Ibanez’ ability to churn out affordable acoustic-electric guitars while maintaining build quality is recognized worldwide. They have successfully broken free of their shred guitar stereotype and are now enjoying a big chunk of the acoustic guitar market, especially in the low to mid tier levels. As expected, they can make quality guitars of all shapes and sizes, and this includes parlor guitars.
Anticipating the popularity of small body acoustics, Ibanez now has an extensive lineup of parlor guitars, covering various price points and utilizing various types of wood and design. One parlor that deserve more attention than it is getting is the PN12E Mahogany Parlor, with its affordable price tag and all-mahogany body. To me, this guitar is a genuine representation of old parlor guitars – cheap, accessible and warm sounding.
The Ibanez PN12E’s mahogany top, back and sides result in a more nasal and mid-range heavy sound. You won’t find clarity and balanced tone with this guitar, but you will get true bluesbox vibe. This wood configuration is complemented by the shorter scale length of 24.4″, making it easy to play and adding to the guitar’s overall gnarly voicing. The neck joins the body at the 12th fret, and is topped by an 18 fret rosewood fingerboard, with a nutwidth of 1.65″.
More than just a couch guitar, the PN12E is stage ready with built-in Ibanez under saddle pickup and AEQ-2T preamp with 1/4″ output. And having owned an acoustic-electric Ibanez for years now, their plugged in tone is respectable, if not really good. There is also an onboard tuner included for convenient tuning be it on stage or while playing on your front porch.
Other features of the guitar include Ibanez Advantage bridge pins, ivory body binding and chrome die-cast tuners. The guitar is wrapped in vintage mahogany sunburst high gloss finish, completing the instrument’s vintage appeal.
If you are looking for a cheap couch guitar that you can plug in when needed, this is a good candidate to consider. It is also ideal for students and young players because of its smaller body and shorter scale length.
The Ibanez PN12E is currently retailing for just $220.
