Parker Guitars P6E

I paid only $400.00 new for this guitar. The features that stand out about it is the pickup system. Absolutely NO FEEDBACK. And the variation of sound is "out of this World".. It has to be the best deal I have made in my 49 years of playing guitar. I am usually a very ticky person, and has gone through a lot of guitars simply because of features on a guitar. It has a solid spruce top, solid mahogany rims and back. The neck on mine is a nice comfortable three piece neck. The neck is where I do get real "picky". Some of the more expensive and well known gutar manufacturers have started making their necks with three pieces, but those three peices will be pieced together with a seam running across the the neck with a seam across the heel of the guitar and another seam will be running across the neck up closer toward the headstock. Not this guitar the three pieces are peiced together with a continuos seam running from the heel of the guitar all the way through the head of the neck. Also the neck is more like an electric guitar. That gives you the sound of an acoustic but play with the ease of an electric. The ebony fretboard is a nice feature too.

As I have already stated I like the features of this guitar, but the sound is what will blow you away. I don't understand why anyone could give this guitar less than a 10. The only thing negative about the sound is the volume. It is not as loud as a Martin or Taylor, or guild when it is unplugged but still has plenty of volume and the sound is great. I have owned the more expensive Martins and Gibsons, and even a Gretsch accoustic back in 1971 and they sounded great, but when you plug up the Parker P6E it honestly runs off and leaves the others in the dust. I have never had anyone walk up to me and say, "Man, that Martin or Taylor is the best sounding guitar I've ever heard", but I have had several poepl walk up to me after I was through playing and say exactly that. Like, "What kind of pickups does that wierd looking guitar have, cause that is the best sounding guitar I've ever heard?" or I've had them to ask what what kind of wood was it made with because it sounded so good. Unplugged I give it nothing lower than a 9 but when you add the 10 plus 5 I give it after plugging it in the rating goes over 10

Finish was great. No excessive beads of glue on the braces inside. The action was high for me, but I have to lower the actions on all the guitars that I buy. I like to lower them to the frets just enough to keep them from buzzing. I was able to lower the strings on this guitar lower than any Martin or taylor I've owned, with no buzz whatsoever. I also string my acoustic guitars with the lightest gauge accoustic strings on the market.

When I play this guitar and examine it, three words come to mind "Wierd", "unusual", and "Tank". I see nothing about this guitar that makes me think that it will break down with age. This is one I can hand down to my grandchildren.

I had a very pleasant experience with parker guitars before I even bought the guitar. When I saw the guitar, I became interested in it, but I was looking at it on ebay and did not have a store in my area that carried the Parker guitars. So I called Parker Guitars directly. They are based in Illinois. They were friendly and knowledgeable about the guitar I was calling about. I have called other big name manufacturers and they didn't know all the details of the instrument I was asking about. I don't think I will ever need them for a problem I might have with my guitar, but if I do I have no reason to think that they will not be as helpful as they were on this occasion.

I have been playing the guitar since I was 11 years old, I am 60 years old now, so you can do the math. I can't remember all the guitars I've had. Some were cheap, but most were from well known companies. I've owned a lot of good Gretsch guitars, GB10's, Robert Benedetto, Taylor, guild, several fenders (still own a custom shop set-neck stratocaster & a rare Fender acoustic made in Springhill Tennessee), many Gibsons (acoustic and electric), In fact I owned a Custom ES 359 now, I have owned several Martins (a very Rare D 7-28), I own a one of a kind hand made by Donald Clampit Jefferson Guitar. And now I own this Parker P6E. They don't make this model anymore, so I don't know if I could replace it if it was stolen. Some people will say "lost" or "stolen", but I have always wondered how you could just lose a guitar. But if it was stolen the thief better hope I never catch them.

As described by others. The magnetic pickup is a nice complement to the piezo. Also appreciate the balanced XLR output jack. I'll admit, I bought this guitar based on the looks, and on Ken Parker's reputation.

Others are right. Sounds like crap acoustically and wonderful plugged in, with a variety of acoustic tones possible--from a Mrtin-like fullness to that craggy thin sound on old Beatles records. I'm giving it a 9 because, though it's clearly made to be plugged in, a good unplugged tone would have been great.

Came set up nicely and well-intonated. No complaints. Case is gorgeous.

