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Parker Fly....?????


voxpop
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I haven't myself but someone asked recently (maybe you can fine it using the admittedly sub par search system). IIRC the consensus was that they were well made but rather uncomfortable and the sound was described as quite 'brittle'. My friend had the guitar which was on the whole better received I think - the bass seems like an afterthought without the ground up design of the original guitars. But then again I might be wrong... again!

ped

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I've had a quick noodle on a 4, once you pick it up and cant see its "only its mother would love it looks" it played very nicley, quite hi-fi sound IIRC.

Bit of change for you tho' isn't it Marc, cant see that going down well with the blues players, they'd probably spit beer all over the shop when you take it out the bag........? :)

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[quote name='The Burpster' post='503114' date='Jun 1 2009, 05:50 PM']I've had a quick noodle on a 4, once you pick it up and cant see its "only its mother would love it looks" it played very nicley, quite hi-fi sound IIRC.

Bit of change for you tho' isn't it Marc, cant see that going down well with the blues players, they'd probably spit beer all over the shop when you take it out the bag........? :rolleyes:[/quote]


Very true mate......think it might be just a little to modern for them to handle.

Might have to rethink...... :)

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Bear in mind that there's two different version of the bass with the 'Fly' shape, but only the Fly basses have the wood/carbon fibre laminate neck construction, the P series basses have a wood-only construction. For me the feel of the laminate neck was the major attraction (it was at the time the best bass neck I'd played - back in 2003) and I couldn't say if the all-wood neck would be as good.

The body shape however simply doesn't work as a bass. Which is strange considering that the first Parker instruments were basses made for Steve Swallow, and that the production guitars came later. However looking at the photos of the Swallow prototypes and the production bass it doesn't seem quite so elegant - maybe the prototypes had features that made making them in quantities of more than one-offs too complicated. Whatever the reason the body on the Fly bass is really uncomfortable. No matter how you sit or arrange it on the strap some part digs into you.

As for the sound, I couldn't comment. I tried mine at a trade show where I was doing battle for sound space with 100s of shredding guitarists and anyway I spent most of the time trying trying to get the body in a comfortable position so I could really appreciate the wonderful neck.

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[quote name='BigRedX' post='503220' date='Jun 1 2009, 07:36 PM']According to their website there's a second hand 5-string Fly at the Bass Gallery. Maybe a trip to London is in order?[/quote]


You'd need to call first. I've dropped in a couple of times only to find my main point of interest sold. It was there last time I went but that was a couple of months ago.

Bit of a trek from Reading!

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There is a review of the Indonesian neck through fly bass in guitar and bass mag this month. Their guy Gareth Morgan gives it a score of (drum roll) 82%. "Great fun and well worth a look."

I have never seen one in the flesh and for that I am truly thankfull as it`s bloomin ugly. And has a list price of £799. Ugly and expensive. (Reminds me of one of my ex`s).

Jez

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[quote name='skankdelvar' post='503311' date='Jun 1 2009, 09:15 PM']FWIW, I don't much like the look of the Fly guitar. Yet I [i]really[/i] like the look of that bass.

And I'm a stodgy old Fenderhead.

Weird.[/quote]
Weird innit? Exactly the other way round for me. The Fly guitar is gorgeous -- if I was a guitard, I'd have a Fly and an old Tele and that'd be it -- but the bass just looks too chubby in the butt.
If only the production basses looked like Steve Swallow's prototype... now that's proper wacky :)

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+1 on the guitar. I wanted one of them so bad way back in the day when I played.

But it's a big no on the bass version.

Maybe my tastes have changed a little over years, but I just think it's the ugliest and fattest thing I've seen since Sonia left Eastenders.

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[quote name='G-77' post='504387' date='Jun 3 2009, 12:57 AM']todd over at statti has one, here some video of him playing..



[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg68MbmDZGY&NR=1"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg68MbmDZGY&NR=1[/url][/quote]


Thats the first time I have seen anyone play a Fly...sounds really clean, punchy and very bright. Dont think its for me, I'm going the other way.....passive with lots of bass thump.
Also looks very uncomfortable to play due to the strange body shape. Still would be nice to have one in a collection......to much GAS.

Thanks to all that have replied....good to see we all have an opinion.

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