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Sound:
The Washburn parlor guitar is a small guitar however it is full of tone.I have played many guitars that cost 3 or 4 times more and some dont have the tone or sound of this guitar.
Feature:
My wasburn palor acouistic cmae witha case which is perfect for the guitar.
Ease of Use:
The first thing that came to my mind when i played this guitar was how easy it is on the fingers.I have played many guitars over the 30 years i have been playing and very few chord as easy as this guitar.With that said I have to wonder how many people would not have given up because of hurting fingers if they would have had this guitar.Not only does it have great tone it is so easy to play .I own 5 other guitars after buying this one it is the one I reach for.
Quality:
I am a history buff so i love old things.The guitar is a replica of a vintage parlor guitar.It is very well made and I love the aged spruce top.It looks as if it was made a 100 years ago and was put up in a case waiting to be rediscovered and played.It has vintage written all over it from the tuners to the inlays on the neck.It i easy to cary,comes with a beautiful case and is a very unique guitar.What can i say.I love it.
Value:
I thing this guitar has a sound like no other.I guess that is a personal thing for each musician.This one has the tone and sound I have been searching for for years and it is amazing that it was only 400 dollars and a little change.
Manufacturer Support:
I have one other Wasburn Guitar which i have owned for 4 years and have had no problems with it and no need to contact the company.I think they make a great guitar with quility materials and you get a big bang for your buck.If i were to contact the company i could only say keep up the good work.I would like to know who came up with the idea to recreate this parlor guitar.
The Wow Factor:
I love the vintage look.It would look at home sitting in the parlor of an old plantaton home of the 1800s.
Overall:
When i first saw the guitar on the z zounds web page I loved the way it looked and I liked the reviews of it.I read only 250 were made.IM guessing that over a year went buy and the guitar was still on my mind however i figured no way is there any left that i could buy one.I was overwhelmed when i pulled up the z zounds web page and i believe there were 3 left.I called and ordered one.I was thrilled when i opened the box.It looked better in real than it looks in the pictues.I was amazed by the quality of the work in the guitar ,the way it looked ,the way it played and the way it sounds.It is also nice to have # 15 of 250.I will keep this one always and would not sell it today even if i was offered 2000 for it.I guess i finally found the guitar i have been looking for.
10 of 11 people
(90.91%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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Sound:
First of all it is very important to know what you are buying .This is a PARLOR guitar made to specs of 1883 .It is a light small bodied guitar not a dreadnaught or a jumbo .
That being said I characterize the sound as very focused ,quite loud when strummed aggressively ,and has a very balanced tone .In the right hands ,this little lady can go from a bluesy Robert Johnson sound to a warm Eric Clapton tone (as in "Wonderful Tonight").It is very versitle I think ,and shines when miked and recorded in the studio .I use a .73mm pick for flatpicking ,which can achieve a percussive tone .The only thing I did not like on this axe was the strings ,but since I am an Artist Endorser for the brand I play I won't name them.
Feature:
The addition of a truss rod was a departure from the original but really a necessary feature to have now days .I strongly emphasize that if you are not experienced in tech work that you DON'T try to adjust the truss yourself .Having a competent tech do it will save you money and headaches in the future.Although my axe is serial number 17 of 250 made ,it has the R314KK designation on the label .I don't think that there are any real differences between my baby and the later numbers in the batch .The case for this axe is maybe the nicest I have ever seen in my 50+ years of playing .Period correct and very high quality .
Ease of Use:
This guitar has a very very pronounced "V" shape ,not a soft "V" ,but a real "V" as it was in 1883.I have no problem with the neck at all ,but it may not appeal to other players .The neck was nice and straight ,medium action (suitable for chording as well as gentle slide work ).I think the action is a good compromise for playing some blues ,as well as other styles .The neck joins the body at the 12th fret ,and is a bit wide ,which is good for single note runs .
Quality:
I think the fit and finish is really well done ,and captures the spirit of the axe .I have seen neater glue jobs ,but the workmanship on this guitar is certainly passable .It has a very slightly reliced look ,which is appealing .The tuners hold tune well also .Intonation was spot on .I do not think it would appropriate for heavy road use ,but it is more of a studio guitar .It should be treated like a lady ,and I feel you will have this axe for a long time .
Value:
Well since this a specialized niche ,the only axe that is close to this Washburn is the Gibson Robert Johnson which sells for $2200 street price .Just do the math ,this a good value for this axe.Again remember that this is not an "all purpose "guitar ,and is rather specialized .I carry 46 guitars ,so I can afford myself the luxury of a guitar which is tailored for certain applications .
Manufacturer Support:
Although I have had no experience with any problems with this guitar ,I am not a big Washburn fan .I think you will have a safety net as the guitar comes with a limited lifetime warranty .My experience with Washburn comes from the fact I was Endorser years ago ,and didn't get along well with the company president at the time ;however ,I am sure that they do back up their axes .
The Wow Factor:
It is totally a cool instrument !Could I live without it ? Yes,but I feel I have outlined the pros and cons of the R314K pretty clearly .I have indeed lusted for this axe since it first came out , but other gear had to come first .
Overall:
This guitar will be an heirloom for me .I won't ever be in the market for another Parlor axe .It really was better than I had expected .The true vintage look and specs make the R314K a keeper .If this guitar was stolen ,I would definitely buy another one.There is really nothing I don't like about it .
35 of 39 people
(89.74%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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Sound:
nice sound when played finger-style...but even though it's a small sound box, it is capable of really chiming out if it's picked
Feature:
even though this model is made with musical grade plywood, don't let that scare you, it still has real nice tone, with pretty increible sustain
Ease of Use:
a very playable instrument
Quality:
looks like a pretty well-made instrument
Value:
I got a steal on this one...it was a highly reduced "scratch & dent" but I couldn't find the flaw
Manufacturer Support:
highly recommend zzounds...very helpful, friendly folks to deal with
The Wow Factor:
the vintage style and inlay on this give it a very cool vibe
Overall:
this one is a keeper
1 of 1 people
(100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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Sound:
I had never herd of a Parlor Guitar before. It was not as I had expected. The sound was very tin-ny. The guitar I played had something wrong with the 5th string...buzzed and could not make the buzzing stop.
Feature:
No accessories except for the hard case, which was very nice.
Ease of Use:
Due to the defect (buzzing) (in manufacturing of guitar?) I could not play this guitar.
Quality:
Buzzing 5th string made it unplayable.
Didn't really like the finish.
Value:
I have played better sounding guitars for much less cost.
Manufacturer Support:
Dealer was easy to work with. Accepted the guitar returned with full refund.
The Wow Factor:
The decoration (abalone) was very nice, but I didn't like the finish/unfinished/distressed look.
Overall:
Returned item.
1 of 3 people
(33.33%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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