Finally! I forgot that you mentioned you were going to get into a dissecting some commercially made guitars. All expectations have been surpassed. I haven't seen anyone on the internet anywhere do any kind of intensive inquiry like this and it will bring so much value to the whole guitar community so I must graciously thank you
I own one of these and i will add this to it: 1. The case zippers are ok, the attachments to the zippers break easily. I think one of the 3 or 4 are left to pull on. 2. The pickup does a lot of heavy lifting for depth on it if you want to swing over to open mics or play for friends. I wanted a parlor and got a parlor. Definitely glad i purchased it
@@chasemorace4916 The action height has been the one thing I’ve been displeased with as well, but it will be getting adjusted soon! Overall for $459 I’m very happy with the playability as I’m just starting to get back into the swing of things
Man guys your bringing the content ! From building acoustic and electric guitars, diy amp builds , a Woodstock guitar coming soon , tiny bench concerts and now cutting guitars open! You guys never disappoint !!!! Keep up the great job!!!! Can’t wait for the next video.:)
Hey PRS people. For you $500 is called a mid-line guitar. But for many people $500 is called a major investment. No excuses for that sloppiness on the inside top. It doesn't cost more to just do it right. Thanks for keeping them honest, Driftwood.
@@Pleasestandby_bmx Okay, so long as a person is working, $500 isn't a lot. Doesn't matter if the person is a student, or has a low paying job, or has a family to support, or has bills to pay. And anyway, PRS can make junk guitars, since everyone who buys them has a job and can throw away 500 on a piece of junk. Also doesn't matter if there's a slew of better guitars for the same money. GOT IT! Still not gonna waste my money on a PRS. Thanks for the info, though.
@@derrickd3gmail just because you have priorities before a guitar, that doesn’t make it more or less.. 500$ is thought of in most states and even most country’s as vary little.. 500$ is again I say this a part time job worth of money in a week, sure priority’s come first, but 500$ is 500$ and it’s not an “major investment” amount of money.. it’s a beginner guitar amount of money lol
@@derrickd3gmail where I live, 500$ is pretty much the basic monthly salary. It doesn't matter, for example, whether you work as a construction worker or just as a delivery "boy", that's what you're going to get. I guess I have to find more jobs to do if I want to buy a real instrument, or just shut up and stick with my 500$ wooden box (which I love so much) that I like to call guitar
This is the most thorough guitar review process I've seen. I love it! Even though watching the guitar drop on the concrete is heart wrenching :) (funnily enough more than sawing it in half)
Every time I see back bracing appreciation it takes me back to my favorite beginner game of guitar pick hide-and-seek... Always good to know someone else spent some time in this cavernous sound hole before myself.
It sounds so strange to me for a Luthier to say "it doesn't sound great because it's a parlour guitar." I'm not a huge fan of the shape, but to imply they are automatically a bit inferior because of the shape and size. Kinda odd
You can tell he’s still fairly green to performance/production. That doesn’t mean he can’t still build a nice parlour despite lacking an understanding of how to use it!
A good catch. I think it's just a basic idea that only the big guitar sounds full, and all the little ones are baby toys. From this point of view, it's really not a good-sounding guitar, as much as any upright piano would never sound like a grand piano, but it's not the point.
I've owned this guitar and for my entry level skills, this guitar has sold me on parlor guitars. Knowing beer will not hurt the finish now is good for me too.
It’s easy to forget that you guys only have 16K subscribers. With all the excellent production and new and unique ideas, I’m sure that 16k won’t stay 16k for too much longer. Keep it up!
I have one of these and am very pleased with it. I would consider myself more of an advanced beginner in terms of ability. I traded in a Taylor GS Mini towards it as I felt that one did not fit my hand size as well. The PRS definitely fits me better. I would consider it to be a step up from the GS Mini for sure. Thanks for the review.
This is probably the first PRS guitar I genuinely like and don't think of it as overpriced bullcrap...they should be well known for their acoustics it seems to me xD
Funny that you should say that Dude. I played BOTH of these guitars THIS AFTERNOON. I went with the thought that I’d get the Taylor Mini too. Played with both and went with the PRS. I like….I LIKE IT A LOT. At the end of the day, the PRS works for me and as much as I enjoyed this review…..I don’t care. I really really like the new PRS and that’s all that matters. Cheers Buddy. Stay safe. Peace
Just bought one. IM FLOORED! Fabulous setup right outta the box. Previously tried a Martin Parlor (fretted out at 13th fret) - played every Martin X series i could find locally and they ALL did it. Stickin w my P20- WARNING…💥 Dont get baked and order the p20 !!! Only p20 e has pickups!
I build pre-war style parlor guitars, quite a few of them. I’m not sure if you mean to say parlor guitars don’t sound great, because they are parlor guitars, or whether you mean that a fair comparison to a full sized guitar would be like comparing apples and oranges. But being “parlor” is not a detriment to the instrument in the least. There is a tonal quality to a well made parlor guitar that you just don’t get with a full sized instrument. And that preference by some has more to do with what the player is seeking tone wise. A parlor guitar isn’t a lesser guitar in the least. So I would say it isn’t a fair, general characterization of parlor guitars. Other than that, the craftsmanship on that top is atrocious and the review was great!
