Apparently it is now 7 years since I made this video so here is an update. The guitar, although well battered is still going strong. Nothing has warped, split or fallen off. What more could you ask for?
Hi John, you seemed impressed with Fender's Ron Emory parlour guitar when you tried it, why did you keep the CP100 instead ? Just wondering as I went out and bought the Emory guitar which I like very much.
Hi Dennis, My CP-100 now resides in the church's music store for all to use. The Emory eventually got swapped for a Revelation electric which I have yet to review. (Swapping guitars is how I manage to get so many to review.)
@J F The laws of physics are against small steel strung guitars. While some like the Simon & Patrick Trek pack a lot of punch, it is all packed into the mid-range. I had one for a few months but eventually gave up and went for a medium sized Tanglewood. My Alhambra is easily the loudest of my guitars yet it does not irritate the ear the way the Trek did.
The western guitar is called a Dreadnought and was designed to play along with the standard American band of the early 20th C. Loud enough to be heard over a banjo, fiddle and accordion it was also named after the first British super battleship. A Parlour guitar has a smaller body and is not intended to be played in public, it is simply for playing around the kitchen table where volume is not an advantage. If you are not a loud singer then a Parlour is the better choice.
I had only had the guitar for a few days when I recorded this video. The strings are Fender 12s as supplied. I have. I have refitted it with Dean Marlley 11s and if you will forgive a plug, those interested can hear them on my album, 'Colmba of Iona, by John David Coupland' at Cdbaby.com. As for dropped tunings where the pitch is lowered then use a heavier guage string otherwise the intonation can suffer. D'Addario, Dean Markley and Earthwound are all worth trying.
I really appreciate you posting this review. It's proven to be the ONLY info I can find on this guitar, other than the factory write-up. This little guitar must have just hit the market. I believe I shall have to acquire one as soon as possible!
Since making this video I have fitted the guitar with Thomastic flatwound strings. This takes away some of the folksie sound and gives a tone more suitable for jazz or blues. Pop is however such a wide musical field that it would be hard to say what would be best. The instrument is however pretty versatile.
I just ordered one of these for my sons birthday. I've been playing guitar since i was 12 and it has given me so much joy and peace. I'm hoping it will do the same for my son.
Thanks for posting this. I have been looking for a parlour guitar and being a die hard Fender fan this seems the obvious choice. Lovely playing there and always nice to hear the odd scottish word. Thanks again.
Hi Fiona, I have not yet had the opportunity to try it through a PA system. The sound for the video was recorded using an SE2000 recording microphone which is a lot better than the standard SM58 that you are likely to find in a folk club. The strings on the guitar were fresh so it is sounding as crisp as it will ever be. Hope that helps. John
My very first guitar was made in Brazil. In the video I said that it would not be possible to fit an under saddle pick up. Since then I have discovered a well hidden shim, a small piece of wood under the saddle, the removal of which has in fact allowed me to fit such a pick up to my own CP100. So far I have not found any draw backs or problems with the guitar. Blessings John
Hi John....thanks for your wonderful review ...I will seek no further after watching your review...F. Cp 100 it shall be...Best of health n thanks again😊
Nice parlor John... I just picked up the Gretsch Jim Dandy ..similar to the Fender and I love it. Took some getting use to .The tone is not as full as a dreadnought but has its own flavor . Nice video.
Upon closer examination I found that there was a well camoflaged shim in the saddle slot so there was no problem fitting a ust. I have fitted mine with a Belcat unit which has the ust plus a magnetic soundhole pick up. It also has both xlr and jack outputs so I can plug in to the church pa system without using a DI box. Happylujah!
I still had the original strings when I made the video. I tried D'Addario but did not feel they suited this guitar and tried Earthwound by Ernie Ball which I preferred. Later I fitted it with D'Addario nickle flatwound strings as I prefer a jazzy sound. I made a video of this called Fender CP-100 reborn.
It is a relatively quiet instrument as you would expect, parlor guitars are intended for private use and not meant for performing to other folk. If you see my review of the Tanglewood Nashville Folk guitar I play the Fender shortly after the start to illustrate the loudness of the Tanglewood. Laminated woods make a guitar much stronger than solid woods which are many times more likely to split under impact or dry conditions. Classical guitars do tend to be louder than steel string instruments.
