Fly 2021 - Mod -> All new - Hexpander Midi, New PU's & Toggles

[MadMac]

hello,
well after nearly finishing my second fly's mod...
it's time to make a post with all the parts and how too for all interested ...
the Mod is not complicated and no new holes need to make...
only one hole wider for the separate hexpander piezo's.

motivation:
got my hands on a SY-1000 from Boss... the new git synth...
was playing AxeFX since beginning...
a friend has a Midi guitar and we did session...
i'll loved the machine so much that i'll bought it and the GK pickup tooo..
well GK on Fly is a no go for me... it looks ugly and disturbs my playing ...
so did research and found Hexpander who does the trick...
i'll love my fly's and the idea is to build all back without problems...
so i'll look for solutions and this is what i'll used:

1. Ghost System complete with piezo
2. Bare Knuckle Juggernaut Bridge pickup... they make a special version for me that fit's into the fly... extra cost 10 pound
3. Hipshot Open Gear Black Locking Tuner with UMP ... no new holes to make... now used Graphtech with second Fly ... the best!
4. CTS push/pull for Vol, Tone, Midi Vol -> Single/Humbucker, Series/Parallel, Phase
5. New C&K Toggle for Pickup Select, MIDI/Mag/Both and a (on)off(on) Toggle for midi up/down...
6. Locking Killswitch to bypass/silence entire system ... here i'll replace the power on/off with a new black one with blue dimmable led if on...
7. Point-to-point with Passive Electronics wiring ... Seymour Duncan wiring
8. 13 pin replaced with 14 pin -> will use old battery plate for connection... new Plate with hole was easy to do...

new 14 pin professional connection

Hexpander Midi adapter .. with my own cables from the 14 pin

first testing...

new copper shield ... a must when you have it open... now it's absolute quiet

finished... with blue led light when connected... dimmable...
controls... all i'll need...
Master Vol, Master Tone, Midi Vol, Pickup toggle, MIDI/Booth/Pickup toggle, MIDI UP&Down replaces the old Piezo Vol

all toggles and 14 pin you can get @ Mouser ...
C&K Pickup Toggle: 7203T1CGE (ON/ON/ON)
C&K MIDI/Booth/Pickup Toggle 7211T1CGE (ON/OFF/ON)
C&K MIDI UP&Down 7205T1PZQE (ON)OFF(ON)
14 Pin male: 523-T3650-005
14 pin female: 523-T3653-004
LED push btn @ Amazon ... 10mm

well the toggles are also available in black... so..
i'll ordered for my black fly the black toggles... when they arrive in april.. lol ... yes it takes so long to produce... will show
i'm the only one who need this special toggles in black

C&K Pickup Toggle Black 7211T1CWZQE22 (ON/ON/ON)
C&K MIDI/Booth/Pickup Black 7103T1ZQE22 (ON/OFF/ON)
C&K MIDI UP&Down Black 7105T1CWCBE22 (ON)OFF(ON)

so far after 2 weeks testing... amazing... the best mod you can do...
analog is full functional... and no damage to the fly... no battery anymore
if i'll would recreate the fly for the future...

more pictures and wiring coming soon...
hope you like it...
M.

[MadMac]

hello,
well here a few more images from the classic fly mod...

changed the chrome hex with black... pole pices follow...
love the look of the first fly's with black hardware...

thx
M.

[mmmguitar]

Gorgeous as always, @MadMac! If you could please post a completion shot showing the whole guitar, it would help me fantasize about what my blue Classic will look like after similar mods.

[MadMac]

hello,
well here i‘ll wanna show the Graphtech Ratio Tuner...
to me a masterpiece like the fly...

A right handed set of Locking Ratio Calibrated Machine Heads for electric guitar that use 6 in-line tuners with staggered posts (eliminates the need for a string tree). It has has a two pin casing that can be used as is, or with our Patented InvisoMatch Mounting Plates. 4 different sets of InvisoMatch mounting plates in brushed aluminum are included to make installation on most guitars fast and accurate by using your existing screw mounting holes.

Description
Ratio - Tuned Machine Heads incorporate different string gauges into the tuning equation. From Low E to High E 39:1, 24:1, 20:1, 35:1, 20:1, 12:1. We balanced the gear ratios to each string simplifying the tuning process. With Ratio, a half turn is a semi-tone! Every string reacts the same to any tuning adjustment. Predictable, precise tuning, on every string.

https://graphtech.com/collections/ratio ... 9728986135

@jb63
so they look like....
@mmmguitar
many thx... coming soon as possible

thx
M.

