So let's see if the text file I used lets me paste this in from the old forum...
...no, it did not.
http://tinypic.com
is out of business.
I'll have to do a bit more work. I think I can upload directly here, though.
I'm preparing to modify 3 different guitars, so watch this space!
MIDI Fly Mods
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Very cool!! Looking forward to this; I think I remember the old thread you’re referring to, and the old images!!
Yes, you can absolutely upload images directly to this forum! Nobody wants any of that “Photobucket requires a Premium Account” nonsense!!
#ElectronicsMods
Yes, you can absolutely upload images directly to this forum! Nobody wants any of that “Photobucket requires a Premium Account” nonsense!!
#ElectronicsMods
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Very much looking forward to this.
Summary of the Parker Guitars speculator market from 2020 onward: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_fool_theory
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Here is 4th Fly I had modified, all really unnecessary, but trying to find a more elegant way than the GK3 mounted near the adjustment wheel that I had used for years.
This had seen a lot of wear & tear and a pal of Dayn’s was willing to unload it cheap enough that I could get the parts and do just the 13-pin jack & internal GK3 I had planned on doing on my trusty '96 Black Deluxe. He sold the fly for something like $750 it's a great fly. It doesn’t play as nicely as the Black ’96 Deluxe-- slightly thinner neck and balances different.
Its a (relatively) simple mod with some simple simple instructions:
Do a reverse GK install; all Fly controls should function as stock and the output from the master volume knob will be what goes down pin 9 of the 13-pin to mix with the GK output.
body with extra switches:
Roland 13-pin jackplate:
Old Fishman saddles and the hexaphonic pickup:
This had seen a lot of wear & tear and a pal of Dayn’s was willing to unload it cheap enough that I could get the parts and do just the 13-pin jack & internal GK3 I had planned on doing on my trusty '96 Black Deluxe. He sold the fly for something like $750 it's a great fly. It doesn’t play as nicely as the Black ’96 Deluxe-- slightly thinner neck and balances different.
Its a (relatively) simple mod with some simple simple instructions:
Do a reverse GK install; all Fly controls should function as stock and the output from the master volume knob will be what goes down pin 9 of the 13-pin to mix with the GK output.
body with extra switches:
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Essentially, just added S1 & S2 and a volume knob for Synth, as well as the Synth / Mags / Both switch.
I found some Fly examples on the internets:
and this one was the basic go-to.
What I WASN'T able to do was get a same-sized switch for the Synth / Mags / Both switch, and I'd really like to do that for a future install.
Anyone know what part that would be?
Here's a final look at how close the GK3 has to be to the strings:
What I WASN'T able to do was get a same-sized switch for the Synth / Mags / Both switch, and I'd really like to do that for a future install.
Anyone know what part that would be?
Here's a final look at how close the GK3 has to be to the strings:
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
hello,
well looks very professional done...!
much respect
C&K: 7211T1CGE
love the C&K toggles...
use also one for S1/S2 -> 7205T1PZQE
all same size and looking amazing...
is a Mod with Hexpander and 14pin connector...
all C&K toggles... same as Parker was using...
any chance for a insight pic of the wiring?
many thx for sharing here...
M.
well looks very professional done...!
much respect
YESWhat I WASN'T able to do was get a same-sized switch for the Synth / Mags / Both switch, and I'd really like to do that for a future install.
Anyone know what part that would be?
C&K: 7211T1CGE
love the C&K toggles...
use also one for S1/S2 -> 7205T1PZQE
all same size and looking amazing...
all C&K toggles... same as Parker was using...
any chance for a insight pic of the wiring?
many thx for sharing here...
M.
life is what you make it...
You should have no difficulty looking at stains on the walls or the ashes of a fire or the clouds or mud, and if you look closely at these things you will find wonderful new ideas, because the mind is stimulated by insignificant things to new inventions.
You should have no difficulty looking at stains on the walls or the ashes of a fire or the clouds or mud, and if you look closely at these things you will find wonderful new ideas, because the mind is stimulated by insignificant things to new inventions.
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Let’s see if a picture is worth 1000 words.
