Parker Guitars P-36

I saw this summary on eBay...

This Parker Sings Like a Bird!
P36
They?re guitars that deliver everything you?d expect from a Parker, at a price that acknowledges the concept of budget. When he designed the P-Series, Ken Parker used traditional materials without compromising the high standards and precise tolerances that have made Parker Guitars the ultimate in tonal spectrum and playability. With the combination of Parker playability, piezo, and magnetic voices, and the rockin? Parker look, the P-Series represents the finest guitar for the money on the market, bar none. Importantly, all P-Series guitars sold in the U.S. are set up in the Mundelein, IL factory to ensure spot-on tuning and playability.
The P-36 has all the signature capabilities of the high-end Parker Fly in a beautiful ash body with maple bolt-on neck. And when it comes to sound, the marriage of Parker technology with the vintage Tele electronic and control layout is mind-blowing. The pickups deliver twang and shimmer with tons of attitude. Count on the piezos for a very realistic acoustic sound, and then mix them with the magnetics for a hybrid that introduces a whole new dimension to music.
P-SERIES
Parker quality and features at an affordable price
BindingNone
BodySolid one piece Select Ash
Bridge/TremoloFishman Powerbridge VT string through
Case IncludedIncludes free Parker P-Series custom gig bag
ControlsMag volume, Mag tone, Mag/Piezo 3 way selector
FingerboardMaple
Frets22 Nickel silver
InlaysNone
Machine HeadsGrover 18:1 Ratio
Neck JointTraditional bolt on
Neck MaterialSolid one piece Maple
Nut Width1.65"
PickguardBlack
PickupsDual Parker designed Alnico single coil
Scale25 1/2"
OutputSplit stereo or summed mono; "Smart Switching" jack
Piezo System6-element Fishman piezo
PreAmp/Mixer Active Fishman designed stereo preamp
The P-36BLD is a guitar that delivers everything you'd expect from a Parker, at a price that acknowledges the concept of budget. When he designed the P-42, Ken Parker used traditional materials without compromising the high standards and precise tolerances that have made Parker Guitars the ultimate in tonal spectrum and playability.

Awesome blend of magnetic/piezo, amazing diversity in tone from classic Tele to new territories. No exaggeration.

I don't think I'll waste time since I can go off here... on the amazing fit & assembly. Like I said, it's absolutely unbelievable for the cost.

I don't think you'll believe me so go find one and try it out.

The neck is AMAZING!!!!!!

It's an electric with a bolt on. Break the neck, replace it.

Simple.

don't know

There's very few guitars that has show much impact right out of the box... the action, assembly, features, ease on the wallet, etc.

Get one now.

Introduced in the past 1-2 years?

24-fret maple neck that is really made well... incredibly comfortable and begs to be played! Nicely grained ash body in the 'classic' Parker body.

Obviously, nods it head to the classic Fender Telecaster design with its Tele pickups, control plate, bridge, etc. One cool feature is its Fishman piezo acoustic pickup.

One again, the neck is close to perfect. Tad fatter would be perfect.

Awesome combination of traditional and cutting edge.

Definitely capable of the twangy Tele sounds. But, with the piezo, you can create very cool sounds as mentioned by previous reviews.

However, I'm going to replace the magenetics with a particular aftermarket pickups (not SD or Dimarzio).

Ok, the build of the guitar parts is overall VERY good. These bargain guitars from Korea is really amazing for its price. I have the lawsuit-era PRS Soapbar SE (singlecut version that was temporarily suspended by Gibson) and they are really great Korean guitars as well.

The neck joint is super tight as it's supposed to be. However, many guitars lack this detail.

Now there are some issues. The pickguard and bridge plate do not sit flush against the body wood. Some misalignment here that I'll have to correct. But, remember that this is a bargain guitar.

don't know, we'll have to see over time

no experience

Looking for a great Tele-type guitar? Looking for something different yet capable of real guitar tones? Looking for a light & cool guitar that demands attention?

