Nice review. Lots of interesting detail. I'm a huge Parker fan and own a coupe of Fly guitars. Having seen your review, I might have to investigate the Nitefly. An antique White SSS variant would certainly appeal to me. A couple of things. You called the Stereo/Mono switch a Piezo On/Off initially. It doesn't switch off the Piezo. However, if your Battery dies, switching to Stereo and selecting Magnetic pickups only will allow you to continue playing (Mag only). Your Battery will be drained whilst the Jack is plugged in - regardless of the orientation of the Mono/Stereo switch.
I’m a Music Man Majesty player and I was kinda struck here by how much it actually owes to the original Fly design. Super thin body and neck with an oddly shaped upper horn, neck through, piezo trem with the electronics going into a PCB instead of point to point wiring, etc. I wonder if Petrucci ever tried a Fly at all back in the 90s and if it might have subconsciously influenced the design.
That was one of my major points in this whole video. Yes, I love the nitefly, but the true story is the unrecognized innovation of Ken Parker. I think I will make a video on that as well.
I have a parker fly deluxe, a jp6 and a majesty, and all 3 are incredible guitars. They all have similar physical characteristics, but they operate in somewhat different ways electrically. The parker was created as a jazz style guitar, and the pickups are well suited for that, the jp6 has pickups that are way "beefier " and well suited for hard rock. The majesty is more in between the two, but a little more on the heavier side. I love all 3 of them, by the way, the long upper horn on 2 of them is to put the strap button in a much better balanced position, though I agree, it can kind of poke your chest, but not as much a problem in a standing position.
A neighbor of mine had one of these in early 2000. Beautiful instrument. To this day I follow Mr. Parker's work, and he is one of the biggest influences in my modest guitar-making explorations.
I worked at Parker back in 96-97. Still have a handful of the knobs. Their original humbucker (heck screws) were a custom blend of the Tone Zone and a Super Distortion. Great pickup, wish I still had one. lol That button was an after thought and a pain. LOL They brought back a ton of units from warehouse and had us drill out the hole because it kept getting stuck under the guard. One thing I remember most is every time we would hear a guitar being played in the nut room and it sounded exceptional, it was a nite fly. Last, they sucked working for. LOL HUGE revolving door of stoners that thought working in a guitar factory would be cool and not work. As a result, all of us that took the job seriously still got treated as such, with a few examples. Great video man, thanks for sharing.
I'm seeing Adrian Belew perform next week, and I love his signature Parkers and what he does with them (including the piezo, variax, and MIDI setups that he has them outfitted with). I used to love seeing Reeves Gabrels in the '90s with Bowie during the Earthling era playing his tripped out Parker. They always fascinated me because even though I thought they weren't visually appealing, I'd seen and read about the innovation put into the design. Alas, I can never afford one (even used, and I have a friend who has one... and boy, the envy I feel, LOL). Nevertheless, I loved your video - wonderful review, and I'll be checking out more of your channel. Thank you, sir!
I remember when I first saw the Parker Fly advertised in guitar magazines in the 90s I thought they were ugly as sin, now I think they look amazing. They really were ahead of their time. Nice vid.
Great review. I find the Parker guitars were pretty innovative for their time and could hold up today, however the increase in price and demand doesn't seem to make them worth picking up in my opinion. I had one at one point, but I ended up selling it back to the original owner after almost 8 years of having it. I miss the neck, but the tones are definitely sterile. I've always wanted a deluxe. It's hard to find a good condition at a good price. They all have their share of problems too depend on the year and version. I find that the Ibanez guitars do 90% what the parker does, but at a more affordable price rate. If I can ever buy another at a decent price I will.
I do agree with you on the stock tone for the flys. I don’t like the humbuckers they use there. I tried the Ibanez az model as an alternative and they are really good guitars I totally agree. Id love to try one of the new Tom Quayle tele looking Ibanez guitars. Looks totally killer. If I had to pay more then $1500 for a nitefly I just wouldn’t see the point anymore. The price of the flys is too outlandish right now. Luckily, I never preferred them.
I worked at Parker from 97-00. I remember the NiteFly being heavily pushed by Ken & Larry at the time. It seemed to me to be designed to save the company from bankruptcy and/or to make the company more attractive for a buyout. Shortly after it being introduced staff started to dwindle & I left. Parker was sold not too long after. It's a great guitar but will always be the "Doomsday" guitar to me, lol.
I lived threw that time..and it felt like that, from my perspective. But fwiw: MXR went threw a similar thing...their last designs were some of their best efforts....they were going under if those products didnt sell. But Like Parker..it was to late. Now MXR is a name that has been re-booted by Dunlop, last I knew.
@@georgebarry8640 : rather similar to Rockman, but Dunlop ended seing the Rockman products as too expensive to built, only the SmartGate was reissued as the MXR's noise-gate, then the headphone amp, thus they surely would be able to use SMT parts to fit half-racks into stompboxes. The XPR rack and XPR-amp were the swan song, but this surely came from Tom Scholz losing interest : he set up the Rockman company just in order to have his own custom gear made to his taste, then compensate for the R&D costs... The Rockman Distortion and compressor, most often put together in the Sustainor, were a mid-80's trend but... You can put anything thru it, it'll sound the same, but it was rather practical : you could easily do your shred album with a Tascam 8-tracks reel tape recorder in your home studio.
That’s pretty awesome! I always assumed Ken just wanted to make the fly only and someone else pushed them to make a more affordable model. Pretty cool to hear that that’s what they wanted to do! I know Ken was a little bummed to have to change his fly prototype to make it more marketable. The “potato chip” prototype had no magnetic pickups and was only 2.5 pounds I believe.
I had a Nitefly in the late 90’s. Fantastic piezo-electric guitar. Being primarily a bassist, I felt guilty about having such an incredible instrument, and moved it on to a guitarist friend. I’d love to have another one day…
This is fascinating, mostly the bridge situation. I've been mulling over how to make a floyd rose better, having a screw that goes through the back that acts as a stop was somthing I've been thinking about, and then also having posts that don't wear. Very interesting indeed
I gave my granddaughter my Parker P39 guitar and she loves it....I loved the neck and it was so easy to bend strings on...light as a feather...wish the piezo had a tone control...very ice picky tone unless blended but blended you could get awesome range of tones...I play a Casino or ES 335 so it was like having a clarinet on a strap to me..in the eighties I played overseas gigging on a Steinberger which is also indestructible travel guitar that stays in tune. The Parker reminded me of the Steinberger. Great channel...glad I bumped into it! Those are great looking Parkers in your collection!
Thanks for your kind words! It's awesome that you passed a Parker along to the next generation of guitarists. I hope to do the same one day when I have kids and grandkids. I never had the chance to play one of the classic high quality Steinbergers. I've seen some with trem systems that bend all the strings in tune. Amazing idea. Love to get one to try someday.
@@andrefludd The best new innovation with the Steinbergers is that they now have an adaptor for the end of the neck so you can use regular strings...I used to buy those double ball end string by the case because they were difficult to find at times but now you can use any of your favorite regular strings on them..it's just a locking endblock to replace the slotted one they come with.
Parker guitars are what introduced me to ergonomic, lightweight guitars and it really changed how I think about the instrument. I’m a minimalist, one guitar person (well, two now that I also have a 7-string) and while I don’t own a Parker, its design philosophy greatly influenced me to go with Strandbergs. Thanks for the video!
I’m similar to you! I played one guitar for most of my guitar journey. I’d love to try a Klein, have you seen that body shape? Very ergonomic but also a lot bigger than a strandbergs.
@@andrefludd just googled them - that is some alien technology. Would love to try it out to see how the designers executed their vision! shoot, man, you’re even educating us in the comments.
