# NGD: Parker Fly 7-string Lime Gold Metallic - One of my Dream Guitars!



## HighGain510 (Jan 7, 2014)

Well I've wanted a Parker in 7-string format for years, it's the reason I had Dan build me that Carbon Fiber 7-string Oni a few years back (and I'd still have that one if the thin neck + fanned frets didn't cause an issue for my joints ), so when I saw this pop up I frantically moved some stuff to help secure it before it was too late!  Should be shipping out this week as it's all paid off, absolutely can't wait! Haven't been this excited for a guitar in a really long time! 

I'll put up my own set of outdoor pics soon, but here are Nick's pics of my guitar for now:



















































I'm super stoked for this thing, you have no idea!!!  I also went ahead and ordered a set of Seymour Duncan Custom Shop pickups, so I should have a set of Parker 7-string Direct Mount Pegasus 7/Sentient 7 pickups coming in the next few weeks too! The Duncan Distortion 7 is not a bad pickup by any means, but IMO the new Pegasus/Sentient set is pretty darn perfect in a mahogany body/neck guitar, so I really can't wait to try them out in this guitar!


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## canuck brian (Jan 7, 2014)

That looks incredible man! I really prefer the dragonfly over the normal fly body. Please give a detailed review when you get it because i'm currently eyeing pretty much the same guitar.


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## Dawn of the Shred (Jan 7, 2014)

Congrats man! Looks great


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## simonXsludge (Jan 7, 2014)

My jealousy is off the charts. Although, I gotta admit that I liked the orange one that was up here a while ago a little more.


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## mphsc (Jan 7, 2014)

congrats in advance? Love that color.


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## Captastic (Jan 7, 2014)

Super sexy!


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## ZachK (Jan 7, 2014)

Holy control cavity Batman!

Just kidding, I absolutely love that colour. More production models need it! HNGD!


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## nikolix (Jan 7, 2014)

Oh my eyes!


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## will_shred (Jan 7, 2014)

Wow.


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## technomancer (Jan 7, 2014)

That is just amazingly awesome


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## 7slinger (Jan 7, 2014)

meh


























just kidding, that is awesome


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## s4tch (Jan 7, 2014)

My only complaint about this guitar is that it's not mine. Awesome. Can't wait to see the typical overflow of pics from you!  Congrats, Matt!


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## lewstherin006 (Jan 7, 2014)

Congrats bro! It looks awesome!


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## Svava (Jan 7, 2014)

There goes another pair of pants...

Dang it you guys...


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## narad (Jan 7, 2014)

Definitely need a tone report on this. Tried a Fly Deluxe back in the day and it sounded so bad I swore off Parkers altogether. Scoffed when Adam D switched to Parker from Caparison. Then just this year I started hearing all these great clips. Seems like Mojos and Maxxflys might be way better than Deluxes? Not as thin-sounding?


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## darren (Jan 7, 2014)

Newer Parkers are quite different from the old ones. They're nowhere near as thin and light, which probably does help the tone a bit.


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## MrHelloGuitar (Jan 7, 2014)

One day, I will join the Parker 7 squad. One day. HNGD, man!


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## Eclipse (Jan 7, 2014)

HNGD!


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## toiletstand (Jan 7, 2014)

so good. so jell. many congrats dude!


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## BrailleDecibel (Jan 7, 2014)

*opened this thread for the lime...was limed* 

Happy NGD!


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## Thrawn (Jan 7, 2014)

Congrats man. Never thought I'd dig a lime green guitar but that is rather sexy.


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## Aris_T (Jan 7, 2014)

What's better than a Parker 7? A custom Parker 7!!!

Congrats, this is an awesome addition to your already awesome collection! Waiting for the review and pics!

PS: how do they swap the pickups on this? Seeing it, makes me feel like dismantling a bomb!


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## larry (Jan 7, 2014)

matt, hngd!! please play the shit out of that thing

so here's what goes through my mind whenever I see a 7 string parker, incase anybody's wondering.
*makes conscious decision to switch from seven to 8 strings exclusively*
*opens another thread about 7 string parkers*
*experiences remorse --cuz of small wallet and OCD*


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## Xaios (Jan 7, 2014)

Pre-NGD threads aren't allowed.  








I kid because I love. 

(And because I'm INSANELY jealous. )


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## TylerRay (Jan 7, 2014)

Sick!


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## Señor Voorhees (Jan 7, 2014)

Looks great. I really dig the color scheme and the headstock on these things.


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## teejay (Jan 7, 2014)

Dude these are so sexy. I want the Orange one myself


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## Daf57 (Jan 7, 2014)

Man, that's just insane cool!! Love it! Big, big congrats!


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## zimbloth (Jan 7, 2014)

Thanks for picking it up Matt 



darren said:


> Newer Parkers are quite different from the old ones. They're nowhere near as thin and light, which probably does help the tone a bit.



The new Mojos are definitely a bit thicker than the old ones, but they're still quite light and sound good. The Deluxe and Artist seem to have remain unchanged IMO. The last Deluxe we got in weighed 4 pounds on the dot. Insanely light.

A lot of Parker enthusiasts prefer the old ones, many prefer the new ones. Quite honestly they're all really nice. There were certain things about the old ones I didn't like, and there are certain things about the new ones I don't like, but all in all they're all good. The main thing I'm not pleased about with the new ones is how expensive they've got, but thats out of our control.


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## s_k_mullins (Jan 7, 2014)

This is an amazing guitar! 

I almost shit myself when you put your PRS Private Stock up for sale. But I guess this guitar was a good reason.


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## UltraParanoia (Jan 7, 2014)

Man that looks amazing!


