Tell me about Parker guitars [Archive]

Deaj

09-05-2010, 01:53 PM

I remember when the Parker guitars showed up in local guitar stores. They were about as different from a traditional electric guitar as I could imagine (save a Novak fanned fret setup). While I thought they looked cool and were very lightweight I wasn't particularly interested in them. After a while they just sort of disappeared (no longer on the racks at local shops).

Anyone here playing these guitars? What about them stands out? They were just interesting enough to be memorable visually and to leave me curious about their tones and playability. Any and all information and opinions welcome. :)

pete692

09-05-2010, 02:09 PM

I used to interested be too, but I think they mucked up their brand some with different lines of different manufacturing origins and price points. I gave up trying to figure out what the "desirable" Parker would be.

oldschoolguy

09-05-2010, 04:04 PM

"Nothing Plays Like A Parker". That about says it, even if it's a bit hyperbole. I have a Classic and it's just so easu to play that is now one of my favorites. You can feel the thing vibrate against your body. Just flat out cool.

WKG

09-05-2010, 04:20 PM

I've got the mahogany Fly Mojo. Killer guitar, responsive, fat and thick with tons of dynamics and character, acoustically loud unplugged and resonates like a strung bow. The fret work is precision and mixable piezos to boot. I love my other guitars but every time I pick up the Fly it's like sliding into the seat of an expensive Italian sports car. They have added some import lines but the USA Fly's are pretty much the same as they have been.

whomad1215

09-05-2010, 04:31 PM

I've had mixed experiences with the ones I've played at stores.
First few were the "good" fly's, American priced over 3k. not only did they not have any vibration in the body, they sounded like complete crap, something I'd pay $30 for, not $3000
I played one of the cheaper niteflys and wow that one actually sounded like a great guitar, and at $1200 was definitely something I was interested in. the piezo sounded like an acoustic (the others did not), and it was still super lightweight

dpeterson

09-05-2010, 04:44 PM

had a fly deluxe (now a classic) since the late 90's... love it. use it all the time. Added a d-thing and now it's even more awsome. Frets look the same as the day i got it. all i've had to do was change the input jack. plays awasome, sound is a little bright... turn down the treble ;)

if it were stolen i'd cry since i got mine for a crazy low price.

dave

Deathmonkey

09-05-2010, 06:28 PM

I played Fly Deluxes exclusively for 3 years or so, with a pop rock band in Nashville - think Matchbox 20 - and they were great. They sounded fantastic, the piezos worked really well - ran into a Yamaha AG Stomp straight into the PA. Rock tones were excellent, fat and smooth. I found the guitar to be very resonant, and very easy to coax harmonics from. Played really well, and the stainless frets and carbon fiber fretboard were a dream. The trem especially was fantastic. I got compliments all the time, from some pretty no-shit people.

I did a few records with them, but eventually, I realized that my preferred .10s weren't working that well (it really seems designed for .09s), and I was craving a fatter neck, flatter fretboard, and bigger frets. I went back to PRS, before going to Carvin, where I was a bit more able to combine stuff I really liked about the Parkers - ebony fretboards without inlays, stainless frets, and a vintage style trem with locking tuners (as opposed to a Floyd).

They are very idiosyncratic in the way they're designed, so they're not for everyone, but if they work for you, they're amazing instruments. Pricey, but deals can be had for used Deluxes and Mojos.

If you're more of a vintage player, I'd steer clear, as they really don't feel vintage - nor do they feel particularly modern in the shredder skinny/flat neck mold. But they have a thing, and are very versatile. I don't know that they have a lot of character, but they aren't sterile. Think Maybach as opposed to Bentley or Rolls.

Luke

09-05-2010, 06:34 PM

The top horn can leave a bruise.

jads57

09-05-2010, 06:45 PM

Deathmonkey has given the perfect description! Great guitars,not for everyone. Only thing I'll add is it was the single best guitar I ever used in the studio. My Gadow Custom Hollow is also great that way, albeit more traditionally so.

lamenlovinit

09-05-2010, 07:07 PM

I did a few records with them, but eventually, I realized that my preferred .10s weren't working that well (it really seems designed for .09s)

The rest of your ergonomic preferences would be a problem for keeping a fly as a #1 for sure. But I've had 11s on my '98 deluxe and it played the same as with 9s. You NEED the right spring. You also NEED to follow the manual, and work things out so it balances in the vibrato locked position tuning wise. Then the size of the string doesn't matter.