[MadMac]

hello,
and here how they look compared to Hipshot ...

M.

[MadMac]

Gorgeous as always, @MadMac! If you could please post a completion shot showing the whole guitar, it would help me fantasize about what my blue Classic will look like after similar mods.

here we go
well still missing are the new PU‘s and New Knobs + black hardware for toggles...
but you get the idea...
what i‘ll really love beside all modifications ...
the Ratio tuners and the professional CTS push/pull for Volume Tone & Midi Vol...
they are not so easy to dial.. so Master Vol stay‘s in place if you touch it a little...

love the magic blue transparent...
M.

[MadMac]

hello,
here the finished Fly Deluxe 95'
all black now... toggles will follow... but in april when i'll get them ...
she has it all now... looks like the first fly with black hardware...

isn't she sexy...
thx
M.

[MadMac]

hello,
got new knobs for my classic...
looking great and working well with the translucent blue...

M.

[vjmanzo]

Looking good, @MadMac!

[MadMac]

hello flyer
well here is my updated transblue fly...
changed the wiring and put in ne pickup's...
have now bareknuckel's WARPIG
https://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/pi ... ker/warpig
before i'll had Seymour Duncan Mark Holcomb Omega...
in my other fly deluxe i'll have bareknuckels THE JUGGERNAUT
https://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/pi ... juggernaut
those hand made humbucker are amazing... they sound so much better as Seymour and other...
now the Warpig is little heavier than Juggernout...
i'll make progressive... cross over ... from jazz to heavy... no country no blues... but all inbetween
well if you buy bareknuckels... say you have a fly and they prepare the pickup so that it fit's into the fly...
my goal was to get midi and analog in best possible quality... because the Fly has the best backbone for it...
Hexpander works just amazing... and the new 14 pin connections is superb' compared to Roland 13pin...
analog is working as well... no battery anymore... no noise... also with full gain... so great... no gate needed...
so far i'm really really happy with the results... was some work and cost but worth the ride...
i'll know now my Fly's so well now... and even more in love with them...
now after finding the right pickup's for booth...
i'll had issues to get the action as low as i'll wanted..
spend lot of money on strings to find what is best for the Fly...
because not all strings working well...
i'm sure some of you found also that some strings sound strange on a Fly but amazing on a Strat...
Had a old 80' Fender Strat here... the Pink Floyd Strat... selling now on ebay...
and did comparison... well for Fly the D'Addario are the best... but not all are good too
i'll like half rounds for fast playing and sliding etc... don't like the noise from the strings...
so checked out a lot and finally the D'Addario EHR 310 10-46 are the once that working well with 10' spring and very low action...
no buzz and easy to bend as well... stay in tune also and trem working just amazing with those...
those are for my black fly deluxe 95'... Neck is totally flat for this strings...
for my transbue 98' i'll use D'Addario NYXL 10-52...
but i'll fixed the trem here...
she is for droped tuning.. so no hassle with the trem...
would love to have a Stealth... for this... but so it's ok too...
with the D'Addario NYXL 10-52 i'll got the lowest action and best tuning...
had to set up the truss-rod as well for all those strings ... but was worth the test...
i'll really love the new D'Addario NYXL series... they sound and feel good ... stay in tune...
had also the 11-56 ... but that's too much for a Fly ... in standart tuning... so for a step down ok...
but all this get's problematic if you will use the trem... 11 or 12 spring highly recommend...
on booth Fly i'll have now all possibilities humbucker offer... thx to the three pot's ... push/pull
series/parallel, Phase, single/humbucker ... depend on sound you want... all is there now...
from ultra thin to mega fat ...
the shielding and the new CTS pot's and good silicon oxygen free wires made it sound low low noise...
my friends can't believe it... the low noise and the hammer sound...
and when i'll switch on the hexpander and play acoustic on the Fly... it sounds so much better as the original

M.

[MadMac]

more images

[MadMac]

last...
and last missing pieces...
get new C&K Toggles in Black ... in 4 weeks hopefully... for booth fly's...
than the mission is complete...

all the best
M.

[vjmanzo]

Fantastic, @MadMac! You really did some excellent work!! Great photos too!! Congrats!!!