This is just great. I share your love for parlor guitars, and it is really nice to see and hear the comparisons. 0:02 Stetson branded Larson 2:15 1920 Martin 1-28 4:30 2014 Froggy Bottom L Deluxe 6:50 Stahl branded Larson
What a delightful video. I'd be happy with any of these guitars. The limiting factor in deciding is not the guitar or the micing, but rather the audio reproduction over the internet and computer speakers. Bravo and thanks for sharing.
I am a Martin fan, but that first Larson guitar was the best sounding guitar of the lot and they were all outstanding. Well played. I wish we could have had a peek at the backs and sides. Magnificent parlor guitar collection! It was a great pleasure to listen to them.
Thanks for the kind words Christopher. You’ve given me an idea for some future videos. It might be fun to do show and tells about the guitars. There’s some interesting stories behind some of them that folks might enjoy.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I eagerly look forward to seeing and hearing more of these guitars. Count me in for your show and tell. I treasure my 1917 Martin 1350 koa. It Martin's was test market for steel stringed guitars. It was the first Martin ever to come with steel strings on it without it being a special custom order. It is in perfect playing condition. It was previously owned by Jim Milne the original bass player for Downchild. It came with correspondence between Jim Milne and Mike Longworth the Martin archivist/historian. I think I'll go play it some now. The sound of it actually gets me high.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar About 70 years ago, it had the back replaced with a perfectly chosen mahogany that exactly matches the color of the koa. No one knows why this was done. Cracks in the top were professionally cleated and they have been no problem ever since. It may have had a neck reset at that time but that is uncertain. Those perfectly done fixes happened prior to the previous owner acquiring the guitar and he had it for over fifty years. It is in perfect playing condition with easy action, proper harmonics and a ton of sustain and resonance.
This was sunshine in my day today. I'm having a 1-18 repaired and hopefully I'll receive it by December of this year. It was a gift from my grandfather. Over the years, the neck got too dangerously-brittle. Thank you for your video.
Hello Arnel, Thank for listening and your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed the video. I’d love to hear more about your 1-18. Was it originally your grandfather’s? Do you know the year? I just love the 1 size Martins. I’ve played mine in everything from acoustic solos to fiddle ensembles.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I got inspired to learn the style of music that the parlour guitar was "born" with. Again, thank you for your video. My grandpa had an aunt who worked as a nurse in the US, and she gifted him the guitar as my grandpa used to play with big bands here in the Philippines. He saw my interest while I ws growing up and by the time I was in college, he endorsed the guitar to me. I sent Martin guitars a message to authenticate it and here's the major part of their reply: This serial number 13750 is listed as a style 1-18 and it was indeed made in 1919. The 1 stands for the small body size and the 18 stands for the features of this style. It has a Spruce top and Mahogany sides and back. There's a sad story though. During my grandpa's "band" days, a bandmate borrowed it and only returned it after a few years - but with dreadful modifications: 1. original bridge pins were gone, replaced with a trapeze tailpiece. 2. face was painted dark green, and back/sides, dark brown. 3. tuners were replaced with cheap ones 4. the guy drilled a hole on the top part of the rosette, apparently to screw a pickup on. It's now undergoing neck reset. I hope to have it back by December. By the way, i saw an article recently with another 1-18 (SN 13412, 1918). As confirmed by the blog, mine was made towards the middle of 1919. emkey.livejournal.com/37550.html
@@arnlmndza It sounds as though your little guy has had a tough but interesting life. I think it’s wonderful that you’re keeping it playable, and more importantly, playing it. It’s also special that you know the history of the instrument and have a personal connection with it. I’ve got vintage guitars with various repairs and scars and I always wonder what their story is. You know yours.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I wish i can give a heart for this. :) I know how my grandpa loved this guitar. And i knew how it sounded like before. It had a unique tone that people at church and at work noticed - most likely they were comparing it to other guitars they've heard. I really hope to play it in church again. And when the the time comes that i could no longer do that, there's a nephew who is also active in his worship team. Iknow he'll be in for a surprise. :) Thanks sir for taking interest with the little guy. I hope to post a video of it by 2024. :)
I'm the lucky owner of the Froggy L prototype, a 1937 Martin 1-17 that had a wrecked top replaced with a new spruce top by Professor Millard... I have to say I'm probably a bit biased, but after owning 5 previous small-body Martins of various flavors, I have to say that my Froggy is my dream come true...small but loud and rich !
My unprofessional opinion: first one is giving warm bluesy with pronounced treble. second one feels warm but with slightly more depth and more faded treble third one has both pronounced depth and treble but maybe less or a different kind of warmth. much jazzier to me, too. would love hear a chet atkins tune on it. fourth has a very whole body sound. Overall very versatile for so many genres. I want to hear Eric Clapton's tunes on it. it seems to do well for modern blues sound juxtaposed to some old blues recording feel (the first guitar gives off old blues).
They all sound so full and great. The first Larson’ had the most Sparkle. The Martin the most Mid Range depth. The Froggy’ was probably the most Balanced -but it was nearly impossible to tell Larson/Stahl’ apart from the Froggy
The froggy bottom is so rich, balanced and complex. This was playing in the studio while I was making coffee and had to see what was the deal when he started playing the froggy bottom.-Funny how my description mirrored my coffee experience..lol.
Hi Bill, I really appreciate the froggy Bottom mostly, but the runner up is in my opinion is LA. I say Froggy Bottom wins! You play it with your wonderful touch. Would like to hear it on the Sadowsky!! your listening good buddy, Tom
Just learned that same song (ragpickin') from that Saslow book, but I'm using an old beat up classical haha! Loving the sound of a parlor, might pick one up soon
I've owned a number of small bodied Larsons (Mauer, Stetson, Stahl), Tonk Brothers and various 0 sized Martins from the 20s. I found that for rag time music, the Larsons had a sound that was more suitable to that genre of music than the others. That said, the Foggy Bottom you played sounded very good as well. All are very note worthy instruments.
Lovely collection of parlor guitars! I have 5 or 6 myself including a Martin 5-16, a 1933 Kalamazoo 00, several Collings Waterloos, and a few more. Each one does its own thing in beautiful ways. Can't have too many in my opinion. Problem is I'm getting rather old and not so well and don't have the energy to enjoy them like I had hoped to. Oh well, I just take it day to day now...
