This is the perfect Fly guitar guitar to get classic warm tones. The Fly Classic has a that is smooth, slick, lower mid-range and has a singing upper register. The first new shape in the Parker line-up since the Parker Fly was introduced 11 years ago. Parker’s engineers have developed a single cut-away design with a mahogany body and mahogany neck joined together by Parker’s patented multi-finger joint that contributes to the evenness of the sound and resists the inevitable warping that sends other guitars out of tune.
Tones / Sounds
Mahogany brings out lower mid-range for smooth distortion
Body
Wood: Mahogany
Construction: Solid one piece
Finish: Polyurethane
Bridge: Parker custom cast aluminum vibrato bridge, Stainless steel saddles
Vibrato System: Custom flat spring with balance adjustment, 3-mode step stop: fixed, bend down only, or floating
Neck
Wood: Basswood
Neck Design: Solid one piece with carbon-glass-epoxy reinforcement
Neck-Body Joint: Reinforced carved multiple finger joint
Scale: 25.5 in.
# of Frets: 24 Frets
Fret Material: Hardened stainless steel
Fret Size: .045 in. high, .095 in. wide
Fret Board: Carbon-Glass-Epoxy .020 in. composite
Fretboard Shape: 10-13 in. conical form
Neck Shape: Width: wide Thickness: reg.
Finish: Polyurethane
Nut: GraphTech
Nut Width: 1.68 in.
String Spacing: Bridge: 2.14 in. Nut: 1.43 in.
Truss Rod: Custom design high-strength music wire
Tuners: Sperzel locking
Electronics
Mag Pickups: DiMarzio custom wound
Mag. Config: Number: 2 Config: HH
Mag. PU Select: 3 way with push/pull coil tap
Piezo System: 6-element Fishman piezo
PreAmp/Mixer: New and Improved Active Custom Fishman stereo preamp
Other Controls: Mag volume, Mag tone /w push-pull coil tap Piezo volume, Mag/Piezo 3 way selector
Output: Split stereo or summed mono; “Smart Switching” jack
Miscellaneous
Weight: 5 pounds
Strings: D’Addario EXL 120, .009 – .042 in.
Other Features: N/A
Case/Bag: Parker Fly custom hard case included
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It disturbs me that a lot of people think this guitar sounds thin and has a lack of sustain. I think a review of physics and an acknowledgment of a few simple facts might help that.
Why are cymbals thin? Why do acoustic guitars have such thin 'walls'? Well, they are designed in this manner for projection, sustain, resonance, etc. And if the wood is right, which in this case is a FINE mahogany (as opposed to this shit Gibson puts in their guitars these days), the sustain and 'tone' can be better than ever.
And it is…whenever I play the Fly, I can feel the resonance throughout my body. Whenever I play a deep, chunky chord, I feel it. Whenever I hit a soaring bend, it shivers through me. This guitar should be hailed for its thin design, rather than dismissed.
The pickups sound GREAT. They're quite hot actually and through my Rivera Knucklehead Reverb, the Fly is quite a fire breather. Yet, the clean tone is still pristine and fat. The middle position on the pickup selector yields a great single coil-type sound and through the Rivera's amazing clean capabilites, it sounds euphoric. And when I fire up the overdrive, the bridge and neck pickups are hot and powerful, yet they retain their clarity through even the most obscure chords. Nod to Dimarzio on this one.
The piezo: Wow, a surprise. When I got this guitar, I didn't really care about the piezo, but it is AMAZING. Plug it into a console or an acoustic amp and it practically sounds more like an acoustic than an acoustic does. You're playing a plugged-in Martin or Yairi without the bulk and the string resistance. Tearing it up on an acoustic is suddenly easy and well…cheating, but the sound is perfect.
In my experimental rock band, this guitar fits like a glove. It can go so many places and with the music I play it's forced to. It handles it with ease and facility.
After the number of reviews on this page, I feel that a rehash of the Fly's features would be a waste of time. However, it can all be summed up with relative ease:
Ken Parker deserves some sort of international prize (maybe a Nobel) for this groundbreaking design.
The Parker Fly is designed with astounding perfection. And although, the features may not make some people happy (previous review), however, I think it can be agreed that the Fly's features work in such harmony that major kudos is deserved on the behalf of Ken Parker.