The sound-hole is a standard 10cm but because of the smaller body size there is not quite as much clearance on the underside. I now have a curved single coil Belcat fitted which required a little modification and still does not fit as snugly as it would on a Dreadnought. (See my other video CP-100 reborn.) A slim single coil size should work ok but the larger wood block style may need trimming.
The CF is between the parlor and the Dreadnought in size and volume. Sigma make a nice 000 folk size guitar at the £200 -230 mark and there is the Tanglewood TNF at 240 in the UK. Mini Jumbos and the larger travel guitars might also suit you.
I bought this guitar off the back of your review. Its Brilliant. You can take it anywhere and not worry about it. Great Tone and a lot better than the CD 60 which I Used to own. I took the strap button of the back and fitted a sound hole pickup with a strap jack. The best £125 I ever spent on a guitar. Thankyou
Not that I am aware of. A classical case might fit but I do not have one to try. The case for my Tanglewood folk guitar does fit although there is room for a sweater as well.
Great review! I'm very inspired by this guitar, I'm going to see if they got it at my local store. P.s.: love your accent! (I study foreign languages and irish/scottish accents fascinate me - standard bbc english sounds way too snob)
Hello there, thanks for uploading this video! I went and tried one of these out in my local guitar shop and instantly fell in love with the feel and size of it. I just wondered if you knew how it handles being mic-ed up? I perform quite a lot you see, and if I did buy one of these I wouldn't have the money straight away to buy a pick-up... Thanks for reading my comment. Fiona.
There are no nasty surprises with this guitar. One of my pupils bought one last month and it is a delight to play and my own guitar is still working well.
I am not aware of a case speifically designed for it but a classical case may do although I would not take the chance of ordering one on the net just in case it's not the case. It does however fit in the case supplied with my Tanglewood TNF folk guitar with half an inch or so either side to spare.
As all soundhole pick ups partially block the hole then there is always a slight reduction in sound quality but not much. These magnetic p/ups will give a jazzy sound rather than folksie but they are normally well behaved regarding feedback. The more expensive will be hum free whereas the cheap ones produce a faint buzz when plugged into an amp or a recording device. Once you start thrashing out chords then hum is not really noticable but it can be annoying between songs.
A case for a 3/4 size wiil be too small but a case for a full size classical will do the job and leave room for a music folder as well. The measuements are Length 103 cm, body length 49 cm and width 35 cm.
When I bouight this it was the only parlor guitar in my price range which was available locally. (Scottish guitar shops do not have much imagination and tend to be full of Dreadnoughts.) I compared it alongside a Sigma 000 which sounded better but was slightly larger in the body and about £40 more. I had a dodgy shoulder at the time so, being smaller, the Fender won but I wished I could have bought both of them.
Hello John, Fabulous Review, I am very curious of this guitar and I was wondering if you found a good case for this guitar and if not, what is the likelihood of finding a nice fitting hard case for this model and where?
Great review, thanks, think I am gonna get one... I am interested to know would a standard soundhole pick up fit this guitar? and do you have any recommendations?, thanks..
Nice review! How can you characterize its loudness? Compared to a dreadnought and to a nylon string classical? Aren't you concerned about the laminate woods used? (Loudness, projection, sound definition and the sturdiness of the instruments?) I like the sound through youtube, and it is really affordable, so I will look around in shops and have it a try myself.
great job man! in fact i think i'm going to help myself to one of those. one question though, i'm brazilian, so english is not my strongest suit, what did you say about adding pickups to the guitar? also, are there any cons that you consider i should have in mind? thanks a lot!
Hello there sir! Very good review, indeed. I have a question though.. I have a Levin 26 Pepita myself. In a perspective of quallity, sound and strength, is there any major lacking in this model? For example, is it weak in the way that the neck will start to give in after a short time? Or is it, for the price, an allround good folk guitar?