- Attachments
-
- Posting with my phone so let’s see what happens.
-
- The Roland board is behind the fishman board.
-
- And everything is very solid and tight.
-
- I wouldn’t want to have to take it all out...
-
- ...but you can’t shake it loose!
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
hello,
many thx for posting!
wow looks superb' done...
yep and very solid...
M.
many thx for posting!
wow looks superb' done...
yep and very solid...
M.
life is what you make it...
You should have no difficulty looking at stains on the walls or the ashes of a fire or the clouds or mud, and if you look closely at these things you will find wonderful new ideas, because the mind is stimulated by insignificant things to new inventions.
You should have no difficulty looking at stains on the walls or the ashes of a fire or the clouds or mud, and if you look closely at these things you will find wonderful new ideas, because the mind is stimulated by insignificant things to new inventions.
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Ready for another?
This is adapted from the old forum, so a lot of this is copied from an ancient text file. I'll try to update it. The pics are from 2016.
(I’m telling you, I am crazy. Or stupid.)
Here is #1, the 1st Fly I ever owned and the first fly I had modded. This had seen over a hundred gigs and most of them with the GK3 wart strapped on, playing alternate tunings Done with a Roland VG8 and working with a singer playing Joni Mitchell songs. The strap peg stripped so I had to move that and there were a few light dings but the fretboard was the best thing I had ever felt. It still is. This played better than the 97 & 98 classics I had so I sold them, but after this I tried out a Carvin Holdsworth Synth guitar and really, really wanted to just have a 13-pin jack on the guitar instead of the GK3. I had planned on doing the GK3 internal install, but this GraphTech install from Dayn is where I ended up instead…
1996 Black Deluxe
208066BP USA
208 (day of year) July 26th
06 (Production Number)
6 (1996)
and Here are again too many pictures.
controls:
The Piezo & Magnetic tone are both push-pull pots.
Piezo has the mid/dark switch and I mostly play with it pulled out.
Pulling the Mag Tone puts the humbuckers out-of-phase.
moved strap peg:
jackplate:
(battery stayed in the same place!)
the GraphTech Smart Jack protrudes a bit too much, but I never fixed that.
headstock:
(I have never ever had to adjust that trus rod!)
So...
This was going to be a GK3-kit install, but I had the Graph Tech saddles, so I figured lets see what that system is like. I love those Roland S1/S2 buttons, so we kept those, and Dayn found some slightly longer switches that matched the old Parker switches. I really like those, but I want to find some little rubber washers to cover up that little piece of metal on them.
The whole thing was rewired point to point, and now uses all the Graph Tech components, and I kept the original Gen1 dimarzios. The Humbuckers switch is confusing as hell. You can get Bridge, Neck & Bridge or neck. Then you can pull the vol knob to make everything single coil, and you can even pull the tone knob to set the humbuckers out-of-phase. None of the combinations sound that different unless you process the signal a LOT, so clearly (to me, anyway) the Gen1 pickups don’t compliment the Graph Tech circuitry all that well. (Remember that the Gen 1s were the lowest output) I’ll probably make some kind of change to this someday.
I mostly play through the 13-pin out, and mostly i’m just using the mags to enhance some of the patches.
Still crazy.
I just put these up here in case you are also crazy or have any better ideas than me!
This is adapted from the old forum, so a lot of this is copied from an ancient text file. I'll try to update it. The pics are from 2016.
(I’m telling you, I am crazy. Or stupid.)
Here is #1, the 1st Fly I ever owned and the first fly I had modded. This had seen over a hundred gigs and most of them with the GK3 wart strapped on, playing alternate tunings Done with a Roland VG8 and working with a singer playing Joni Mitchell songs. The strap peg stripped so I had to move that and there were a few light dings but the fretboard was the best thing I had ever felt. It still is. This played better than the 97 & 98 classics I had so I sold them, but after this I tried out a Carvin Holdsworth Synth guitar and really, really wanted to just have a 13-pin jack on the guitar instead of the GK3. I had planned on doing the GK3 internal install, but this GraphTech install from Dayn is where I ended up instead…
1996 Black Deluxe
208066BP USA
208 (day of year) July 26th
06 (Production Number)
6 (1996)
and Here are again too many pictures.
controls:
Piezo has the mid/dark switch and I mostly play with it pulled out.