Only had it a few months. Too soon to tell.

I've been playing for 12 years and own multiple guitars. Got this to have a coll-looking, stageworthy acoustic and it's worked out beautifully.

This is Parkers thinner body acoustic electric, I believe made in China, inside says finished in Japan, electronics U.S. Comes with a very nice case, looks vintage, nice fit and finish. Electronics nice and versatile and simple: Volume on the front of the body, treble, bass and blend on the upper bass side by the neck. Good mix of the transducer and piezo or whatever is under the bridge. Mine has a glossy black finish that will show every fingerprint. Finish is Urethane, it would be better if it was lacquer, but who knows. The neck is a bit thin for my taste and the action was a little high when I first received it, a bit more complicated to adjust because you have to remove the little cover at the end of the fingerboard.

The body is thinner than the 8 but with a solid sitka spruce top and nicely finished braces there is no excuse for the lack of acoustic tone in this guitar. I have cheap crap guitars with strings I have never changed that have more ring and volume than this guitar has unplugged. Plugged in the guitar is wonderful, very versatile, although it does feedback when played LOUD. I know it is intended to be played plugged in but the reality is I usually play unplugged and I seriously doubt I will be reaching for this guitar when I go to play at home or with friends. I bought this on ebay and if I had played it first I probably wouldn't have bought it. There are a lot of nice guitars out there in this price range.

As mentioned earlier, the action was a bit high for my taste out of the box but adjusted easy enough. The neck is more like an electric, so I assume this is aimed to appeal to those who are used to electric solid body guitars. I found it to be a bit narrow for an acoustic player, but this is a personal preference. I used to own an old Ventures Mosrite, now there's a narrow neck. Action is comparable to most acoustics. Since the finish is black with white binding it is hard to judge how well they matched the top but the finish is nice and the electronics on it are great. The wires inside the body are velcroed in place and keep coming loose, but this is a minor annoyance they should take care of. The tuning machines work great. Open back, vintage vibe. While I usually associate zero frets with low end guitars (I have two old Gretches with zero frets) it works fine and keeps the action at the nut low, something low end guitars seem to have issues with, but this is not a low end guitar.

This guitar seems well made, with the exception of the loose wire issue, and should stand up to playing out. It is not so expensive that you would worry about it, but if you take care of it, should last a long time with little trouble. The battery is easy to change. Remember to remove the cable unless you enjoy replacing batteries all the time. Every thing seems solidly made.

I believe there is a lifetime warranty for this guitar, since I bought it on ebay I did not receive the warranty paper with it even though they listed it as having a lifetime warranty. Those I know who have dealt with the company have received good customer service.

I have been playing guitar for forty years, yes I am old, I own a number of nice instuments and while I enjoy the look and electric tone of this guitar, I would not place on my list of "nice instruments". If it were lost or stolen I would be upset, but heck, I get irritated when one of my students uses a roll of film without asking. Would I replace it? NO! If it had more acoustic volume I would feel differently, but it doesn't and there isn't much that can be done about that, that doesn't involve removing the top, shaving the braces or doing things the price does not justify.

It's the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen.

I play alternative pop -- kind of subtle stylings. The P6E lends itself very well to this style. It looks hip and different but every design feature is utilized when the guitar is plugged in. That's where this guitar really shines. I've been playing for many years and in my opinion, there is not an acoustic guitar on the market that can touch it when it's running through a high quality amp. I stress this factor because, what good is it if you play it through a crappy acoustic amp. I use a Trace.

I love cedar tops, so I thought long and hard before opting for the thinner body of the P6. But I have not been disappointed. With the two p/u system (one being fishman) the guitar gives a nice bright full sound.

The guitar was flawless when it arrived. Even the case, with its weathered roughened finish looks like something Indiana Jones might carry.

Even thought the P6E is looks beautiful enough to be a trophy instrument, it is actually designed to be a workhorse. I kept thinking this as I was getting to know this baby. The attention to the needs of the working musician is evident.

N/A -- may if forever be so.

I have an early 70s Martin which is my first love. I couldn't help but compare the Parker to this. Unplugged, I prefer the Martin, but when I hit the road, the Martin doesn't come close to comparing with the P6E. I would buy this guitar again in a heartbeat.