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## troyguitar (Jan 7, 2014)

zimbloth said:


> The new Mojos are definitely a bit thicker than the old ones, but they're still quite light and sound good. The Deluxe and Artist seem to have remain unchanged IMO. The last Deluxe we got in weighed 4 pounds on the dot. Insanely light.
> 
> A lot of Parker enthusiasts prefer the old ones, many prefer the new ones. Quite honestly they're all really nice. There were certain things about the old ones I didn't like, and there are certain things about the new ones I don't like, but all in all they're all good. The main thing I'm not pleased about with the new ones is how expensive they've got, but thats out of our control.



I'm kicking myself for not keeping my old Fly Deluxe. $2000 brand new in 2004 and the best 6-string I have ever played to this day. A 7 would be amazing but I'm not selling my car to get one


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## mikernaut (Jan 7, 2014)

Matt's been on a multiple Uber NGD's of awesome-sauce lately. I can honestly say I was tempted myself but I don't need anymore 7's. I do miss the old headstocks though.

I still love the older Fly Deluxes, think part of it was the pups were more to my liking.

Congrats!


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## illimmigrant (Jan 7, 2014)

I've always wanted to try one of these. Any chance you could upload one or two DI clips to run through my rig? That's probably the closest I'll come to hearing one of these haha.


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## yingmin (Jan 7, 2014)

Welcome aboard!


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## MetalDaze (Jan 7, 2014)

Thank goodness it's not another PRS 

Congrats!


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## SeditiousDissent (Jan 7, 2014)

Win-sanity! HNGD, you fortunate bastard!


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## AliceLG (Jan 8, 2014)

HNGD!

Now could you please stop buying awesome guitars?


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## gigawhat (Jan 8, 2014)

Well color me fvcking jelly. This is basically my dream guitar, if it were sky blue I think I would literally explode, but that lime still kills. HNGD!


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## Majkel (Jan 8, 2014)

honestly, it doesn't matter how it plays. That thing could just be hung on your wall as art. 

Absolutely love the green


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## HighGain510 (Jan 8, 2014)

Thanks guys!

Prepare for the M-M-M-M-MONSTER POST... POST... POST.... /Killer Instinct 



canuck brian said:


> That looks incredible man! I really prefer the dragonfly over the normal fly body. Please give a detailed review when you get it because i'm currently eyeing pretty much the same guitar.



When I first saw that Washburn/US Musicorp decided to change the Fly design, I was pissed and a little disgusted considering the legacy Ken had built and how unique the shape was originally, as it truly was an original design. Then I realized from a functional standpoint, the more ergonomic horn is probably a good thing as the bass horn ALWAYS jabbed me right in the sternum when I'd play my Parkers previously (and I've owned a half dozen over time, at least, maybe more! ). I'll post up some thoughts for sure once I've had a chance to sit down and play for a bit!



arkansasmatt said:


> Congrats man! Looks great



Thanks Matt! 



shitsøn;3870219 said:


> My jealousy is off the charts. Although, I gotta admit that I liked the orange one that was up here a while ago a little more.



Oh I totally agree, the Tangerine Orange Metallic is my #2 favorite of the newer Parker colors actually!  If that one had popped up recently instead of this, I would have grabbed that probably, but considering Lime Green Metallic is my #1 I feel like this was meant to be! I'm still a tiny bit jealous of NaYoN's Tangerine beauty though, maybe if I can get up to Baltimore sometime we can do a little photoshoot with both of them in one place!  TOO MUCH SEXY FOR ONE LOCATION!!! 



mphsc said:


> congrats in advance? Love that color.



Haha yeah a little early, but at least I have real pics of my actual guitar, plus she'll be arriving tomorrow!




ZachK said:


> Holy control cavity Batman!
> 
> Just kidding, I absolutely love that colour. More production models need it! HNGD!



Yeah the control cavity on the Parker stuff has always been pretty monstrous, but despite having the huge cover on the back the curves of the Fly, both front and back, are so attractive that they tend to take your eyes away from the "ZOMG CONTROL PLATE!" for the most part with time! 



technomancer said:


> That is just amazingly awesome



Indeed, SO EXCITED!!!



s4tch said:


> My only complaint about this guitar is that it's not mine. Awesome. Can't wait to see the typical overflow of pics from you! Congrats, Matt!



Well that's an okay complaint with me! There are several NGD threads I've seen on here that I'd said the same thing to myself, believe me!  Will do on the pics, hopefully the weather warms up soon, I think I hear the weekend might be in the 50's again? If it's sunny, that's probably decent picture weather!



lewstherin006 said:


> Congrats bro! It looks awesome!



Thanks man!



Svava said:


> There goes another pair of pants...
> 
> Dang it you guys...



Haha that's a frequent problem with NGD threads!



narad said:


> Definitely need a tone report on this. Tried a Fly Deluxe back in the day and it sounded so bad I swore off Parkers altogether. Scoffed when Adam D switched to Parker from Caparison. Then just this year I started hearing all these great clips. Seems like Mojos and Maxxflys might be way better than Deluxes? Not as thin-sounding?



Yep, once I get to spend some time with it I'll be putting something up. I'm thinking the extra mahogany with the change in thickness on the more recent guitars is a great thing, honestly. I've had a ton of Fly models ranging from Nitefly models to Classic/Deluxe Fly models and the original Fly model sounds incredible for clean and lead stuff but I always found the rhythms to sound fairly thin overall. I'm hoping this beefed up 7-string-sized mahogany body will sound a bit fuller overall. 



darren said:


> Newer Parkers are quite different from the old ones. They're nowhere near as thin and light, which probably does help the tone a bit.



Yes indeed, that's my hope as well! Should find out tomorrow!



MrHelloGuitar said:


> One day, I will join the Parker 7 squad. One day. HNGD, man!



We shall welcome you when you do! It's a big ticket item still, Parker stuff has seemed to go up in price significantly over the years (especially once US Musicorp took over) so it isn't something where I could easily go out and buy 2-3 of them any time soon, this was a tough purchase for me to make but honestly it's something I've wanted for so many years that I decided I really needed to take the plunge. Hoping I'll be glad I did! 



toiletstand said:


> so good. so jell. many congrats dude!