Fascinating guitars, I remember them at my local music store being way out of my price range in those days. I think I may join the Parker family. Great vid man!
I remember skimming this video in the past - but after seeing one for sale in my country (I live in the middle east, so nothing is really easy to get like the US) I went looking for this to see a proper review. The one they're selling is a strat (triple single coil) sunburst, with the stereo/mono selection. Can't tell what model it is with no access to the serial number, but it's at least V3 or older. Great condition, it was played professionally for a long while and looks to be very well taken care of - no physical marks that I can see. Just a bit of dust, patina, and rusty strings. All that for right around 1450$. It's not a fantastic deal but honestly not that bad - though I'd have to part with my current guitar to feel alright purchasing this one. This is not a cheap one, but if it's a guitar for life then it's probably worth it... put some of my haggling skills to good use. I'll edit this comment if I actually get it. Regradless, you really made me want a nitefly. It looks to be a killer design, ergonomic as it's unique (I love an instrument with some personality in it), and modding seems like a breeze with the pre-routed body (though I'm not afraid of some woodwork!)... so making this guitar my own would be a no brainer - black with rainbow swirls anyone...? A big thing is that I am not mainly a guitar player (despite recently becoming the guitarist-frontman for a prog metal band me and my friends started) so I have little interest in one trick ponies. The only reason I should want another guitar (to me) is because the one I have physically cannot do what I want to, or is uncomfortable (which ideally should never happen after I had my first guitar, because now I know what I like). This should ideally be an all around studio instrument I can pick up at any moment on any track I am working on and lay down a good sounding track regardless of genre or type of sound (latin, jazz, rock, fusion, metal, funk, blues, metal, ethnic, and everything inbetween. Fuzzy acid funk or jazz comping accompaniment, chugging metal power chords or searing overdriven solos). Obviously this is way way way too generic a classification, but nowadays I have a pretty solid idea of what I like for each and what I have to do to get that sound. And if there was ever a guitar to do it on, I think the nitefly is a pretty solid candidate. Honestly I suspect I'd end up with something very similar to your "perfect guitar" in terms of configuration and pickups, with a few of my own spins of course. For the record: The guitar I have right now is a "boutique" handmade super-strat, loosely based on the Steve Vai signature series... regular trem (not floyd rose) and heavy as all hell. It's pretty old, got some noticable dings, sounds great (great pickups, seymour duncan hot rails really shine there), but mostly it's just not really a guitar that I like. Too heavy, got a nasty buzz on the open E string no setup could figure out, I got it for my dad from a distant relative who stopped playing, and after my dad stopped learning to play (he's not much of a musician) I just kinda took it and learned how to play myself. Now that I have a way clearer vision of my ideal guitar and guitar sound I feel more confident looking for a guitar I will play for years to come.
I bought a Nitefly in '97 or '98 and loved the neck on that guitar. Sadly, I sold it a few years later. The only problem with it - which drove me nuts - was fret buzz on the A string. I am very surprised that Parker wasn't more popular with guitarists. They built excellent guitars.
My Parker Fly Deluxe has hands down the most exquisite hardware of any guitar I own. Every piece is shaped exactly as needed, little pieces of art that function to perfection. The entire instrument features very high build quality but the hardware is in a league of its own.
I just got a 2004 HH NiteFly in mahogany (no pickguard). So far, I’m really liking it. It has the ball bearings in the bridge but no button for the piezo system. Pretty sure the magnetic pickups work without the battery but I’ll need to double check.
After watching this video I went on reverb to check them out…. And I think I stumbled upon your reverb space. Do you have a black and a sunburst for sale at the moment? Buying one of yours would be great, considering the love and care you seem to put into your guitars. Great channel too man, thanks!
Great informative video ! I have the tobacco burst Nightfly I purchased in 1998 as my first serious electric guitar. A great guitar player named Phil Keaggy did an album called “On The Fly” and he recommended it. After some research I found The Fly deluxe was too expensive for me at the time, so I compromised and got The Nightfly. I’m glad I did. Its actually a more practical guitar than The Fly. Later I got a 1995 Fly Deluxe. With my Deluxe, if the battery goes dead, you better have a spare, or your done. But The Nightfly can switch to electric pups only and still play even with a dead battery. I still own it and still love it. I love them both ! I was surprised that so many thought they looked weird. To me, they look cool and unique, and play and sound spectacular.
Fantastic video man! I've been on the lookout for a Parker recently. They were just some special instruments...nothing like them existed and nothing like them exists today.
Great video Andre! At one time i had 5 parkers. Nitefly Mojo, NiteflySA and three imports. i modded all of them. Kept them for years when i was gigging, then regretfully sold them. Got one back and after watching your video you reminded me of all the reasons i loved them. So years ago i recommended a friend of mine to buy one. Now he never plays it and he offered it to me. Looks like a 2004 NFVM. can't wait to go get it. thanks for this video it helped me remember why i loved Parkers!
Ken Parker is my hero too. His obsession with perfecting the guitar is so far ahead of everyone else. Have you seen his new channel where he goes over his archtop builds? I must admit I am more a fan of the OG Fly - with the carbon fibre skin over the ultra-light weight body, but I will look out for the Nitefly more now. A am also a fan of the Hornet single-cuts as I've become a big fan of the single cut shape in my old age. Maybe one day I shall be lucky enough to add a couple of Parkers to my collection.
Oh yes! I studied jazz a little (though I'm by no means a jazz guitarist) so another dream of mine is to own one of his archtops. Not sure how I'll get there financially. They are SO expensive. Fly vs Nitefly is totally personal preference. Both are amazing. But if you are getting into more traditional guitars like single cuts, I have a feeling you'll enjoy the nitefly. Much less of a shredder guitarist feel, and more of a modern traditional feel if that makes sense.
My nitefly has the plastic springs for the trem. It is still a beast of a guitar. Never goes out of tune. Mine is a hss configuration. Great video on an unsung hero of a guitar.
Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me. I was always a little nervous that I might be too boring for a video, but I would feel cringe trying to over hype something.
Awesome review. Makes me want to go out and get one now. I always thought they looked cool but thought they were out of my price range. The used Nitefly is within reach...
That was super informative. I remember as kid seeing these on guitar stores magazine. Looked so sophisticated, cool and sleek at the same time. Now I know!! I would definitely try one
Wanted a Parker ever since 2003 and Deron Miller from cKy playing them. I got a P38 (Asian Nitefly kinda). Then, 16 years later in 2020 I got a Fly. Since then I've picked up another Fly and 2 Niteflys ('97 and '06). I'm no great player at all but I love the guitars, rarity of them, story behind them and the community we have :) Great video! Very detailed, appreciated it!
I remember watching Jools Holland years ago and David Bowie was performing a few Songs his Guitar player was using one of these Parker and ive wanted one ever since.
My first guitar was a Nitefly NFV4 and I 100% with a lot of the elements you praise. Especially the tuning stability. I'll pull mine out of the case after months of not playing it and it will still be in perfect tune. Just incredibly well designed and engineered instruments. Probably my favorite trem of all time as well.
@@andrefludd The only other trem on the market that I like more is the Vega Trem, which is a drop in replacement for strat trems that allows full floating operation with no mods. It has the smooth feel of the parker with a floyd-style arm holder which is a bit better at staying in place but still has the length of the Parker arm. The arm on so many other modern trems is just too short for comfort while playing.
Man, I've been wanting a Parker for so long, I saw a used one at a store once it played so nice and was cheap but I was looking for something else and didn't get it. It haunts me lol I'm definitely focusing on getting one.
I own a Parker NIteFly. My reason for seeking it out was because of Mint Conditions guitars Odell, i have a blue 1994 model, it plays great and i will never sell it, this my goto instrument.