@@DriftwoodGuitars oh I don’t think the guitar will be offended 😁 It’s a great review. I nearly cried when you dropped it and then cut it, but as a luthier I appreciate the fact that you cut it open and showed the world what a buyer gets from a mass produced instrument vs. a luthier made instrument. That was just sloppy and the fact no one ever bothered to voice it, it left a lot of guitar potential, unexplored on the table
I too appreciate these videos...though I’m still not sure how you scored tone. The top bracing is a mess of hastily thrown together crap. Parlours, and small bodies in particular have a real place in the spectrum beyond being children’s toys. Are you grading it 3 because it’s a parlour, or does it grade 3 in comparison to what a good parlour should sound like? And what about plugged in tone? PRS with on board electronics sounds like it’s aiming to be some sort of stage instrument. These vids are awesome, btw, but I missed your point here. I’m guessing it’s a 3 because it’s poorly braced, thickly finished with a tank like construction, mahogany top, lam sides, 14 fret join... what were they thinking? Yamaha makes a decent parlour, all solid in this price range, and the MacKenzie Marr Opeongo, at the same price without electronics, is all solid and exceptional.
I agree that the top construction may not be to a builder's standards, however, I think you'd agree it would be exceedingly difficult, if not outright impossible, to build it better and maintain its current selling price.
Keep moving forward with this quality content and you'll be rewarded with huge audiences and great income. Enjoy all your offerings. Keep up the good work guys.
@driftwoodguitars WOW...that was one thorough examination. As a builder/craftsman yourself, your opinion and insights make this very valuable. I think many of us experienced a little anxiety watching the "torture tests", but not as bad as the sleepless nights Paul Reed Smith is going to have once he sees this video. I can imagine he is going to take everything to heart. He is an amazing contributor to the instrument. Thanks for an interesting, educational, and entertaining video.
I just purchased one on sale for Black Friday. It's a sweet little guitar. I love playing it and I'm rather surprised at how it sounds. The stand out features are the ebony fret board and bridge, the cream binding, the nice gig bag and the sustain. I did lower the action some via the truss rod, but I consider that regular maintenance. Thanks for the great review of this funky little parlor!
When I got mine last year it also had a very high action. .140 to be exact. PRS wanted me to send it to check out and adjust, but I just sanded down the saddle and have had no issues since. I went from hating it to loving it. I think I’m currently sitting in the .80-.90 range if I’m remember correctly.
I had a PRS shipped from jersey to New Mexico, and the action was too low. I couldn't play anything past the 14th fret. Added a small strip of mahogany (maybe .080") and got it perfect. Now, I have moved the Florida, and I will be sanding that mahogany strip back off the bridge to lower the height back. I knew humidity could make the wood move, but I was surprised at this.
Nice review. I'm a musician from Maryland (home of PRS) and I play a lot. I actually own two of these guitars now and I kind of consider them "disposable" (because they're cheap). But I do love the way they play once you adjust the truss rod a little bit. I can tell you from experience a couple things that may help. The tuning pegs are problematic and break on a regular basis. PRS will send better tuning pegs as needed. I have needed that on both of my guitars. The gig bag is nice but the stitching is actually NOT very good. Both have torn at the top of the part where the arm straps come together. Parlor guitars are certainly midrange instruments but you can EQ them to fill things out a bit. I generally use a TC Electronic BodyRez pedal through a Fractal FM3 and get plenty of workable tones.
The tuning pegs that come with this guitar was terrible. I couldn't put in a new guitar string because one of the tuning pegs couldn't hold the string tension and kept letting it go. It ended up putting in cheap locking tuners for about 30 USD and it's been fine so far. For reference I change strings for classical guitars, electric guitars, saz baglamas, and ouds. So I'm not a newbie in that regards.
I have to admit it's hard to watch some of the tests, but the video did not disappoint. Very thorough and informative tests. Thank you. I'm a new player and I enjoy educating myself about guitar construction and quality.
Hey Chris - Well thats an interesting concept but I do think in this day and age you could have inspected the inside using a camera as you have just destroyed a half decent guitar which would have served someone very well to learn on. The rest of the testing is ok and I would not have expected much change to the neck relief using heavier strings as the modern trussrod is very strong but I would have thought you should have measured any change in action at the twelth fret as this would have given insight into not just the neck but the strength of the guitar, particularly the top. I hope you will change the testing in future using cameras for the internal inspection as there will be some beginers who will be crying at the sight of guitars being destroyed. As usual great video though.
This video was extremely satisfying for me. I was is in the market for a small guitar last winter and was taken by the looks and specs of the P20. I already own an Indonesian-made PRS electric and find its build quality to be excellent. I didn't even flinch when I finally found an all black P20 and ordered it. When it arrived I found material sticking out of the sound hole. There was a gash under the sound hole and so I stuck a camera inside and was shocked to find the amount of material sticking out underneath the sound board and beneath braces. I'm quite certain that this would inhibit the sound board from functioning as it should - kinda nullifies the benefits of having a solid mahogany top, right? I couldn't believe that a PRS could leave the factory that way (and the dealer whom I bought it from didn't take the time to set the guitar up either. First time I played it the fingers on my left hand were black - no hyperbole) I sent it back and purchased a Mexican made Taylor from another dealer instead. Very happy.
Parlor guitars are excellent in recording because you don't have to roll off the bottom. The "Jethro Tull" acoustic on all those great 70s tracks was a Martin 0-16NY which is a parlor guitar. They're not a beginner instrument, they're just another tool. I have an incredible Martin HD-28V dreadnaught which has the most beautiful bloomy low end you ever heard, but for recording its use is limited.
I can just see some little kid that can't afford a guitar like that,weeping when you cut it in half.Now we all need to see your genius by gluing it back together,perfectly.........................