Thank you very much for reaching out and the kind words. It sounds as though you’ve got some beautiful instruments as well. I’m an environmental music therapist in a major Boston hospital’s oncology unit and strongly believe in the healing power of music. At 72 and a cancer patient myself, I can certainly understand the limitations aging can bring. I hope you play as often as possible and enjoy your gift. One last thought, I have downsized my stable of guitars significantly, just five acoustics and a couple electrics and I may yet part with a couple more. I found having fewer instruments much less taxing on me. I was selective about who I sold them too and knowing they’re getting played as they were intended to gladdens my heart. Be well
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar Thanks for your thoughts! I'm sure it's very rewarding to work with people in music therapy the way you do. 20 years ago when I was living in Manhattan I worked at the West Side YMCA teaching daily deep-water aquatics classes to groups of 25 people of mixed ages and health issues. Now I haven't been in a pool for more than 10 years because they don't have 'therapy pools' here, and COVID would likely have knocked them out anyway! More fool me for not ensuring I made enough income to have my own therapy pool at home. (It's a very expensive proposition, right up there with owning the finest stable of guitars, and requiring constant maintenance; a rich man's extravagance for sure...) Back in those days (the 90s) I was also on faculty at NYU as a musical accompanist (percussionist) for Afro-Caribbean and Modern dance classes; working with classes of up to 40 - 22 year old dance majors who were working towards their advanced degrees. It was also an ultra fulfilling gig, as we put up a full-scale musical/theatrical production every year in conjunction with all the other departments at Tisch (NYU) who were involved with acting/production/staging, etc. (My wife did the choreography and I did the music.) Before all that I had a 25+ year career in performing and recording with various artists/bands, playing bass and/or guitar. I agree regarding the downsizing... I'm already down from around 50 to just 15 or so. (Probably will continue to let them go. They need to be played. It's hard to let the custom made ones go though, as well as vintage stuff I've had since the 70s.) I live in the desert now so the humidity issue is a real chore especially for the acoustics. I'm thinking of setting up a small humidification tent, repurposing a 4 x 5 foot indoor/outdoor gardening greenhouse with small humidifier and a Hercules multi guitar rack inside for the 5 or 6 acoustics, as it's getting to be too much to open each case several times a week to replenish their reservoirs with distilled water. My only hesitation with the tent is making sure to not over-humidify. I can't really afford to commission a purpose-built cabinet / display type thing, and it's not really my 'style' anyway... I like the idea of the tent because it's inexpensive, the instruments will be visible, which I hope will 'tempt' me to play more; and you just open a zipper to remove one from the rack, which seems like it might inspire me. I'm just in so much uncontrollable pain lately (even with pain management) that the effort is all becoming too much, and thus I find myself not playing... By the time I get an instrument out of the case and tuned up, I'm exhausted and ready to quit... Have you any suggestions?
Thanks for sharing! Each guitar has its own sound, of course and I wouldn't mind owning any one of them. As far as my preference goes based on sound, it matches the order in which you played them. :>)
Thank you very much Iain. Richard’s book is available on Amazon ( and likely elsewhere). All of the tunes are good and fun to play. Here’s a link to the book on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/0983290911/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_G9WEGJB55QBMWE2JJC1R
Thanks for doing this. Really cool hearing these four guitars with the same song. Really hard to pick a favorite. Coincidently, when I found your channel a month or two back, I was in the process of going through the Saslow book and happened to be working on this same song. So I've been playing along with all your recordings of the Saslow tunes as I learn them, at reduced speed or course! Working on "Blues in A" now - I can get through it but just trying to get as fluid sounding as you with it. Getting there. Another coincidence, I have Stahl guitar that is very similar to yours, with the exception of the inlays on the neck. Mine has the inlay like your Stetson on the headstock. Your recording captures the sound of the one I have very well. Anyway, just wanted to drop a note and say I'm enjoying the channel.
Thank you for the kind words Scholl. Your Stahl sounds very interesting. Is it ladder braced (as was mine)? I just sold mine back to a previous owner. He’d been after me for a while and I wasn’t playing it as much as I did in the past so I finally relented. He may be selling it now himself, likely on Reverb. The Saslow book is a lot of fun. Enjoy!
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar Mine is X-braced. I didn't realize they made some of them ladder braced. When you asked I had to go check, wondering if maybe mine was ladder braced too. Mine is estimated to be from somewhere around a 1930. If you do a youtube search "larson brothers stahl elderly instruments" you'll see the one I actually have. About the Saslow book - my dad used to play Coney Island Cakewalk when I was a kid in the 70's. I didn't start playing guitar seriously until I was in my 20's after I had moved to another state. Unfortunately my dad ended up getting Parkinson's disease and it destroyed his ability to play before I ever got to learn that song from him. He had always told me he learned it from a book when asked about it but he couldn't remember what book. That was one of the tunes he played that actually made me want to learn to finger pick. A few years ago I came across someone playing it on RUclips, and in the comments the Saslow book was mentioned. So I ordered it, and then learned Coney Island Cakewalk to surprise my dad.
@@crazywisdom2 Thank you so much for listening, the kind comments and subscribing. It means a lot to me. I’m a huge fan of small bodied acoustics. Happy to offer any advice if you find one you’re interested in. Cheers, BC
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar thanks my friend. Currently looking at some; Seagulls, Collins would be my first choice, but maybe at the higher end of my $. Possibly a martin. I plan on trading preferably 2 teles and an ebmm cutlass plus cash if possible. time will tell. Looking to get a parlor 12th fret and at the same time par down to just 2 acoustics. Open to suggestions; budget is 3 - 4 K. If I go with a seagull /godin i'd be a head. Martin would be the same or a wash. Thank you !
@@crazywisdom2 You can get some wonderful instruments in that price range. I live about 20 minutes from The Music Emporium in Lexington, MA. I was in there recently and they have a lovely Martin 00-12 for $3425. Lot’s of choices on the used market too. themusicemporium.com/products/martin-custom-00-12-fret-all-mahogany?_pos=31&_fid=828b39605&_ss=c
Thank you for the kind words 58landman. Collings are wonderful instruments. I don’t know if you’re in the Boston area, but I would love to see your Collings and would be happy to do a new video including it.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar Unfortunately I'm in the deep South but I will tell you that they are marvelous instruments. I own a Parlor and an O2H model and I play them every chance I get.