I played Parkers (P38 & P40 if i remember correctly, one looked exactly like the red Mojo in your Video) for some time in my life. What i didn't like about them: that they sounded so clinical somehow, if that makes sense?
I also started with a p38. Mine was red. Used it through senior year of h.s. Undergrad and graduate school. Took it to India, even. Great guitar. My humble opinion is that most of a guitars tone is from the scale length, bridge, and pickups. My p38 sounded totally different when I put Seymour Duncan cool and hot rails in it, but before that it did sound a bit bland and sterile. To be honest, I find almost all dimarzios and Ibanez pickups have that same sterile sound. That’s why I always change the pickups on my Parkers now.
The only parker I've ever played was like this. Sounded off and felt "cheap." I forget the model, a musician friend of mine owned one he hardly played, but I remember I was very disappointed. I envisioned some life changing experience but it wasn't nearly as playable and nice sounding (nor good looking) as the Ibanez S that was my main guitar back then. He even offered to let me borrow it for a few weeks to try it out, hoping I'd buy it. I think he only wanted like 350 for it but I can't remember now. May have been 650. What I learned was that all Parkers are not the same. I still want that Belew signature too. lol
@@CynHicks That is a great point. I'd say all Ken-Parker era Parkers are pretty much the same in terms of quality. Once Washburn bought the company and started making cheaper models and watering down the brand, well it was all down hill from there until their ultimate demise.
I'm very interested in buying a Nitefly, and getting a midi pickup installed. I actually like the look of the Nitefly better than the regular Fly, but I really wish I could play one. I prefer thinner necks, but this one looks pretty thin anyway.
Excellent video, I've owned several Parker Fly's, but here is the problem parts are no longer made and the ribbon to the electronics have been known to fail over time. So you can end up with electronics that are glitchy. They can be hardwired via a good tech but you get my point. What happens when other parts start to fail.
My brother was a luthier (Daniel Becker/Becker Guitars) and before he started his own company, he built some prototypes for someone who worked for Parker and had left on bad terms. They were similar in style and design and were intended to directly compete with Parker. The money fell through and the guy couldn't pay for his prototypes. I wish I knew where they were. After my brother passed away suddenly a couple years ago, a lot of his stuff got moved around. I'd love to find them and do a video review.
Great informative video , i always wanted to own one and now knowing about that bridge, and how nice and even those pickups in a studio type environment sound i want one. A very unique guitar that was a classic as soon as it was produced.
I don't have a lot left on my "must own at some point" guitar list but the Parkers came onto my radar when I watched a Cigarettes After Sex live performance on You Tube and finally figured where those amazing guitar cleans come from. I liked the video because it's good - but probably shouldn't as if the algorithm is fed too much prices will go up before I can get one!
Basic Demmings Principles indicate that production increases yield production cost decreases, better efficiency, and better quality. As it happened, Parker never realized sufficient production to normalize any cognizable and fiscally responsible manufacture scheme. According to Parker, they sold a 10k guitar for 2k, not without a bumpy ride but still a legendary instrument. It is a curiosity why the brand does not start up again now, where the materials they used which were costly and expensive then are now much cheaper and more standard. Moreover, since any manufacturer can open shop with a CNC router to build any guitar, it is interesting to me that no one in Asia, South America, or Central America is producing Parker knock offs. It makes me wonder if Strandberg has locked down the market segment so thoroughly, and if the market niche is so small that there is no room for newer Parkers notwithstanding that Parker and Strandberg arrive at nearly the same result (ergonomic body, tuning stability, endurance friendly neck, tone) while taking vastly different paths? I would hazard that you could build a rock solid Parker Night Fly now and retail it to compete with Strandbergs and be profitable. Good ideas tend to live on, particularly in product design and engineering so it is strange not to see either Parker or a knock off builder come back for a second bite of the apple.
Good point about Strandberg. I think they have an easier time because it’s easier to find a home for weird designs. Tons of builders on insta with strange instruments making a living. That to me shows the internet has really changed the guitar community’s tastes.
I loved my Nitefly (Sunburst). I swapped out the pickups for a Seymour Duncan Custom 5 at the bridge, and a pair of Kinman AVn-62 single coils. Was *great.* The weakness for me was the piezo configuration: sounded great, but fragile, and I had some saddle breaks. Still, THE most comfortable guitar I've ever owned. (Followed by my '83 Strat Elite.)
Same for me too. sadly one of piezo saddle break on me today while adjusting the string length... must be super careful and loosen up the string first before moving the saddles. I believe simple soldering will not solve the problem lol.
Looks like your left hand has Dupuytren's Contracture A condition in which one or more fingers bend in towards the palm due to the development of fibrous connective tissue between the tendons of the finger
You also reviewed a Mayones, and share my opinion here on neck shape, I dont remember if you covered it in the mayones vid, but are you ok with the duvell neck? I thought it was also supposed to be thin.
I did cover the neck shape there but I’ll tell you :). It’s pretty thick for a modern guitar. Not crazy thick or like an old school guitar, but thicker than an Ibanez wizard for sure. Maybe close to the Ibanez az.
@@progpogs I did just check it again, and it might be a little thinner than the Ibanez az…I’m going to provide exact measurements in the full review in about 2-3 more weeks.
Great video! I've been a Nitefly SA owner myself for the past 15 years and still learned a lot :) Recently my output jack broke, do you have any idea what part is that and who sells those? I think it's uncommon in that it's not just a stereo jack but also has a battery cutoff mechanism
Had a Fly in the mix for years. The tones I feel were affected negatively by the carbon fiber. Having an active system also created a rather generic sound. It was light. But I would always gravitate to other more distinctive sounding instruments for recording.
Dude! You gotta love a nitefly! I had one back around 2001-2004, and really wish I had never "sold it to a friend" Despite being primarily a bass player, I've had my share of nice guitars as well, strats, teles, jags, jm's led pauls, and such, but the parker was way beyond any and all of those. However, as a bassist of 45 years, I've come to play Alembic series l basses near exclusively, and those make most other basses feel like toys. Yet I've never played any of their six string guitars. I do know their instruments and what they can do is simply amazing, as are the custom features available. Is there any chance you could do a review of one of their upper level models? If you've not played one before, it may well blow yer mind!
Thank you for your comment! So far all the gear on the channel is stuff I bought and own. I’d give anything a fair shot and a detailed video, but I’ll have to find a way to work with these companies to get demo units. I’m not in the position to regularly buy these instruments unfortunately.
@@andrefludd some day maybe i have some very nice guitars ,tried to buy a fly but it was gone when i drove three hours to check it out i was pissed but im sure ill find one in my price again thanks for the response
NIce video thanks. I've got a question: do you envisage problems in smoothing off the upper horn profile in the NItefly? I tried a Fly de luxe and it was amazing but couldn't resolve to buy for that thorny horn profile. My luthier did not encourage me to mod the horn as - his words - the fly de luxe is so thin that cracking the fiber coating anywhere would mena put a t risk the overall guitar's structure. Since th NItefly has a wood body this mod should be possibile, right? You did not the mood as you like the guitar's shape but do you know of somebody crazy enough to have attempted that? THanks in advance
Thanks for your comment. I don’t know of anyone who has attempted to modify the horn, but the body is just normal wood and it’s a lot thicker than the fly. Although I never tried it, I do think the mod would be possible. Of course I also recommend you consult a luthier before you attempt it. You can also post your question in the forum I list in the description. I’d love to see it after the mod if you do it.
Ok I jumped on and purchased my first 97 nitefly yesterday. Nobody told me I had to relearn everything. Here's the thing they're all missing the bar. Where or how can they be replaced? Or the sleeve they lock into?
