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Did you know Parker guitars are baked in a pizza oven


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Interesting. Did you know railroad cars are baked in a huge Oven? I worked all over the shops at both UP and BN. Did about everything one time or another. Paint shop jobs go high on seniority because everyone has about a 15 minute job to do, from prepping the cars, to painting it and stenciling it at the end. Every car that gets painted in the booth, goes to the pit for underneath paint, then to the Oven to get baked. Then everyone gets around a 45 minute break till the car is done and cools off some, then goes to stenciling at 2 stations. I've worked all stations in paint shop as well. Think if I got a Parker guitar I'd want a large hamburger, pepperoni pizza with a order of garlic bread or No Deal! msp_flapper.gif

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Guest Farnsbarns

The baking must be for the composite (I say COM-posite rather than com-POS-it :)) backing.

 

What is that temperature doing to wood? It must remove some or all of the moisture.

 

That's because you speak English. Those fine chaps were speaking Omurkin.

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Since I got my Parkers, all my other guitars are jealous - because they aren't played anymore.

  • 5 pounds but sustains as long as my 8 lb LTD-Les Paul
  • Comfortable, contoured and balanced - like wearing the guitar instead of holding it, take both hands off, and it doesn't move (no neck dive or flop out)
  • Hardened stainless steel frets - bending is a breeze and I don't think I can wear them out - ebony fretboard also helps with the bending
  • Stays in tune - sometimes night after night - straight string path except for the slight angle at the graph-tech nut, plus Sperzel tuners - even with the whammy in floating position, it stays in tune better than my non- whammy guitars
  • Duncan magnetic pickups plus a piezo under the bridge that I cna play alone or blend with the mags for some great tones
  • Master volume near my picking hand so I can adjust balance with the band no matter which pickup combination I'm using

 

NN01_2Parkers.jpg

 

Unfortunately, not enough people have given them a try. They are truly an advancement over the more traditional guitars. Most people who get one, never want to give them up. But they ended up closing the USA factory and all you can get now are the imports.

 

My Parkers are my go-to guitars, and the only guitar I take to the gig.

 

Notes

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Guest Farnsbarns

I played one once and I didn't like it although that was possibly for all the wrong reasons. Just seemed too slinky and slippery to me. Too easy to play almost. Weird, not for me but I can see why a lot of people would like them.

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I played one once and I didn't like it although that was possibly for all the wrong reasons. Just seemed too slinky and slippery to me. Too easy to play almost. Weird, not for me but I can see why a lot of people would like them.

 

Yeah me too. It just seemed to be lacking in girth for my ape arms to hold on to - I thought if I whip this thing it'll snap like a twig. TDFM (Too Dainty For Me) [biggrin]

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My experience with Parkers is also finding not quite enough Tele to manhandle. I'd like one, but quite frankly I've been all over the country and have only run into a small handful, and there are absolutely zero around here for what, 20 years probably.

 

rct

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Also while we are at it.. I saw this vid a short while back about Parker frets... They are the weirdest frets ive ever seen.. No tang or fret slots.. They just get glued on top lined up with some small grooves...

 

WEIRD :) (check at 3:22 in)

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[*]Hardened stainless steel frets - bending is a breeze and I don't think I can wear them out - ebony fretboard also helps with the bending

 

Notes

I think they use a composite fretboard. They do look like ebony though..

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I've got the wood Parker (no carbon coating), so the fretboard is Ebony and the frets are installed in the traditional way. But they are hardened Stainless Steel and dressed very nicely.

 

NN11_Fretwork.jpg

 

Why the all wood and not the full carbon? (1) I like the shape of the wood ones better (no 'arthritic thumb' upper) (2) about 1,000 less expensive.

 

I like the light weight myself. It's about as light as my ES-330 and my Casino -- but it sustains like my 8 pound faux LP.

 

I had Parker build a custom one for me (when they still had a USA factory). I had them put in Duncan P-Rails with triple shot rings (switches in the rings) that allow me to have the following sounds:

  1. P-90
  2. Rail
  3. Series Humbucker
  4. Parallel Humbucker

 

With the Piezo under the bridge and a blend control, I can get a wide variety of sounds out of it - it's the "Swiss Army Knife" of guitars. P-90, Gibson PAF, Strat, and even almost a Tele (close enough for public performances).

 

NN03_TShot_B4.jpg

 

The P-90 has a bit more treble than a soap bar (tone knob fixes this), the rail is a but weaker than a Strat (volume knob to the rescue), and the Humbuckers sound very nice. The Piezo alone sounds acoustic, but not a full sounding flat-top at all, but it's usefulness is blending it with the mags for some extra shimmer and/or twang.

 

I hope this guitar lasts the rest of my life, because I probably won't be able to get another one made.

 

BTW, hold the anchovies, and extra pepperoni for me.

 

Notes

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