To sum up, the Fly has a nearly obscene amount of features put together in a perfect way, and for me, it "fits" perfectly.
After you play this guitar for a while, other guitars feel horrible. Even my old Ibanez S470QS felt like a baseball bat after the Fly. The neck is great and the shape going into the thru-neck is really nice.
I got this guitar with no flaws and things were fairly well adjusted. All I need to do is just do some incremental changes, which are incredibly easy to do with Parker's completely original system of doing anything and everything. A couple of Allen wrenched are needed, but the guitar is VERY VERY EASY to work on.
The fingerboard should be a lesson to all guitar companies. The carbon-glass composite feels smooth and it doesn't feel disgusting on a humid day like everything else. Playing outside is a lot more enjoyable with this guitar.
The frets should be yet another lesson. String are normally made of nickel…frets are normally made in nickel. Frets wear down this way. Ken Parker made his frets out of stainless steel and not only will they last longer but they feel noticeably better. Playing this neck in general is like butter.
I haven't needed help and doesn't look I will need to.
Curtis Roush (06/05/2002)
Everybody puts a 10 here it seems no matter what they are reviewing. Truth be known people buy a guitar because they like the way it sounds. How a $200 Squire, a $600 Yamaha and a $3200 PRS or Parker or Gibson Les Paul can all rate a "10" in sound is beyond me other than that it is a personal thing and who buys a guitar they do not like.
The sounds this guitar can create are incredible! A PRS, Gibson or name your company cannot match the sound and sound options of the Fly. The abiltiy to combine the electric guitar sound with an "acoustic" yields a vast array of sounds. This guitar can cover a wide variety of sounds. Since buying it almost a year and a half ago, I have seen them in use in everything from rock to country to classical.
I split the signal of my Fly. The magnetics go into a Digitech 2120 Artist, a dunlop crybaby, a BBE Sonic Maximiser 482 (highly recommend)and a Fender Pro 185 (yeah, I know a 185, solid state, am looking for an addition that will have better tone at lower volume levels, the 185 is a monster when it comes to volume).
The Piezo/acoustic sound goes into a DOD Acoustec, the BBE and an Acoustasonic. I compared the sound of the Acoustic w/ the acoustisonic with some $1000+ acoustics. The Fly held it's own when being sent through an amp. No it won't be mistaken for a high dollar Martin, Taylor or custom acoustic. If that's the sound you want go get one! Just for fun, I sometimes run the piezo's into the DOD set at an octave lower and plug into a bass amp. Great fun!!! Hearing the bass run along w/ the guitar, lick for lick is fun. Blasting some serious metal/grunge w/ the bass filling up the bottom end. Let the good times roll. More variety than time or space allows.
My USA made Fly is now 2 years old. You can read all of the features and technical specs in the other reviews. Suffice it to say that some of the features are revolutionary when compared to other brands. The magnetic/piezo pups, the thin body, the neck that varies a little from head to body but is extra comfortable are all great innovations. A 9 because although the features are tremendous, the master volume knob was in the way at first and I would unintentionaly lower the volume. I got used to it and quite playing so sloppy. :>)
I have a friend who recently started making basses (for about a year now, an incredible player), he was playing a very nice neck through bass he designed. After about a minute of looking over the Fly, he was utterly amazed at the detail and little things that make the Fly so nice. The way the neck is formed, the head stock appears to be on an angle going down away from the neck but the strings go straight to the headstock, access to the rod in the neck, weight and shape, etc.
(See above about all those who use tens, sorry but I must) I tried everything I could get my hands on in the $1500-$3500 range. I was ready to get a great playing guitar. I tried PRS, Gibson, Fender, all the big names and others. Nothing I played could compare with the feel and playing ability of the Fly. The main thing I was looking for was playability. I was willing to make some minor trade offs in tone but didn't have too!!! I didn't want to put it down in the store but the wife or family (depending on which one at the time, I spent over 2 years comparing guitars [and saving money]).
I had the action lowered at the store only because I wanted it extra low. Everything else was/is perfect.
Haven't had to use them so that's a plus. Did see an email by a guy who helped with their painting and was able to get the specific colors and types of paint used for my guitar!!!