That would be awesome to see the durability comparison. I’d imagine it wouldn’t hold up as well, but that is part of the charm of nitro finish so I’d almost hope for a low score 👍🏻
Sounds like, regardless of the price point, it's an amazing guitar. Exactly what I expect from PRS no matter the model. The only issue is that because it's a parlor, it won't sound like a dread or a jumbo.
I may have a lot of ignorance here, but how could you actually do that? First there is the access difficulty just going in through the sound hole. But secondly, isn't voicing done by progressively shaving away bits of the braces and tapping the top to see how it sounds? Can you do this effectively with the back and sides attached?
First time visitor, here, but I gotta say - do more of these! The breakdown and rigorous test bench system is really interesting to a nerd who likes hard data, and I'd love to see more of these breakdown videos on other guitar models.
@@DriftwoodGuitars To add some detail - I've been debating whether to get an SE acoustic or not. Having seen the test-bench report you put together here, I have ordered one. I appreciate that you would rather sell me your guitars than Paul's, but otoh I'm in England and am not a good enough guitarist to justify something as high-quality as your work. ;) Maybe once gigs are a thing that happen again, but not during the zombie apocalypse at least. Your own luthierie is absolutely gorgeous.
This is a fantastic review. Driftwood Guitars , nice gear for measuring. And yes, I really enjoy the look inside by cutting it in two; it's not a prewar Martin. Really nice review.
The only thing I disagree with is marking sound down due to being a parlour. Surely it should be quality with shape taken in to account. Parlour guitars do not have a poorer sound due to shape, it's simply a sound characteristic which you may like or dislike, but not poorer or better quality. Personally I think the ultimate acoustic sound is a 00 size but that's still a far narrower sound than an OM by contrast.
nice review ,I have a Guild 240E parlor guitar and it sounds amazing has its own sound ,I would love it if you did a review on it or recording king ,the guild came with bone nut and saddle decent action and intonation was pretty good,people just starting out playing need and love reviews like this keep them coming Chris
@@DriftwoodGuitars what do you guys do after you break apart the guitar? Donate? Make improvements to the guitar? Just curious. I love this new series!
HERE is something everyone misses- if you look in the case pocket on the back of the gig bag where the headstock would be there is a heavy steel chain and hook so you can hang the bag anywhere even with the guitar in the bag .
I love this in-depth review. What a true review should be. I was a bit surprised to see you didn't pull the fretboard to examine the neck construction. Given the performance of the strong tension test, that would have been a nice deep-dive. I mean, once you saw the body in half, what's pulling the fretboard at that point? lol
You are like Underwriters Laboratories. They are the UL in product labels. I worked down street from them and my pal was a tester. They drop things, drop ball bearings in them... Great fun
I'm completely impressed with this video and the torture test on the guitar was amazing! I've never seen any of your videos until now so I'm gonna go check out some more of your stuff 👍😀
As hard as it is to watch you beat up a guitar this way, I really appreciate you doing this series. The tear down and the look on the inside is really cool, I can't believe how sloppy the brace work is, I guess maybe I just never looked inside of a guitar of this quality.
What I found interesting the amount of squeeze out on the top bracing and zero on the back. As stated though it makes sense not many bring an articulated mirror and light to a guitar store….l yet lol.
Yikes! I've never seen such ruthless test done to the guitar, but they were real world accidents that do happen. I'm amazed it survived all the smashing, bashing, and crashing - really impressive. My nerves are still unsettled seeing the guitar fall face forward onto the concrete. It was painful to watch. They did so much good work on the guitar, it's a shame they didn't maintain that standard on the top bracing, the most important part of an acoustic guitar. Just an extra 10 or 15 minutes work on the bracing could have made the guitar something special.
This was brutal, but I appreciate that you guys tested the durability of the guitar, and even gave us a look inside! That front bracing was sloppy and I’d imagine it had a negative impact on the tone of the guitar… Even so, it sounded pretty decent, which is rare for a parlor-sized guitar at that price point. Great video!
I demo this and it's decent but ended up getting the Guild m240 troubadour and have no regrets sounds great for the size. The action is a little high and intonation off a few cents. It is perfect for slide. So I'm keeping it as is. Nothing a pro setup couldn't fix. I love the pickup.
I love this series. Please keep them coming. Any chance you can look into the Breedlove Discovery or Pursuit guitars. Maybe even the new Eco Line with triple hardwood laminates. Thanks!
It would be interesting if you guys did this with some of the catalog guitars from the days of old, like Stella, harmony, stuff like that. It would be interesting to see how good the build quality is. Also if you did that it might be better to cut it open right where the back or top is glued to the sides. This way you could just glue it back on. Some of these old catalog guitars are also great guitars especially when it's solid wood and when they are not using heavy finishes. You can also rebrace them and then they sound more martiny. Even if you did cut it in half like you did I wouldn't be offended. Just thought I would offer the best compromise between seeing everything and making the guitar unrepairible.
Oooh, I like this. I have an Epi DR-400 that I would love to see put through this, but no matter how that turns out I love mine :) On the other hand, I have been eyeballing parlor's, this one in particular as well as the Guild P-240. These reviews are awesome, thanks for this!
Would love to see you review one of the full-sized, midrange PRS acoustics and see what you think. A50E or A60E. This was helpful as I've been looking at getting one of these... After this I think I'll just get another A50E.
I’d love for you to examine a Washburn WA90CE Dreadnought Guitar. I kept walking into GC two summers ago & kept telling myself “what is this great sounding, but very inexpensive guitar?” It was only $169.99, & that turned me off at first, but the multiple times I visited that store throughout that summer I was finally convinced to buy it. They advertise “Cathedral Scalloped Bracing”, but the woods are virtually unknown. I’m thinking it’s either a laminate or Birch? But, it sounds fantastic. Oh, and it did need some fret end work, but no big deal.
