The people I meet in the Twin Peaks community continuously amaze me. They love David Lynch and Mark Frost’s wonderful and strange show as much as I do. Many folks I encounter are creative, thoughtful, intelligent and kind. One such person is fellow long-time fan and author of “The Tao of Twin Peaks,” William Dickerson. He recently acquired David Lynch’s Parker Fly Guitar from the David Lynch Collection auction from Julien’s Auctions on June 18, 2025. William produced an awesome video about this guitar which Lynch used to record his solo debut album Crazy Clown Time (2011) as well as its follow-up The Big Dream (2013).
WHO IS WILLIAM DICKERSON, AUTHOR OF “THE TAO OF TWIN PEAKS?”
William Dickerson is an award-winning filmmaker, author, and professor whose been a fan of Twin Peaks for decades. He wrote and directed his debut feature film Detour was released in theaters and on-demand on March 29, 2013.
His book on filmmaking, “DETOUR: Hollywood – How To Direct a Microbudget Film (or any film, for that matter),” was called “candidly practical, thoroughly ‘user friendly,’ and an essential instruction guide – especially for independent filmmakers” by Midwest Book Review. He recently adapted his novel, “No Alternative,” into a film that was released worldwide. The Los Angeles Times described the movie as “a remarkably assured and deeply felt grunge-era coming-of-age picture” and Film Threat called it “a rare indie gem that delivers solidly on all fronts.”
More recently, Dickerson published “The Tao of Twin Peaks” will illustrations by Gilbert Leiker (@Mothbot on Instagram). For him, the search for significance in Twin Peaks is analogous to the search for meaning in both his and other fans’ lives. As strange as the characters and plots may be, they echo our own traumas, growth, and experience.
In Taoism, the goal is to achieve balance in our ever-changing reality. The Tao of Twin Peaks illustrates how David Lynch accomplishes this feat in this classic show. It examines the entire Twin Peaks canon, including Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, with a particular focus on Twin Peaks: The Return.
The back of the book offers additional insight into what readers will discover.
Is Twin Peaks a cult-like phenomenon…or a mystery that needs to be solved…or simply the fever dream of its eccentric co-creator? No other show in the history of television has sparked so many questions and The Tao of Twin Peaks proposes answers to those who seek to understand this surreal, multilayered, and metafictional story. Much has been written about Twin Peaks, but this book is markedly different. It is not just for the most ardent fans who love decoding clues in the series. It also explores the show’s cinematic techniques, its cultural references, and its mythological, psychological, and religious influences. Just some of the topics explored:
- The significance of the Red Room
- Laura Palmer as both angel and centerfold
- The answer to “Who is Judy?”
- The connection between Agent Cooper and Mr. C
- The relationship of the plot to electricity and the atomic bomb
- Twin Peaks as a working philosophy
- “What year is this?” Making sense of the end of the series.
It’s wonderful having another Twin Peaks book to add to my Bookhouse from a fan who has appreciate the show for so many years. The image above shows William by the giant log where Laura Palmer’s body was found at Kiana Lodge in 2005 (this is the original spot before the log moved in 2022-2023).
ACQUIRING DAVID LYNCH’S PARKER FLY GUITAR FROM JULIEN’S AUCTIONS
On June 18, 2025, Julien’s Auctions held an auction featuring the David Lynch Collection with hundreds of items from his estate. Lot 72 featured a Studio Played, Photo Matched Parker Fly Electric Guitar and Roland VG-8EX Guitar Synthesizer System. The auction estimate was between $4,000-$6,000 and the guitar and synthesizer sold for $32,500!
Designed by Ken Parker and Larry Fishman, the guitar has gained a cult following. Parker founded his company Parker Guitars in the early 1990s. He collaborated with Fishman to design the Fly, a controversial, innovative and futuristic electric guitar introduced 1993. The Fly incorporated non-traditional materials like fiberglass and Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer blended with more traditional elements like mahogany, basswood and spruce. His tremolo/vibrato design allowed the user to choose between floating or dive only operation, and it could also be used as a stop tail bridge. The Fly had 11 patents and was exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution.
Parker sold his company in 2004. A few years later, he started designing archtop guitars. His archtop designs incorporate an adjustable neck that mounts to the guitar via a turnbuckle mechanism that allows the action to be adjusted without affecting the tuning, a unique tailpiece and non-traditional sound holes. In 2015, Parker had a shop in Massachusetts where he built a small number of hand made and individualized custom archtop guitars per year.
He retired in 2025 and died at the age of 73 from cancer at his home in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on October 5, 2025.
I included text from Julien’s Auction page along with high-resolution images below.
A guitar rig owned and played by David Lynch in his home recording studio known as Asymmetrical Studio. This lot includes a 1997 Parker Fly electric guitar, serial #231017BP, in metallic black finish with a Parker soft case plus a Roland VG-8EX Guitar synthesizer system, serial #ZM42688, with original manual, 13 pin cable, and expression pedal.
Both pieces were owned and heavily played by David Lynch in his home studio while producing numerous musical projects including his solo debut album Crazy Clown Time (2011) as well as its follow-up The Big Dream (2013). David can be seen strumming the guitar and manipulating its vibrato arm and changing settings on the VG-8 in numerous videos documenting the recording of his two solo albums.