Pulling the Mag Tone puts the humbuckers out-of-phase.
moved strap peg:
the GraphTech Smart Jack protrudes a bit too much, but I never fixed that.
headstock:
So...
This was going to be a GK3-kit install, but I had the Graph Tech saddles, so I figured lets see what that system is like. I love those Roland S1/S2 buttons, so we kept those, and Dayn found some slightly longer switches that matched the old Parker switches. I really like those, but I want to find some little rubber washers to cover up that little piece of metal on them.
The whole thing was rewired point to point, and now uses all the Graph Tech components, and I kept the original Gen1 dimarzios. The Humbuckers switch is confusing as hell. You can get Bridge, Neck & Bridge or neck. Then you can pull the vol knob to make everything single coil, and you can even pull the tone knob to set the humbuckers out-of-phase. None of the combinations sound that different unless you process the signal a LOT, so clearly (to me, anyway) the Gen1 pickups don’t compliment the Graph Tech circuitry all that well. (Remember that the Gen 1s were the lowest output) I’ll probably make some kind of change to this someday.
I mostly play through the 13-pin out, and mostly i’m just using the mags to enhance some of the patches.
Still crazy.
I just put these up here in case you are also crazy or have any better ideas than me!
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
More for anyone who wonders about 1996 classic fret size.
The trickiest part is learning to get chord voices like these to track without ghost notes. There is a LOT of tweaking in the settings of your 13-pin unit of choice to adjust for your play style and a lot of re-learning to get your technique to be precise.
After playing like this for a while it is really nice to just plug in through the 1/4” Magnetics and relax and play sloppy.
I had a chance to do this last week and revisited the Gen1 pickups / Graph Tech circuitry experiment and I was very satisfied.
I hadn't really gotten to explore at the volume I played last week and the overdrive options, adjusting the humbuckers using all the combinations while working with natural "EVH" distortion, no pedals just straight into my Roland JC 120 and as dirty as I could make it.
Satisfying.
After playing like this for a while it is really nice to just plug in through the 1/4” Magnetics and relax and play sloppy.
I had a chance to do this last week and revisited the Gen1 pickups / Graph Tech circuitry experiment and I was very satisfied.
I hadn't really gotten to explore at the volume I played last week and the overdrive options, adjusting the humbuckers using all the combinations while working with natural "EVH" distortion, no pedals just straight into my Roland JC 120 and as dirty as I could make it.
Satisfying.
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Hello Guys,
I'd like to be inspired by this guy,
Not sure if what he did to revitalize his old midiFly could be done to my pre-refined deluxe? Looks interesting though and probably could be less complicated that what he went through. I was thinking of buying an extra backplate that I could put some strategic holes into and perhaps substitute a triplePlay for the standard fishman piezo circuit? Then use dbl sided tape to attatch the triplePlay to the new backplate?
Just a thought, not sure I want to mess too much with my deluxe?
I'd like to be inspired by this guy,
Not sure if what he did to revitalize his old midiFly could be done to my pre-refined deluxe? Looks interesting though and probably could be less complicated that what he went through. I was thinking of buying an extra backplate that I could put some strategic holes into and perhaps substitute a triplePlay for the standard fishman piezo circuit? Then use dbl sided tape to attatch the triplePlay to the new backplate?
Just a thought, not sure I want to mess too much with my deluxe?
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Piplodocus is awesome!
He went insane with that build. Any time you want to do something like this get used to not liking money anymore.
(I'm one to talk!)
The easy solution is to just use the common Fishman Tripleplay stuck to your guitar. Its easily removable and wireless!
Look at all that stuff crammed in there. If you gutted the pre-refined and used a different piezo system you MIGHT have room enough to cram all that inside, but its better to define what you want or need before going for it. It looks like Piplodocus kept his original fisherman-designed piezo system and just added the tripleplay for MIDI, so you want al the Fly Deluxe controls and performance to be the same, just with the added Tripleplay. You MIGHT find the video where someone, maybe it was Piplodocus, wired the triple play to a 13-pin jack to use with their VG99. So you'd want to decide what controllers you need and what you want to control!