@@58landman Sounds like you’ve got some good ones. I love about 20 minutes from The Music Emporium and they always have a nice selection of Collings so I get to play them fairly often.
Thanks for the kind words Steve. Rag Picking is a Richard Saslow arrangement. It’s available on Amazon in a book called The New Art of Ragtime Guitar: 2nd edition a.co/d/9AzXniY
Stetson: Hershey bar with Pabst. Froggy: Belgian white chocolate with prosecco. Martin: Hershey Special Dark with Anchor Steam. Larson: Orange juice with vodka.
Lovely playing, very enjoyable to listen. I thought the Martin sounded the best, then Larson 1, Larson 2 and the FB sounded noticeably less rich and not as full-sounding as any of the others. Maybe this is due to some part of modern construction or just age, who really knows? What is the nut width and the bridge string-spacing of these, please? Regards, Kevin
Thank you very much for listening and your kind and thoughtful comments Kevin. I really appreciate it. I concur about the Froggy and would have agreed that age was the prime factor. However, a while ago I acquired a 2021 000-18 H Blazer & Henkes which blows all of the others out of the water. I’ve posted a number of recordings with it. You might want to check those out. As far as nut and bridge spacing goes, I sold the Larson Stahl when I bought the B&H. I know the nut was 1 7/8” but don’t recall the bridge spacing. As for the others, the Larson Stahl and the Martin are both 1 7/8” and 2 3/8”. The Froggy is 1 3/4” and 2 1/4”. The Blazer and Henkes is 1 15/16” and 2 3/8”. Surprisingly, that extra 16th of an inch at the nut makes it the easiest to play. Thanks again.
What year is the Martin? I have a 1912 Martin 1-21 that has to have a Stradivarius hidden inside. It is unbelievable and they will have to pry it from my cold dead hands!!!! Mine is also signed under the top by Frank Henry Martin who was running Martin. He would sometimes inspect the tops and would put his initials and the date on the underside of the top in pencil. When I acquired this guitar I didn't know about the signature and neither did the dealer, so I was thrilled to see it one day while inspecting it with a light and a mirror.....a really interesting and very COOL piece of Martin history.
Thanks Bill. I didn't see the nicely detailed summary until you pointed it out and I enjoyed reading about the guitars and how you acquired them. I have a small collection of Martin guitars that I have traveled all over the U.S. to find. 12 of them are vintage Martins and the newest one is a 1962 00-21. I hope to make some videos like yours in the near future to share these fabulous vintage Martins with other Martin fanatics......and anyone else who appreciates hearing the best there is. Looking forward to seeing more of your instruments and playing.
@@dmartinpolley1143 Sounds like a decent size collection Dave. I firmly believe these instruments should be played and heard. I gig with mine and that’s one reason I’ve been recording and posting these videos. I’ll definitely keep it up even when venues reopen. Thanks again for your kind words.
Thank you for the kind words Wu. I wish I had a straight answer. I find myself playing the Froggy Bottom a bit more often but can’t explain why. Folks have asked me if there was a fire and I could only save one which would it be. In that case it would probably be the Larson Stahl because it’s a wonderful guitar and unique with the Larson Stetson a close second. On the other hand, If I had to sell all but one to good owners I would probably keep the Froggy. Hope that helps. I feel very fortunate to have such wonderful instruments in my care.
Bill, The Martin seemed to be clear with a warm sound and a great tone, and possibly more projection, Froggy was next favourite, then the First Larson' but what struck me( excuse the pun) it seemed effortless on the Martin, a lot of fret noise on the First guitar, so my question is, which one do you find more comfortable to play? and sound wise,which is your favourite?
Thank you for the thoughtful reply David. Of those four guitars it would be difficult to pick a favorite. I like them all for different reasons. The first Larson (branded as Stetson) is an amazing blues guitar. It’s got a lot of volume for such a tiny instrument and just seems perfect for fingerstyle blues. The Martin is a marvelous guitar with great balance and that vintage prewar Martin sound. It is quite easy to play if you like bar frets and is incredibly light. I joke that I have to tie a string to it to keep it from floating away. The Froggy is the easiest to play over all. It’s a modern guitar and feels it. The tuners are smooth and accurate, the neck is comfortable and the frets are smooth. It’s a delight to play but doesn’t have that crisp vintage sound that I like. The second Larson (Stahl branded) had an amazing and unique sound, likely because it is ladder braced unlike all the others which are traditional X braced. I sold it after a friend and fellow collector offered me a very good price for it. Since I posted that video I’ve acquired two other guitars. Both are OOO sized. One is a Froggy Bottom H-12 with an Indian Rosewood body and spruce top. It is a wonderful instrument and is part of the reason I sold the Larson Stahl as it did everything that guitar did and was much easier to play. It also projects better because of its larger size. It was one of my all time favorite guitars until I bought a brand new Blazer and Henkes OOO-18 H with a Walnut body and Spruce top. I have fallen in love with this guitar. It has a vintage sound like the best Martins from the golden prewar era and has incredible volume. It’s extremely easy to play. I’ve posted several recordings of it and plan to do many more. This guitar has me considering parting with most if not all of the others. I am planning to do a comparison video of these two guitars. Thanks again. Bill
What kind of strings are on the old guitars such as the Larson Stetson? Steel, Silk and Steel? 10's, 11's ? All the guitars sound very good. I like the Larson Stetson the best but not by much. I like small guitars. I have a lot of Martin 0's. 1923 0-18, 1926 0-28, 1927 0-18, 1931 0-21, 1934 0-17, 1939 0-18, other ... The 1931 has the most resonance.
