Parker Guitars P-36

Okay - I did a review for this guitar some while ago - it's about two reviews down - this is an update. Same scores apply except on the exception I indicate!

This is as below except I retract my comment about the good quality hardware.

As below - good sound. But...pick ups started to sound dodgy after a few gigs - the bridge especially lost a lot of volume. Checked wiring and okay - bit the bullet and changed the pups for a set of Muy Grandes - all fine now but less of a cheap guitar because of it.

As below - all okay.

Okay - here's my issues and the reason behind the update. I don;t play ith finesse and am unlikely the getly tease notes out of a guitar for long but I don't give them Pete Townshend-like abuse either. There is no way that this thing is robust enough for regular gigging and it's a shame but this issue has completely negated the reason that I bought it. Issues are from six months of trying to gig this thing:

1. Pick-ups - issue described above but they began to lose volume DURING a gig or protracted rehearsals. Required changing ith a set of Muy Grandes

2. Piezzos: Two of them have now failed and needed to be replaced - not covered by warranty so more expense.

3. Saddles - Three separate saddles have effectively collapsed causing the string concerned to sit at a different height to the others - you can imagine the playing problems this produces as well as the broken strings. One of them had collapsed so dramatically that it took out the piezzo with it - this is addition to the two that failed. So - three saddles and three piezzos needed to be replaced so far - more expense!

4. The bridge plate started lifting from the body. The way it's constructed would have meant a whole new piezzo saddle system so I've put up with it but it has affected the tuning stability.

5. Strings break with monotonous regularity and string saver saddles can't be fitted without replacing the whole piezzo system.

6. String changing is a complete pain in the arse and very difficult to do on the fly (e.g. during a gig). The problem is threading the string through the back, through the saddle and up - easy peasy lemon squeezy on a telecaster - askin to a task of Herecles on this guitar.

7. Floaty strings too exposed - nice design but on several occasions when it's been tight for space I've knocked into the bass player and he's taken out a string (B or top E) because they float in mid air.

These issues would be problematic for a bedroom guitarist but for a serious gigging instrument it just does not work. I still take it to gigs but only ever as a spare. I had to do a complete show with it a few weeks back (long story!) and two strings broke and I noticed another saddle starting to misalign. I am beginning to loathe this thing and would not trust it for more than a couple of numbers live. Shame because it plays nicely when it's working. Not good enough and a classic example of a cheap guitar trying to do too much - robust hardware has been the first casualty.

Non-existent with the problems I had. Terrible commiunications, emails not replied to etc.

A real shame this - nice sound, nice looking guitar, many of the quality things you'd expect from Parker. And if I played or oly recorded in my bedroom it ould be fine (saying that I was using it earlier to record a demo with (useful for doing acoustic tracks late at night when you can;t get the acoustic out!) and another string went. It's just too light on its feet to be any good for me. I can;t quite bring myself to get rid of it yet but if one of them's gotta go then this would be it. I now would not replace it if it were stolen. My "one cheap guitar at a gig" solution (remember - I wanted a cheap guitar for taking to dodgy venues rather than have the Martin and the US Tele lying around) is now a Washburn J3. Much better suited, much better built and cheaper too. I canot now recommend these. I just feel stupid for having reviewed this guitar too early on in my acquiantance with it. Shan't be doing that again!

The sound is excellent, although I really don't understand how it all works. The little booklet that came with it, explains how the fishman pickups work, but I really don't hear alot of difference. Also, the stereo guitar chord that came with it only works on the one channel(red). Do I need an acoustic amp for the black one to work? I don't know.

The action was a little too low. A bit of buzzing. It's not perfect yet. The neck is perfect with small spacing between the frets that makes it easy to play.

Just got it.

I am very pleased with this guitar, but I wish there were more information on the pickups and how to use them.

Best feature is the ability to blend piezo and pickup sounds. Everything else has been covered

Sounds like a tele or more like a G&L tele. Then you get to add in the piezo---the acoustic sound is not that acoustic but it is really nice and it is hum free!

