Fender was sold to CBS in January 1965. Serial numbering didn’t change immediately because instruments continued to be made using existing, tooling, parts and serial number schemes. The chart below details Fender serial number schemes used from 1965 to 1976. Notice that there is quite a bit of overlap in numbers and years.
Private | |
Industry | Musical instruments |
---|---|
Founded | 1993 |
Founder | Ken Parker |
Defunct | 2016; 4 years ago |
Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, |
Products | electric and acoustic guitars, basses |
Parent | Jam Industries (2009–16) |
Parker Guitars was an American manufacturer of electric and acoustic guitars[1] and basses, founded by luthierKen Parker in 1993. Parker guitars were distinguished for their characteristically lightweight and the use of composite materials.[2]
Parker's most famous guitar was the Fly model, an electric guitar made of composite and a carbon fiber exoskeleton providing the rigidity, and a core of traditional hardwood. The mixture of materials resulted in a lighter instrument that weighed only 2 kg. This model was highly appreciated my musicians and well received by critics.[3]
![Danelectro 6 digit serial number search Danelectro 6 digit serial number search](http://www.guitarhq.com/dan58u2.jpg)
The Parker company was acquired by the U.S. Music Corporation in 2003, which was itself sold to Jam Industries in August 2009. As of November 2016, the brand was inactive after the factory in Illinois was closed.
History[edit]
The Fly was the first model produced by Parker. The guitars (left) and basses (right) were made mostly of composite materials, resulting in light weight instruments
The first model launched by Parker was the Fly in 1993. Designed by Ken Parker and Larry Fishman, this model was unique for its use of composite materials and lightweight. The guitar's combination of traditional magnetic pickups and piezo-electrics in the bridge allowed players to achieve both electric and acoustic tones. Perhaps most significant to the guitar’s design is the almost complete absence of a neck heel to permit greater ease of access to the uppermost frets.[4]
Parker guitars were characterized as thin and ultra-lightweight instruments; they were generally made from lighter woods like poplar, basswood, and spruce, although there were maple and mahoganyFly models. They had composite materials (resin and carbon glass skin) to reinforce a thin carved body and neck. Fingerboards were composite and use stainless steel frets. Electronics include the integrated use of coil split humbuckers, single coil and piezo pickups with active circuitry. The proprietary vibrato bridge used a unique flat steel spring which helped the guitar to maintain the pitch. The vibrato had three settings; bend down only, full floating and locked.
In October 2002, Parker initiated the first production run of the Fly bass guitar, in both 4-string and 5-string versions. The 5-strings were noted for their ease of use for 4-string players, both with respect to weight and string spacing. Parker 4-string basses produced in the original factory in Wilmington, MA shipped in 2003 and had seven digit serial numbers using the same formula for dating as the original NiteFly guitars while 5-string basses were shipped first and had six digit numbers that begin with 092 reflecting the 2002 manufacturing. Basses made by U.S. Music Corporation used the same seven digit formula continuing the 4-string serial number and dating. As with other Parker guitars, they offered both magnetic and piezoelectric pickups, with the ability to blend the two. The Fly Bass was discontinued in 2008 and Parker currently offers 4 and 5 string basses with the newer MaxxFly shape.
The last original Fly guitars, with the balance wheel on the face of the guitar and the four-knob layout, appeared in 2003. That same year, the Fly was 'refined' with a new control layout, consisting of a master volume, a master tone (with coil-split function) and a master volume for the piezo, eliminating the separate volume control for the magnetic pickups and the piezo tone control. Numerous other changes were made as well.[example needed]
Several Special edition Flys were also introduced in later years. Major names in these were; the Fly Mojo Snakeskin, stock guitars covered in snakeskin; the 'Four Seasons' Fly Mojos with thematically corresponding finishes; and a koa Fly Mojo released as part of the Select series.
