Parker Guitars is a fairly young company, in fact, it is one of the youngest. It was founded by a highly skilled and accomplished luthier by the name of Ken Parker in the early 90s. However, Parker had been building and repairing guitars long before that. His first workshop was in Rochester, New York.
After a while, he began asking the guitarists that he worked with what they liked and disliked about their instruments. Their answers and input provided the inspiration for the company, and helped develop the Parker Fly guitar. When most luthiers begin building guitars, they use the current guitar design to form their inspiration. Ken Parker s unique twist helps him create unique guitars.
Parker has since sold the company to the US Music Corporation which is located in Illinois. Since this change, most of the guitars are now made in other countries. There are some guitars that are also made under a license agreement. They are very similar in shape and style to the Parker Fly but have a bolt construction which makes them more mass produced and affordable.
In general, Parker Guitars stand apart from the competition. They are characteristically lightweight and are made from poplar, spruce, and even mahogany. Yes, even the mahogany guitar is still relatively light compared to other mahogany bodied guitars. Other distinguishing characteristics include the ergonomics and the use of composite materials. They are also able to customize the Parker Fly according to your specs, but you need to pay extra for this service.
Since its inception, Parker Guitars have expanded their list of available models. There s the fly, the Nitefly (similar to the Fly but with a bolt neck construction), and all the models in the P-Series including the P-10, the P-20, the P-30, and the P-42.
There are also a lot of artists who play Parker Guitars. These include Michael Mozart, who is currently one of their featured artists, Bob Mann, Alex Hunter, Ray Parker Jr., Jeff Cook, Kova, and Lisa James. For an extensive list, visit the Parker Guitars official website. You can access the artists and their bios.
Here is what one person has to say about Parker Guitars:
About the Parker Nitefly M
While playing through the warm, clean Fender black face amps, my first impression was how good the neck felt; my second impression was how easy the guitar handled and third, and by no means least, how full it sounded. In either HB position, the guitar could dish out warm jazz chords, or thick alternative voicing. But also picked notes via the bridge pickup were clear and full, without shrillness. Jazz players will like the way the NiteFly sounds on the neck pickup. The Parker NiteFly M is a best buy electric guitar. With its top quality, made-in-U.S.A. construction, light weight and incredible feel and sound, this guitar would be at home in jazz, country, rock, funk - almost any type of music. Now Parker just has to pry it from my greedy little death grip. |
