Best Parlor Acoustic Guitar (2024 Update)

Great build quality,easy to play,comes woth a hard case,has a great tone and sounds very nice plugged in also.Guutar sounds particularly good playing blues and fingerstyle pieces.Paul

Overall: This is a nice Guitar. I use it in open tuning for slide style. It has a nice bluesy tone. It is a nice size. It would be great for a young beginner. For the money it is very nice. I have not had to deal with Ibanez. I do know they have good Q.C. Cause the produces are great. The best part I have bought several Guitars and music products from zZounds, they take good care of there Customers. You can trust zZounds to be the best!Timothy

Ok, I really had no intention of writing a review on this guitar before I received it but, here I am… My expectations were marginal for a $150. Chinese guitar, let me be honest, I'm not a fan! (In fact, time will tell if it stays at 5 star status…) So, I needed a "parlor" style for small room gathering type of stuff. With great hesitation, I just picked one! PROS: Out of the box (!!!), it was amazing! Here is why, this is what really matters to a guitar player… Play-ability, tone, sustain! On all three, 5 stars! I was pleasantly stunned by all three, wasn't expecting that! (the fact is: a real guitar player knows when a guitar "sings" and when it doesn't, this one does!)… The neck is nicely finished, string highth is perfect! (4/64") as well as the nut highth (.018), There is no buzzing! … Fret ends are well done, no sprout at all (yet). Sustain and tone is quite impressive for a small body guitar (really!!). The things that don't matter so much: it comes with an extra bridge and bridge pin! No cosmetic flaws on this guitar! Binding on the guitar at the heal joint, neck joint, at the nut, is crisp, clean, perfect! Glue joints on the bracing were clean; visually, the bridge is tight to the body! CONS: In the realms of "perfection" the nut is the tiniest (maybe .02mm) shifted to the treble side, yes you can feel it with your thumb and first finger but doesn't negate all the "pros"! When I change the strings I'll pop the nut and re-glue it perfectly… frets are slightly "gritty", that's not a real flaw, it's a $150. guitar! And yes, the "feel" of the tuners are cheap but functional… At the end of it all, I wish I had a guitar like this when I started playing! Your experience may be different, I am ecstatic with this purchase, I'm confident I got one of the good ones!! (that being said), time will tell the rest of this story… Buying guitars online is at best, a "crapshoot", Hope this helps! Stick with a great online store like AMC… Exceptional return policy and customer service! Cheers…Randall

The factory set up was a major disappointment. The absolute worst of any guitar purchase in 40+ years. The only instrument I've ever owned with factory actions this high was a square neck resonator. Yes it really was that high. Turns out it cost less to pay for a professional setup than the shipping charges involved with a return to MF. Once setup properly the guitar sounds and plays wonderful. The PN15 is physically larger than any of the other "parlor" sized or travel guitars (Martin LX, Baby Taylor, Dirty 30, Jim Dandy, Fender CP-100 etc.). It is much closer to a 00 or standard classical sized body. The Ibanez PN-15 has a pleasant well balance voice and good volume. Sure it's not going to compare to a solid rosewood dreadnought for volume or bass response but it's not designed to. The neck is extremely comfortable, (ignoring HORRIBLE factory set up). The overall fit and finish is flawless. The body and neck have real binding (not painted on like some competitors). Bottom line: if you're looking for a 50's throwback, boxy small tone this is NOT your guitar. However if you want a very good sounding small(er) guitar at a reasonable price this is just the ticket. But be prepared to add the cost of a professional set up to the purchase price. Would I replace this if lost, stolen or damaged? Yes, but I'd play before buying next time.Tallgrasspicker

I played this instrument along with a couple of competitor's parlor guitars in the price range at a local big box music store. This Fender was head and shoulders above the rest. The others (both 12 frets) had the look and feel of toys and a small body sound. The CP60s has a nice tone and responds well to both strumming and finger style. I can't believe the quality, playability and sound of this guitar for this price. It out performs several full dive guitars in the price range. The only reason I didn't buy one at this time was a recent acquisition of another instrument from MF.Brooks

