Washburn P33S Royal Sapphire

What a lovely little acoustic! It’s not actually that little, but as a parlor guitar this model is comfortable to play, handle, and transport.

“Royal Sapphire” refers to the deep indigo stained Sapele back and sides of the instrument – a subtle, classy visual touch that works surprisingly well. It wasn’t until having played my review copy for two days that I realized the true color (I figured it was black) during a particularly bright and sunny afternoon. The guitar’s gloss spruce top is punctuated by a delicate wood-and-abalone rosette – a feature mirrored by the laurel bridge and inlaid fingerboard. Rounding out the “classic parlor” appearance are open-gear tuners and a slotted headstock.

As for how the P33S Royal Sapphire plays and sounds, it quite lives up to the top-tier aesthetics. The 12-fret Okoume neck allows a full playing range and the overall sound could perhaps best be described as, “deceptively punchy midrange with warmth.” Part of the appeal of parlor guitars, as noted in the first sentence of this review, is portability, but these six-strings have unique and appealing voices of their own, as well. There’s no pickup or built-in tuner – it’s a classic, old-school acoustic.

This Washburn is an intimate, easy-playing joy and ideal if you’re not someone who needs the booming volume and range of a jumbo or dreadnaught.

Strumming on the couch, at the beach, camping, entertaining a group of friends – these are settings where this guitar would shine. Which is not to say it wouldn’t fare equally well miced up and played onstage or in the studio.

Visually, sonically, and from  a performance standpoint, the P33S Royal Sapphire is an unqualified home-run. At a reasonable price-point given all of the elegant, opulent details (around $449, retail), dealers would be well-served to consider stocking this one.