DAT JELLY! 



CJLsky said:


> *opened this thread for the lime...was limed*
> 
> Happy NGD!



Oh yes... there will be lime!



Thrawn said:


> Congrats man. Never thought I'd dig a lime green guitar but that is rather sexy.



It's one of my favorite colors of all time, so I'm thrilled they managed to build this guitar in that finish... double-win for me!



Aris_T said:


> What's better than a Parker 7? A custom Parker 7!!!
> 
> Congrats, this is an awesome addition to your already awesome collection! Waiting for the review and pics!
> 
> PS: how do they swap the pickups on this? Seeing it, makes me feel like dismantling a bomb!



Thanks man, both will be forthcoming! The pickups are direct-mount and I believe two of the pickup screws are used to mount it to the body which alleviates the need for the ears/tabs on the side or any screws coming up through the back of the guitar. I'll find out how easy it is to swap them as soon as my Custom Shop Seymour Duncans arrive! Figured the guitar is from the Parker Custom Shop, and it's a special one, so it deserves the best pickups I could ask for in a 7!



larry said:


> matt, hngd!! please play the shit out of that thing
> 
> so here's what goes through my mind whenever I see a 7 string parker, incase anybody's wondering.
> *makes conscious decision to switch from seven to 8 strings exclusively*
> ...



 Will do, sir!



Xaios said:


> Pre-NGD threads aren't allowed.
> 
> 
> I kid because I love.
> ...



Ha, well Pre-NGD threads with stock photos or no photos aren't allowed, I have actual pics of my guitar up so it's still following the rules!  It will be here tomorrow and hopefully if the weekend is nice I can snap a bunch this week!



Señor Voorhees;3870715 said:


> Looks great. I really dig the color scheme and the headstock on these things.



Agreed! I was a bit torn on the move away from the traditional Parker headstock, but the more I look at it the two-toned look is growing on me a ton! The only thing I don't like about the redesign is the truss rod placement now with the new truss rod cover slapped in the middle there. The cover is fugly as shit, IMO, and kinda detracts from the overall sexiness of the rest of the guitar. Looks like someone with little eye for design put that together and just slapped it on the guitar so they could start producing them. I wish they would have taken more time to design a cover that is as elegant as the rest of the guitar. 



zimbloth said:


> Thanks for picking it up Matt
> 
> The new Mojos are definitely a bit thicker than the old ones, but they're still quite light and sound good. The Deluxe and Artist seem to have remain unchanged IMO. The last Deluxe we got in weighed 4 pounds on the dot. Insanely light.
> 
> A lot of Parker enthusiasts prefer the old ones, many prefer the new ones. Quite honestly they're all really nice. There were certain things about the old ones I didn't like, and there are certain things about the new ones I don't like, but all in all they're all good. The main thing I'm not pleased about with the new ones is how expensive they've got, but thats out of our control.



Thanks for ordering it, Nick (and for holding it so I could get the PS sold and not miss out on this one!)!  It's still a 6.5lb 7-string which isn't too bad all things considered as that's fairly lightweight overall considering it's solid mahogany. I like the extra heft for a 7-string Parker anyways just because as I stated above, while I absolutely LOVE the way any Parker with the phenolic/CF fretboard plays, many of them just sounded too thin for rhythm so my hope is the extra body mass on these will help to beef up the overall tone! 



s_k_mullins said:


> This is an amazing guitar!
> 
> I almost shit myself when you put your PRS Private Stock up for sale. But I guess this guitar was a good reason.



Yeah that was a pretty big sacrifice, but honestly considering how badly I wanted one of these over the years (it was the inspiration for the Oni since that was before Parker even considered making 7's!) as soon as I had it I knew what had to be done. I had just picked up that PRS Custom 24 Wood Library guitar the week before this got posted (figures) but honestly after playing the PS and A/B'ing it with the CU24 WL and debating if I was going to send the WL back to get the funds together for this, the CU24 actually sounded better overall believe it or not! Not to mention that I have a P22 Trem AP and when I played that back to back with the Private Stock, the P22 Trem AP absolutely smoked it! I'm thinking the chambered body on that one took away a bit too much from the overall tone unfortunately. It was absolutely gorgeous, and the neck was incredible, so perhaps a pickup swap might help (thinking one of their hotter pickups that goes well with rosewood necks, say like a 59/09, which I had a set sitting around too haha) but I didn't want to fool with all of that if I was just going to have to let it go anyway. Overall, I was not happy having to take a loss immediately on a guitar that expensive, but considering how badly I've wanted a Fly 7 over the years and that one was available in my favorite color, I knew I'd regret not buying it, so I did it! 



mikernaut said:


> Matt's been on a multiple Uber NGD's of awesome-sauce lately. I can honestly say I was tempted myself but I don't need anymore 7's. I do miss the old headstocks though.
> 
> I still love the older Fly Deluxes, think part of it was the pups were more to my liking.
> 
> Congrats!



I still love the original Parker headstock, but the new one is growing on me, and on this one the two-toned look with the lime green metallic looks all sorts of sexy!



illimmigrant said:


> I've always wanted to try one of these. Any chance you could upload one or two DI clips to run through my rig? That's probably the closest I'll come to hearing one of these haha.



Not sure I'm going to have any way to do that, but I might toss up a vid or two once I have the chance to do so.



yingmin said:


> Welcome aboard!



Thanks man, are you still loving yours? I know you've had it for a while but I didn't see much about it past your original NGD thread way back when. You also had the MIDI installed on yours IIRC, right? Emerald green one was yours wasn't it? It's been a while, I think you had one of the first ones that had a blade switch and all, if that's the same one I'm thinking of, congrats again! 



MetalDaze said:


> Thank goodness it's not another PRS
> 
> Congrats!



