The very first time I heard of Parker was in a Guitar World issue from like 1992 or 1993. I would have been 16 or 17. There was a short news piece or maybe just a blurb about Eddie Van Halen playing a prototype model of a new space-aged guitar called a "Parker Fly" and it was accompanied by a tiny photo (I think black-and-white) of Eddie shredding on a white Fly. It was the craziest thing I'd ever seen. I was awestruck and immediately knew I wanted this guitar and in 1996 I had saved up enough pennies to finally buy one. That's a fun story, too. Maybe another time.
It's gorgeous. I'm a sucker for Parkers, and I had a budget version of the Southern Fly (by which I mean it was the same body shape and pickup combination). This one is way out of my price range.
Wasn’t Peavey the company that bought out Parker guitars? And now neither Parker guitars or Peavey are still in business..I asked many luthiers in Nashville years ago when Parker was sold who would I call if my guitar needed service? They all said ‘I don’t know”..we can’t repair them due to the boards and electronics not being normal..or standard use..and we don’t do fiberglass repair, then made a joke about calling boat repair shops…I know how much I played mine, there has to be issues with them by now….what do you do? Where is the value in Any Parker guitar that cannot be repaired to normal spec’s?….
I guess the idea is to not damage them. I get it. Some people are a lot harder on their guitars. Spilling drinks at them in the club, knocking them over, etc. but there are plenty of people who have a more gentle lifestyle. You don’t drive across country with a Lamborghini. I’m sure you could, it wouldn’t fall apart, but that just usually isn’t what one does.
I'm new here and I'm really really enjoying your videos. I also like well made guitars that are just flat out better. I don't really have any questions Im just letting you know I appreciate the conversation On all your videos. That is all, Hope you have the best day ever 🙂
Ken is making amazing Jazz archtops these days too, with all sorts of cool bits of innovation. He has his own YT channel, as well. Do you happen to know the exact name of the finish on your model? Cheers.
My Grail guitar was a Pre-Refined. I just bought a few months ago. Same color as your purple one. Problem is..can't bond with the pickups and I'm wigged out about nicking/dinging the thing because it was expensive :). My brain issues :) Thanks for all the Parker content Doc and hope you have a great weekend! Best Regards and Best Wishes!
Thank you! I agree with you 100%. I don’t love the fly pickups. For me, an eq curve that cuts the highs a little and boosts the low mids just a tad helps a lot. Give it a try and let me know if it helps!
@@andrefludd I heard you say that a few days ago and I need to dig out an eq pedal and see. I don't want to add an EQ to all my presets so the pedal is a good option. Thanks and Best Regards!
I don’t understand your attraction to this model. I love Parker’s because they are so different and forward thinking. This model was a clear attempt at backward thinking and copying the Fender product. The complete opposite of what Ken intended and I can’t get on board that :/
Great video. Ken Parker made some pretty cool guitars in the late "why aren't people buying more $3k full-feature Flies" era of the company (before it was acquired).
Gorgeous instrument! I can see why you "gear lusted" for this version of the Fly series, almost the perfect admixture of trad-vintage and modern-shred aesthetics. Got some GAS going on in my heart, longing for a new guitar now. Great review, mahalos! Happy weekend all! 🤙🎸
Dude we must be related lol , the guitars that I am passionate about are the 80s Roland synthesizer controller guitars, I've got the modern looking g-707 and the strat style G-505 ( I even have a spare neck in the closet because getting up in the middle of the night on reverb I got a rosewood neck for it) on my synth guitar bucket list is the LP style g-303 or g-808 and I would also like to find one of the bass synth controllers. Back in the 80s I could never afford the Roland guitars and they're still priced all over the place. If you get a chance to check one out or at least watch some RU-vid demos you might enjoy it, the Roland gear is very eccentric and quirky with odd glitches and imperfections but those things add to the charm( kinda like the parker odd features) I grew up listening to Robert Fripp Andy Summers and Adrian Belew always wanting to have that free avant guarde tonality of the synth guitars. I'd suggest you check out Wayne Jones channel for the Roland and synth guitar gear.
I am a tele addicted guitarist. I play a few different other super strats with Floyds and a couple of jazz boxes and I enjoy all of em, but if I can only take one guitar with me, is gonna be a tele. That Parker gives me some serious GAS. I have Nash's, G&Ls and of course Fenders...but I would dig one of those.
