[loktide]

ok, i've been GASing for a parker since i can remember although i've never played one :lol:

the concept, aesthetics and features of these things are simply nuts! the only reason i still don't own one is that i've never really got to play one other than for a few minutes at musikmesse '07 (without an amp), and i've never come across a store that carries them

anyway, i've decided i'm taking the risk of buying one without really knowing what to expect, and return/resell it in case i'm not happy with it.

i've noticed there are quite a few different models available, and i've narrowed it down to the classic & mojo models.



i've got a few questions though:

what's with redesign that somewhen took place? it looks like they changed the knob configuration as well as the trem wheel. is there also a difference in construction/sound

why is the fly mojo about 30% more expensive than the fly classic? if i'm not mistaken, they're virtually identical except the mahogany vs basswood neck as well as dimarzio vs seymour duncan pickups, right?

i've gone through the parker forum, but i haven't been able to find comments on how the fly & mojo differ sound and play-wise, as well as regarding quality differences before/after the 're-design'



i appreciate any info you guys can give me on this!

 

[darren]

My understanding is that they went from printed circuit boards with surface-mounted pots and lots of ribbon cables connecting all the bits and pieces to a more conventional layout with regular wires, because they were having to deal with lots of warranty repairs for broken ribbon cables.

At the same time, they also removed the trem balance wheel behind the bridge. The wheel was great when users knew what it was for, but in most music stores, the guitars would get knocked out of tune (and out of intonation) by people randomly twirling the knob. So it was a great feature for the end user that was removed to facilitate easier sales.

I have no idea why the Mojos are so expensive. They really shouldn't be that much more than a Classic. :shrug:

I had a Classic and i loved it. But i wasn't playing it much at all after switching to sevens, and i sold it to fund my JP7 purchase.

 

[Nate]

Some important notes.

2003 was the last year of the original Flys, with the balance wheel on the face of the guitar and the 4 knob setup. In 2003 the Fly was "refined" with a new control layout consisting of a master volume, a master tone [coil tap function is on this control as well] and a master volume for the piezo eliminating the separate volume control for the magnet pickups and the piezo tone control. This instrument was more cost effective eschewing the original, higher fidelity Fly circuitry for the cheaper, simpler Nite-Fly preamp. Further cost cutting measures were made to the hardware.

In 2003 the company was sold to U.S. Music Corporation based in Illinois.

New production and design is currently led by Terry Atkins, of Gibson custom shop fame. (As well as Tacoma Guitars, and Jackson.) Terry has made several dynamic changes to the design of the flagship Fly model, including changing the truss rod from the original lightweight design to a more traditional, heavier version. It has also been noted by many Fly aficionados that the Washburn Fly guitars are thicker and heavier than the original instruments.

 

[loktide]

thanks for the info, guys :yesway:

i still don't have a clue why the fly classic is so much cheaper than the mojo

here's a mojo and classic fly in dusty black (just to compare same finish options, i'm actually leaning towards a red finish):

Classic 2399€

Mojo 2989 €

 

[Ror3h]

I'm not too sure why there is such a huge price difference, but I have one of the refined Mojo's in the natural finish. Personally I'm not a fan of Dimarzio pickups and wanted a slightly darker sound, which is why I went for the all mahogany Mojo.

I had the chance to compare my Mojo with an older fly deluxe (I think). Mine was heavier, but I think that was mainly due to the different woods used, and mine also had a fatter neck (which I prefer anyway, the older one was quite similair to an Ibanez in thickness but rounder in profile). Also the coil tap on the Mojo is very useful, yu can get some lovely strat like tones out of it, and I don't believe the pre-refined fly's have that.

I think you'll find the Parker quite different to any guitar you've played at first, but once you get used to the perfectly smooth frets, fantastic ergonomic body and light weight, you'll love it! I know I do haha, since I've sold all my other guitars as my Mojo feels and sounds better (IMO) than any other guitar I've ever played.

 

[loktide]

I'm not too sure why there is such a huge price difference, but I have one of the refined Mojo's in the natural finish. Personally I'm not a fan of Dimarzio pickups and wanted a slightly darker sound, which is why I went for the all mahogany Mojo.

I had the chance to compare my Mojo with an older fly deluxe (I think). Mine was heavier, but I think that was mainly due to the different woods used, and mine also had a fatter neck (which I prefer anyway, the older one was quite similair to an Ibanez in thickness but rounder in profile). Also the coil tap on the Mojo is very useful, yu can get some lovely strat like tones out of it, and I don't believe the pre-refined fly's have that.

I think you'll find the Parker quite different to any guitar you've played at first, but once you get used to the perfectly smooth frets, fantastic ergonomic body and light weight, you'll love it! I know I do haha, since I've sold all my other guitars as my Mojo feels and sounds better (IMO) than any other guitar I've ever played.

thanks for the input :yesway:

glad to hear you're happy with you mojo. i think i'll be aiming for a classic unless i get a good deal on a mojo, though.

i actually like both duncans and dimarzios depending on the guitar, so i'm not really biased when it comes to pickups.