Bought mine used and the setup is good enough that I have not had to tweak---and I LIKE to tweak. Output jack,p/u selector/pots need cleaning

Everything seems overbuilt except the output jack---I will replace with an all metal one and the pots which are all scratchy and the p/u selector which seems a bit light. Overal though the guitar feels well put together.

Been playing guitar over thirty years. I also play and love my US steve stevens Hamer, my 64 jag and a jv strat. Acoustics include epiphones yamakis and larrivees. Despite its minor hardware shortcomings I love both the sound and feel of this guitar. It stays in tune---period. It is more comfy to play than a tele. In a perfect world a slightly thinner neck would be nice but its still pretty great. Even on electric I'm still mainly a finger player and it feels good for what I like to play. Intonation is superb. Right now I'm playing through a '63 deluxe head into a late 60's parallel wired celestion 2x12 cab. Just simple chords and arpeggios sound so organic-no verb, chorus or other c@#p just a great dry clean guitar sound. Not great for tapping or guitar histronics although a good crunch sound a'la exile on main street is easy to get. May someday upgrade the p/u not because the stock is bad but because the rest of the guitar is so darn good. Even though I paid what appears to be a new price on a used guitar I don't feel ripped off. Solidly built--pro-tone--killer value--Ken Parker gets an "A-" for this one.

Fender Gibson et-al

As below - mine's the natural finish - all AOK - good hardware, good solid playable neck (not too thin, not too fat - like a Tele in fact!)Scores highly because it does what it says on the tin!

I play mainly fiddle punk/folk rock and usually gig with a telecaster and a Martin acoustic. I wanted something cheapish which would fulfil both roles and I could use in places that were very small, very dodgy or very small and dodgy. This came up! Tele configuration with piezzos in the saddles for an acoustic sound.

Considering the in-built limitations and the price tag, the sound is terrific. The electric does not sound as good as my (delicious) telecaster and the acoustic does sound as good as my (heavenly) Martin - but frankly I'd be upset if it did!

The electric pick ups have plenty of balls and are comparable to the pups on a standard telecaster. Full range of tele sounds plus a suitably angry growl which suits what I do perfectly. I play it through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The acoustic sound is okay. You wouldn't mistake it for a proper acoustic but it's not too bad at all. I put it through an AER Compact 60. It's a more convincing sound for picking than it is for full blooded strumming and you'd NEVER use it in a studio! But live it's okay. You can also mix the two but there's quite a volume jump. Some interesting effects can be achieved this way tho, especially with judicious use of overdrive. The 8 is a good score, bearing in mind I don't give 10s!

Very very good. Good set up from the seller. Everything's as it shoudl be.

I waited until I'd gigged it before doing a review. It's fine. It's not as solid as a telecaster but there are nuclear bunkers in the world that are not as solid as a telecaster. It certainly can withstand lots of abuse. The piezzos might make it a little delicate, as does the snapability of the B & E strings which float in mid air over the head. But that's all which is why it gets a 9 and not a 10.

Dealer was excellent - not dealt with Parker themselves.

Been playing 25 years - this is a doozy of a guitar. I can see myself gigging a lot with this one and, after a fair bit of tweaking to get the best acoustic sound I could, I can imagine myself doing a lot of shows with this one. Very playable, very likeable guitar. It does what it does well. If it were stolen I would get another without hesitation. This is the first guitar I've ever bought without having seen it and played it first - but my experience has been a really good one. They seem to be knocking these out quite cheap at the moment so grab one - they're really worth it!

Made in Korea, 22 frets, black body/black pickguard (only available as an option in Europe I believe), Fishman VT piezo bridge, 2 Parker tele-style single coils, ash body, maple neck. Classic tele layout on the traditional Parker shape with the added bonus of the piezo, basically. Very decent gigbag thrown in.

