Parker Guitars Fly Classic

Bought at the end of 1995. This guitar has the cherry finish...like the ones in all of the ads. Same features as all of the "Classics", so I'm not going to rehash them.

I've played straight up rock with this guitar for the past 6 years. From the '60s to present. Beatles to Floyd to Pearl Jam to Metallica to Tool, all in the course of a gig and with just this guitar. I used to run it through Marshall stuff, but am now strictly Mesa Boogie. Either way, the sound was, and still is, incredible! As far as effects go, it's been pretty much either Lexicon or TC Electronic (currently the G Major). The ability to effortlessly switch from electric to "piezo acoustic" is what initially sold me. The only thing negative that I have noticed is that when the tone knob is fully cranked, it can be a bit shrill. I just by habit back it off a tiny bit, and it's perfect. The coolest sound though?....middle position on the humbuckers mixed with the piezo at about half volume...sweet!!

The action is second to none. The fretboard plays like liquid. Honestly, it took about 2 gigs to really get used to, but then there was no going back....to anything! Trying out other guitars in music stores, I have become extremely picky about the necks and feel. Ebony, rosewood, maple....nothing compares with the Parker. Nothing. The factory setup was excellent. I've only made adjustments to the trem when I've changed string gauges. Easy to do though.

OK. It's been 6 years and 200+ gigs. All with this guitar (and a backup...another Parker). I think then that I can say that it has withstood live playing...and a certain amount of abuse (of course, unintentional!)! And I'm absolutely certain that it will withstand another couple hundred! One gripe though...it didn't take all that long for a couple chips in the finish on the edges of the neck on the sides of the fretboard to occur. One potential reason? The frets are soooo smooth that it takes very little effort to bend the strings, so little that I have at times (in the heat of playing) bent the strings right off the fretboard! Thus the chips. The silver lining? The guitar stays in tune, with the bridge "floating", no matter how hard you play it!! Matter of fact, I've even broken the high E string mid solo, reached down and flipped the switch in back to lock the bridge, and continue playing the song, as the guitar stayed in tune! Try that with any of the Floyd Rose-with-locking-nut guitars!! Of course, had the B or G string broken, I doubt the guitar would have stayed so closely tuned... Bottom line here is that the Fly Classic is as dependable as you could ever, ever ask for in a guitar!! But, I still wouldn't gig without a backup. That would be insane.

Here is another area I can offer 1st hand experience with. I stopped by their factory in Massachusetts a couple years back and was graciously offered a tour. Very cool! Got to see the original prototypes, the "fire fly" (if you've ever been there, you know what I mean!), the routers, paint rooms, the whole deal. The heart and soul and talent that gets poured into these guitars makes them worth every penny of their cost. Very friendly folks. I have only had to call once, and my question was answered right then and there...it was about possible replacement pickups a while back. I honestly can't remember the warranty though....I'm pretty sure mine's expired by now.

I've been playing for about 17 years now and have owned way more guitars than I really should have. Strats, Les Paul (1), Ibanez... I have also been lured by the new stuff out there and always try to keep up to date, at least by checking them out. You never know what you might find (that's how I stumbled across the Parker). Of course, if it were lost or stolen, I would buy a new one without hesitation. There is another thing I do love about it. I had a back injury a few years ago, and doing a 4-set gig with the Parker doesn't even bother it! At the time I was shopping for guitars, I compared this one to a Hamer Duosonic (or something like that) because of the acoustic ability. Absolutely no comparison! And the Parker has a trem to boot!! I also met Ken Parker at Guitar Center in Natick, MA last year.....nice guy. Very humble. And did I mention that he designed one hell of a guitar??

This is just a follow-up to my earlier review, motivated in part by the more objective viewpoint I have now that the New Guitar Mystique has worn off. But the real catalyst for this follow-up was reading the "poetic" review below. Without addressing issues of rhyme or rhythmic structure, I'll just respond to some of the main misunderstandings represented in "Anonymous"'s review .

