The Parker Fly is Amazing (If You Can Ignore How it Looks) Parker NiteFly

[@ashleymerritt9461]

I’m one of the mad fools who actually really likes the way these things look!

[@ChadPhillipsMusic]

Me too. So you're in good company. (There's nothing sad about it John.) I was lucky enough to own three different iterations of the beast in my life, two original hard tails, and later on a Fly Deluxe with a mahogany slab in a trans-teal green. Amazing guitar. Super light weight (mine were around 4lbs), highly responsive and dynamic, incredibly versatile, and (except for being smooth as butter) all of them drove like a high performance race car. Tone and sustain for days. I wish I had never sold them. Will always be one of the great regrets of my life.

[@chrisgmurray3622]

I do too!

[@W4rriorOfLight]

me too, it looks unique and you instanly knows what it is, the classic looking guitars gets boring.

[@desguitaresetduson]

Me too, but not in natural wood finish. I think it takes something from a Rickenbecker for the body associated with something unique with this super thin head. It needs colors !

[@johnmcevoy3598]

'93 Deluxe hardtail. 4 lbs. When you understand why it's shaped the way it is, it will shift your perception of what a guitar can be.

[@ambrosgonzales]

Don't know why people say they are ugly. I think they are beautiful with a unique shape.

[@TheKeymaker_QC]

Shape is cool. Head is hideous.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

I don’t get why people think they’re ugly; I think they look like what one would expect the electric guitar to evolve into, like a concept car I was in high school in the 90s when I became aware of them and a friend on mine saved up for over a year to buy a purple one. I get not liking the guitar because it’s not really a mod platform, but I love it for how it was engineered. I think the back of it looks cooler than the front!

[@theprisonier]

The Parker is one of the most beautiful modern guitar. Love it.

[@toliskoskinas]

F@ck yeah !!!!

[@johnmcevoy3598]

There's one in the Smithsonian.

[@Aletheia_Z]

Adrian Belew still plays his signature model that has the Sustainiac pickup too

[@dave_strings_8880]

I love how they all look ,never thought they were ugly .. I'm sure we can all agree how amazing this thing sounds ,and the acoustic noises from it blew my mind 😮

[@danfloresmusic]

IMHO that is one of the best clean sounds I’ve heard from you

[@palix5925]

parker's look super cool. In a world where everything is a copy of strats, les pauls, tele's, It's rare to see something with it's own unique sillouhette. Parker were way ahead of their time.

[@givemeajackson]

Parker was the 90s strandberg

[@dougc84]

Strandberg took a lot from Parker. I had an OS8 and, in a lot of ways, it was better than my beloved Fly. But, in a lot of ways, the Fly was still superior. The carbon fiber means my 17 year old Fly has maybe needed one or two truss rod adjustment in its life - all of which were very minor tweaks. The frets are like day 1 (except for one that fell out, but it was easily repaired). The Strandberg was nice in that you could put whatever pickups you want in them, but, TBH, the Fly's pickups feel made for the guitar, even if they're just Dimarzios or SD's. The Strandberg felt like I could punch a hole through the top very easily, whereas the Parker feels like a brick. The Strandberg's neck - without carbon fiber - felt a little softer to play. And Strandberg - despite their peculiar lineup and color choices - does have a more varied set of options for the modern guitarist, particularly when it comes to 7 and 8 string guitars. I would 100% buy another Strandberg, but there's honestly nothing in their lineup that I would want to drop the money on that also looks appealing to me. They really need to make a 7-string Salen already. And allow more color options for their guitars (bring back the purple and blue!).

[@joybuzzer]

I wanted a Parker Fly more than anything in the 90s. Somehow they didn't seem as ugly back then. I just accepted that that's how guitars in the future would look.

[@carloslonmoer6285]

Always loved parkers since I saw them in guitar magazines as a child. I wish they would make a come back.

[@SuperCMO79]

Always has been a dream guitar for me .. I played one, one time in the LA Guitar Center Circa 98.

[@deddiev1718]

Thanks!

