Johnny Clegg, Andy Innes & lots of Parker guitar pics

AlanRatcliffe

A few weeks ago, Andy Innes and I had a long chat on the phone about Parkers and piezo pickup electrics in general, and he was nice enough to invite me to go see the Johnny Clegg show on Saturday at Wynberg Boys High. We had a great chat backstage before and after the show and I got to paw his brace of Parker guitars.

Parkers were very evident during the show: Andy had his three and Johnny had a pair. I last played a Parker not long after the original models came out and was very impressed by everything aside from the price tag. My main worry was that the fast, thin neck wouldn't be up to my taste for chunky necks. Turns out I shouldn't have worried: they are thin, but wide and somehow surprisingly comfortable. I would imagine anyone who likes an Ibanez Wizard neck will love them, but they don't give me the immediate hand cramps that the Wizards do.

After the show I had a look at Andy's other gear, Which is a Mesa Triple Rectifier head and single 4 X 12" Mesa Cab with a TC Electronic Nova System for effects (but not overdrives - he uses the amp's drives). For the Piezo side of the Parkers he uses an SWR Strawberry Blonde.

Anyway, my wife took over 800 photos while we were there and here are some I've chosen specifically for guitar content. If you want to see some of the better and more general concert pics, wander over to her album on Facebook.

Johnny with his red Parker:

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Closeup of the red Parker's sexy neck joint):

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Johnny with his Black Parker:

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Andy with his black Parker - showing some wear and tear:

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Closeup of Andy's Black Parker:

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Andy's Parker Fly Artist (solid spruce body):

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Closeup of the Artist:

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Andy's Bronze Fly (bronze strings, only piezo pickups):

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And finally, me playing the Artist backstage:

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DonovanB

they are funny looking instruments. But very cool at the same time.

your wife takes great photos..

MIKA-the-better-one

never played one but I cant get over the look, really it takes alot to make something look uglier than a ibanez or a telecaster, Parker have acheived this

Tokai-SA

Very cool, Alan...and great photos.

Wizard

I like the look ....

AlanRatcliffe

Actually, my wife asked me to post a disclaimer, because I used her raw photos, before she did any post processing and I just did some rough cropping. So these pics are not indicative of her usual quality standards.

Mea culpa ?

WantzChas

Alan what does it play like?

AlanRatcliffe

Almost too fast and easy. ? Very low action, very stable neck composite fingerboard and stainless frets. The Bronze Fly played like an electric (it was fitted with .011s). Speaking of frets - I didn't notice any fretwear either, not even on the black one which has obviously been played hard.

The only reason I don't own a Parker is I play very high and the upper horn digs into my chest. Not a problem for most people...

Andy was hoping to have his new custom made one by Saturday, but there was a delay finishing it.

Fingerpicker

I first played a Parker Fly in 2000, I loved it. Being an acoustic guitar player, I couldn't believe how light (weight) and quick it was. I had only played quarter ton Gibsons before that.

zohn

Zabadabadoo!!! - first thing that comes to mind everytime I see those guitars (Flintstones). Very cool though ?
Great photographs!

Bob-Dubery

MIKA the better one wrote: never played one but I cant get over the look, really it takes alot to make something look uglier than a ibanez or a telecaster, Parker have acheived this

Mika! I would never have thought of you as a luddite, but I'm starting to think that's what you are ?

The Parker is interesting because the designers took a look at the guitar and asked questions about it and tried to improve the concept. I'm not a fan myself, but it's clear that the design is well considered and that what's there is there for a reason. Like a Smoothtalker. The guys who design these guitars are not just wantonly looking for something eye catching.

PeteM

They look cool to me - but I would also have a problem with the height of the horn and a worry about the exposed 1st and 2nd strings at the headstock.

Squonk

Good Photography and I actually dont mind the shape.
Must be interesting to have the mix of piezo and humbuckers?, Should be able to get some different sounds.
The question is Alan, how does it feel? Did you use the piezo? does it play like an Electric but sound like an acoustic?
Must be an odd sensation.

I played my brothers Line 6 Variax and the sensation was odd when I switched to dropped d tuning even though the guitar was still in conventional tuning.

AlanRatcliffe

The question is Alan, how does it feel? Did you use the piezo? does it play like an Electric but sound like an acoustic?
Must be an odd sensation.

Oh, it doesn't have that weird thing the VAx has, where the sustain of the sound is completely different to the sustain you're feeling from the guitar. It responds the same as the guitar does, and just has more of the attack, an extended high frequency range (I use the Graph Tech stuff, which has extended lows too) and a wider dynamic range than the magnetic pickups - all things you can use to your advantage when you blend tones, as the two are quite different.

All-in-all it's more "natural" than the magnetics but less natural and resonant than a piezo'd acoustic guitar (in part due to the strings), which some perceive as being "thin". I prefer to approach it as an additional range of sounds over the magnetics instead of an "acoustic" sound (as well as the start of a second, completely discrete signal path that I can process differently).

I did a series of articles on piezo saddles (including some short clips): http://ratcliffe.co.za/articles/piezo.shtml - that should give you some idea.

aubs1

Geez Alan, I actually like the look of those Parkers! And I have seen (and heard) Johnny play them. And I like the tone he gets.........

I think I could easily add one to my guitar collection, not a bad idea......... ?

AlanRatcliffe

Fingerpicker wrote: I first played a Parker Fly in 2000, I loved it. Being an acoustic guitar player, I couldn't believe how light (weight) and quick it was. I had only played quarter ton Gibsons before that.

If you thought the normal Fly is light - the Bronze fly is a real featherweight, weighing in at only 4 lbs (1.8 kg).

Manfred-Klose

There is a parker standing at marshall music cape town i have my eyes one, very pretty guitar, ash body in the shape of a parker fly with the look of a telecaster.

AlanRatcliffe

The P38 (IIRC). Those are not much like the "real" Parkers IMO, but are rather normal guitars shaped like Parkers.

singemonkey

X-rated Bob wrote:
MIKA the better one wrote: never played one but I cant get over the look, really it takes alot to make something look uglier than a ibanez or a telecaster, Parker have acheived this
Mika! I would never have thought of you as a luddite, but I'm starting to think that's what you are ?

I am a luddite, in general. I doubt I'll ever own a guitar that doesn't have a hint of pre-1970 in it. I hated the Parker Fly when it first came out. I thought, "What a dumb, gimmicky guitar."

But many years later, I think it's proven itself. It's still here for a start, while many attempts at new guitar designs have come to nothing (when did you last see someone play a steinberger - which I also have a soft spot for). When I look at it now, the shape is still unusual, but it's no "uglier" than a Telecaster, which pretty much anyone can appreciate today. The design choices they made on this guitar make a lot of sense. The piezo concept has since been copied by many others. With a Fishman Aura type system, I think it's going to be amazing what people are going to be able to do with these, tone-wise. Almost everything about the Fly is unusual, but therein lies its lasting charm.

It's a little like a Mosrite - still clinging on despite being unappealing to a lot of people.

Manfred-Klose

Alan@ how would that guitar differ from a "Real parker" ? is it like a squier vs fender issue?