I purchased this guitar for my wife who has been learning to play a ukulele in open G tuning. Now she is applying what she can do on the uke to her new Fender parlor guitar. It sounds great and the size of this guitar is a perfect fit for her. The neck feels fantastic…more like the feel of one of my Fender electric guitars.Sidemeat Mielke

Overall: I wanted a guitar for around the house and I love the look of PRS guitars. This guitar is amazing. Much more than I expected. It's extremely light, the neck feels like I'm playing an electric guitar and the sound is full and pleasing to hear. I thought this guitar would just be for home use but I'll be using it on stage, too. Couldn't be happier.John

I love this guitar, great neck and weight. Wonderful finish and feel. The action was perfect right out of the box- typical AMS exceptional service. I have not plugged it in yet (but rarely do with acoustics) but the natural richness of this tone is so good for such a reasonable price tag. Zero quality issues or flaws to note. I would buy a second.Sir Lord Tenebre

The tone and playability are excellent, especially the tone. It sounds rich and full and loud for a small guitar. I do believe this guitar is made from some excellent wood. There are a couple of really obvious cosmetic issues on the one I got though. Up near the nut there is what looks a half inch cut through the finish and where the fretboard sets on body top of the guitar there is a lot of glue showing that was painted over . I don't plan on returning it unless I discover something that affects the playability and stability. In my experience you're better off just keeping these inexpensive guitars with flaws because you might get a worse one in exchange. Now more good . I had trouble putting it down after tuning it. It sounds great and is very comfortable to play with small body and great fretwork. No sharp fret ends . This is a keeper for sure . If I did not already own two other acoustics I would order another of these and have two for various tunings. I would describe the tone characteristics as being a deep tone , it sounds great for blues for sure. I'm a metal and punk player who dabbles a bit in the blues and other genres and this guitar gets blues right. You can't go wrong for the sale price .JEFFREY

This is a terrific guitar. I have been interested in acquiring a "Dirty Thirties" style instrument, and I spotted this parlor guitar model online. I checked out a few Gretsch Jim Dandy guitars locally, and of the three that I was able to play, one was very nice. But I was drawn to the Recording King "True Parlor" design with their nod to old style blues guitars and a Stella / Kay motif. So when Guitar Center offered a coupon, I took advantage – delivered, the guitar was $10 less than the local Gretsch. The Recording King is very nice. It was set-up perfectly upon arrival – neck straight, nut height dead on, intonation perfect. The tone is just what I wanted – moderated bass, great mid-tones. The guitar projects very well and accepts a Paige Capo perfectly. There is a unique and encouraging clarity to the sound of this little guitar. I wanted this as an alternative to my DADGAD dreadnaughts. I could not be happier with the quality of the instrument, and the service that I received from Guitar Center – thanks!Gregory

Browsing through Guitar Center a few weeks ago, I noticed this little "Dirty Thirty", strummed a few chords and was immediately impressed with the quality of sound. It blew away other acoustics costing twice as much and had a cool retro vibe. I imagined it to be much like the guitars of Robert Johnson and other Delta Blues legends. When I found out that GC had it on sale for half price, I went home and called MF to see if they would match the price which they did. (Love MF!). When it arrived, I replaced the factory strings with a set of Ernie Ball extra light aluminum bronze. The nut came unglued when I removed the factory strings but I was able to get it back in place. The bridge pin on the low E required extra pressure to keep it from popping loose and I will probably replace the stock pins at some point. I now have some fret buzz but that may be due to using extra light strings. Other than those minor issues, no setup required. Action is good Overall a great little parlor size guitar with excellent tone a playability that is fun to play and especially shines on acoustic blues.Isom

A comfortable guitar… not as bulky as a dreadnaught. Just right for fingerpickers. Awesome sound for a smaller sized guitar. Perfect for the "folk baroque" sound like John Renbourn. I intended to buy a cheap parlor guitar but then I saw this one, bought it and knew it was a keeper. Only con, as is the case with all out of the box guitars, it needs to be set up properly for comfortable playing. Have Guitar Center do it for you or other experienced repair person. This guitar has rekindled my interest in playing and composing music. If you are looking for a smaller acoustic steel string guitar, this might be the one for you.Steve W.