Great review and I did appreciate the reviewer's objective comments. A couple things of note, though. I own this guitar. With a minor tweak of the truss rod the action is as good as my 500 series Taylor and as good as it gets for an acoustic. The sustain is good but it sounds like a parlor. It is a parlor. Shouldn't it get a high score for that? As far as the sloppy work under the soundboard, I really don't care if there is a bit of glue squeeze out as long as the braces are in the proper place and well bonded. Mine looks better inside than the example in the video. That's mass production, I guess.
Brilliant concept and one which will no doubt be copied by others. I hope that later in the series that lesser known brands will also be featured just so we can also see if they are as tough,or not,as the big boys. Very educational,fascinating and informative channel.
PRS should pay you to take this video down! The inside of the top of the guitar somes up the real truth about this "big" guitar brands. Thank you Driftwood!
Unless I missed...your only reference to intonation is a passing reference at 3:54. In my world intonation is a prime concern. A careful (with an electronic tuner) comparison of the 12th fret harmonic with the 12th fret fretted note is key. I've seen very expensive guitars that sounded lovely but need a lot of saddle work to make them play in tune.
Great channel! Keep up the great work! I would love to see a video like this done with an upper lever Blueridge Guitar. A BR-160 or BR-180 range. I think those guitars punch way over their weight class!
I really enjoyed the review. Very objective and thorough and honest. I don't entirely agree with the applications you suggested. Music is always subjective , there are many great recordings that used parlor size guitars
I just recieved my parlor guitar and ended up getting the Alvarez AP66. It was a toss up between this PRS and The Alvarez, the Alvarez was a more competitive price and looked more traditional, tone is great, you should check it out aswell.
I once heard that factories set their action slightly high intentionally, because when accounting for changes in humidity, it gives it the best chance to still sound good when it reaches its destination. Its better to have a good sounding guitar thats still playable, than to have a perfectly playable guitar that buzzes out immediately. A buzzing guitar makes the factory look incompetent, where a high action just looks like they didn't set the guitar up fully.
Great review, my only comment is that sound is subjective, a 3 out of 10 is how you conceived the sound you hear. I play parlour guitars to achieve a mid tone, thin almost steel guitar sound and the PRS hits the spot for me on this so would mark it a 8 or 9. The other tests are fair as a scratch is a scratch is a scratch.
I don't like parlor guitars either, but you shouldn't take points away from it for sounding like what it is. I think, as parlor guitars go it sounded fine, although not my bag. I'd say it's worth the money.
What a great video, I was listening in the car not sure if I missed it but it would be nice to know how much saddle was left once an ideal action was achieved. However this is a fantastic idea and thankyou for doing it, you have a new subscriber
Finally! I forgot that you mentioned you were going to get into a dissecting some commercially made guitars. All expectations have been surpassed. I haven't seen anyone on the internet anywhere do any kind of intensive inquiry like this and it will bring so much value to the whole guitar community so I must graciously thank you
“We’ll be doing a lot more of these in the future.” - Please and thank you. Well done gentlemen.
I own one of these and i will add this to it:
1. The case zippers are ok, the attachments to the zippers break easily. I think one of the 3 or 4 are left to pull on.
2. The pickup does a lot of heavy lifting for depth on it if you want to swing over to open mics or play for friends.
I wanted a parlor and got a parlor. Definitely glad i purchased it
I have one of these and haven't been disappointed yet. Though I did get the action lowered.
@@chasemorace4916 The action height has been the one thing I’ve been displeased with as well, but it will be getting adjusted soon! Overall for $459 I’m very happy with the playability as I’m just starting to get back into the swing of things
Ya great guitar actually and thought to get one in each color for various Ready to Go tunings
Man guys your bringing the content ! From building acoustic and electric guitars, diy amp builds , a Woodstock guitar coming soon , tiny bench concerts and now cutting guitars open! You guys never disappoint !!!! Keep up the great job!!!! Can’t wait for the next video.:)
Hey PRS people. For you $500 is called a mid-line guitar. But for many people $500 is called a major investment. No excuses for that sloppiness on the inside top. It doesn't cost more to just do it right. Thanks for keeping them honest, Driftwood.
500$ is a week of work.. and not even a 40hr work week.. so no 500$ is not a major investment when you are working..
@@Pleasestandby_bmx Okay, so long as a person is working, $500 isn't a lot. Doesn't matter if the person is a student, or has a low paying job, or has a family to support, or has bills to pay. And anyway, PRS can make junk guitars, since everyone who buys them has a job and can throw away 500 on a piece of junk. Also doesn't matter if there's a slew of better guitars for the same money. GOT IT! Still not gonna waste my money on a PRS. Thanks for the info, though.
@@derrickd3gmail just because you have priorities before a guitar, that doesn’t make it more or less.. 500$ is thought of in most states and even most country’s as vary little.. 500$ is again I say this a part time job worth of money in a week, sure priority’s come first, but 500$ is 500$ and it’s not an “major investment” amount of money.. it’s a beginner guitar amount of money lol
@@derrickd3gmail t
Wry no vin no u z
@@derrickd3gmail where I live, 500$ is pretty much the basic monthly salary. It doesn't matter, for example, whether you work as a construction worker or just as a delivery "boy", that's what you're going to get. I guess I have to find more jobs to do if I want to buy a real instrument, or just shut up and stick with my 500$ wooden box (which I love so much) that I like to call guitar
This is the most thorough guitar review process I've seen. I love it! Even though watching the guitar drop on the concrete is heart wrenching :) (funnily enough more than sawing it in half)
You guys are off the hook, love it!!!! This has to be the BEST guitar review that I’ve ever seen, can’t wait for the next one!!!!!