You can't go wrong with this guitar! Get it.

As described by others, this guitar has lots of features. It has a great and fast neck that is butter in your fingers.

I play rock, blues, jazz and folk. This guitar has an awesome ability to tweak more tonal variations than most others. The reason is the ability to mix the piezo in with the magnetic pickups. The piezo provides a glassy and crisp high end that you can layer over the regular pickups by rolling back the magnetic pu tone control and/or by adjusting the piezo volume control. This opens up a host of great tonal options you won't find in many other places.
I find myself constantly gravitating back to this instrument, from my 76 Strat and my 59 Les Paul Junior.

The guitar was well setup and ready to play out of the case. The strings that came with it were too thin for my taste but hey, that's not a real complaint!

A very well made and dependable instrument in my view.

Regular 1 year warranty. No experience in using customer service. I have only owned the guitar 5 months.

My only issue with this guitar is the fact that two controls -- a volume/balance pot for the piezo and a phase switch for interfacing the piezo and magnetic pickups are located under the tone plate requiring you to unscrew it and take it off to make adjustments. At minimum, the guitar should come with a push-pull tone pot to enable the latter option to be switched in and out. I plan on installing this.

Korean made in 2005, this 22 medium-jumbo fretted maple necked Parker has a white blonde 2 piece ash body. The medium profile satin finished neck is attached with 4 sturdy counter-sunk screws. Body shape is very similar to the Fly, but the overall look, pickup & control layout has clearly been modeled on the Fender Telecaster. The single-coil chrome-covered neck pickup and the flat-poled bridge pickup are alnicos of Ken's own design, but they do provide all the twang associated with the classic Tele. The string-thru' body six saddle bridge is equiped with a Fishman piezo transducer pickup that delivers sparkling acoustic tone that can be blended with the magnetic pickups or routed to another amp thru' the stereo output jack. One of the magnetic pickups is reverse wound/reverse polarity for dead silent 'humbucking' operation in the middle position.

The 7 lb. guitar comes with a well padded gig bag and a standard mono guitar cable.

I've been playing jazz/blues/swing on old telecasters for years, but have also been creating ambient stereo loops with digital samplers and have always felt that I needed something a little more 'high-tech' for this purpose. Lots of loopers use 'headless' Steinberger or Klein guitars but I've always found their esthetic to be too radical for my tastes.

The Parker P-36 has coupled the best modern features with tried-and-true design elements to create a versitile guitar that's loaded with 'old-school' vibe.

This instrument is as at home doing avant-garde soundscapes as it would be on a country gig.

I got my first Korean made guitar over a decade ago and it still compares favorably with the best of the guitars now being produced in China.

The construction of this new Parker is nothing short of astonishing. I never give '10's when reviewing gear, as there's always room for improvement. I have to make an exception here. This guitar is flawless.

The fit & finish, construction and hardware are all top notch. Computer driven technology combined with skilled craftsmanship have greatly raised the standard for inexpensive production instruments.

This thing is a marvel of engineering. The tolerances are so tight that when I removed the pickguard, I thought it was glued on. It was not, but fit so perfectly around the neck joint and control plate that it would probably stay put without the 6 phillips head attachment screws. The hardware is chromed, the strap buttons black anodized steel and the sealed tuners are very efficient. The black synthetic nut is perfectly cut for .009-42 gauge strings and the action is factory set low for effortless playability.

The only thing that scares me is the size of the headstock. It's smaller than any I've ever seen and I would not want to smash it into a microphone stand for fear of cracking it right off.

Here's the funny thing. Parker has a great website with a forum for discussion and technical support. I posted a question about accessing the trussrod (there's no documentation/manual with the guitar) and an administrator enthusiastically welcomed me the the board BUT DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION! But, y'know, I'm so delighted with this instrument that I just had to laugh. I'm sure that if and/or when the rod needs adjusting I'll be able to figure it out myself.