In 2010, the MaxxFly model was introduced. Based on the Fly, the MaxxFly features a modified headstock (allowing the instrument to be hung a standard guitar wall hanger), a modified top horn (more ergonomically and traditionally shaped), standardized pickup cavities, 22 frets instead of 24, and a slightly thicker, heavier body. It shares the same general construction as the standard Fly.
When Parker sold his company to the U.S. Music Corporation in 2003, most of the guitars started to be manufactured outside the United States.[2]
Artists[edit]
Musicians that play/have played Parker guitars include:[2]
- Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain Of Salvation)
- Danny Lohner & Aaron North (Nine Inch Nails)
- Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage)
- Deron Miller (CKY)
- Bob Mahn
- Alex Hunter
- Lisa James
Models[edit]
- Fly (Mojo, Deluxe, Classic, Artist, )Supreme
- MaxxFly (DF824, DF842, DF1024, DF724, DF624, DF524, DF523, RF722, RF622, RF522, PDF105, PDF100, PDF85, PDF80, PDF70, PDF60, PDF35, PDF30, 4 & 5 String and fretless Basses)
- Adrian Belew signature model DFAB842 MaxxFly
- Vernon Reid signature model MaxxFly
- Adam Dutkiewicz signature model MaxxFly (Discontinued)
- SC and SC Mojo [note 1]
- P-Basses
- P-Series acoustics
- Fly (Bronze, Nylon)
- Nitefly (Classic, Swamp Ash, Mojo)
- P44 (V, PRO)
- P-42
- P-40
- P-30
- P-36
- P-38
- PM20PRO
- PM24V
- PM20
- PM10
Notes[edit]
- ^The single-cut version of the Fly, also known as the PM60.
References[edit]
- ^Parker models on Ed Roman website, 20 Oct 2019
- ^ abcA brief history of Parker Guitars on Streetdirectory.com
- ^10 Guitars You Need to Know #8: Parker Guitars by Lucas Frost on Uberchord.com, September 7, 2015
- ^Parker Fly: Six things you didn't know by Christopher Scapelliti on Guitar World, May 14, 2018
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parker Guitars. |
- Official website (archived, 4 March 2016)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parker_Guitars&oldid=929735956'
東海楽器製造株式会社 | |
Romanized name | Tōkai Gakki Seizō Kabushiki-gaisha |
---|---|
Private | |
Industry | Musical instruments |
Founded | 1947; 73 years ago |
Founder | Tadayouki Adachi |
Headquarters | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka , |
Key people | Shohei Adachi (President) |
Products | Electric and acoustic guitars, basses, autoharps[1] |
65 | |
Website | tokaijapan.com |
Tokai Gakki Company, Ltd. (東海楽器製造株式会社, Tōkai Gakki Seizō Kabushiki-gaisha), often referred to as Tokai Guitars, is a Japanesemusical instrument manufacturer situated in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka prefecture. Tokai is one of Japan's leading companies in the business. The company was founded in 1947 by Tadayouki Adachi and remains family-owned.
Although Tokai currently focuses on electric and acoustic guitars, basses and autoharps (called 'chromaharp')[1], the company manufactured other instruments such as melodicas, pianos and guitar amplifiers in the past.
History[edit]
Tokai began in 1947, as a harmonica and piano manufacturer. It developed its first melodica, the Pianica, in 1961. Tokai began making banjos and harpsichords in 1973 and the electric piano in 1975.
Tokai started making classical guitars in 1965. It made its first electric guitar in 1968 with the Humming Bird, a guitar loosely based on the Mosrite Mark I and II. This was followed in 1970 with the Humming Bird Custom acoustic guitar (not to be confused with the Hummingbird guitar model produced by Gibson).
Some Tokai guitars, with models resembling American manufacturers' guitars: fltr: Goldstand Sound, Talbo, LS-85 Love Rock, Hard Puncher bass
From 1970 to 1973, Tokai produced the Conn line of acoustic guitars under contract with C.G. Conn[2][3] In 1972, Tokai entered into a joint-venture with C. F. Martin & Company to supply acoustic guitar parts and also to build Martin's Sigma electric guitars. In 1975, it launched its own Cat's Eyes line of acoustic guitars, which were replicas of C.F. Martin guitars.