Every time I see back bracing appreciation it takes me back to my favorite beginner game of guitar pick hide-and-seek... Always good to know someone else spent some time in this cavernous sound hole before myself.
It sounds so strange to me for a Luthier to say "it doesn't sound great because it's a parlour guitar." I'm not a huge fan of the shape, but to imply they are automatically a bit inferior because of the shape and size. Kinda odd
Agreed
Yeah, I listened to the entire video just to fully realize how lacking in objectivity he was for this entire review.
Really unprof. by the reviewer imo
You can tell he’s still fairly green to performance/production.
That doesn’t mean he can’t still build a nice parlour despite lacking an understanding of how to use it!
A good catch. I think it's just a basic idea that only the big guitar sounds full, and all the little ones are baby toys. From this point of view, it's really not a good-sounding guitar, as much as any upright piano would never sound like a grand piano, but it's not the point.
I've owned this guitar and for my entry level skills, this guitar has sold me on parlor guitars. Knowing beer will not hurt the finish now is good for me too.
This series is fantastic! Love how thourough you are. This is the standard for instrument reviews.
It’s easy to forget that you guys only have 16K subscribers. With all the excellent production and new and unique ideas, I’m sure that 16k won’t stay 16k for too much longer. Keep it up!
I have one of these and am very pleased with it. I would consider myself more of an advanced beginner in terms of ability. I traded in a Taylor GS Mini towards it as I felt that one did not fit my hand size as well. The PRS definitely fits me better. I would consider it to be a step up from the GS Mini for sure. Thanks for the review.
This is probably the first PRS guitar I genuinely like and don't think of it as overpriced bullcrap...they should be well known for their acoustics it seems to me xD
Funny that you should say that Dude. I played BOTH of these guitars THIS AFTERNOON. I went with the thought that I’d get the Taylor Mini too. Played with both and went with the PRS. I like….I LIKE IT A LOT.
At the end of the day, the PRS works for me and as much as I enjoyed this review…..I don’t care. I really really like the new PRS and that’s all that matters.
Cheers Buddy.
Stay safe.
Peace
Just bought one. IM FLOORED! Fabulous setup right outta the box. Previously tried a Martin Parlor (fretted out at 13th fret) - played every Martin X series i could find locally and they ALL did it. Stickin w my P20- WARNING…💥 Dont get baked and order the p20 !!! Only p20 e has pickups!
I build pre-war style parlor guitars, quite a few of them. I’m not sure if you mean to say parlor guitars don’t sound great, because they are parlor guitars, or whether you mean that a fair comparison to a full sized guitar would be like comparing apples and oranges. But being “parlor” is not a detriment to the instrument in the least. There is a tonal quality to a well made parlor guitar that you just don’t get with a full sized instrument. And that preference by some has more to do with what the player is seeking tone wise. A parlor guitar isn’t a lesser guitar in the least. So I would say it isn’t a fair, general characterization of parlor guitars.
Other than that, the craftsmanship on that top is atrocious and the review was great!
I agree. I’ve made a few parlors myself. I only mean that it’s not a fair comparison to a full sized guitar. No offense was intended.
@@DriftwoodGuitars oh I don’t think the guitar will be offended 😁
It’s a great review. I nearly cried when you dropped it and then cut it, but as a luthier I appreciate the fact that you cut it open and showed the world what a buyer gets from a mass produced instrument vs. a luthier made instrument. That was just sloppy and the fact no one ever bothered to voice it, it left a lot of guitar potential, unexplored on the table
100%
I too appreciate these videos...though I’m still not sure how you scored tone. The top bracing is a mess of hastily thrown together crap. Parlours, and small bodies in particular have a real place in the spectrum beyond being children’s toys. Are you grading it 3 because it’s a parlour, or does it grade 3 in comparison to what a good parlour should sound like? And what about plugged in tone? PRS with on board electronics sounds like it’s aiming to be some sort of stage instrument. These vids are awesome, btw, but I missed your point here. I’m guessing it’s a 3 because it’s poorly braced, thickly finished with a tank like construction, mahogany top, lam sides, 14 fret join... what were they thinking? Yamaha makes a decent parlour, all solid in this price range, and the MacKenzie Marr Opeongo, at the same price without electronics, is all solid and exceptional.
I agree that the top construction may not be to a builder's standards, however, I think you'd agree it would be exceedingly difficult, if not outright impossible, to build it better and maintain its current selling price.
Keep moving forward with this quality content and you'll be rewarded with huge audiences and great income. Enjoy all your offerings. Keep up the good work guys.
Agreed with huge audience, not sure about great income. But good video, keep doing these reviews please.
@driftwoodguitars WOW...that was one thorough examination. As a builder/craftsman yourself, your opinion and insights make this very valuable. I think many of us experienced a little anxiety watching the "torture tests", but not as bad as the sleepless nights Paul Reed Smith is going to have once he sees this video. I can imagine he is going to take everything to heart. He is an amazing contributor to the instrument. Thanks for an interesting, educational, and entertaining video.
I freaking loved this test! Great idea you guys and unbelievably well executed! Bravo!
Best guitar review I’ve ever seen. Just top notch. Thanks!
