Any experience with Parker guitars?

[sailadams]

There's a Fly Deluxe for sale locally, got my attention.

[JOYCEfromNS]

I never cared for their necks. That's just me tho - you may luv em. My limited knowledge of them were the 90's guitars were better than the post 1990's or thereabouts, with them ultimately moving off shore a half dozen years ago or more decreasing further.

Thus if it's a 90's Parker your chasing and you like the necks then go for it BUT if that was the case I would put my money ( wait a minute I already did  ) on an 80's Larrivee.

If it's a relativly new Parker - well I would walk away JMHO - BUT you asked

[sailadams]

I am talking about the US-built Fly's, not the Korean or Chinese NightFly's, P series etc. If they are unknown here, that's fine, just asking.
Those foreign bodies leave a lasting impression on any production guitar company, like (enter any guitar company name here), don't they?

But thanks for the opinion on the necks, joyce, that's what I'm looking for! A little more specific about why perhaps, though?

If this is a Larrivee-only electric guitar forum, I'll gladly shut up, I didn't realize that.

[JOYCEfromNS]

But thanks for the opinion on the necks, joyce, that's what I'm looking for! A little more specific about why perhaps, though?

If this is a Larrivee-only electric guitar forum, I'll gladly shut up, I didn't realize that.

Not sure why you suggest you should be muted Pretty open minded bunch here tho mainly ( tho not solely just mainly) an acoustic dominance.

I found the necks too thin, which some may equate to faster - not me I need a little more to hang onto - just me tho. Yes done a quick check and see that they are still making some of these in USA just their namesake no longer involved.

As stated Friend not a Larrivee or bust crowd here, appreciate most makers have a few of non Larrivees myself tho have you tried an RS 4

[sailadams]

Attitude from some others, not you at all, Joyce! Their posts were self deleted, so you know how useful those comments were!

Funny you ask about the RS4. The specs and looks of the RS4 and the (discontinued) Parker sc PM60 are very similar. I am attracted to both. Much heavier - six to seven pounds - than the under 5 pound Fly', though.

[Mikeymac]

The original USA built Parker Flys were high end guitars (at least they had a high end price, which somewhat reflected their "high tech" pedigree - at least that was the marketing strategy). I've held a couple, but never really "played" one because when Ken Parker owned the company (the USA ones) they didn't make lefties.

Because there are no longer any made in the USA, these original ones sometimes can command pretty high prices (close to retail or "street" prices when new), but I'm sure there are deals out there, especially in this economy.

No relation to Ovation whatsoever - I think Danny (dependen) just got confused, maybe thinking about the Applause brand? Dunno. 

[ST]

Hi sailadams,

I had a Parker Fly Deluxe back in the 90s. I probably did over a hundred gigs with it. I loved the ergonomics (the weight of course) but also the way it hung at just the right angle for the neck for me. I really liked the neck, the access to the upper frets, and overall - the playability of instrument.  I also really liked the sound of the Fishman Piezo pickup. I wasn't really in to playing much acoustic at the time, so I wasn't trying to sound like I was playing an acoustic. I just really liked the presence and attack that I could get by blending in the Piezo pickup.

I would probably still have that guitar except that one night an exuberant Bassist who had eyes only for a girl on the dance floor - well he started dancing around on the stage with the neck of his Bass going up and down.  He wasn't paying attention to the rest of us on stage and the headstock and tuners of his Fender Precision Bass came up fast under the neck of my Parker.  For me - that guitar was destroyed.  I didn't replace it. I had other guitars that I enjoyed as much in other ways.

I saw a midi-Fly come up a few years ago used. It was in a store and I thought they wanted about $500 too much for it. I mulled it over for a few days and by the time I got back there, it was gone.  I should probably have picked it up.  If I had, I would probably have a Roland VG-99 and I'd be in Adrian Belew territory at least part of the time.

I hope there is something in all of that for you.

[sailadams]

Sorry for the late short reply. Wrote up three long ones that disappeared into the ether. So before this one does... THANKS for the helpful reply.

[sailadams]

Seems that the higher-end Parkers are being made in the Chicago area: the Fly's, NiteFly's, DragonFly 824 and PM60 single-cut models.
Other PM- and P-series guitars and the other DragonFly models are imported.
Where does this leave the current MaxxFly series, which seem to be the same as the DragonFly's but with a new moniker? No idea.
Has there been a time when the Fly's were made offshore too?

