Did any of you ever own the Parker Fly guitar?

I never owned one, but I damn sure wanted to. Still do. This video had a lot to do with it...

 

I owned one about 20 years ago. I don't recall the model but it was not the import model.
I liked it a lot, except the shape. The upper horn would poke me in the chest when seated.
Nice, light weight.
Played extremely well.
Sounds very good.
Its a very nice guitar.


Mark

 

We bought my son a Fly Classic for graduation in 98. It is his main guitar still. I liked it so much I have since bought 2, a Classic, and a Deluxe. Personally, I prefer the sound of the classic over the Deluxe. As you said, it was a real breakthrough back then. They weigh roughly 5 lbs. Because of it's radical design, it was instantly a love it or hate it guitar. Ken Parker is nothing short of a genius. Check it some of his newer stuff, always cutting edge.

 

I wanted one of these in emerald green when they first came out. There were expensive, but they seem even more so on the used market today.

 

Never owned one, but I always thought they were nice.

 

Every one I've heard sounds terrible. Thin and flat. Even when played with distortion, it sounds worse to me than just about any other guitar. I wanted to like them, because I liked the idea of an innovative guitar, but the last innovative guitar was a steinberger with a transtrem. You could make a case for multiscale, but the parker doesn't come close. It just looks different, and has a lot of features.

 

I was meandering Reverb just out of curiosity, and found this monstrosity. I actually kinda dig it.

 

No but i kind of wish i had. The very light weight of those early ones is pretty appealing some nights.

 

I know several people who own/use them. I briefly had a Nitefly. Getting rid of it was one of my stupider gear decisions.

 

I played a friend’s Parker a few times. It made all my guitars look like sad, crude things fashioned in the vague forms of musical instruments.

 

I had one as well. As an engineer, I admired the design, but I never connected with it as a player. Also, I never liked the stock pickups, and the design limits replacement pickup choices.

 

I had a P-36. Different beast for sure I guess. It had Tele type pickups and a piezo. I guess I mostly sold it because I don't like active guitars and it could not hang on a stock wall hanger very well. It actually played and sounded pretty good.

 

I’ve never owned one but have played a couple. One was an import and the other was a (I was told) a moderate high end model. They both played nice enough but I just can’t get over the ugly aspect

To me they look too much “angular comic book”. They remind me of the comic strip The Lockhorns

 

A local guy used to bring one to the blues jams when we did such things. He was/is a good player and made it sound decent.

 

I reaaallly wanted one when I was a teen, especially because Joe Walsh endorsed them in Guitar World magazine.

 

Found it!!

 

I've definitely been intrigued, but the fact that only a small handful of pro players use them kept me from investigating further. Only two come to mind.....Jakko Jakszyk (of 21st Century Schizoid Band) and Reeves Gabrel (?) with David Bowie.

 

if they were built with a chunky round back neck and 12" fretboard radius, I would probably own one
great design, but I can't play a shredder neck

 

Yes. Loved it. I sold it because that's what I do. I find a great guitar that I love and sell it to move on to the next one. I'd buy another and probably will.