Hey thank you for this review. If you don't mind me asking what sort of strings did you put on it? I'm going to be spending a lot of time in Sweden in the coming time and am looking for something cheap but at least decent so I don't have to risk flying my good guitars over. Thanks. Trevor
Thankyou so much sir. I appreciate the help alot, and I really enjoy this guitar. I play alot of Coldplay, so the jazzy sound may be a benefit. How much does a good quality soundhole go for? Cheers.
hey man, sounds really nice. thinking of trading my Gretsch Jim Dandy flat top for one of these despite them being very similar guitars, im a huge Fender fan and cant resist. Was wondering if you could offer any comparison between the two? also, what strings are you using? this guitar seems to have beautiful clarity for a parlour size.
Ok John, after months of going around in circles, I bought, then sent back the cutest little Ibanez Parlor that you could set eyes on. I needed a small guitar for Delta blues; sitting in my recliner. Only problem: too small. Smaller than the CP-100. I'd watched this demo and remembered it, so after all things considered, the company did an exchange for the CP-100. I'll be installing an LR Baggs M1 Active pickup within the sound hole, then run through my amp (at certain times) for a deep down dirty sound that I'm sure this model will produce. After 44 years of playing, it's an educated guess, that I'm sure will be a success. I watched all the demos for the CP-100 but yours stood out because it was a bit more concise for what you had to convey. So, thanks for putting out your 2 cents worth. I'll let you know the outcome which shouldn't be long. Scotty
Hi John, Last time I attempted to learn the guitar, I bought a really cheap dreadnought. I hated how big it was, so quickly gave up. Recently I got into ukulele playing, which is ok, but I feel I'm cheating myself of the sound I love, so want to have another try at guitar. I've been looking at a lot of parlor guitars on the net, as I think they would suit me fine. Do you think this Fender would be suitable to learn on at home? Thank you.
John Coupland Thanks for replying, John. That gives me hope that maybe I can do. That lady has a lot of years on me. Ok, I'm going to order one. Thank you again for your help :)
hello ,thank you very much for the review,i was going to buy epiphone el-00, but when i came through this video i think ill change my minde,ill go tomorrow to my local store here at colchester and try one
Thanks for the video. I'm considering buying one of these, but nowhere near me has it in stock. Is there anything "odd" about it that I should know, before buying it online, without having played it? I'll be coming from an electric guitar background, having never owned an acoustic. Thought this looked like a nifty little acoustic to carry around.
Awrite Man! Greetings from Ohio! I just bought this guitar with my Christmas money and I was blown away! You do a very good review on this guitar, I didn't see any good ones on youtube except for your video. Also, I like your accent, are you by chance from the highlands or the northern islands?
John Coupland Hehe, glaswegian, cool! Could you maybe do a review on the epiphone dot or the korean made dot deluxe? I have one at home and id be curious to hear your opinion on it. Cheers!
Hi John, I have just purchased this great guitar but I am really struggling with bar chords, how do you find playing bar chords on it? It requires so much force to make the strings sound right, maybe it's the standard steel strings that come with it? If you could help me with some advice that would be great!
There are three things you can do. First off if you loosen the strings, remove the bridge pins and lift out the saddle you may find that there are one or two shims or slivers of wood in the saddle trench. Remove theses, tune up and see if that helps. It will lower the action but may cause some fret buzz in places. If so then replace one of the shims and try again. Secondly, fit a set of extra light strings, this alone will make a big difference. Lastly, stick a capo on the 2nd fret, this lowers the action and usually makes the guitar sound sweeter but you may have to sing a bit higher.
John, thanks so much for your informative reviews. I'm thinking of getting a travel guitar and this looks like it might be a good candidate. How do you compare this Fender to Washburn Rover (which you have reviewed)? It would be great to see them side-by-side. I like Rover, but I'll play and singing for a bunch of kids at a campfire. So volume is something I'm concerned with - as much as portability.
I'm in the exact same boat, I can hardly find any reviews on it. I'm tempted to get it but worried it might sound cheap and too bright for my liking. I'll have to try one out!
Forgot to ask, are the CP & CF similar in size? I would be interested in hearing any suggestions you have for other guitars of this size that might be worth considering, i'm new to the acoustic and did try a full size dreadnought for a while but found it really awkward & uncomfortable. Thanks.
