Parker Guitars NiteFly SA

the newer (2002)SA model. swamp ash body, mahogany (the earlier SA's used basswood) neck. smart jack instead of older ones with the mono/stereo switch. 5 position strat-style pickup selector, SSH dimarzio configuration with the fishman piezo bridge. translucent blue w/white "mother of toilet seat" pickguard, locking sperzels, graphite nut, parker vibrato.

this is my fourth fly so obviously i am partial to parkers. my other parkers all are dual humbucker guitars, so for an initial comparison i compared it to a 1991 alder bodied prs eg1 because it shares the SSH configuration of the parker. i found the parker to be less bright than the prs. maybe its the wood, maybe its the dimarzios, or maybe it's both. i use a fender custom shop prosonic amp and was easily
able to get the brightness back by boosting the treble on the amp by 1&1/2. i would say neither sounded better. just different. alot of people don't like the dimarzios. i too prefer duncans but given the sound i'm getting right now, i'm in no hurry to run out and buy replacement duncans. the guitar is, however, WAY more versatile than most guitars given the fact that you can blend the piezos in w/the dimarzios for piano-like chimey clean sounds that are out of this world. this guitar is very quiet. naturally you get a little hum on the in-between positions like you would on any other single coil guitar but nothing that'll bum you out. i was surprised that i actually prefered the stock dimarzio humbucker (on distortion settings)to the venerable prs HFS humbucker. hard to describe- just over all a more focused tone with a better balance of low, mid, and
highs. NOBODY, (don't kid yourself!)including myself, has yet to hear a score of 10 in this catagory so understand that my score of 9 is quite high.

not gonna waste my time here w/details. it's this simple:
PARKER=PERFECTION.
if you disagree, then:
a) you've never played one
b) you played one at a guitar center that had been f#cked around with by some moron. (this is more applicable to the glue-in neck models that have the exposed trem-tension wheel)

rock solid just like my fly classic and my fly butternut ltd. the only thing more stable tuning-wise is a floyd rose but those suck for a number of reasons. every guitar tech and guitar builder i know has stated that the parker vibrato is the ultimate guitar trem engineered to date. always have a backup available. hey, strings break.

i live an hour from the factory and have been there a few times. great people. sometimes a little hard to reach by phone but that's how it goes sometimes. not as bad as trying getting a tech on the phone at mesa boogie though! LOL!

there's always gonna be a guitar out there that sounds better, and i HAVE run into guitars (on occasion) that sound better than my flys. but that "better" sound has never been significant enough to make me want to give up the playability of the parkers. (not to mention the look and stability) these things make you want to PLAY, and isn't that what it's all about?! most of us know, the bulk of your "tone" comes from your fingers, heart, and soul. so there!

Made in 1997. Standard Parker Fly shape, but with bolt-on construction. Swamp Ash body (hence the SA) with Basswood neck and composite carbon fretboard (which I love). Super light body that makes my MIM Strat look and feel huge. Awesome black finish with black pickguard. Stock custom-wound DiMarzio HSS pickups (which I also love) with 5-way switch. Stock Piezo pickup and 3-way switch. Stock Sperzel locking tuners. Oh, and a tremolo. What more could you want?

I'm playing through a solid-state Carvin SX200 2x12 combo. This is one of the most versatile guitars I have ever played. The pickups are very bright and articulate and work well with the Swamp Ash body. No buzzing or humming either. The Piezo pickup also allows for some cool Tom Morello-esque stuttering effects and serves as a good kill swtich. The Parker Nitefly does it all!

I bought this guitar used, so this is the only place where the guitar falters a little bit. There were a few scratches in the finish that I plan on fixing over the summer and the action was a little high. I got it set up professionally and now it's awesome! The neck and the fretboard play wonderfully. The thinner neck allows for easy finger gymnastics and makes the guitar more fun to play.

I'm gigging with it in a pop-rock/punk band (think Foo Fighters meets NOFX) on a weekly basis. I jump around a lot during our set so at first I was worried whether or not the light body could handle all of the abuse I put it through. Sure enough, 4 months later and not a scratch!

I have been playing for about 2 years and own a Yamaha FGS413 acoustic, a MIM Fender Deluxe Double Fat Strat, my Carvin combo, and my Digitech Whammy and Dunlop Crybaby pedals. If someone were stupid enough to steal my Parker, I would hunt them down and make them feel my wrath. I had never played nor have yet to play anything that sounds, plays, and functions as well as my Parker Nitefly. It's everything I could ever ask for in a guitar: it's light, plays great, sounds amazing, and is very distinctive. In fact, I'm looking to buy another one with a sunburst finish or one with 3 single coils. If you're in the market and looking for something functional and affordable, get your hands on a Parker Nitefly SA and see what I'm talking about.