I just purchased one on sale for Black Friday. It's a sweet little guitar. I love playing it and I'm rather surprised at how it sounds. The stand out features are the ebony fret board and bridge, the cream binding, the nice gig bag and the sustain. I did lower the action some via the truss rod, but I consider that regular maintenance. Thanks for the great review of this funky little parlor!
I'm no acoustic player, but never heard of parlor guitars
When I got mine last year it also had a very high action. .140 to be exact. PRS wanted me to send it to check out and adjust, but I just sanded down the saddle and have had no issues since. I went from hating it to loving it. I think I’m currently sitting in the .80-.90 range if I’m remember correctly.
based on those number its big difference..
I had a PRS shipped from jersey to New Mexico, and the action was too low. I couldn't play anything past the 14th fret. Added a small strip of mahogany (maybe .080") and got it perfect. Now, I have moved the Florida, and I will be sanding that mahogany strip back off the bridge to lower the height back. I knew humidity could make the wood move, but I was surprised at this.
Nice review. I'm a musician from Maryland (home of PRS) and I play a lot. I actually own two of these guitars now and I kind of consider them "disposable" (because they're cheap). But I do love the way they play once you adjust the truss rod a little bit. I can tell you from experience a couple things that may help. The tuning pegs are problematic and break on a regular basis. PRS will send better tuning pegs as needed. I have needed that on both of my guitars. The gig bag is nice but the stitching is actually NOT very good. Both have torn at the top of the part where the arm straps come together. Parlor guitars are certainly midrange instruments but you can EQ them to fill things out a bit. I generally use a TC Electronic BodyRez pedal through a Fractal FM3 and get plenty of workable tones.
The tuning pegs that come with this guitar was terrible. I couldn't put in a new guitar string because one of the tuning pegs couldn't hold the string tension and kept letting it go. It ended up putting in cheap locking tuners for about 30 USD and it's been fine so far. For reference I change strings for classical guitars, electric guitars, saz baglamas, and ouds. So I'm not a newbie in that regards.
Probably the best Guitar review ever! You know what is important to know as a customer!!! Great!
Please do more of these! Im here after watching your gibson G00 and can't beleive how much better quality this PRS seems to be. Unreal!
I’ve watched all 3 of the review series. Love how you cut em and give us a view that we normally don’t see. It certainly is an education.
Wow! No one can say you guys hold back! I domt think ive seen a more thorough test of a guitar! Well done!
I have to admit it's hard to watch some of the tests, but the video did not disappoint. Very thorough and informative tests. Thank you. I'm a new player and I enjoy educating myself about guitar construction and quality.
Hey Chris - Well thats an interesting concept but I do think in this day and age you could have inspected the inside using a camera as you have just destroyed a half decent guitar which would have served someone very well to learn on. The rest of the testing is ok and I would not have expected much change to the neck relief using heavier strings as the modern trussrod is very strong but I would have thought you should have measured any change in action at the twelth fret as this would have given insight into not just the neck but the strength of the guitar, particularly the top. I hope you will change the testing in future using cameras for the internal inspection as there will be some beginers who will be crying at the sight of guitars being destroyed. As usual great video though.
This video was extremely satisfying for me. I was is in the market for a small guitar last winter and was taken by the looks and specs of the P20. I already own an Indonesian-made PRS electric and find its build quality to be excellent. I didn't even flinch when I finally found an all black P20 and ordered it. When it arrived I found material sticking out of the sound hole. There was a gash under the sound hole and so I stuck a camera inside and was shocked to find the amount of material sticking out underneath the sound board and beneath braces. I'm quite certain that this would inhibit the sound board from functioning as it should - kinda nullifies the benefits of having a solid mahogany top, right? I couldn't believe that a PRS could leave the factory that way (and the dealer whom I bought it from didn't take the time to set the guitar up either. First time I played it the fingers on my left hand were black - no hyperbole) I sent it back and purchased a Mexican made Taylor from another dealer instead. Very happy.
Wow, you are the Consumer Reports of the guitar realm. Nicely done.
Nice! Hope to see one video on the Yamaha Transacoustic Guitar.
Really glad I passed on this guitar when I was looking for a parlor. It sounds like a Kleenex box.
What a review! Your raw treatment of that tiny little guitar almost brings me to tears. But at the end I'm sure: I have to own one!
Great video, not reviewing 514 comments, but if mentioned before ... at 20:27 the drop test cracked the nut. That really stood out.
Every time a guitar falls in your videos, a piece of my soul goes with it :(.
Painfully wonderful review. Can't wait to see the leaderboard 👀
Parlor guitars are excellent in recording because you don't have to roll off the bottom. The "Jethro Tull" acoustic on all those great 70s tracks was a Martin 0-16NY which is a parlor guitar. They're not a beginner instrument, they're just another tool. I have an incredible Martin HD-28V dreadnaught which has the most beautiful bloomy low end you ever heard, but for recording its use is limited.
That’s why a D18 should be around.
I can just see some little kid that can't afford a guitar like that,weeping when you cut it in half.Now we all need to see your genius by gluing it back together,perfectly.........................
Fantastic! It would be great if you could do this same test on one of your guitars.
That would be awesome to see the durability comparison. I’d imagine it wouldn’t hold up as well, but that is part of the charm of nitro finish so I’d almost hope for a low score 👍🏻
He's not going to do this to a $20,000 guitar.
@@xdoctorblindx then destroying a guitar is useless for comparison.
Sounds like, regardless of the price point, it's an amazing guitar. Exactly what I expect from PRS no matter the model. The only issue is that because it's a parlor, it won't sound like a dread or a jumbo.
