Parker Guitars P-44Pro

Natural varnished mahogany body on mine
Ebony on which we can develop a good sensitivity
Very comfortable handle for any acrobatics
Sperzel tuners
Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and Jazz neck, splitables and piezo under the bridge.
Connectivity allows for many config sound all exploitable:
pickup only + split
+ split neck pickup only
both pickups together + split
mixture piezo pickups +
piezo only

This is probably the most versatile that I had in my hands with MusicMan Petrucci Guitar (but here we are in the same price range ...). Question violin and it is SPOTLESS!

UTILIZATION

Lightweight, 3 kg on the scales, confusing limit early especially if one comes from the Les Paul!
Very good access to acute, ergonomics and balance of the guitar is great as always with Parker

SOUNDS

The versatility of the sounds is the strong point of this guitar.
I bought it on the advice of another guitarist like me who was tired of lugging 3 or 4 guitars to cover his repertoire.

I find all my sounds I make the recovery and I baloche tubes makes folk, rock, funk, jazz and Hard Rock without changing instruments.

The Piezo is stunning sincerity and accuracy. It restores so great the sound of an acoustic guitar.

J uses stereo to two amps: AER compact 60 acoustic parts and ENGL combo for electric parts

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for almost three years.
I played a lot of guitars and it attracted me by its versatility, ergonomics and quality of different sounds obtained. It is a hair above her little sister P44 (short) which is not equipped with SD pickups.

This guitar is quite rare. I'm looking for another spare but I galley to find because they are poorly distributed in France. If you find one please let me know if I'm interested!

The P44 pro, variation of the famous Fly Asian American, is a move towards the top of the P44, and has 2 Seymour Duncan SH (a Jazz in the neck position and a JB in the bridge), a block Custom Parker vibrato bridges to aluminum and pivot ball.
body and neck 22 frets mahogany. Varnish Gloss Black full on my model.
key composite appearance and hardness close to ebony
6 Spertzel mechanical locking
Stainless steel frets medium / jumbo
piezo pickup under the bridge
1 volume
1 tone / push-pull to split the humbuckers
1 volume piezo preamp
A three-position switch microphone
A magnetic pickups selector / magnetic + piezo / piezo only
On the back of the instrument to the battery door with wear indicator, switch to select the signal output in mono, or stereo with the signal from one side of Seymour and the other the piezo, it using a standard cable jack stereo "Y" provided.
The instrument comes with a gigbag Parker of good quality.



UTILIZATION

The ergonomics of this Parker is good. We are not dealing with a composite model Fly and ultra-fine from the USA. There he is a guitar to the traditional, wooden body to the head, which does not a priori the extravagance of design shown by its predecessors.
However the handle is quick, comfort is good, the flat profile is close to that found on the side of Ibanez Jackson.L or access to acute aisé.Sans is to be a highway, the handle is modern and allows addressing all styles of play without feeling any discomfort.
The various knobs fall easily to hand. The volume is a bit strong and does not facilitate violoning, but knob turns into 10 minutes ...
The floating bridge, but not as good a model Floyd, shall, in conjunction with the mechanical holding of an agreement very correct. Not really designed for dive-bombing, but far beyond the capacity of a block type vintage Fender. Let's say if we make the Steve Lukather's going, but for the Steve Vai must go his way quietly.
The stem of vibrato is curious, nothing holds it to the bridge once inserted. If the instrument looks forward, the bar irretrievably out of his logement.Ce is not fatal but as surprising design.
Weight is also a surprise, just over 3 kg!

SOUNDS

Here we enter the heart of the matter.
Already start with the quality of the two Seymour Duncan. It's a classic, proven pair found on many instruments high-end for the rock and its variations.
Their dynamic sound is excellent and allows the rich and subtle variations of jazz fusion, heavy rock to pop through.
The ability to split the range increases, approaching the record of single coils, but match the characteristic sound of a Fender Stratocaster.
But for country plans and / or incursions into the world of Knopfler, it can mislead.
The possibility of using the piezo alone or in combination with magnetic multiplies the sonic possibilities. The piezo sensor 6 is simple and offers a volume control but can do without a sound on stage if we use it only on a few tracks. Of course, with an equalizer and a little reverb is really happening bluffant.On picking a very good light with chorus, a good big sound in a few Heavy instants.L ideal is to divert the signal to an amplifier Acoustic with an A / B box or directly into the console.
I assure you that it's amazing and really practice.
Before, on stage, I had my electro-acoustic pop for my Start and my Ibanez JS for Heavy couillu, I danced a jig at each change of style. Today I have my Parker is a killer for rock and its derivatives and the stuffing does well in all other areas.



OVERALL OPINION

The general form is very bold and always brings rejection or acceptance without limit.
However, beyond the exercise of aesthetic style, the possibilities of such an instrument are endless. If like me you are part of a cover band or dance, this instrument is really adapté.Si your domain is the rock / hard, it's still an instrument perfectly at ease in this register.
Quite frankly, the P44 pro introduced me to a concept that I could not have offered me in with MusicMan eg a Steve Morse Piezo Y2D unfortunately off-budget.

And what satisfaction of having a singular and serious instrument: it is enjoyable to play an instrument rarely seen on French stages.
Moreover, to procure a model used in France, one must arm themselves with great patience. Even for a new Parker is no salvation outside the foreign dealers via the Internet.
I never left her ... and I dream of her older sister American ...
This choice I would do again in a heartbeat.