20 Years Later, Is it Still the Best? The Answer May Shock You (Honest Comparison)
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2024
- I compare any older modern guitar, the Parker nitefly, with a new modern guitar, the Vigier Excalibur Indus.
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0:00 Intro
1:14 Headstocks, tuners, nuts
2:40 Necks & Frets
4:20 Upper Fret Access
7:03 Fret Board Edges
7:53 Neck Joints
8:03 Is the Fly Ugly?
9:18 Body Contours
9:57 Pickups and Tone Comparison
13:30 Bridge Comparison
14:50 NO ONE Considers this detail
16:29 Who Wins?
I find all your videos interesting and informative. I've never played either of these - and doubtless never will - but I respect the amount of detail you go into in your comparison. I think this was a considered and honest review of both instruments - you're producing top quality videos and your presentation style is intelligent and articulate.
Much appreciated!
8:03 - The Parker Fly is not ugly. In my opinion, they should have gotten an award for best new guitar design, if they haven't already.I love every design aspect of this guitar.
I'm also 'not' a fan of the Stratocaster body design. I had only 1 Strat in my whole life and currently, I have zero. I do like the Telecaster design.
Great content!
I would like you get your hands on true temperament frets and/or evertune and make a video about it!
True temperament I’ll def try in 2023. I’m a trem guy so I honestly don’t have much use for an evertune but maybe! Thanks for the support.
Hi Andre, just found and subscribed to your channel. Im also a Parker lover and have two Fly deluxes and a Parker Artist. Fantastic guitars but like anything "different" if you don't spend the time to get used to them you never get the most out of them!
Agree 100%. Glad to have you :). I have a big parker fly video coming next week.
Can't wait!
For me the Parker is a beautiful guitar, a fantastic craftmanship and one of the few guitars I really regret I did let go. There might be better, but the combination of the fantastic neck and the design made me adore that guitar and I will get one again when I can. The two reasons I once sold the guitar was that I thought it was too good for me, and that the pickups sounded a bit sterile, but this is as usual a matter of taste and easy to change.
Oh man, never think an instrument is too good for you! We have one life, play what you like no matter what level you feel you are :). Get another one and change the pickups. I think you'll be happy.
What do you call that stabilizer thing added to your Parker? …and where can I get one?
I’m not a professional but I own several Parker’s and I love them. Love your channel too. Thank you.
Thanks! If you mean the leg rest I have to prop up my guitar, it’s called a performaxe. I’ll do a video on it next week, but if you google performaxe, you’ll find it. Great piece of kit.
I think that Parker is a very good looking guitar and I love the head stock. I think the old standard guitar shapes are still nice, but I love to see new shapes. Except for that Steinberger, boat paddle, that is just ugly with a Capital Ugh. I think my all time favorite guitar is the Guyatone Sharp 5 LG2100 which is a fairly standard strat shape. Oh, good video!
Thanks! Yea, the Steinberger is weird looking but i still want to give it a try haha
Nice video and well made points. I personally think that Parker guitars have always been cool looking. 30ish years on and they still look "modern".
Couldn’t agree more brother!
Very thoughtful analysis Andre, and nice playing too. I agree with you that I don’t think the Parkers are ugly and looks don’t matter that much anyway. The piezo bridge I was the deciding factor for me. I’ve had my Parker for 22 years.
Thank you sir! How has your guitar held up 22 years later?
It’s held up amazingly well. No issues with frets or intonation, and I still almost never have to tune it once the strings settle in. Rock solid guitar. It has definitely gotten me out of the habit of leaving it plugged in because of the battery drain (that 9V battery is my only real complaint with it). I also have a 72 Gibson SG which is lightning fast but since I got the Fly that SG feels big, chunky and imbalanced (and unstable). The Fly is the nicest guitar I’ve ever played and stayed that way for all this time. I’m glad to see you’ve had such good luck with yours.
@@jamesgoddard2321As you describe your Fly I am just here nodding my head because that's been my exact experience as well. Traditional guitars can still feel good, but "Chunky" "imbalanced" and "unstable" are def words that come to mind for me as well.
I have a Maxx Fly. You might want to try playing it in the upper register, as the neck joint is thinner than the one you showed. Also, it has some kind of wood fretboard, so the frets can be reworked. The tremendous springs also don't require the special plates..... but there's no piezo.
Ehhh I doubt I'll ever be showing a max fly on the channel. Not really my thing.
Love my Nightfly!
Me too!