Thanks! ... wait a minute....  



SeditiousDissent said:


> Win-sanity! HNGD, you fortunate bastard!



Haha thank-you sir!



AliceLG said:


> HNGD!
> 
> Now could you please stop buying awesome guitars?



Your wish is my command! Actually I'm pretty much tapped out for a while, I hadn't planned to buy anything else as picking up that Private Stock pretty much wiped me out for months to come, so the only reason I was able to score this one was because the PS was sold to cover it. No more NGDs from me for a while... not like it's a terrible thing, I'm pretty loaded up on sweet toys to play with already! 



gigawhat said:


> Well color me fvcking jelly. This is basically my dream guitar, if it were sky blue I think I would literally explode, but that lime still kills. HNGD!



Actually, I think Nick had mentioned a Powder Blue one being on order right now. Probably a bit lighter than sky blue, but still... pretty close! I won't say anything further on that because I'm not a dealer and dealer posts outside the classifieds aren't allowed, but if you're interested PM Zimbloth and I'm sure he could give you details.



Majkel said:


> honestly, it doesn't matter how it plays. That thing could just be hung on your wall as art.
> 
> Absolutely love the green



There is that too! I'm going to play the shit out of it, but I agree... doubles as art! 



Is it tomorrow yet?! I'm so antsy for this thing it's not even funny! It would figure that this week I'm getting bombarded at work, and with something big due Friday (really Thursday night, so people can review blah blah blah) I'm probably going to be coming down to the wire staying late Thursday while this thing is sitting there waiting for me!  Hoping to do a late day today and get as much of the work done before then so I can try to get home early enough to spend a couple hours with this beauty tomorrow! SOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!


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## Dyingsea (Jan 8, 2014)

^ epic multi-quote post!


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## The Mirror (Jan 8, 2014)

I once worked in a local music store as a helping salesman and my boss had (bet he still has) a contract with Parker, so I know exactly what type of guitar you are holding there. 

Congrats to it. It is indeed a hell of a instrument. Not my cup of tea (as I am nowadays a PRS only guy) but nevertheless that thing plays like it is making the sounds itself. 

Have a lot of fun with it.


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## joshgalloway (Jan 8, 2014)

Love the colour, love the bridge, love the neck joint. Actually, I love the whole thing


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## narad (Jan 8, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> The only thing I don't like about the redesign is the truss rod placement now with the new truss rod cover slapped in the middle there. The cover is fugly as shit, IMO, and kinda detracts from the overall sexiness of the rest of the guitar. Looks like someone with little eye for design put that together and just slapped it on the guitar so they could start producing them. I wish they would have taken more time to design a cover that is as elegant as the rest of the guitar.



Agree with that 100% - it's the *only* thing I don't like about that model. I'd be interested to see what it looks like without the cover - if it's just black underneath...I'd like that a lot more than the weirdly-shaped cover. Not like there's any other option, since Parker won't let anyone get a 7 with the original side-adjust truss...yet.


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## Primitive Guitarist (Jan 8, 2014)

That is so awesome dude.
2 colour head stock is killer


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## Albi (Jan 8, 2014)

Awesome, just awesome.
I rarely post here on SSO, but I had to express appreciation for this beauty.
A Parker 7 is pretty much my dream guitar (I wish they'd make hardtail sevens, though).
I remember seeing it on the website recently: I've never gassed so hard for a guitar (I freaking love Parkers, and that finish is probably one of their best-looking finishes)

I'll be following the thread, I am interested in hearing your opinion about the overall tone it produces, and how well it lends itself to rhythm playing.

Also, I am interested in the pickup swap you'll be doing (especially how they fit). Did you order them direct through SD? I wonder which of their models are available for Parker guitars.


Happy NGD!!!!!!


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## yingmin (Jan 8, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> Thanks man, are you still loving yours? I know you've had it for a while but I didn't see much about it past your original NGD thread way back when. You also had the MIDI installed on yours IIRC, right? Emerald green one was yours wasn't it? It's been a while, I think you had one of the first ones that had a blade switch and all, if that's the same one I'm thinking of, congrats again!


Correct, mine was the Emerald Green model with the synth output and original Fly body. I still love it, although I haven't been playing a lot of electric guitar lately. Have you seen others with blade switching? Mine had a fully customized control layout, and I could have gone with HSS or HSH pickup configuration if I'd been willing to wait longer and pay more.


HighGain510 said:


> The only thing I don't like about the redesign is the truss rod placement now with the new truss rod cover slapped in the middle there.


Ugh, absolutely. One of the best things about the old Parker headstocks was that you had unobstructed access to the truss rod at all times, with no need for a cover. I really wish they'd been able to do the classic Fly headstock on mine, but I can live with this.


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## Suho (Jan 8, 2014)

Wow, really nice! I saw this come up a few days ago. I am just a LITTLE jealous! My old bandmate came in one day with the bubinga topped Parker and that thing just cut through the mix like no one's business. 

Smokin'!


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## Sepultorture (Jan 8, 2014)

Sleek and sexy, I'm not a Parker fan but those contours give me wood


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## Shawn (Jan 8, 2014)

Slick looking guitar and I really love the finish. Very nice!


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## SpaceDock (Jan 8, 2014)

This has to be the most popular pre NGD ever!


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## Workhorse (Jan 9, 2014)

Looks insane.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 9, 2014)

Thanks guys! 



Albi said:


> Awesome, just awesome.
> I rarely post here on SSO, but I had to express appreciation for this beauty.
> A Parker 7 is pretty much my dream guitar (I wish they'd make hardtail sevens, though).
> I remember seeing it on the website recently: I've never gassed so hard for a guitar (I freaking love Parkers, and that finish is probably one of their best-looking finishes)
> ...