I'm looking for the lightest and thinnest nitefly body. You said 4/98 to 12/99 are the best years for that. But you also said the last few years are the lightest and thinnest bodies ? So the latest made nitefly's are the lightest and thinnest ? If you were just looking for the lightest and thinnest body what year or model would you look for ? I also read somewhere the holy grail nitefly's are from Jan 2000 to July 2001. Why do you prefer 98-99 compared to 2000-2001 ?
I like interesting-looking guitars, and I very much like the specs of the Parker, but I just can't get around that upper horn shape, I can't explain why I dislike it tbh, but if I had to try, I'd say that in my opinion, though it does match the lower horn and headstock in terms of shape, the way it transitions into the body looks clumsy to my eyes. Almost as if it was a design concept that was never fully fleshed out.
Thank you! You know, people sometimes make a big deal about them not hanging on regular stands, but they fit on my Hercules stand just fine. They kind of lean awkwardly, but still totally stable and safe.
My only issue with these is that they surface glue their frets and they fall off all the time. I worked at Sam Ash for 4 years and it was a pretty common sight when people brought them in for repair.
Great guitars till something trivial like the jack breaks . Finding replacement parts is so hard for these things but they are great when all is well. Definitely an acquired taste though.
Haha yea probably! The honest truth is, when you are making a 30min long video it takes hours of filming, adjusting camera angles, string changes, the guitar falls over and gets knocked around a lot haha. At least that’s what it’s like when I’m making a video in my tiny tiny space. Point being, that certainly contributed to any less than perfect tuning.
Great video. What do you think of the Music Man Majesty? That's the guitar I would compare as feeling the most like a Parker that I have played. (I've got a Parker Fly Ultra and a MM.) You'd probably have to ignore the arm relief that you don't seem to like, but for playability, I think they're pretty close.
Thank you. Okay, I've played the Majesty. I think it is an awesome guitar. But it isn't for me. The neck feels good, but not the type of good that I like if that makes sense. They have them in basically every guitar center so you should def go feel the neck. If you like the neck, it's worth the buy IMO. The bridge is great, pickups are great if that's your style, and it also is very high quality from what I could tell. Hope that helps.
I have massive hands…the most comfortable, versatile, highest quality guitar in existence are my two 1969 Fender Telecasters (I have a white one with a black pickguard & a pink paisley one)
Every time I go to a guitar store and pick up a tele, I"m shocked at how comfortable the big necks are. If you have an recommendation for fender necks, I'd love to hear it. I don't know anything about years and their neck shapes, but I do know I prefer a C or D shape.
@@andrefludd Well, I have one of the newer HH FMT Telecasters (FMT = _flame maple top)_ it’s Mahogany Body, it’s got a _Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Plus_ in the bridge position, & a _Seymour Duncan 59_ in the Neck position & a set neck… there’s just a Fender logo on the headstock (a spaghetti-strap _pre-CBS_ style logo) which I think technically makes it a _Fender Nocaster_ and like, It’s definitely different… (got that? Fender Telecaster: Mahogany Body w/ flame maple top, two Seymour Duncan pickups which are directly synonymous with tone from Gibson Les Paul’s, & a Set Neck)
I don’t have AC so in the summer I sweat a lot and wear out my strings fast. Change them once at week. In the fall and winter I rarely change my strings and rarely have to tune.
@@andrefludd I was joking... but I've never had any guitar hurt my hands except for a classical. Maybe my hands are just reasonably sized. I do envy you a bit.
Great video, thank you for the information! I'm considering trading my PRS Torero for a NFV3 (1998). I have pictures I'd like to ask you about, I've looked everywhere and I can't find this one. It only has a bridge pickup, and one volume control knob (no tone). Let me know if I can send you a picture, thank you, Doc!
That sounds like something that was modded. No stock nitefly ever had those specs. I personally like something a bit more stock, but you should get whatever suits your needs!
I was drawn to Flys the first time I saw one.... The one's i played settled the deal, but they were out of my price range. Pronunciation of Piezo.... PEE-AY-ZOH
I hope you get a chance to find one cheap one! And I did know the pronunciation, but I promise I'll always say stupid things on camera. I gotta keep everyone on their toes.😁
Nice review. Lots of interesting detail. I'm a huge Parker fan and own a coupe of Fly guitars. Having seen your review, I might have to investigate the Nitefly. An antique White SSS variant would certainly appeal to me.
A couple of things. You called the Stereo/Mono switch a Piezo On/Off initially. It doesn't switch off the Piezo. However, if your Battery dies, switching to Stereo and selecting Magnetic pickups only will allow you to continue playing (Mag only). Your Battery will be drained whilst the Jack is plugged in - regardless of the orientation of the Mono/Stereo switch.
Thank you for the correction. I’ll pin your comment so everyone can see it.
I’m a Music Man Majesty player and I was kinda struck here by how much it actually owes to the original Fly design. Super thin body and neck with an oddly shaped upper horn, neck through, piezo trem with the electronics going into a PCB instead of point to point wiring, etc. I wonder if Petrucci ever tried a Fly at all back in the 90s and if it might have subconsciously influenced the design.
That was one of my major points in this whole video. Yes, I love the nitefly, but the true story is the unrecognized innovation of Ken Parker. I think I will make a video on that as well.
I have a parker fly deluxe, a jp6 and a majesty, and all 3 are incredible guitars. They all have similar physical characteristics, but they operate in somewhat different ways electrically. The parker was created as a jazz style guitar, and the pickups are well suited for that, the jp6 has pickups that are way "beefier " and well suited for hard rock. The majesty is more in between the two, but a little more on the heavier side. I love all 3 of them, by the way, the long upper horn on 2 of them is to put the strap button in a much better balanced position, though I agree, it can kind of poke your chest, but not as much a problem in a standing position.
A neighbor of mine had one of these in early 2000. Beautiful instrument. To this day I follow Mr. Parker's work, and he is one of the biggest influences in my modest guitar-making explorations.
I worked at Parker back in 96-97. Still have a handful of the knobs. Their original humbucker (heck screws) were a custom blend of the Tone Zone and a Super Distortion. Great pickup, wish I still had one. lol That button was an after thought and a pain. LOL They brought back a ton of units from warehouse and had us drill out the hole because it kept getting stuck under the guard. One thing I remember most is every time we would hear a guitar being played in the nut room and it sounded exceptional, it was a nite fly. Last, they sucked working for. LOL HUGE revolving door of stoners that thought working in a guitar factory would be cool and not work. As a result, all of us that took the job seriously still got treated as such, with a few examples.
Great video man, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the support and thanks for sharing your story! Never knew what It was like to work in a guitar factory. Sounds hilarious.
I love the original pickups! Very special.
I'm seeing Adrian Belew perform next week, and I love his signature Parkers and what he does with them (including the piezo, variax, and MIDI setups that he has them outfitted with). I used to love seeing Reeves Gabrels in the '90s with Bowie during the Earthling era playing his tripped out Parker. They always fascinated me because even though I thought they weren't visually appealing, I'd seen and read about the innovation put into the design. Alas, I can never afford one (even used, and I have a friend who has one... and boy, the envy I feel, LOL). Nevertheless, I loved your video - wonderful review, and I'll be checking out more of your channel. Thank you, sir!
Thanks for your kind words. I hope you enjoy the gig. He's a great artist!
I remember when I first saw the Parker Fly advertised in guitar magazines in the 90s I thought they were ugly as sin, now I think they look amazing. They really were ahead of their time. Nice vid.
Thank you sir! They shape does grow on you if you stare at it enough haha.
I own a ‘98 NiteFly n’ i love it! As and acoustic player, it’s a really complete and comfortable instrument! Greetings fron Colombia🇨🇴 Nice channel
Great review. I find the Parker guitars were pretty innovative for their time and could hold up today, however the increase in price and demand doesn't seem to make them worth picking up in my opinion. I had one at one point, but I ended up selling it back to the original owner after almost 8 years of having it. I miss the neck, but the tones are definitely sterile. I've always wanted a deluxe. It's hard to find a good condition at a good price. They all have their share of problems too depend on the year and version. I find that the Ibanez guitars do 90% what the parker does, but at a more affordable price rate. If I can ever buy another at a decent price I will.