[@pickmaster]

John, thanks for mentioning poor, old bluesman 😮 here, highly appreciated. Still have that Parker, heavily modified with special pickups, passive electronics and angled neck with the pearl inlays. Dr. Ika

[@patrickz4388]

I'm a big Parker fan and also one of your fans. And hearing you pull these amazing sounds out of this amazing instrument really warms my heart. I'm not a huge Nitefly fan, but I am a huge fan of the original models made by Ken Parker in the early days of the company. If you think what you were just playing was inspirational, do yourself a favor and get a "pre-refined" Fly. You will absolutely be flabbergasted. Ken Parker was decades ahead of his time and the fact that you are just discovering how amazing these instruments are, more than a decade after the company closed shows just how far I ahead they were. Love your playing and just bought your fractal presets to support your efforts.

[@felipehernandez2162]

Increíble. Finalmente un video que hace justicia al tono de una Parker. Yo tengo una Flydeluxe y es lo mejor de la vida. Saludos

[@tonepoet]

Always liked these. Still have P38, it was a horse for many many years even though I haven't played it in a long time. Used to play some high end Parkers with a band that I toured with, I had good experiences with them.

[@W4rriorOfLight]

pal it's the nicest looking and unique guitar I've seen you play.

[@tomnelson5815]

Joni Mitchell used Parkers quite a bit in live shows. I think they have a special vibe and feel, and love the styling. Back in history, many hated the Stratocaster when it was introduced, too.

[@ssiowi]

thx jnc, the most beautiful guitar that i've ever owned and sadly sold. ken parker: genius and now building archtops--check 'em! thx again!

[@Thr3-Words]

😮

[@madguruJ]

I don’t think they’re ugly at all! One of the all time great guitars

[@joemiller9856]

I have a fly classic, mahogany, late 90’s build. Still going strong but I’m not playing it regularly. But when I do .. I love the easy playability. ❤️

[@alecfraser1928]

Really nice playing in the intro John. I've had a Deluxe since 1996 and it remains my #1. I don't use the coil taps much but having watched this I will go back to them. I really like the piezo blended with the magnetic pickups. I can get a really great vintage Strat sound out of that. But it is the playability of the Fly that is a step beyond anything else I've owned. And as the years go by I appreciate the light weight even more. I'd really like to try that model with the heavier and less contoured body too.

[@AlexVonCrank]

I think they look cool. My old teacher had one, and they are so light and small that for me, it just felt like a toy I could snap by accident.

[@beautifulguitars3158]

I find them beautiful, this colour is off putting for me. Something different anyway 😂😂😂. Thank you.

[@LenLynch]

John, thanks for this video. Its videos like this that captured my attention and speak at a deeper level. ESPECIALLY great feel! Keep playing what moves you! It will move us!

[@PatriceSerapiglia]

The guitar of Captain Kirk, it looks so futuristic that it would not look out of place in a Star Trek episode. I find it very slick and beautiful.

[@pcar928fan]

I like the way it looks! I have owned 4 of them. Own 2 now. All from the pre-refined era and one was a NiteFly (which actually sucked…hated it). I think in the future they will be recognized as revolutionary and finally find the wide appreciation they deserve.

[@ianthomas4568]

I’ve always loved the look and the design is still ahead of its time!

[@thegardner18]

I brought my 98 Fly Classic to sub on a gig where the regular player usually plays a strat or tele and the (older gentleman) horn player asked what I thought I was doing showing up with a “Batman Guitar.” Still love that guitar. My first ever big gear purchase.

[@simonwright4929]

Absolutely beautiful tone, John. You mentioned that you were using your acoustic patch for the piezo, but what patch were you using for the magnetic pickups?

[@ChristopherBuenviaje]

I played a Parker Fly Stealth for years. Its a great guitar. I had it refretted and had fret tangs installed because I can't have the frets falling off then. But now its in storage. The wires of the preamp those special flat wires have disintegrated with age.

[@ryancasey9744]

Wow... This is the second time Parkers were highlighted this month. Keith at 5 watt world mentioned one briefly on one of his videos. I own a pre-refined Parker Fly Deluxe. I hated the way it looked at first but it grew on me. It is the best playing guitar I have ever had my hands on. It has sustain for days! The technology on this guitar is way ahead of it's time. I think it's still ahead even by today's standards. Thanks for the video... this is great!!

[@TLMuse]

You play a chord melody around 14:16 that sounds like it's based on a composition-really lovely! Is that a known tune? An original? Or really just improvised? -Tom

[@BigSh00tsie]

I've wanted one for so long. They're just so expensive.

[@davidtomkins4242]

Worth saving up for. Discipline, my friend

[@jeffrankin7624]

I have a NiteFly in transparent red (swamp ash) that I think is beautiful. My girlfriend at the time I got it nicknamed it "the homewrecker".