 

[Ror3h]

thanks for the input :yesway:

glad to hear you're happy with you mojo. i think i'll be aiming for a classic unless i get a good deal on a mojo, though.

i actually like both duncans and dimarzios depending on the guitar, so i'm not really biased when it comes to pickups.

Like I said I'm sure you'll like it no matter which one you get, as the Parker design is just so far ahead of most other guitar manufacturers.

If you can live without the coil split though, I'd definitely keep an eye open for a used one, as these things are built like tanks! Might be able to save a pretty penny too.

If you want to hear what my Mojo sounds like through an Orange Rockerverb by the way, give my band a listen, the link is in my signature thing at the bottom of my post.

By the way, the trem is a great design. I don't use mine at all any more, but the stop mechanism basically makes it a fixed bridge. I don't think it'd quite handle lots of divebombs but it's definitely very smooth and stays in tune perfectly for more subtle trem work. The piezos are quite a handy thing to have for an interesting clean tone every now and then, but they will never sound like a real acoustic IMO. That's just the way it is with piezo pickups though, even in actual acoustic guitars they don't sound particularly 'real' to me.

 

[loktide]

i'll give it a listen when i'm at home :yesway:

 

[darren]

You guys are talking like the older Parkers don't have coil splitting... they use the DiMarzio switch like on the Petrucci models, and the humbuckers automatically split in the middle position.

The switching on the new ones is another cost-cutting measure... two regular Les Paul type 3-way toggles and a push-pull pot probably saves them $20 or $30 per guitar compared to the pair of DiMarzio switches they used to use.

 

[Ror3h]

You guys are talking like the older Parkers don't have coil splitting... they use the DiMarzio switch like on the Petrucci models, and the humbuckers automatically split in the middle position.

The switching on the new ones is another cost-cutting measure... two regular Les Paul type 3-way toggles and a push-pull pot probably saves them $20 or $30 per guitar compared to the pair of DiMarzio switches they used to use.

Ahh I wasn't sure about that. Does that mean that you can't use the bridge or neck as a single coil alone then, on the older ones?

 

[Drew]

Ahh I wasn't sure about that. Does that mean that you can't use the bridge or neck as a single coil alone then, on the older ones?

Maybe, but that's probably an easy enough mod.

 

[loktide]

i'm wondering about the tonal differences between both...

@darren: have you had the chance to compare your classic to a mojo?
@ror3h: have you had the chance to compare your mojo to a classic?

 

[darren]

I've never played a Mojo, and haven't owned the Classic for a few years, so i probably can't help you.

 

[Ror3h]

i'm wondering about the tonal differences between both...

@darren: have you had the chance to compare your classic to a mojo?
@ror3h: have you had the chance to compare your mojo to a classic?

I've only ever had the chance to play one other parker since I bought mine, and I can't remember wether it was a classic or a deluxe, as the only way to tell is to look at the serial number. It was a while ago too. I do remember mine sounded and felt a bit chunkier, which would lead me to believe the Mojo might be better for metal, but that all really depends on personal preference anyway!

I did play a classic in cherry red once, but it was well before I got my mojo.

 

[darren]

If memory serves, Fly Classics all have transparent finishes (i believe they were offered in trans red, blue, green and clear). Deluxes have opaque finishes.

 

[loktide]

hm, the fly classic i posted on the first page was dusty black. maybe it's a mistake from the store, though.

anyway, it sounds like i want a mojo. there's currently one for 1650$ on the bay including shipping to europe. if it wasn't for customs (+ 23%) i'd grab it

 

[darren]

That's a great price for a Mojo... Kinda like Carvins, Parkers don't seem to hold their value well. And yes, i'm fairly certain that the Fly Classic only came in transparent colours. A Dusty Black would likely be a Deluxe. But i could be wrong on that.

 

[Reverend 7 Strings of Hate]

i'v only played older parkers, but i absolutly love them. i would have to say that one of the original flys i played was probably the best playing guitar i'v ever messed with. I love the glass fingerboard and the contour to your body.

Its a pitty that they were a company that was built on different ideas, and then they sold the company and its run by a guy that wants to cut corners and use more traditional ideas which goes against what i thought parker was about

 

[darren]

Well, guitarists are also notoriously bound by tradition... new or different ideas just don't sell as well.

 

[jacksonplayer]

The older Parkers seem to hold their value reasonably well. I think it was one of the most amazing guitar designs ever, and it's sad to see them being watered down.

Unfortunately for me, their sound cuts through very well but doesn't give me that thick legato midrange I crave. Despite that, I would like to get one of the original ones eventually.