I do agree with you on the stock tone for the flys. I don’t like the humbuckers they use there. I tried the Ibanez az model as an alternative and they are really good guitars I totally agree. Id love to try one of the new Tom Quayle tele looking Ibanez guitars. Looks totally killer. If I had to pay more then $1500 for a nitefly I just wouldn’t see the point anymore. The price of the flys is too outlandish right now. Luckily, I never preferred them.
I worked at Parker from 97-00. I remember the NiteFly being heavily pushed by Ken & Larry at the time. It seemed to me to be designed to save the company from bankruptcy and/or to make the company more attractive for a buyout. Shortly after it being introduced staff started to dwindle & I left. Parker was sold not too long after. It's a great guitar but will always be the "Doomsday" guitar to me, lol.
Haha that's a really funny story. Never heard that one before.
I lived threw that time..and it felt like that, from my perspective. But fwiw: MXR went threw a similar thing...their last designs were some of their best efforts....they were going under if those products didnt sell. But Like Parker..it was to late. Now MXR is a name that has been re-booted by Dunlop, last I knew.
@@georgebarry8640 : rather similar to Rockman, but Dunlop ended seing the Rockman products as too expensive to built, only the SmartGate was reissued as the MXR's noise-gate, then the headphone amp, thus they surely would be able to use SMT parts to fit half-racks into stompboxes. The XPR rack and XPR-amp were the swan song, but this surely came from Tom Scholz losing interest : he set up the Rockman company just in order to have his own custom gear made to his taste, then compensate for the R&D costs...
The Rockman Distortion and compressor, most often put together in the Sustainor, were a mid-80's trend but... You can put anything thru it, it'll sound the same, but it was rather practical : you could easily do your shred album with a Tascam 8-tracks reel tape recorder in your home studio.
That’s pretty awesome! I always assumed Ken just wanted to make the fly only and someone else pushed them to make a more affordable model. Pretty cool to hear that that’s what they wanted to do! I know Ken was a little bummed to have to change his fly prototype to make it more marketable. The “potato chip” prototype had no magnetic pickups and was only 2.5 pounds I believe.
I came into the video very skeptical, but now have a new appreciation on the detail of design that went into these guitars. Great video.
Thank you! I do agree the design is the true beauty and Ken Parker's attention to detail.
I had a Nitefly in the late 90’s. Fantastic piezo-electric guitar. Being primarily a bassist, I felt guilty about having such an incredible instrument, and moved it on to a guitarist friend. I’d love to have another one day…
This is fascinating, mostly the bridge situation. I've been mulling over how to make a floyd rose better, having a screw that goes through the back that acts as a stop was somthing I've been thinking about, and then also having posts that don't wear. Very interesting indeed
Glad you enjoyed it!
I gave my granddaughter my Parker P39 guitar and she loves it....I loved the neck and it was so easy to bend strings on...light as a feather...wish the piezo had a tone control...very ice picky tone unless blended but blended you could get awesome range of tones...I play a Casino or ES 335 so it was like having a clarinet on a strap to me..in the eighties I played overseas gigging on a Steinberger which is also indestructible travel guitar that stays in tune. The Parker reminded me of the Steinberger. Great channel...glad I bumped into it! Those are great looking Parkers in your collection!
Thanks for your kind words! It's awesome that you passed a Parker along to the next generation of guitarists. I hope to do the same one day when I have kids and grandkids. I never had the chance to play one of the classic high quality Steinbergers. I've seen some with trem systems that bend all the strings in tune. Amazing idea. Love to get one to try someday.
@@andrefludd The best new innovation with the Steinbergers is that they now have an adaptor for the end of the neck so you can use regular strings...I used to buy those double ball end string by the case because they were difficult to find at times but now you can use any of your favorite regular strings on them..it's just a locking endblock to replace the slotted one they come with.
Parker guitars are what introduced me to ergonomic, lightweight guitars and it really changed how I think about the instrument. I’m a minimalist, one guitar person (well, two now that I also have a 7-string) and while I don’t own a Parker, its design philosophy greatly influenced me to go with Strandbergs. Thanks for the video!
I’m similar to you! I played one guitar for most of my guitar journey. I’d love to try a Klein, have you seen that body shape? Very ergonomic but also a lot bigger than a strandbergs.
@@andrefludd just googled them - that is some alien technology. Would love to try it out to see how the designers executed their vision! shoot, man, you’re even educating us in the comments.
Fascinating guitars, I remember them at my local music store being way out of my price range in those days. I think I may join the Parker family. Great vid man!
Thanks for the support. Please do join the family!
I have a white HSS 97 Nitefly and the outboard preamp. It gets quite a bit of play, P-38 too. Amazing instrument.
I remember skimming this video in the past - but after seeing one for sale in my country (I live in the middle east, so nothing is really easy to get like the US) I went looking for this to see a proper review.
The one they're selling is a strat (triple single coil) sunburst, with the stereo/mono selection. Can't tell what model it is with no access to the serial number, but it's at least V3 or older.
Great condition, it was played professionally for a long while and looks to be very well taken care of - no physical marks that I can see. Just a bit of dust, patina, and rusty strings.
All that for right around 1450$.
It's not a fantastic deal but honestly not that bad - though I'd have to part with my current guitar to feel alright purchasing this one. This is not a cheap one, but if it's a guitar for life then it's probably worth it... put some of my haggling skills to good use. I'll edit this comment if I actually get it.
Regradless, you really made me want a nitefly. It looks to be a killer design, ergonomic as it's unique (I love an instrument with some personality in it), and modding seems like a breeze with the pre-routed body (though I'm not afraid of some woodwork!)... so making this guitar my own would be a no brainer - black with rainbow swirls anyone...?
A big thing is that I am not mainly a guitar player (despite recently becoming the guitarist-frontman for a prog metal band me and my friends started) so I have little interest in one trick ponies. The only reason I should want another guitar (to me) is because the one I have physically cannot do what I want to, or is uncomfortable (which ideally should never happen after I had my first guitar, because now I know what I like).
This should ideally be an all around studio instrument I can pick up at any moment on any track I am working on and lay down a good sounding track regardless of genre or type of sound (latin, jazz, rock, fusion, metal, funk, blues, metal, ethnic, and everything inbetween. Fuzzy acid funk or jazz comping accompaniment, chugging metal power chords or searing overdriven solos). Obviously this is way way way too generic a classification, but nowadays I have a pretty solid idea of what I like for each and what I have to do to get that sound. And if there was ever a guitar to do it on, I think the nitefly is a pretty solid candidate.
Honestly I suspect I'd end up with something very similar to your "perfect guitar" in terms of configuration and pickups, with a few of my own spins of course.
For the record:
The guitar I have right now is a "boutique" handmade super-strat, loosely based on the Steve Vai signature series... regular trem (not floyd rose) and heavy as all hell.
It's pretty old, got some noticable dings, sounds great (great pickups, seymour duncan hot rails really shine there), but mostly it's just not really a guitar that I like. Too heavy, got a nasty buzz on the open E string no setup could figure out, I got it for my dad from a distant relative who stopped playing, and after my dad stopped learning to play (he's not much of a musician) I just kinda took it and learned how to play myself. Now that I have a way clearer vision of my ideal guitar and guitar sound I feel more confident looking for a guitar I will play for years to come.
I bought a Nitefly in '97 or '98 and loved the neck on that guitar. Sadly, I sold it a few years later. The only problem with it - which drove me nuts - was fret buzz on the A string. I am very surprised that Parker wasn't more popular with guitarists. They built excellent guitars.
