Peanut Gallery - Size 1 or 2 "Parlor Guitars"
from Riverboat Music^TM

The short version is that:

• Some of the tiniest real guitars being made today are actually based on real "full-sized" guitars of the 1900s.

• The little, low-cost versions have become ridiculously popular, for beginners, for campers, and for folks who just want to "noodle around" on a guitar in an armchair or recliner.

• Reenactors can use some of them for 19th-century settings like Civil War, cowboy, or Victorian reenactors.

• They're shaped a lot like peanuts.

Pros of "Peanut" Guitars as Starter Instruments:

• Easier for smaller students to hold than dreadnought or jumbo guitars.

• If student is very young, the guitar can be equipped temporarily with nylon strings, then changed back to steel when the student is ready. (Look for "ball end" nylon strings; if you can't find those, try "silk and steel" strings.)

• A Peanut guitar takes up less space than a dreadnought or jumbo.
• If it is a nice instrument, the student can keep it indefinitely, even if a bigger guitar comes along eventually.

Cons of "Peanut" Guitars as Starter Instruments:

• Given the same quality, a Peanut guitar is not quite as loud as dreadnought or jumbo guitars.
• In some circles, a Peanut guitar generally doesn't generally have the "cool" appeal as a dreadnought, so if peer pressure is an issue. . . .

I've come back to these descriptions, pros, and cons many times since I started this project, and the more I think about it, the more I think there's a lot to be said for starting younger students out on Peanut guitars (not to be confused with the toy-like "starter guitars" you can buy in supermarkets every Christmas season). If they can hold the thing properly, they can grow into it without outgrowing it.

About Imported Guitars Almost all of the guitars in this category are being manufactured in Asia. Most of them have veneer tops, so they're not as loud as they could be. And pretty much all of them will come in needing some adjustment.

When you get one, check it out immediately. If it's your first guitar, have someone who knows guitars check it out immediately. The big box stores and Amazon ship these to you without inspection, so guitars can arrive with shipping damage or manufacturing defects.

The vast majority of 5-point reviews come from people who got good Peanuts and are delighted with them. The vast majority of 1-point reviews come from people who didn't bother to check their Peanut out until it was too late to return it.

That said, once you have one of these and you're sure it's a good one, it should last for many years with proper care and maintenance.

About Guitar Setup - Most guitars under $1500 come in need of a "setup." This usually includes tweaking the neck adjustment screw to get better action and replacing the strings. Sometimes it includes filing down the slots in the nut and raising or lowering the saddle. (Don't worry if you don't know what that means; anyone who can help you with that sort of thing will know.)

For information on "normal" guitar setups, check out our article: "Setting Up Acoustic Guitars and other Fretted Instruments."

If you get your Peanut through a privately-owned music store, you should be able to ask the owner to check the setup for you before you leave the store. Often the store owner is a luthier or has some luthier training, and the cost difference between what you pay there and what you'd pay an online warehouse includes personal attention.

Examples

To give you some idea of what you can expect, I've listed some Peanut guitars that are currently available.

When you do buy, whatever you buy, please either:

• Buy from a shop where every guitar is set up by a pro, or
• Have a pro check it out and set it up for you as soon as you get it.

If you follow any of these links, you'll see dozens more I didn't profile, but hopefully I've given you enough information to make an informed decision.