Well you said you had a special Parker video coming, and WOW! Got a question for you. How do you feel about the pickup positions being different than a traditional Telecaster? Since they are definitely not in the same spot as they would be on the body ( Kind of like the difference in the tone of the neck pickup when looking at a 22 fret guitar VS a 24. The neck pickup is closer to the bridge on a 24 fret guitar). The neck pickup on the Southern Fly in particular seems very interesting to me, since it seems like it would have more high end. I guess what I am asking is do you think it sounds like a Telecaster, almost like a Telecaster, or does it have a voice all its own? Either way, that's a beautiful guitar and I am glad you got the "One That Got Away" so to speak! Ps: I have seen that finish in person, and its amazing. The camera did not do it justice. It is like an Olympic white with a lavender "haze" in the grain. It is hard to describe.
This actually sounds very much like a tele to me. In fact, the last one I had with the upgraded fender noiseless pickups was lacking. It was still good and sounded good, but it lacked a little of that tele sound. I think the fact that these are regular pickups, not noiseless, really makes them sound more authentic. I think a more extended tele journey is right around the corner for me, but for now, this is the best sounding tele I’ve owned.
Is it stuck with a back bow (convex)? You can try some heavier gauge strings to pull on the neck. Either a small step up to get a little more relief and then just play it that way, or super heavy (like 13s) and leave them on for a while (months probably) to permanently pull it more. I saved a guitar that way. And look into proper storage of your spare neck to make sure it doesn't get messed up if it sits for too long without string tension.
I like the way the strings pull straight thru the nut on the parkers, but I'm wondering with such a small amount of wood on the headstock, how well does the tuning holds up.
Watch my full nitefly review if you get a chance. I never have to tune my Parkers. They will stay in tune for a full week of playing 3-4 hours a day and using the trem. No issues at all.
So you're becoming a Tele guy! I'm smiling watching your video because my favorite guitar that I own is an ash body tele. I love it for many of the reasons you love your nightfly tele. It's toneful and versatile and it's got the best singing voice of all my guitars. I also love that it really cleans up nicely with the guitar volume too. More so than all of my other guitars. I've done entire nights consisting of three sets playing covers with just it, a tubescreamer, and a Fender amp. The only thing that setup won't really do is high gain. But that is only because of the pedal. The tele itself is perfectly happy and in it's element going thru a high gain amp. That's so cool that you dig it also like that. The body on yours is a real looker too. Very cool finish. Cheers Andre!
@@andrefludd Knowing how much you like offset guitars that might be perfect for you. Your other guitars might not get played for awhile if you get that.
CRC Electric contact cleaner will do wonders for the volume and tone pot's and you can buy it any auto supply store or even Walmart. Love you brother and happy hunting!!
Andre, I enjoy your videos because we are exact opposites as guitarists. Your channel keeps me out of the whole echo chamber thing, mainly through how you explain your preferences. I prefer thin necks, tiny frets, bad innotation and bigsbys. 175s, 135s, and Gretsches mostly, I play banjo roll and travis picking style rockabilly. I've always hated Parker Fly guitars, but here I am-- learning all about them and appreciating them. I love the channel and the cool delivery. That is one of the coolest finishes I've ever seen.
What you feel about the Parker Les Paul style guitars, you planning to get one in the future? I have the Hornet PM20 and its a swell guitar but no Fly.
I have a pm20 and a video recorded with it :). Not sure if I should release that one next week or the the prs video. I don’t want to burn everyone out with my Parker fetish haha
Saying that the P series had nothing about them that made them Parkers, is like saying that squier and epiphone have nothing in common with fenders/gibsons...... as soon as you see a P series you know exactly what brand they are...
The only post revised I would purchase. Great find! Looking at first yr deluxe ATM. I'm dying to try a Spanish fly!! Curious why uve never talked about guitar position before. Especially with the performaxe. I simply play on my inside leg similar to a classical and it's just so much more ergonomic. As we get older every bit helps. And they're still out of stock so haven't been able to give one a try
I talked about posture in the performaxe video! But I will be talking posture a lot in the strandberg video series coming Jan 1. The chair that I want to tell everyone about in the next posture video has been backordered for a long time so I don't want to make a recommendation only for people to not be able to get the product.