As a working musician I am always looking for something that can be used live, and in the studio. This one easily fills those shoes. Great punchy tone out of this small-bodied guitar. Wonderful action straight out of the box. Couldn't be more happy with my purchase.Daniel T.

Got this to downsize from dreadnought and I am extremely pleased. Specs on MF, M&A, GF, all say dreadnought on body type, it's a triple-o concert. Found the correct specs on Fender, which would make sense because they are the manufacturers. Medium strings sound better than light (in my opinion). Great buy and well constructed! My first all solid guitar & I would buy again! Fenders are economical and good quality! It's got really good sound and Fingerstyle sounds amazing! My arm does not fall asleep, from blood circulation being cut off, like it did with the dreadnought! If you are looking to learn Fingerstyle, or play Fingerstyle, and are looking for a comfortable guitar this is it! Also would recommend it for electric players who might be looking to play an acoustic!Guitarist

On my previous review I forgot to mention that the bridge pin, for the low E string, had a split towards the end and half way up on the side. I had taken the strings off to do a detailed cleaning and seen the split. Thankfully it came with one spare so I could finish my work and none of the other pins had any splits. Glued the split one, with wood glue, and have another spare! Guess it can be expected for a wooden bridge pin to split like that as it has the pressure of the string pulling against it. Had seen a video on YouTube that a guy bought a second hand one (Fender pm-3) and had the same issue. Note to anybody who buys a guitar with wooden bridge pins, check them after buying before it has a chance to break and fly out while you're playing! Other than that I am totally satisfied with the guitar and it's constructed very well!Guitarist

I am an old guy that has been playing a long time. I wanted a quality acoustic electric that would not set me back $3,000. I really liked the guitar. However, at owning the guitar just over a month the guitar was developing fret buzz around the 10th fret or so. It got worse. I took it back to Guitar Center thinking it needed a truss rod adjustment. I was told the guitar was developing a bulge in the fret board that would need major repairs. In doing some research it appears the mahogany used in the neck is not of good quality.Christopher

Really nice instrument. I had been looking for a Parlour guitar as intermittent arthritis in my hands has been making playing a regular dreadnought electro-acoustic or acoustic painful sometimes. I had my eye on Cort Parlour guitar as it had a nut width of 45mm and I thought it might help my fingers. Several times I nearly bought one but hearing them on various online videos there was just something stopping me. Then I came across the Jim Dandy. As soon as I heard it online I wanted one. I was dubious as the nut width is listed as only 42.86mm but took the gamble to order one. I was not disappointed. The tone is really bright and you can feel the notes ringing through the tiny body. I can highly recommend one and would not hesitate to recommend GAK.co.uk as your go to supplier.Nick

I went to GC and tried out several small guitars, a Fender, Cort, Mitchell, I even tried a small Taylor. I honestly preferred this Gretsch to even the Taylor. The guy at GC had to go to the back room to get one, he took it out of the box and i tuned it up. Right out of the box it played great. It stays in tune and all the way down the neck each note rang true and in perfect tune (this was not true of most others). Its small but not tiny and the 24" scale makes it playable , its not just for kids. It will be an awesome travel guitar, but I play it at home too. Fantastic value!John

For the price this is am outstanding guitar. I opted for this over a little martin, mainly on the price tag. It doesn’t feel cheap at all. The fretboard is really playable and the parlour body doesn’t feel noticeably smaller than my grand auditorium shaped acoustic. I wanted a travel guitar, but instead I have put my other acoustic into its case and this has pride of place in my front room. Stop thinking about buying it and buy it!Kristian J.

I am an intermediate player. I was looking for a parlor guitar in part due to the guitar lessons on Active Melody, where the instructor, Brian, uses a similar model, which sounds fantastic. I bought a "scratch and dent" to save some money, but it is verydifficult to see the blemishes. MF described the cosmetic blems perfectly, but they were much more minor than I expected. My wife could not find them. The set up was perfect right out of the box. I put on new strings when it arrived, and have not put the guitar down since (about a week ago). I use it mainly for finger picking, and it sounds great. It is amazing to be able to purchase such a beautiful instrument for so little. I have several more-expensive guitars, including a 15-year old Martin D16GT and a newer Seagull S6, but I am drawn to this Alverez's warm sound and projection. It is also easier to play than the Martin. I had a bit of trouble finding a case that fits, but eventually bought the Luna LLFP. It much more sturdy and padded than the standard gig bag, and the guitar fits nicely. It is also much lighter than a hard shell, and about half the price. (But the case also arrived with a nasty chemical smell inside, but I guess this will fade.) In summary, I am very happy with the Alverez AP70, and I would highly happily recommend it to my friends. I wish I had this one when I was just starting out.rabbitt