Awesome, nice to see one of your few posts be in here!  I'll definitely be posting up some thoughts once I get to spend several hours playing this one, I hate seeing folks giving the super-quick initial report the minute they picked it up as most folks either gush about how the guitar is the most amazing instrument that Hephaestus himself had ever created or that it's just not living up to whatever crazy standard they had set up for the instrument in their head before they got it.  Once the honeymoon period has ended, I'll be posting up a full review of this one, no worries there. 

With regard to the Parker pickups, it seems they will let you order whatever you want through the Custom Shop (to the tune of about $350, so not bad, about the cost of a set of BKPs but I get to pick everything I want going into the pickup ) but I'm not sure you could ask them for their standard line in Parker direct-mount configuration outside of the Custom Shop. Since the bobbins and baseplates are different, they require more work for them, hence the custom order dealio.  That being said, it beats the prior option of no pickup swaps! 



yingmin said:


> Correct, mine was the Emerald Green model with the synth output and original Fly body. I still love it, although I haven't been playing a lot of electric guitar lately. Have you seen others with blade switching? Mine had a fully customized control layout, and I could have gone with HSS or HSH pickup configuration if I'd been willing to wait longer and pay more.
> Ugh, absolutely. One of the best things about the old Parker headstocks was that you had unobstructed access to the truss rod at all times, with no need for a cover. I really wish they'd been able to do the classic Fly headstock on mine, but I can live with this.



I have not seen any others with blade switching, that's why that one stuck out in my head.  I think it's great that you can opt for different switching too, if I were going H-S-H I'd have wanted a blade switch, but for H-H on this guitar, the configuration works just fine.  Was there an up-charge for the blade switch and standard Fly body since that's a non-standard config?



SpaceDock said:


> This has to be the most popular pre NGD ever!



Well to be fair, TODAY is NGD, so it's not like the folks that post up their pics and go "only 6 weeks to go!", it was already incoming, just taking too long to get here so I got antsy with the pics!  If the weather is nice this weekend, there will be a fresh set posted up soon!


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## satchisgod (Jan 9, 2014)

That is savage. Unreal guitar.


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## yingmin (Jan 9, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> That being said, it beats the prior option of no pickup swaps!


Actually, Dimarzio has always offered a selection of pickups made for Parkers; it just isn't very well advertised.

Frequently Asked Questions | DiMarzio



HighGain510 said:


> Was there an up-charge for the blade switch and standard Fly body since that's a non-standard config?


The only thing I got charged extra for was the Hexpander, which was pretty awesome.


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## Tesla (Jan 9, 2014)

Oh my goodness.


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## ncfiala (Jan 9, 2014)

Beautiful. I'm such a sucker for green guitars.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 9, 2014)

yingmin said:


> Actually, Dimarzio has always offered a selection of pickups made for Parkers; it just isn't very well advertised.
> 
> Frequently Asked Questions | DiMarzio
> 
> ...



Oh yeah I am aware of those for the older DiMarzio pickup-equipped Fly models, I was talking about the newer Parker guitars loaded with direct-mount Duncans. 

I haven't plugged it in yet but holy shit is the neck on this thing perfect!!!  Plays like butter!


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## Black Mamba (Jan 9, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> I haven't plugged it in yet but holy shit is the neck on this thing perfect!!!  Thing plays like butter!



Plug that beast into the Archon and melt faces!


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## yingmin (Jan 9, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> Oh yeah I am aware of those for the older DiMarzio pickup-equipped Fly models, I was talking about the newer Parker guitars loaded with direct-mount Duncans.
> 
> I haven't plugged it in yet but holy shit is the neck on this thing perfect!!!  Plays like butter!



I was under the impression that the new Duncan Parker pickups mounted the same way as the old Dimarzios. Is that not the case? My 7 is literally the only US Music Parker I've put hands on.


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## nangillala (Jan 9, 2014)

Perfect! I would order the exact same color!


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## HighGain510 (Jan 10, 2014)

One other thing I should note here... the 6.5lbs must be a general average US Musicorp put out for the MaxxFly 7 models. Mine definitely got a very lightweight piece of mahogany for the neck and body as when I picked up the box yesterday from FedEx, I thought someone had yanked the guitar out of there before it arrived!  Opened it up and pulled out the guitar and was shocked at how light it was, little heavier than a 6-string Fly but still VERY light!  My back and neck are happy, just need to figure out how to get some straplocks mounted in there!


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## Cloudy (Jan 10, 2014)

Everytime I come by this subforum I always click this thread...damn you.

much want
many guitars
wow


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## JasonT (Jan 10, 2014)

Such a cool guitar, Matt! Can't wait for the tone report. \m/


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## Oklep (Jan 11, 2014)

Cheez, I love it. Where do you live? I will be a burglar for the first time.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 11, 2014)

JasonT said:


> Such a cool guitar, Matt! Can't wait for the tone report. \m/



Thanks Jason! We've overdue for a hangout (still haven't seen your new digs!) so maybe I can bring this up with me one of these days when you're around! 

More news - Talked to Derek Duncan on Friday night, going to be working some magic in the Custom Shop after he talks to Keith Merrow about some prototypes he's been playing with! Has me excited, not sure if we have some new goodies coming from SD this NAMM but usually when Keith is involved for ERG stuff, it's going to be good!  Think mine will be based on a Pegasus still but might incorporate some tweaks, so I'm excited to hear back next week! Stock pickups aren't bad but I could see some custom ones helping this guitar absolutely crush!


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## Albi (Jan 11, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> Thanks guys!
> With regard to the Parker pickups, it seems they will let you order whatever you want through the Custom Shop (to the tune of about $350, so not bad, about the cost of a set of BKPs but I get to pick everything I want going into the pickup ) but I'm not sure you could ask them for their standard line in Parker direct-mount configuration outside of the Custom Shop. Since the bobbins and baseplates are different, they require more work for them, hence the custom order dealio.  That being said, it beats the prior option of no pickup swaps!