Hi there! That's a nice review, however, I'd like to know about the action, would you say that it's too high? That is my only concern about the guitar, which I'll try in a local store anyway...
Yes, small bodied guitar are usually better for instrumental use as the heavy bass associated with Dreadnoughts and Jumbos can drown out the melody line.
The answer is 42 although it is 45 at the 2nd fret so you could slap on a set of heavies, detune a tone and use a capo at the 2nd. Another solution to this rather common problem is to buy a 12 string and take off the extra strings then play it as a six string. If you are fussy then you can chop off the top of the head and fill the vacant bridge pin holes with plastic wood.
Thank You, John. I live on the west coast of British Columbia ---about as far west as possible without standing ankle deep in the Pacific. -It is very humid here. I had a beautiful old Guild warp on me and I'm a little gun shy. But I guess it's not that dry where you live either.
I want to start playing guitar and i really like the sound of this guitar and it's got a reasonable price, so do you recommend this guitar for a beginner?
One question I have about this guitar. Fender shows the nut width at 42mm and vendors show it as 45. I thought these were supposed to have a little more room (width). I'm concerned it is a bit narrow - or is it not?
Coming from Scotland, where it rains every oher day, I may not be the best person to ask. This guitar has a ply top which although not as sweet sounding as a solid top is much more robust and less likely to crack under extreme conditions. Google humidifiers & you will find lots of info. Home made solutions include drilling holes in a small box into which you put a damp sponge or cut an apple in two, eat half & put the other half in your gtr case. Do this every day & be healthy. Smells nice too.
No, it would throw out the intonation. The saddle slot needs to be filled with plastic wood, then a new slot cut at the opposite angle. If you do not have access to a router then a hand drill can be used to run a line of holes along the new saddle's position. Then use a craft knife to remove the excess material before sanding the slot bottom with sand paper. Then either a new nut will be required or you can widen the string slots on the existing one using a needle file. Or take it to a luthier!
I really wanted to like this guitar, but in the end had to turn my back on it. While it is a pretty little thing with OK tone, I found the build quality was lacking. I tried 3 different CP100s that came into our local music store. All 3 suffered from the same annoying problem. Fret buzz that just would not go away. We tried adjusting the truss rod as well as the bridge saddle. Buzz, buzz. The guitar tech agreed that the only solution would be redressing the frets. Not a guitar I could recommend.
Apparently it is now 7 years since I made this video so here is an update. The guitar, although well battered is still going strong. Nothing has warped, split or fallen off. What more could you ask for?
Hi John, you seemed impressed with Fender's Ron Emory parlour guitar when you tried it, why did you keep the CP100 instead ?
Just wondering as I went out and bought the Emory guitar which I like very much.
Hi Dennis, My CP-100 now resides in the church's music store for all to use. The Emory eventually got swapped for a Revelation electric which I have yet to review. (Swapping guitars is how I manage to get so many to review.)
@J F The laws of physics are against small steel strung guitars. While some like the Simon & Patrick Trek pack a lot of punch, it is all packed into the mid-range. I had one for a few months but eventually gave up and went for a medium sized Tanglewood. My Alhambra is easily the loudest of my guitars yet it does not irritate the ear the way the Trek did.
this old man is adorable :)
The western guitar is called a Dreadnought and was designed to play along with the standard American band of the early 20th C. Loud enough to be heard over a banjo, fiddle and accordion it was also named after the first British super battleship. A Parlour guitar has a smaller body and is not intended to be played in public, it is simply for playing around the kitchen table where volume is not an advantage. If you are not a loud singer then a Parlour is the better choice.
In depth and simple with a good balance of playing and ramble;
Thank you very much for this video, John! :)
What an awesome review... very professional! Exactly what I was looking for to make up my mind. More gear reviews, please!
You have the most engaging manner- I really enjoy your videos......please post more!
I had only had the guitar for a few days when I recorded this video. The strings are Fender 12s as supplied. I have. I have refitted it with Dean Marlley 11s and if you will forgive a plug, those interested can hear them on my album, 'Colmba of Iona, by John David Coupland' at Cdbaby.com. As for dropped tunings where the pitch is lowered then use a heavier guage string otherwise the intonation can suffer. D'Addario, Dean Markley and Earthwound are all worth trying.