The Parker body isn't light and thin for the sake of being light and thin. (That would be Ibanez.) The reason for the Fly's light weight is resonance. Many, many guitarists think that body resonance is increased by mass or thickness. But in fact the opposite is true. Acoustic guitars are light and hollow / thin, as are drums, cymbals, acoustic guitars (in fact, all acoustic stringed instruments), woodwind instruments, brass instruments, etc. Why is this? Why isn't an acoustic guitar solid? Why isn't a cymbal 1" thick? Because vibration is not easily transmitted through solid material, and the less you have of it, the easier it is to transmit vibration. Thus the better acoustic sound you end up with. And as we should all know, magnetic pickups don't just pick up string vibration - they pick up all sympathetic vibrations from the guitar. And the more the body resonates, the longer the strings will ring anyway. Others have said that you can actually feel the Fly resonate against you when you play. It's true, and it's a good thing.

So what does that mean? That means that my one-piece mahogany Parker Classic is a lot more resonant than the typical "tone machine" Les Pauls or PRSs which are a lot thicker and have glue seams all over the place. The "big tone" you get on those guitars is the combination of two things: volume and EQ. The volume comes from overwound pickups. IMO, overwound pickups destroy much of a guitar's capacity for subtlety anyway. By comparison, the pickups on the Fly simply aren't as overwound as some modern humbuckers. Play a vintage Les Paul sometime and you'll be amazed at how "thin" it sounds compared to what you're used to hearing. The EQ comes from an overabundance of a treble-sucking wood (i.e. mahogany). The irony is that once you actually start playing in a band you find that you have to cut all of those fat mids out of your sound so that you don't muddy up the mix.

And lest anyone think that the Parker Fly is a "toy" guitar made to fall apart in a few years, let me reassure you that most guitar manufacturers are not even capable of producing a guitar like the Fly. That includes your high-end shops as well. The Fly is designed for maximum strength - that's why it has an exoskeleton. I have a buddy who owns a $3000 (lists for $5000) Les Paul. His guitar strap came loose while he had the guitar on and he cracked the neck like a toothpick. So you tell me - which guitar do you want? How many trips will you take to the repair shop with your Les Paul or PRS? How many times will you get the frets filed down or even replaced? How many neck adjustments will you need? Let's put it this way - go out and buy a new PRS and a new Parker and play them both every day for the next twenty years. And never take either guitar in to the shop or perform any adjustments. Never. Which guitar are you going to want to play in 20 years? Which one will even be playable? The Parker is designed to last - that's why it has stainless steel frets (unlike nickel, it's harder than your strings - think about it) and a carbon / glass neck & back covering to prevent the warpage that is inevitable with a wood instrument.

If you couldn't tell yet, my "more objective" opinion doesn't equal any loss of love for my Parker. The guitar has become comfortable and familiar in a "where have you been all my life" sort of way. I would never give it up except for another Parker. I'm spoiled for good. There's no way I could seriously consider another guitar again. Once you play a Parker,

See other reviews

I play blues, and it suits everything I need to do perfectly. An incredible array of possible sounds, very versatile. I play thru a Marshall DSL-100 w/ a power brake and a reissue Super Reverb, and I can produce nearly any tonal response I want.
When playing with both pickups, the output is somewhat less than I would like, though it gives an interesting rendition of positon 2&4 Strat sounds.

It is like a perfect blend of art and technology, and is the first real advance in electric guitar technology I have witnessed in 37 years of playing. Set up from the factory was very precise, though I raised the action slightly to accomodate my playing.
The stainless steel fretwork is beyond description, and the neck plays like a dream.
It took me a few months of thinking prior to purchase to get used to the appearance of this instrument, having been stuck in the incredibly conformist mind-set that afflicts most guitarists specifically,(especially blues guitarists) and men in general. However, when I realized that I was judging based on emotion rather than rationality, it became clear that I was missing the point. I'm very pleased that I woke up.