This is very interesting news!!!  I thought the SD Custom Shop options were limited to few, pre-determined options on existing models, and the ones designed by forum members. But if I can spec out my own pickup then.... wow.
Swapping WAS possible even before, with some modifications (clipping the legs off, lightly filing the baseplate of the neck pickup, and substituting the two long screws which anchor into the body)... but for many people, including me, it wasn't worth the hassle. So far, I was able to overcome the limitation by swapping magnets / creating an hybrid pickup.

I appreciate the fact that you're not writing a review right after unboxing the guitar because you need to spend some time with it! These "NGD + review without even plugging the instrument" threads leave me a bit skeptical.



yingmin said:


> I was under the impression that the new Duncan Parker pickups mounted the same way as the old Dimarzios. Is that not the case? My 7 is literally the only US Music Parker I've put hands on.


I'm not sure about the new (3rd revision) Flys produced after 2012.
Previously, Duncan-equipped Parkers were routed differently than DiMarzio-equipped ones.
You could not exchange pickups between a Mojo (Duncan JB/Jazz) and a Classic or a Deluxe (special-made DiMarzios).


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## Andromalia (Jan 13, 2014)

An NGD without "Eagles", "10top" or "Private stock" in the title ? Who are you and where is HighGain510 ?


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## obZenity (Jan 13, 2014)

I love the dragonfly shape, and that color is actually really cool once you look at it for awhile. HNGD


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## Xaios (Jan 13, 2014)

Andromalia said:


> An NGD without "Eagles", "10top" or "Private stock" in the title ? Who are you and where is HighGain510 ?



Don't forget "Thorn."


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## shupe13 (Jan 13, 2014)

Damn that's awesome!


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## absolutorigin (Jan 13, 2014)

Awesome guitar my man! I love that new Parker shape.


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## HighGain510 (Jan 14, 2014)

Albi said:


> This is very interesting news!!!  I thought the SD Custom Shop options were limited to few, pre-determined options on existing models, and the ones designed by forum members. But if I can spec out my own pickup then.... wow.
> Swapping WAS possible even before, with some modifications (clipping the legs off, lightly filing the baseplate of the neck pickup, and substituting the two long screws which anchor into the body)... but for many people, including me, it wasn't worth the hassle. So far, I was able to overcome the limitation by swapping magnets / creating an hybrid pickup.
> 
> I appreciate the fact that you're not writing a review right after unboxing the guitar because you need to spend some time with it! These "NGD + review without even plugging the instrument" threads leave me a bit skeptical.
> ...



Yep you could always spec out your own custom pickups through the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop, I'm not sure why more folks don't go that route honestly as you can do everything you can with say a BKP or Lundgren, but if you know what you're looking for you can get as granular as you want with them and MJ will wind something special for you. I've played a couple sets of custom pickups wound by MJ and they were always great, I didn't realize the price was so close to a set of BKPs or else I would have ordered some of their custom shop stuff previously! 

I'm not really a fan of the immediate reviews either, people get really excited on NGD (as do I, of course haha) and suddenly a guitar that many know is probably not THE most amazing guitar that has ever been built is being proclaimed as such.  I get that folks are excited, but the gushing honeymoon periods for some stuff posted on forums (not just here, either, of course) can get pretty ridiculous!  I'll be spending some more time with her and hopefully we get a day that isn't freezing or raining sometime soon so I can get some pics up of this beauty already!

I'm not sure exactly how the DiMarzios mounted in the early Fly models but I thought they said the same... couldn't swap the newer Duncan-equipped Parkers with the older DiMarzio Parker pickups and vice-versa?  I know the Duncans have the outside poles left longer than all the others which are flush with the baseplate, and the low E and high E (or low B and high E, in my case) are screwed into threaded inserts in the pickup cavities.



Andromalia said:


> An NGD without "Eagles", "10top" or "Private stock" in the title ? Who are you and where is HighGain510 ?



Not ALL my guitars are PRS.  I've played and owned a TON of stuff, just lately a lot of the PRS stuff has been incredible and on par with custom shop guitars I used to own so I haven't seen the need to turn elsewhere unless it's stuff like this. 



obZenity said:


> I love the dragonfly shape, and that color is actually really cool once you look at it for awhile. HNGD



The dragonfly shape has REALLY grown on me, when they first popped up I was upset they change the Fly shape so dramatically, but after playing one I can see why. WAY more ergonomic and comfortable on the chest than the original Parker design. Granted, I still think the original design LOOKS cooler from an artist's perspective, the design just has fantastic curves to it, but from a player's perspective it wasn't nearly as comfortable as the dragonfly shape. 



Xaios said:


> Don't forget "Thorn."



Meh, short of the swirl (which has left already), I haven't really bought anything Thorn in a long time and won't be buying anything else from him for the foreseeable future for personal reasons. 



absolutorigin said:


> Awesome guitar my man! I love that new Parker shape.



Thanks!


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## bostjan (Jan 15, 2014)

Very nice!

I'd like to know how it compares to a Fly Deluxe, or a CF Oni 7.

I'd give you rep for avoiding the review during the honeymoon period comment, but evidently, I need to spread some rep around before I can.

Nice to see you get back into CF 7's!


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## themike (Jan 15, 2014)

bostjan said:


> I'd give you rep for avoiding the review during the honeymoon period comment, but evidently, I need to spread some rep around before I can.




Please - if Matt's rep bar grows any more he's going to destroy the HTML tables on this website


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## HighGain510 (Jan 16, 2014)

bostjan said:


> Very nice!
> 
> I'd like to know how it compares to a Fly Deluxe, or a CF Oni 7.
> 
> ...



Wow, long-time no-see Bostjan!  To me the low end seems a bit tighter-sounding than any Deluxe I've ever had, but you're also comparing a much larger and thicker body made of mahogany to a significantly smaller/thinner basswood body, so not really a ton of surprise there.  The pickups are also a good deal hotter in the Fly 7 but all of the Deluxe models I've owned were pre-refined models with the stock DiMarzios, and the stock pickups in mine are SD Distortion 7's so that was also expected. 