Digging the channel, man. Long time Vigier player here, and I’ve enjoyed your videos about them immensely. I too would love to see a short scale one with a trem. Sadly, we’ll never see it happen now that the company is winding down. I’m gutted!
Thank you! Yea it’s horrible news.
@@andrefludd I agree with your criticism of the Vigier tremolo arm. I can highly recommend modding it with either the Red Bishop Magick Arm (Floyd Rose version) or the Floyd Rose Push-In arm. I use both, and they eliminate play in the arm and allow you fix its rotational position. Having recently spent somle time on a Parker Fly, I don't think this mod would do enough for you rate it over the Fly trem, but it would optimise your Vigier. The Red Bishop arm has a slightly higher angle than the Floyd Push-In arm, whilst the Floyd arm is a bit fatter (still nowhere near as fat as the Parker arm). The Floyd Rose version is the easier of the two installs if that's a consideration for anyone.
Actually, I must say I've returned my Floyd Rose Push-In arms today. When you go really heavy on the bar, it can raise out of the collar and needs to be pushed back in. It's incredibly annoying. If you're not abusing the trem, it's not an issue, but for any death metal shenanigans, it's untenable. I was hoping the Floyd alternative would work as it's cheaper and more readily available, but it's Red Bishop all the way for me!
what company is winding down ? That's a fake news about Vigier. Patrice Vigier's daughter who works with her father since years and know all about the company and building fantastic guitars, is taking the lead ... New Vigier will come up and the company will carry on ... no worries 😉
@@RomainG6409 I really hope this is true!
Vigier has been in production for many years. I have an Excalibur Custom since 2006. Vigier trems are great too they are made and work with ball bearings.
Yes they are great bridges indeed!
Excalibur is in production since 1991. My then guitar teacher was one of the 1st users, and I was disgusted from my then Strat Am Std'88.
In fact, the trem system uses needle bearings, not ball bearings. You can find the same needle-bearings in an Airbus landing gear, these are guaranteed not to fail unless they revolve at a speed over 10,000 RPMs.
It's the Ibanez trem that use ball bearings in order to compete Vigier's.
Despite the company produces only 500 instruments a year, Ibanez freaking fear 'em, which is ridiculous... Thus, they perfectly know that, in private and in the studio, most of their French endorsees use Vigiers instead of Ibz.
When I still was a real guitarist, I was approached by both Fender and Ibz dudes for low level endorsement (you can get some series guitars for free and get Custom Shop ones at a "nice" price, let's say that I could have had a Strat made to my specs, e.g. neckthru, etc, by Cruz, Krause, Kendrick, etc, at the price of a Strat Deluxe). Rejected it 'coz... My 1993 Excaliburs were superior on all points, especially the sound which is my #1 point... And the Excalibur is neither my favourite guitar nor my favourite Vigier as I prefer older models (Passion, Arpège...).
With Ibz, I'd say that... a partnership would had been more interesting than with Fender as they're way more diverse, e.g. a neckthru version of the Artfield Afd45 would be really lovely for me, you can get jazz-boxes, they're not shy about making crazy instruments but, with the contracts they want you to sign, sorry, I prefer to pay for my guitars and use what I want when I want... Let's make it clear: there are about 400 guitar makers in France for the population of California+Texas on a smaller area than Texas... And there are artisans willing to make a guitar as great as an ESP Custom Shop for as low as €1500, even found one doing smth similar to the ESP Exotic Forest Custom for €1200...
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Sorry, I'll wait until I get some of his guitars to advertise his job but I think it will be really great...
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Exclusivity contract and paying for Custom Shop guitars? They can go to hell!
I already have an Ibanez, a pink acoustic guitar I paid €130, 2nd hand...
9:20 had me rolling 😂 I wouldn’t say the Parker is ugly, it’s just an acquired taste like Abasi Concepts or Strandbergs… they’re not for everyone. Even though I never gravitated to that look, I would try one, I don’t know if I would keep it… but I wouldn’t know until I try it
Agreed!
Love my Parker. I have the model with the more standard looking top horn.
Must be one of the later models after Ken left. Never played one myself but I’m glad you like yours!
It sounds like Patrice Vigier is retiring after 2023 and shutting down the company. I hope it's not true, I have my eye on 2-3 models. I'd rather buy new than used.
Thanks for sharing. I’d love to know where you heard this news!
It is true according to my guitar dealer
@@ericnicolleau4331 wow, crazy. Thanks for sharing.
@@zorglubmagnus455 I hope so, I want to get a few of their models.