It appears, after 8 months of solid gigging and practicing, to be built like a tank. I have never dropped it, or run over it with a truck, but then I haven't done either with any other guitar I've ever owned. It holds tuning when a string breaks and when using the tailpiece, and changing strings is quite simple and quick.

have not needed any

I have been playing for many years, and have owned and played many great guitars and amps. I own several fine Strats, a Les Paul '58 reissue, a Gibson ES-335, and a Martin D-35.
I would suggest relocating the pickup toggle switch, as it is somewhat concealed while playing, and thus a litle difficult to locate while playing.
I do not like the gyrations necessary to adjust intonation, but it rarely needs it, and this is a small price to pay for such a fine instrument.

Blah Blah Blah...zzz...Read other posts.

The cool thing is that its got piezos.

The sad thing is that I dont dig the body of the guitar.

It prods me when sitting down.

It pokes when standing up.

The pickups
are DiMarzios
they are coolio
but this guitar...it no jivey-o
with my dy-bod-o

The Schallers are way cool
They make me drool
They stay in tune
Im over the moon.

The neck, its very thin
like wrasslin with Kate Moss
you would win!

The body, oh, woe is the body
the body everyone like-a
the body everyone loves
the body...everyone say "DUDE!"
but...I think...its not even real wood...

Sound sound all around
you can turn it up
or turn it down.

You play it clean
or play it dirty.
For the tone...
sounds like you're playing through a phone.
Its too thin
and too weak
The body shape
has made the tone weak

Not enough wood
Its no good
Although I like saving trees
this guitar sounds like bees
the bees, the bees
buzzing and buzzing
the tone of this guitar...
leaves me cussing.

Action is good
oh it plays nice.
The playability is good,
just like ice. ice. ice. baby.

Finish is cool
looks like steel wool
it is gunmetal grey.
Thats the way.

Feels like its gonna fall apart.
Apart to pieces.
Like Kathie Lee Giffords bag,
feels like its made by a hag
in a sweatshop, working from night till day
oh Parker...oh Parker...too thin is not the way.

No opinion! Hark!

Oh Parker. Why do you feel
like a toy.
You look like one too.
Little boys make you
in underground basements
windows boarded up
floor of cement.

Mr. Parker
a few words i'd like to say.
Thin is easier on the back
but not on the ears.
I've played for years and years
but the tone is unfulfilling
like Madonnas loose pussy,
this Guitar, it no lub long time docta jones!

2001 USA-made Fly Classic, 24 frets, two humbuckers and piezoelectric transducers in bridge (active EQ, therefore has an internal 9-volt battery) with the following controls: master vol, mag vol, mag tone, stacked piezo vol/tone, 3-way toggle for mag pickups (neck / inside coils in parallel / bridge) and 3-way toggle for piezo / piezo + mag / mag pickups (plus stereo jack for splitting signals, one-piece mahogany body (basswood neck), transparent cherry finish (a la Gibson SG) with ruby red finish on back & neck to cover glass & carbon fiber undercoat, body style impossible to classify, tremolo bridge (with easily switchable free-floating / blocked / fixed options), locking Schaller satin black tuners, 25.5" scale length, fretboard covered with glass / carbon layer with stainless steel frets bonded to the surface (no tangs). Came with Parker hard case, stereo cable, manual, hex wrenches, whammy bar, yada yada yada. I give this guitar a 10 for features based not on the amount of features but rather on their usability and function. Everything about this guitar is usable - nothing is wasted. There's truly too much coolness to describe here. And it's easy to use, but more on that later.