Thank you so much for listening and your thoughtful comments. It looks as though you have a wonderful collection. I run Magma silver plated gypsy jazz strings on all my acoustic guitars, .010’s on the lighter built guitars and .011’s on the rest. Their string tension is similar to Silk & Steels but I greatly prefer the sound. Also, they’re less expensive than the S&S and last a lot longer. magmastoreusa.com/
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I bought a 1968 0-18 from Retrofret in 2013. I liked it so much that I kept buying 0-18's. Each one kept sounding different and their prices were relatively low several years back. My parents had bought me a 0-18 for a high school graduation present back in 1969 which I ended up playing in the street in Europe in 1972. Then I gave it away (that is a little story). So now I have 8 great sounding 0-18's. I keep meaning to do something like your RUclips and then sell a few if I can figure out which ones to sell. Ha. I don't see myself buying more. I have 24 great Martin guitars. I would like a 1929 0-45, but $$$. My 1931 0-21 probably has the most unique sound. Most people like it the best. I bought it from Glenn Weiser (Celtic music guy). I have no dreadnaught Martin guitars. I like the small guitars. Lucky they are not that popular and prices are lower. I saw that Paul Davids recently wrote that his new very small Collings is his all time favorite guitar. That was a surprise.
@@mrfuzztone Eric is a great guy. He and I go back decades. I took lessons from him in 1980’s. He started my small bodied guitar obsession when I sold me a 1929 Martin OM-28 prototype which we sold back and forth a couple of times. I got the 1920 Martin 1-28 from him and have one of the first batch of Schoenberg Soloist’s he did with Dana Bourgeois.
I don’t have a lot of hands on experience with any of those brands. The only budget friendly parlor guitars I’m familiar with are the Rocording King RP1-626-C and RP2-626-C. They are 0 and 00 size guitars that were developed in collaboration with Eric Schoenberg and are amazingly nice instruments. Unfortunately, they’re no longer in production, but do come up on the used market from time to time. Well worth the search.
Thanks for listening and your feedback. I have to say kindling is a little harsh a fate and, for those two rare instruments, an expensive way to start a fire. LOL
Thx for the wonderful comparisons. I own a very very early Larson Maurer 0 body. What are the yrs of the two Larsons played, and do you know how they are braced? I believe that mine is “Ladder” bracing. Thx for any more info, Wrick
Hi Rick, The Stahl is ladder braced and the Stetson is X braced. Neither guitar has a serial number so dating them is a little dodgy. We believe the Stetson is from around 1910 and the Stahl has been variously dated between 1910 and 1920. Thanks for listening.
At the time of the recording, I was using John Pearse Nuages, Gypsy Jazz strings but I’ve since switched to Magma Acoustic Silver Plated Wound Gypsy Jazz strings in .011 (high E). All of my acoustics are strung with them. They’re wonderful strings and reasonably priced Thanks for listening and reaching out.
![5 BEST Blues Guitars [and reviews!] ★ Acoustic Tuesday #121](/img/1.gif)
This is just great. I share your love for parlor guitars, and it is really nice to see and hear the comparisons.
0:02 Stetson branded Larson
2:15 1920 Martin 1-28
4:30 2014 Froggy Bottom L Deluxe
6:50 Stahl branded Larson
They are all unique and beautiful! I do love the sound of the Martin the most Thanks!
Thank you very much for listening and the kind comments Lee.
It’s the Martin for me! Sounds fuller in sound all over.
@@antonyhadjion8376 Thank you for listening and taking the time to comment Anthony. The little Martin is a very sweet guitar with amazing presence
What a joy listening to you play these guitars. Loved it.
Thank you very much for the kind words Donna
What a delightful video. I'd be happy with any of these guitars. The limiting factor in deciding is not the guitar or the micing, but rather the audio reproduction over the internet and computer speakers. Bravo and thanks for sharing.
Thank you for listening and the kind words. I definitely prefer listening through decent headphones.
Love the vid. Thank you my friend.
I am a Martin fan, but that first Larson guitar was the best sounding guitar of the lot and they were all outstanding. Well played. I wish we could have had a peek at the backs and sides. Magnificent parlor guitar collection! It was a great pleasure to listen to them.
Thanks for the kind words Christopher. You’ve given me an idea for some future videos. It might be fun to do show and tells about the guitars. There’s some interesting stories behind some of them that folks might enjoy.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I eagerly look forward to seeing and hearing more of these guitars. Count me in for your show and tell. I treasure my 1917 Martin 1350 koa. It Martin's was test market for steel stringed guitars. It was the first Martin ever to come with steel strings on it without it being a special custom order. It is in perfect playing condition. It was previously owned by Jim Milne the original bass player for Downchild. It came with correspondence between Jim Milne and Mike Longworth the Martin archivist/historian. I think I'll go play it some now. The sound of it actually gets me high.
@@PotPoet That Martin sounds lovely. Is the one that’s currently for sale on Reverb?
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar Yes.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar About 70 years ago, it had the back replaced with a perfectly chosen mahogany that exactly matches the color of the koa. No one knows why this was done. Cracks in the top were professionally cleated and they have been no problem ever since. It may have had a neck reset at that time but that is uncertain. Those perfectly done fixes happened prior to the previous owner acquiring the guitar and he had it for over fifty years. It is in perfect playing condition with easy action, proper harmonics and a ton of sustain and resonance.
Love that Martin sound!!...
Thank you very much. It is a sweet guitar.
A great presentation, helping us to listen, not just hear!
Indeed!
You make them all sound great brother. Sweet playing!
Thank you very much for the kind words
That Froggy!!
Thank you for listening and taking the time to comment. That Froggy is a sweet one for sure.
What a lovely sounding instruments !
This was sunshine in my day today. I'm having a 1-18 repaired and hopefully I'll receive it by December of this year. It was a gift from my grandfather. Over the years, the neck got too dangerously-brittle. Thank you for your video.
Hello Arnel, Thank for listening and your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed the video.
I’d love to hear more about your 1-18. Was it originally your grandfather’s? Do you know the year? I just love the 1 size Martins. I’ve played mine in everything from acoustic solos to fiddle ensembles.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I got inspired to learn the style of music that the parlour guitar was "born" with. Again, thank you for your video.
My grandpa had an aunt who worked as a nurse in the US, and she gifted him the guitar as my grandpa used to play with big bands here in the Philippines. He saw my interest while I ws growing up and by the time I was in college, he endorsed the guitar to me. I sent Martin guitars a message to authenticate it and here's the major part of their reply:
This serial number 13750 is listed as a style 1-18 and it was indeed made in 1919. The 1 stands for the small body size and the 18 stands for the features of this style. It has a Spruce top and Mahogany sides and back.