In Lynch’s 2013 documentary on the making of The Big Dream, Lynch seems electrified as he describes his love of the guitar: “I started playing guitar only because one was there, and I wanted to see what sound effects I could make on it. But in making sound effects with the guitar, a deep thrill went into me, down into my soul. I loved working that thing.”
Lynch played guitar in a highly unconventional manner. With the guitar seated in his lap in a left-handed position and tuned to an open tuning, he would tap and swipe at the neck while actuating the vibrato arm with his left hand.
When paired with the Roland GK-2 pickup installed on the Parker Fly, David used the VG-8 to change chords as he strummed the strings near the nut using his right hand.
When powered on, the unit boots into a setting called DAV50, with the four numbered pedals cycling through A, F#mi, E, and D chords. Setting DAV50 is a clean guitar sound with a pulsing, Fender-like tremolo effect which is, in a word, perfectly Lynchian. The VG-8EX contains numerous other DAV50 user patches for different musical keys including F, E, D, Dmi, and Ab, and more.
In this manner he was able to coax the dreamy, atmospheric sounds heard on his albums, sounds heard throughout David’s creative universe. His unique style can be seen in this video and can be seen in David’s hands in photographs posted here and here, where the guitar is easily identified by the fret position marker dots that David painted on the fretboard in white and yellow paint.
This Parker Fly features a 25” scale length scale length basswood neck with a 24 fret carbon glass epoxy fretboard with six black chrome locking Sperzel tuners on the distinctive six-in-line Parker headstock.
The poplar body has carbon glass reinforcement and is finished in metallic black, with a signature Parker tremolo bridge, two DiMarzio humbucker pickups and a built-in piezo system with a volume control, blend, master tone, and a three-way toggle selector switch for the magnetic pickups, as well as a three way switch for the piezo system (off/blend/full piezo) with stacked controls for volume and tone.
David has added a Roland GK-2A synthesizer pickup to the body with the pickup screwed to the body between the bridge and bridge pickup. The guitar includes a Parker soft case with two cables and the case strap inside the storage pouch. The case measured: 40 x 16 x 4.5 inches.
For general use, the VG-8 guitar synthesizer system can also turn any steel string guitar into any number of instruments, from drums to chimes, horns, pianos, and even bass and 12-string pitch shifted instruments. Includes other built-in effects like reverb, flange, delay, chorus, and more. Includes manual, multi-pin cable for connecting a VG-8 to a GK-2 pickup, a Roland EV-5 Expression pedal, plus IEC power cable. The VG-8 measured 20 x 11.5 x 3 inches.
UNPACKING AND EXAMINING DAVID LYNCH’S PARKER FLY GUITAR
William produced an 11-minute video exploring David Lynch’s guitar. He was joined by Neil Stephens of Pelham Guitars and Leon Dewan of D1 Synthesis. Neil is a luthier and guitar tech in the New York area, and Leon is a synthesizer designer, having co-invented the Swarmatron, one of Trent Reznor’s go-to instruments that was used in his Oscar-winning score for The Social Network.
Produced in association with Obnoxious and Anonymous / David Lynch’s Worlds, Dickerson directed the video with George Nicholas. He edited it with Luka Vonier and Nick Frangiamone provided sound. Production Assistants were Sam Burgos, Noah Burgos. Additional footage and photography was provided by Paul X. Sanchez IV.
I love this frame from the video above which I believe was intensional. Look carefully at the reflection in the mirror behind William.
It’s a nod to the iconic “happy accident” when Sarah Palmer is startled from a dream in the Twin Peaks pilot. Frank Silva, who played Killer BOB, is seen in the mirror reflection.
Congratulations to William on acquiring such a unique item used by David Lynch. I can’t wait to see what you create with it. You can follow The Tao of Twin Peaks on Instagram at @TheTaoOfTwinPeaks.
From December 23-31, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST, William held an opportunity to win one of three strings played by David Lynch from his Parker Fly guitar. You can see Dickerson discussing replacing the strings in the unboxing video.
The strings given away were the G, B, and high E strings; each will come with a signed letter of provenance from the owner. Winners also received a signed copy of William’s new book, “The Tao of Twin Peaks.”
On January 2, 2026, William announced the three winners for the David Lynch Guitar Strings contest – @DavidBlascoe, @Portiskopf and @Justin182. He wrote:
“We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our giveaway. The entries were not only entertaining and impressive, but also deeply moving. It was a thrill to see, hear, and feel what #TwinPeaks means to you! The show has influenced so many, and its universe will continue to fascinate viewers for generations to come. Three winners were chosen using an online randomizer from the list of entrants.”
EPILOGUE – WILLIAM VISITING MT. SI MOTEL IN 2005
I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out William’s visit to Mt. Si Motel in North Bend, Washington. He included several black and white photos from his visit in 2005 in the 11-minute Parker Fly Guitar video. Considering this is one of my favorite film locations, it’s awesome to see the motel before it was remodeled in the 2010s.
The Mt. Si Motel served as both the film location of the Red Diamond City Motel in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and The Dutchman’s Lodge from Parts 15 and 17 in Twin Peaks: The Return.
William is seen standing outside the area where Leland Palmer chickens out.
The hallway that Leland walks down before spotting Laura Palmer and Ronette Pulaski in Room 6 is now blocked off today.
You can see a similar vending machine near the spot where Leland enters. It’s fascinating the machine stayed there until at least 2005.
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