I played a Fly Deluxe side-by-side with the Classic for a long time, trying to exactly determine the differences (which really come down to the different tonal qualities of mahogany and poplar, since everything else was totally identical). They are very similar in sound, and the difference between the Classic and the Deluxe is subtle, but it is definitely there. It comes as no surprise that the Classic had a slightly sweeter tone, and I found it to be a superior sounding instrument. But that's purely based on my personal taste. If you're looking for a sharper sound, I would recommend the Deluxe - the inbetween sound sounded more convincingly Tele-like than on the Classic. But then again, when you really laid into the bass pickup on the Deluxe, it started to sound like a middle-position pickup more than a neck pickup. The Classic retained that warm bass sound under similar playing.

Anyway, I think this guitar sounds just great. A very clear voice and no dead spots or muddiness. It doesn't sound like a Gibson or a Fender or whatever, it just has its own voice. And I like that. I had been so stuck on the "Gibson sound" that it was hard for me to objectively evaluate any other guitar. But once I got past that, I saw what a great sound the Fly has. It's got ceramic pickups that DON'T suck (I'm sure ceramic was chosen over alnico for its responsiveness, in keeping with the Fly design philosophy), and you can wrangle a lot of tone out of them. The guitar is EXTREMELY ballsy with saturated overdrive but yet doesn't sound like one of those obnoxious things that are only good for "11"-type settings. It has a very nice smooth clean sound - I can see why some people use these for jazz playing. And just a quick note about the pickup selector - what an ingenious yet simple idea to have a three-way switch that cuts coils in the mid position. What I mean is this - let's say you're playing and you've got to change sounds. If you're on a PRS, you've got to find the right number on your little rotary dial or worse yet, flip the switch AND pull up / push down the coil tap. It's just not easy or intuitive. And anyway, the PRS gives you two inbetween sounds that are essentially the same as well as a (IMO) useless series coils setting that just sounds like crap. How much better to have a simple three-way layout that stil gives you a single-coil sound when you need it? And despite reviews to the contrary, I haven't noticed this legendary amazing drop-off in volume when I switch to the cut-coils setting. But after all, you are switching from a humbucker setting to a single-coil setting. How should I put it: DUH!! But enough ranting.

BTW, the piezo bridge sounds better than Martin's piezo under-saddle bridge. Everyone slags the Parker for not sounding like a real acoustic, but they forget that a real acoustic doesn't sound like a real acoustic anymore once you plug it in. The Parker has more clarity of sound anyway and won't feed back. Plus, if you're so inclined, you could do a whammy dive in the middle of "Blackbird" or whatever. If you're so inclined.

Well, I bought this guitar from Guitar Center, so I had to do my own setup. But that was no biggie - I probably would have raised the action anyway because I like to really dig in to string bends. I got a deal on this guitar because the finish was chipped in several places. But besides that, it was / is absolutely flawless. Solid, solid, solid. I used to own a NiteFly (traded it in on this actually) and I know Parker quality. It is absolutely unmatched, not only because of their craftsmanship but because of WHAT they're crafting. This is a unique guitar that most places couldn't even produce.

I've heard varying reports about the strength of the Fly, from "I dropped it and it broke" to "it got run over by a truck and still worked". Who knows - at least I don't plan on abusing it (as if I would do that anyway with a $2000 guitar!). That aside, I am most certain that this guitar will last a lifetime and then some. Nothing is flimsy or shoddy or second-rate on this axe. I trust Ken Parker not to put out crap products because I have read about and seen in my own instruments the wonderful care with which Parker makes them. And no, I don't work for Parker guitars!

E-mail isn't as quick as it used to be, but I haven't had any urgent issues yet. So I'm not too upset about that. The warranty is only for one year, which doesn't exactly give me warm fuzzies, but I can't imagine anything going wrong with this guitar that isn't a direct result of human abuse. So here they get a 6. Not sucky, not stellar...