My Parker Fly Deluxe has hands down the most exquisite hardware of any guitar I own. Every piece is shaped exactly as needed, little pieces of art that function to perfection. The entire instrument features very high build quality but the hardware is in a league of its own.
Couldn’t agree more!
5 months alter, and my nitefly is arriving soon.
thanks, andre.
I'm 55 and have a Suhr, Anderson, a couple of Kiesels which are all great, but being left-handed I am still always envious of people with Parkers.
Thanks for your comment. A shame they never made lefty ones.
Dood -- just saw your personal website and bio -- you are one amazing mix of worlds and talents! Inspiring!
Plus you saved me money on string changes and I will restring myself. This was a great video!!!
I just got a 2004 HH NiteFly in mahogany (no pickguard). So far, I’m really liking it. It has the ball bearings in the bridge but no button for the piezo system. Pretty sure the magnetic pickups work without the battery but I’ll need to double check.
That in tune test... man, that makes me want to buy a nitefly!
After watching this video I went on reverb to check them out…. And I think I stumbled upon your reverb space. Do you have a black and a sunburst for sale at the moment? Buying one of yours would be great, considering the love and care you seem to put into your guitars. Great channel too man, thanks!
Yep! There’s only so many you can play at one time and considering I have 7, I think it’s only fair that I let 2 go to a nice home lol
Watching all your videos like i might actually use this information. Even when i was sweating buying a used squier.
Still love the analysis.
That was me for almost my entire life. You’ll have your time too. Thanks for the support, James.
Great review Andre, very informative and well done. It's amazing how well the tremolo works.
Great informative video ! I have the tobacco burst Nightfly I purchased in 1998 as my first serious electric guitar. A great guitar player named Phil Keaggy did an album called “On The Fly” and he recommended it. After some research I found The Fly deluxe was too expensive for me at the time, so I compromised and got The Nightfly. I’m glad I did. Its actually a more practical guitar than The Fly. Later I got a 1995 Fly Deluxe. With my Deluxe, if the battery goes dead, you better have a spare, or your done. But The Nightfly can switch to electric pups only and still play even with a dead battery. I still own it and still love it. I love them both ! I was surprised that so many thought they looked weird. To me, they look cool and unique, and play and sound spectacular.
Yea I also think they look fine, but I've come to learn that many don't. Thank you for your comment and thanks for sharing your story!
Fantastic video man! I've been on the lookout for a Parker recently. They were just some special instruments...nothing like them existed and nothing like them exists today.
Totally agree, thanks for the support!
Great video Andre! At one time i had 5 parkers. Nitefly Mojo, NiteflySA and three imports. i modded all of them. Kept them for years when i was gigging, then regretfully sold them. Got one back and after watching your video you reminded me of all the reasons i loved them. So years ago i recommended a friend of mine to buy one. Now he never plays it and he offered it to me. Looks like a 2004 NFVM. can't wait to go get it. thanks for this video it helped me remember why i loved Parkers!
Good stuff!Thanks for sharing your story.
Ken Parker is my hero too.
His obsession with perfecting the guitar is so far ahead of everyone else.
Have you seen his new channel where he goes over his archtop builds?
I must admit I am more a fan of the OG Fly - with the carbon fibre skin over the ultra-light weight body, but I will look out for the Nitefly more now.
A am also a fan of the Hornet single-cuts as I've become a big fan of the single cut shape in my old age.
Maybe one day I shall be lucky enough to add a couple of Parkers to my collection.
Oh yes! I studied jazz a little (though I'm by no means a jazz guitarist) so another dream of mine is to own one of his archtops. Not sure how I'll get there financially. They are SO expensive. Fly vs Nitefly is totally personal preference. Both are amazing. But if you are getting into more traditional guitars like single cuts, I have a feeling you'll enjoy the nitefly. Much less of a shredder guitarist feel, and more of a modern traditional feel if that makes sense.
My nitefly has the plastic springs for the trem. It is still a beast of a guitar. Never goes out of tune. Mine is a hss configuration. Great video on an unsung hero of a guitar.
Thanks for the support!
You Sir are a breath of fresh air. You deserve millions of Subscribers. Thanks for none of the Theatrical acts that others have to put on.
Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me. I was always a little nervous that I might be too boring for a video, but I would feel cringe trying to over hype something.
Finally. Had mk ii. Crushing lower mids. Stellar highs. Forget to tune it for 4 gigs.
Great guitar!
Awesome review. Makes me want to go out and get one now. I always thought they looked cool but thought they were out of my price range. The used Nitefly is within reach...
You should! The price is only going to continue to rise in the future.
That was super informative. I remember as kid seeing these on guitar stores magazine. Looked so sophisticated, cool and sleek at the same time. Now I know!! I would definitely try one
Me too!
Wanted a Parker ever since 2003 and Deron Miller from cKy playing them. I got a P38 (Asian Nitefly kinda). Then, 16 years later in 2020 I got a Fly. Since then I've picked up another Fly and 2 Niteflys ('97 and '06). I'm no great player at all but I love the guitars, rarity of them, story behind them and the community we have :) Great video! Very detailed, appreciated it!
Thanks for your comment, and thanks for sharing your story!
I worked for Parker briefly in 2001. The Night Fly was made and finished in Korea. Final assembly and setup were done at the Parker factory in MA.
Thanks for sharing the info. Do you know if it was always made in Korea?
@@andrefludd - IDK, only worked there for a short time. I remember a shipment came in and they required final assembly and setup.
I remember watching Jools Holland years ago and David Bowie was performing a few Songs his Guitar player was using one of these Parker and ive wanted one ever since.
For sure! It’s a great instrument.
When a man loves his tools and loves to use them ....it is one of the greatest love's
Well said sir!
My first guitar was a Nitefly NFV4 and I 100% with a lot of the elements you praise. Especially the tuning stability. I'll pull mine out of the case after months of not playing it and it will still be in perfect tune. Just incredibly well designed and engineered instruments. Probably my favorite trem of all time as well.
Yep! The tuning stability and the trem are out of this world!
@@andrefludd The only other trem on the market that I like more is the Vega Trem, which is a drop in replacement for strat trems that allows full floating operation with no mods. It has the smooth feel of the parker with a floyd-style arm holder which is a bit better at staying in place but still has the length of the Parker arm. The arm on so many other modern trems is just too short for comfort while playing.
20 years ago, I played in a blackened-melodic-thrash band years ago with a dude that played a gold Parker Fly. I’ve wanted one ever since.
I don't see gold ones for sale too often. That one he has is def worth some cash.
Can't believe how contemporary these specs are 🤯 quite astonishing
Man, I've been wanting a Parker for so long, I saw a used one at a store once it played so nice and was cheap but I was looking for something else and didn't get it. It haunts me lol
I'm definitely focusing on getting one.
yea, we all have those guitars...the ones that got away haha
@@andrefludd 😁🥲🥲🥲
Great video, bro. You've got me looking at Nite Fly's now. They are some great, underrated guitars.
Welcome to the family!
Great video. Ive got very large hands and long arms and need to try one out
I own a Parker NIteFly. My reason for seeking it out was because of Mint Conditions guitars Odell, i have a blue 1994 model, it plays great and i will never sell it, this my goto instrument.
Mine as well!
Now that I've heard all the features, I'm getting one of these at some point.
I bet you'll like it!
@@andrefludd Me too. Can't wait. The video was well made, thorough, and entertaining. You've earned a sub.
Nicely done, enjoyed the video
Thank you, Joe!
I played Parkers (P38 & P40 if i remember correctly, one looked exactly like the red Mojo in your Video) for some time in my life. What i didn't like about them: that they sounded so clinical somehow, if that makes sense?