Did that help? I dunno...
He went insane with that build. Any time you want to do something like this get used to not liking money anymore.
(I'm one to talk!)
The easy solution is to just use the common Fishman Tripleplay stuck to your guitar. Its easily removable and wireless!
Look at all that stuff crammed in there. If you gutted the pre-refined and used a different piezo system you MIGHT have room enough to cram all that inside, but its better to define what you want or need before going for it. It looks like Piplodocus kept his original fisherman-designed piezo system and just added the tripleplay for MIDI, so you want al the Fly Deluxe controls and performance to be the same, just with the added Tripleplay. You MIGHT find the video where someone, maybe it was Piplodocus, wired the triple play to a 13-pin jack to use with their VG99. So you'd want to decide what controllers you need and what you want to control!
Did that help? I dunno...
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Hey,
Yeah I have a ton more to research before I decide on how to mod my Parker. I agree Pip did stuff a bunch in there. Maybe I start with a graphtech Ghost pre, then go from there? This guitar is pristine so I might just put all the electronics in a mylar bag. See how many of the switches and toggles I can keep as original. I want to keep the piezo tone, which the Ghost can me modded to do. I like the ability to blend between piezo-mags, which Ghost pre can do also. Then do runs of wire from that preamps buffer to 10k pots, then to the tripleplay header? Using the stock piezo sadles like Pip? IF it would fit, would be a great way to control Logic X or similar.
Yeah I have a ton more to research before I decide on how to mod my Parker. I agree Pip did stuff a bunch in there. Maybe I start with a graphtech Ghost pre, then go from there? This guitar is pristine so I might just put all the electronics in a mylar bag. See how many of the switches and toggles I can keep as original. I want to keep the piezo tone, which the Ghost can me modded to do. I like the ability to blend between piezo-mags, which Ghost pre can do also. Then do runs of wire from that preamps buffer to 10k pots, then to the tripleplay header? Using the stock piezo sadles like Pip? IF it would fit, would be a great way to control Logic X or similar.
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
Ready for the next one?
I know. I am absolutely crazy.
This guitar is what I used to replace the Indonesian Floyd and basically why I never modded that.
The stock Seymour Duncan Custom 5 (bridge) & 2 Custom Flat pickups are nice and rich-sounding, but for what I do I really like the passive dimarzios in the Indonesian Floyd. I didn’t have the money to swap the pickups at the time, but i may get to it later. The coil tap on the tone knob gets you that 3-single-coil strat flavor, which is what I mostly use, but you can re-engage both coils on the humbucker and play the Duncan Custom 5 with a little piezo mixed in and shred out on leads if you need to.
So here's #2, that is, the 2nd fly I had modded. This was close to new when it went in for surgery.
I realize that I am making these worth less when I mod them, but that isn’t the point of the mods.
So lets have a look…
DF824 Dragonfly
P1007105 BA USA
who wants to have a go at translating that serial # to a manufacture date?
This is the GraphTech Smart Jack, which I feel protrudes a bit too much. Couldn’t get the damn thing in focus, but you see what I mean. It ought to be flat against the side of the guitar.
contents of the cavity:
I know. I am absolutely crazy.
This guitar is what I used to replace the Indonesian Floyd and basically why I never modded that.
The stock Seymour Duncan Custom 5 (bridge) & 2 Custom Flat pickups are nice and rich-sounding, but for what I do I really like the passive dimarzios in the Indonesian Floyd. I didn’t have the money to swap the pickups at the time, but i may get to it later. The coil tap on the tone knob gets you that 3-single-coil strat flavor, which is what I mostly use, but you can re-engage both coils on the humbucker and play the Duncan Custom 5 with a little piezo mixed in and shred out on leads if you need to.
So here's #2, that is, the 2nd fly I had modded. This was close to new when it went in for surgery.
I realize that I am making these worth less when I mod them, but that isn’t the point of the mods.
