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The Telecaster inspiration is immediately apparent

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One of the secrets under the hood of the P-36 is the additional provision of a piezo system, and a good one at that. A Fishman VT Powerbridge includes six independent piezo saddles powered by an active preamp, and a single volume control regulates output. The three-way micro switch sited behind the bridge allows you to mix the piezo in with the magnetic pickups and, thanks to a stereo output, you can either split the signals entirely to different destinations or mix them through the same amp rig. Unlike a full-on, USA-made Fly though, a stereo cable isn’t included with the guitar.

If you’re a fan of the hair-thin frets that are fitted to many a vintage Telecaster, you may be disappointed with the 22 - rather than 21 - medium jumbo options fitted to the P-36’s maple fingerboard. However, for versatility at least, thicker is often better as far as frets are concerned and the finishing here is more than good enough, even though the edges may be a tad too proud for some tastes. The neck itself is fashioned from a single piece of a nicely fiigured maple, although the whole thing is topped off with the classic, blunted Parker headstock - a shape that’s visually somewhat out of place here.

What’s more, it seems to us that the fingerboard has been slightly coloured to give a vintage yellow hue and we feel it’s rather unnecessary. Feel-wise, the guitar doesn’t play much like a classic Tele either, demonstrating a standard width and a pleasantly fat ‘D’-shape.

In use

Having said all of the above, the P-36 demonstrates pretty much the gamut of realistic Telecaster tones. So we reckon that, in a blindfold test with a US Standard, the differences would be hard to discern. The mix of ash with the trademark twang of the bridge pickup is the soundtrack to the fifties and sixties, and Parker has done wonders with the design of its pickups. To our ears the neck single coil has a slightly higher output that we’d expect from a Fender, and so positions two and three on the lever tend to be better balanced with the solo’d bridge pickup tone.

Combining the magnetic array with the Fishman system obviously greatly expands your tonal arsenal, and it works perfectly with the two singles for open strums and smooth finger picked sections. As long as you don’t expect to be able to magically execute styles on the P-36 that you would shy away from on a classic Telecaster, you won’t be let down, and from country to blues and toned-down rock, this is actually something of a winner. One advantage of the classic Parker headstock design is that it allows you to pull off some outrageous, Jerry Donahue-style behind-the-nut bends. The look of this guitar may well repel as many people as it will attract, but be assured that, in the sound stakes at least, it does exactly what you would expect.

The 'never judge a book by its cover' adage has never been more relevant than it is with the P-36, and we have to say that, on its looks alone, we'd probably dismiss it as an abomination to the Lord Our Leo too. Although it certainly holds its own judged solely on its merits, we can't help thinking that most players who want a Telecaster-style instrument are still going to opt for a Fender.

The P-36's price compares favourably with the majority of Far Eastern Fenders, and yes, you have the good Fishman system and we have no quality-related gripes to speak of either, but all in all, you are faced with a difficult buying choice.