Parker Guitars Fly Bass

Parker 4 fly

sounds good

finish scratches easy

Very light-wont hurt your back. The neck is terrible. 3 guitar necks say it is a bad neck-I sold the bass. Very dissapionted. I have talked to other fly owners that had the same problem.

Called 7 times before I got someone to return all my messages. These are the same people who rep harmonicas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great concept. They have a problem with the necks and in my opinion are not playable.

Having saved my pennies for a long time to buy a new instrument, i was very particular on the features that it had. This instrument has an 18V active preamp (run off of a single 9V battery through magic) this lets it have a good deal of headroom. It has jazz bass style pickups along with a piezo pickups. I used to play a fender standard p-bass. Let me tell you, with some DR strings, this bass is able to get an almost infinitely most diverse range of tones. The one thing that bothers me about the electronics of this guitar is that it does not have a mid band eq knob. Parker says that a mid boost can be achieved by cutting both bass and treble. However, in my mind this is not really the same thing. Oh well.

This is not a fender p-bass. It is not fender j-bass. It’s also not a fodera. It understandably doesn’t sound like any of these instruments either, though it does a good approximation. The sound it has is all its own. It is a more modern bass sound with deep growl and hi-fi sparkle. I play it though a sansamp and love the tone. I have been frustrated occasionally by not being about to get a true acoustic tone out of it, but to be honest, it’s a solid body guitar and there are things that physics just doesn’t allow for. The bottom line, I really like the sound. You may not, go try one out.

This is a ridiculously light guitar. I think it rivals my acoustic in weight. I think the other reviews had a valid point. When I first picked up this guitar I did think that it felt cheap. The lightness is deceiving. Also, when the instrument is not plugged in, hammering a string results in a sort of buzzy plastic sort of sound. This is not encouraging to someone who is experiencing this instrument for the first time. However, when you plug the thing it, it more than makes up for these initial problems. Additionally, I am frustrated that the quilt top is not a deeper quilt, makes me sad that parker didn’t use a high quality wood for the top. It’s not a big deal, just a little sad. Overall a very solid bass. Despite being so light I have gigged with it without a backup with no problems. Last note, this is a weird looking bass. Sorry Parker, but I am going to come out and say it, I would be happier if this bass looked a little more traditional. I know this is sacrilege to the parker guitar community, but it does look really odd.

I’m a low action kind of bassist. I love the action, it’s sickeningly low. Parker set up the frets well enough to allow the kind of action you get out of an electric guitar. But seriously, this is Ken Parker, his instruments all play this way. Some other reviews have commented on the cutout of the back of this guitar. I play with this guitar is a mid high level. I find that when I angle the neck up at about 45 degrees or so the guitar fits nicely to my chest. Obviously this is not the style that everyone is going for, if you’re looking to punk this thing, you may want to look elsewhere. Again, I like the cut, you should try it yourself. One note, I use Dunlop strap-locks, because the upper strap button is mounted on the back of the instrument, it’s somewhat inconvenient, a minor frustration.

Never had a problem, this guitar does not go out of tune. There have been times where i have played it for 2 weeks straight without tunning. This is checking it with a TU-2. It does not go out of tune. Solid.

Never had a problem.

I'd like to start out by saying that I am always doubtful of the reviews I read on the internet and you should be too! If you are seriously considering this guitar, you should find somewhere to try it out. Don't just believe what i have to say about it. That being said, go try out this instrument, it is excellent.

I've been waiting for YEARS for Parker to come out with this instrument and boy, was it worth the wait! Qulity is second to none. The piezo pickup combines with the DiMarzio pickups to provide a sound like I've never heard. The instrument is absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous quilt top and the spruce body combine for a snappy and deep tone. The 2 band eq concerned me at first, but it's all you'll need.

I bought this the day it arrived at the store and it was perfect right out of the box. Didn't even need a setup from the guitar tech.

The instrument is still relatively new to me, so I haven't had to deal with Parker yet. Don't expect any problem, the dealer had to call Parker and ask a question for me and actually got a REAL person on the phone.

I've been a bass player for over 30 years and this is by far the most fun instrument I've played. Lightweight and distinctive sound set if far apart from the rest of the pack. Whether it's through my GK or my vintage Ampeg, this bass sounds amazing. My other basses will have to stay home a while. Want to get attention on stage? Try playing one of these at the next gig.

2002 Made in USA. For full feature list, check out their website www.parkerguitars.com or the press release on Harmony Central.

I use this bass every weekend in a classic and modern rock cover band. I've been playing through a Line 6 Bass Pod but I'm finding that the Bass sounds best when just going direct into the board. So far, I've been able to dial in just about every sound I've needed. It is very quite. It can get as 'Hi-Fi' as an Alembic Series I, or as 'Vintage' as a P-bass. I'm a very happy camper with the sound.

There are many subtleties to the tone that actually come through when playing live. This is one of the few basses where you can really hear the difference.

The only reason I didn't give a 10 is because there was some dried polish in the neck joint that looked like white glue. A little buffing and it came right out.

The action is wonderful. I've actually raised it just a bit to adjust to my playing style, but it is still very low. Fretwork is good, no buzzing in odd places.

I know I sound like a Parker ad, but I really am impressed with the workmanship.

Although very light, this bass feels very substantial. I'm not worried about it at all. After a few months of gigging, and the usual stuff that goes on, this bass looks brand new. The neck hasn't needed any adjustment. I've added some Dunlop strap locks and had to cut one of the Dunlop screws down a bit... it was too long for the thin body.

I used to bring a backup bass, just in case, but now I just bring my Parker.

Absolutely wonderful. I spoke to Will at Parker about some questions I had - battery life, etc.. He was very helpful and knowledgable.

I own a pile of basses, including MM Sterling, Alembic Series I, Ric 4001, Carvins, Fender Jazz and P, Martin Acoustic, and some others. I've looked forward to owning this bass more than any other. I like the weight (lack of), sound, action, and of course, looks.

Everywhere I play, this thing draws attention. When other bass players check it out, they have loved it.

I'm not a Parker employee. I'm just a very thrilled owner of the best bass I've ever played.