Thoroughly enjoyed this review. Good show!
Stunning.... The desing and in particular the sound are Beautiful!!!
I really appreciate you posting this review. It's proven to be the ONLY info I can find on this guitar, other than the factory write-up. This little guitar must have just hit the market. I believe I shall have to acquire one as soon as possible!
Since making this video I have fitted the guitar with Thomastic flatwound strings. This takes away some of the folksie sound and gives a tone more suitable for jazz or blues. Pop is however such a wide musical field that it would be hard to say what would be best. The instrument is however pretty versatile.
Yes it would do very well. Of all the guitars I have reviewed this is by far the most comfortable to play for long periods.
I just ordered one of these for my sons birthday. I've been playing guitar since i was 12 and it has given me so much joy and peace. I'm hoping it will do the same for my son.
Love your accent & the review. Thanks for taking the time!
Great video! Beautiful pick'n mate
Thanks for the review. This is a guitar I would go to the music store for to try out. I really like the size of it.
Merry Christmas!
Thank you for your detailed answer! All the best!
Thanks for a great review John.
This reminds me a great deal of my Hohner Roots L-O. I like these smaller body guitars and you have a wonderful presentation here. Thanks!
Excellent review! Bless you, John.
thanks John, much appreciated..I'll have a look see what I can find...
Great review! And thanks for the Scrabble tip!
Thanks for posting this. I have been looking for a parlour guitar and being a die hard Fender fan this seems the obvious choice. Lovely playing there and always nice to hear the odd scottish word. Thanks again.
Hi Fiona, I have not yet had the opportunity to try it through a PA system. The sound for the video was recorded using an SE2000 recording microphone which is a lot better than the standard SM58 that you are likely to find in a folk club. The strings on the guitar were fresh so it is sounding as crisp as it will ever be. Hope that helps. John
My very first guitar was made in Brazil. In the video I said that it would not be possible to fit an under saddle pick up. Since then I have discovered a well hidden shim, a small piece of wood under the saddle, the removal of which has in fact allowed me to fit such a pick up to my own CP100. So far I have not found any draw backs or problems with the guitar.
Blessings
John
Hi John....thanks for your wonderful review ...I will seek no further after watching your review...F. Cp 100 it shall be...Best of health n thanks again😊
Nice parlor John... I just picked up the Gretsch Jim Dandy ..similar to the Fender and I love it. Took some getting use to .The tone is not as full as a dreadnought but has its own flavor . Nice video.
I got the same one after looking at this . Cant wait to get it in the mail.
Upon closer examination I found that there was a well camoflaged shim in the saddle slot so there was no problem fitting a ust. I have fitted mine with a Belcat unit which has the ust plus a magnetic soundhole pick up. It also has both xlr and jack outputs so I can plug in to the church pa system without using a DI box. Happylujah!
I still had the original strings when I made the video. I tried D'Addario but did not feel they suited this guitar and tried Earthwound by Ernie Ball which I preferred. Later I fitted it with D'Addario nickle flatwound strings as I prefer a jazzy sound. I made a video of this called Fender CP-100 reborn.
Enjoyed your review. Very helpful.
Excellent review - thanks
Thanks so much! I might go and get myself one today
bought mine today.incredible value for money I must say.
It is a relatively quiet instrument as you would expect, parlor guitars are intended for private use and not meant for performing to other folk. If you see my review of the Tanglewood Nashville Folk guitar I play the Fender shortly after the start to illustrate the loudness of the Tanglewood. Laminated woods make a guitar much stronger than solid woods which are many times more likely to split under impact or dry conditions. Classical guitars do tend to be louder than steel string instruments.
Nice demo John. Thanks.
My pleasure Anthony!
The sound-hole is a standard 10cm but because of the smaller body size there is not quite as much clearance on the underside. I now have a curved single coil Belcat fitted which required a little modification and still does not fit as snugly as it would on a Dreadnought. (See my other video CP-100 reborn.) A slim single coil size should work ok but the larger wood block style may need trimming.
