# Budget Parker guitars



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Was out at lunch today and a Parker *P44 *caught my eye, as did the price tag.

Anyone have any experience with these?


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## droptop88 (Aug 25, 2006)

Played one not long ago in my favorite store. I always liked the body shape.
This one was set up quite nicely; very useable instrument as far as tones went. Kind of a darkish red. Fingerboard felt great, wider than 1.625 and flatter than 7.25, at least to my feel. This was a used one - price point seemed very reasonable for an instrument that played/felt sounded like this.

My .02


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Are these the Korean made ones? I really liked the one I played, which surprised me given it's nontraditional design.

TG


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Since it is under $600 *and* a Parker, yes I assume it is Korean made.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Since it is under $600 *and* a Parker, yes I assume it is Korean made.


Korean is turning out tons of great guitars. I think Korea is what Japan was in the 80s (making stuff that holds up against anything else at way cheaper prices).

TG


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I figure it's like bagels. Once upon a time, the only place in the world where it seemed like you could get a proper bagel (A true bagel has no discernible top or bottom. It is boiled first such that it retains shape throughout the baking. If you can spot the bottom, it ain't a bagel.) was Montreal. Bit by bit, though, the techniques for producing quality bagels disseminated eastward and westward, and now it is possible for proper bagels to be made outside of Montreal Island. So, if what had always seemed like the impossible task of making proper bagels can spread out from Montreal, and be acceptable to snooty bagel-philes like myself, then surely proper guitar fabrication techniques can be learned and spread out from those traditional havens of production to places like Korea, Mexico, China and elsewhere. Who knows, maybe one day we'll see people dickering over whether "...it's a Mumbai Strat or a Dhakka Strat", or, the good lord willing, an Oshawa Strat.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Well, I gave in and bought it, after 20 minutes of strumming and an equal amount of time reading reviews. As noted by reviewers, the whammy is a delight to use. Holds pitch nicely, and is comfortable and effective to use. The pickups are not exactly inspiring, but that's easy to fix. The piezo pickup is fine, and adds another dimension I am not accustomed to. I was looking for something to shake up my playing anyways, so that's okay. The coil tap adds another colour as well.

If I have any misgiving, it is probably the thickness of the neck up high. At the nut, it is nice and wide, and thick enough for me. Once you get up above the 12th fret, though, the neck starts to feel like those old shallow Hagstroms. I'll see if my fret hand holds a grudge against me for that.

All in all, though, seems like a decent guitar. haven't really lived int he land of humbuckers for a while, so I'm looking forward to hearing all my effects a little differently.

I got the cherry red one.
http://www.parkerguitars.com/code/models/models_pseries_p44_colors.asp


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

mhammer said:


> or, the good lord willing, an Oshawa Strat.


Well, the truck plant close this week so there is certainly no lack of manufacturing space.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Looks good Mark, congrats on the new guitar. I've always been meaning to try one of those Parker guitars. They're very light?

Regarding the skinny neck, remember the words of the late Tommy Tedesco: "Theres no money above the 5th fret!"


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

bagpipe said:


> Looks good Mark, congrats on the new guitar. I've always been meaning to try one of those Parker guitars. They're very light?
> 
> Regarding the skinny neck, remember the words of the late Tommy Tedesco: "Theres no money above the 5th fret!"


Love the quote. Pure Tedesco.:bow:

The budget instruments are not made from the synthetic stuff that the Fly is. It comes in at around 7 lbs or so. Not as light as my Epi Coronet, but certainly easier on the back than a Les Paul or 335.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Congrats on the new guitar Mark. 

I've always been intrigued by those Parkers. I thought the budget ones are also light which I thought was one of the main reasons why a lot of people like them but I guess they're not. I know, Joni Mitchell started using Parkers in the last few years due to their weight.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

well, i just learned something about bagels!

and I thought 7lbs Was light... ?

congrats on the new one, lets see some pictures


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Budda said:


> and I thought 7lbs Was light... ?


Undertsand that my main guitar for several decades is a 64 Coronet that is so light you can hold it up with two fingers. So for me, 7lbs is an anvil on a strap.

And glad I could teach you a thing about bagels. Note that for a true Montrealer, there are only two knds of bagels: white seeds (sesame) and black seeds (poppy). Everything else strays from the true path.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

There's a Parker (P38?) for sale on Kijiji in Saint John for $220 with accessories.

kksjur


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

I had a P44 for about a year. That was a really nice guitar. The neck is big and round, the quality and the assembly is top notch. the neck and the piezo are really nice!!! The best set up when playing clean is mix up the neck at about 3-4 and the full piezo you can get a really rich sound. The push/pull config is really nice, you can get almost every possibility with this kind of electronics. My only complain was about the bridge pickup. It was too loo and week for me and when using the push/pull that was worst. The body is very ergonomical, one of the most comfortable guitaer I ever played! I've only sold it 'cause I was going on simplicity, less knobs and futuer and more play! 
And when you buy it you have the best gig bag ever, full of pocket and full of protection.
That's my contribution!


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

traynor_garnet said:


> Are these the Korean made ones? I really liked the one I played, which surprised me given it's nontraditional design.
> 
> TG


Yep build in Korea but assembled, set uped and tuned in usa!


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## Eminor (Sep 16, 2008)

I have a P38 that doesn't get a lot of play time, but I doubt I'll ever sell it since it plays well, seems well made, and is really really cute. One of these days I'll get around to fixing it up a little. It was a $300 pawnshop find.

By contrast, the same pawnshop has had a presumably NON-Korean Parker (can't tell which model) priced at something like $1800, and it's been sitting there for a year and a half. Good luck with that fellas.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Well, after a bit noodling around yesterday, I can safely say that I have come to like the playability of the guitar and the responsiveness of the tremolo, but the stock pickups are bland, with very little tonal difference between neck and bridge, and no discernible sparkle in the middle setting. That being said, I think a pickup change would make it a very playable instrument.

I also stumbled on the highest end Parker yesterday - the Adrian Belew signature model - which I gather he played when in town last year. It sells for just under $10k, and has just about every bell and technological whistle a player might request:
- piezo pickup in bridge? check
- Fernandes Sustainer in the neck position? check
- Line 6 Variax modelling? check
- MIDI out? check
- Duncan bridge pickup? check

It's a bit like a guitar that Les Paul might envision if he had been born in 1950.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Sent off two notes to the support desk at Parker today, and both were answered within an hour with useful info. Very impressed.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

mhammer said:


> but the stock pickups are bland, with very little tonal difference between neck and bridge, and no discernible sparkle in the middle setting. That being said, I think a pickup change would make it a very playable instrument.


I know you're an "electronics wizard/experimenter" so maybe you already have something in mind for the pickups. If not, you should get it touch with Jon Moore at http://www.tonefordays.com/. I'm still delighted with the pickups I had him make for my PRS - miles better than the Seymour Duncans that were in there before, and much more reasonably priced too. He'll custom wind anything that you can describe to him


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Not sure if you were aware, but the polepiece spacing for the bridge pickup is wider than that for the neck pickup. I'll have to see what kind of bobbins and other parts I have on hand, and maybe wind something for myself first.


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