The CF Oni 7 was an absolutely *incredible* guitar, if I could swing it and Dan were still accepting custom orders, I would absolutely order another one just minus the fan. I think the neck carve would have been okay for me as my joints seem to have improved a bit since then, but the added stretch of the 27" on the low end for the fan PLUS the neck carve was likely the culprit.  Everything else about the Oni was absolutely perfect. The Oni was significantly lighter than my Fly 7 is and it was resonant as hell, the hardtail bridge on that thing worked VERY well to not lose any of the sustain.  The overall tone of the Oni was very even as well, the bass, mids and treble were all really balanced which I think was partially the spruce that was used and partially the pickups Dan wound for it. Honestly, if I had the cash available and Artem were willing to sell, I'd probably try to grab back the Oni and see if I could give her another go-around with the fanned frets and neck as the Parker neck is a tad thicker than the Oni but I'm still not having issues with it whatsoever so I'm wondering if as my RA has improved, if I'd have less issue with my joints locking up when I played the Oni now. 

The Parker seems to have a very aggressive sound with the Duncans, but on cleans it has an odd single-coily chime to it! One thing I almost forgot about on Parkers was how much I love the CF/phenolic boards! Tapped notes ring out SUPER clear and sustain forever, and the board is just super smooth as well. It's truly hard to beat a Parker for playability, IMO. 


It is funny that you mentioned the Oni though, Bostjan... the more I play the Parker the more I feel that seller's remorse on letting the Oni go all over again.  One of those guitars I wished I had been able to hold onto, if I had known a year or two later that the meds, surgery etc. would have changed my RA issues, I would have just sat on it!


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## HighGain510 (Jan 18, 2014)

Had the chance to take some new pics now that I had some sun!


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## HighGain510 (Jan 18, 2014)

More pics below:























































































I also managed to find a pretty decent fix for the fugly truss rod cover! 

Turns this:







Into this:













Haven't taken the cover off yet but at least the Fret Wraps make it a little bit more tolerable than the stock look with the TRC on there!


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## Danukenator (Jan 18, 2014)

The neck heel is always my favorite part of the Flys. It looks super organic because of the way it naturally fades into the body. Ken Parker was a smart guy and the elegance of this model proves it!


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## simonXsludge (Jan 18, 2014)

So cleanly crafted. Drooling over these photos, dude!


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## PBGas (Jan 18, 2014)

What a beautiful guitar! Congrats and especially on getting one that you've wanted for some time. 

It's a great feeling! The pickup combo you are putting in sounds like a great idea as well! 

Enjoy!


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## ramses (Jan 18, 2014)

Yup, this looks like an amazing guitar. Happy shredding!


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## technomancer (Jan 18, 2014)

Absolutely awesome guitar! Love the truss rod cover fix


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## s_k_mullins (Jan 18, 2014)

Gorgeous guitar, Matt!


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## HighGain510 (Feb 24, 2014)

Better late than never, my Seymour Duncan Custom Shop pickups have arrived!  I ended up going with a Ceramic Pegasus 7 bridge (with an Alnico 5 included in case I want to swap it out later, or it ends up having too much sizzle right out of the box, but I think the Ceramic should keep things nice and tight! ) and Alnico 5 Sentient 7 neck, satin black bobbins, gloss black Seymour Duncan logo and black chrome poles and screws (obviously direct-mount without tabs for a Parker 7, so all the screws except the two outside screws were filed flat and the outer screws are used to mount the pickups to the body)! Couple pics:
































I'm going to hold off on installing these as a buddy of mine will be coming to visit in the next month so we're going to do some A/B clips with the Kemper once he arrives, should be fun!


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## ost_rs (Mar 18, 2014)

Great green guitar


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## ghostred7 (Mar 18, 2014)

O damn. HNGD!!


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## DC23 (Mar 23, 2014)

My favourite 7 ever. You are my hero.


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## HexaneLake (Mar 23, 2014)

OMFG!!!!!!!!!! So nice man, HNGD!


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## madloff (Mar 24, 2014)

Dang man that is sick. Looking forward to the A/B test with the Kemper!


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## HighGain510 (Jun 8, 2014)

Finally had the 2014 Brodown Weekend with my buddy Ryan and we ran through a bunch of random guitar setups, pickup swaps, etc. that I've just been too lazy to do for the last few months!  One of the big items on the list was taking the time to sit down with my MaxxFly-7 CS and get her set up with my Custom Shop Seymour Duncan set.  

Basically I asked for a Pegasus 7 modified with a ceramic bridge and possibly a few winds taken off to ensure it would stay tight and defined on the more complex chording stuff under high gain, and then for the neck I wanted a Sentient 7 that would match that custom bridge pickup, possibly slightly over-wound if MJ thought that would work out well. Seems she delivered in spades!  Here's a few new pics, then thoughts below:




















P.S. In case you were wondering, wiring up a Parker is a bit of a PITA until you remove that Piezo preamp so you can cleanly solder the tabs! 







End result was worth it, the matte black bobbins, black chrome screws/poles and gloss black logos look PERFECT since the trem is satin black as well! 































So hot! Tone-wise, MJ absolutely nailed it! The stock set was a Seymour Duncan Distortion-7 Bridge and '59-7 Neck and to be honest at first I wasn't blown away but the more I played them, I felt the pair was actually pretty darn good overall, just seemed to be missing that little extra "something" I guess. This modified Pegasus Ceramic/Sentient set was just the ticket! It's funny because the set ran about what a set of BKPs would, and while I love Tim's stuff, I'm also surprised more folks don't opt for the SD Custom Shop considering how good these turned out! I've owned/played a LOT of different BKPs and to be honest this set really feels like a great set of BKPs would as far as clarity goes, but still sounds like a quality Seymour Duncan with a little bit of extra magic going on which is pretty cool!  Next time I want something unique for something needing some passives, I think I'm going to be giving Derek Duncan and MJ another call to work out something cool with them again as this was a great experience overall and the end product kicks major ass. 