Hi love your channel. I'm looking for the fastest most comfortable neck allowing to play my best. In my younger years I played what I believe was a Parker Fly (not nitefly) and I was stunned at how much better I immediately played on it. That neck made all the difference. Never before did playing a different guitar effect my playing ability like that. Is the Fly neck and nitefly neck different ? Which Parker model/years has the best neck and is the most comfortable in your opinion ? Again like I mentioned in my past Im looking the guitar who's feel helps me play the best. If I bought the vigier with the carbon neck similar to the parker would you say hands down that would be the most comfortable neck of all ? Would the vigier carbon neck in your opinion be the easiest and most comfortable to play ? All I care about is comfort, feel, and playability. Im looking for the instrument who's construction helps me fly across the neck the absolute best. What in your opinion if playability and feel of the neck and weight/contours of the body was the only concern ? Which Parker year/model or Vigier model (with the carbon neck) would you play if comfort and playability was all you considered ? If they are both great and ultra close to each other playability wise I really prefer the back of the neck being sanded unfinished wood like EVH necks. So would that mean the carbon vigier neck would be best ? Or is the best Parker model neck that much better than the vigier ? Sorry for all the questions appreciate your time. Thanks so much. Keep up the great content. Happily subscribed
Hello sir! So in terms of necks, comfort and speed is going to depend on what you like more. All of the nitefly necks are the same regardless of year. All of the fly necks are the same regardless of year. The nitefly has a thicker rounder neck. I personally prefer a thicker neck because I have big hands but most shredders prefer a thinner neck. That is going to be personal preference. The vigier neck is thinner than the parker nitefly but not as thin as the parker fly. In terms of action, they all can have very low action, but the vigier can go slightly lower in my experience, but it isn't a huge difference. The back of the fly and the nitefly have painted necks. They feel fine, but not satin. Some vigiers have satin necks which are smoother than the parkers. But if your vigier has a painted neck, that finish feels very similar to the parkers and it isn't as fast. IMO based on the info you have given me, I think you'd like a vigier indus. It has a satin neck, very comfortable body, and it is probably the most comfortable of everything mentioned in terms of the body. All vigier guitars have the same neck so you can really go with any model, just make sure the neck isn't painted since you prefer a wood feel. I hope that helps.
I'd like to add to Andre's answer: the comfort of a neck depends a lot on your left's hand thumb position, proportionally less on the size of your hands. Thumb rule: if you keep your LH thumb always in the middle of the neck back (as a properly trained classical guitar player) you should go for a thin, flat and D shaped neck, if your thumb rests over the fretboard or on the edge and your hand's palm embraces the whole neck's back then go for a C shaped neck (roundness and chunkness depending on your personal taste). Please note that for bending strings in the upper frets you'll end up resting your LH tumb over the fretboard, so there is no perfect neck in general. However, I tried the Fly Deluxe neck and IMHO is the best neck in the category of D shaped necks, unsurpassed even today. The only wooden neck that approaches that level of quality is IMHO the slim taper Tom Anderson's guitar neck, not as good but very close.
In fact, I think that the only boutique guitar manufacturer that really has learned and understood the lesson of Ken Parker is Tom Anderson, who started in the late '80s making the "classical" Californian Superstrat and from there on has introduced many subtle improvements and refinements (neck joint, electronics, etc.) that put his guitars above any other's maker (Suhr, Schecter Custom shop, Vigier and so on are very good superstrat but nothing more).
The nitefly has a bolt on neck, the regular fly (classic, deluxe, mojo, etc.) have a through neck. The through neck has an absolutely seamless transition from the back of the neck to the back of the body. It makes reaching even the 24th fret smooth and easy.
Very interesting.
I think so too!
I'm strictly a low-end ($$$) guitarist, and not a real musician (I don't know theory at all), but I DO care about aesthetics, and my two favorite guitars to play in recent months have been my Parker P-42 and my Strandberg knock-off headless Eart. Wood doesn't matter much to me, except in terms of weight. It's usually painted over because I'm not buying high-end models with exotic, quilted wood on the top. What I care about are unconventional shapes, especially if the shape makes the instrument easier to play - the Eart is a standout in that regard. I've never been bothered by the P-42's upper horn, either. I also have a Sterling St. Vincent, which is kind of the opposite of ergonomic, and an Eastwood Gemini that's all points and angles. Both of them look very different from a Strat or Tele, but they're no more difficult to play, and I like "different" in this context. As a group, I think guitarists are stick-in-the-muds - mindlessly conservative - when it comes to guitar design.
