KEN PARKER ARCHTOP Acoustic Guitar "Sidekick" - Michael Watts - Between Streets
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- Опубліковано 10 сер 2022
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Now this is a rare beast - an exquisite acoustic archtop guitar by the legendary luthier Ken Parker. what a joy! This is only the second time I've ever seen one of Ken's guitars and the first time I had ever played them so this was as much an exploration of a new sound and feel as it was a performance.
Thank you to each and every one of you for watching my videos. It means a great deal to me.
Until next time, stay tuned!
Michael
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This video was inspired by a lot of things from the Justin Hawkins Rides Again to Rick Beato and his amazing work, Tim Pierce - all those great guys sharing incredible content! I'm not a massive fan of Justin Beiber, Pewdiepie or ninja and I think Logan and Jake Paul are a disgrace but there you go...
#Acousticguitar #Archtopguitar #kenparkerguitar
It's so hard to find decent recordings of Ken Parker's archtops. I can't believe I missed this until now. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you Chuck! Glad you enjoyed it!
You have to wonder where all his instruments are going that there are so few recordings and videos of them.
Killed It!! How did I miss this?? Thanks, Michael!!! @@MichaelWatts
@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 hey Ken! What a joy to hear from you!
Excellent.
Thank you.
This is the best I've heard a Parker archtop sound -- and it's among the top archtop sounds I've heard overall
Thanks Steven!
That has to be one of if not the Best Sounding Guitars I’ve ever heard ! I don’t know how much they cost but you won’t find anything that sounds better ! Mr. Parker your the Man ! 🎶🎸👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
They are beautiful and following Ken Parker who crafted it on his Archtoppery channel is a joy and gives you a hundred reasons why these cost about twice to three times the cost of a Private Stock PRS.
@@GorbyrevThe guitar's really nice, but the truth is, this guy could take a 150$ beginner guitar from the rack of the nearest music store, play this, and it would still sound amazing.
@kardRatzinger I'm sure that is true but a guitar is not just a tool, it is an instrument. Ken Parker's guitars are truly special and the world is all the better for having just a few of them around for performances such as this.
Upwards of 10000.
I've been following Mr. Parker's jazz instrument construction for over two decades - regrettably from a distance. They represent a fantastic redefining of a very traditional instrument. I would love to have one, and spend the rest of my days becoming a virtuoso on it!
I have to concur!
You guys should do a time-share.
@@MichaelWatts
Brilliant. Esthetic. Stylish. Elegant. Perfect. Soulful. Michael Watts. 😘
Thank you very much! All the best to the lonely hearts club band!
Beautifully played on a Beautifully crafted instrument.
Thank you for listening Martin!
Beautiful playing on a a superlative instrument.
Yeah! Like! Nice to see you Michael! Very best, T.
Merci mon ami!
You prove again the clarity and tone-fulness of Maple! Nice pinkin' ! Real Nice
Thank you Martin Martin! Perfect name for an acoustic guitar lover!
Wonderful!
Fantastic guitar work and that guitar is an amazing work of art!
Wow, beautiful all around.
Thank you!
Beautiful playing! Nice guitar amazing tone
Glad I found your channel for inspiration. Other worldy, beautiful touches, nuances, taste, it has everything. Most amazing and mesmerising
Thank you Brian! I hope you’ll stick around!
Discovered you from your playing in one of Ken Parker's videos. I am ADDICTED to this tune. It's on repeat and I can't stop. Thanks for bringing a spot of joy into a stranger's life.
Delighted to hear it! Thank you!
Loved every second of that, Michael. And an awesome guitar too…
Thank you so much Kevin!
Michael, if I were granted a wish - I would ask that after my passing I‘d be entombed in „between streets“ - in this particular recording; because this is heaven and your masterful playing is simply divine!
That’s quite a compliment, thank you!
Hilarious: At the end of the song, you reached for a headstock string pull, and Huston, We Have A Problem. As usual, the cleanliness and clarity of your playing, leaves me speechless. So so so good. You’re a machine….but with that rare, upgrade Beethoven chip.
Thank you so much for watching Dan I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yes, there was a moment of panic at the end there but we rise above…
WOW, please tell me that's an original piece. I'm an instant fan. Fantastic.