[@Tiago_007]

I own a P44 with the same Piezo system. The cleans are amazing. The main reason why I haven’t sold it. Beautiful cleans.

[@elevenAD]

yeah i watched the rest of the video and for me this is the best tone i have heard from Nate.

[@paulforrester3465]

I`m lucky enough to own a Parker NiteFly in natural wood .All my player friends are envious of its looks and playability. How did you get those beautiful clean sounds out of it?

[@keithchang8566]

This one parker fly is particularly woody with a nice spongey midrange, its really good.

[@ElCID40000]

Love the headstock, similar to the legendary Yamaha SGV800 Flying Samurai 👍👍

[@stevemorgan9626]

I went into a music store mid 90’s to try out an amp I was interested in. I grabbed a guitar close by to try the amp out, it was an early Parker Fly Deluxe. I ended up buying the guitar, not the amp; I actually played better on it. I still have it. Slightly different configuration than the one you’re playing and different pickups. No coil split. Love the piezo mag combined sound, can send it out stereo to separate tracks for blending. Because of mag pickup placement middle position sounds more like strat in between quack setting. But a little thicker. It’s a great guitar, incredibly light and versatile. Beautiful tones, especially on the neck pickup (mine are the original DiMarzio’s, so are bright). I like the shape and look, although the upper horn kinda jabs my solar plexus. I have found, tho, over the years I never quite bonded with the neck. Strat and PRS necks feel more comfortable to me. Parker neck seems too flat, for lack of better words. Dealt with the factory a few times, before they were sold. Really nice people, got to know one of the techs well. Fantastic customer service, were very proud of their instruments. Thanks for the video. You’ve inspired me to pick it up again! I have no plans to sell it.

[@chuckdriver8269]

I’ve watched several of your videos and I wish I had your knowledge of the guitar. Your playing makes perfect sense. Phrasing, note choice, chording, dexterity, brother you have something special. I just subscribed because you are one of my favorite guitar players. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more. Bravo! 🙏🏼🎸🇺🇸

[@brucesguitardemos8197]

One of the first guitar manufacturing businesses who used stainless steel frets , and now it’s standard access mos5 guitars 🎸

[@jackprice7828]

Unique tone and beautiful! Surprising sustain!

[@ogmakefirefiregood]

Dude! I played that exact same model of Parker for 20 years.i practically wore the frets off that thing. The Dimarzio's were great, but the whammy was a little wierd. I do miss that guitar.

[@spikeafrican8797]

I almost bought one of the very first to appear. I did not think they were ugly at all.... just very different. My Jeff beck strat had just been stolen and I needed to replace it. I could only buy one and ended up with an amazing strat plus deluxe, which I still have. Needless to say, I've got no regrets. I still think the Fly is a wonderful instrument.

[@brianschiller4053]

I sold my Parker Fly Classic a few years ago. Great guitars, but they have a lot of unique parts that were hard to get ahold of, and most techs looked at it like I had brought in debris from a UFO crash site whenever it needed service. Now with Parker out of business, a lot things on those guitars are irreplaceable.

[@alfonsovai]

I had the same issue.

[@guitarsatch8]

You say what a strandberg should be? Could you expand on that? Maybe a comparison?

[@rescd4]

wow..I was just looking at these the night before. Guess they're making a comeback

[@OilCanHarry2U]

Saw Adrian Belew playing his signature Fly Deluxe in Tangerine Orange…man the guy could play. I love the way they look and regret not buying one when they were in production.

[@ksharpe10]

I know a guitar collector that loved them in the 90's, got 3 of them, sold 2 when the frets started falling out of one at a gig, of all places, he said and he repairs all sorts of guitars/musical instruments, that the fret slots are cut to large on them, and the frets are only held in by Glue.

[@LevoDesnoBre]

There are no fretslots on a Parker... That was the whole point, if you were to cut the slots in the carbon glass fretboard then you would loose all the benefits of having carbon glass exoskeleton. There are 2 shallow grooves for the glue to adhere on the fretboard surface. The frets can easily be reglued back after cleaning the old glue residue. You don't even need a new fret, just clean the old one and re-glue it. Saying that the guitars are not good on account of that is complete nonsense.

[@crystalskyesvt]

The peizo was unheard of when these droped in the 90s. I'm glad I didn't get one when I was a kid because the frets do fall off if the neck isn't cared for.