I've been playing for around eleven years (started in high school like everybody else) and I work full-time as a music minister at my church. I play through a Tech 21 Trademark 60 (a similarly simple yet versatile piece of equipment). If this guitar were stolen or lost, I would most definitely buy another one. I can honestly say that there is no better guitar that I could buy. I mean, I could get a more expensive Parker, but I like mahogany better than maple or spruce (which I imagine would sound bright as well), so what else is there? Once you've played Parkers long enough, you tend to get spoiled (and probably snobbish - I admit it). As I said, I had a NiteFly previously and I was looking to upgrade. I looked at every brand you could imagine, including Gibson and PRS. But I could never get past the fact that they were all the same! Every one of them was using 50-year old technology and design. As Ken Parker himself said, by now guitar manufacturers have exhausted every combination of features possible on guitars. You've got the Les Paul clones, the Strat clones, the Les Paul with a bit of Strat, the Strat with a bit of Les Paul, etc. etc. etc. It's all been done. Only Parker is truly advancing guitar manufacture. The Fly is the Stratocaster of the 90's, but unfortunately most guitarists are too stuck in yesteryear to notice. They're driving around in these essentially N.O.S. 50-year-old cars when they could own a car with more reliability and better mileage that goes faster, handles better, feels more comfortable, and looks cooler to boot!

Can you tell I've got an opinion on this subject? Anyway, if you're looking to blow $2000 on a guitar, you really should try out the Fly. It takes some getting used to, depending where you're coming from guitar-wise, but it's a sweet ride once you get in.

Not shure the year made. 24 stainless steel frets, compound radius, Fishman Piezo system, volume and tone controls. Simple, elegant, minimal, precise. The body is so thin, and curves to accept the belly of the player. The whole guitar is one integrated system, the body carved spruce, the neck, wide fat basswood, all joined together by some super tough carbon epoxy layer. It is a guitar that uncompromizingly expresses what can be accomplished with modern technology and modern materials.

You can't compare it to anything. It occupies a weird zone. It can sound like a very nice acoustic electric, it can sound like a nice archtop. You can run it through an fx processor or an overdrive. Its strictly Piezo, but sounds different from any Piezo I've played. At max volume, I noticed no quacking. I am treating it like any other electric guitar. It came with D'Addario flatwounds, which are not the factory standard, but I really liked the sound, so I will probably throw a set of Thomastik Swing strings on it. I'm playing it through a DR that has a Weber BP12 in it, 5751's, and 4024's, and it is very sweet. It struck me as a jazz axe and I can get to places on the map I could not get to before. Havn't found anything to dislike.

You know, its just flawless. A scultured work of art and science.

Looks very durable. Like--its post Space Age, Man! It's tough. Very lightweight. Its not a guitar to set on fire or trash a Marshall with.

No contact, but they have an incredible reputation for prfessionalism and concern for their customers

Been playing since 1964, right after the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. Had a ton of guitars over the years, including Wechter electric-acoustic piezo's, Godin piezo synth guitars, Fender Strat's, Schecter's,Gibson SG's. My only other axe is a PRS CE-22 that I rewired to accept Joe Barden pickups. I love the fact that this guitar gets the kind of pure, bell like tones you get from a fine acoustic, but you can run em through a processor, and your arm stays close to your body, and its very light, and the neck is fat and smooth and fast. Might be more efficient for me to have a guitar that combines both the sound of Joe Barden's(best pickups imho) and the Piezo system, but It would not be as lightweight as this, and anyway, this thing is just a butterscotch dream machine. My only wish is that I had the typical Y stereo cable, so I could split it down two separate fx paths--but, that's a minor wish.

Made 1995 in USA. Has 24 frets. It is made of "tone wood". I'm not sure what that is but it is surely the lightest electric I've ever played. It has a master volume, magnetic volume, magnetic tone and a piezo volume/tone control. It is equipped with two Carvin Holdsworth model magnetic pickups. I got rid of the Dimarzios as they were too bright and had an upper mid harshness I could not get rid of. It is painted burgundy and has the Parker Trem bridge with Sperzel locking tuners. The neck is very fast with a nice wide cross section but thin and flat. There are the Parker stainless frets which are worth the price of the instrument.