Between 1977 and 1978, Tokai began making various Fender and Gibson replica electric guitars and basses. These models are generically known as 'lawsuit guitars'. Tokai's replica of the Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, named the 'Les Paul Reborn' model, started in 1978. By 1980, the name was changed to 'Reborn Old' and later to its current name, 'Love Rock'. The name change was in response to threats from American guitar companies to go to court to protect their copyrights. Tokai also made Fender replicas, the 'Springy Sound' (ST series, Fender Stratocaster replica) and the 'Breezy Sound' (TE series, Fender Telecaster replica). Stevie Ray Vaughan played a 'Tokai Springy Sound' at one time. This guitar was fitted with lipstick pickups and can be seen on the cover of his second studio album Couldn't Stand the Weather. By the late 1970s, replicas of Fender guitars, such as the '.38 Special' guitar and the 'Hard Puncher' bass (replica of the Fender Precision Bass), began to be sold in Japan and Europe.[4]
In 1983, Tokai introduced an aluminum-body guitar called the Talbo (Tokai Aluminum Body) which the band Devo played at one time. Tokai has its own instrument making factory and have built guitars for well-known brands under contract (OEM). Tokai and Dyna Gakki produced the Fender Japan solid-body models from 1997 until the end of the Fender Japan joint-venture in 2015.
Characteristics[edit]
The original selling price in Japanese yen is often included in the model number—for example TLS-100 = 100,000 Japanese yen. The higher priced Tokai Gibson replicas have nitrocellulose finishes and long tenon neck joints. Tokai guitars have been made in Japan, Korea and China. Korean production started around the mid-1990s. Tokai guitars made in Korea (MIK) are lower priced guitars, similar to the Korean Epiphone guitars. The MIK (Made in Korea) guitars can be differentiated by the truss rod cover. Japanese guitars have a two-screw truss rod cover whereas the Korean guitars have a three-screw truss rod cover (although some early Korean guitars also have two-screw truss rod covers). The MIK guitars usually have a different Nashville style bridge instead of the usual ABR-1 bridge. Furthermore, MIK Gibson replica guitars usually have a neck made from maple, and the body wood is usually made from either alder, agathis or nato.
Serial numbers[edit]
Tokai uses a seven-digit serial number usually pressed into the back of the headstock for the Gibson model replicas. Love Rocks use the first digit of the serial number for the year, 10XXXXX=1981 and starting in 1989 Love Rocks use the first two digits for the year, 89XXXXX=1989. Reborn models use only the first digit for the year, 800XXXX = 1978.
There is a major exception to this in that some 'Reborn Olds' (very rare) and 'Love Rock' models have inked serial numbers on the reverse of the headstock (often referred to as 'Inkies'). These guitars are, it is generally agreed, from 1980 (00xxxxx and 01xxxxx) and 1981 (11xxxxx) although there are those who would disagree with this.
It also appears that some of the original 1978 'Les Paul Reborns' have inkied serial numbers.
Some MIK Love Rock models have no serial number and simply have 'Made In Korea' inked on the back of the headstock. Sometimes the model number may be located under the bridge pickup. MIK Love Rock models identified in this manner include ALS48 and ALS50Q.
The Tokai Fender replicas have a production number serial number that contains no year information.
References[edit]
- ^ abChromaharp on Tokai Japan, 27 Oct 2019
- ^Conn acoustic guitars unofficial website on The Jet Medic (archived, 13 Jul 2011)
- ^Conn acoustic (steel-string) guitars on The Guitar Medic (archived, 19 Jan 2018)
- ^Q&A's with Mr. Shohei Adachi, president of Tokai Gakki on Tokai forum, Oct 30, 2005
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tokai Gakki. |
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tōkai_Gakki&oldid=928267768'