Bought this model to get back to playing after a bad accident stopped me playing at a time when I owned a seriously expensive guitar. Didn’t want to spend too much in case I couldn’t get back into playing but I can’t praise this guitar too highly. The tone is outstanding and it’s playability is second to none. The guitar is set up perfectly, no need to have it set up at your expense as with a lot of guitars out there. The build quality is superb and as it sits it the stand encourages you to get it off and play it. This model belies the price you pay because in my opinion it it a 400 to 500 pound guitar in all respects. It is delivered ‘mummified’ in bubble wrap to ensure safe passage and was delivered as promised. Can’t thank PMT enough for their advice. Great people to deal with. Need to get back to playing now.Mal H.

I wanted a small, inexpensive guitar that sounded good and played well. I pick up and play a guitar every night while I watch TV. The Takemine dreadnaught I was primarily using was carelessly broken and unremarkable. After reading about this AP70 and listening to Alvarez promotional and YouTube videos, I decided to buy this. It seemed like the thing to do, especially because of the low price and apparent sound quality; it seemed like the best value. It was on back order and wasn't supposed to ship until Feb 9, but I was pleasantly surprised when I received it on Feb 2. It was packed well and mostly in tune already. The construction quality is fantastic, and the sound was pretty good, but not as good as I expected. One of the other disappointments was that it wouldn't stay in tune and the intonation seemed off. After close inspection it seemed that there were not enough wraps of string around the tuners, the quality of the strings used were sub-par and more of a medium than a light gauge, making it difficult and frustrating to play. I immediately replaced the factory strings with Elixer bronze 80/20 nanoweb strings and that made all the difference in the sound, intonation, stability and playability. It's now an enjoyable instrument to play and a great value, in my opinion.The Deeski

Overall: My Jim Dandy parlor guitar arrived today. I just got home from a week long trip for work exhausted and thought well I will just unbox my new guitar and try it out in the morning. Six hours later lol I still didn't want to put it down. This guitar has a great tone for blues. The set up was dead on and it plays so easy. I never expected it to play so good and sound so sweet for this price! Check out the videos on you tube so you can hear the unique tone of this guitar and if it's for you I highly recommend it!Gunner

Overall: First off I could not believe how fast my order arrived to my door! Litteraly next day delivery and I only paid for standard shipping. Awesome!. Now about this guitar… At first glance I was a little unsure about how it would sound and play as it looks like a 150$ guitar…. Tuned it a half step down ( as I do on all of mygitars), and gave it some blues runs… I couldnt believe my ears and or fingers!! This thing is killer! Not one fret buzzed right out of the box and the intonation was spot on! It comes with an allen key to adjust the truss rod but I have not yet bothered with a set up because it plays so smoothely the way it is!. This baby tunes nicely and the machine heads feel tight and solid. I highly recomend this guitar to anyone interested in a parlor size accoustic. Buy it! You will not be sorry!Adam

I dont often review products I buy on eBay and I buy things on here every month. I have never heard of this Parlor Style until recently and I Started playing heavily before the Internet was really a thing so maybe thats why because I just stumbled across them accidentally. I wouldve bought one of these a long time ago if I knew they existed and its budget price absolutely dirt cheap, for an extremely premium guitar and Im not exaggerating this in any way. The smaller size of everything makes it so its not work to play it, plus its got a really Unique set of sounds that Ive never really heard from another acoustic. The great low price on top of the quality, it feels like this guitar is built more solid then the typical Dreadnought and it was delivered like two or three days earlier than it was supposed to and Im going to definitely get another guitar soon. I like the smaller body styles now that Ive kind of discovered them I want to look into owning some. Im going to hopefully go through the same seller. I had some questions and they were very prompt in responding they had good customer service and I look forward to working with the seller again and I highly recommend this seller and this instrument, weather your a pro or beginner and anything in between its an amazing guitar Id give it 10 stars if I could!!! I think it more than deserves 10 stars and I think if you buy one Your going to understand what I mean by saying it deserves 10 stars. Thank You for the pleasure of owning an amazing piece of crafted human engineering, for all the bad that is constantly going on all across the world playing and owning something like Is to me the one of the very things that make living in a world full of so much bad worth it and it reminds me to be grateful for what I do still have.tra-4008

I bought this guitar for taking on road trips to save space primarily for family sing-alongs and practicing. Obviously, I didn't expect it to have as deep and rich a tone as a dreadnaught, but the tone does seem a little "tinny," which may just be an artifact of the small sound box. Fine for small venues or practice. The finish around the sound hole was a little rough, but otherwise the finish was very nice and smooth with a high gloss finish. Once it was acclimated to the temperature and humidity in my home, it stayed in tune. No problems "out of the box" with string-to-fretboard spacing and no luthier adjustment was needed.The Professor

for the money and the price it is a gr8 couch guitar. run some scales, practice some chords or just play them. it has good playability and action. the tone of the sound is good for this price range & one could say, not bad in general. only critique is that the g,b & e strings sound a bit thin. the other ones are fine. very happy with the guitar for a cheap, more then decent couch ax. oh, gr8 inlay & binding went into the guitar as well.prestame

I was disappointed in this guitar. Having owned many Yamaha acoustics over the past 25 years, I found the quality to be lacking. The tuners were cheap, the intonation was bad, and the sound was very boxy. Even at the £330 sale price, it felt like a toy guitar. I was looking for something smaller than my FG5 and LJ16 to use on a casual basis and travel about. This did not fit the bill.Matthew H.

My ability to stretch my hand to finger chords is severely limited by dupuytren's contracture (google it for some depressing light reading). I hadn't owned an acoustic for five years as a result. I got the itch to own one again, and when I saw 23.5 inch scale, (excellent) gigbag included at this price, I went for it. And I'm glad I did. While the sound is not huge, it is good and the feel, fit and finish are outstanding. It has inspired me to play a lot more than I was playing, which was already over two hours a day. And that's really the best compliment that you can pay a guitar, isn't it?Jaye

I was excited to. receive this guitar having tried a showroom model. I have been playing it fir two weeks and have the food further examination llowing observation .1 batteries do not lasting (a week for me ). setup looked good a felt good to play except for a buzz on the g string. I noticed that 12th fret appeared higher. I know this is removable and would ask what I should do as it is under warrranty. but I am disappointed ate the thought of the hassle I nw have to get it fixed. over to you pmt ….P C.

I'm very disappointed with this guitar and GC. GC had it advertised as a different model Recording King but they sent me this. It has stickers on the side of the neck a previous owner had put there that are glued on and extremely difficult to remove. Worse, it is just poorly made. The fret ends need filing. The frets are too low in a couple of areas and fret out beneath the wrong note, causing notes to play sharp. I have no idea if the pickup works. It probably does but looks cheap. Tuners seem okay. It does have a nice tone to it so I may keep it but it requires serious work to be playable beyond open chords.Gerard B

I ordered one of the RKs and looked forward to getting it. It arrived 2 days later to the local Guitar Center. The one fresh out of the box had glue seams around the bridge and the angle of the neck as glued to the body caused the strings to buzz even after GC adjusted the neck for relief. No problem. The store had the same one on the wall. SAME issue plus there was a disk of sand paper inside the guitar. They pulled yet a third guitar off the wall…same improper angle at the neck/body. I immediately decided to cancel the purchase. No thank you! GC staff were great, honest and supported the decision to back out of the deal. I heard on YouTube a reviewer of Recording King say they took the design of the old Harmony Stellas but upgraded and used better materials. After my experience I would say RK decided to use cheap materials and decided quality control is not a concern. Honestly! Sandpaper inside the guitar body!!!MandolinMan58

This is a sweet little guitar! Good construction, no rough fret ends, and surprisingly good tuners. For the price, it's incredible. But the real star of this guitar is the pickup. Plug this in with a little gain and you'll get a wonderful raunchy blues sound. I love it! I know this guitar comes in two versions, one with a pickup and one without. If you can swing the extra cost, the pickup is really worth it. For the price, I highly recommend this guitar. Keep in mind, though, that it is a budget guitar, so don't expect the world. But if you have realistic expectations, you will be thrilled with this bad boy.Tommy

I lead worship every week at my church and I was needing a back up to my main acoustic, which happens to be another Ibanez acoustic (artwood series). I was looking for something a little smaller that would travel well, be a good beater guitar for camps and not be expensive. This fit the bill perfectly! When I first played one at a shop I was really amazed with how full it sounded and how nice it played. The electronics are okay, nothing to oooh and ahh over, but they work. My only gripe with this guitar is that the tuners aren't that great and I find myself tuning quite a bit on a Sunday morning. Might replace them eventually, but otherwise you get a lot of guitar for the money here. Most other smaller/parlor sized acoustics in this price range aren't acoustic electric or they seriously lack in quality. I got mine at a local music store barely used for a killer price, but I wouldn't have minded paying the full price on here. Took a little adjusting when I got home to get the neck where I like it, but nothing other than that. I can definitely see this one sticking around for years to come and being a solid back up and even main guitar on occasion.dstaudy

Love this parlor guitar. I'm using it as a lap slide. Sounds great! I did some research before my purchase It came down to the Gretch Gin Rickey and the Recording King Parlor guitar and this Ibanez. I chose the Ibanez because it's got an active pickup with the built in tuner The others only have a passive pickup.cove1955

I REALLY wanted to like this guitar. It is larger than your average parlor, but I'm a big guy so it was a great size for me. I like the thicker neck compared to some other guitars (like my Jim Dandy parlor). And the tuners worked pretty good. UNFORTUNATELY I had to return the first guitar because the high E string wouldn't tune properly. Before going all in and changing the strings, adjusting the truss rod and bridge saddle I called MF and they said it should be playable right out of the box (with minor tuning). So they agreed to an exchange. Cut to two weeks later when my replacement arrives. I immediately tuned it and it did not have the tuning issue my first PN12E had. Ok, this might be a keeper. But I quickly noticed the EXTREMELY sharp fret ends. I've heard of people complain about this before and never understood… until now. Now they aren't cut-your-fingers-till-they-bleed sharp, but sharp enough that after ten minutes the side of my pinky was pretty roughed up. But I thought, well, I have fret files, maybe when I change the strings out I'll deal with that someday (in hindsight terrible idea. a new guitar should NOT be sent out like this). THE FINAL STRAW was when after lying on my couch playing the guitar for about 20 minutes I lifted my right forearm off the guitar body and heard a popping sound. Not sure if I was hearing things, I tried it again… pop. I've isolated the popping to basically the area where your forearm rests. I can gently push/squeeze the guitar there and it makes a popping sound EVERY TIME. My guess is some of the bracing inside was not glued properly. So I'm done with ever considering the PN12E Mahogany Parlor Acoustic-Electric Guitar. Maybe you'll get one built right and have a fantastic guitar. Or maybe you'll go through two like me and be left questioning whether to ever consider Ibanez again.Daringo

Well the guitar arrived and all I have to say, it is masterful. This is the guitar I've been dreaming of for proper advancement. As I'm sure you know, some guitars are harder to play than others, and I did not find myself tiring nearly as quickly. I truly appreciate the luthier craft much more. The workmanship is outstanding. It sounds so rich and plays like a dream. I never thought I could own a guitar of this quality. Actually I think mine is just prettier than the one you have pictured on the website lol! The guitar is beautiful, the action is great, I love the tone and I'm just happy as can be with what I bought.GLW6841

When my guitar arrived, I noticed a 1\8 inch rise in the back of the bridge. IT NEVER EVEN GOT TUNED before I sent it back. It seems that MF likes to push discontinued and low end gear only for the SDOTD. If you like bad cafeteria food…this one is for you !Jimmy the Juice