With the regular pickups it sounds truly gutsy and tele-like, full of (as the marketing blurb goes) "twang and shimmer". Piezo does a pretty reasonable acoustic sound. Mixing the two opens up some interesting tonal territory. For what I do (everything from country to rock and a couple of weird things inbetween) this guitar is very capable.

In terms of effects, I'm going straight into a Boss GT-6 and into a 70s Randall Commander II. Nice. In future I'll be looking to use the smart switching jack and take the piezo DI'd into the PA.

The set-up was great out the box (bearing in mind I bought this sight unseen from an internet retailer). Low-ish action, intonation needed only a very very slight adjustment. It was actually in tune when I pulled it out the gigbag after it had travelled the length of England in a box in a van (including an unavoidable night in a warehouse). In terms of fit, the build quality is excellent. Can't fault it. The only issue for me is keeping the mirror black finish clean!

Already gigged it and it will happily withstand live playing. All the components seem to be of a good quality, and the quality of the build makes it feel very robust indeed. I'd always carry a backup, but isn't that what everyone does?

There's an excellent forum on the Parker website. Not had to use Customer Support myself yet, so we'll see. On reputation alone though, I'm not too worried.

I've been playing about 10-12 years on and off, and play professionally, largely on other instruments but increasingly on guitar. My main guitar is a MIJ '72 Reissue Thinline.

For the amount of money you can pick these up for, they're an absolute steal. If you're after a tele-style guitar, or something reasonably versatile with the added bonus of a more than passable acoustic sound then you should be all over one of these like a rash. The only caveat is one of style I guess - for some people the Parker shape is still a bit modern and a bit much. For me, its bold (and comfortable) design allied to a proven very traditional layout is a winner - they're not exactly common, and you'll have a fantastic guitar which plays like a dream for not a lot of money.

If it were stolen I'd have one again in a heartbeat.

Korean made,22 frets, mirror black finish, hardtail, 2 single coils + piezos, slick,slim,satin maple neck/fingerboard
Everything you need

crisp, bright and strong, accoustic very reasonable, the combination of the two is an entirely new dimension

5 because the guitar arrived in the worst set up I have experienced and merited a 0 for that; intonation totally out of whack, wouldn't stay in tune, strings wouldn't stay in the nut. shockingly bad.
After a little tlc from a good luthier, (ron at guitarguitar edinburgh)its a 10, plays as good as it looks

Good enough for my needs

playing more on than off,25 years, strictly amateur. Can compare with a yamaha sg1000,tokai talbo,switch wild 1, all of them unique, all amazing, the p36 fits in perfectly.
If it was stolen, I might have to unlock the room I swore never to open again, or I might just buy another of these excellent, mass produced guitars with the insurance.

It's a Parker 'Tele' with a Fishman Preamp. Ash Body & Maple Neck. What more could you want? Very pretty. Really nice gig bag too.

I agree...it sounds like a hi-fi tele with balls. Single coils offer crisp tone without sounding harsh. I'm used to humbuckers & P-90's, so this was quite a change. If you're looking for tons of sustain & warm mid-rangey tone, this isn't it. But I guess you wouldn't really be looking at tele-style guitars in that case would you?

Fishman bridge is a really nice option--run a stereo cable into two rigs or run a mono signal into one amp. The three way toggle switch offers you electric/2 voice blend/acoustic, with a volume for each set. For an electric guitar, the piezo sound is about as good as it gets--sounds pretty cool blended with the different magnetic p/up tones. Can also use it as a signal boost for driving your amp--a different kind of tone altogther (may not be everyone's cup of tea though)

You can do anything you can normally do with a tele, and then some.

Finish--flawless, except for the chip that made this a discounted instrument.

Setup--it was pretty bad. I've seen $200 Yamaha's setup better than this (then again, most of their guitars are setup quite nicely). Action was quite high, which might be excusable if the intonation was correct (it wasn't). I thought it was the crappy .009 strings, but it was just a bad setup overall.

