The first Parker Fly was a six-string bass

[ardgedee]

A friend forwarded these to me. I don't do Facebook so you now know as much about this as I do.

That woodwork is absolutely amazing.

 

[Lackey]

Wow! That lower horn is wild!

 

[nixdad]

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A friend forwarded these to me. I don't do Facebook so you now know as much about this as I do.

That woodwork is absolutely amazing.

So Cool! Thanks for sharing! I had no idea the prototype was built in '82.

Parker as a brand wasn't released until the early 90's, otherwise Ken's basses would have been featured in the video. Heck, it would have fit right in with all of the other 80's Bass Innovations which were included here!

 

[Cdnbassnut]

I think Paul Nowinski has one. Carved like a dragon.

 

[ole Jason]

I'd love to play it, I've always liked the Parker guitars.

 

[smperry]

Yeah, I really like that bass.

 

[stevensivak]

How is the neck held in place- I see one bolt!

 

[ardgedee]

How is the neck held in place- I see one bolt!

It looks like a set-neck to me.

I think the hole is for truss rod access because I don't see anything like it on the front.

 

[tb-player]

I had a friend who loved his Parker guitar.

That one looks like a turkey.

 

[Keith Guitars]

The neck is glued in and skinned over with composite fabric, either CF or fiberglass, not sure. The hole in the back is for the truss rod adjustment. The truss rod was made from piano wire.
Steve Swallow was the most prominent user of these through the 80s. Al Caldwell had one too, thought the lower horn was removed at some point. I played one during my time working at Ken’s, and the one I played had a lower horn that was carved from a separate chunk of wood and was removable, though the shape was basically the same.

 

[ardgedee]

The truss rod was made from piano wire.

I would love to know how the truss rod was constructed. I'm having difficulty visualizing it.

 

[Kevin Hailey]

Incredible looking instrument, interesting to me that somebody was addressing the weight issues of 6 string bass so early in its development.
Ken Parker was one hell of a luthier.

 

[Keith Guitars]

I would love to know how the truss rod was constructed. I'm having difficulty visualizing it.

Basically the same principle as a traditional one-way rod, except using piano wire as the tension element instead of the typical 3/16” steel rod.
Ken swaged a block to one end as an anchor, after stamping a sort of squiggle shape onto the end of the wire to keep it from slipping out. Similar process on the other end except the block had a threaded stud that could be pulled by tightening a nut. A version of this same rod was used for the production Fly guitars.

 

[UNICORN BASS]

Yowser!

 

[Stinkoman20xx]

There was a second prototype that was passed around for awhile for sale.

 

[ElectricBass72]

Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. A long time. I remember Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction and later... RHCP playing a Parker. Thought they were really cool in the 90's.... but couldn't afford one.

 

[Keith Guitars]

This was Al Caldwell’s bass, which I think got resold through Brian Barrett

There was a second prototype that was passed around for awhile for sale

 

[Metal Sombreros]

Steve Swallow had an old parker that he wouldnt let Ken finish because he liked it so much as it was