They are the least understood and least well set up guitars you will find on the used market. From the Torx truss rod nut, to the tension wheel, to the flat spring. If the thing has been through 2 owners, the guitar will be a nightmare setup wise. Guaranteed.

9fingers

09-05-2010, 09:18 PM

I have owned at least a few hundred electrics and my main guitars for the past several years are 2 Parker Niteflys. The necks are a little chunkier than the Flys, setup with the fulcrum whammy is "normal", and mine are SSS. I went through a bunch of pickups in them until I put Barden S-Deluxes in. They are just perfect in these Niteflys.I put in an "add-bridge-pup" mini switch, and wth the blendable piezo, the range of tones is amazing. The carbon fiber fretboard and neck skin, the perfect SS frets, the great bridge, the Sperzel lockers all combine to make them the best playing & sounding "super strats" I have played. I own a dozen nice Strats and pretty much just play the Niteflys. "Nothing plays like a Parker" is true for some of us.
I like the fact that these are Ken Parker era Parkers too.

Mcclassic

09-05-2010, 10:27 PM

I have a couple, easiest guitar to play, thery are very, very light. At the beginning I was not into them, I found one new Mystik blue (or whatever the name) some years ago for around 800 and after tested it I decided to buy it and later found a green one, I like them both but decided to thin the herd and sell the blue one, then I started playing again and decide to take it for comfort and test... man what I was missing, great playability and love the out of phase tones... so one year later I decided that if I saw another I would buy it... and my old blue one came back... (still make a profit out of the whole deal).

Guitar stays in tune incredible well, the only problem is the batery compartment, I have problem to get them out and some does not fit.

bluffalo

09-06-2010, 12:42 AM

Guitar stays in tune incredible well, the only problem is the batery compartment, I have problem to get them out and some does not fit.

Tip: stick a piece of sticky tape on the battery and make your self a little tab to pull on before installing the battery.

lamenlovinit

09-06-2010, 12:43 AM

bluffalo

09-06-2010, 12:57 AM

http://users.on.net/%7Ebluffalo/Guitar/IMG_4738.JPG

http://users.on.net/%7Ebluffalo/Guitar/IMG_4739.JPG

http://users.on.net/%7Ebluffalo/Guitar/IMG_4740.JPG

bdam123

09-06-2010, 01:12 AM

they're really ugly

lamenlovinit

09-06-2010, 01:22 AM

http://users.on.net/%7Ebluffalo/Guitar/IMG_4740.JPG

:bonk:bonk
:aok Thanks!

p.j.

09-06-2010, 03:18 AM

I agree fully with everything positive said above so I will not repeat. Only thing I can add is the benefits offered by their carbon-fiber exo-skeleton. For the un-initiated (in the Parker lingo) this is a thin layer of carbon fiber covering the whole body & neck for the Fly series and the neck for the NiteFly. The effect is a very light & rigid body/neck combination that becomes a very stable platform.

I live in a climate that goes from 30% humidity in winter to 80% in summer. All my regular guitars require some degree of truss rod tweaking. My Parkers laugh at them. They don't even go out of tune while others get bent out of shape!

I completely agree with this. I have 2 Niteflys and have only had to adjust the neck on one of them once. My Tele's neck, on the other hand, shifts with a light breeze.

PJ

Deaj

09-06-2010, 10:25 AM

Thanks all - very informative! Seems like a cool series of instruments though most likely not my thing. I'm curious enough at this point to demo the next one I see.

