This Hi-Gloss Mercury ‘Scoop’ parlour model proves that great things do indeed come in small packages. Whether youre looking for a beautiful, smaller guitar for home use or simply a new instrument that offers a different feel and tonal quality to your existing guitars, the Mercury is a great option.

This HiGloss Mercury parlour model is a classic example of the genre. The strings are kept at a little lower tension than on standard models because the neck joins the body at the 12th fret rather than the 14th, and therefore the bridge position is a little further from the sound hole. These adjustments result in an instrument that is extremely comfortable to play; has a unique tone and remarkable volume that belies its smaller size; and that can be both held and transported with ease.

The small “cutaway section” where the neck joins the body is referred known as the “Scoop.” When reaching for those upper frets on a Mercury, a traditional cutaway is not an option. Rather, its smaller frame necessitates a more delicate approach. First developed for Nashville artist, Beth Nielsen-Chapman the ‘BNC’ scoop provides just that bit more access to the fingerboard’s higher reaches.

For the guitar tops, HiGloss models feature premium quality Solid Engelmann Spruce; on the back and sides, the highly figured, 3-piece Indonesian Rosewood is bound in Flamed Maple around the front and back; and for the fingerboard, bridge, headplate, and heelcap youll find our favourite premium hardwood, Indonesian Ebony.

This pairing of fresh Solid Spruce and Solid Rosewood tonewoods produces a sound that is bright and “zingy,” with excellent clarity. If you try to visualise a frequency graph, it would look like a smile: Strength in the low frequencies, falling off in the midrange, and then rising again at the top. This results in the classic Spruce / Rosewood tone: Sparkling highs, rich bass notes and fabulous articulation across the spectrum. As you would expect however, the smaller size of the Parlour model does reduce some of the depth of bass so prominent on larger Rosewood models, but this is more than made up for by its unique mid-range bite.

Under the saddle of this FMEHG3-BNC lies a piezo pickup, part of the streamlined, low-profile Fishman INK3 preamp system. A chromatic tuner, three-band equaliser, and volume knob are built into the preamp and the guitar’s output connector is cleverly integrated into the bottom of the instrument, making changing batteries a breeze.

To ensure that your beautiful new instrument is well protected and cared for, your guitar is complete with a woodshell hardcase, with padded plush interior. We recommend that you keep your guitar in the hardcase whenever not in use.

Specification

Top -Spruce-Engelmann (Solid)

Back & Sides -Rosewood (Solid)

Fingerboard -Macassan Figured Ebony

Fingerboard Radius -16″

Fingerboard Inlays -Mother of Pearl ‘F’ at 12th Fret

Binding -Solid Flamed Maple

Machine Head -Grover Rotomatic Gold

Neck -Mahogany

Neck Joint -Patrick James Eggle Bolt-On Design

Trussrod -2 Way

Nut / Saddle Width -Nut 43mm / String Spacing 55mm

Nut / Saddle Material -TUSQ (PQ-6116)/(PQ-9110)

Bracing Material -Hand-Scalloped Quarter-Sawn Spruce

Bridge -Macassan Figured Ebony

Bridge Pins -Macassan Figured Ebony with Abalone Dots

Rosette -5mm Abalone with Fibre Border

Finish Type -High Gloss Top, Back and Sides

Preamp / Pickup -Fishman INK3 Preamp with undersaddle pickup

Hardcase -Included