# Ken Parker archtops



## Solodini (May 19, 2011)

Any experience/tales to tell? Obviously I can't afford one, I'm just curious!


----------



## synrgy (May 19, 2011)

Darren actually just posted a fascinating article related to these on Facebook yesterday via the Decibel Guitars page:

http://www.kenparkerarchtops.com/NewYorkerArticle.pdf

To be quite honest, I wouldn't be able to appreciate/do justice to one even if I _could_ afford one, which I can't.


----------



## Solodini (May 19, 2011)

Yeah, it was that article which got me wondering and looking around Ken Parker's site. Ken Parker Archtops Home

The soundbites all sound a bit artificial but I think a lot of ebony fingerboard guitars can sound that way. It'd be interesting to hear something with a more open sounding fingerboard. I imagine the ebony is probably required to fight the tension.


----------



## Infamous Impact (May 19, 2011)

Don't his guitars cost as much as a car?


----------



## Solodini (May 19, 2011)

More than. 30k


----------



## Infamous Impact (May 19, 2011)

30k starting?


----------



## Solodini (May 19, 2011)

30k is the price I saw for "the Olive Branch" guitar. I'm pretty sure they're all custom builds but I don't expect them to be less than 20k ever with 30k as the stated price.


----------



## Infamous Impact (May 19, 2011)

Solodini said:


> 30k is the price I saw for "the Olive Branch" guitar. I'm pretty sure they're all custom builds but I don't expect them to be less than 20k ever with 30k as the stated price.


Parker charges insane prices 
(Still worth it)


----------



## SirMyghin (May 20, 2011)

Infamous Impact said:


> Parker charges insane prices
> (Still worth it)



Thing is the prices aren't insane at all. How many hours do you think one of those takes to build? If he can only build say 5-10 a year, 30k is pretty reasonable no?


----------



## Solodini (May 20, 2011)

Especially considering how many he probably sells per year. Probably needs to charge that much to balance out manufacturing costs yet still eat.


----------



## Holy Katana (May 20, 2011)

Nope, but I've loved their looks since I saw them for the first time a few years ago. Their sound is great, too, based on the samples on the site, although it's been quite a while since I went there.


----------



## Solodini (May 20, 2011)

I thought they sounded a little clinical from the soundbites online but I'm blaming that on recording, until I hear one in person.


----------



## Infamous Impact (May 20, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Thing is the prices aren't insane at all. How many hours do you think one of those takes to build? If he can only build say 5-10 a year, 30k is pretty reasonable no?


I was mainly talking about the Parker electric guitars.


----------



## SirMyghin (May 20, 2011)

Infamous Impact said:


> I was mainly talking about the Parker electric guitars.



That has nothing to do with Ken Parker or his Arch tops however. I have never heard anyone complain about the price of old fly's (that actually sat down and played them).


----------



## Infamous Impact (May 20, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> That has nothing to do with Ken Parker or his Arch tops however. I have never heard anyone complain about the price of old fly's (that actually sat down and played them).


It must just be me, being the jobless teen I am.


----------



## SirMyghin (May 20, 2011)

Infamous Impact said:


> It must just be me, being the jobless teen I am.



Being a teen, especially a jobless one would indeed influence that . I remember dwelling on how expensive guitars were then too, but nowadays even with my very modest income I can afford any guitar I would like (within reason, these arch tops are definite not in that list). It gets better, you can swim in gear later in life either way, permitting you play your cards right (which generally means not trying to be a professional musician, unfortunate for some). It also seems like your money somehow evaporates in your teens... Not sure how it works considering I was miserly even then though.


----------



## Infamous Impact (May 20, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> Being a teen, especially a jobless one would indeed influence that . I remember dwelling on how expensive guitars were then too, but nowadays even with my very modest income I can afford any guitar I would like (within reason, these arch tops are definite not in that list). It gets better, you can swim in gear later in life either way, permitting you play your cards right (which generally means not trying to be a professional musician, unfortunate for some). It also seems like your money somehow evaporates in your teens... Not sure how it works considering I was miserly even then though.


You speak the truth. Staying on topic, how is the neck being joined to the body in his archtops?It seems like it's just glued to that block attached to the body and kept in place by string tension.


----------



## SirMyghin (May 20, 2011)

That post is a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) post, so very very stiff, and looks to be connected to the body by that single screw on the rear face, look around the upper horn. If I recall correctly, that screw is a worm screw that allows you to raise or lower the neck, relative to the body too. It is a really cool idea, and permitting the rear face is a bit thicker there (assuming it is, or is otherwise reinforced, I doubt he would overlook that) it is likely quite sturdy.