According to the serial #, this guitar was made in the year 2000. The body is made of swamp ash, the neck is made of mohogany with a carbon composit fret board and stainless steel frets( nice!)It has sperzel locking tuners. The electronics consist of one dimarzio humbucking pickup in the bridge, and two single coils in the middle and the neck position. A Fishman piezo pickup built into a vibrato which is fully adjustable. a five position pickup selector and a toggle switch for choosing either the passive pickups or the piezo pickup or both in stereo. Parker no longer adds a mono- stereo button. They supply the guitar with a stereo cable (too short) and gig bag which is mediocre. Mine is their translucent red color with a pearl white pick guard ( really cool!)

I got this guitar on friday, set it up to my specs, and gigged with it on Saturday. I could'nt stop playing it! I like this guitar almost as much as my beloved Fender Classic Floyd Rose Stratocaster which is and will always be my favorite. ( I love those necks) This Nite-Fly SA sounds just like a Strat, the humbucker pickup I'm still evaluating. It sounds differnt than my other guitars, therefore I'll either set up my Line 6 Flextone 3 amp with programs for this guitar or I'll change it to a Fender DH-1 which I have grown accustomed to. The piezo is really nice and convenient, and can be EQed to sound like an acoustic guitar.

After recieving this guitar I had to set it to my personal specs. The action was alittle too high for me and the neck had a forward bow to it which I staightened out with the truss rod adjuster. Then I re-adjusted the vibrato according to the manual and re- set the pickups heights.After that the guitar played like a dream. The guitar is a georgeous work of Art! I will give it an 8 only because I think maybe it could of been better set up.

It seems to be very well made so far, but I have only had for couple of days. Time will tell

Have not had to contact the company yet so I don't know how well they are to deal with.

I Have been playing guitar for over 30 years. I own all kinds of top shelf gear, Mesa Boogie, Marshall, PRS, Gibson, Fender, Peavey,and more. I have tried just about everything and anything that has to do with guitars and amps and this guitar is definitely a keeper! I just sold a Line 6 Variax guitar which was cool for what it is, but this beats it hands down for quality, playability, original sound and looks. The only thing I wish this model included is a tone control for the piezo pickup, which is offered in the upper Fly models. Other than that, this guitar is a complete package for me! I would buy another one if it were lost, stolen , or destroyed.

Bought it used on ebay. 22 frets. Has a Dimarzio humbucker on bridge plus 2 single coils in neck and middle. Volume control for dimarzios, volume for piezo pickup, 5 way selector for dimarzio with coil split in the 4th position, 3 way switch for 1) dimarzios 2) dimarzios and piezo 3) piezo, Pickups are passive, i need to get used to this... Beatiful sunburst finish, sperzel tuners, etc..

I have played active emgs in a standard strat for 7 years. I was really used to the high gain output of the emgs so i am having a hard time going into passive pickups, the seem to lack output. I play alternative rock and it sounds really good, very different from my strat, the parker has more mellow sound. I play it through a line 6 flextone II plus. It is very versatile, its closer to a classic strat sound but with some extra punch coming from the humbucker. It doesnt sustain much i have to use a compressor to compensate it. The piezo sounds well...like a piezo, it can sound like an acoustic guitar under the right conditions. I use a fishman D.I. when i use the piezo and it sounds very good but when i try the piezo with my line6, even in a clean tone it doesnt sound quite right. I give it a 8 just because i miss my emgs...and because of the sustain...

I bought it used from ebay, i had to setup the guitar to go with heavier strings, 10's, which i like. After seting it up it feels really good, the frets are out of this world, hardened frets make a HUGE difference in feel.

I bought this guitar 4 months ago and i am starting to get some scratch from the volume pot, i think with proper cleaning it might go away, also, the output became loose after a few weeks, that might be because of my cables...
i've gigged with it and i havent had a problem so far...i dont carry a bacup...

I emailed the parker dudes asking them about what stuff i can use to clean the fretboard, fast-fret, finger ease, etc...
i got a reply after the second email, 5 days later..

I am thinking about putting emgs on the parker, im not sure, i dont want it to sound like my other guitars, but i do miss that extra gain..
i would probably buy another one if something happened to this one...
i still have to get used to this guitar...i've only had one guitar before this one, so...

Made in 2002.Has 22 frets witch is still ok.Volume,tone,pick up select switch and a toggle to select either the acustic pick up or the electric pickups or both witch can give you a pretty cool sound.You can also turn the volume of the acustic pick up up or down by turning the small pot on th inside of the pick guard.this will let you balance the output volume between the two.Has one dimarzio humbuker and two single coil pick ups.The tremolo is pretty cool too.you can have it in three different posisions and with the locking tuners it stays in tune realy well even with some good whammys!Has hardend steele frets too.Neck is awsome.