I am a gigging intermediate level musician and own several guitars. It is very rare when I bond with an instrument immediately. This little guitar is pretty exceptional for it's regular price, and I bought as a Stupid Deal so it was a steal IMO. Very rich and resonant with excellent balance. Well built and no setup work needed. I will say that the length of the neck will take a bit of getting used to – the VERY short scale (24") and being a 12 fret make the neck about 3 inches shorter than a long scale 14 fretter. Fret work on the guitar is excellent and the neck has a nice feel. I'm also glad that Alvarez started making these small guitars with paddle headstocks as I do not care for slotted ones. The nut is also a true 1.75" which is a must for me.Very happy with this guitar.Roy A

Yes, the tonal range is great, especially the piezo pickup, nicely playable and overall looks and finish seem perfect. But, with nicely contoured access to the high notes let down by the overly large neck heal which starts a fret or two earlier than my other electric guitars. Another annoyance is the very cheap knobs which don't sit straight on the pots. I have a guitar costing a tenth of the price with better fitting knobs. The battery compartment is a bad joke of a design, as the battery holder comes out with the wires attached, you then have to prise up the battery from its contacts and the lever it out for replacement. Overall these are minor annoyances on what is a great guitar but, at this price I expected better. Oh yes, it came with a hard case. Which doesn't fit properly and with no tags or brand markings so who knows what it was made for. It did come with two loose bits of foam, one which was floating around unsure of its purpose.Kevin L.

PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo — I've owned and played this guitar for about three months now. Bottom line: I'm very happy with it–and would recommend it–in spite of a couple issues. There are dozens and dozens of videos that go into detail about the appearance, fit, and finish of this guitar so I won't bother with all that except to confirm that it is very well made overall. The magnetic pickups sound fantastic, period. The piezo pickup was putting out FAR too hot of a signal, distorting at low guitar volume, but once I learned how to adjust the trim pot for it (thanks to the PRS guitar forum website), that problem was solved and now it sounds good. It's a tad bright in my opinion but that's easily fixed with the tone knob on any amp or with an EQ pedal. The battery compartment opens easily enough, but getting the 9V battery out of it without breaking the plastic frame is a challenge. Fortunately, the battery isn't used unless you plug a cable into the PIEZO/MAG jack. The 3-way selector is garbage and I was experiencing crackling and signal drop right out of the box. HOWEVER, this is a known issue and several reviewer videos mention it so I knew what to expect. My soldering skills are only beginner-level (and I've never worked on a hollowbody before) so I paid to have a pro replace the switch for me. MF has offered to credit me the amount of the repair once I send them the receipt, so that's good. The Guitar Case — This shipped with a hard case, which I'm not happy with. When the guitar is properly seated and the lid is properly closed and latched, there is a quarter-inch gap around the bottom (see pics). That's not good. There are several (expensive) case options that are touted as "PRS and PRS-style" cases but they WILL NOT FIT this particular guitar because the lower bout is 14" wide (at least an inch wider than other PRS models). Also, it's about an inch thicker (front to back) than a Jazzmaster so a Jaguar/Jazz case won't work either.RiserGrease

I received the Black Gold Burst version about a week ago. It's a BEAUTIFUL guitar. The pictures don't do it justice. The f-holes really add to the appearance. Fender ALSO makes a hollowbody guitar, but they went the round sound hole direction, which, IMHO, is hokey looking. The sound is INCREDIBLE! I have 4 other electric guitars, including a Fender American Standard Strat, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG and an Ibanez Prestige- They are ALL wonderful guitars, and each has its own personality, in how they play AND how they sound. THIS guitar has a sound that TRANSCENDS ALL of my other guitars. There are a number of videos on YouTube. BUT, as with the appearance, they simply DO NOT do it justice. The humbucker pickups ALONE produce a sound that is CLEAR and RESONANT. Adding the sound from the piezo pickup sends it over the top! ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS. I was a little reluctant to purchase a guitar made in China. However, the CONSTRUCTION and FINISH are PERFECT! PLUS, the cost is WAAAY less than the equivalent US-made version. I hope I've given you the idea that this is a SPECIAL guitar, BECAUSE IT IS!Kevin

A real amazing small guitar with huge electric sound and output. Easy to just pick up and play acoustically.. The PRS build is superb with no flaws.I would highly reccommended it and also PMT.John G.