PDF w/ Floyd

[ubik55]

My fave Parkers are the Floyd Rose equipped ones, and one just popped up on Reverb the other day. It looks like a PDF, but it seems to have a ...P40/Nitefly style neck?? Most PDFs have the fat headstock, but this one doesn't. Anyone seen anything like this before?
https://reverb.com/item/39306150-parker ... 7-sn-black

[jb63]

It might have been an early one before the headstock was finalized. The ones with the matte finish are my favorites, in fact I think this is the first glossy one I’ve seen. Looks like it has the crappy nickel frets. There are a bunch of USA made neck models, I think with rosewood fretboards that have excellent frets. I can’t recommend those enough.

Make sure the truss rod works and get a good price!

[vjmanzo]

I think jb63 is right, @ubik55; cool guitar!

I was looking at these Floyd-equipped guitars a few years back, but never did get one, unfortunately. Is that a high-ish price? I seem to recall looking at one for around $500 or so.

Since we're on the Floyd topic: did you (or anyone) ever see the Vernon Reid signature DF model?

I think I'd have a better chance of being struck by lightening than coming across one of these for sale!

[jb63]

They spared Vernon no expense. Gave him the GK3 when everyone else thought it was ugly and went piezo, and even gave him an ebony fingerboard!

[mmmguitar]

I never took one for a test drive to be able to comment on the sounds, but looked over the Reids (and other sig models) at NAMMs. They played like a Parker, but the model discarding the Parker trem and board always irked me. I also recall them being heavier than any of the 824s set out beside them.

[vjmanzo]

discarding the Parker trem and board always seemed to irk me.

I feel the same, @mmmguitar; I really love the Fly bridge in combination with the locking tuners. Cool to hear that you played the Vernon Reid model, though! A while back when I was looking at it and the PDF @ubik55 is considering, it wasn’t clear to my if the Vernon Reid model had the carbon fiber reinforced strip on the neck like the Fly—I think it doesn’t. That’s another key component of the Fly allure for me in addition to the features you mentioned.

[ubik55]

It might have been an early one before the headstock was finalized. The ones with the matte finish are my favorites, in fact I think this is the first glossy one I’ve seen. Looks like it has the crappy nickel frets. There are a bunch of USA made neck models, I think with rosewood fretboards that have excellent frets. I can’t recommend those enough.

Make sure the truss rod works and get a good price!

I see, that makes sense. At first I thought it was some kind of "FrankenFly"... hah.

And HOLY vjmanzo that Vernon Reid guitar would be the funnest thing to play ever. There is just something about a white finish with black hardware...

[Mitch5]

Honestly, it looks like they shaved that part of the headstock off to make it look more like the old headstock. I have one in an orange/copper-ish finish. I believe the model number is DF422FR. I found mine at a second hand music store and immediately bought it and I believe it was stock at the time. Notice in the picture it has the new style headstock but that part is natural wood color; only the face of the old style headstock is painted black.

Apart from the obvious Floyd Rose (Licensed) bridge with the locking nut, it has two "Duncan USM" pickups, a 3 way switch, 1 Volume, 1 Push/pull tone (coil-split), 22 frets, bolt-on PDF neck, and non-locking tuners (no-branding). The saddles are also not piezo. It's one of the nicest playing guitars I own and it's pretty easy to maintain since it doesn't have the all the proprietary Parker Fly internals and uses normal humbucker mounting rings. Although, I've had to replace the input jack twice and one of the Floyd Rose saddles. I installed a set of Sperzel EZ-mount locking tuners on mine to make it more Fly-esque and I play it without the locking nut clamping blocks; it's much easier to keep in tune this way.

It's also very light, but not as light as my USA made Fly.

[vjmanzo]

Honestly, it looks like they shaved that part of the headstock off to make it look more like the old headstock.

I think you're right, @Mitch5; good eye! I tok a closer look and it looks like the writing of the headstock is nearly cut off.

Also, that's a great looking DF422FR; thanks for posting that image! Love that color! The upgrades you did seem like the way to go!

[Mitch5]

Thanks!

Yeah, the guitar OP posted does look cool, but there's no way I would pay $800+ for it with the "modded" headstock. For reference, I paid ~$450 for the one I found, but this was also back in 2013 when USM Parker was still making guitars and the PDF models were still somewhat available.

[IdoRollingBurnouts]

No affiliation, but this one has been on Craigslist for quite awhile. https://albany.craigslist.org/msg/d/ams ... 55020.html

Rob

[jb63]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/193716296448

Here’s an overpriced one but one of the good ones!