I play Ibanez guitars and also have a ovation acustic.I think I like my PAF pros that are in the Jems I have better than the dimarzio's that come on this guitar but its not enough to make me change them out.Sound is nice and full.Pickups are quiet and the acustic is realy sweet sounding.I play through a line 6 amp with the band I am in and there are no problems at all.

All good! I have the transparent blue and it is a dark blue,kind of hard to explaine.But looks great,fits well with any style of music you play.Strap hooks are solid and the fit on the neck is good.

I play out with it and have had no problems so far!Strings change very easy so I dont take a back up......I know I know.

N/A

I bought this guitar so that I would not have to take three other guitars out to play.We do some acustic and some 1/2 step down and some drop D stuff too so I was taking three guitars all the time and it was just getting to be a pain.So when I came across this Parker I tried it out and it rocks!!Is it worth the $789 I paid for it used? YES! New you can pick them up for about $1200.I got a Parker hard shell case too so I thought it was a ok deal.The guitar looks like new.By the time you would buy two other guitas to do what one can your over $1200 anyway.

I think you now enough about the features. If not go to parkerguitars.com

I especially like the sound of the neck pickup for playing jazz. Sure, the sound of my archtop would fit better to that kind of music, but the playing comfort of my nitefly is much better and I also like the "fresh" sound. Mixed with the piezo I like the sound for playing fingerstyle.
I also play blues and rock on the nitefly (the playing comfort, you know) but if I think the sound of my Les Paul Studio especially for blues fits better.

It`s allright. One thing - The magnetic pickups don`t work without the battery for the piezos - although the mags are not active. I think Parker should change this.

I really like my nitefly. It`s good value for the money.

Too many function.

Very good tone.

What I can say is this nitefly sa is the best guitar of the world.

Not damage yet-_

This monster is made by american. Beautiful finish style and many function. What I don't like is soft gig bag. I like handcase more than gig bag.

I played in band for 9 years. I played rock, metal, blues. This guitar is good for blues player. The clean tone is so nice.

Anyway nothing to say. Play this guitar yourself and believe your hand.

This guitar has the best of both worlds, you can get extreme electric or awesome simulated acoustic or both! Plus the stainless steel frets are out of this world. The playabilty is the best ever, period.

This is an incredible sounding guitar, I am yet to find anything like it. It doesn't really have its own signature sound, which can be annoying to some but sort of gives it a mysteriousness, simply known as "Parker Nitefly" (these guitars have so much work and exact technical specs, its almost as if its not of this world). On a clean setting, you get the absolute greatest clean of any guitar I've ever played. On a blues/jazz setting, you get the supreme of that style, and even for Metal/Hard Rock you get the absolute best (for you metal heads, the sound mixed w/ the playability of this guitar will blow you away.) It is def. the most sound versitile guitar ever. It has the fullest and brightest most awsome sound out of any guitar that I've ever seen. The Piezo is kinda cool, but buying special cabels can be sort of a pain.

I got this guitar 2 years used, and it was still as good as if I bought it new. The action and playability of this guitar is the best I have ever seen. I can get the action down to almost touching the frets w/out any buzz at all. The neck has to be the fastest/easiest to play out of any guitar on the market (same for any Parker, really). The finish is cool, but not absolutely awesome. Finish doesn't matter anyway, I've seen some pretty crappy guitars with killer finishes. The nut is graphite, and it has the Sperzel locking tuners and killer bridge that give it Floyd-Rose abilities, without the hassle. The neck is great for bolt on, and I've never adjusted the trussrod - it just doesn't need it.

Reliability is great, I've never had any problems with it. The Sperzel locking tuners are definetly a plus - it rarely ever goes out of tune, and string changing is a breeze. The Spezels are also quite durable, I know a lot of people with them and they've never bent or anything, even with persistant ceiling smackings. These guitars are hand made, and not mass produced in Korea or something. The effort put into these is way up there.

I got it used and don't know about the warranty. I haven't dealt with the customer support, but I assume that they'd be as good as customer "support" can be.

I had a strat before this one, and the Nitefly just blows my strat straight out of the water. I have friends with Gibsons, PRS's, Fenders, Brian Moore's, and I like my Parker WAY better than any of them. The sound and playability of this guitar will blow you away, and it looks pretty cool too :-) If you can find one of these used, go for it - I've talked to Parker Dealer employees who have been working at there store for years and have NEVER seen one in on consignment. If anything were to happen to this guitar, #1. I'd cry #2. I'd go right out and buy another. As the people at Parker Guitars say, "Nothing plays like a Parker. Nothing sounds like a Parker. Nothing looks like a Parker."

update review from an earlier one.
2000 model

I thought some of you may be interested in my experiences with this guitar after another year of work with it.

