Parker Guitars

Parker Guitars
Company typePrivate
IndustryMusical instruments
Founded1993
FounderKen Parker
Defunct2016; 8 years ago (2016)
HeadquartersChicago, Illinois,
United States
Productselectric and acoustic guitars, basses
ParentJam Industries (2009–16)

Parker Guitars was an American manufacturer of electric and acoustic guitars[1] and basses, founded by luthier Ken Parker in 1993. Parker guitars were distinguished for their characteristic light weight and the use of composite materials.[2][3][4][5]

Parker's most famous guitar was the Fly model,[6][7][8] an electric guitar made with a slim, lightweight core of real wood (such as spruce, poplar, or basswood, for example),[9] reinforced with a carbon fiber exoskeleton to provide unparalleled rigidity for a solid body electric guitar.[10] The mixture of materials also resulted in a lighter instrument than had been available up to that time, weighing a mere 2 kg (4.4 lb). The early "Fly" models were highly appreciated by musicians and well received by critics.[11][unreliable source?]

The Parker company was acquired by the U.S. Music Corporation in 2003, which was itself sold to Jam Industries in August 2009. As of November 2016, the brand was inactive after the factory in Illinois was closed.

  1. ^ "Parker Guitars – Parker Models". Ed Roman. October 20, 2019.
  2. ^ "A Brief History of Parker Guitars". www.streetdirectory.com.
  3. ^ Shaw, Robert (2004). Classic Guitars. Pomegranate. ISBN 978-0-7649-2888-8.
  4. ^ Gerken, Teja; Hunter, Dave; Jasson, Mikael; Johnston, Richard; Morrish, John; Simmons, Michael (2018-02-13). Electric Guitars: The Illustrated Encyclopedia. Chartwell Books. ISBN 978-0-7603-6360-7.
  5. ^ Johnston, Richard; Simmons, Michael; Gerken, Teja; Ford, Frank (2005-04-01). Acoustic Guitar: The Composition, Construction, and Evolution of One of World's Most Beloved Instruments. Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-1-4768-5258-4.
  6. ^ "The history of the Parker Fly". Guitar.com | All Things Guitar. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  7. ^ "Parker Guitars | "Parker Fly" electric guitar | American". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
  8. ^ Schiller, David (2019-10-01). Guitar: The World's Most Seductive Instrument. Workman Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-5235-0850-1.
  9. ^ "Struts and Frets: Building a Better Guitar" by Burkhard Bilger (May 14, 2007), from 'Onward and Upward with the Arts' in The New Yorker.
  10. ^ "Ken Parker" by Jan Van Cappelle (November 7, 2015) on The Dutch Luthier.
  11. ^ "10 Guitars You Need to Know #8: Parker Guitars" by Lucas Frost (September 7, 2015) on Uberchord.com.