Thank you Kevin! It is indeed - it’s called Between Streets and it will be on my next record
been hearing rumors about how good these are for years but I've never even seen a listing for one much less seen the actual guitar itself. thanks for sharing a great performance on it.
Thank you for watching! Ken’s work is sensational and his guitars tend to find a home very quickly if they do come onto the market.
Beautiful, bravo!!
Thank you Spiro!
Amazing guitar! Incredible playing Michael!!!
Thank you Curt!
BEAUTIFUL
Thank you!
Excellent! I'll take two, beautiful guitar, beautiful location and beautiful playing
Thank you Andrew! Yeah, it was a nice day well spent
Unbelievaably good!
Thank you very much Matt!
I would’ve assumed this was a flat top if I only had audio of this.
I know what you mean. The overtone content is high and there’s a smoothness and warmth there - but it’s definitely an archtop!
Love it
You don’t know how much that means to me
Wow!
Thanks Dennis - glad you approve!
Ohhh yessss makes me want to practice more. You are gaining fame every day. Love it!!
Thank you Dennis!
Now thats as sweet sounding a guitar as it looks 😁 That is more rare that some think.
Thank you! Very true!
@@MichaelWatts
Ken makes a brilliant guitar
Sounds great! Ken is one of the greatest luthiers alive
Thank you Jeremy and yes, I have to agree!
heard you play that song on a good many guitars think the Parker suited it really well and you brought out the best in it. Nice
Thank you Jez! It’s a good workout for any guitar and I agree, this beautiful Parker archtop brought out all sorts of new textures
Great playing and arrangement.
Thank you!
That guitar sounds brilliant. I must say I am not a fan of Parker headstocks, aesthetically I mean, but man, does it sound great.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
As usual great playing Michael! Lovely sounding guitar with special looks although the extra soundhole looks a bit vulnerable to me. Keep them posting!
Thank you Jan! Don’t worry, the purfling on the shoulder is actually metal so it’s no more fragile than any other fine instrument
That really sounds very good
Thanks Andy, glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful everytime I hear this! This time it got me into reflecting how you can judge sound quaLIty but not quaNTity from recordings. Not really a requirement in this particular video of course but sometimes it'd be nice if a dB meter readout were visible when you're showcasing an acoustic instrument with a voice nice enough that it'd be a shame to (have to) plug it in order to be heard!
This is utterly sublime, what an incredible sounding instrument. Beautifully played. Thanks Michael.
Thank you very much!
// great recording, thanks !
Thank you Jacky! I hope I’ll get the chance to play one of your guitars soon!
@@MichaelWatts / That would be great !
Ok michael give me a solid. I loved it. Is there a transcription for the first minute of the song :)?
There is no transcription yet for any of the minutes involved in this piece. There will be once the album is done.
What an amazing guitar
It is wonderful Joshua, it’s not mine sadly but it makes me happy to know it exists!
@@MichaelWatts and thank you for sharing with us folks
Thank you, sir!
👍
Thank you! 🙏
What a great first Parker to have encountered. I loved that guitar. Beautiful voice...as usual, you do it justice!
Thank you! I was having a good time!
Well that was beautifully different! Ken Parker occupies a totally alternate universe. It appears that you adjusted very naturally… I’d love to hear your impressions
It is a hell of a guitar and a beautiful bridge between the archtop and flattop worlds but with the best of each. Really inspiring!
👍👍👍
🙏
Unique floating neck joint among other interesting build attributes on the Parker jazz boxes. I believe the tang-less SS frets are epoxied onto the composite board, at least they were on the solid bodies. You do it justice with your playing.
Every aspect of Ken’s archtop builds is pretty revolutionary - if you did this then watch out for my new Luthier Stories season where Ken makes an appearance
This fret material and attachment method that you correctly describe was developed by me in the late '80's, and used for all the fFy, Nitefly, and Bass guitars that we made in Massachusetts from 1993 - 2003.
Now I'm back to jazzin' it old school, with tropical hardwood boards, usually ebony, and EVO fretwire with regular tangs, but thanks for the memories!
@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 Man, I sold a lot of those Flies in the 90's. I saw the vid of Tommy E playing your jazz box, which was a gas. I applied at your MA shop for a position doing final set-ups, but the distance was too far for me to travel. Instead, I opened my own repair shop in Medway which I'm still at it 4 days a week. Thanks for writing.
