Shoaf

These are definitely the best little guitars that I have played in your price range.
They look nice too.
-josh

[sawdustdave]

Don't laugh - have you looked at Cort? I almost bought one a year ago. Not a bad guitar for the money. At the time even my guitar teacher thought they were pretty decent.  

[LaminateBoy]

Seagull Grand - solid top
A bit more than you want to spend.

[Denis]

Seagull Grand - solid top
A bit more than you want to spend.

I had one of these for a few weeks.  I exchanged it because the nut was just too small.  I play fingerstyle and was fumbling all over the place.  Nice guitars though.  Anything out of the Lasido factory is pretty good stuff whether it's Seagull, Norman, A&L, Simon & Patrick or if classical is your thing, the La Patrie.   For the money, they are like Larrivee, you get a lot.  Makes me proud to be a Canadian!!

[tbc]

Third,

I am sold on the Ami's. Here's a review I posted a while back.

http://www.larriveeforum.com/forums/index....&f=3&t=4552&hl=

Tom

BTW I owned a Taylor Baby for a while but I would choose the Ami over it every time and I am a big Taylor fan. And the Ami is less than half the price of the Baby.

[Big Martin]

My vote is for the Ami..

I have wound up selling every guitar I have ever had except my L-01 and my Ami - though it is looking like I will be keeping my Martin 00-16DBM Women and Music series model.

As odd as this seems, I find the Ami to have 95+% of the tone of a Larrivee parlor - with BETTER bass - for less than 25% of the parlors cost.  I think the 12 fret design gives it its deep tone.  The whole range is sweet too.  I would rank the baby Taylor a distant third, though I have only played a few of them.

I think it is a great guitar - yep, truly great

[Pjmsj21]

I happened to try an Ami over the weekend when in Seattle and I was also pretty impressed and surprised.  Later in the day I also tried a Seagull Folk and while this guitar also gets very good reviews, I had to say that I was more impressed with the Ami or at least more surprised.  It certainly makes me think about it as a travel/beater guitar.

Pat Mc

[alieu]

Great news everyone.  I was in getting some strings over the weekend and happened to notice a little display they had in the "lower end" acoustic section.  Art & Lutherie Ami now comes with SOLID CEDAR TOP (laminate back and sides of course).  You could always get the nylon, slotted head ami with cedar top but now it comes in the steel string.  I tried it out and was very impressed with it.  I was so close to walking out of the store with it.  Very nice, small guitar with lots of sound. I really want to get a parlour now :D

Andrew

[Big Martin]

Great news everyone.  I was in getting some strings over the weekend and happened to notice a little display they had in the "lower end" acoustic section.  Art & Lutherie Ami now comes with SOLID CEDAR TOP (laminate back and sides of course).  You could always get the nylon, slotted head ami with cedar top but now it comes in the steel string.  I tried it out and was very impressed with it.  I was so close to walking out of the store with it.  Very nice, small guitar with lots of sound. I really want to get a parlour now :D

Andrew

WHOA! Say it ain't so!  

That sounds like a great idea.  How much were they asking for it?  Is it still 12 fret?  Does it still have a 1 3/4 nut width?

may have to start an AMI collection!  The nylon string one appeals to me too.  and all those lovely colors!

[The Third]

Thanks for all the great suggestions.  I lost an ebay auction yesterday on an Ami, but I think I'm going to go that route - as soon as I can find another.  

I had heard that there were a few solid top, steel Ami floating around, but I'm glad that that will be a standard option now.   Did the solid you played come in the burst colors or was it natural?  My wife really wants something "prettier" than plain ol' wood!   :)

Where did you see it by the way?  They are really hard to come by where I am.

[fingerstylebanjo]

Do the AMIs really have a 1-3/4" nut width?

The solid cedar top sounds like a winner - I need to go find one of these to try out...

[el guitana]

Do the AMIs really have a 1-3/4" nut width?

I've played a couple and they did not seem to . my favorite guitar guy sells these and I'll have another look.

[alieu]

The Ami I tried out was definitely a 12-fret.  I'm not too sure about the nut width, althought I was kinda wondering that myself. If it is in fact 1-3/4 then I'm sold.  They only had One in the shop which was black.  I actually liked the look of the black one.  One of the "guitar guys" at the shop said he just picked one up with an antique burst finish, so I'm guessing they probably come in all the standard colours.  Oh, and the asking price was $220 Canadian.  I'm sure there are better deals out there it's just I haven't seen them anywhere else.  The Third, they were at a local guitar shop in this small Ontario city where I go to university.  They sell all of the Godin lines there. ie Simon & Patrick, Seagull, Norman, and Art & Lutherie.

The more I talk about them the more I want one.

Andrew