My new 1-of-a-kind guitar.

byu · Post by **byu** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:27 pm

This is the only official 3 single coil USA Parker Fly Mojo Flame that exists. Just got it. Swamp Ash body, Flame Maple top, Mahogany neck. I shall call it the FlyBH.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:27 pm

These are one unconventional shape that really grew on me over time.

Even though they remind me of Doonesbury's nose.

beatlefreak · Post by **beatlefreak** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:33 pm

They never did much for me. And that headstock looks so fragile.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:37 pm

I hear they play great, but it looks to me like the body wings are about to "clamp" down on the neck. Do the skinny strings traverse air on their way to the tuning key? Sorry, that's the only way I could think of to word it.....

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:12 pm

Well, Bill, you've got a fan here. In fact, I'd go so far as to call the Parker Fly a modern classic shape (like Doonesbury's schnozzola)...

Unlike the PRS, which some people (esp. PRS himself) term "classic", and which sell like hautecakes, the Fly is quite original, modern, and still guitarish at the same time.

The whole PRS idea of tracing a Strat and then trimming and detailing it like an LP is so clichŽ and unsubtle, it's cornball. So it sells like nuts. The Parker is very original. It sells, but doesn't burn down the sales house, unfortunately.

Beauty, Bill.

sir_andrew_of_left_coast · Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:37 pm

Congrats on the unique guitar.

I've been eyeballin' Parker's PJ12 Acoustic. Looks a little like a Jazzbo on acid. ;-P

byu · Post by **byu** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:42 pm

I feel that PRS are basically over priced Gibsons which themselves are over priced.

The Parkers are not fragile at all. There's a thin layer of glass epoxy (about as thin as the finish) over the back of the body & neck which strengthens it and allows them to remove much of the wood that you'd normally find in a guitar. The guitar weighs about 4.5 lbs. or less. I should weigh it. The glass epoxy is baked on at 350 degrees and is permanently bonded to the body. It's amazing to play and you barely notice you're wearing it. The weight is one reason Joni Mitchell plays one.

I couldn't capture the color accurately but the blue bursts to a dark green before the outer black. It's a stunning color in person.

BTW, the pickups are Duncan stacks. Pull up on the volume knob and it taps the neck & bridge pickups. Pull up on the tone and the middle pickup is out of phase w/the outer 2. The bridge is by Fishman & has piezo pickups in it for a pseudo acoustic tone.

gray · Post by **gray** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:08 pm

I think those things are neat. I contemplated getting one of their basses.
Nice catch on a one-of-a-kind guitar, Bill!

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:26 pm

Crikey!! The 'standard' 2 pickup Parker Fly Mojo retails for 6 grand over here!!!!!

Congrats, Bill...... I like it too!

captsandwich · Post by **captsandwich** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:50 am

That is gorgeous. I love Flys (flies?). If I had a stack of cash, one would be on my shopping list. The guy who hosted the Toronto confluence last fall told me that he used to host an open jam night, so he would bring the Fly because it was so versatile. Also, he said it could take all kinds of abuse & still stay in tune, play perfectly, etc.
Congrats.

blue330 · Post by **blue330** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:33 am

A guy came into my studio a few years ago with one of these guitars. It was notably non-problematic, and the usual 15% of the session spent tuning up just didn't happen! So I was impressed. It sounded good, too, although the fact that this fellow was a good guitarist was, you know, probably a factor.

I always thought the PRS design owed a lot to the Dan Armstrong guitar. The famous plastic-body one, that is.

marc61 · Post by **marc61** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:57 am

**Ahem** Plastic? Dan Armstong guitars were Plexi-glass made of the highest quality acrylic !

PS - Bill - The guitar is hot!

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:04 am

Plastic.

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:15 am

My son just sold his Parker Fly Deluxe. It was the cool Blue with all the options. They are well designed and built. bass wood Body with Carbon Fiber overlay for strength. A Carbon Fiber Neck with a Phenolic Fingerboard. They have a T-rod that adjusts from where the peghead meets the neck stock, it's an allen screw adjustment. The strings do hang over the edge of the peghead, makes for easy bending for those B/G half tones. The tremolo is a high tech design that uses a curved/replaceable spring steel insert that fits right behind the trem-block. Active controls and an Acoustic pickup makes this a very versatile guitar, just a little on the spendy side at almost 3K. But IMO a very nice instrument that stays in tune quite well.

marc61 · Post by **marc61** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 7:07 am

Can a guitar be built with Super Elastic Bubble Plastic?

Then the weight problem of the Dan Armstrong can be cured.