Re: What Seymour Duncan pickups are available for Parker Fly guitars?
Gearjoneser said:
Are you SURE you want a Parker Fly? A few weeks ago, you were eyeballin some nice guitars, then you got caught in the Parker Flytrap. Do not pass GO, Do not collect $200.........BACK to a Custom H-S-S guitar! Ha Ha.
There's something about the Parker Fly that intrigues me.
The playability blows away ANYTHING I have EVER tried out... that's Hamer, Heritage, Dean, G&L, Gibson, Fender, Washburn, Andreas, Don Grosh, Terry McInturff, PRS... need I go on? Upper registers are painless and there is NO HEEL... it's a beautiful thing. I thought I'd hate thin necks, but the fact that it's wide caters to my long fingers/big hands. The neck really allows easy bends and quick playing... this is a lead guitarist/shredders dream. Somehow, chording is still very easy and my hands aren't tired, so it really can feel great in any situation.
I love the looks of the guitars. The trems are supposed to be incredible. The construction is very unique. Uniqueness wins HUGE points with me. I love how you strum a chord and the whole body of the guitar resonates and reacts to your playing, like all the great vintage Strats. It's a guitar you just "feel".
I LOVE the piezo system. Mixed with the coil split on the Fly Deluxe, I got unbelievable acoustic tones. It was amazing being able to switch over to an acoustic on the "fly" (no pun intended).
Now all I need is TONE. The Mojo was way too warm and dark for my taste. Yeah, I could nail jazz tones and good rock tones, but coil split it was horrible.
Ed Roman uses "Black Backs" on his Quicksilver guitars and from the reviews on Harmony-Central, it can run the gamut from Les Paul to Strat/Tele territory. Versatility is key here.
I'm not sure how the Black Backs would sound on the Parker Fly Deluxe, that's why I'm trying to get as much info as possible on them. The construction selection is very unique... poplar body, basswood neck, carbon fingerboard.
I've tried custom H-S-S guitars, but nothing impressed me. The humbuckers never sounded at all like Les Pauls and the single coils never seemed to stand out right. I need a piezo system now too because after playing several, saying "no" is just not an option

For instance, the Don Grosh Bent Top Custom. Great looks, but too midrangey and dark for my taste. Blend pots are cool, but when they barely change the tone... it doesn't do much for me. The single coils were too dark to shimmer and the humbucker sounded too much like the single coils... major disappointment.
If I were to go with a Don Grosh Bent Top, I'd need a few things. 1) Fishman active piezo saddles 2) different pickups: Fralin Vintage Hots and a Joe Barden Two Tone.
I'm torn at the moment as to what to buy. I'm looking carefully at a Brian Moore C90P as we speak. Still, the Parker has majorly sucked me in and I feel like I NEED one.