Should add: looks like the PM60's have not been made in a year or more. If anyone knows of a Fly Mojo SC PM60, I would be most thankful.

[unclrob]

The only thing I didn't like about the Fly was that stupid waste horn that cut into you.I'd like to have one mostly for the versitility of the guitars the standard electric pu's didn't sound bad but I would change them out for Fralin P92's which is his vrsion of a P90 that fits in a humbunker pu cavity and the E/A bridge pu didn't sound bad.I would have to alter the body some.But it would mean one guitar for gigs instead of 2.

[sailadams]

Unclrob, letting the Fralin's go by the side (but only for the moment), what's your take on the (USA) single cut Fly's?
The Fly Mojo SC and the PM60 are 2+ lb heavier than a horned Fly. But at 6.8 # that's not so much an albatross, just not a 4.5 # fly. Pickups are different to tho.
What is your opinion of the combo Seymour Duncan Jazz and FB pups + the TonePros bridge w Graph Tech Ghost Piezo?
Thanks for the help.

[unclrob]

I never like the single cut it took away from the uniqueness of the Parker design.I'm not a fan of Duncan pickups so I can't really can't say{please don't hate me Matt}.The pickup is a nice sounding unit,I just had a Schecter C1 E/A in the shop and thats the pu they use.

[wilblee]

I played one for a while.  The neck was fantastic.  That carbon fiberglass board was a joy to play, especially for a bender like me.  Really fast.  In the end it was the pickups I couldn't bond with.  Every so often I look at them again though with a mind to get one and roll some different pickups through it and see what happens.

[sailadams]

I wound up with a single-cut Fly PM-60, bought unplayed from Custom Metal and Classic Guitars in NJ. Due to its arrival date just before my departure for a trip out of town, I have only had a few minutes with it so far. You're right about the slim neck and slick carbon fiber/composite fretboard, very smooth. As for the pickups, I'm also playing with a new Egnater Tweaker tube amp and Rebel speaker, so there are lots of tonal possibilities. I have a little Behringer acoustic to split the piezo p'ups to with the stereo guitar cable, or I can mix them with the Seymour Duncan humbuckers using a standard mono cable, or send either or both to a nice Ultrasound Pro 100 (bought from another friendly member here) that has a very clean sound and lots of digital effects available. Pic's and opinions to follow when I've had some playing time.

Oh, and it's green. As in green sunburst figured maple. I had a little difficulty with that, but as my wife so adroitly pointed out, I can't see what color it is when I'm playing it anyway. Just call me Kermit, plugged in.

Sorry about the laid down picture, the website did that on its own to a vertical photo.

The website also limits me to this small and poor resolution 200kb photo, but I have seen much bigger and better. What's the trick?

[attachment deleted by admin]

[ffinke]

Even us "Acoustic Lovers" can appreciate the looks of THAT guitar. Glad you don't think all of us are jerks anymore.

f

[sailadams]

? Don't know where that comes from.

This is my first non-acoustic guitar in forty years.

I know, way too long. But since all I've had in between were acoustic guitars, I don't get the anti-acoustic dig.

Perhaps you confuse me with someone else?

Did you have a Sears Silvertone electric when you were a teenager? (Like me?)

I have been paying the Parker totally unplugged tonight. (Stereo cable issues I got tired of dealing with, for the moment I'd just as soon play.)

Seriously wonderful nice guitar.

This single-cut all-mahogany Mojo Fly PM60 is a lot like an RS4, even the weight is similar (6 1/2 lbs, not so fly-weight light as most Parkers), but the Parker has the most amazing carbon-fiber composite fret board, and the RS4 has Matt Larrivee's way mo better pickups. No, they don't look that similar, except they're both single cut with flamed maple top, but they both are surely nice guitars.

My forty year old Epiphone (bought new) takes exception to the anti-acoustic jerks slur. I can only assume you are mistaken, sir.

I often am, myself.

Best regards,

I am going back to playing for a while.

[Mikeymac]

I remember when the original Parker Fly came out, like lots of folks I was blown away by the design. But ... no lefties (again), so I went down other guitar roads.

I like that single cut ... another cool design that looks like a Parker should...