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by **JouniL** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 7:52 am

I'll propably never buy a Strat, Tele or Jazzmaster, I like my Parker, and everytime I play a Fender it feels ... outdated.

I just read this excellent text about Leo Fender:
http://www.nymphusa.com/tele/howfender.asp

I totally recognise the visionary work by Leo Fender, he made revolutionary stuff and created legendary guitars ... 50 years ago. It's time to move on.

by **Charvelguy** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:17 am

I can't help but chuckle.
Well, even Leo 'moved on'...so did Kramer, & Charvel as well as a bunch of other 'big guys'....
Guitar innovation is a never ending endevour..as far as the new, I kinda want a Moog.
That said, Tele's Strat's, Jag's, all have a signature sound and vibe. Sure some of it can be attributed to psychological but they are mainstays, industry standards always to have a new niche in the hands of the next EVH or whomever you know that has made his name on one.

I have a love - hate relationship with Fender sometimes, but I will almost certianly have a strat or tele in the stable. Their vibe is one I feel I can't replace.

by **lostylost** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:26 am

Parker huh? Man, I would LOVE one of those Adrian Belew models with variax/midi/piezo acoustic pickup

by **cwight** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:39 am

Chuckle I nearly fell off my chair; ouch, sorry...make that just did. It's Jouni's Xmas wind-up. What's so special about Fenders, let's start with sound, do price (you can get 3 decent fenders for one Parker) then do aesthetics. Then all have a good look at the Parkers. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all of that, but really, can you see Jimi getting all 'sex god' with one of these, and as for that headstock....

http://www.parkerguitars.com/code/models/models_fly_classic_intro.asp

Also, don't Parker's still use wood, with pickups, a neck, frets, and tuners....what's so radically different there? ....

My Riffworld · by **GuitarSlinger** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 9:52 am

Fender has about as much to do with Leo Fender as KFC does with Kernel Sanders. I'm Fender free at the moment, but lets not discredit Leos work, the man was an innovator and a pioneer of guitars, amps, and basses. They are still selling his favorite recipe with a few modern upgrades, but there are plenty of great alternatives out there.

Don't know much about Parker though, can't get past the looks of it.

Me I like to play with my Balls, I've got three and a fourth on the way.

by **cwight** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:06 am

"Me I like to play with my Balls, I've got three and a fourth on the way."

LOL....I don't know whether to be worried or jealous....

by **lostylost** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:09 am

What the hell are aural artists giving 2 plops about the looks of an instrument for?

Come on!

So, hypothetically speaking, if having played a Parker, you decided it WAS a superior guitar in all aspects but looks would you still rule them out?

I don't think they are THAT ugly that I wouldn't even consider one

by **lostylost** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:15 am

I know that Adrian Belew is obviously biased having been sponsored by Parker but by his accounts '[the] guitar makes me play better`.

That's quite a claim really.

The necks are supposed to be very easy and I'm pretty sure there is something special about their construction and material composition.

Maybe if Jimi had a parker he wouldn't have had that look of disappointment quite common to the endings of his songs as his hands snaked up to the tuning pegs.

Strats have come along way since then?

by **cwight** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 10:28 am

Well having played one or two and having decided that they are not that much better (if at all) than what I already could get elsewhere, and much cheaper, and the fact that they are ugly (to me), then I couldn't justify buying one. Guitars are very ephemeral things and it's hard to pin down what makes any one work for you on an individual basis. But given how ugly I think they are, they would have to be 'spectacularly' better, before I'd buy one. Guitars are things of beauty and very few musicians can be truly unconcerned about aesthetics. Artists, on the other hand, have to be. Jimi, Beck, Page, Vai, Satriani, et. al. are all well aware of the the link between image and music. Maybe it shouldn't be like that, but it is.

Hey, but if Parkers float your boat buy one. If you've got the money good luck to you. But to return to Jouni's original question. The point is that Fenders have, for better or worse, a certain aesthetic appeal, that's largely now down to association. But they sound great as well, are built to last, and they are quite cheap really, particularly if you pick up a good Mex one. Each to their own....

Losty, check out the Parker website, he makes a lot out of the kinda of woods they use, which kinda goes against the thrust of the piece Jouni posted....

by **JouniL** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:09 am

Hm, this discussion kind of took a wrong direction, wasn't about comparing Parkers against Fenders. Just saying that Fender made great stuff 50 years ago, certainly we must have come a bit on the way since then (this goes for Gibson guitars also).

Walking into a guitar shop today you have:

1) one wall with Fender guitars
2) one wall with Gibson guitars
3) one wall with Gibson and Fender clones

That is just ridiculous ...

by **cwight** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:20 am

Not if you are after a Fender or Gibson it's not.....

...just joking really, it's horses for courses as we say in the UK..... whatever turns you on.....I love my 2 new Fenders, both Mex though, so for some guys they probably wouldn't even count as 'real' Fenders....

by **ShredRex** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:21 am

Ibanez baby........lol

by **lostylost** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 1:28 pm

>>> Hm, this discussion kind of took a wrong direction, wasn't about comparing Parkers against Fenders

Sorry guys.

I'm funnily enough not even a Parker nut. Haven't even played one. Just heard they `play` really nice. That to me would be the ultimate deciding factor in what guitar I would purchase *if I wasn't a broke arse fool*

by **mickeymix** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:06 pm

I love ALL guitars....mine as well as yours....and always have a special place in my heart for Fenders............... and Gibsons, Epi's, Gretsch's, Ibanez, Charvels, Martins, Taylors, MusicMan's, OLP's, Parkers, Variax's, Schecters...... and the lot.

Pootertunes · by **pooterpatty** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:21 pm

I dunno, what's so special about Parkers?

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