There's a sad story though. During my grandpa's "band" days, a bandmate borrowed it and only returned it after a few years - but with dreadful modifications:
1. original bridge pins were gone, replaced with a trapeze tailpiece.
2. face was painted dark green, and back/sides, dark brown.
3. tuners were replaced with cheap ones
4. the guy drilled a hole on the top part of the rosette, apparently to screw a pickup on.
It's now undergoing neck reset. I hope to have it back by December.
By the way, i saw an article recently with another 1-18 (SN 13412, 1918). As confirmed by the blog, mine was made towards the middle of 1919.
emkey.livejournal.com/37550.html
@@arnlmndza It sounds as though your little guy has had a tough but interesting life. I think it’s wonderful that you’re keeping it playable, and more importantly, playing it. It’s also special that you know the history of the instrument and have a personal connection with it. I’ve got vintage guitars with various repairs and scars and I always wonder what their story is. You know yours.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I wish i can give a heart for this. :)
I know how my grandpa loved this guitar. And i knew how it sounded like before. It had a unique tone that people at church and at work noticed - most likely they were comparing it to other guitars they've heard. I really hope to play it in church again. And when the the time comes that i could no longer do that, there's a nephew who is also active in his worship team. Iknow he'll be in for a surprise. :)
Thanks sir for taking interest with the little guy. I hope to post a video of it by 2024. :)
@@arnlmndza I’ll look forward to seeing and hearing the 1-18 when you get it back.
I'm the lucky owner of the Froggy L prototype, a 1937 Martin 1-17 that had a wrecked top replaced with a new spruce top by Professor Millard... I have to say I'm probably a bit biased, but after owning 5 previous small-body Martins of various flavors, I have to say that my Froggy is my dream come true...small but loud and rich !
Congratulations. I’ve told the story of that guitar often. There is indeed something special about Froggy’s.
I would say Froggy's strike me as well balanced and "quietly insinuating"....
Thank you very much, Bill!
My pleasure. I’m glad you enjoyed
Very attractive comparison and great performance. Subscribed already. Please share more videos.
Thank you for the kind words.
Thanks! Eyes closed while listening took me to the Froggy Bottom; Martin 2nd. I love my 1998 Larrivee Parlor.
Thank you for listening and the thoughtful comments. Larrivee make lovely instruments
My unprofessional opinion:
first one is giving warm bluesy with pronounced treble.
second one feels warm but with slightly more depth and more faded treble
third one has both pronounced depth and treble but maybe less or a different kind of warmth. much jazzier to me, too. would love hear a chet atkins tune on it.
fourth has a very whole body sound. Overall very versatile for so many genres. I want to hear Eric Clapton's tunes on it. it seems to do well for modern blues sound juxtaposed to some old blues recording feel (the first guitar gives off old blues).
@@PSLegend999 Thank you so much for listening and your thoughtful comments.
They all sound so full and great. The first Larson’ had the most Sparkle. The Martin the most Mid Range depth. The Froggy’ was probably the most Balanced -but it was nearly impossible to tell Larson/Stahl’ apart from the Froggy
Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I would too!
The Martin wins to me on overall balance and actually doesn’t even sound like a parlor guitar.
The froggy bottom is so rich, balanced and complex. This was playing in the studio while I was making coffee and had to see what was the deal when he started playing the froggy bottom.-Funny how my description mirrored my coffee experience..lol.
Thank you so much for listening and your thoughtful reply.
Hi Bill, I really appreciate the froggy Bottom mostly, but the runner up is in my opinion is LA. I say Froggy Bottom wins! You play it with your wonderful touch. Would like to hear it on the Sadowsky!! your listening good buddy, Tom
Just learned that same song (ragpickin') from that Saslow book, but I'm using an old beat up classical haha! Loving the sound of a parlor, might pick one up soon
Thanks for listening and reaching out. It’s a great book with a lot of fun tunes. Keep on picking
I've owned a number of small bodied Larsons (Mauer, Stetson, Stahl), Tonk Brothers and various 0 sized Martins from the 20s. I found that for rag time music, the Larsons had a sound that was more suitable to that genre of music than the others. That said, the Foggy Bottom you played sounded very good as well. All are very note worthy instruments.
Lovely sounding guitars, and some very nice playing. Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Big thumbs up 👍
Thank you very much for listening and the kind comments Jon. I really do appreciate it.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar Always give credit where it's due, and you definitely deserve it.
Lovely collection of parlor guitars! I have 5 or 6 myself including a Martin 5-16, a 1933 Kalamazoo 00, several Collings Waterloos, and a few more. Each one does its own thing in beautiful ways. Can't have too many in my opinion. Problem is I'm getting rather old and not so well and don't have the energy to enjoy them like I had hoped to. Oh well, I just take it day to day now...
Thank you very much for reaching out and the kind words. It sounds as though you’ve got some beautiful instruments as well.
I’m an environmental music therapist in a major Boston hospital’s oncology unit and strongly believe in the healing power of music. At 72 and a cancer patient myself, I can certainly understand the limitations aging can bring. I hope you play as often as possible and enjoy your gift.
One last thought, I have downsized my stable of guitars significantly, just five acoustics and a couple electrics and I may yet part with a couple more. I found having fewer instruments much less taxing on me. I was selective about who I sold them too and knowing they’re getting played as they were intended to gladdens my heart.
Be well
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar
Thanks for your thoughts! I'm sure it's very rewarding to work with people in music therapy the way you do. 20 years ago when I was living in Manhattan I worked at the West Side YMCA teaching daily deep-water aquatics classes to groups of 25 people of mixed ages and health issues. Now I haven't been in a pool for more than 10 years because they don't have 'therapy pools' here, and COVID would likely have knocked them out anyway! More fool me for not ensuring I made enough income to have my own therapy pool at home. (It's a very expensive proposition, right up there with owning the finest stable of guitars, and requiring constant maintenance; a rich man's extravagance for sure...)