Really way out design for a guitar sounds great, but also some great playing going on.👍😊
Thank you Alastair!
Okay, Micheal, you were literally right up the road from me when you recorded this. Are you doing any concerts in Vermont? Where? Love to see you in person.
Oh really?! Well it’s not impossible…
fantastic. hey michael are you on spotify too?? an old student of yours
My debut album Vetiver is on Spotify - I must admit I’m not exactly in love with it as a platform but if you leave my music running on a loop for a month or so you might give me a reason to change my mind!
Very nice indeed Michael. It sounds more like a flat top than archtop to me. Is the playability better than a normal acoustic? This piece is developing too!!
Thank you Phil, glad you enjoyed it! Sadly the playability was absolutely superb - bloody thing knew what I was about to play before I did…
I enjoyed your performance and I am wondering what gauge strings are those? I happen to prefer 12-56 chrome Flat wounds.
Thanks Adrian! Ken’s instruments are intended for use with phosphor bronze strings and the guitar was wearing a set of, I think D’addario, not my usual elixirs. Still sounded good though!
Most likely D'Addario EXP 012 - 053" Phosphor Bronze, lovely strings!
@@MichaelWatts
A rare guitar that spans excellent note separation and the obivious coinfiguation for fast well articulated lines with great chordal warmth, Is there a rationale for theParker Fly style headsock, or is that just appearance?
Thank you for watching Robert! The Fly was Ken Parker’s original design and he’s kept the headstock on his archtops too. I love the way it looks and in fact I owned one of the first Flys to come into the U.K.
The headstock design was inspired by the "guitar of the baroque period"... the lute.
Lovely piece of archtoppery. By the way, Mchael, do you plan to release one of your exquisite tablature transcriptions of "Between Streets" ?
Thank you Steve! Yes - the plan is to release the TAB at the same time as album 2 - but if enough people request it I may have to do it earlier!
@@MichaelWatts The sooner, the better! It's such a wonderful piece. Keep up the great work!
Tone = Yes! Touch = Yes! Resonance = Yes! Craftsmanship = Yes! Harmonic profile = Yes! Headstock = Hard No!!
But without that headstock you don’t get any of the rest!
Check out Archtoppery, and I'll try to explain why physics drove the design of the head. Sorry you don't like it, but it does everything so much better, I can't not use it. Just curious, is any new design a hard no, or just this one? Every single headstock design was brand new once, and I;m sure some of the critics panned them all too!
What He Said. @@MichaelWatts
the guitar is not connected to an amp viacable? By the way great tune and sound
Totally acoustic - thanks for listening!
Incredible playing and SO beautiful! I am in the minority when I say I don't think the Parker archtops sound that great.
I think they often have a quality closer to flat-tops in many ways (but with the projection, note definition and even response up the neck of a good archtop). It's certainly is its own sound, and it depends what you like!
is there a tab of this beautiful song? 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Not yet Paolo - It will be on my next album and the TAB will come out at the same time
@@MichaelWatts beautiful news, Michael!!!!!
Great piece and performance Michael. You do a great job of demonstrating what that guitar can do. (But the player's direct experience (the sonic response and the immediacy, etc.) cannot be conveyed on video.. eh?! KUDOS!!
Thank you so much Geoff! It’s a beautiful instrument, I hope I did it justice
@@MichaelWatts You and the guitar did each other justice. Bravo!
Parker guitars?
That company is extinct now I’m afraid but Ken Parker is still making beautiful instruments like this one
The legendary MDW in Vermont! Wow!🤩
Did you pop into Froggy Bottom and Circle Strings?
I did not, not this time I’m afraid - I was just too busy. That said, I have such fond memories of visiting Michael Millard and his legendary team at Froggy Bottom that I’d love to go back!
Not my cup of tea in terms of looks,but it does sound nice.
As your playing,flawless !
Ah, you need to try one my friend!
@@MichaelWattsI would be afraid touching it. Looks so fragile!
They are fragile like a cello is fragile. Just try not to drop it!! @@greekflatpicker
It has a very "tight" sound
Really? I’d have said the opposite