It suits just about any musical style. The Carvins are very round and sweet with plenty of highs. I prefer EMGs as they have more real highs and lend themselves to processing more readily.

The set up was excellent out of the box. All I did was drop the action just a bit and tighten the trem bar rotation. I would like a roller nut.

The guitar is very robust even though it doesn't seem to be as it is very light. I put straplocks on it as I've had many guitars fall during gigs. It is dependable and seems to be finished well and very resistant to humidity and temperature changes.

Very good at responding to E-Mails.

Playing 20 years plus. I carry an inland marine policy on it for 2000 dollars. I LOVE the neck. I have played $4500 PRS and the like and there is no comparison. I play very challenging jazz and fusion with jazz standards and it is up to all of it. The only thing I wish it had is a roller nut and Kahler trem as on my other guitar.
Other than that it is guitar perfection.

This has been expounded upon by every reviewer so far for these guitars, but I'm sure that it won't hurt to say once more that this guitar has more *useful* features than any other guitar on the market. The sonic palette available to the player is unmatched, and I'm extremely happy with my purchase.

I'm pretty much playing all jazz right now, and while this wouldn't be your traditional jazz box by any stretch of the imagination, who really wants to sound like Wes in 1960, or Joe Pass, or even Hall or Metheny. The point is, if you're looking forward instead of backward, then I don't see any reason you wouldn't be able to get an individualistic tone on this guitar. There are more than enough unique settings to go around.

Perfect, in tune, I just wish I had thought to ask for the tremolo spring for 12's so I could really get on top of this guitar out of the box. Playing on 9's just seems comical to me at this point. But, Parker ships the part free of charge, so I'll just wait on that one for a bit longer. By the way, they seem to have given me the most gorgeous piece of mahogany I could ask for, so I thank the good folks at Parker for that.

Given the space age technology of some of the materials in this guitar, I suspect it's pretty reliable. If not...

... I'll call customer service, and from what I hear, Parker has some of the best in the business. Hopefully I won't need them though.

I've been playing on a '91 Les Paul Studio for 7 years now, and I guess I wanted something new, something light, something I could carry easily around campus. I also wanted to really form my own sound, something that this guitar should contribute heavily to. Anyone thinking of buying a Parker should give it it's full chance by really playing it at the guitar store or where ever, and by exploring its full tonal potential.

This is the in-between of the Deluxe and the Supreme...I prefer the classic cause of the mohagany body...it sort of strikes a good balance..cause parkers are typicall bright guitars...mine is the natural mohagany..beautiful...Dimarzio,Sprezel..all stock actually...the only feature that parker left out on this baby was synth access...they said they cant get their synth syytem to fit in this model.

I play guitar on a cruise ship...Sea Princess..Princess Cruises..this is not an ad...sorry..thanx for the plug...and I play a wide range of ..Reggae,Soca,Calypso,Jazz,Rock,Pop and R&B...so I needed a versatile axe...the main factor though was that the guitar had to be light and withstand the excess humidity and salt in the air...not a easy task indeed..the Parker delivered with ease...stability..and a sound that cuts through anything....it's clean...just bright enough...I'm runign through a Digitech GSP2101 preamp processor..into a Fender Stage 112...real shit amp...but lugging a Marshall on a ship isnt feasible..then again?!?
Likes...everything..the versatility...not strat..not les paul..just a totally unique flavour...may take some time to get used to..lots of ssssuuuuussssstttaaaiiiin, overall..the bomb
I dont like the knobs..quality location...hard to reach selector switch.

It's not set up like say a ESP..ultra low...but playable..semi low action..which I beleive lende to the Piezo sound and facilitates better acoustic type playing..the fretboard is very wasy to bend on...sweet frets..I hate the hex shape of the bar..looks almost like a welding rod..ha...the spongy end doest do it for me either...but hell..it works like a dream..very smooth..very accurate..nice with chords.