Back in those days (the 90s) I was also on faculty at NYU as a musical accompanist (percussionist) for Afro-Caribbean and Modern dance classes; working with classes of up to 40 - 22 year old dance majors who were working towards their advanced degrees. It was also an ultra fulfilling gig, as we put up a full-scale musical/theatrical production every year in conjunction with all the other departments at Tisch (NYU) who were involved with acting/production/staging, etc. (My wife did the choreography and I did the music.) Before all that I had a 25+ year career in performing and recording with various artists/bands, playing bass and/or guitar.
I agree regarding the downsizing... I'm already down from around 50 to just 15 or so. (Probably will continue to let them go. They need to be played. It's hard to let the custom made ones go though, as well as vintage stuff I've had since the 70s.)
I live in the desert now so the humidity issue is a real chore especially for the acoustics. I'm thinking of setting up a small humidification tent, repurposing a 4 x 5 foot indoor/outdoor gardening greenhouse with small humidifier and a Hercules multi guitar rack inside for the 5 or 6 acoustics, as it's getting to be too much to open each case several times a week to replenish their reservoirs with distilled water. My only hesitation with the tent is making sure to not over-humidify. I can't really afford to commission a purpose-built cabinet / display type thing, and it's not really my 'style' anyway... I like the idea of the tent because it's inexpensive, the instruments will be visible, which I hope will 'tempt' me to play more; and you just open a zipper to remove one from the rack, which seems like it might inspire me.
I'm just in so much uncontrollable pain lately (even with pain management) that the effort is all becoming too much, and thus I find myself not playing... By the time I get an instrument out of the case and tuned up, I'm exhausted and ready to quit...
Have you any suggestions?
Thanks for sharing! Each guitar has its own sound, of course and I wouldn't mind owning any one of them. As far as my preference goes based on sound, it matches the order in which you played them. :>)
Thank you so much for listening and your thoughtful comments, they’re very appreciated
Sounds great! At first glance Bill I thought you were John McEuen from the dirt band 😎👍🏼
Thanks for listening and the kind words. I can think of worse folks to be mistaken for LOL
Lovely playing. Really enjoyed that thanks.
Thank you for the kind words Craig.
A lovely wee concert, Bill. I enjoyed each guitar's unique voice. About the piece, I'm curious to know if there's a Tab available for this.
Thank you very much Iain. Richard’s book is available on Amazon ( and likely elsewhere). All of the tunes are good and fun to play.
Here’s a link to the book on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/0983290911/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_G9WEGJB55QBMWE2JJC1R
Please add Saslow's Juat What the Doctor Ordered -- another favorite of mine to play.
Thanks for doing this. Really cool hearing these four guitars with the same song. Really hard to pick a favorite. Coincidently, when I found your channel a month or two back, I was in the process of going through the Saslow book and happened to be working on this same song. So I've been playing along with all your recordings of the Saslow tunes as I learn them, at reduced speed or course! Working on "Blues in A" now - I can get through it but just trying to get as fluid sounding as you with it. Getting there. Another coincidence, I have Stahl guitar that is very similar to yours, with the exception of the inlays on the neck. Mine has the inlay like your Stetson on the headstock. Your recording captures the sound of the one I have very well. Anyway, just wanted to drop a note and say I'm enjoying the channel.
Thank you for the kind words Scholl. Your Stahl sounds very interesting. Is it ladder braced (as was mine)? I just sold mine back to a previous owner. He’d been after me for a while and I wasn’t playing it as much as I did in the past so I finally relented. He may be selling it now himself, likely on Reverb.
The Saslow book is a lot of fun. Enjoy!
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar Mine is X-braced. I didn't realize they made some of them ladder braced. When you asked I had to go check, wondering if maybe mine was ladder braced too. Mine is estimated to be from somewhere around a 1930. If you do a youtube search "larson brothers stahl elderly instruments" you'll see the one I actually have. About the Saslow book - my dad used to play Coney Island Cakewalk when I was a kid in the 70's. I didn't start playing guitar seriously until I was in my 20's after I had moved to another state. Unfortunately my dad ended up getting Parkinson's disease and it destroyed his ability to play before I ever got to learn that song from him. He had always told me he learned it from a book when asked about it but he couldn't remember what book. That was one of the tunes he played that actually made me want to learn to finger pick. A few years ago I came across someone playing it on RUclips, and in the comments the Saslow book was mentioned. So I ordered it, and then learned Coney Island Cakewalk to surprise my dad.
Ragpickin -- I love playing that song -- great version.
The Martin is #1 for me. Balanced sound. Thanks.
Thanks for listening Paul. That Martin is a wonderful instrument. Incredible sound from such a little guitar.
Très nettement Martin 1-28, la plus équilibrée et la plus riche en harmoniques et quels graves... Magique !
Thank you for listening and your thoughtful reply. Merci
Hands down the Martin; all really nice in their own way.
Thanks for listening and the thoughtful comment John
They all sound great in tone in their own unique way. I really liked the first ones looks and not a fan of slotted headstocks.
Thanks very much for listening and your thoughtful comments.
Excellent, well played
Thank you very much. I appreciate you listening and the kind words.
They’re all super, Bill….the Froggy appeals to my ear a bit more,,, after getting the wax blown out I might opt for the Larson…. 😉
(nice playing, btw)
Thanks very much Chuck. I truly appreciate it
New Sub. Love the on the Parlor guitars. Looking to pick up one soon. May trade my electric's in for one.
Still searching for ....
@@crazywisdom2 Thank you so much for listening, the kind comments and subscribing. It means a lot to me. I’m a huge fan of small bodied acoustics. Happy to offer any advice if you find one you’re interested in. Cheers, BC
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar thanks my friend. Currently looking at some; Seagulls, Collins would be my first choice, but maybe at the higher end of my $. Possibly a martin. I plan on trading preferably 2 teles and an ebmm cutlass plus cash if possible. time will tell. Looking to get a parlor 12th fret and at the same time par down to just 2 acoustics. Open to suggestions; budget is 3 - 4 K. If I go with a seagull /godin i'd be a head. Martin would be the same or a wash. Thank you !
