Ibanez PN1 Parlor Acoustic Guitar
Revisit classic blues and folk with this affordable spruce-topped and sapele-bodied parlor guitar from Ibanez. Its short scale makes it a breeze to play.
$169.99
- No Credit Check6 x$28.33
- No Credit Check4 x$42.50
Overall User Ratings (based on 7 ratings)
Submitted July 30, 2020 by Jeannette F in Jacksonville, FL
"Worthy of a Review"
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If I have to spend time working on a guitar to make it properly playable, yet still recommend it, that makes it a pretty good value in my book. As mentioned in my detailed descriptions, this guitar did not arrive having received proper quality control, but with some minor effort, it is now a fantastic addition to my collection. I needed to dress the fret ends, file the bridge pin holes, and replace the bridge with the spare included. After that, and with a decent setup in the process, this guitar has quickly become my favorite on my acoustic wall of goodies. It projects magnificently, not just for a guitar of it's size, but for any size. It's bright, punchy, as clean as you can expect, and seemingly well constructed aside from the aforementioned issues. And the size, well that's the whole reason I bought it, and I'm glad I did. It's great to have laying around in case you have an idea floating around in your head you want to try out, or maybe if you want to sit back and explore some song writing ideas. It's about as portable as you can get, making it especially convenient for those times you don't want to lug your dreadnought around, and it's quite the eye-catcher too. I remember these reviews used to have a "WOW" factor (maybe I missed it), and this guitar has indeed wowed me. I never expected to get such brilliant sounds in such a compact body, and I had expected to be isolated to finger picking, which surely isn't the case with this little monster. I give this guitar two thumbs up and encourage it's consideration among some of the more costly parlor guitars out there. And though I'm not thrilled with the QC work, I'm excited enough to forgive that for what I got.
Sound
It would be fair to assume that this guitar, any parlor guitar for that matter, is going to be less audibly present than it's big brother dreadnoughts given less room for reverberation. However, this parlor packs a big punch, a surprisingly room-filling, make that house-filling bang for your buck. The reason for this is because the sound hole is proportionally larger for the body size than a standard acoustic guitar. This also gives the PN1 a sort of built-in compressor. The bottom end will sustain well and fade towards the middle slower, the highs will sustain less and fade toward the middle a bit quicker. That makes this guitar great not only for finger picking, but also strumming with a lighter touch. In fact, I've even pulled off some decent bottle slides, and, believe it or not, it's quite capable of producing decent percussions. Essentially, it's a punchier version of a typical concert acoustic, at least as I compare to my Fender CD60.
Features
The PN1 has a laminated spruce top with nyatoh back and sides and a mahogany neck with nandu fingerboard, a sort of combination of bright and warm woods. There are wrapped braces on the top and bottom with three connecting braces on the bottom, and I think there is a cross brace on the top but I can't quite see how it's formed behind the bridge. There's bookmatched ivory binding on the top, bottom, and neck, an uncut saddle, and open-geared tuners. It also includes a nandu bridge, 18 frets, dot inlays (not sure of the material) and a 24.4" scale (I think it's 24.41 to be precise), joined at the 12th fret.
Ease of Use
It's easy to get a great sound out of this guitar, just play it and it will sound great. But what's really exciting for me is how plentiful the tonal arrangements can be with playing modifications. For example, the PN1 responds very well to light touch strumming, especially if you like those running Ennio Morricone running chords. Then you can pluck a hard bass string or two followed by a pleasant minor arpeggio. Bending is a bit more difficult, and I wouldn't plan on putting on a harmonic display, but feel free to run a bottle slide down the neck with great results, and don't forget to try your hand at percussions, which resonate particularly well with this guitar.
Quality
This is the category that forced me to remove a star from my review, despite the otherwise overwhelming qualities. My particular PN1 did not arrive in a reasonably playable condition, certainly not up to the standards I had expected. For starters, the fret ends were not dressed beyond a rough rounding. This made it extremely uncomfortable to move along the neck, and required immediate attention. The saddle was not properly filed to size, leaving me with excessive action beyond the third fret. The saddle also had multiple string tension cuts that were out of alignment causing uneven string spacing. Fortunately, Ibanez does include a replacement saddle, which I quickly utilized. My next complaint is shoddy craftsmanship when prepping the bridge pin holes. There were shards of wood sticking out, and the holes were not rounded smoothly, as though someone was moving a bit too fast with the drill press. This was resolved with some delicate Dremel work. I've heard a few complaints about the tuners, and I tend to agree that they are on par with a cost-efficient guitar, but still quite functional, if not a bit inconsistent. It's as though the ratio can't make up it's mind. With no intent of excessive tuning, I see no major problem here. No complaints aside from these issues, which I was able to promptly address myself, but I do expect better from Ibanez.
