Parker Guitars DF524

Made in USA
Satin finish
Body: Alder double cutaway
Neck: Bolt-on radiused maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Frets: 22 frets, stainless steel
Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan SSL6A
Mid pickup: Seymour Duncan SSL6A
Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan TB14 humbucker
Piezo pickup: Custom Fishman
Bridge: Parker Trem
Pickup selectors: 5-way magnetic, 3-way magnetic/piezo
Tone knob: Split-coil
Case: Hardshell case included

UTILIZATION

I thought USA made Parkers were supposed to be the cream of the crop in terms of playability. Maybe they're going downhill - this particular guitar was nowhere near as sleek and fast as my other Parkers I've owned. I know the company has a need to make as much money as possible, and that guitarists as a whole are a conservative group. Parker already makes incredibly forward-thinking guitars, so a model with less radical looks and features is an attempt to get more into the mainstream. The guitar looks good, although not as nice as the higher end Fly series. However, the all wood, no carbon fiber neck has wayyyy more friction on the front and back than I am used to in a Parker. Also, the neck was torqued just a bit to the treble side. Without the carbon fiber, the neck is not as stable on this design, and the playability suffers for it.

SOUNDS

The Duncan pickups were fantastic. However, the guitar loses points here for shoddy wiring. The switch that selects piezo/magnetic had a short in it. This is absolutely unacceptable in a $2000 USA made guitar. The piezo would cut in and out on its own. Very disappointing.

OVERALL OPINION

This is the worst Parker guitar I've yet played. And that's a shame, because I like the new body design. However, taking away the carbon, the neck joint, and putting terrible wiring on this guitar makes it just another overpriced guitar. If you're thinking about buying this guitar, save your pennies and buy an older used Fly. You'll thank yourself, and spend half as much for a guitar that is 3 times as good.