@@crazywisdom2 You can get some wonderful instruments in that price range. I live about 20 minutes from The Music Emporium in Lexington, MA. I was in there recently and they have a lovely Martin 00-12 for $3425. Lot’s of choices on the used market too.
themusicemporium.com/products/martin-custom-00-12-fret-all-mahogany?_pos=31&_fid=828b39605&_ss=c
the Froggy Bottom sound is just fantastic, one day I will have one, maybe not now when im a broke 19 year old but someday I will own one
Thank you Rob. They are wonderful instruments and a great goal to work toward
Great collection!
Thank you Steve. I’m fortunate to be their caretaker.
Lovely
Thank you very much Tim
Bravo!
Thank you for listening and the kind comment
I own a Collings Parlor and I wish it had been included with the others. Very nice playing by the way.
Thank you for the kind words 58landman. Collings are wonderful instruments. I don’t know if you’re in the Boston area, but I would love to see your Collings and would be happy to do a new video including it.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar Unfortunately I'm in the deep South but I will tell you that they are marvelous instruments. I own a Parlor and an O2H model and I play them every chance I get.
@@58landman Sounds like you’ve got some good ones. I love about 20 minutes from The Music Emporium and they always have a nice selection of Collings so I get to play them fairly often.
The froggy bottom is as good as the Martin but crisper in overall tone. However, the Stahl branded Larson has the best midrange & clarity! Just sayin!
Thanks for listening and the feedback Patrick
Larson Stahl followed closely by Froggy -- very sweet sounding guitar!
Great guitars and playing!
Thank you Daniel
I will go for the Preston Thompson size 2 parlor
Those are lovely instruments for sure. One would have been a great addition to the mix but unfortunately for me, I don’t have one.
V,Good like your style,
Thank very much Mick. I just listened to some of your videos - nice work. I subscribed
Spot on my friend Much appreciated. 🪗🪗🪗 Regards Mick.
All of them ring wonderful sound.😊
Thank you very much for the kind comment and your subscription as well. Cheers
Love you my mega talented brother
The Froggy clearly ahead
Thank you very much for listening. That Froggy is a special guitar for sure
Love that tune, is the tab available anywhere please Bill. TIA, Steve...
Thanks for the kind words Steve. Rag Picking is a Richard Saslow arrangement. It’s available on Amazon in a book called The New Art of Ragtime Guitar: 2nd edition
a.co/d/9AzXniY
You remind me of my grandpa bill you look like him you have the first name as him you play like him.
@@davelowinger7056 That made me smile - thanks
Stetson: Hershey bar with Pabst. Froggy: Belgian white chocolate with prosecco. Martin: Hershey Special Dark with Anchor Steam. Larson: Orange juice with vodka.
Jim, you are a man after my own heart!
The Martin Killed IT!!!
Thank you for listening Jay. It is an amazing little guitar
It sounded washy to me and didn’t have the depth of or the definition of the Larson Stetson.
@@soundknight That small Larson/Stetson does have a wonderful presence. It’s like a magic music box.
Lovely playing, very enjoyable to listen.
I thought the Martin sounded the best, then Larson 1, Larson 2 and the FB sounded noticeably less rich and not as full-sounding as any of the others. Maybe this is due to some part of modern construction or just age, who really knows?
What is the nut width and the bridge string-spacing of these, please?
Regards,
Kevin
Thank you very much for listening and your kind and thoughtful comments Kevin. I really appreciate it. I concur about the Froggy and would have agreed that age was the prime factor. However, a while ago I acquired a 2021 000-18 H Blazer & Henkes which blows all of the others out of the water. I’ve posted a number of recordings with it. You might want to check those out.
As far as nut and bridge spacing goes, I sold the Larson Stahl when I bought the B&H. I know the nut was 1 7/8” but don’t recall the bridge spacing. As for the others, the Larson Stahl and the Martin are both 1 7/8” and 2 3/8”. The Froggy is 1 3/4” and 2 1/4”. The Blazer and Henkes is 1 15/16” and 2 3/8”. Surprisingly, that extra 16th of an inch at the nut makes it the easiest to play.
Thanks again.
1. Froggy Bottom
2. Larson #1
3. Martin
4. Larson #2
Larson Stetson was the most gentlemanly.
Thank you for listening and the thoughtful comments
What year is the Martin? I have a 1912 Martin 1-21 that has to have a Stradivarius hidden inside. It is unbelievable and they will have to pry it from my cold dead hands!!!! Mine is also signed under the top by Frank Henry Martin who was running Martin. He would sometimes inspect the tops and would put his initials and the date on the underside of the top in pencil. When I acquired this guitar I didn't know about the signature and neither did the dealer, so I was thrilled to see it one day while inspecting it with a light and a mirror.....a really interesting and very COOL piece of Martin history.
The Martin is a 1920 Dave. There is information on all the guitars in the drop down arrow to the right of the video title. Cheers
Thanks Bill. I didn't see the nicely detailed summary until you pointed it out and I enjoyed reading about the guitars and how you acquired them. I have a small collection of Martin guitars that I have traveled all over the U.S. to find. 12 of them are vintage Martins and the newest one is a 1962 00-21. I hope to make some videos like yours in the near future to share these fabulous vintage Martins with other Martin fanatics......and anyone else who appreciates hearing the best there is. Looking forward to seeing more of your instruments and playing.
@@dmartinpolley1143 Sounds like a decent size collection Dave. I firmly believe these instruments should be played and heard. I gig with mine and that’s one reason I’ve been recording and posting these videos. I’ll definitely keep it up even when venues reopen. Thanks again for your kind words.
Which one you prefer to?you played and felt them all!friend
Thank you for the kind words Wu. I wish I had a straight answer. I find myself playing the Froggy Bottom a bit more often but can’t explain why. Folks have asked me if there was a fire and I could only save one which would it be. In that case it would probably be the Larson Stahl because it’s a wonderful guitar and unique with the Larson Stetson a close second. On the other hand, If I had to sell all but one to good owners I would probably keep the Froggy. Hope that helps.
I feel very fortunate to have such wonderful instruments in my care.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I prefer to froggy then Martin.if you gonna sell .I would like to pick one
Bill, The Martin seemed to be clear with a warm sound and a great tone, and possibly more projection, Froggy was next favourite, then the First Larson' but what struck me( excuse the pun) it seemed effortless on the Martin, a lot of fret noise on the First guitar, so my question is, which one do you find more comfortable to play? and sound wise,which is your favourite?