WKG

09-06-2010, 10:36 AM

they're really ugly

I don't think so. :love:

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q134/WKGPICS/mojo20011.jpg

9fingers

09-06-2010, 10:52 AM

they're really ugly

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am a lifelong artist/designer by trade and find the Parkers to be a very ergonomic, well integrated, graceful design.
They offend a lot of eyes tho, as they are certainly not what we have been accustomed to seeing for the last 60 or so years. I imagine a Tele was a horrible looking abomination to a lot of people for its first few years.

maltomario

09-06-2010, 07:26 PM

parkers are great guitars. very unique feel to them, unlike anything else I've played.

here's mine
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2647/3953829649_c8fc3f4a78_b.jpg

Deaj

09-06-2010, 08:32 PM

WKG & Maltomario - great looking guitars! I'd kind of forgotten how striking they are. I didn't much care for any of their guitars without the unique body contours. The deep contour behind the upper horn and the extruded ridge along the lower edge are really needed to make the shape work visually IMO. I remembered seeing a mahogany version with the same contours at some point in the past - I liked the looks of that guitar as well.

WKG

09-07-2010, 12:06 AM

WKG & Maltomario - Indeed. You have some of the most beautiful Parkers ever made.

Here's my Fly.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_i1Fyixcp6lk/S7bWhspphHI/AAAAAAAABZM/GTC2STLxDQY/s800/zzzwashb125.jpg

Awesome!

I see the Roland pup, what else you got hiding in that thing?

xjbebop

09-07-2010, 12:35 AM

don't forget the new dragonfly...
http://www.sweetwater.com/images/guitars/DF524MB/1007011/1007011-body-l.jpg

p.j.

09-07-2010, 03:48 AM

A tele is still a horrible looking abomination to a lot of people including yours truly. :hide2

Here's the only way I can enjoy those beautiful tele tones... :D:D:D

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l12/lucidology/ParkerSouthernNitefly.jpg

As the owner of two Niteflys I have to say that I generally like the Parker aesthetic. I found their "Tele" to just be downright ugly though. Maybe because it was trying to "straddle the Parker/Tele fence" too much? Whatever the reason, it just doesn't work for me.

PJ

xjbebop

09-07-2010, 12:51 PM

I've got a couple of import 'P' models.
fwiw- I think it's the pick guard that uglifies the tele parker...

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_wmrP5rGp_tY/TFLwyNFWGwI/AAAAAAAABo8/tKsXBduPNr4/s720/4874.jpg

supersecretjim

09-14-2010, 09:14 PM

As the owner of two Niteflys I have to say that I generally like the Parker aesthetic. I found their "Tele" to just be downright ugly though. Maybe because it was trying to "straddle the Parker/Tele fence" too much? Whatever the reason, it just doesn't work for me.

PJ

Maybe Im just wierd, but the moment that guitar was introduced, I loved it. Very cool looking mix of then & now (even though the southern fly was introduced many years ago). I was really close to buying one even though, at the time, I had no use for a tele setup.

Ive owned many Parkers & still have three. The ones I still own are:

Nite-Fly Mahogany - Great all around guitar & plays amazingly well. I think the Dimarzio pickups in it are the weak link. Id love to slip a Duncan JB JN combo in there.

First year Single cut Mojo - Awesome guitar. Heavy sound. A bit on the dark side. Volume control seems useless - as you roll it off, it gets very muddy. Im sure I could fix it, but just have never been inclined to do so. Maybe one day.

10th anniversary fly - truly amazing guitar. Sounds great. Plays great. Its got a cool black paint job that you can see through at the right angle or lighting. Doesnt sound as big as the Fly Mojo I used to own, but is tighter & more focused. I think I preferred the Mojos sound overall. Only real complaint with the guitar is...why no gold colored frets to match all the other gold hardware & pickup pole pieces? Fly Jazz model has em,

GtrGeorge!

10-09-2010, 09:34 PM

I reasly had hope for my p38..its wood and all but the set-up is really screwed and to get it to really work properly would take a new nut, I think, at this point and neck shims..its diabolical how it got "off the curve" and requires extra special care at this point. I wish they offered the bodies in poplar or alder or something..the guitar seems to lack an authentic connection between the wood and the strings. Know what I mean?

musicofanatic5

10-10-2010, 12:22 PM

..the guitar seems to lack an authentic connection between the wood and the strings. Know what I mean?

Yes, I do!

JamesW

10-10-2010, 02:37 PM

The top horn can leave a bruise.

I bought one used when a couple of years back. Probably one of the most versatile guitars I've ever used.

