Collection Gift Guide: Electric Groove
December 1, 2005
Ken Parker
No matter how much electric guitars have evolved, many players
gravitate toward the purity of early instruments from the 1950s and ’60s,
perhaps regarding new designs as interlopers. But Ken Parker’s innovative
approach has earned him clients as diverse as artists Merle Haggard, Adrian
Belew, and Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton. Parker has demonstrated that the electric
guitar can grow up and stay true to its origins. Parker, who has built custom
instruments for the modern era’s premier players during his 30-year career, has
been making custom archtop acoustic guitars since parting ways with Parker
Guitars. His designs break with tradition, yet share the fundamental vision of
string instruments in general: Wood is employed not only for structural
concerns, but also for tone.
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(Click image to enlarge.)Rather than reduce the amount of wood used for the instrument as other “innovative” guitar builders have done, Parker uses a single piece of flame maple for the entire body of his premier Fly Supreme. Finished in a natural honey stain that displays the wood grain, the guitar delivers a thick, juicy tone with a pianolike resonating punch and clear sustain. The Fly’s ultrathin body is instantly comfortable. The basswood neck with a glass and carbon fiber fingerboard and stainless steel frets—which don’t wear out like traditional nickel frets—is as friendly as your old Strat, but also feels uniquely modern. Each of the neck’s 24 frets is easily accessible and smooth to the touch. The Parker’s sound is spellbinding. A custom Fishman bridge allows the player to add and blend acoustic guitar tones with the electric tones—courtesy of two pickups designed by DiMarzio—through a stereo or mono amplifier setup.
Equally impressive are Parker’s electric four- and five-string basses. Made
from layers of Sitka spruce with figured maple tops, these lower-end models
benefit from the same modern touches as the Fly Supreme. They place Parker
instruments at the vanguard of contemporary guitar design and make Ken Parker
the heir apparent to Ted McCarty and Leo Fender.
Parker Guitars, 800.877.6863, www.parkerguitars.com
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