As I said earlier, this instrument has set a new benchmark for quality in a factory built guitar. Ken Parker has shown the world that it can be done in Korea. Why can't Fender and Gibson get it right in the USA?

I've been playing 35 years and I've never had a guitar that played/sounded this good right off the rack. My American made guitars have always needed setup & fret work. My Japanese guitars always require new electronics (pickups, etc.) The Mexican & Chinese instruments I own usually need a bit of both.

The P-36 was good to go from the moment I picked it up, yet it's one of the cheapest guitars I've got. Outstanding!

2005, Korean made; assembled and setup through Parker Guitars in Mundelein, IL. Body is made of solid ash..mine came with the blond finish, with body contours; and neck is solid maple; nice and thick. 22frets polished with the edges buried. Traditional Tele look to the neck and bridge magnetic pickups, vintage style Alnico. Fishman Powerbridge VT for Piezo Acoustics. Grover tuners, and a really great gig bag. The tone, volume knobs are knurled metal and rock solid. The piezo switch is tiny, but locks into place with confidence across all 3 positions (magnetic pickups, mix, piezo pickup). There were some horribly light strings on the guitar which made it difficult to work with initially; figuring they were cheap 9's....I'll take my 10's.

I play mostly blues, and blues/rock. Also roots music and indie. It works great! As I can land the bent notes with precision and confidence. The neck feels great and the bridge sits in a nice position for muting. Consider there are 3 magentic pickup switch positions (neck, bridge both) and the Fishman Powerbridge (alone, mixed w/magnetics) and let's see that adds up to 8 basic sounds and depending on how you mix your magnets and piezos and ton of variations. This guitar can cut right through the mix. You can get the warm tones at the neck and Muddy Waters bite from the bridge. Add in the piezo and create some original tones. As for the acoustics alone the piezo sounds great. No one is going to believe it's a full sounding acoustic, but it sure is nice to switch on the fly and have a distinct acoustic tone. Pushed through my Yamaha MagicStomp for Acoustic effects and this guitar absolutely satisfies.

The setup is spot on, and having the guitar inspected by Parker luthiers I am sure made for a nice fit. Finish is all top notch and the blonde wash looks great on the ash. The body sits nice and it's apparent Parker put a lot of time into the ergonomics as the guitar fits great.

Coming in at 7 pounds the guitar is light but durable. The ash body finish is nice, thick and glossy. The neck finish has a vintage yellow tinge of satin urethene. Feels good and provides a nice grip. Not as slick as my Fender telecaster...just different. Strap buttons are nicely placed and I would not hesitate to use this guitar for a gig.

The only issue I've found is that there is no manual. Nor is there one available on the Parker web site. There is a good description of the Fishman Powerbridge VT on their site, so I encourage you going there.

I have been playing for 4 years...focusing on Blues. The Parker P-36 joins my Fender Telesonic and Taylor 214. I like guitars that are a bit off the norm...and favor tele's. The guitar plays through a Blues Junior and Fender VibroChamp. If it were lost or stolen I would absolutely replace it. This guitar is fun! and it makes practice enjoyable.

All specs as mentoned above ..active piezios...hardtail.strings thru body..nice gig bag,one of the best I,ve seen.. even includes hook on back inside a pocket] for hanging up in car!!!! came with tools,but no instruction manual?!!!.because of the dizzying array of sounds this guitar can produce,I have to give it a 9 instead of a 10

I play progressive rock/jazz with some electronica and ambient sounds thrown in[Icome from a synthesizer background.As for effects,I am dumbing down .By thatI mean iam only going to use a few effects because this guitar sounds so damn good without any!But here goes.I play thru an older crate chorus [100 watts],with 4/12inch speakers ,mated to[though not always] to a yamaha2/15 cab,and for thepiezeos,i go thru a peavey portable pa system.effects includea didgitech screamin monkey odrive,and digi 3.6 sec digital delay. my bassist is going to let me have a really high end delay unit a boss flanger and chorus,I,m giving him a bp200. edge ,hereI come!.The sound[s] this guitar brings out are simply awesome. rich and full on the magnetics/side and the fishman does a more than adequate job of imitiating a decent acoustic[not a martin ,but who cares?]

