Developed in collaboration with guitar expert and historian Eric Schoenberg, the Recording King RP1-626-C offers players the even frequency response, clarity, and wider neck of a prewar parlor guitar, but it adds a modern cutaway for easier access to the upper frets.
The 0-size RP1-626-C (and the 00-size RP2-626-C) were built in limited quantities, and because of scarcity of materials, they were only offered for a short period of time. Like other Recording King imports, these 12-frets show impressive build quality relative to other Asian-made guitars, and you don't often find these features at such reasonable prices.
The RP1-626-C was built with a solid AAA Engelmann Spruce top and solid Mahogany back and sides. It has a solid Mahogany neck that has a prewar-appropriate V profile. Unlike a lot of lower-price imports, it actually has a hand cut dovetail neck joint, too. The scale length is 25.4", and the extra tension adds to the responsive, dynamic feel. The nut measures 1-3/4" wide, so the extra room on the fingerboard will be friendly to fingerstyle players.
This 2014 Recording King RP1-626-C is in excellent condition all around, and it produces classic small-body sound. Its tone is warm and rich, but perfectly balanced. It has no history of repairs or issues. Interestingly, it looks like it was originally built with the incorrect fingerboard inlays at the 5th, 7th, and 9th frets, but the mistake was corrected in quality control. It is set up with low action an .012-gauge strings, and it includes a hardshell case.
This Recording King combines a lot of features you don't normally see together: 12-fret neck, parlor-size body, Engelmann Spruce top, PLUS a cutaway. Guitars with these specs typically cost a lot more money. If you're in need of a great-sounding fingerstyle axe, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better value.