--Those stainless steel frets are amazing. None have come off despite daily use, a lot of use and there is not the slightest show of wear at all, none

-- I stopped using the piezo transducers and just use the selector switch as a master kill switch. In all honesty I hate dealing with the battery and the newer modeling technology in my Boss processors make for a much more realistic and flexible acoustic guitar sound than you'll ever get with a piezo pickup. Period.

-- I've been worried off and on about the neck -- it seems a bit loose on the body. However, I'm beginning to think that it's not that the neck is loose per se but really flexible. Weird. No set into the body like a Paul or bolted into a pocket like on a strat or tele you can, if you wiggle the neck, get some pretty wild lateral shifting of the neck. But it goes right back in place. In two years I've adjusted the truss rod twice. The day I got it and about 2 years later when summer set in.

--periodically when you pick up the guitar it will creak. This had me boggled for a long time until I realized it wasn't the neck coming off the body but the neck rubbing against the pick guard. No problem.

-- vol pot became very scratchy but solved with some cleaner. Just routine stuff.

--the only problem with this guitar is the distance the saddles are permitted to travel poses an issue with perfect intonation. With 9s and a low action, you will not get the B string to intonate just right. It is slightly off. I solved this by raising the action just a bit and then re-intonated.

--I still love this guitar and use it every day. I'm working on a new album now and use it almost exclusively.

--I like the pickups in the guitar although I must admit that compared to my other guitars they seem a bit generic. My Gibson, Fender, Carvin, etc., all have a "sound" but the Fly sounds like none of them but has no signature sound of its own really. It just sounds like "a guitar." It's just sorta "there" -- but I'm not really complaining. It sounds great and since I use so much processing anyway, it makes little difference -- I use it as a blank canvas and get the color from pedals and pres. The sound is not sterile or cold or harsh or anything like that, just lacking a strong personality like most major brands of guitar. The single coils sound like single coils and the hummer sounds like "a' hummer

In hindsight, the nitefly sa was a great buy and I'd do it all over again without hesitation. Though, one reason I bought the guitar was the stainless frets and I see now that Warmoth is putting them on necks. I may look into that and build my own guitar in the future.

still sounds good to my ears but like I was saying it is not a "character" guitar like a Les Paul, etc. It is more universal sound.

the only time I had contact with an employee or rep was when my Y cable went out and I was considering a more robust replacement. they wanted $80 for the thing. Forget it. I just went back to a non-stereo cable and forgot the "acoustic" pickup. my boss gt-3 and gt-6 have a much, much better acoustic sound than any piezo pickup. -- they all sound crispy and harsh to me.

I'd buy it again. I use it every day and it has just about replaced all my other guitars except for those moments when I need a very particular clean guitar sound that only my Gibson or Fender or Carvin can get.

2000 model, USA, 22 frets, the entire body is one solid piece of swamp ash (unlike my POS Fender Strat that literally exploded into 50 pieces revealing that it was made of, gasp, plywood), the neck is mahognay encapsulated in the 'stuff' they coat it in.

the frets on the nite fly are larger than on the other fly models which is one of the reasons I went for this guitar over the more expensive flys. Also the neck is beefier...I just like the way it plays more than the other fly models.

AS for other features, they've all been done in the other reviews.

Jeez, it kills. full range of sounds. beautiful. more stratty than a strat more throaty than a LP. the snap is insane. I've never had a guitar this good before

I bought this from Musicians F(r)iend sight unseen, obviously, which worried me a lot. But I was not dissapointed. I pulled it out of the box and saw that sunburst finish and the swamp ash figure and said "Oh My God!" It exceeded every expectation I ever had. The action is outrageous. It shreds, it screams, perfect bending, my intonation has never been better with those silky stainless frets.

I've been gigging with it for a bit over one year. I always take a backup but have only broke a string once. No problems. the cheesy y cord broke after 6 months.

farily responsive plus there's a support email group that is helpful but, no surprise, pretty dead.

I've been playing 21 years almost, I've owned about 20 guitars, fender, gibson, ibanez, you name it. This is by far the most flexible and best sounding, best playing guitar I've had. I'll never let it go and I've had little interest in other guitar since I bought this one.

I'd get this guitar again, instantly. No question at all.

After a couple of months of playing this thing (a lot too) and even recording my bands first album with it I just laughed at all the money I had spent on Fender strats which can't compare at all to this parker. conventional guitars feel and play like a joke to me now.