“My parlor "Little Bird" is getting played every day. It is tuning and staying in tune great now. I have to say Rob,
I absolutely love this guitar. It has a huge and beautiful tone. Last night I was playing next to a friend with a 20+ year old
Martin D-28 and I found myself having to play softer so I could hear him. I can get all kinds of tones from this guitar. It plays
very easily and is so comfortable to hold. Thanks again Rob, for everything.”
-Chris Miller
“When I first saw Rob Girdis' parlor style guitar, I was really stunned by the quality of construction and delicacy of detail. And what a player! Beautiful, well balanced with a big, sweet sound, and easy to get around on. Just a great guitar.”
-Bruce Molsky
“I own one of his guitars & it is the finest guitar I've ever played. I would unhesitatingly recommend him to anyone seeking the finest craftmanship, quality and sound in an instrument as well as the joy of dealing with an artisan possessing consumate skill, rocklike integrity and unshakable vision.”
-Mike Phelan, with Marley's Ghost
“Rob Girdis' Parlor Guitar is a fantastic instrument. Beautiful,balanced tone with loads of bass and a sparkly high end, with harmonics that just jump out of the guitar! The love and great handbuilt artistry is obvious; the big, focused sound and playability of this little guitar belies it's size. A fingerpicker's dream guitar.”
-Catfish Keith
“I took a '65 D-18 to Grass Valley this past weekend. When I got to Grass Valley, I went into the Luthier's Barn to see what kind of treats they had to offer. I met a really nice guy by the name of Robert Girdis who builds guitars out of the Seattle area. I was intrigued by his workmanship first thing. He had mitered inlay strips by the binding and made his own rosette for each guitar. I noticed inside he used a classical neck block and individual kerfing blocks for the Top. This guitar was built inside like an old Classical or Flamenco but had X-bracing like a Martin. This guitar had the most amazing set of koa back and sides that I have ever seen. The neck was even koa! THIS GUITAR WAS ON FIRE! This was my first experience with koa and it was a good one. The top was German Spruce with a quartered Brazilian bridge. I played the guitar in an empty room and it surprised me with the tone it had. The guitar was 12 years old, and was Robert's personal guitar. He let me use the guitar on stage. The guitar miked really well and it didn't break strings. THUMBS UP!”
-Kenny Smith From Flatpick-L, June 19, 2001
“I am absolutely delighted with my guitar. There is no guitar I have ever played that is more suited to me and the music I love to play. I play loud and rhythmic contra dance music with a band that has regular practices and a regular monthly dance. I am certain that the careful discussion, months before construction began, about the attributes I craved was fruitful; you have made me the perfect instrument. It just gets better and better. I feel I can hear about a mile into the sound... it is so big and deep and complex, and it amplifies so well, takes to the microphone it does... I am approaching that wonderful state in which I need not think at all about the mechanics of playing, instead, I just think, “louder”, and it gets louder, or, “sweeter” and it gets sweeter, or “high, ringing tone”, and that's what I get. It seems to be connected directly to my mind... Now if I could just be happier with my mind... I'm sure that the combination of your excellent joinery, superb choice of best-possible materials and your intuitive design features are to blame for my happiness. I would say that your ability to craft to order so well makes you one of the finest makers in action today, and in this golden age of guitar-making, that is saying much!”
-Warren Argo
“When we first laid eyes Rob's Parlor Guitar, Jimi and I looked at each other, and at the same time, we exclaimed..... What a beautiful parlor guitar!... Way back when, there was a time when life was much simpler. Guitar bodies were generally smaller than today and guitars were played in the parlor for and with friends and family. A market for larger bodies developed in the 30's and 40's that led to the development of the large body dreadnoughts and jumbos. As guitarists have become more discriminating, they have brought about a resurgence in the popularity of smaller bodied guitars. These smaller guitars frequently fit the bodies and hands of many people better than dreadnoughts and jumbos do. It is against that backdrop that we were fortunate to get our hand’s on Rob's Parlor Guitar. We are pleased to report that this is one SUPER Parlor guitar! True to form, the sound is nice across the spectrum, with balanced lows, mids, and highs. It's balanced sound is UNEXPECTANTLY HUGE with great projection. We really loved this small guitar with it's big sound. Nice and light, very responsive and perfectly balanced are just some of the adjectives that describe this beautifully made Parlor guitar. If smaller bodied guitars are your cup of tea, Rob's parlor guitar is calling your name.”
-Jimi Beeler and Norman Beberman, GuitarNation.com
“.....In performance testing, our sample Girdis Dreadnought scored high marks. Strung with light-gauge bronze strings, it's intonation seemed perfect and the string-to-string balance was extremely good. Chords rang clearly, with each note carefully delineated. The instrument produced a full fat sound for chrording and a bright chime-like tone for solo playing.”
- Frets Magazine Review, February 1985
“I've been playing, listening to and singing with a Girdis Guitar for over 15 years. I've also owned several Martins, Gibsons and a Gallagher. The Girdis is without doubt the most consistent and reliably excellent of them all. The beauty of the woods and the inlays, the easy play of the fretboard, the care and unhurried attention given to the voice of each instrument are a Girdis hallmark. Rob Girdis is a master craftsman of the Old School. He loves wood and music.”