So, I can see the glue thing being an issue. Carbon fiber is not porous, and very smooth, thus one can easily see how adhesive may fail at one point. An Easy solution could be to drill 2 small holes along where the fret will set, and machine the frets to have two small poles to slide down in there. That, plus the glue would probably fix the issue. Also fretwire has a ridge already along the bottom, so machining that off, except two small poles shouldn't be crazy difficult. Also, personally I don't mind nickel frets so if machining SS frets is too hard I feel like switching to nickel to get the job done is better than peoples frets falling off.... Could be wrong but that seems like a good solution to me.
Hopefully a company comes along and implements your ideas. They seem to be a good solution. I am not ready to give up the carbon fiber fretboard.
Parkers were never the best. But they had a feature set that raised the bar. They innovated at a time when the free-for-all of the '80s had died down. The Super-Strat definition had finally settled into a few cognizant styles. However, Parker combined about half a dozen guitars into a single instrument. The original Fly addressed weight, playability, balance, stability, magnetic pickup versatility, and added the piezo.
The first Parker Fly I got my hands on came in at 2.2 impossibly light pounds. It had two splitable humbuckers. It had admittedly a harsh piezo, but sounded no worse than an acoustic piezo of the time barring Ovations. Neck adjustment was a breeze. The action was very low. And it hung off me with no neck or body dive.
The guy selling it told me to hold on until the Brian Moore guitars started coming out. I own four Brian Moores now and two Parkers. Modded all but one of the lot to near destruction. Parker and Brian Moore having gone out of business shows just how conservative the average player is because these are excellent instruments. Or maybe they were like their predecessor Ned Steinberger and failed running the business over guitar building.
There are some quiet successes to come from Parker and Brian Moore. Godin inherited the pickup structure, and still offers them as standard. I argue they improved upon the piezo by adding a discreet EQ to the onboard preamp. They also took build quality serious enough to make affordable instruments that are stable, playable, and repeatable. Which is to say you can pick up any Godin and it's never a disappointment. Their house magnetic pickups leave much to be desired, but the rest of the instrument is solid.
Piezo-magnetic guitars are still a part of the market. A little niche, but Fishman, LR Baggs, and RMC are still in business along with Gotoh, the Taylor T5, and the Fender Acoustisonic line. Now the amps have to catch up.
Parker searched for poise. Brian Moore threw everything but the kitchen sink searching for versatility. Between them the technology was established, but they had the misfortune to be at the cutting edge where stuff is glitchy.
Well said, sir! I do like Godin's piezo system and I think it's a great improvement.
I totally relate when you were talking about playing in the key of F or G up above the 12th fret. people that have small hands will never understand why cutaways and neck shapes are so important! LOL. So many guitars I have seen on the wall of a shop and said "OMG I love that guitar!"
Then I play it, and there just isn't enough room at the top of the neck. Or the cutaway is not big enough and my knuckles hit it. I learned the Berklee method, I know how to pivot! But sometimes that just isn't enough. Upper fret access is one of the first things I check now.
People talk about ugliness. My main guitar is a Schecter Hellraiser. It is covered in abalone, has gothic crosses, Floyd rose. Most people thing it is gaudy. My Damien Platinum also gets made fun of, with the Bat inlays. But both have great fret access, thicker necks than usual "shred guitars", and they just WORK for me. Are they gaudy?
Yes. But it fits my personality! Just like I think the Parker Fly guitars fit YOU! Who cares what other people think?
I have to give Schecter a more detailed look in 2023 for sure.
@@andrefludd Hey, I'm your man! I have been with them for several years now exclusively.
As far as the trem arm goes 30 seconds with a bench vice and both arms could be Exactly the same. I do it all the time .
My 2 cents: the tremolo height is a personal matter, depending on your wrist/arm position, shoulder's angle, etc..shouldn't be a comparison point. For instance, if you need to play fast runs with some vibrato it is better to have the tremolo near rather than far. I agree with you with the 90% rest of what you stated except that the neck of the NItefly is a way worse neck - actually a downgrade - of the original Fly De Luxe neck, which is IMHO unsurpassed even today. A good video as usual, anyways.
Hmmmm. I see what you mean about the tremolo. Fair enough! However, I totally disagree with you about the fly Vs nitefly neck. I’ve put over 100 hours on both, and the fly neck is too thin for me personally. I think that’s def a point of personal preference rather than a fact. Thanks for the support!
