Dear Parker Forum:
Thank you for the interest and comments in July and August about the Matrax(t.m.) Guitar. Here is some background and items of interest about the Matrax guitar, its design, technology and sound that I hope will clarify a few of the questions people had about these guitars.
The look or appearance of a musical instrument is an important, satisfying and fun part of musicianship, but a musical instrument’s deep sacred function is to help musicians create music that connects with the soul. The essence of the Matrax guitar is its unique resonance curve and the clean, responsive and versatile sounds it can make. The Matrax guitar is intended for creative musicians looking for a new sonance to bring listeners closer to their souls and closer to the sacred connections that link the world.
The technology section of our webpage, describes the shift in the fundamental resonance structure of our guitar. This resonance structure is totally different from any other guitar in the world, including Parker guitars.
The problems related to bringing something completely new to the world should not be lost on you gentlemen and ladies who play Parker Flys. I am sure you have all heard the “challenges†to your instruments. My suggestion is that you don’t give up on your unique thinking. As time goes by, the justice of your belief in Ken Parker’s design will be proven - spiritually and financially. Hang onto your Flys.
Since this is the Parker guitar forum, I’ll tell you my Ken Parker story. Back in 2004, when Harmos Music first considered expanding from Lap Steels into Electric Guitars, I sought out Ken Parker at the Winter NAMM in LA. When I told him that I built the Harmos Lap Steel, he said that he was aware of our instrument, had visited our website and that he “completely†understood what we were doing with our resonance shifting technology. He didn’t say whether he thought it was good or bad, and I didn’t expect him to. Then we talked about the appearance that Harmos should pursue in the new electric guitar design. I’ll never forget his response - “The open body looks fine the way it is. I’d leave it like that, unique - interesting, just fine the way it is.†Then he warned me that guitar creation is not a get rich quick thing. Unfortunately, I already knew that from my Lap Steel experiences..
I tell that story just let you know that the appearance decisions for this guitar have been an interesting challenge from the beginning. Yes, we know the design looks crazy, but most creations do and there are some technical preferences for the open design. We are making a few changes to the look to give it a little more softness and curviness - a little more sexiness, but without changing its sound.
Many of the other features in the Matrax guitar are similar to Parker Flys and some are different. I won’t go into details here - this is not our forum - but in the next two weeks, we will be expanding our website -
www.matraxguitars.com to include more detailed background on the guitar’s specific design features as well as adding sound samples.
Thank you for giving me time on your forum.
Yours Truly,