The bridge plate probably could have been moved back about 1/16 of an inch--I had to cut the springs on the string saddles in order to pull the saddles back a bit farther. After a bit more tweaking, the intonation is close to perfect.

New or used, it's rare that I come across a guitar that is set up to intonate properly. This blows my mind--who wants to play on or buy an out of tune instrument? Furthermore, why design & manufacture a beautiful, feature-laden instrument, only to have someone set it up poorly? I couldn't care less where it was setup, I'd just like to see it done right.

Seems like a solid piece of work. I think it would last as long as you would want it too.

1 Year warranty--that's always helpful

I've been playing long enough to know what I like in a guitar. I can't resist a bargain either, and this guitar is a pretty good one at that. I was after a quality Japanese telecaster copy, but decided that, for the price, this makes a great, versatile substitute. So far, I don't regret buying this guitar at all.

Brand new. Made in Korea and set up in the USA. Other than that it's natural finish swamp ash with 2 single coils + Fishman Piezo power bridge, Maple neck which is very nice and similar to a Yamaha Pacifica, Grovers. Didn't get the gig bag or a cable but ive got spares anyway.

Well, I gave it to my guitar tutor 1st (Danny Giles - Remember that name he's going to be stellar see him at: http://www.chicagothieves.co.uk/)Anyway Dan knows about getting the best sound out of a guitar ie. if you want Anthrax don't try putting your Dimebag Signature model thru a Fender twin! etc. Might sound obvious but Ive read so many reviews on HC saying that the sound was crap etc so look at your amp etc 1st.

The sounds Dan got out of this guitar were unreal! It does the whole shibang from country to shred and it does them brilliantly! Now Dan is a pro, I'm decidedly amateur but I have to say it sounds great to me even when I play it! Very passable acoustic sound as well!

Pretty good. Joint between neck and body not quite as tight as my Yamaha but it's fine. It was set up properly as well straight out of the box, which is a 1st for me!

The piezo pickup system was fine, no problems with setup at all.

Very light but feels very well made.

N/A

Been playing 2 years. If it was pinched I'd def buy another. There's nothing else I'd want on it. If you see one buy it!

I'll just skip this category because it's been covered in detail in this post by the other Parker lovers, except to say it's a 10.

Fantastic sound, no doubt. What really surprises me is the awesome acoustic vibe. I can sit and play the piezo all by itself all night long and never get tired of it. I love with the way this guitar speaks, in every pu selection. It beats my Teles hands down. It sounds just like my Teles but better; more ballsy. The ONLY thing that I like better about my Teles is the neck pu. The P-36 neck pu is not quite as sweet. It's still a great tone in it's own right, it just kind of makes me miss my Tele for the neck. One great thing about these pickups is they are so much easier to balance, volume and tone-wise, compared to my Teles. I really like that smoother transition between pu changes.

Blows me away. Better than any Fender I have ever picked up (and I have picked up a shit-load. Totally immaculate in every aspect.

No idea, but it is not a toy. This guitar has quality written all over it, top to bottom.

Don't know that I'll ever need it.

Great guitar, great price. The Korean guitar makers haver their shit together.

Solid body (ash), maple neck & fretboard with no inlays; only markings are small black dots on the side of the neck, which takes a while getting used to. Standard Tele p/up arrangement, plus the aforementioned (and very cool!) piezo. Gig bag with owner's manual and warranty card included, as well as wrenches for adjustments and a standard guitar cable, though the manual claims the guitar comes with a stereo cord; mine sure didn't (dealer swap before sale? - who knows?).

Bought it new for $589 from local dealer. This ax is more versatile than anything else out there, and unlike a Tele, to which in many ways this guitar renders homage, it's light and fits perfectly against your body, whether you're sitting down or standing up. If you're used to the way most Korean-made guitars arrive, you're in for a pleasant surprise: this thing came perfectly set up; nothing loose, nothing poorly aligned. It's obvious that Parker cares about its reputation, and that the bit in the manual about the guitars being set-up at their Illinois factory after they arrive from Korea before they get sent out for sale is apparently no lie.

