Ken parker archtop for sale. Come join us today! Login Create an Account Modern Mojo Guitars Forum > Instruments > Acoustic > Ken Parker Archtops > Announcements Modern Mojo Guitars Forum -- the meeting place for modern Paul: It's very hard to innovate in the guitar world, but Ken Parker has certainly done it more than once. When … Read More "Parker PJ14 Archtop Guitar" Ken Parker is renowned as one of the 20th century's maverick guitar wizards, and this instrument is one of his always unique and interesting early creations. He was the founder of Parker Guitars. This instrument seamlessly blends traditional archtop construction with modern enhancements, making it a perfect choice for jazz, blues, and beyond. Ken Parker is known as one of the great innovators of guitar design. Bill Frisell has been exploring Ken’s Sidekick archtop guitar for a little while during the COVID-19 lockdown, and sent ten beautiful audio clips of him playing Sidekick. These parts are direct replacements for the OEM Until founding his company, Ken Parker Archtops, in 2003, Parker had been known for his electric guitars, namely the Parker Fly model. I recent years Ken has been more known for his development and construction of Parker archtops which are very distinctive, highly sought after and rather pricey. For Episode 35 of the podcast, I caught up with Ken after the first-ever Rocky Mountain Archtop Festival. Ken Parker has been a guitar innovator for a long time, first with his Parker Fly Guitars and now his unique one-of-a-kind custom Archtop guitars. Ken Parker Archtops at GuitarGal. For the last 8 years, Ken Parker has devoted himself exclusively to the design and development of a new kind of archtop guitar. com. 5" across the lower bout 2. Recording the Players Audio and video clips from players across the spectrum illustrating the versatility of the Ken Parker Archtop guitar. Guitar Talk: Adam Miller on a Fan-Fretted Traugott 00 and Ken Parker Archtop Acoustic Guitar Magazine 152K subscribers Subscribed Ken Smith Stringed Instruments A-Style Archtop Mandolin wide neck. He is maybe the most courageous builder I know. The next evolution in stringed instruments. Avant-garde. And cost $30,000. This isn't merely an improvement on traditional archtop design – it's a complete reimagining of what an archtop guitar can be. Ken Parker is best-known for co-designing the Parker Fly guitar with Larry Fishman in the early 1990s, but he has been involved in building guitars, most notably archtops since the mid-1970s. His creativity is evident from his early Parker Electric Fly to his commitment to bringing th One is that it is historically significant in the development of the electric guitar sense and two, is that it's a great sounding and playing archtop. Guitar has lost one of its great innovators as Ken Parker has died, aged 73. Always forward looking Ken is most widely known as the designer of the Fly one Ken Parker, designer of the groundbreaking Parker Fly guitar, has returned to his first love, the acoustic archtop guitar, with the goal of bringing the history and future of instrument making together to create instruments of unprecedented power and versatility. Kenneth Murray Parker (August 25, 1952 – October 5, 2025) was an American luthier known for his unique archtop guitars and the Parker Fly electric guitar which came out in 1993. But if you are looking for a superlative laminated archtop guitar and not break the bank at the same time, there are a few others you could countenance. Simply the best archtop guitar. So, you are likely to encounter Lucky in some unusual places, when you least expect it. Parker took a job with the now defunct Stuyvesant Music in New York City, working both in the repair shop as well as building Guitar Man instruments. I'm determined to wrest the best possible musical results from this wonderfully flexible and intriguing form. Luthier built Archtop by Cranmer guitars (UK) based on the L5 built by Ken Parker (approx $30,000)One piece Mahogany back/sides/ & neckCedar TopAdjustable neck system (fixed bridge height) so easy to set you preferred action. They are all quite a way under $10 000 each, new. Ken on the Luthier on Luthier Michael Bashkin interviews Ken on his Luthier on Luthier podcast… “Legendary guitar maker Ken Parker is known worldwide for his innovative archtop guitars. The original Parker guitars have to be the most, if not the only, beautiful things ever birthed in Rochester, N. His designs use space age and traditional materials, with unique and as time honored techniques, to produce instruments that are sweeter, louder, more musical, and simply feel better than any that have gone before him. Ken's lecture about the History and Evolution of the archtop guitar at the Rocky Mountain Archtop festival in 2019. For Sale: Fs thorell archtop jazz guitar AGF Classifieds - Guitars Further reading: there's a New Yorker article (the magazine, not the guitar) on Ken Parker Archtops Info. First, with his famous Parker Fly guitars and these days with his Archtop guitars. I have long believed that the acoustic archtop guitar form offers huge potential that has been largely unexplored. CRAIG'S POV:There may be no more brilliant a luthier working today than Ken Parker. A wonderful guitar that sits so comfortable in your lap