Other reviews have said the midrange tone of this guitar actually fits into a band mix better than many large guitars.
I've seen a lot of guitar reviews, but this is on another level!
And, it has to be said - the lacquer on this guitar is simply unreal!
is it really laquar or polly
it is asian built
You should do a pimp my acoustic where you re-voice the braces in the guitar and set it up perfectly etc
Like Baxendale Conversions does?
@@gui-texzan7477 thx xD
I may have a lot of ignorance here, but how could you actually do that? First there is the access difficulty just going in through the sound hole. But secondly, isn't voicing done by progressively shaving away bits of the braces and tapping the top to see how it sounds? Can you do this effectively with the back and sides attached?
First time visitor, here, but I gotta say - do more of these! The breakdown and rigorous test bench system is really interesting to a nerd who likes hard data, and I'd love to see more of these breakdown videos on other guitar models.
Thanks a lot!
@@DriftwoodGuitars To add some detail - I've been debating whether to get an SE acoustic or not. Having seen the test-bench report you put together here, I have ordered one.
I appreciate that you would rather sell me your guitars than Paul's, but otoh I'm in England and am not a good enough guitarist to justify something as high-quality as your work. ;)
Maybe once gigs are a thing that happen again, but not during the zombie apocalypse at least. Your own luthierie is absolutely gorgeous.
This is a fantastic review. Driftwood Guitars , nice gear for measuring. And yes, I really enjoy the look inside by cutting it in two; it's not a prewar Martin. Really nice review.
pretty interesting rundown, certainly looking forward to more of these
Absolutely love this. I watch a channel that does this with shoes.
These series are extremely helpful! Especially for all of these guitars in this price range!
I would love to see you guys buy another one of these and do a before and after of voicing the braces
I have one of these in Natural mahogany finish. I love it.
This video is actually professional as f*ck. So well done. Awesome job.
I couldn't decide between this and the a55e. I went with the larger one in blue, and it is gorgeous!
The only thing I disagree with is marking sound down due to being a parlour. Surely it should be quality with shape taken in to account. Parlour guitars do not have a poorer sound due to shape, it's simply a sound characteristic which you may like or dislike, but not poorer or better quality. Personally I think the ultimate acoustic sound is a 00 size but that's still a far narrower sound than an OM by contrast.
Very valid points there.
nice review ,I have a Guild 240E parlor guitar and it sounds amazing has its own sound ,I would love it if you did a review on it or recording king ,the guild came with bone nut and saddle decent action and intonation was pretty good,people just starting out playing need and love reviews like this keep them coming Chris
I appreciate the recommendations and watching!
@@DriftwoodGuitars what do you guys do after you break apart the guitar? Donate? Make improvements to the guitar? Just curious. I love this new series!
HERE is something everyone misses- if you look in the case pocket on the back of the gig bag where the headstock would be there is a heavy steel chain and hook so you can hang the bag anywhere even with the guitar in the bag .
I love this in-depth review. What a true review should be. I was a bit surprised to see you didn't pull the fretboard to examine the neck construction. Given the performance of the strong tension test, that would have been a nice deep-dive. I mean, once you saw the body in half, what's pulling the fretboard at that point? lol
You are like Underwriters Laboratories. They are the UL in product labels. I worked down street from them and my pal was a tester. They drop things, drop ball bearings in them... Great fun
I came to this channel for info in a set up and stayed for the diamond 💎 God tear Content 🙏🏼 thank you ❤
awesome review. can't wait to see more.
That series has the potential to be absolutely awesome! Great Idea!
I'm completely impressed with this video and the torture test on the guitar was amazing! I've never seen any of your videos until now so I'm gonna go check out some more of your stuff 👍😀
Havent even really started the video yet and I already love it! Great intro and great video series concept!
As hard as it is to watch you beat up a guitar this way, I really appreciate you doing this series. The tear down and the look on the inside is really cool, I can't believe how sloppy the brace work is, I guess maybe I just never looked inside of a guitar of this quality.
What I found interesting the amount of squeeze out on the top bracing and zero on the back. As stated though it makes sense not many bring an articulated mirror and light to a guitar store….l yet lol.
I’d love to see you do this with a Eastman guitar.
You really put the guitar through a lot of stuff. Things I would never do to mu guitars. Thank you so much for all you do.
An Awesome Video Here, Cut them all up, people would really Like to see what is Inside, The workmanship , Good Or Bad,
Yikes! I've never seen such ruthless test done to the guitar, but they were real world accidents that do happen. I'm amazed it survived all the smashing, bashing, and crashing - really impressive. My nerves are still unsettled seeing the guitar fall face forward onto the concrete. It was painful to watch.
They did so much good work on the guitar, it's a shame they didn't maintain that standard on the top bracing, the most important part of an acoustic guitar. Just an extra 10 or 15 minutes work on the bracing could have made the guitar something special.
This was brutal, but I appreciate that you guys tested the durability of the guitar, and even gave us a look inside! That front bracing was sloppy and I’d imagine it had a negative impact on the tone of the guitar… Even so, it sounded pretty decent, which is rare for a parlor-sized guitar at that price point. Great video!
That's a great review, very thorough and objective.
Well done!
I demo this and it's decent but ended up getting the Guild m240 troubadour and have no regrets sounds great for the size. The action is a little high and intonation off a few cents. It is perfect for slide. So I'm keeping it as is. Nothing a pro setup couldn't fix. I love the pickup.
Wooow this is the real guitar review 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
Can't wait to see what inside taylor V class guitar 👍👍👍👍
I love this series. Please keep them coming. Any chance you can look into the Breedlove Discovery or Pursuit guitars. Maybe even the new Eco Line with triple hardwood laminates. Thanks!