I also started with a p38. Mine was red. Used it through senior year of h.s. Undergrad and graduate school. Took it to India, even. Great guitar. My humble opinion is that most of a guitars tone is from the scale length, bridge, and pickups. My p38 sounded totally different when I put Seymour Duncan cool and hot rails in it, but before that it did sound a bit bland and sterile. To be honest, I find almost all dimarzios and Ibanez pickups have that same sterile sound. That’s why I always change the pickups on my Parkers now.
The only parker I've ever played was like this. Sounded off and felt "cheap." I forget the model, a musician friend of mine owned one he hardly played, but I remember I was very disappointed. I envisioned some life changing experience but it wasn't nearly as playable and nice sounding (nor good looking) as the Ibanez S that was my main guitar back then. He even offered to let me borrow it for a few weeks to try it out, hoping I'd buy it. I think he only wanted like 350 for it but I can't remember now. May have been 650.
What I learned was that all Parkers are not the same. I still want that Belew signature too. lol
@@CynHicks That is a great point. I'd say all Ken-Parker era Parkers are pretty much the same in terms of quality. Once Washburn bought the company and started making cheaper models and watering down the brand, well it was all down hill from there until their ultimate demise.
Highly informative. Yet another guitar on my wishlist!
Thank you! I'd say get one soon before the prices go even higher if you can.
Parker guitars are one of the most unique guitars, I find interesting and your review is very educational. Sincerely thank you
Glad you like it thank you!
I'm very interested in buying a Nitefly, and getting a midi pickup installed. I actually like the look of the Nitefly better than the regular Fly, but I really wish I could play one. I prefer thinner necks, but this one looks pretty thin anyway.
Excellent video, I've owned several Parker Fly's, but here is the problem parts are no longer made and the ribbon to the electronics have been known to fail over time. So you can end up with electronics that are glitchy. They can be hardwired via a good tech but you get my point. What happens when other parts start to fail.
I Agree there with you. That's another reason I prefer the nitefly!
My brother was a luthier (Daniel Becker/Becker Guitars) and before he started his own company, he built some prototypes for someone who worked for Parker and had left on bad terms. They were similar in style and design and were intended to directly compete with Parker. The money fell through and the guy couldn't pay for his prototypes. I wish I knew where they were. After my brother passed away suddenly a couple years ago, a lot of his stuff got moved around. I'd love to find them and do a video review.
That’s some story. Sorry to hear about your brother. I’d be interested to know if you ever find the guitars
Thank you for the informative video ... I've always been intrigued by Parkers
Any time!
Great review, I've always wanted to play one of these!
Thanks for the support!
Parker guitars are way ahead of it’s time. What an amazing guitar.
10000%
Great informative video , i always wanted to own one and now knowing about that bridge, and how nice and even those pickups in a studio type environment sound i want one. A very unique guitar that was a classic as soon as it was produced.
I hope you get one!
New subsriber, i always loved the Parker Guitars, they are such a futuristic look, great playing sir
Thank you!
i have the v4, such a great guitar
Awesome video, thanks a lot!
Thank you!
I don't have a lot left on my "must own at some point" guitar list but the Parkers came onto my radar when I watched a Cigarettes After Sex live performance on You Tube and finally figured where those amazing guitar cleans come from.
I liked the video because it's good - but probably shouldn't as if the algorithm is fed too much prices will go up before I can get one!
Thanks for the support. I'll give a warning next time I make a video ;).
I always wanted one of the bolt on ones with the Floyd 522 or 422 I think and one of the 7 strings but they're impossible to find.
Maybe you will!
Dude is that like a lift kit, on that bottom horn? I been wanting one of those now I want one even more.
It's called a performaxe. Game changer!
Basic Demmings Principles indicate that production increases yield production cost decreases, better efficiency, and better quality. As it happened, Parker never realized sufficient production to normalize any cognizable and fiscally responsible manufacture scheme. According to Parker, they sold a 10k guitar for 2k, not without a bumpy ride but still a legendary instrument. It is a curiosity why the brand does not start up again now, where the materials they used which were costly and expensive then are now much cheaper and more standard. Moreover, since any manufacturer can open shop with a CNC router to build any guitar, it is interesting to me that no one in Asia, South America, or Central America is producing Parker knock offs. It makes me wonder if Strandberg has locked down the market segment so thoroughly, and if the market niche is so small that there is no room for newer Parkers notwithstanding that Parker and Strandberg arrive at nearly the same result (ergonomic body, tuning stability, endurance friendly neck, tone) while taking vastly different paths? I would hazard that you could build a rock solid Parker Night Fly now and retail it to compete with Strandbergs and be profitable. Good ideas tend to live on, particularly in product design and engineering so it is strange not to see either Parker or a knock off builder come back for a second bite of the apple.
Good point about Strandberg. I think they have an easier time because it’s easier to find a home for weird designs. Tons of builders on insta with strange instruments making a living. That to me shows the internet has really changed the guitar community’s tastes.
I loved my Nitefly (Sunburst). I swapped out the pickups for a Seymour Duncan Custom 5 at the bridge, and a pair of Kinman AVn-62 single coils. Was *great.* The weakness for me was the piezo configuration: sounded great, but fragile, and I had some saddle breaks. Still, THE most comfortable guitar I've ever owned. (Followed by my '83 Strat Elite.)
Bummer about the piezo. I've had good luck with mine so far, thankfully.
Same for me too. sadly one of piezo saddle break on me today while adjusting the string length... must be super careful and loosen up the string first before moving the saddles. I believe simple soldering will not solve the problem lol.
@@sdx2r I feel your pain. Back in the day, it wasn't too difficult to source the replacement part. Maybe still out there?
Looks like your left hand has Dupuytren's Contracture A condition in which one or more fingers bend in towards the palm due to the development of fibrous connective tissue between the tendons of the finger
I've never been diagnosed with anything like that, so I hope not.
You also reviewed a Mayones, and share my opinion here on neck shape, I dont remember if you covered it in the mayones vid, but are you ok with the duvell neck? I thought it was also supposed to be thin.
I did cover the neck shape there but I’ll tell you :). It’s pretty thick for a modern guitar. Not crazy thick or like an old school guitar, but thicker than an Ibanez wizard for sure. Maybe close to the Ibanez az.
@@andrefludd That bodes well for me, thank you.
@@progpogs I did just check it again, and it might be a little thinner than the Ibanez az…I’m going to provide exact measurements in the full review in about 2-3 more weeks.
I see that you added GraphTech Ratio tuners. I have those on my James Tyler Variax guitars. They are great!
Yes! I’ll be talking about the mods in a new video today! Stay tuned.
Great video, subscribed!
Thanks for the support!
whaat kind of tool do I need to tighten the screw for the tremolo bar? I just got a nitefly and can't find the proper tool
Great video! I've been a Nitefly SA owner myself for the past 15 years and still learned a lot :)
Recently my output jack broke, do you have any idea what part is that and who sells those?
I think it's uncommon in that it's not just a stereo jack but also has a battery cutoff mechanism
I would recommend checking out the fly clone forum. I'm not great at repairs but they have a ton of detail there
this is my fevb guitar...but this guitar exspensive....love that guitar...
Mine too.
Hey man, I lost the truss rod tool for my parker. Any idea where can i get it from? I can't find it on the internet. Please let me know.
Had a Fly in the mix for years. The tones I feel were affected negatively by the carbon fiber. Having an active system also created a rather generic sound. It was light. But I would always gravitate to other more distinctive sounding instruments for recording.
Fair enough!
A fixed bridge on a Parker is a rare and often better option for stability
Dude! You gotta love a nitefly! I had one back around 2001-2004, and really wish I had never "sold it to a friend"
Despite being primarily a bass player, I've had my share of nice guitars as well, strats, teles, jags, jm's led pauls, and such, but the parker was way beyond any and all of those.
