FourT6and2":mfznszzr said:
I'm really interested in getting info from people who have played Parker guitars. As far as the aesthetics go, that's more personal. If I were to actually order one from their Custom Shop, it would most likely be the Maxx Fly body shape and instead of Cedar, maybe something like korina/limba, zircote, zebrawood, or macassar ebony. But still with the purple back haha!
I have a Nitefly and a Fly Classic, both from late 90's. I haven't owned a MaxxFly but I have been able to try one out. These Norse based models appear to have more in common with my Fly Classic.
Parkers are the most stable guitars I have ever seen, largely due to the composite exoskeleton on the neck and back of the body. They put these guitars into a vacuum sealed oven and bake the exoskeleton onto the guitar. I have never had to adjust the truss rods, once set, they've been good to go (I have had my Nitefly since 1998 and my Fly Classic for about 4 years). I have never had to make seasonal adjustments.
Stainless steel frets are a win for me, they do make bending notes easy. The frets on both my Parkers still show no sign of wear. It doesn't look like those Norse models have the piezo. That's not a big loss. You can blend them in for some interesting clean tones, use them exclusively to get a more acoustic sounding tone, but they don't quite replace a real acoustic. The Parker designed bridges are sturdy, mine have the trem and I'd miss it if I switched to one of these Norse Flys. They have been as stable as Floyd Rose for me. That said, you might get better sustain with those fixed bridges.
The reason for the lower weight is the extreme cutaways. Pictures do not do them justice, you have to see them in person to get it. These guitars are very thin. The original Flys had specially designed pickups, regular pickups were too deep to fit. This could be a problem if you don't like the stock pickups. Both of my Parkers are stock, never felt the need to change them.
They don't look like other guitars, they aren't built like other guitars, so they don't sound like other guitars either, especially the low weight Fly models. If you want LP tones, Tele tones or Strat tones then this is probably not the guitar for you unless you are happy owning all those other guitars too
I find my Fly classic to be very clear, articulate. I set my amp differently for my various guitars, when using my Parker I tend to increase the bass and lower mids a bit.
The newer MaxxFly/DragonFly body corrects a couple of issues with the original design. I prefer the look of the original design, but the upper horn will poke you if you try hunching forward when you sit with the guitar. The new body shape doesn't have that sharp upper horn, and it looks a bit more conventional. Also, the original headstock shape doesn't work with wall hangers where the new headstock shape will.
They are great guitars, but they aren't for everyone. Try one first, or get one from a dealer with a good return policy.