Yea the top horn was probably the reason why I eventually sold it.

yucatown

10-10-2010, 04:42 PM

Does the upper horn design serve a specific purpose? The angle is fairly severe.

p.j.

10-11-2010, 03:45 AM

Does the upper horn design serve a specific purpose? The angle is fairly severe.

It means that it balances perfectly on a strap. It really works well. No fiddling when you take your left hand off the neck.

PJ

blacktip

10-11-2010, 08:06 PM

Interesting. I was looking at a mojo single cut today at a local shop. It had a quilt maple top but the owner did not know the body wood. I'm quessing is was mahogany. Does anyone happen to know if all the mojos were mahogany? Are some years better than others for that model? Any thoughts on what is a good price on that guitar in basically new condition? Thx

jamesrsmith

10-11-2010, 08:20 PM

i bought a nitefly a few years ago, everything was fine,, just a scratchy pot,, till i decided to try a different pickup,, took the pickguard off, and WHOa,, A NIGHTMARE OF CIRCUIT BOARD soldering and chinese/japanese (sorry to my asian friends, just a figurer of speech) engineering. wound up with the selector wired backwards but it was too much trouble to re do it. i have never seen a nigfhtmare setup like that on ANY guitar. actual circuit board stuff in there,, the frets are stainless and last forever the guitar sounds great with duncan pickups, but, i dropped it at an outdoor gig and messed up a fret so it sits in the closet. dont plan on doing any mods if you find one

just_one_more

10-11-2010, 10:50 PM

I have an older deluxe (trem wheel type) that has issues with anything but .009s on it. The trem is not the issue with using heavier strings. I have .010 spring that works like it should. The problem on mine is the neck relief. I can't get it flat enough with with anything but .009-.042 on it. Truss rod works to a point, but the parker "built in correct relief" seems to be just too much for it to over come with anything but .009s on mine. Others have had similar experiences. Maybe it is batch related or just the first few years of production they have this issue. Sounds like they have it sorted out.

The rest of your ergonomic preferences would be a problem for keeping a fly as a #1 for sure. But I've had 11s on my '98 deluxe and it played the same as with 9s. You NEED the right spring. You also NEED to follow the manual, and work things out so it balances in the vibrato locked position tuning wise. Then the size of the string doesn't matter.

They are the least understood and least well set up guitars you will find on the used market. From the Torx truss rod nut, to the tension wheel, to the flat spring. If the thing has been through 2 owners, the guitar will be a nightmare setup wise. Guaranteed.

lamenlovinit

10-12-2010, 12:44 AM

I have an older deluxe (trem wheel type) that has issues with anything but .009s on it. The trem is not the issue with using heavier strings. I have .010 spring that works like it should. The problem on mine is the neck relief. I can't get it flat enough with with anything but .009-.042 on it. Truss rod works to a point, but the parker "built in correct relief" seems to be just too much for it to over come with anything but .009s on mine. Others have had similar experiences. Maybe it is batch related or just the first few years of production they have this issue. Sounds like they have it sorted out.

Bummer. And with the stainless frets I would imagine fixing it with fret work wouldn't be a walk in the park. This is my 3rd, but my first "pre-refine" as the Parker crowd says. It's the only one I tried 11s on, but I run 10s standard on all my electrics, except for my surf machines which are 11s and 12s. Never had any trouble with 10s on any of my Parkers. I only hope you don't mind 9s and enjoy that sucker.

mrbungel

10-12-2010, 01:38 AM

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/pp345/elelelelelo/fly/fly04.jpg

I'm still waiting for their new model, the Brundle Fly.
Seriously, I had a red one in the mid 90's, a great guitar, wish I had kept it. I love traditional gits, but when the Parkers came out, I thought they were beautiful. Mine had an acoustic tone that was surreal, weighed about 5 lbs, the skinny neck was absolutely incredible, and I'm a fat neck lover.
They are fantastic guitars, but not for everyone.

xjbebop

10-12-2010, 02:55 AM

This Timeless Timber Birch Df is my pride n joy at the moment.
SUPER comfortable. Sounds & plays fantastic...

yup...one piece solid Birch estimated at 300 + years old...
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_wmrP5rGp_tY/TI_H2wtQn0I/AAAAAAAABr0/i8xMQPUyotA/BDF05.jpg
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_wmrP5rGp_tY/TI_H3S9-NAI/AAAAAAAABr4/7UMI3CevlpY/BDF04.jpg
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_wmrP5rGp_tY/TKDfIEJoPbI/AAAAAAAABuU/8zatnv6T104/5562.jpg

Chris Scott

10-12-2010, 08:43 AM

I think they're cool in some regards, but two things really stick in my craw about 'em.