I plan on it.
Nice review. Would be interesting to see you use a fret rocker. I put one on my PRS Angelus SE and found 14 rocking spots or uneven frets!
It would be interesting if you guys did this with some of the catalog guitars from the days of old, like Stella, harmony, stuff like that. It would be interesting to see how good the build quality is. Also if you did that it might be better to cut it open right where the back or top is glued to the sides. This way you could just glue it back on. Some of these old catalog guitars are also great guitars especially when it's solid wood and when they are not using heavy finishes. You can also rebrace them and then they sound more martiny. Even if you did cut it in half like you did I wouldn't be offended. Just thought I would offer the best compromise between seeing everything and making the guitar unrepairible.
Oooh, I like this. I have an Epi DR-400 that I would love to see put through this, but no matter how that turns out I love mine :) On the other hand, I have been eyeballing parlor's, this one in particular as well as the Guild P-240. These reviews are awesome, thanks for this!
Good review. I think you may get some hate mail over the destructive testing. Manufacturers do it also but they don't put it on CZcams!
I have to subscribe over the amount of time you put into editing these videos wow you will grow fast like this
Fun Fact. Off bug spray works pretty good on car headlight lenses, gets the aged yellowing out.
The guitar was not flat on its back during the ball bearing drop test. It's movement absorbed some of the impact.
Was waiting for this video for ages
Would love to see you review one of the full-sized, midrange PRS acoustics and see what you think. A50E or A60E. This was helpful as I've been looking at getting one of these... After this I think I'll just get another A50E.
I’d love for you to examine a Washburn WA90CE Dreadnought Guitar. I kept walking into GC two summers ago & kept telling myself “what is this great sounding, but very inexpensive guitar?” It was only $169.99, & that turned me off at first, but the multiple times I visited that store throughout that summer I was finally convinced to buy it. They advertise “Cathedral Scalloped Bracing”, but the woods are virtually unknown. I’m thinking it’s either a laminate or Birch? But, it sounds fantastic. Oh, and it did need some fret end work, but no big deal.
I’ll check it out for ya!
@@DriftwoodGuitars Great. Thanks.
Instant fan! Please keep making videos!
Great review and I did appreciate the reviewer's objective comments. A couple things of note, though. I own this guitar. With a minor tweak of the truss rod the action is as good as my 500 series Taylor and as good as it gets for an acoustic. The sustain is good but it sounds like a parlor. It is a parlor. Shouldn't it get a high score for that? As far as the sloppy work under the soundboard, I really don't care if there is a bit of glue squeeze out as long as the braces are in the proper place and well bonded. Mine looks better inside than the example in the video. That's mass production, I guess.
Y’all should do this for every guitar company
That’s the goal
Nice and very detailed review. 👍🏼👍🏼
Brilliant concept and one which will no doubt be copied by others. I hope that later in the series that lesser known brands will also be featured just so we can also see if they are as tough,or not,as the big boys. Very educational,fascinating and informative channel.
PRS should pay you to take this video down! The inside of the top of the guitar somes up the real truth about this "big" guitar brands. Thank you Driftwood!
Unless I missed...your only reference to intonation is a passing reference at 3:54. In my world intonation is a prime concern. A careful (with an electronic tuner) comparison of the 12th fret harmonic with the 12th fret fretted note is key. I've seen very expensive guitars that sounded lovely but need a lot of saddle work to make them play in tune.
That stand fall resistant test hurt my heart.
Great channel! Keep up the great work! I would love to see a video like this done with an upper lever Blueridge Guitar. A BR-160 or BR-180 range. I think those guitars punch way over their weight class!
I hope you guys do an Alvarez Artist Series. These tests are awesome!
You could have used an interior camera and selective drilling to determine the construction and still kept it functional to donate .
He can just glue it back together, watch his other vids, he's quite proficient at gluing xD
I really enjoyed the review. Very objective and thorough and honest. I don't entirely agree with the applications you suggested. Music is always subjective , there are many great recordings that used parlor size guitars
I'd love to see this with a seagull s6! Amazing series keep it up^-^
I just recieved my parlor guitar and ended up getting the Alvarez AP66. It was a toss up between this PRS and The Alvarez, the Alvarez was a more competitive price and looked more traditional, tone is great, you should check it out aswell.
We sure will!
I once heard that factories set their action slightly high intentionally, because when accounting for changes in humidity, it gives it the best chance to still sound good when it reaches its destination. Its better to have a good sounding guitar thats still playable, than to have a perfectly playable guitar that buzzes out immediately. A buzzing guitar makes the factory look incompetent, where a high action just looks like they didn't set the guitar up fully.
Great review, my only comment is that sound is subjective, a 3 out of 10 is how you conceived the sound you hear. I play parlour guitars to achieve a mid tone, thin almost steel guitar sound and the PRS hits the spot for me on this so would mark it a 8 or 9. The other tests are fair as a scratch is a scratch is a scratch.
Only just found your channel and I'm loving it
Haven't seen your videos in a while, love this idea
I'd love to hear the phone call you get from Paul, that will be really interesting
I don't like parlor guitars either, but you shouldn't take points away from it for sounding like what it is. I think, as parlor guitars go it sounded fine, although not my bag. I'd say it's worth the money.
What a great video, I was listening in the car not sure if I missed it but it would be nice to know how much saddle was left once an ideal action was achieved. However this is a fantastic idea and thankyou for doing it, you have a new subscriber