----------



## scherzo1928 (May 21, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> That post is a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) post, so very very stiff, and looks to be connected to the body by that single screw on the rear face, look around the upper horn. If I recall correctly, that screw is a worm screw that allows you to raise or lower the neck, relative to the body too. It is a really cool idea, and permitting the rear face is a bit thicker there (assuming it is, or is otherwise reinforced, I doubt he would overlook that) it is likely quite sturdy.


 
I'm certain that you can even change the neck and tailpiece if he makes you another one. That way you can end up with a baritone scale, or even a 7 stringer, If you ever convinced him to make you a 7 string neck and tailpiece.


----------



## Infamous Impact (May 21, 2011)

Mr. Parker is a genius.


----------



## Enselmis (May 21, 2011)




----------



## Solodini (May 22, 2011)

I saw that but the sound wasn't great. Nothing I've heard of them has been brilliantly recorded. That or they actually just don't sound great.


----------



## SirMyghin (May 22, 2011)

^^^

Sounds pretty good to me, were you on HD at least? Losts of distinction to the notes, good articulation, strong sharp/cutting tone. Not as warm as you would expect a jazz box to be , due to conditioning, granted but I can dig it. You never hear a note getting lost in carry over from the others either.


----------



## Solodini (May 23, 2011)

I suppose that recording's from the pickup, as well, so you can't hear the acoustic tone. That's what I'm really interested in.


----------



## Mindcrime1204 (May 23, 2011)

Beautiful axes, but damn they look delicate as fuck with the way he has the neck attached.


----------



## Holy Katana (May 26, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> ^^^
> 
> Sounds pretty good to me, were you on HD at least? Losts of distinction to the notes, good articulation, strong sharp/cutting tone. Not as warm as you would expect a jazz box to be , due to conditioning, granted but I can dig it. You never hear a note getting lost in carry over from the others either.





People call it "sterile," but I've always liked a sharper-sounding jazz tone, so that's probably why I like the sound of these.


----------



## Solodini (May 26, 2011)

Yeah, I like a nice open, airy sound so it's probably just my taste getting in the way.


----------



## Holy Katana (May 26, 2011)

I do like the sound of that pickup, though. It's a Fishman Rare Earth, according to the site (unless Charlie's using something different). I've been meaning to get one of those puppies for my Martin, since it doesn't have piezos or anything.


----------



## Solodini (May 26, 2011)

What's the Fishman which has a pickup and a mic which you can blend? It attaches just under the sound hole. I'm pretty keen on them. When I buy a decent acoustic, that's what I'll be buying for it.


----------



## Holy Katana (May 26, 2011)

Solodini said:


> What's the Fishman which has a pickup and a mic which you can blend? It attaches just under the sound hole. I'm pretty keen on them. When I buy a decent acoustic, that's what I'll be buying for it.



I'm not sure, but that sounds interesting. I'll have to check that out.


----------



## Trespass (May 26, 2011)

I'll be checking these out at the Montreal Guitar Show. Any guys within driving distance need to go to MGS (overlaps with the Montreal Jazz Festival).

Very focused, cutting sound. I've been following the Parker Archtops for a while, and while I think he's on to something (lots of strong innovative qualities behind the design), he hasn't perfected it yet. While I wouldn't call it sterile, I will say that it lacks a voice.

Sweetest sounding playing of a Parker archtop thus far (IMHO) is Frank Vignola playing it:





You hear the plain distinction between the 30s Gibson L5 Lage is playing (monster player) and the Parker. For whatever reason (possibly/probably camcorder mic), the dry, brashy L5 actually sounds pretty rough in comparison to the Parker archtop, which sounds really pretty.

Remember guys, when your playing in an acoustic situation, certain qualities come out over other instruments, while others are buried. Maybe Parker designed his archtop in that manner - It sounds sweet balanced over other instruments in an acoustic situtation. He doesn't mention this on his website at all, he just mentions that his design is all about acoustics first.

--Point: Bireli Lagrene's Hahl Deluxe (A 12k euro instrument)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noroty_L0CU&feature=related

Solo, it sounds super good. But when he plays it with the whole gypsy project, those qualities just don't make it through. He makes up for this with mic'ing, otherwise he just wouldn't cut through (he's now playing Barault, which retain their dark, gypsy qualities at high volume.).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0u7CSlSCQg

*All of this IMHO, take it with a grain of salt etc.


----------



## Solodini (May 27, 2011)

Yeah, "lacking a voice" is probably a good description. I like the innovation but I'd take sound in a sub-optimal instrument if it lasted okay, over an undefined sounding wonder of engineering.


----------

