Parker Basses

[Dr M]

Apologies if this has already come up, but I just came across this:

[url="http://www.parkerguitars.com/News/maxxfly-bass-pb12.html"]http://www.parkerguitars.com/News/maxxfly-bass-pb12.html[/url]

I've always been quite keen on Parker's design ideas (sustainable materials in particular), but these are (just slightly) outside my price range!

[warwickhunt]

Nice but why have one of those when you can have one of these... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/170122-ft-parker-fly-usa-quilted-maple-59-burst-graphite-neck-piezo-and-jazz/page__hl__parker%20fly"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/170122-ft-parker-fly-usa-quilted-maple-59-burst-graphite-neck-piezo-and-jazz/page__hl__parker%20fly[/url]

[Eljay]

[quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1342799341' post='1741227']
Apologies if this has already come up, but I just came across this:

[url="http://www.parkerguitars.com/News/maxxfly-bass-pb12.html"]http://www.parkergui...-bass-pb12.html[/url]

I've always been quite keen on Parker's design ideas (sustainable materials in particular), but these are (just slightly) outside my price range!
[/quote]

I played that Parker MaxxFly at Winter NAMM.

HOLY ^%$##@@@

It's ridiculously good IMO.

That price is a bit insane, No Dealers carry them I think the ones I saw were the one-and-only prototypes, and I really don't know how many they figure to sell, at that price and it being a real niche bass in the 1st place.

But, man, let me tell you---- It weighed an ounce, and sounded like a brick house.
Great construction, like a Museum of Modern Art showcase piece.

I would LOVE to own/play this on the gig; just outstanding.

I think it will eventually be available for around $3-4.5K street price (sorry about the Dollars); a little closer to home, but still a long shot for 99% of almost anyone.


Still- the thought of how it felt....
Oooh.

Edited July 20, 2012 by Eljay

[philw]

Really like the headstock detail on the fretless. Bit of a shame the rest of the aesthetic is so conventional though.

P

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='philw' timestamp='1342854877' post='1741837']
Really like the headstock detail on the fretless. Bit of a shame the rest of the aesthetic is so conventional though.

P
[/quote]
... just buy warwickhunts then!

[BigRedX]

The latest versions are a bit too conventional looking when compared with the original Parker Bass. However they can't fail to be more comfortable to play since the general consensus is that the scaled up Fly body was one of the most impractical shapes ever. I remember playing one and thinking that while the neck might have the best one I've ever tried the body shape was just to awkward and uncomfortable for me to live with.

Strange because the Parker Fly was originally designed as a bass for Steve Swallow, so I can't imagine for a moment that it would have been anything less than fantastic. The guitar version though being the first commercially available Parker instrument was a later development.

I can't also help thinking that each subsequent development of the Parker instruments dilutes down the initial concept and design. The early model guitars that I tried were brilliant and innovative. The more recent ones are just another guitar, some of which have an unusual body shape.

[Leonard Smalls]

[url="http://www.knightonmusiccentre.com"]www.knightonmusiccentre.com[/url] have got a Parker SB51 5 string at £699. It's not shown on his website, but I saw it there today...
I bought the 4 string version off them, here with my Sandberg and Wal: