Quite nice topic.
As you could see quickly, I´ve got several and absolutely different models in my small collection (allright, all have got a trem).
My first quality guitar is a Duesenberg/Rockinger Rudvog model (Only 5 guitars were manufactured over all. I got the only swamp ash body. The other were made of mahogany. In 2009/10 I changed from a pair of passive pickups (Rockinger Rat SC and Seymour Duncan SH-4 Zebra to active EMG SA and EMG 89). It came to me in 1995.
Having the money to buy an "expensive" guitar I was about to achieve a second hand CU 24 in 2000. It was sold in my wider circle of friends.
But by accident I was too slow with my decision. A (1995; it´s said today that Ken Parker build his guitars to that time personally) Parker Fly Deluxe was sold aswell.
No PRS but a Parker. Why not.
I still like the guitar because of it´s lightness and one-of-a-kind (but polarizing) shape. There is a cliché that Parker guitars sound aseptic. But that is crap information.
In 2011 I bought my PRS (In 2012 I purchased an Ibanez RG 570 CTAM (build in 1995...) and a Legend Strat copy (It was modified by a friend of mine who´s a dentist to a copy of a Fender Deluxe Lone Star Strat RW. His nick is Max Mauluff and because of his profession I call the guitar Dentacaster). In 2013 I ordered a custom made hollow body at an Austrian luthier.
Comparing piezos there is no difference in sound produced by a carbon reinforced neck with a carbon fretboard and poplar body Parker or a full maple body and neck (ebony fretboard) provided hollow body guitar.
I bought the PRS 513 blind - without testing the neck shape (pattern regular). Unboxing the guitar I felt being at home. The same with the Linus (hollow body, the neck was shaped to a wide fat profile).
The Duesenberg/Rockinger, the Dentacaster, the RG and the Fly have - speaking in PRS words - wide thin necks (Ibanez: Super Wizzard).
Being honest: I´m not a guy who seeks for THE tone. All guitars (but the Parker) are capable to produce singlecoil sounds (by real SCs or coil tap function), in general they are all humbucker guitars.
Playing high gain there isn´t much differences. Switching to crunch or clean there are shades in the produced sound, indeed.
The haptic aspect is core in my opinion, which means the neck shape. I prefer my PRS and the Linus over the other flat and wide necks. Therefore my other guitars rest more time in the stand than being played.
I recorded all my guitars with the same crunch lick for comparison to a friend´s ears. He likes the sound of my PRS most.
Come to a conclusion: Parker guitars have an extraordinary shape which is not anybody´s favour, indeed. Like it or hate it.
Buying second hand, you´ll get a high quality guitar, a flexible soundmachine.
My Parker´s lacquer tends to crack - Les Paul aficionados know that this is a counter cut-off frequency behaviour... And so it´s with Parkers in general.
I saw a couple of second hand offered in local guitar centers or at ebay proving that right.
And there is only one neck shape of course.
Even Adrian Belew is a prominent player of Parker in my eyes the peak of such avantgarde style guitars has passed.
Which makes them cheap on the other hand ´cause of low demand.
The design of a PRS is timeless.
If you choose no fashion colour you won´t get sick in future.
Laying my proposal to core line PRSi: First you have to question yourself which are your necessary specs (Pickup layout, trem or not, 22 or 24 frets, piezo...)
Second question: Which neck shape. Go to your local GC and make a haptic check... You must feel comfortable about playing that neck in all positions on the fretboard.
Third: Colour.
Coming to a conclusion: Go, get a PRS. The risk is low that you´ll have regrets in future, lower loss in value that a Parker.
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