The CF is between the parlor and the Dreadnought in size and volume. Sigma make a nice 000 folk size guitar at the £200 -230 mark and there is the Tanglewood TNF at 240 in the UK. Mini Jumbos and the larger travel guitars might also suit you.
Sorry but I have not tried the Gretsch. On this video I was using Martin extra lights 10-46.
I bought this guitar off the back of your review. Its Brilliant. You can take it anywhere and not worry about it. Great Tone and a lot better than the CD 60 which I Used to own. I took the strap button of the back and fitted a sound hole pickup with a strap jack. The best £125 I ever spent on a guitar. Thankyou
Very good review. I was considering the Recording King parlor guitar until I saw this.
This is a very good review thanks!
Not that I am aware of. A classical case might fit but I do not have one to try. The case for my Tanglewood folk guitar does fit although there is room for a sweater as well.
Delightful review!
great review ta for that jimmy
Great review!
I'm very inspired by this guitar, I'm going to see if they got it at my local store.
P.s.: love your accent! (I study foreign languages and irish/scottish accents fascinate me - standard bbc english sounds way too snob)
Awesome review!! thank you
thank you so much, that was very very helpful!
That is a cool guitar. And a great review. Wonder why I've never seen this before from Fender.
Great review grandpa :))) nice tone and cool playin
thanks for a great review
Alright, I will keep that in mind. And thank you for taking the time to respond.
Hello there, thanks for uploading this video! I went and tried one of these out in my local guitar shop and instantly fell in love with the feel and size of it. I just wondered if you knew how it handles being mic-ed up? I perform quite a lot you see, and if I did buy one of these I wouldn't have the money straight away to buy a pick-up... Thanks for reading my comment. Fiona.
There are no nasty surprises with this guitar. One of my pupils bought one last month and it is a delight to play and my own guitar is still working well.
I am not aware of a case speifically designed for it but a classical case may do although I would not take the chance of ordering one on the net just in case it's not the case. It does however fit in the case supplied with my Tanglewood TNF folk guitar with half an inch or so either side to spare.
As all soundhole pick ups partially block the hole then there is always a slight reduction in sound quality but not much. These magnetic p/ups will give a jazzy sound rather than folksie but they are normally well behaved regarding feedback. The more expensive will be hum free whereas the cheap ones produce a faint buzz when plugged into an amp or a recording device. Once you start thrashing out chords then hum is not really noticable but it can be annoying between songs.
A case for a 3/4 size wiil be too small but a case for a full size classical will do the job and leave room for a music folder as well. The measuements are Length 103 cm, body length 49 cm and width 35 cm.
thankyou this was very helpful
Bought this cos of you and it's a nice guitar!
When I bouight this it was the only parlor guitar in my price range which was available locally. (Scottish guitar shops do not have much imagination and tend to be full of Dreadnoughts.) I compared it alongside a Sigma 000 which sounded better but was slightly larger in the body and about £40 more. I had a dodgy shoulder at the time so, being smaller, the Fender won but I wished I could have bought both of them.
Great review!!! 10/10
Great review, very interested in getting this now! any other parlor guitars you'd reccomend?
I just ordered this guitar like 4 hours ago (= super exited for it (=
Hello John, Fabulous Review,
I am very curious of this guitar and I was wondering if you found a good case for this guitar and if not, what is the likelihood of finding a nice fitting hard case for this model and where?
Great review, thanks, think I am gonna get one... I am interested to know would a standard soundhole pick up fit this guitar? and do you have any recommendations?, thanks..
Nice review!
How can you characterize its loudness? Compared to a dreadnought and to a nylon string classical?
Aren't you concerned about the laminate woods used? (Loudness, projection, sound definition and the sturdiness of the instruments?)
I like the sound through youtube, and it is really affordable, so I will look around in shops and have it a try myself.
And blessings from Scotland.
great job man! in fact i think i'm going to help myself to one of those. one question though, i'm brazilian, so english is not my strongest suit, what did you say about adding pickups to the guitar? also, are there any cons that you consider i should have in mind? thanks a lot!
On the two which I have played the action is perfect.
Hello there sir! Very good review, indeed. I have a question though.. I have a Levin 26 Pepita myself. In a perspective of quallity, sound and strength, is there any major lacking in this model? For example, is it weak in the way that the neck will start to give in after a short time? Or is it, for the price, an allround good folk guitar?