So lets have a look…
DF824 Dragonfly
P1007105 BA USA
who wants to have a go at translating that serial # to a manufacture date?
- ye olde "dragonfly" naming issue.
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
I tried to get enough good views so you can see what’s going on in here.
Its pretty amazing that all this fit and it is packed pretty tight! Definitely don’t want to have to work on this on the road!
spring cavity:
(nothing special going on here. Just getting the pictures out there. Look for those individual Piezo wires.)
frets & neck:
Its pretty amazing that all this fit and it is packed pretty tight! Definitely don’t want to have to work on this on the road!
frets & neck:
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
more frets & neck:
More for anyone who wonders about DF824 fret size. These are lower than they look in these pictures.
Anyone care to guess or inform on the size these are?
Graphtech saddles:
Anyone care to guess or inform on the size these are?
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
controls:
The Piezo & Magnetic tone are both push-pull pots. Piezo has the mid/dark switch and I mostly play with it pulled out. The Mag Tone just makes the Humbucker a single coil and that is mostly how I keep it.
The standard Parker Piezo-Both-Mags switch is now a small Graphtech one and keeping it down towards the outside of the guitar is just Magnetic only. I use it that way most of the time with the piezo knob up (dark) and Piezo at about 3/4 volume so that with the flip of a switch I can add that flavor to the tone. I play with the Magnetic Tone knob almost always rolled down to zero. I can’t tell you why really, that’s just a habit I developed playing an ES175 and its what I like.
Switching the Piezo-Both-Mags switch to the center and turning the Piezo volume all the way down it doubles as a killswitch but I hardly ever have a use for that.
Primary use is as a Synthesizer, so the Synth-Both-Mags switch is set up top-to-bottom (parallel to the blade) so that it stays out of the way of the blade when set to Magnetic only.
The standard Parker Piezo-Both-Mags switch is now a small Graphtech one and keeping it down towards the outside of the guitar is just Magnetic only. I use it that way most of the time with the piezo knob up (dark) and Piezo at about 3/4 volume so that with the flip of a switch I can add that flavor to the tone. I play with the Magnetic Tone knob almost always rolled down to zero. I can’t tell you why really, that’s just a habit I developed playing an ES175 and its what I like.
Switching the Piezo-Both-Mags switch to the center and turning the Piezo volume all the way down it doubles as a killswitch but I hardly ever have a use for that.
Primary use is as a Synthesizer, so the Synth-Both-Mags switch is set up top-to-bottom (parallel to the blade) so that it stays out of the way of the blade when set to Magnetic only.
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
By the way, yes, I love those Roland S1/S2 buttons. Much better than the switch. I understand how much real estate they take up, but I just like them. If any of you end up NOT using your Buttons in favor of a switch, let me know, I’d buy them from you!
I still haven’t been able to EQ the perfect acoustic sound out of the Piezos, but I haven’t plugged this in with a stereo cable yet! I’ve been pretty busy and haven’t had need of acoustic stuff while employing this.
They are great having to mix in with the Mags. I have 4 or 5 good acoustic and classical patches that I use on the GR55 and those work as a very convincing hollow body sound. I’ve read in some posts on the Vguitar forum that the Boss GP10 has some great out of the Box Acoustic patches but I haven’t had time to go check that out. Since I’m more inclined to synthesize with this, I’ll bet I’ll leave the Y-cable at home.
Feel free to now tell me I am crazy.
They are great having to mix in with the Mags. I have 4 or 5 good acoustic and classical patches that I use on the GR55 and those work as a very convincing hollow body sound. I’ve read in some posts on the Vguitar forum that the Boss GP10 has some great out of the Box Acoustic patches but I haven’t had time to go check that out. Since I’m more inclined to synthesize with this, I’ll bet I’ll leave the Y-cable at home.
just plain lost
Re: MIDI Fly Mods
It's certainly the good kind of crazy, @jb63 - I clicked "like" on all the posts just so I won't keep liking different ones each time I come back to scroll through the thread.
Summary of the Parker Guitars speculator market from 2020 onward: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_fool_theory