Parlor Month

We’re dedicating the month of April to celebrate one of our favorite body shapes – the parlor! We’ll be posting videos, recordings, artist content and other fun media about this small but significant body shape! Make sure to check back regularly and help us revel in everything parlor. Also, post a video of you playing a USA made Bedell parlor on our facebook page, and we’ll send you a free Bedell T-Shirt! If you don’t have a Bedell parlor, stop in and see you’re local Bedel dealer! You’re going to love how these instruments sound.

Parlor Guitars: The Beauty of a Parlor

Parlor guitars have experienced a resurgence in popularity over the past several years, thanks in part to the increased prominence of acoustic and folk instruments in popular music over the same time period. There are many advantages that a parlor guitar has over its larger siblings in the guitar world, from portability to a shorter scale and a body size that favors smaller hands. Despite their smaller stature, parlor guitars are crafted to deliver plenty of volume, projection and articulation, making them an ideal instrument for any number of applications.

Out of the past, into the future

For decades, full-sized acoustic guitars have dominated the market. Dreadnought, jumbo, orchestra and concert are the typical body sizes one encounters when exploring any given manufacturer’s creations. Smaller than a concert acoustic, the parlor guitar, popularized in the late 1800s, is once again being viewed as a viable option, having fallen out of favor as the electric guitar and amplification became the norm beginning in the 1950s. Today, they’re seen as an affordable and practical way for beginners to get started (especially younger players), as well as an exciting and inspirational addition to any established player’s guitar collection.

Though most people these days associate the word “parlor” with a pizza restaurant or the place where grandma gets her hair done, there was a time when pretty much every home had a parlor—a room designed for entertaining family and guests. Before radio and television existed, folks had to entertain themselves, and making music was a pastime enjoyed by nearly everyone. The small-bodied guitars that often occupied these rooms became known as parlor guitars, and their smaller size encouraged everyone in the family to partake in music-making, something they can still accomplish in their modern incarnation.

Bedell Parlor Guitars

Bedell Guitars is at the forefront of the modern parlor movement, creating handcrafted instruments in a number of styles that any player can enjoy. Bedell parlor guitars are the company’s signature 12-fret instrument (the neck joins the body at the 12th fret, instead of the 14th with most guitars). 12-fret instruments are known for having a richer sound, with very articulate mids and top-end sparkle, with a smooth response across its entire tonal range. Bedell enhances this design with a slightly elongated lower bout that hosts the bridge symmetrically in its center, delivering surprising volume and clarity from a smaller-bodied instrument.

Bedell offers the parlor body shape in nine different models: Earthsong, Coffee House, Coffee House Natural, Blackbird, Antiquity Milagro, Angelica Bellissima, Revere, 1964 and 1964 Natural. Each model offers its own unique take on the parlor with select tonewood combinations, design elements and aesthetic touches.