BusinessWeek's 'Most Amazing Guitar Designs'?

[sybersitizen]

Sorry if this is old news, but I find no references in the forum:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/08/0814_les_paul/1.htm

There are 16 guitars shown (not 17 as indicated) and no Parker Fly in the bunch. What happened here? Are the BusinessWeek folks just ignorant or was the Fly in there at one time and later removed? I'm incensed.

[sybersitizen]

The list is copied here for posterity in case the pages get removed:

1) RIP Les Paul (A nice touch, but the man himself was not a guitar. Maybe we can count 'The Log' here.)
2) 1951 Fender Telecaster
3) 1951 Fender Precision Bass
4) 1951 Gibson L-5CES
5) 1952 Gibson Les Paul
6) 1954 Fender Stratocaster
7) 1958 Rickenbacker Capri
1961 Gibson SG
9) 1962 Gibson EDS-1275
10) 1966 Ovation Balladeer
11) 1980 Steinberger L Series
[1993 Parker Fly conspicuously missing]
12) 2002 Harmos MatraX
13) 2003 Line 6 Variax
14) 2005 RKS Open Architecture Guitars
15) 2008 Ovation Idea
16) 2008 Moog Guitar

[spider]

Considering the source...I'm not surprised.

[danjazzny]

Guess their "expert" columnist slipped up. [!]

'97 Alex Artist 4lbs12oz; '99 Simonized Artist 4lbs13oz; '97 Custom TransRed Artist 4lbs9oz; '98 Custom 3-Tone Sunburst Artist (Hardtail)5lbs2oz; '96 Dayn Deluxe (Hardtail)5lbs; Line6 Flextone 3 Amp; Line 6 Vetta II Amp

[Noodler]

The Ovation Idea?  That's not an amazing guitar design - that's just a stupid idea.  sheesh

[turboborsuk]

If you're feeling disappointed check out this link
http://cambocool.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/20-of-the-world#8217;s-best-made-luxuries/
and scroll down to pos. 11.
I've seen this list before in menstyle, maxim or similar, don't remember.
Might be a repost though, didn't check search.

[danjazzny]

quote:Originally posted by turboborsuk

If you're feeling disappointed check out this link
http://cambocool.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/20-of-the-world#8217;s-best-made-luxuries/
and scroll down to pos. 11.
I've seen this list before in menstyle, maxim or similar, don't remember.
Might be a repost though, didn't check search.

Welcome to the Parker Forum Turboborsuk! Thanks for the link. Feel a little better now. [][]

'97 Alex Artist 4lbs12oz; '99 Simonized Artist 4lbs13oz; '97 Custom TransRed Artist 4lbs9oz; '98 Custom 3-Tone Sunburst Artist (Hardtail)5lbs2oz; '96 Dayn Deluxe (Hardtail)5lbs; Line6 Flextone 3 Amp; Line 6 Vetta II Amp

[wkcchampion]

quote:Originally posted by Noodler

The Ovation Idea?  That's not an amazing guitar design - that's just a stupid idea.  sheesh

Absolutely +1.
The Parker Fly just can't be missedo ut. It's, IMO, the most revolutionary guitar since Leo Fender's masterpieces.

---------
Marco
http://pregnosplatter.altervista.org

Pearl White 2008 Fly Mojo
"Eldy" / Majik Blue 1995 Fly Deluxe (Gen1 Di Marzio PUs)
POD X3 Pro
VOX AC30CC2X modded to Fryer specs
(more gear on my website)

[sybersitizen]

quote:Originally posted by turboborsuk

If you're feeling disappointed check out this link
http://cambocool.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/20-of-the-world#8217;s-best-made-luxuries/

Well, it's nice praise I guess; but grossly inaccurate praise written by someone who doesn't really know squat about the guitar. The list was created in 2008, and it says "... Each Fly is made from a single piece of mahogany, chosen for its wide acoustical range, which Parker then hand-planes, removing just an eighth-of-an-inch at a time: Leave too much on and the guitar won’t resonate properly, take too much off and it’ll snap. The unique shape of the neck (which Parker has patented) eliminates the dead spots found on most fret boards (even high-end versions), and the Fly’s dual pickups, which were designed specially for Parker, allow players to create an incredible range of sounds."

Really? Some Flys are made from mahogany, but the majority are not; Flys are machine carved first, then worked by hand; contrary to the implication, Ken Parker hasn't planed one in at least eight years; an eighth-of-an-inch is a huge chunk to remove at a time - a mistake of that magnitude could put a hole through the back of a route; the neck 'shape' is not patented and doesn't eliminate dead spots; the Fly's pickups are fine, but not out of the ordinary.

Lots of misinformation there; but erroneous press is better than no press at all.

'01 Fly Deluxe|'69 SG Standard

[wkcchampion]

Also, the Mojo is the only fly guitar in which the neck and body are made of the same wood. In the other models, two different kinds of wood are employed! And between these, only the Classic is made of mahogany...

---------
Marco
http://pregnosplatter.altervista.org

Pearl White 2008 Fly Mojo
"Eldy" / Majik Blue 1995 Fly Deluxe (Gen1 Di Marzio PUs)
POD X3 Pro
VOX AC30CC2X modded to Fryer specs
(more gear on my website)

[mutronboy]

heh...that's a silly list
I noticed there's no Charlie Christian (Gibson ES-150) on there..
Wasn't that the first electric Spanish guitar? ...pretty important

Rickenbacher Capri more revolutionary than a Fly?....I don't think so
Trev Wilkinson strat * Kinman Blueprint strat * Greg Fryer strat * Gilet 00-45 * Gilet Dobro * Maton Messiah 12-string * Fender Super Reverb & Princeton Reverb * H&K Tube Rotosphere * Mutron IV *

[Twanking45]

"...the man himself is not a guitar." I laughed on the floor when I read that. Anyway, it makes sense that these were the guitars chosen as the editors/writers at Newsweek's reference material was likely a collection of posters of their old favorite rockstars, from Zeppelin to Melissa Etheridge. I'm just surprised that the '61 SG is some how more amazing than the '58 flying V.

KTS

-SA Nitefly SSS (1996/97?)
-Parker Deluxe, (1996)
-Les Paul Classic (1993?)
-Customized Fender Strat(1990)