@@andrefludd oh, u mean like Parker and the performaxe😂 just messing with ya. Keep up the good work, you'll reap the rewards. Like anything else u gotta put something out there for life to take notice 😉 u got a strand? Man ur getting all my dream guitars!
Really wanna give a headless a go, and as someone who plays the guitar like a classical on the inside leg a strand look alike the most ergonomic guitar on the market. Just haven't been able to get my hands on one...still working on my Parker stable. Can't believe u found another southern! Honestly like it better then the first one.
@@micemr76 I hope you like the strandberg series in January. I'm really putting a lot of planning and effort into it. I'm hoping it can be a series that really sets the channel apart, helps a lot of guitarists, and perhaps even transforms my own approach to guitar. I'm very excited for it. I'll be talking about other headless guitars as well and my views on them since I've had a few.
Dr.: To me you'll be from here on out known as "Dr. Andre Parker Fludd" 👍😜🤟.. brilliant guitar & great breakdown! 🎸.. I've always respected the awesome design including the fretboard and neck & everyone who I've seen playing one sounds great & really loves the instrument!
@@andrefludd I think it looks great! I've never owned a tele but I've owned a P38 Parker ..I like it! My only issue with Parkers is the Piezo has no tone control....they are great guitars though. That looks stunning in white and I love the necks and hardware on those guitars....I think you found a gem my friend! Congrats! I love when guitars find the right players to own them. This will be a happy Parker!
Loving the channel, man!! I worked for the Washburn Custom Shop in Mundelien, IL for a few years doing final assembly and setups on the Parker line. A lot of the people that US Music (who owned Washburn, Randall, Parker and others) brought in to work on the Parker line were former Ken Parker-era employees. For example, the guy who glued on the frets, the woman who did body and neck QC, etc. However, when I first started there, there were a lot of issues with the Parkers that had been leaving the shop. We were getting just as many back in for repairs as we were sending out each day. Dead electronics, frets falling off, neck pocket issues, finish issues. So the line was a bit of a mess. I totally understand why many players feel the US Music era wasn't the best.
I love Parker's. They were ahead of their time. They are lightweight, ergonomic, and have stainless frets, etc, and we're doing this long before others. I wish I had one with a humbucker in the bridge and single coil in the neck. 🤘♥️🤘 Great video. ♥️🤘♥️
I love the Parkers man, makes me nostalgic when you talk about them. It cracks me up that the newer ones are called refined, considering when i was there in the nineties the fly was the most REFINED guitar i had ever seen! When i was there we had built a special one for a friend of Ken's who had just become president of Fender. This thing was one solid piece of flame maple! It had a gold dust mixed into the black paint on the back of the guitar, and it had gold plating on the stainless frets as well as gold screws and hardware! It was the most beautiful and most REFiNED guitar, at that point, on the planet as far as i was concerned! I was there when it was wet sanded and polished and was lucky enough to do the final clean and polish myself. It was a work of art and im sure it was more REFINED than anything they produced after Ken sold the company, im quite sure of it. I had a Nightfly and like you, i think its one of the best electric guitars ever made, and like you, i regret selling it every day since!
Very cool vid on Parker world. Stainless and carbon fiber are awesome things that really the big companies should be offering. Thank you That finish is amazing
Thank you Andre for giving Parker some creds! What a great history you provide here! I'm also fell in love with Parker guitars and am lucky to have a P-38 that is great fun and joy to play, and also a deep blue Parker Classic Fly that is the best guitar I've ever owned or played. The feel and sound are sensational and I recommend any Parker highly to other guitarists. Andre's video is an excellent primer on Parkers. Thank again!
Another great review, been looking forward for this one. I love when guitar companies do mashups of classic designs like the RS Guitarworks Tee Vee (tele meets Flying V) or the Fender alternate reality series. The Southern Nightfly is right up my alley, and I think they gave it a perfect name, it really has this modern-meets classic feel that makes you want to ply southern rock/jazz fusion like Little Feat. I really need to try one these some day. I'm glad you got this one, I think its best to have an emotional connection to each instrument you own.
I really love the past-future mashup that this guitar is. (A good friend of my has a slate gray Parker Fly for years and I've always dug the forward leaning aesthetic of it. For whatever reason I've always preferred alternate universe retro-flavored styles when it came to my own buying choices.)
