Parker Fly, EBMM Majesty or PRS P24 Trem?

[MNGuitar]

I'm looking for my swiss army knife guitar, a 24 fretter with a trem and piezo.

I'm primarily looking at an early 90s Parker Fly, a Music Man Majesty or a PRS P24 Trem. The Fly and the Majesty are the front runners because of the SS frets and composite/ebony fretboards. The P24 is also much more expensive.

Does anybody have any input on these three models that could sway me one way or another?

 

[lifeson1]

+1 for the Maj. I've had two, and I don't think there are too any guitars totally that can do what it can do... Between the piezo, boost, coil tap, upper fret accesibility, SS frets, neck thru build, ebony board, etc... It's a monster!

 

[straycat113]

Another vote for the Majesty!

 

[mikeller]

Majesty all the way. Just bought one and the real beauty in the guitar is playing it. Very well thought out!!

 

[timrocks311]

+1 for the Maj. I've had two, and I don't think there are too any guitars totally that can do what it can do... Between the piezo, boost, coil tap, upper fret accesibility, SS frets, neck thru build, ebony board, etc... It's a monster!

I agree. I have never played a Parker. I've always been a big PRS fan and have two Standard 24s, but the Majesty does everything. For me the specs are more to my liking too. It feels quite different with the scale, frets, comfort, controls, etc. The only complaint I have is that the controls are almost too ergonomic that I am always hitting the piezo switch or pickup selector switch by accident.

 

[timrocks311]

I'm in a similar boat as the OP.

I haven't had a chance to get my hands on the Majesty yet, but I'm intrigued. Could one of you guys who owns one comment on how the finish on the neck feels? One of the things I love about EBMM guitars is the finish on their necks (or lack thereof, gunstock wax), and I usually really don't care for heavy finish on necks.

I love the neck way better than any of my other guitars. It is a satin finish and it is really smooth and slick. If I could custom order another guitar it would be with a satin neck like this. The stainless frets definitely feel different to me too. Not sure how to describe it but it isn't bad. If you're considering it, the neck finish is not something to worry about.

 

[TheClev]

In general, I LOVE Parkers and PRS, and have never been a big fan of MusicMan. That said, get the Majesty.

 

[lifeson1]

I hate finished necks to the point where in almost any case (except my LP) it's a deal breaker. The Maj does not feel finished at all. Very smooth and silky... I actually love everything about the neck. It's just a real comfy piece of wood.

 

[drbob1]

I haven't owned a Majesty. I do know that I wouldn't buy one new, because they are really a "love em, hate em" guitar and you won't do well on resale. I have played the following "do anything" guitars:
1. Parker Fly-really flat fingerboard and thin neck, old school DiMarzio pickups. They sound a feel like a fly, and if that's what you want they kill, but they don't sound or look like any other guitar. I didn't like the feel and the bridge humbucker didn't do much for me.
2. Parker Nightly-discontinued, they sound great and have a deeper neck with a smaller radius than the fly. They also weigh a lot more. I still have one that was my go to gig guitar for more than a decade, it's worn really well-no dings, perfect frets, great setup with no real care. I did change the pickups to Duncans and like the sound a lot better.
3. PRS-I love the way they look, they play consistently great, they DO sound like PRS not anything else. I love the trem. They're also pretty expensive for what you get.
4. EB Game Changer-the 24 fret HSH version. With the software you can set it up for 15 different combinations of pickup sounds including the piezo. The trem is decent, maybe not as good as the PRS or the Fly, but really good. The sound is kind of modern and the guitar is heavy, and the neck is narrower than I like but it does offer the most flexibility. I think there's a Majesty version with the Game Changer electronics, no?

What I've found with all of them (and my Fleishman custom) is that the piezo really doesn't sound that acoustic. It needs some serious massaging (like a Fishman Aura or a Dtar Mama Bear) to get close to a real acoustic sound. I used to try and use my Nightfly that way, but I've given up and just bring along an acoustic... YMMV.

 

[rendall]

I can't comment on the Parker, but I own a EBMM JPXI with a 20" radius fretboard and a PRS408 with a Trem.

I love both guitars, but they are both very very different guitars and I use them for very different purposes. The EBMM has a very thin neck, and when I strap it on, I only want to shred exclusively on it. However, it's thin neck and flat radius makes chording less comfortable. Workmanship is superb, in fact, I would say that it's finish and construction, tuning stability is much better than the PRS (the neck of my PRS is slightly angled incorrectly). On the PRS, it makes me play more tastefully, lower output, classic sounding pickups make it sound good for pretty much everything else.

Both are different beasts, and despite the inherent weaknesses of both guitars, I love both equally. But buying this core line PRS made me realise that their workmanship isn't as flawless as everyone says it is.

 

[9fingers]

My '95 and '03 Parker Flys have ruined me for other guitars. They have their own sound & feel & play like nothing else. They are very unique & not for everyone for sure. Mine are 4 1/2 & 5 pounds. They have a clarity that makes me very comfortable as a former Strat guy, and they cut in a mix great, yet sustain and "sing" like humbuckers. They are not huge girth LP type tones. The Fishman piezo sounds are pretty good (for piezo). The necks are kind of like PRS wide-thin. The fretwork is unmatched. They do not change setup seasonally at all. I think the Fly is a beautiful design, but being far removed from the classics people are used to seeing many find them ugly.
Flys being my favorites does not mean I will tell you they should be yours. Play one if you get a chance.

 

[lifeson1]

I think the Maj is probably the most innovative instrument to hit the market SINCE the Parkers, which does make both 'love em or hate em' types of guitars. As aforementioned, my leniency lies toward the Maj, but don't get me wrong, I think Ken Parker era guitars are some exquisite instruments.

 

[Megatron]

Have not owned a Majesty but my main guitar is a JPX and it's probably the my favorite guitar of all that I've owned.
The Majesty is a bit too out there for me style wise(10 years ago I would of bought one). This week I'm selling a Jackson SL2H, probably to fund another MM JP or a Tom Anderson(need an HSS strat with a flatter radius).

 

[strumbringer]

Parker QC has been quite variable since they got bought and I would personally stay away.

WRT the majesty and P24: I've played both and own a PRS Custom 24 (not P24).

I think you should try to play them before deciding - I think it will come down to what works best for you since they are both great guitars. Personally I found the fretboard radius of the Majesty felt too flat to me, but it was incredibly buttery on the bends. For some reason I could not get along with it; my left hand started hurting after a while and I just felt off-kilter playing it.

The P24 sounds like a Custom 24 with a Piezo - which is to say awesome - and for me played more easily than the Majesty.

So, play both and then decide, really.

 

[rendall]

Seems like between the PRS and Majesty, they are very different guitars in terms of feel, sound, and used for very different types of music. Not sure how useful it is to place them in a shootout.

It's like, apples and oranges are both fruits, but it's hard to decide which taste better since both are so different, and it boils down to preferences.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I'm a PRS dude, so there's that. I generally find piezo guitars don't sound all that realistic, but the LL.Baggs is the best sounding of them all (IMO) if that's a big part of your requirement. So, PRS FTW.