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  • Cort Luce parlour guitars

The "parlour" body designation comes from the Martin lineup. Think of those small-bodied flat tops that you see Joan Baez and Dolly Parton playing. Typically the body is quite narrow as well.

Anyhoo... if you're on the look out for a flat top that offers real bang per buck then check these out. Model numbers (as per Cort's website) are L900P, L100P and L1200P. I played a couple at Music Connection this morning and they are great. Solid wood tops, well finished, very retro and authentic if you're into that sort of thing - slot heads, the little pyramids each side of the bridge, bound necks, herringbone binding on the examples I played. More to the point these are good sounding guitars with reasonable appointments and at the price (street price should be around 4 grand) they are very good value for money. Choice of cedar and spruce tops as well, so you have some tonal variation to check out. Especially good for slide and finger style playing.

    7 days later
    Stoner Riff wrote: 4K for a Parlour ?

    Now that does sound good !

    I recently looked into a $2000.00 USD Arlo Guthrie Gibson ('ladder braced', for that period correct 1920's Delta Blues tone), but just could not pull the trigger.

    http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Acoustic-Instruments/Small-Body/Gibson-Acoustic/Arlo-Guthrie-LG.aspx - 2K USD street price

    Gonna look into these - are they also ladder raced, or X Braced like all modern instruments ?
    The Cort web site says they have scalloped X-bracing.
      X-rated Bob wrote:
      Stoner Riff wrote: 4K for a Parlour ?

      Now that does sound good !

      I recently looked into a $2000.00 USD Arlo Guthrie Gibson ('ladder braced', for that period correct 1920's Delta Blues tone), but just could not pull the trigger.

      http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Acoustic-Instruments/Small-Body/Gibson-Acoustic/Arlo-Guthrie-LG.aspx - 2K USD street price

      Gonna look into these - are they also ladder raced, or X Braced like all modern instruments ?
      The Cort web site says they have scalloped X-bracing.
      BUGGER ?


      . . . thanks for the info !
        Played one of these recently as well. Really great value for money. Big, warm sounding, considering the body size. Definitely a cut above!
          I had a Cort Earth 900 parlour for years - a great little guitar, but very midrange-focused and with a neck that was ultimately too small for me (but I rarely play steel anyway). I'm in Bothner's for an hour or so on Tuesday, I'll see if they have any hanging up there and give them a quick look.
            Stoner Riff wrote:
            X-rated Bob wrote:
            Stoner Riff wrote: Gonna look into these - are they also ladder raced, or X Braced like all modern instruments ?
            The Cort web site says they have scalloped X-bracing.
            BUGGER ?


            . . . thanks for the info !
            Don't reject them just on that basis. They're clearly patterned on the Martin parlor guitar, and Martin have been using x-bracing a long time now. They've got the little pyramids on the bridge, herringbone bindings on some models... Go try one.

            I believe there is a "ladder braced" sound, but I think it came about because in the 20s and 30s the cheap, mail order guitars that those poor rural players could afford were ladder braced. These days you probably pay a premium for ladder bracing.
              X-rated Bob wrote:
              Stoner Riff wrote:
              X-rated Bob wrote:
              Stoner Riff wrote: Gonna look into these - are they also ladder raced, or X Braced like all modern instruments ?
              The Cort web site says they have scalloped X-bracing.
              BUGGER ?


              . . . thanks for the info !
              Don't reject them just on that basis. They're clearly patterned on the Martin parlor guitar, and Martin have been using x-bracing a long time now. They've got the little pyramids on the bridge, herringbone bindings on some models... Go try one.

              I believe there is a "ladder braced" sound, but I think it came about because in the 20s and 30s the cheap, mail order guitars that those poor rural players could afford were ladder braced. These days you probably pay a premium for ladder bracing.
              Thanx for the advice . . . i am deff gonna look into them !
              At that price i have too.

              http://www.cortguitars.com/en/product/l900p - Cedar Top - sounds good !
                Well Bob after a small setup on the two that I bought when I saw you at MC and new strings, can say it was a great buy. 2 palours for less than 8k.
                I never thought that I would buy a Chinese guitar let alone 2 but apart from really minor issues like frets that needed a little TLC easily sorted by Mando.
                As you know I have had to move to smaller guitars due to a shoulder problem. One is set up for a bit of slide and the second one for normal finger style.
                I nearly stopped playing altogether a month or so ago well glad I have found these.
                Now to pluck up the courage and let some of my other guitars go.
                A difficult scenario.
                Saddle and Nut
                  12 days later
                  I played the L900P when I was in town the other day, but unfortunately they did not have either of the other models in stock (no, but they had the full range of gaudy solid colour Ovations - bright red, blue and yellow, etc.).

                  The Cort quality not bad, but needed a setup and had a few cosmetic flaws here and there: the binding right at the end on the neck had slipped during gluing and the raw rosewood bridge was a bit rough and dry as a bone.

                  The neck was wider and deeper than my old Earth 900 - quite comfy actually. The rosewood back and the cedar top were both attractive pieces of wood and the rosewood back and sides gave it a better tonal balance than the mahogany-backed Earth 900. Surprisingly good bass response - not huge, but present and well-defined. The highs are crisp and lively without being thin or harsh.

                  Retail price was about R6K IIRC - quite impressive bang-for-the-buck. Definitely worth a look if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive parlour guitar. I'd probably want to step up to the L1200P though, which has pearloid tuners, bone nut and more elaborate abalone purfling as well as a floral inlay on the fingerboard (and hopefully better finishing and attention to detail).
                    a month later
                    Don't forget about Tanglewood.

                    They make a very nice little parlour with a solid backboard.

                    There's usually one hanging in Marshall Music cape town.

                    Almost pulled the trigger a couple of times. But the neck is slightly too narrow for my tastes and the sound just slightly too tinny.
                    I'd rather put a few extra grand in and get a Taylor GS Mini.
                    Not a parlour (a tiny GC shape) but also a small guitar with a great sound!
                      25 days later
                      I've seen that Tanglewood you're talking about...very neat guitar.
                        3 years later
                        Recently had to sell my Ian Corr Celtic custom due to old shoulder injuries and tremor. Tried the Taylor GS Mini but found the sound a bit 'one dimensional'. Bought the Cort L1200P and am thrilled with the workmanship and depth of sound. It even works with my grotty shoulder!
                          These guitars are germane to my interests...
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