What can I say...it's like Dr. Spock's guitar on steroids...very stable..had a strat on the ship...bugger lasted 2 months..befor the switches succumbed to salt...the Parker...bring it on!...I still feel uncomfortable with straplocks though!

Backup..what's that...I busted a string the other day..during a Santana solo...normally I would head for the bar..and just go crazy to cover up for being out of tune..but I hit a note then another..and another..and it was on..wow..this is progress

Did not need any yet...hope never

I've been playing intensly for abou 7 years...used to use mainly Ibanez,Jackson,Fender..almost bought a Ibanez SAX2020..similar to the parker, but I needed somethin different...I wish it had a GK2A installed internally...might spring for it..wish it came with 2 amps to plug into...ha..ha

Share??...Ummm..KIWI ROCKS!...NZ...Hi Nic!!

Purchased new as of 03/2001. Standard fly classic transparent red (or was that cherry?) - beautiful guitar. Same specs as mentioned here in other reviews. Got the hard case with it (highly recommended). Purchased at guitar center for $2150 out the door including the case and CA 8% tax. They originally wanted $2200+ without the case and without the CA tax. I found the same thing on musiciansfriend website for $2079 with the hard case, but shipping was 2.5% of price. I told them about it, they went and checked, and came back a matched the price (I threw in the extra $20 or so just so I could have it NOW :-)).
As far as the features go, it has everything I need and want. The shape of the body fits comfortably on my leg while seated, the playability is awesome. Fit and finish are flawless. Love the tuners and the fact that it doesn't have that big block where the neck bolts to the body on most guitars. Makes playing above the 12th fret the same as elsewhere. Whammy bar is awesome as well - going both ways is too cool.. Don't know what else I need, so it gets a 10...

I play a wide variety of stuff, old black sabbath, Creed, Rush, and some classical stuff as well. I can get just about any tone I need from this beast, and I was pleasantly surprised at being able to get volume dynamics with the peizo's mixed in (very cool). The acoustic sound is more than adequate form my needs, and mixing it in with some effects (delay/comp/etc) gives it as great full sounding tone for the classical pieces I play. I've even found that I like the piezo's mixed in with a lot of distortion as it just seems to 'fill out' the sound. I don't have a lot of effects, other than a Korg PX3 which is enough for what I do (don't play live so..). I can't think of any other guitar that gives me this kind of tonal flexability. I don't mind if I can't get *exactly* that 'les paul' sound, or that 'fender' sound - I just think it sounds great. The only problem I have with it is that the acoustic can get really bright if you max the tone out. So I'll give it a 9.

I'm still struggling with the action. Playing chords (strumming relatively hard) produces fret buzz on the low E and A string. It doesn't persist for very long, but it is there. This is my first high end guitar, so I'm not sure if this is a normal occurance. I've played around with the bridge height to try and minimize it. It looks like there is a compromise between low action and fret noise (as I would expect). Playing lead on it doesn't bring it out as much. I suppose if I was going to strum chords all day I'd raise it, If I was doing mostly lead I'd lower it. I hear it mostly when doing using the piezo's, but it gets buried when using the humbuckers. I will probably change the strings to 10's to hopefully keep the strings from flapping around so much (especially for playing Creed with drop D tuning or some of Sabbath's C# tuning). Someone else can probably make a better judgement in this regard as I lack long term experience with a variety of different guitars.
Outside of that I rate the action a 10 in terms of playability - again I don't know if what I percieve as a problem is one of physics, or one of the guitar..

N/A

N/A

I've been playing about 3 years on the cheapest fender you can find, so just about anything would be better. I chose a parker because I am a fan of high tech, and didn't like the idea of paying top dollar for what is essentially 50 year old technology. It's just plain COOL!
It's fast, light, and can play a wide variety of music.