Value
Comparable parlors are going to be in this price range, some, like Fender's CP60, going up into the low $200's. Based on the end result after the setup modifications, I think this price point is fair assuming you receive a guitar that doesn't need these repairs. I am happy with the cost-value, but not the lack of quality control. However, with those issues now resolved by my own hand, I am thrilled with what I have for what I paid.
Manufacturer Support
I'm not really an Ibanez guy, this being only my second purchase from them as far as I can remember. Therefore, I haven't had any interaction with their customer service, and having resolved all issues myself, I don't have any need to. For what it's worth, I understand that they are active on social media, and have a well organized website, so I am assuming you'd have no problem getting in touch with someone if need be.
The Wow Factor
The biggest appeal to me is the size. The 12" lower bout and 3.75" depth with the 24.4" scale make this guitar ideal for me to keep next to my chair in the living room for when I want to try out something in my head, for writing songs, or even to take out to the garage when it's time for my evening cigar. It's very portable, making it great for a camping trip or a day at the beach, though you'll need to get your own bag as one is not included. After the fact, I also find the tone appealing, especially given how well this guitar projects, even compared to larger varieties.
Musical Background:
Studio Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Banjo, Ukulele, recording, song writing
Musical Style:
Rock, classic rock, punk, metal, grunge, jazz, country, pop, 50's, 60's, surf music, classical
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Submitted November 1, 2017 by Michael H in Oconee, SC
"Great Little Guitar!"
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I've been playing for fifty-plus years. The years have taken their toll on my joints and muscle movement, etc. So, lately I've been seeking smaller and smaller guitar body sizes to "doodle" around with for my own enjoyment. (I used to play professionally, and semi-professionally; now, strictly for my own enjoyment--and teaching my two grandsons).This little Ibanez parlor has great tone and projection for its size. I'm knocked out at how much bass it has, and the mid-range and high ends blend in well, also. For such an economical guitar, I was amazed at the intonation this little instrument has. It stays in tune, projects wonderfully, and sounds like a solid top instrument worth many times its actual cost. Also, it's one of the smaller parlors I've seen or played, but holds up very well with others that happen to be in its same classification -- ()-size, or parlor). Long story short: you can't go wrong with this little pint-sized axe. Get it for your son/daughter, or grandson/granddaughter; or for yourself! It's more than worth the price you'll pay for it. Right out of the box, mine was set up just fine. Great little guitar, well worth the price. I highly recommend it.
Musical Style:
Soft rock, country and delta blues.
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Submitted April 15, 2019 by Joy F in Chicago, IL
"Can't Stop Playing It!"
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:Absolutely love this little guitar. Took it out of the box and can't stop playing it. What a bright but mellow sound it has and it's just the right size for me. I love it and am so happy that I decided to buy it. I have a beautiful sounding Taylor as well which I paid a lot more money for, but this little baby sounds so sweet, she almost goes "toe to toe!" What a bargain.
Musical Background:
I've been playing for more than 30 years and have played professionally. Now I am retired.
Musical Style:
Old-Timey hymns, spirituals and gospel
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Submitted December 29, 2018 by Don S in Hendersonville, NC
"Ibanez pn1 parlor guitar"
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This is a great sounding little guitar. So much better that the Martin backpacker I have. very close to the same size but this one actually sounds like a much bigger guitar. I’m very impressed with the fit and finish it looks amazing. It’s not a $2000 Martin and it’s not going to perform like one. I bought this one to have handy for when I just have a few minutes or just wanna strum some cords while I’m watching tv because I have a Martin and it stays in its case when I’m not playing it. That being said, I had found that I wasn’t playing as much not having one handy this one fits the bill. Buy one you’ll be glad you did. I paid $149.99 money well spent.
Musical Background:
Not professional but I’ve been playing around 16 years
Musical Style:
Christian country
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Submitted April 13, 2022 by a customer from maguire.com
"Love it !"
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It’s my couch guitar and it’s so easy to play. Sound a bit small and boxy but in a cool way. I write many songs on it.
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Submitted May 31, 2018 by Steve F in Colville, WA
"Review Revised"
When I first received my PN1 I knocked it pretty hard because there where issues with the neck and bridge. After running it through my shop and correcting the problems I have grown to love this little axe! It plays and sounds great. If you get a good one straight from the factory count your lucky stars, if you get a dud have it repaired and you will love it just as you hoped you would from the start!
Musical Background:
Over 40 years playing guitar, mandolin and fiddles
Musical Style:
Bluegrass, country, blues
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Submitted May 28, 2019 by lonnie s in savannah, GA
"Ibanez PN1 Parlor Acoustic Guitar"
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Not my favorite. Small neck fellt like a mopstick in my hands. Sound OK but twangy.Not what I expected. Held tuning well but not enjoyable to play, transition feel between classical and this guitar disconcerting.
Musical Background:
Piano, bass and guitar
Musical Style:
Jazz, bebop
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