as I ordered it to be. This is a very early variation of Ken's thoughts on archtop guitar design and construction. Carved Sitka Spruce top and Hawaiian Koa backSides are Hawaiian KoaHawaiian Koa neck with Ebony head plateNut is 1-7/32" (31 mm) wide boneNeck has Stainless Steel Zero Fret and Nickel Silver fretsFretboard is West African Ebony13-7 This is video is the pre-series introduction to 5 more videos about fitting the bridge on Ken Parker's archtop guitars. Parker was the luthier who designed the Parker Fly, an electric guitar that was truly ahead of its time – and still is – and brought a similarly fearless design sensibility to his archtop guitars. The Penguin is "the only" smaller version ( the just under 16 inch lower bout version) he has made so far with Always forward looking Ken is most widely known as the designer of the Fly one of the truly distinctive guitar designs of the 1990's. List of Acoustic Guitar KEN PARKER ARCHTOPS models with prices, images, and more. I've known Ken since I played his very first archtop some 40 years ago. It seems to me that a properly built acoustic archtop is the most powerful, sensitive and versatile of all guitars. (apologies to Steve Gadd). Bartoloni pickupOverall condition is very good with small marks on t This is a two-piece set of replacement Flexible PCBs for the original Parker Fly — a complete solution to replacing torn or malfunctioning flex connectors to restore the original functionality of the Fly including use of the original Fishman preamp. Ken makes two sizes for his archtop guitars. All of my new archtop guitars feature a unique neck joint design. Ken built his first archtop in 1976, and by the time he co-founded Parker Guitars in 1991, he’d established himself as one of the premier makers on the East Coast, specializing in a line of solid-body electrics that re-evaluated just about every aspect of guitar construction. The guitars are individual pieces, not really models, and, although they do exhibit differences, they share the same outline, scale length, neck attachment, etc. Though he shook up the industry in 1993 with the Fly—the most unique solidbody design the electric world had seen in years—for more than 30 years now his primary passion has been advancing the art and science of archtop luthiery. In this episode of D’Addario’s Work/Shop, we travel to Gloucester, Massachusetts to meet Ken Parker, Guitar Maker and Owner of Ken Parker Archtops. An Important Announcement from Ken Parker Archtops In order to take care of his health, Ken Parker has made the difficult decision to step back from day-to-day guitar building. _____KEN: The archtop bridge is a powe Ken Parker Archtoppery is the host channel for a series of videos in which Ken Parker shares his knowledge about guitar building - in particular, Archtop guitar building. Why shift focus to acoustic archtop designs? Crane Top: Sitka Spruce Back, Sides, and Neck Veneer: Butternut Neck Core: Douglas Fir Fingerboard, Pickguard, Bridge and Other Bits: Ebony Tailpiece: Mokume Gane Soundhole Span: Mokume Gane Tuners: Gotoh Stealth gears embedded in the headstock with Mokume Gane cover Pickup: Duneland Labs “Bronzeville” noiseless magnetic bronze pickup with Magic Knob from Ken 16. Bleeding-edge. Come join us today! Login Create an Account Modern Mojo Guitars Forum > Instruments > Acoustic > Ken Parker Archtops > Announcements Modern Mojo Guitars Forum -- the meeting place for modern Ken Parker, known for the Parker Fly, has turned his attention to making the archtop guitar an instrument that plays to the strengths of all genres. Crane Top: Sitka Spruce Back, Sides, and Neck Veneer: Butternut Neck Core: Douglas Fir Fingerboard, Pickguard, Bridge and Other Bits: Ebony Tailpiece: Mokume Gane Soundhole Span: Mokume Gane Tuners: Gotoh Stealth gears embedded in the headstock with Mokume Gane cover Pickup: Duneland Labs “Bronzeville” noiseless magnetic bronze pickup with Magic Knob from Ken 16. Welcome to Modern Mojo Guitars Forum Modern Mojo Guitars Forum is dedicated to all guitars Modern. You can find them played on Youtube. Ken Parker is well known for his design of the Parker Fly guitar, here we have something remarkable from the man himself. Given the price tag and the quirkiness of the thing, it certainly seems like a difficult internet sale and maybe not quite a “catch,” but it is the one Ken Parker we could find at the moment, and it is in fact on the low end of prices for his archtops, so, in the spirit of the new, aforementioned initiative, here it is… There's a great piece in the new New Yorker about guitar design and Ken Parker, who founded Parker Guitars, making carbon fibre guitars in the late '80s with funding from Korg. Ken Parker, designer of the groundbreaking Parker Fly guitar, has returned to his first love, the acoustic archtop guitar, with the goal of bringing the history and future of instrument making together to create instruments of unprecedented power and versatility. Ken Parker Model 330 Model Arch Top Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1991). In this episode of Work/Shop, we travel to Gloucester, Massachusetts to meet Ken Parker, Guitar Maker and Owner of Ken Parker Archtops. The normal neck/body intersection on the archtop guitar has some built-in problems that I was called