Great video, i wanna know, whats chords did you play on the video? Sounds beautiful
Hey thank you for this review. If you don't mind me asking what sort of strings did you put on it? I'm going to be spending a lot of time in Sweden in the coming time and am looking for something cheap but at least decent so I don't have to risk flying my good guitars over. Thanks.
Trevor
Thankyou so much sir.
I appreciate the help alot, and I really enjoy this guitar.
I play alot of Coldplay, so the jazzy sound may be a benefit.
How much does a good quality soundhole go for?
Cheers.
hey man, sounds really nice. thinking of trading my Gretsch Jim Dandy flat top for one of these despite them being very similar guitars, im a huge Fender fan and cant resist. Was wondering if you could offer any comparison between the two? also, what strings are you using? this guitar seems to have beautiful clarity for a parlour size.
Ok John, after months of going around in circles, I bought, then sent back the cutest little Ibanez Parlor that you could set eyes on. I needed a small guitar for Delta blues; sitting in my recliner. Only problem: too small. Smaller than the CP-100.
I'd watched this demo and remembered it, so after all things considered, the company did an exchange for the CP-100. I'll be installing an LR Baggs M1 Active pickup within the sound hole, then run through my amp (at certain times) for a deep down dirty sound that I'm sure this model will produce. After 44 years of playing, it's an educated guess, that I'm sure will be a success. I watched all the demos for the CP-100 but yours stood out because it was a bit more concise for what you had to convey.
So, thanks for putting out your 2 cents worth. I'll let you know the outcome which shouldn't be long. Scotty
Glad to be of help and I hope you find the CP to your liking.
John
Hi John,
Last time I attempted to learn the guitar, I bought a really cheap dreadnought. I hated how big it was, so quickly gave up.
Recently I got into ukulele playing, which is ok, but I feel I'm cheating myself of the sound I love, so want to have another try at guitar.
I've been looking at a lot of parlor guitars on the net, as I think they would suit me fine. Do you think this Fender would be suitable to learn on at home?
Thank you.
RocknRoll Sue Yes the CP-100 would be ideal. I have a 70 year old pupil who uses one of these and she loves it.
John Coupland Thanks for replying, John. That gives me hope that maybe I can do. That lady has a lot of years on me.
Ok, I'm going to order one. Thank you again for your help :)
hello ,thank you very much for the review,i was going to buy epiphone el-00, but when i came through this video i think ill change my minde,ill go tomorrow to my local store here at colchester and try one
Good Review, Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
The Fishman neo-D is about £77 and is advertised as humbucking. I have not tried one but they have a good reputation.
Hum ok ! Thanks John !
I'm gonna have a parlour, it's seems so nice !
A French guitar player !
Thanks for the video. I'm considering buying one of these, but nowhere near me has it in stock. Is there anything "odd" about it that I should know, before buying it online, without having played it? I'll be coming from an electric guitar background, having never owned an acoustic. Thought this looked like a nifty little acoustic to carry around.
Great demo john :o) thanks
Nice review thanks John. Wondered if the CP 100 would be suitable for a spot of busking ?.
Spasmodics Go Tripping It is not as loud as a Dreadnought but if you can get into a tunnel or under an arch it should be ok.
Awrite Man! Greetings from Ohio! I just bought this guitar with my Christmas money and I was blown away! You do a very good review on this guitar, I didn't see any good ones on youtube except for your video. Also, I like your accent, are you by chance from the highlands or the northern islands?
Thanks for the kind comments, as for my origins....deepest, darkest Glasgow.
John Coupland Hehe, glaswegian, cool! Could you maybe do a review on the epiphone dot or the korean made dot deluxe? I have one at home and id be curious to hear your opinion on it. Cheers!
I would love to but will have to wait until one of my pals or pupils gets one. I doubt the wife will let me buy anything else.
Thankyou Harpaxe. Would it be possible to shave down the bridge so that an under saddle piezo could be fitted?. God bless.
Thank you for your review. I think it's the only one for this guitar :( Happy Xmas to you all !