One, is that the bridge pup on the Fly sound terrible on virtually all the ones I've played - to brassy and mid-y, although to be fair, I've never played one in a band setting, only serviced them, so I have to allow for that fact. Though having said that, I feel that I'm a pretty good judge of a guitar's sound in any environment, and can extrapolate that to another fairly accurately, so I'd have to say that were I in a position to have to work with one, I'd swap the pups out as a matter of course before I used it.

The other point however, is pretty hard to interpret - it just "is what it is", and that is the issue with frets falling off. I've had two of them come to me with this problem, and though by now most people are aware of the mechanics of it, the real problem I had was when, after exhausting all other avenues I might be able to implement, I contacted the service dept. at Parker, who basically admitted that both customers were out of luck, and this mos def did not sit well with me.

edit; It should be noted that both instruments were well maintained, and in the Central valley area, and not on the coast, where frets falling off would be only one of many issues...

lamenlovinit

10-12-2010, 08:52 AM

dayn

10-12-2010, 02:07 PM

Frets falling off are very rare. Usually happens in a very humid climate (like Costa Rica). I bought a '95 Deluxe once from Florida and it had 2 falling off, but it was a fairly cheap repair at the Parker facility.

As far as bridge pickups go, I just recently took and old MIJ PAF humbucker from the 80's, snipped of the mounting tabs and rounded out the baseplate corners with some snips, cut off 5 of the 6 pickup screws flush with the back of the baseplate, unscrewed the remaining screw flush with the back of the baseplate, set the pickup in the cavity, screwed the screw back down (and into the screw receptacle that is in the cavity), and wired it right up. Sounds AMAZING! Be creative...Put whatever you want in the bridge position.

Killer old Fly with only that single bridge humbucker and a volume pot...everything else is gutted and gone. I call it my EVH signature Fly!

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r69/liquidayno/newflypics040.jpg
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r69/liquidayno/newflypics041.jpg

lamenlovinit

10-12-2010, 03:31 PM

Killer old Fly with only that single bridge humbucker and a volume pot...everything else is gutted and gone. I call it my EVH signature Fly!

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r69/liquidayno/newflypics040.jpg

Franken-Fly! :dude

veus55

10-12-2010, 03:54 PM

I have a Parker Fly from the 90's when Ken Parker was making them and I love mine. I have an eclectic taste in music and guitars. I have a LP, a Gibson ES 335 dot, an American Deluxe Strat and an Ibanez RG prestige. The Parker is different from all of the above with its own character. Although I love all my guitars, somehow the Parker is the one I tend to gravitate the most to when I play alone at home. I love the way it feels and sounds unplugged.

dayn

10-12-2010, 05:24 PM

Franken-Fly! :dude

Yep, and :dude it certainly does!

Mikey01

10-12-2010, 06:35 PM

P-38 owner and lover here. It is easy to play with good tonal vibration and a built in carrying handle.

Nork

10-12-2010, 09:35 PM

my nitefly is amazing. it's swamp ash, and a fairly heavy piece at that. ergonomics for me are just great. it's comfortable and amazing to play and incredibly versatile. and the neck is amazing! i've thought about selling it a couple times for a more "conventional" guitar, but can't actually do it. i'd be stupid to let this puppy go.

nangillala

10-13-2010, 04:45 AM

Interesting. I was looking at a mojo single cut today at a local shop. It had a quilt maple top but the owner did not know the body wood. I'm quessing is was mahogany. Does anyone happen to know if all the mojos were mahogany?
Hi,
you can look at the serial number on the headstock. When it says MM the guitar has got a mahogany neck and body (represented by the Ms in that order).