upon to address many times as a guitar repairman. Some details specific to the Olive Branch: Top: Red Spruce Parker was the luthier who designed the Parker Fly, an electric guitar that was truly ahead of its time – and still is – and brought a similarly fearless design sensibility to his archtop guitars. Merlin Commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for Its Permanent Collection Top: Alpine Spruce Back, Sides, and Neck Veneer: Mahogany from "The Tree", quite literally the most famous lumber tree in the world, cut in Belieze in the late 60's Neck Core: Douglas Fir Fingerboard, Pickguard, Bridge and Other Bits: Ebony Tailpiece: Mokume Gane Soundhole Span: Mokume Gane Tuners: Gotoh Stealth Until founding his company, Ken Parker Archtops, in 2003, Parker had been known for his electric guitars, namely the Parker Fly model. Also archtop guitars by D'Angelico, Gibson, Thorell, Benedetto, Trenier, Heritage, Tom Bills, Zimnicki, Forshage, Collings 2012 Ken Parker Archtop called The Penguin. Built in 1991, this thinline arch-top electric predates Parker's iconic Fly solid body and the acoustic arch-top guitars he hand builds today, but is in some ways reminiscent of both. Ken Parker is renowned as one of the 20th century's maverick guitar wizards, and this instrument is one of his always unique and interesting early creations. In 2003, when I began defining my design goals for the acoustic archtop, the neck attachment was one of my prime targets. Ken may be gone, but because of his illnes The Ken Parker Archtop is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, designed for musicians who appreciate the timeless elegance and rich tonal possibilities of an acoustic-electric guitar. Ken Parker is well known for his design of the Parker Fly guitar, here we have something remarkable from the man himself. This is a very early variation of Ken's thoughts on archtop guitar design and construction, and as such I believe to be it historically significant. Call or email us for additional technical information Here's an interesting bit of " Parker History " For a few years, there were two different “Parker” archtop guitar lines being sold by two different companies with "Parker" in the name: Ken Parker Archtops and Parker Guitars. This Archtop from 2019 is truly singular and unique. Learn how one of the world's most masterful guitar builders got his start and built his legacy. Innovative. This beautiful guitar was made by Ken Parker (1952-2025), of Gloucester, Massachusetts, who attained great fame for his "Fly" model electric guitars. He sold the company to Washburn in 2003, and is now making Ken Parker Archtops, which are made from wood, carbon, composites and gold leaf. Someone told me that an heavy or light tailpiece on an Aechtop is the same things ? Is it true ? Could a properly made tailpiece affect the guitar playability ? Ken Parker Archtoppery is the host channel for a series of videos in which Ken Parker shares his knowledge about guitar building - in particular, Archtop guitar building. Thank you for watching - please subscribe to support my channel!Now this is a rare beast - an exquisite acoustic archtop guitar by the legendary luthier Ken For the last 8 years, Ken Parker has devoted himself exclusively to the design and development of a new kind of archtop guitar. Note the way the neck is attached to the body, the height of the neck relative to the body soundboard, the side sound hole, and the tailpiece bridge connected via a vertical end-pin. Play one, and you’re likely to be surprised and delighted. "Everyone in the guitar world knows Ken Parker—from his revolutionary Parker Fly to his visionary work advancing the archtop guitar. . If you want a Manzer laminated archtop guitar, get a Manzer laminated archtop guitar. Enjoy! Ken Parker Archtops Lucky is Ken's personal guitar and has been in the hands of some of the world's finest guitarists and has been on loan for special projects they've done. This archtop guitar includes many of Parker’s experimental ideas about instrument design. Why shift focus to acoustic archtop designs? FLASH SALE: Maxmonte Guitars wants you to help Ken Parker's family View the incredible Maxmonte guitar for sale to benefit Ken Parker's family here. No vintage stuff here. Some details specific to the Olive Branch: Top: Red Spruce Ken on the Luthier on Luthier Michael Bashkin interviews Ken on his Luthier on Luthier podcast… “Legendary guitar maker Ken Parker is known worldwide for his innovative archtop guitars. Also archtop guitars by D'Angelico, Gibson, Thorell, Benedetto, Trenier, Heritage, Tom Bills, Zimnicki, Forshage, Collings, Lowden, Gretsch, Flammang, and more. "The moment I first held the 2012 Ken Parker "Inner Peace" archtop, I knew I was experiencing something revolutionary. In the last year, he has worked tirelessly to pass his unique instrument making techniques to his friend and collaborator Sam Krimmel. Great content on materials, sound design and Parker history, and it ends with an intriguing account of an acoustic comparison session involving a D'Angelico, a D'Aquisto, an L-5 and Parker's latest creation. Y. At its essence, Parker has created an acoustic instrument that defies conventional categorization. lpi1, rbddq, 7jtq, jtl6t, m0o6, d3hr, ispoj, d5zhry, yywh, tfb2u,