Unfortunately since we went through a bunch of guitars working on some modifications (major understatement, think we did about 6+ pickup swaps and setups/string changes galore over the last few days - to put it into perspective, I haven't been posting *all* my NGD's over the last year so&#8230;  ) we didn't have time to sit down and put together the A/B clip like I had hoped, but believe me when I say the pickups sound fuggin' awesome!  Hopefully I can get a DAW set up with my home rig and can churn out a few clips with the new pickups eventually as this thing sounds badass and I think these pickups would sit very well in a mix!  

As an aside, between this baby and my Dutkiewicz Signature Model, my Parker GAS has seriously gone back into overdrive and sadly I don't have anything I really want to let go to swing another one right now which is painful.  I've had a bunch of Parkers over the years and I know some guys like to bash the US Musicorp-built Parker stuff (to be fair, some of the earlier "refined" models did seem to have issues however it seems they have worked out those kinks at this point! ) but I feel like the more recent models I've played actually killed the older ones I've owned by a large degree!  Sadly (well maybe not sadly, perhaps "fortunately" I guess depending on how you look at it!) Ryan confirmed I'd have to be an idiot to let go of that PRS 513 AP so now I'll need to work on a different way to grab another Parker!  It WILL happen, it's more a question of "when" and not "if" at this point!


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## Speedy Fingers (Jul 14, 2014)

Okay, so firstly... congratulations on your ridiculously awesome guitar. I am infinitely jealous and can only hope that I can get my hands on one of these in my lifetime. I do have some questions:

1. Finish-wise, would the custom shop be able to do a matte sparkly tangerine finish akin to the Belew models? That would definitely be my dream finish.

2. I have a pre-refined Deluxe and Classic and they have identical neck profiles. If you'd tried one of these, how would you say the 7 compares? I'd imagine it would be slightly thicker.

3. Is there any chance of a tone demo with the new pups installed?

Thank you, and congrats again!


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## AdamRogo (Jul 14, 2014)

Incredible! GAS...


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## narad (Jul 14, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> and while I love Tim's stuff, I'm also surprised more folks don't opt for the SD Custom Shop considering how good these turned out! I've owned/played a LOT of different BKPs and to be honest this set really feels like a great set of BKPs would as far as clarity goes, but still sounds like a quality Seymour Duncan with a little bit of extra magic going on which is pretty cool!



But then where would I get my dented up, acid-washed pickup covers with stylized Bulb logos? No deal!


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## Metalus (Jul 14, 2014)

Looks like absolute perfection


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## weirdoku (Jul 15, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


>



Dude, guitar looks amazing but that high e string looks way close to the edge of the fret board and looks like the bridge is not so centered? Someone else must have noticed this.


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## HighGain510 (Jul 15, 2014)

Speedy Fingers said:


> Okay, so firstly... congratulations on your ridiculously awesome guitar. I am infinitely jealous and can only hope that I can get my hands on one of these in my lifetime. I do have some questions:
> 
> 1. Finish-wise, would the custom shop be able to do a matte sparkly tangerine finish akin to the Belew models? That would definitely be my dream finish.
> 
> ...



Thanks man! I've seen a recent one done in matte emerald green and emerald green is color they offer, so I don't see why they couldn't do that. However you say "sparkly", Tangerine is actually a "pearl" finish, not a sparkle, there is a difference (sparkle usually implies the big "flake" finishes) so I'm just making the determination there.  If you're trying to get a Parker Tangerine finish in matte, then I believe the answer is yes. You could actually PM "Zimbloth" on here as he's a Parker dealer (and the dealer I bought my two latest Parkers from in fact) so he would know more on the specifics of custom orders.

I've owned the original version of the Fly and the newer version of the Fly/Dragonfly and the necks are still the same. The 7 neck is maybe a tad thinner and obviously wider for the low B, but it's still definitely a "Parker" neck so it's almost like making a *slightly* thinner Parker neck for the 7. I'd probably have to A/B my two Parkers to see how much of a difference there really is, but if you like Parker 6'ers and you play 7's, you won't have any issue I'm sure.

I'm still working on a demo, I don't have any recording software and my buddy and I got caught up in other stuff on his last visit but he might be coming again in August so we'll see, maybe then.



narad said:


> But then where would I get my dented up, acid-washed pickup covers with stylized Bulb logos? No deal!



JUGGS OR GTFO!  Yeah, I'm good... 



Metalus said:


> Looks like absolute perfection



Yep, one of the best 7's I've owned!



weirdoku said:


> Dude, guitar looks amazing but that high e string looks way close to the edge of the fret board and looks like the bridge is not so centered? Someone else must have noticed this.



It's certainly closer to the edge of the board, but no it's not the bridge being off center. I looked at my Parker 6'er and it's the same space on the high and low side. I agree, I noticed it's closer on the treble side, but it's not really an issue.


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## weirdoku (Jul 15, 2014)

HighGain510 said:


> It's certainly closer to the edge of the board, but no it's not the bridge being off center. I looked at my Parker 6'er and it's the same space on the high and low side. I agree, I noticed it's closer on the treble side, but it's not really an issue.



But is it suppose to be like that? Surely not? What happens when you do pull offs down there? The string will just fall off no?


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## HighGain510 (Jul 15, 2014)

weirdoku said:


> But is it suppose to be like that? Surely not? What happens when you do pull offs down there? The string will just fall off no?



Nope.


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## Churchie777 (Jul 15, 2014)

god dang that colour is stunning in the sun, reminds me of a Splice... the bodys not ice cream by any chance


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