Only downside so far: the pickguard is VERY SUSCEPTIBLE to scratches. The first day I had it home, after putting it through its paces, I noticed a flurry of scratches that obviously I had made, since I myself removed the clear plastic film protecting the pickguard when I got home. Recommendation: don't use any "throw-away" pick w/this guitar! Use only a high-quality-plastic pick, such as a Dunlop or a Fender. The ones that speaker manufacturers sometimes include with a replacement speaker are definitely NOT what you want to use with the P-36, as they will mar your pickguard worse than if you had used a finishing nail...!

Whether you play rock, blues, country or jazz, this guitar will cover all that territory, and even more. The piezo pickups (yes, pickupS, as there's actually one per string, all controlled by that little toggle switch at the bottom of the body) allow you to even get acoustic-like sounds from a solid-body guitar, no small feat. I still wouldn't attempt classical, flamenco or folk with it, but you can if you want to; it's that versatile.

I'm playing it through a Crate PowerBlock at the moment, into a Demeter 2 X 12" cab, and the sound is amazing. I also own all tube amps (1967 Fender Twin and a new Epi Class-A "Valve Special"), Marshall and Vox tube/solid state hybrids, and a small Behringer modeling amp. So far it has managed to sound anywhere from very good-to-excellent on all of these. Turning on the piezo eliminates all hum coming from the two single-coils. In many subtle and not-so-subtle ways, this guitar can spoil you and make you dislike other guitars you own which, up to now, you have loved if not outright worshipped. You name it, I have it: a couple of LP's, SG Standard (bought in '69, with a Maestro "Lyretail" tremolo),an ES-333 & 137 (had a 335 that was stolen some years back) a Ric, a couple of Gretsch's (single & dual-coils, all semi acoustics), Strats (all USA-made), classicals (European-made), 6 & 12-strings, etc, etc. This little axe manages to shine against all of these, and you find yourself going for it time and time again, even when you have a lot of other nice toys to choose from, and I do. Enough said.

As mentioned before, the set-up was darn near perfect. I am quick to find fault (or fault finds me first; either way), and I am yet to find something even slightly off with this guitar. I only wish I had been turned on to Parker earlier, because they make a truly unique product, one that is worthy of more publicity than they receive. I subscribe to several guitar publications, and am yet to read ONE single article about this company - what gives?!? For the money (under $600 U.S.), I can tell you that you're not going to find anything this playable out there, even if you spend twice as much. Go find one and see for yourself; no superlatives can do this little ax justice; you have to play it and then you'll get it.

With the one disappointment already noted; i.e., the pickguard's vulnerability, the quality of the hardware is first-class, and although there are better woods out there than ash, sonically-speaking, for a solid body it's fine. Also, considering the price-point of this particular model, it would be unrealistic to expect anything else.

Interestingly, most send-away places are currently charging more for this guitar ($699) than what I paid for it recently, and the prices other have listed as having paid on this site. It makes me wonder if the proverbial cat is out of the bag, and the mass marketers have started to adjust their prices accordingly, in the upward direction, of course. Therefore, if I didn't already own one, I would be looking to secure one sooner rather than later, as I see the price of this thing going nowhere but up.

I wouldn't gig with it alone, but that's not a reflection of the guitar's quality; I simply never go anywhere w/o more than one guitar; I usually carry 3 or 4.

No dealings with Parker so far, but something tells me that they stand behind their product. Their website is very intelligently designed, and that usually (though not always) says something about the manufacturer.

I have been playing guitar for over 40 years. I own a wide variety of gear, some of which I listed earlier. If this guitar were stolen, I would RUN to pick up another one! The only problem is that the big chains, like Guitar Center, don't seem to carry them, and therefore getting a hold of one isn't all that easy; at least not in the Northeast, where I live and work.