Any Love for Parker P-38?

Dr. Vegetable

Dr. Vegetable

New member
I have an opportunity to pick up a Parker P-38 for low money. It is in great condition, with one or two very minor dings. It has the Wilkinson/Fishman piezo bridge and HSS configuration with the stock Parker pickups. Tobacco sunburst, like the one pictured below. Setup was horrendous, but it took 30 seconds to adjust the tremolo, and now it plays like molten butter.

I know this isn't quite the same thing as the original Parker Fly, but who here plays one? What do you think?

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Re: Any Love for Parker P-38?

I had the nightfly (USA made) version of that guitar and it was FANtastic. I only traded it away because I had an opportunity to get a guitar I never thought I'd see again.

If they kept the specs similar, the neck will be pretty thin and wide. It doesn't have the SS frets and carbon fiber board that make Parkers a dream to play, but if you like it, I'd go for it.

It looks like that model even has Piezo? One thing I loved about my Parker was the piezo.
 
Re: Any Love for Parker P-38?

I had one. It's pretty solid guitar. The neck feels good. The only thing that I don't like is it needs battery.
 
Re: Any Love for Parker P-38?

Yes, it has the piezo bridge. And a very thin neck, in a good way, from a guy who plays mostly Ibanez.

I'm not a fan of batteries in guitars myself, but all these hybrids seem to have them. I play through a pair of amps together these days, so I'm going to try the stereo splitter cable to amplify the magnetic and piezo signals separately.

Should be fun. Details at 11:00...
 
Re: Any Love for Parker P-38?

I remember when those came out - they got some good press. Piezo will sound best through an acoustic amp or PA, as you no doubt know.

While we're in Parker-land, I like this (I think there was a MIK version too):
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Re: Any Love for Parker P-38?

There is a HUGE difference between a Nightfly and a P-38.Things like a sanded would neck instead of fiberglass, no locking tuners,Rosewood or Maple fretboard (no Ebony) Pickups are weak and the guitar is really cheap. Not worth much if anything and has NO resale value. A very bad imitation of the Nightfly guitar, right up there with a Fender Squire, in my opinion
 
Re: Any Love for Parker P-38?

I don't think that was anything but a starter guitar much like a Squire to a Fender. Here's a picture of a 1998 Parker Nightfly M. Made in the USA. The best guitar of the hundred or so I have owned, my own PERSONAL favorite and my #1 Guitar in my Stable. Nothing I have ever owned, plays, feels or Sounds quite like the Nighfly M. It is my all time favorite guitar.Made in the USA. The P-38 was an Indonesian knock off. In my opinion
 
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Re: Any Love for Parker P-38?

That looks more like a Nightfly because the neck looks like Ebony and I never saw a P-38 wit a H/S/S configuration but it dos have the cheaper Wilky bridge which also came with a not as good Piezo. Probably post 2000 when Korg bought Parker.
 
Re: Any Love for Parker P-38?

I had a P-36 Tele Style that was a great guitar–wish I had never sold it. I wasn't a huge fan of the neck...but the unique tones it got were amazing! My favorite combo was to run the piezo out through a clean with very light chorus while having the bridge and neck through some light distortion.
 
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