Guitar Model	Illustration (If available)	Solid or Veneer Top	Width at Lower Bout	# of Frets at Heel	Where Made	Online Availability
Ibanez PN1NT		Veneer	12" (Martin Size 2)	12	China	(The Ibanez AVN3 was a solid-topped version with a slotted head. Sadly, it's discontinued and is hard to find.)
Ibanez PN1MHOPN (Open Pore Mahogany Finish)		Veneer	Martin Size 2(1833+)	12	China	(Unfortunately, Amazon lists these both as the same instrument, so I'm not entirely sure which one you'll get from them.)
Ibanez PN1MHNT (High Gloss Mahogony Finish)		Veneer	Martin Size 2(1833+)	12	China
Luna Gypsy Parlor (Mahogany Finish)		Veneer	12"? (Martin Size 2)	14	China
Luna Gypsy Parlor (Spruce Finish)		Veneer	12.75"? (Martin Size 1?)	14	China
Fender CP-60s		Solid Spruce	14" (Martin Size 00)	14	Indonesia
Fender CP-60s		Solid Spruce	14" (Martin Size 00)	14	Indonesia
Recording King RPH-P2-TS		Solid	12.75"? (Martin Size 1?)	12	China
Gretch Jim Dandy		Veneer	12.75"? (Martin Size 1?)	12	China
Ibanez PNB14 (Bass Guitar)		Veneer (Solid-topped versions, including AVNB2ENT, AVNB1FE, have been made, but most are discontinued and hard to find.)	14" (Martin Size 0)	12	China
Ibanez AVT1NT (Tenor Parlor Guitar)		Solid Sitka Spruce	12.75"? (Martin Size 1?)	14	China

Note: - This is a shorter list than I would like because several of the instruments I had listed last year are now discontinued or otherwise nearly unavailable. We are adding new guitars as they become available, so please check back.

Conclusion

Whatever instrument you choose and however you get it into your household, have it checked out while you still have return privileges. Even some of the "better brands" hae quality control issues.

We hope this helps you find a guitar that meets your wants, needs and desires, and that gives you countless hours of enjoyment.

Please check back for updates, and contact us with any questions, corrections, additions, or "reader responses."

Note about Suppliers: While we try to help you get the instruments and other products you want by recommending suppliers with a good record of customer service, all transactions between you and the supplier you chose are governed by the published policies on the supplier's web site. So please print off any order confirmation screens and save copies of invoices, etc., so you can contact the appropriate supplier or invoke the product warranty should any problems occur.*

Note about Ordering Musical Instruments Online: Buy only from folks with a reasonable return policy and be sure to have any musical instrument you ordered online checked over by a professional as soon as you receive it. Every musical instrument has the potential for being damaged in shipment, even if the box looks fine when you get it. In addition, musical instruments shipped across the Pacific have a very high percentage of manufacturing defects. If you look at online reviews, a surprising percentage of the one-star reviews say something like "By the time I realized it was damaged (or had a critical manufacturing defect), the period for returns had run out, so now I'm stuck with a useless piece of . . . . " Yes, the manufacturer should have better quality control, and the store should pack things better. But in the end, you are responsible for making certain that an instrument or product will serve your needs while you still have time to return it.

Note about Buying Musical Instruments New: Before you spend $2000 on an instrument that will be worth $800 once you get it home, check out the used market for that sort of instrument in your area. Depending on where you live, or what kind of instrument you're looking for, it may not be an option. But if you can get a used professional instrument for the same price as a new student instrument, it is often worth taking the risk. Especially if you have a knowledgeable friend who can go along and check it out for you. In fact, many of our pages include links to articles on how to shop for used instruments of various types. However, we recognize that many folks have limited access to good used instruments, and everyone needs to see what is available in the various price ranges. So we do list, when possible, live links to real vendors with a good return policy, in case they're your best choice for getting what you want. Again, once you buy something, your satisfaction is between you and the vendor.

Note about Availability and Pricing: Although I try to keep an eye on things and to recommend products that are reasonably available, the model train market does fluctuate, and any product on this page may change price or become unavailable without prior notice. If you "click through" to see details on a product, and nothing happens at all, or you are routed to a supplier's home page, please let me know and I will remove the product from the online catalog until I can find a replacement or another supplier. For more detailed information about why products seem to come and go and why I have stopped listing prices for most products, please see my article "About Pricing and Availability."

*Here's an irony: every year, I receive about a dozen complaints from folks who have never been to my sites before, angry that a deal between that person and a vendor or manufacturer I recommend went south (in their opinion). They "googled" the product, saw my recommendation or review, then e-mailed me to tell me they were going to sue me or report me to the Better Business Bureau for personally ripping them off by recommending a product they had bought from someone else. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the problem is really because the customer didn't read the whole ad, or ordered the wrong thing, or threw away his paperwork and doesn't know where he bought it from, etc. I'm always polite, and sometimes I can even help them get things straightened out with the vendor, but it's not, technically, my problem.

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