[@bestboy897]

Awesome playing in the intro

[@richardchardchard]

I remember staring at these in the advert sections of total guitar mag twenty years ago thinking how mad they looked but It's a shame most guitar companies are just hashing out the same old gear these days and not getting weird with it like parker did. It also sounds awesome!

[@deddiev1718]

You Eric Johnson inspired chord progressions are beautiful.

[@jmendi55]

Ken Parker hand builds archtop guitars now, and has a series of videos about every facet of the design and build. He hand carves each guitar. He's a genius from a design standpoint and as gifted a craftsman as D'Angelico, D'Aquisto, Montelleone or any of the he archtop builders.

[@TimatorA]

I got a 1998 Deluxe a few weeks ago. Its truly amazing

[@jimmcdougall9973]

I’ve always loved the way they looked and sounded. Still the closest sound to an acoustic guitar, in an electric guitar, and it’s ancient technology. Just never been able to get hold of one, or haven’t had the cash at the time. One of our local musician, who was fairly big in France, the late great Johnny Clegg, used to use one on stage, with more of a traditional Zulu type of music style. In fact, I have never seen one used in rock/metal.

[@vincenttuckwood]

My Nitefly Mojo is easily my most playable guitar - effortless. I love it’s design, actually - I got what Parker was going for when the original Fly was released, though the bolt-on Nitefly was where I ended up. I’m not actually a fan of shred sticks (Ibanez, Jackson, et al) generally because the necks are too thin for me - the Parker has a small-medium C neck that I wouldn’t enjoy on any other guitar, yet I love to play it on this one. It may be a conundrum of an instrument, but it’s so good!

[@robertblumenfeld824]

I think it’s a rad guitar. I think I heard some “Georgia” in your playing. Perhaps a nod to the Standards that you mentioned that 5watt Keith played on a similar axe.

[@DavidWapner]

The Parker Fly shape is beautifull

[@davidmccaroll7558]

Polarising I know..... as the owner of a 1996 Fly Classic I honestly think they are one of the most beautiful guitars ever made, and Ken Parker really should go down in history in the same revered tones as Leo Fender and such pioneers of the instrument.

[@peetrwilson]

That's my guitar! I think they look cool!

[@chrisgmurray3622]

I actually like the look of these, unlike some other designs that are only trying hard not to look traditional.

[@MrIantodd]

Don’t suppose these come in lefty?

[@kyran4238]

I love it, it's a looker!

[@romanmiaskowski210]

I still have one yellow taxi color Parker & it is my favorite guitar 🤘

[@GreatPlanet-c7o]

I wish that Ken Parker was making these again.

[@elevenAD]

This guitar is not ugly at all imho its also some of the best tone i have heard on this channel.

[@martynridley3671]

I've always wanted one of these from when they first came out, but I'm a lefty and were too much money for me! Beautiful playing btw, as always!

[@vinny943]

Next video “here’s why the nitefly is growing on me”

[@planetwinnebago4304]

i would totally rock one of these on a stage if i could afford one

[@GraniteSoundtrack]

Not uglier than most modern guitars. I prefer it to just about every headless guitar I’ve seen. I just remember them being hard to find and try out.

[@davelouis4004]

I like the way they look

[@davidhughes8171]

I have a Parker fly Classic from 2000 and it is still an amazing guitar and modern considering that it is 20 years old. The set neck Classics have a much nicer body carve than the simpler nitefly.

[@SamLeung]

you should try a fly classic or mojo. I've got a classic, and playability-wise i don't think there's any guitar that could touch it. Though I have to be honest, the sound I've kinda grown out of liking. Played mine for many years at church, no one really commented on the guitar's looks ever.

[@Wileylikethehawk]

I bought a Fly Deluxe a couple years ago. When I was just starting guitar at the end of the 90s the Fly was the final boss of guitar tech. When I finally got one I realized I probably couldn’t keep it because it was SO light and easy to play I’d never use my other guitars again…. I played it at one show and was actually heckled by the audience about how ugly it was. I sold it the next day. Ten years later and I regret it for real. Should’ve kept it!

[@cortmiller]

I always thought parker flys looked pretty dope in an 80s/90s fusion/world music sort of way. lol. I’ve always wanted one

[@andrewsantos3283]

Still one of my dream guitar.