The guitar came straight out the box damn near perfect.I say almost because.as I was the front of the store,I noticed something black rolling on the floor..it was the selector switch!.Also the young girl at the frontof the store[samash ,las vegas] pulled one ot gigbag ties loose .got home put a dab of gorilla glue[stuff defies gravity!!!]otherwise the guitar was perfect setupped fine.but as I mentioned before no instruction manual for controls! they give you some info about the fishman pickups andsuch,but also and remember this.you will have to buy a stereo cord,so include that in your purchase,if you decide to go the stereo route.I called parker ans informned that there was no instruction manual?Minor quibble.as I went to there website and looked at a pdf for another parker to get some info...so for the above it gets a 9

Yes I would gig with it,but keep peoples hands off it.It only weighs 7lbs!fit and finish are flawless! I love the neck.I thought at first it was raw wood,but it seems to bea very thin coat of something,can,t tell..has battery for fishman,so take along some 9 volts and for that reason and that reason only I would bring along another axe or two!!! strap buttons are large,but the guitar is so light ,I always "pull downward" on any belt I use as to make sure it is secure..

Only once ,but very helpful....As for warranty,they just told me ,if I have any problems,just send it to them!!![nice]

the firsrt question is a hard one I come from a synthesis backgroundand have been using the guitar more as an "effects unit
' so I would say from 1980 for guitars[1973 for synths].BUTHAVING THIS,MAN I AM GOING TO GET DOWN AT THE AGE OF 54 AND LEARN TO BURN!!!This guitar "spoke" to me after looking at all the femder,s and gibsons.I love the fact thatit was next tonothing and yes while you can get "that country thang" it gives out a full range of sounds.It is a tone monster.so much so ,I had to actually go and try tofind the country twang! i have alot of
'old school equipment" but in pristine condition. I tell you though,my 80,s custom hamer scarab[the one pickup model ,rare],my 1979 strat my yamaha acoustic and my fender pink paisely 54 bass reissue are all looking at my new axe like they want to killit. I have not picked up anything elase so that should tell you how much iI think of this guitar. Run don,t walk and buy it!

Maple bolt-on neck, one piece tele style ash body, 2 twangy and shimmery vintage alnico pickups (nice growl) and a fishman 6 element piezo powerbridge -custom fishman piezos and stereo voltage-doubled pre-amp. Good controls for all, allowing one to easily blend the sounds or cut them out completely. Stereo or mono output.

only 7 lbs

I play mostly blues and rock styles. I love this guitar. I can get all kinds of tone from biting rock to growling blues. I?ve even got plenty of country twang. Previous knocks on past lower end Parkers are that they don?t have enough personality, but this new guitar defies that label!

Made in asia set up in Illinois, good way to reduce sticker price but maintain great quality.

Very light but very strong, stays in tune, and the natural finish adds durability and hides ware.

Never had to call.

I have been playing seriously for about 10 years, I have loads of equipment (mostly from fender). I would quickly buy another espically for the price! You get two great guitars in one!

I love the old school feel and the high tech features.

* Carved ash body
* Maple bolt-on neck
* Maple fretboard
* 2 Parker designed alnico single-coil pickups
* Fishman piezo pickup
* 25-1/2" scale
* 10" to 13" conical fretboard radius

Piezo acoustic signal mixes with high-end single coils for that unique high-tech sound.

The pickups are really tight, but not for all kinds of music...

I haven't had it long.. but it seems nice.

No Clue...

Its another great Parker guitar