However, as a bassist of 45 years, I've come to play Alembic series l basses near exclusively, and those make most other basses feel like toys. Yet I've never played any of their six string guitars. I do know their instruments and what they can do is simply amazing, as are the custom features available.
Is there any chance you could do a review of one of their upper level models? If you've not played one before, it may well blow yer mind!
Thank you for your comment! So far all the gear on the channel is stuff I bought and own. I’d give anything a fair shot and a detailed video, but I’ll have to find a way to work with these companies to get demo units. I’m not in the position to regularly buy these instruments unfortunately.
The only other time I saw a Parker Fly was from the band Exivious and Tymon doing playthroughs with it
There's a couple more out there.
always wanted to play one but never will nice vidio my friend
Never say never! I hope you get a chance to. Thank you for your kind words.
@@andrefludd some day maybe i have some very nice guitars ,tried to buy a fly but it was gone when i drove three hours to check it out i was pissed but im sure ill find one in my price again thanks for the response
@@richgh4905 thanks for the comment!
NIce video thanks. I've got a question: do you envisage problems in smoothing off the upper horn profile in the NItefly? I tried a Fly de luxe and it was amazing but couldn't resolve to buy for that thorny horn profile. My luthier did not encourage me to mod the horn as - his words - the fly de luxe is so thin that cracking the fiber coating anywhere would mena put a t risk the overall guitar's structure. Since th NItefly has a wood body this mod should be possibile, right? You did not the mood as you like the guitar's shape but do you know of somebody crazy enough to have attempted that? THanks in advance
Thanks for your comment. I don’t know of anyone who has attempted to modify the horn, but the body is just normal wood and it’s a lot thicker than the fly. Although I never tried it, I do think the mod would be possible. Of course I also recommend you consult a luthier before you attempt it. You can also post your question in the forum I list in the description. I’d love to see it after the mod if you do it.
Hi, could anyone tell me what that tool used to change the angle of the guitar when resting on your leg is called? What's a good one to get? Thanks!
Ok I jumped on and purchased my first 97 nitefly yesterday. Nobody told me I had to relearn everything. Here's the thing they're all missing the bar. Where or how can they be replaced? Or the sleeve they lock into?
I wouldn't buy any parker with missing parts. The parts are no longer being made and it will be very very hard to find second-hand.
🙌🏼🌟👍🏼 Excellent!!!
Glad you liked it!
I'm looking for the lightest and thinnest nitefly body. You said 4/98 to 12/99 are the best years for that. But you also said the last few years are the lightest and thinnest bodies ? So the latest made nitefly's are the lightest and thinnest ? If you were just looking for the lightest and thinnest body what year or model would you look for ? I also read somewhere the holy grail nitefly's are from Jan 2000 to July 2001. Why do you prefer 98-99 compared to 2000-2001 ?
I mentioned 3 distinct eras, all in the last category are thinnest.
I like interesting-looking guitars, and I very much like the specs of the Parker, but I just can't get around that upper horn shape, I can't explain why I dislike it tbh, but if I had to try, I'd say that in my opinion, though it does match the lower horn and headstock in terms of shape, the way it transitions into the body looks clumsy to my eyes. Almost as if it was a design concept that was never fully fleshed out.
I agree!
Been looking for one can never find the best models
It can be hard for sure.
Ted Greene had a telecaster with the best and most pick configurations ever.
Next after that is the Steve Morse signature Music Man.
Great vid. One point I think you missed is hanging them? I don't see any bullwinkles on your stands?
Thank you! You know, people sometimes make a big deal about them not hanging on regular stands, but they fit on my Hercules stand just fine. They kind of lean awkwardly, but still totally stable and safe.
My only issue with these is that they surface glue their frets and they fall off all the time. I worked at Sam Ash for 4 years and it was a pretty common sight when people brought them in for repair.
I never seen it but I trust your view. I guess I've been lucky.
@@andrefludd whatever you do don't leave it in a hot place by accident like your car, gigging trailer, ect. Heat is usually the main culprit.
Great guitars till something trivial like the jack breaks . Finding replacement parts is so hard for these things but they are great when all is well. Definitely an acquired taste though.
Very true!
You should touch those tuners more frequently.
Haha yea probably! The honest truth is, when you are making a 30min long video it takes hours of filming, adjusting camera angles, string changes, the guitar falls over and gets knocked around a lot haha. At least that’s what it’s like when I’m making a video in my tiny tiny space. Point being, that certainly contributed to any less than perfect tuning.
Great video. What do you think of the Music Man Majesty? That's the guitar I would compare as feeling the most like a Parker that I have played. (I've got a Parker Fly Ultra and a MM.) You'd probably have to ignore the arm relief that you don't seem to like, but for playability, I think they're pretty close.
Thank you. Okay, I've played the Majesty. I think it is an awesome guitar. But it isn't for me. The neck feels good, but not the type of good that I like if that makes sense. They have them in basically every guitar center so you should def go feel the neck. If you like the neck, it's worth the buy IMO. The bridge is great, pickups are great if that's your style, and it also is very high quality from what I could tell. Hope that helps.
I have massive hands…the most comfortable, versatile, highest quality guitar in existence are my two 1969 Fender Telecasters (I have a white one with a black pickguard & a pink paisley one)
Every time I go to a guitar store and pick up a tele, I"m shocked at how comfortable the big necks are. If you have an recommendation for fender necks, I'd love to hear it. I don't know anything about years and their neck shapes, but I do know I prefer a C or D shape.
@@andrefludd
Well, I have one of the newer HH FMT Telecasters (FMT = _flame maple top)_ it’s Mahogany Body, it’s got a _Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Plus_ in the bridge position, & a _Seymour Duncan 59_ in the Neck position & a set neck… there’s just a Fender logo on the headstock (a spaghetti-strap _pre-CBS_ style logo) which I think technically makes it a _Fender Nocaster_ and like, It’s definitely different… (got that? Fender Telecaster: Mahogany Body w/ flame maple top, two Seymour Duncan pickups which are directly synonymous with tone from Gibson Les Paul’s, & a Set Neck)
Nice dive bomber. But: I often touch the tuners not for 2 weeks" "I restring it maybe every week". Hm, suboptimal claiming 😊
I don’t have AC so in the summer I sweat a lot and wear out my strings fast. Change them once at week. In the fall and winter I rarely change my strings and rarely have to tune.
@@andrefludd hey mate. No offense. Just a tiny bit humor on the run. Love your deep concentrationnon the really important corners of guitar.
It's unfortunate, but I can only play a mandolin size guitar due to my dwarfishly small hand size. Do they make a Parker Nat?
Not that I know of friend. Good luck!
@@andrefludd I was joking... but I've never had any guitar hurt my hands except for a classical. Maybe my hands are just reasonably sized. I do envy you a bit.
@@BitMatt1 oh…yea sometimes it’s hard to tell through comments lol.
you need to try a strandberg my friend
I agree. I really want to try a transtrem. Every time I search for one, the price is just too high.
Great video, thank you for the information! I'm considering trading my PRS Torero for a NFV3 (1998). I have pictures I'd like to ask you about, I've looked everywhere and I can't find this one. It only has a bridge pickup, and one volume control knob (no tone). Let me know if I can send you a picture, thank you, Doc!
That sounds like something that was modded. No stock nitefly ever had those specs. I personally like something a bit more stock, but you should get whatever suits your needs!
I was drawn to Flys the first time I saw one.... The one's i played settled the deal, but they were out of my price range.
Pronunciation of Piezo....
PEE-AY-ZOH
I hope you get a chance to find one cheap one! And I did know the pronunciation, but I promise I'll always say stupid things on camera. I gotta keep everyone on their toes.😁