-Jon Wilcox, Sage Arts recording artist; founding member, Marley's Ghost, The Rincon Ramblers, The Zimms.
-Chris Miller
“When I first saw Rob Girdis' parlor style guitar, I was really stunned by the quality of construction and delicacy of detail. And what a player! Beautiful, well balanced with a big, sweet sound, and easy to get around on. Just a great guitar.”
-Bruce Molsky
“I own one of his guitars & it is the finest guitar I've ever played. I would unhesitatingly recommend him to anyone seeking the finest craftmanship, quality and sound in an instrument as well as the joy of dealing with an artisan possessing consumate skill, rocklike integrity and unshakable vision.”
-Mike Phelan, with Marley's Ghost
“Rob Girdis' Parlor Guitar is a fantastic instrument. Beautiful,balanced tone with loads of bass and a sparkly high end, with harmonics that just jump out of the guitar! The love and great handbuilt artistry is obvious; the big, focused sound and playability of this little guitar belies it's size. A fingerpicker's dream guitar.”
-Catfish Keith
“I took a '65 D-18 to Grass Valley this past weekend. When I got to Grass Valley, I went into the Luthier's Barn to see what kind of treats they had to offer. I met a really nice guy by the name of Robert Girdis who builds guitars out of the Seattle area. I was intrigued by his workmanship first thing. He had mitered inlay strips by the binding and made his own rosette for each guitar. I noticed inside he used a classical neck block and individual kerfing blocks for the Top. This guitar was built inside like an old Classical or Flamenco but had X-bracing like a Martin. This guitar had the most amazing set of koa back and sides that I have ever seen. The neck was even koa! THIS GUITAR WAS ON FIRE! This was my first experience with koa and it was a good one. The top was German Spruce with a quartered Brazilian bridge. I played the guitar in an empty room and it surprised me with the tone it had. The guitar was 12 years old, and was Robert's personal guitar. He let me use the guitar on stage. The guitar miked really well and it didn't break strings. THUMBS UP!”
-Kenny Smith From Flatpick-L, June 19, 2001
“I am absolutely delighted with my guitar. There is no guitar I have ever played that is more suited to me and the music I love to play. I play loud and rhythmic contra dance music with a band that has regular practices and a regular monthly dance. I am certain that the careful discussion, months before construction began, about the attributes I craved was fruitful; you have made me the perfect instrument. It just gets better and better. I feel I can hear about a mile into the sound... it is so big and deep and complex, and it amplifies so well, takes to the microphone it does... I am approaching that wonderful state in which I need not think at all about the mechanics of playing, instead, I just think, “louder”, and it gets louder, or, “sweeter” and it gets sweeter, or “high, ringing tone”, and that's what I get. It seems to be connected directly to my mind... Now if I could just be happier with my mind... I'm sure that the combination of your excellent joinery, superb choice of best-possible materials and your intuitive design features are to blame for my happiness. I would say that your ability to craft to order so well makes you one of the finest makers in action today, and in this golden age of guitar-making, that is saying much!”
-Warren Argo
“When we first laid eyes Rob's Parlor Guitar, Jimi and I looked at each other, and at the same time, we exclaimed..... What a beautiful parlor guitar!... Way back when, there was a time when life was much simpler. Guitar bodies were generally smaller than today and guitars were played in the parlor for and with friends and family. A market for larger bodies developed in the 30's and 40's that led to the development of the large body dreadnoughts and jumbos. As guitarists have become more discriminating, they have brought about a resurgence in the popularity of smaller bodied guitars. These smaller guitars frequently fit the bodies and hands of many people better than dreadnoughts and jumbos do. It is against that backdrop that we were fortunate to get our hand’s on Rob's Parlor Guitar. We are pleased to report that this is one SUPER Parlor guitar! True to form, the sound is nice across the spectrum, with balanced lows, mids, and highs. It's balanced sound is UNEXPECTANTLY HUGE with great projection. We really loved this small guitar with it's big sound. Nice and light, very responsive and perfectly balanced are just some of the adjectives that describe this beautifully made Parlor guitar. If smaller bodied guitars are your cup of tea, Rob's parlor guitar is calling your name.”
-Jimi Beeler and Norman Beberman, GuitarNation.com
“.....In performance testing, our sample Girdis Dreadnought scored high marks. Strung with light-gauge bronze strings, it's intonation seemed perfect and the string-to-string balance was extremely good. Chords rang clearly, with each note carefully delineated. The instrument produced a full fat sound for chrording and a bright chime-like tone for solo playing.”
- Frets Magazine Review, February 1985
“I've been playing, listening to and singing with a Girdis Guitar for over 15 years. I've also owned several Martins, Gibsons and a Gallagher. The Girdis is without doubt the most consistent and reliably excellent of them all. The beauty of the woods and the inlays, the easy play of the fretboard, the care and unhurried attention given to the voice of each instrument are a Girdis hallmark. Rob Girdis is a master craftsman of the Old School. He loves wood and music.”
-Jon Wilcox, Sage Arts recording artist; founding member, Marley's Ghost, The Rincon Ramblers, The Zimms.