Hi John, I have just purchased this great guitar but I am really struggling with bar chords, how do you find playing bar chords on it? It requires so much force to make the strings sound right, maybe it's the standard steel strings that come with it? If you could help me with some advice that would be great!
There are three things you can do. First off if you loosen the strings, remove the bridge pins and lift out the saddle you may find that there are one or two shims or slivers of wood in the saddle trench. Remove theses, tune up and see if that helps. It will lower the action but may cause some fret buzz in places. If so then replace one of the shims and try again. Secondly, fit a set of extra light strings, this alone will make a big difference. Lastly, stick a capo on the 2nd fret, this lowers the action and usually makes the guitar sound sweeter but you may have to sing a bit higher.
John, thanks so much for your informative reviews. I'm thinking of getting a travel guitar and this looks like it might be a good candidate. How do you compare this Fender to Washburn Rover (which you have reviewed)? It would be great to see them side-by-side. I like Rover, but I'll play and singing for a bunch of kids at a campfire. So volume is something I'm concerned with - as much as portability.
cinevit The Fender is the better of the two and loud enough for your purpose whereas the Rover is a bit limited in the volume dept.
John Coupland Thanks!
I'm in the exact same boat, I can hardly find any reviews on it. I'm tempted to get it but worried it might sound cheap and too bright for my liking. I'll have to try one out!
Forgot to ask, are the CP & CF similar in size? I would be interested in hearing any suggestions you have for other guitars of this size that might be worth considering, i'm new to the acoustic and did try a full size dreadnought for a while but found it really awkward & uncomfortable.
Thanks.
Hi John thanks for your vid, great sound for a cheap guitar I like the form, what strings used you on it ?
Hi Emmanuel, I use Martin extra lights.
Thank you John... Have a nice day
Hi there!
That's a nice review, however, I'd like to know about the action, would you say that it's too high? That is my only concern about the guitar, which I'll try in a local store anyway...
Yes, small bodied guitar are usually better for instrumental use as the heavy bass associated with Dreadnoughts and Jumbos can drown out the melody line.
The answer is 42 although it is 45 at the 2nd fret so you could slap on a set of heavies, detune a tone and use a capo at the 2nd. Another solution to this rather common problem is to buy a 12 string and take off the extra strings then play it as a six string. If you are fussy then you can chop off the top of the head and fill the vacant bridge pin holes with plastic wood.
Thank You, John. I live on the west coast of British Columbia ---about as far west as possible without standing ankle deep in the Pacific. -It is very humid here. I had a beautiful old Guild warp on me and I'm a little gun shy. But I guess it's not that dry where you live either.
Quite, one of our most successful local bands is Wet, Wet, Wet!
I want to start playing guitar and i really like the sound of this guitar and it's got a reasonable price, so do you recommend this guitar for a beginner?
One question I have about this guitar. Fender shows the nut width at 42mm and vendors show it as 45. I thought these were supposed to have a little more room (width). I'm concerned it is a bit narrow - or is it not?
Coming from Scotland, where it rains every oher day, I may not be the best person to ask. This guitar has a ply top which although not as sweet sounding as a solid top is much more robust and less likely to crack under extreme conditions. Google humidifiers & you will find lots of info. Home made solutions include drilling holes in a small box into which you put a damp sponge or cut an apple in two, eat half & put the other half in your gtr case. Do this every day & be healthy. Smells nice too.
No, it would throw out the intonation. The saddle slot needs to be filled with plastic wood, then a new slot cut at the opposite angle. If you do not have access to a router then a hand drill can be used to run a line of holes along the new saddle's position. Then use a craft knife to remove the excess material before sanding the slot bottom with sand paper. Then either a new nut will be required or you can widen the string slots on the existing one using a needle file. Or take it to a luthier!
I really wanted to like this guitar, but in the end had to turn my back on it. While it is a pretty little thing with OK tone, I found the build quality was lacking. I tried 3 different CP100s that came into our local music store. All 3 suffered from the same annoying problem. Fret buzz that just would not go away. We tried adjusting the truss rod as well as the bridge saddle. Buzz, buzz. The guitar tech agreed that the only solution would be redressing the frets. Not a guitar I could recommend.