Thank you for the thoughtful reply David. Of those four guitars it would be difficult to pick a favorite. I like them all for different reasons. The first Larson (branded as Stetson) is an amazing blues guitar. It’s got a lot of volume for such a tiny instrument and just seems perfect for fingerstyle blues. The Martin is a marvelous guitar with great balance and that vintage prewar Martin sound. It is quite easy to play if you like bar frets and is incredibly light. I joke that I have to tie a string to it to keep it from floating away. The Froggy is the easiest to play over all. It’s a modern guitar and feels it. The tuners are smooth and accurate, the neck is comfortable and the frets are smooth. It’s a delight to play but doesn’t have that crisp vintage sound that I like. The second Larson (Stahl branded) had an amazing and unique sound, likely because it is ladder braced unlike all the others which are traditional X braced. I sold it after a friend and fellow collector offered me a very good price for it.
Since I posted that video I’ve acquired two other guitars. Both are OOO sized. One is a Froggy Bottom H-12 with an Indian Rosewood body and spruce top. It is a wonderful instrument and is part of the reason I sold the Larson Stahl as it did everything that guitar did and was much easier to play. It also projects better because of its larger size. It was one of my all time favorite guitars until I bought a brand new Blazer and Henkes OOO-18 H with a Walnut body and Spruce top. I have fallen in love with this guitar. It has a vintage sound like the best Martins from the golden prewar era and has incredible volume. It’s extremely easy to play. I’ve posted several recordings of it and plan to do many more. This guitar has me considering parting with most if not all of the others. I am planning to do a comparison video of these two guitars.
Thanks again.
Bill
What kind of strings are on the old guitars such as the Larson Stetson? Steel, Silk and Steel? 10's, 11's ?
All the guitars sound very good. I like the Larson Stetson the best but not by much.
I like small guitars. I have a lot of Martin 0's. 1923 0-18, 1926 0-28, 1927 0-18, 1931 0-21, 1934 0-17, 1939 0-18, other ... The 1931 has the most resonance.
Thank you so much for listening and your thoughtful comments. It looks as though you have a wonderful collection.
I run Magma silver plated gypsy jazz strings on all my acoustic guitars, .010’s on the lighter built guitars and .011’s on the rest. Their string tension is similar to Silk & Steels but I greatly prefer the sound. Also, they’re less expensive than the S&S and last a lot longer.
magmastoreusa.com/
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I bought a 1968 0-18 from Retrofret in 2013. I liked it so much that I kept buying 0-18's. Each one kept sounding different and their prices were relatively low several years back. My parents had bought me a 0-18 for a high school graduation present back in 1969 which I ended up playing in the street in Europe in 1972. Then I gave it away (that is a little story). So now I have 8 great sounding 0-18's. I keep meaning to do something like your RUclips and then sell a few if I can figure out which ones to sell. Ha. I don't see myself buying more. I have 24 great Martin guitars. I would like a 1929 0-45, but $$$.
My 1931 0-21 probably has the most unique sound. Most people like it the best. I bought it from Glenn Weiser (Celtic music guy).
I have no dreadnaught Martin guitars. I like the small guitars. Lucky they are not that popular and prices are lower.
I saw that Paul Davids recently wrote that his new very small Collings is his all time favorite guitar. That was a surprise.
@@mrfuzztone Sounds like an amazing collection for sure.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar I bought 3 old Martin guitars from Eric Schoenberg. Cool guy and store. A favorite 1952 from Mandolin Brothers (Stan).
@@mrfuzztone Eric is a great guy. He and I go back decades. I took lessons from him in 1980’s. He started my small bodied guitar obsession when I sold me a 1929 Martin OM-28 prototype which we sold back and forth a couple of times. I got the 1920 Martin 1-28 from him and have one of the first batch of Schoenberg Soloist’s he did with Dana Bourgeois.
Any thoughts on more "budget friendly" parlors IE ; Godins , art and lutherie, Alvarez etc ?
I don’t have a lot of hands on experience with any of those brands. The only budget friendly parlor guitars I’m familiar with are the Rocording King RP1-626-C and RP2-626-C. They are 0 and 00 size guitars that were developed in collaboration with Eric Schoenberg and are amazingly nice instruments. Unfortunately, they’re no longer in production, but do come up on the used market from time to time. Well worth the search.
The Martin and Froggy Bottom sounded great. I'd use the other two for kindling.
Thanks for listening and your feedback. I have to say kindling is a little harsh a fate and, for those two rare instruments, an expensive way to start a fire. LOL
Thx for the wonderful comparisons. I own a very very early Larson Maurer 0 body. What are the yrs of the two Larsons played, and do you know how they are braced? I believe that mine is “Ladder” bracing. Thx for any more info, Wrick
Hi Rick, The Stahl is ladder braced and the Stetson is X braced. Neither guitar has a serial number so dating them is a little dodgy. We believe the Stetson is from around 1910 and the Stahl has been variously dated between 1910 and 1920.
Thanks for listening.
@@ParlorMan_Acoustic_Guitar Thank you Bill, my experience is similar to your Stahl. BTW I’m in southern RI. Regards, Rick
Which string gauge do you use on them? Do they all use the same strings?
At the time of the recording, I was using John Pearse Nuages, Gypsy Jazz strings but I’ve since switched to Magma Acoustic Silver Plated Wound Gypsy Jazz strings in .011 (high E). All of my acoustics are strung with them. They’re wonderful strings and reasonably priced
Thanks for listening and reaching out.
Martin
Thanks for listening and reaching out. I appreciate it.
give me your skill
LOL, Thanks very much
FB IS THE BEST
Thanks for listening and taking time to comment. It is a sweet guitar for sure.
Martin
Thanks Bull Mountain. It is a wonderful guitar for sure
Jealous of your playing AND your HAIR! LOL!
Thank you for the kind words and the morning laugh! Much appreciated.
Larson 2 , just .....
Thank you Phillip
🧐 🧐 👁️ RECORDING KING 🧐🧐🧐👁️👁️👁️
Thanks for watching Jorge. I was just playing a Recording King RP2 Schoenberg yesterday. They’re very nice instruments.