Ever notice how stainless steel frets on other guitar brands don't feel as slippery as on Parker guitars? It's because Ken used a different/harder form of SS than what can be found w/tang'd frets. My Suhr guitars have polished, Plek'd SS frets, and they're still not as slippery as the Parker frets. That said, I still much prefer my Suhr instruments to anything else.
I still gotta try Suhr!
@@andrefludd the first time I played one in a music store I was underwhelmed w/it. Anything can happen with a piece of wood, which is why any guitar builder can have less than stellar examples from time to time. Glad I didn't write the brand off based on that experience because I couldn't been happier than I am w/the 2 I have now. Still love my Nitefly though!
@@nigeldaddyo Funny you say that, I also picked one up at a guitar shop once that had HORRIBLE fret sprout. I haven't tried one since but I really want to! 2023 I plan to get at least one to try, but hopefully 2. A Tele and some type of super strat.
@@andrefludd For the super Strat formula, their Standard plus is worthy of a tryout. that's what I have. that, and the Pete Thorn model. both sound great and play themselves.
If you just talk about looks, the Vigier is...well...ho-hum. I've always thought the Parker Fly guitars were insanely cool looking.
haha yea, the vigier is def more...well..typical.
André, it is pronounced Vigier, not "Vidgier" as in Vigil; if you allow me to correct your French pronunciation. The Vigier Thirteen maybe the dual humbucker Excalibur you would look for. The pickups are made for Vigier by a German company "Amber".
You actually found those Amber pickups on several Vigier GV models.
Thanks for the info. Also, Andre not André ;).
@@andrefludd But pronounced André right? since I am French, we use accent. If you check Moto America SBK, there is an American guy named Jack Gagne, but his last name is pronounced "Gagné". If you look at the etymology of your surname, you will find that it does have an accent at the end. Of course, not in English. So, I will call you Andre from now on. 🙂
@@p6x2 I'm really enjoying this conversation on etymology :). France is a country I really hope to visit one day.
Parker sounds smooth, almost like a strat. V sounded more aggressive
I think so too!
Vigier is building and selling Guitars science 1987 or earlier.
Yea but they changed a lot over the years.
The Vigier's headstock decal looks like a cheap afterthought...looks like a single-colored waterslide decal.
I don't mind it
Vigier crushes the parker in tone!
Maybe. Pretty subjective though.
@@andrefludd Yes! one man eargasm is another man's "nails on a chalkboard"!
I have smaller hands than you, and have no trouble with upper frets.
For me it isn’t really access, it’s more comfort.
Vigier are cool but dislike their headstock shape
Uff…first the Parker headstocks are “ugly” now Vigier headstocks, which almost look like fenders are also unlikeable. Haha we guitarists can be a fickle bunch.
@@andrefludd I like the Parker headstock, for that guitar looks awesome!
I like the Fender one the same used by Charvel... then the Ibanez is good too...
@@bluematrix5001 ahhh a see a fellow Parker guy 😀
@@andrefludd listen to thisstory, my beloved Charvel model 6 was stolen and all my studio.... so I needed a Guitar and had limited budget, bought a cheap Parker... they look great, the piezo sounder great, now I can not play it, the action became so high.. and the piezo so not work... have to check it
@@bluematrix5001 that is indeed a bad string of luck. Good luck with it.
the parker aesthetic is hideous.
You're entitled to think so, Brian!
I honestly think the vigier is more ugly than the parker
Haha fair enough
Ugly? The Gibson/Fender camps have spoken! LOL
yep haha
Dude who uses headstocks anymore
That’s hilarious. Yea, I was playing guitars without headstocks in 2016 but I worked my way back here. Less options when you go headless.
I am sorry and will probably receive lots of thumbs down (😉) but that Parker guitar is ... ugly ... in fact there is no word to describe that ugliness ... 😛which does not mean that it is not a great guitar. Still, I do prefer the Vigier ... great video anyhow, thanks for the hard work
Thanks for the support!
andre, great content, but asking for a like at the beginning of the video is an instant dislike. at least do it as a conditional premise.
Fair enough, sir! But at least I don’t ask for a subscribe ;)
@@andrefludd you should ask for a subscribe, but either do it at the end, or just phrase it "if you like this content, please subscribe and like."
your content is definitely for a specific narrow audience, guitar players who are quite advanced. the average guys will watch Phil McKnight or 60 cycle hum.
@@louiscyfer6944 thanks for your input! Side note: I’m working toward a 315 bench.
@@andrefludd don't get too focused on numbers, and certainly don't max. a better goal is 245 or 275 for 10.