Jimmy (03/01/2001)
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The Highway One series is upgraded for ‘06! Super-size frets, ’70s styling, new alnico pickups in the neck and middle positions and new colors take this amazing guitar to the next level.
The new neck and middle position pickups on the Highway One Stratocaster HSS guitar produce a more round tone that can sound glassy and great with high gain. The thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish lets the body wood’s natural tone shine through, making for one of the most exciting new instruments in the Fender family!
Model Name: Highway One Stratocaster HSS (Upgrade)
Model Number: 011-1760-(Color#)
Series: Highway One Series
Colors:
(304) Daphne Blue
(306) Flat Black
(375) Wine Transparent
(Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple, Modern ‘C’ Shape, (Satin Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5 in. Radius (241mm)
No. of Frets: 22 Jumbo Frets
Pickups:
1 Atomic Humbucking Pickup (Bridge)
2 Hot Single-Coil Strat Pickups with Staggered Pole Pieces, Alnico 3 Magnets (Neck/Middle)
Controls:
Master Volume
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Greasebucket Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)
Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup), Greasebucket Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)
Pickup Switching:
5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup
Bridge: Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo
Machine Heads: Fender/Ping Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
Hardware: Chrome
Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment
Scale Length: 25.5 in. (648 mm)
Width at Nut: 1.6875 in. (43 mm)
Unique Features:
Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Body Finish
Large ’70s Style Headstock
Large ’70s Style Decal
Original Body Shape
?Original Contour Body Decal on Headstock
Black Pickup Coveras and Plastic Parts
White Dot Position Inlays
Strings: Fender Super Bullets 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003
Accessories: Deluxe Gig Bag
Case: Deluxe Gig Bag
Introduced: 7/2006
Notice: Product Prices, Features And Specifications Are Subject To Change Without Notice
I really am a glutton gor punishment. As much as I bitched about the poor electronics on this guitar as well as the crappy tuners…I went and bought 2 MORE!!! a brand new 2007 and a 2003 off of E-Bay. I Just buy them them to mod the shit out of them….then they become AWESOME axes!!
BOTTOM LINE…………The stock pickups bit ass!!
Hss config.
Flat Black finish….nitro
Alder body
The guitars look gorgeous!!! The finishes are GREAT!! I love the headstocks!!
Rich Prestia (08/18/2007)
I play mainly acoustic, but plug the strat into a Line 6 Guitar Port so I don't wake up the children. Sold my amp years ago. I play along to many songs from Steve Earle to Jet. The Strat sounds fantastic. Probably even better through a good amp.
The humbucker gives a very warm cultured sound at high gain. The setting for the neck and middle together is awesome. Individually the SCs are great too. I've only had the guitar for about 7 months so I'm still experimenting with the sounds but I've been inspired to play things I only dreamed about previously.
The pickups are a bit noisy and the SCs lack the output of the HB but then they are supposed to.
I can't think of anything I really don't like about the sound.
Manufactured in USA in 2003. Alder body. Maple neck. Rosewood fretboard. 2 single coils and 1 humbucker as fitted. Came with Fender gigbag, cloth and manuals. When I went to Peter Cooke's I wanted a 3 single coil version. Fell in love with the SSH when they plugged it in.
I decided I would buy a USA Strat but haven't got a grand for a Clapton or Custom Shop etc so chose Highway 1 on reviews in Guitarist. I have not been disappointed and all they say about this guitar is spot on.
My only other electric is a 30 year old Yamaha SG30. I was simply blown away by the range of sound the Strat produces.
Action was not brilliant from the box although the bloke in the shop did some setting up.
Finish on the body was flawless and very neat indeed. The body on mine is 3 pieces which have been bookmatched very well. The fretboard was very dry and had a few minor lateral scratches i.e. at 90 degrees to the grain. Have restrung and treated with lemon oil a few times and its getting better.
Frets were finished to a good standard. Tuners worked fine, nut well cut.
I did have it profesionally set up by Dr Robert who adjusted the neck and the action, fine tuned intonation and dressed the frets. The guitar is now at least twice as good as it was when I bought it. He also tapped down the magnets on the single coils and adjusted the height of the pickups which has improved sustain considerably.
Overall, good setup out of the box but you have to have it set up to your own tastes.
Have never had to contact Fender.
Peter Forsey (09/06/2004)
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