[@samseitz9937]

Andre Fludd has entered the chat

[@ahall3823]

I really like the Parker guitars, but you can’t find a good one at a reasonable price here in Australia.

[@ReVeRbx-fe5wr]

I think those frets are glued on. Not glued in but glued on. No fret tang. There are no fret slots. The frets are glued to the top of the board.

[@daniyalahmed97]

No way that's crazy!?

[@sixtring73]

I remember playing one of these when they came out. The thing that stood out to me was how cold and unnatural the carbon neck felt but otherwise a nice guitar.

[@LevoDesnoBre]

Interesting... Since the guitar has a finish on top of it, like most of guitars, you must have felt the carbon through the finish 😂😂 Even better, the carbon fiber is actually under the glass fiber and finish. And the neck is made of wood btw, it's just reinforced with a 1 inch strip of carbon fiber running along the middle of the neck. There's maybe 0,5mm in total of carbon/glass fiber layered on the wood.

[@neilevans6229]

I remember Reeves Gabrels using them in the 90s

[@musicmann1967]

It's not for me, but I never thought of its look as ugly, just different. I remember many years ago at Rudy's Music Stop here in NYC, they had a prototype Fly to evaluate to see if they wanted to carry them. This was before they actually hit the market. I was fascinated with it being carbon fiber and also being lighter than any electric guitar I had ever held! I'm kind of surprised how much John kept mentioning how ugly it is. I don't think that's the popular concensus, even though they do look very unique.

[@djole02]

The Parker guitars are one of the best looking guitars to me. Technically they are probably the most advanced also.

[@BobGuido]

Bill Frisell would sound amazing on this guitar, but you sound pretty great yourself Johnathan!

[@TheUncleshoes]

Welcome to the party!

[@chrisgmurray3622]

Beautiful playing, and a great sounding guitar, and oddly enough, although I don't like many other different looking guitars, I like the look of these.. go figure. The only reason I never bought one, was because they cost too much.

[@SoyAlberto127]

a concept better achieved than the strandberg

[@davidmccaroll7558]

in some ways - as I said in my earlier comment, I am incredibly fortunate in owning a 1996 Fly Classic - I also have a Strandberg Prog NT - both truly great instruments, but the Strandberg makes the Parker look and feel a bit antiquated!

[@HarlanHarvey76]

I have been shopping for one for years......😢

[@Juampiromero94]

That guitar was used by Gustavo Cerati, he really make great tones using it, if u can check some vids

[@Avatar7x7]

I like the look Of the PF .. wasn't always crazy about the tone and they're VERY expensive ! .. Like the piezo/acoustic tone is missing something too!

[@ChristopherBuenviaje]

You should check out Ken Parkers vlog and lookup how he really wanted the Parker to look like. Its a far cry from what you are using. Its soooooo ultra thin.😊

[@ranepoppa6654]

Carbon fiber neck is a nice touch

[@LevoDesnoBre]

It's not carbon fiber neck. It's a wooden neck with a 1 inch strip of carbon fiber along the middle of the neck, and then the neck is wrapped in glass fiber over it. At the beginning they used more carbon fiber but then the necks were too stiff and the truss rod were breaking when adjusting. So it's more like glass fiber with a strip of carbon fiber under it.

[@GermanPichinao]

I think is one of the most beautiful guitars, hands down. But that's the beauty of all this, variety in tastes. In fact, these types of "disruptive" guitars have a force of attraction towards me that is as strong as my rejection of the classics, just for the fact of being classics (nostalgia + references + lack of search for your identity to value what was said above haha ). As a machine in itself a strat, tele, 335 are incredible, but "objectively" with more flaws than the most modern guitars.

[@Double_0_7_Strings]

Eh I got over Strandbergs and Abasi’s and they’re comfy as hell. These just look a little odd by comparison. Wish more brands did carbon fiber necks. It really begs the question why bother with wood necks when you can get one that doesn’t move?

[@sigsfast]

Always wanted one

[@Jack_Plisken]

To be fair... that is a NiteFly-M not a Fly. 😬 different neck profile and 2-piece bolt-on versus solid body with composite exoskeleton. Also the NiteFly had a traditional trem system with springs versus plates on the Flys. You still get the benefits of the stable neck and tunning, along with the composite fingerboard, and hardened SS frets. But a Fly plays and feels 100% different from the NiteFly. Both are amazing guitars though. I have a lengthy overview video on the Fly if you're interested.