Painting a Parker Fly

[ahmadimran]

I have an idea of asking an artist friend to paint over a Parker Fly, but only if I find one online that is very cosmetically damaged. (I wouldn’t dare do so to any that was still fine as is).

I’m just wondering, what would be the best way to do so? Is dismantling necessary? Or can one just cover up the components with tape?

Also, can one just paint over the guitar straight away or is there more work involved i.e stripping off the current paint job?

Thank you for any advice.

[vjmanzo]

Hi @ahmadimran

The longstanding recommendation for refinishing is to send it to Sharon at Shazrock Paint. Sharon worked at Parker Guitar with Ken in Wilmington and made the journey out to Mundelein to continue with Parker Guitars under USM. She has more experience finishing Flys than anyone. The general tenor of working with Sharon tends to be that she is very busy (naturally), but will periodically take on one-off projects in between larger OEM jobs. You may have to be persistent in following up via phone to get in the queue. FYI--when last I personally spoke with her, she mentioned that she has none of the original materials to add OEM logos and serial numbers. There are certainly other people capable of refinishing the Fly, but Sharon is a no-brainer option in terms of quality.

The main areas of concern for any Fly finish are related to the Flys unique composite materials. As such, chemical stripping and other methods of sanding that are otherwise straightforward for your average guitar are potentially problematic for a Fly. There are many examples of failed Fly finishes out there, so it's best to go with someone experienced.

Would your artist friend do complete refinish or simply paint on top of the Fly? Depending on how much painting you do, you would probably want to remove all of the components first. Again, the more critical concerns are about any chemical or process that could weaken the bond of the frets or fretboard and could damage the composite exoskeleton on the back of the Fly.

[ahmadimran]

Thank you so much. I couldn’t have asked for a better or more complete answer.

It’s not something I will rush into. I feel that this would only be worth doing perhaps on an already damaged Fly as a restoration project.

Hopefully should it be realised, I’ll be able to show the results here one day.

[mmmguitar]

Thank you so much. I couldn’t have asked for a better or more complete answer.

It’s not something I will rush into. I feel that this would only be worth doing perhaps on an already damaged Fly as a restoration project.

Hopefully should it be realised, I’ll be able to show the results here one day.

I have some beater Flys I intend to refinish (a few projects down the line) - We’ll see which of us posts their findings first. So far, my plan is to just gut the body, mask off the board/headstock/routs, scuff the poly, and spray opaque colors over it. I have a serial/logo/fret marker template PDF saved from the Facebook group that I’ll be trying out, as well. I’m hoping that practice in refinishing some other expensive guitars of mine beforehand will give me the confidence to pull off desecrating Ken’s art.

[vjmanzo]

I have some beater Flys I intend to refinish...

I do love a good restoration thread!

Here is a link to the Parker Fly Waterslide template as prepared by @TheGrail. I'm not sure how relevant this info will be, but, for reference, here are some of the PPG paint colors used on some Flys:

#FinishMatters

[InsideInfo]

You wouldn't happen to know a ballpark of what she charges would you?

[vjmanzo]

I don’t, but I seem to recall $600 or so being the rate others mentioned.

@Ken Parker told me that, in production, about half the cost of an instrument (not just for the Fly) goes into the finish.

[ahmadimran]

I have some beater Flys I intend to refinish (a few projects down the line) - We’ll see which of us posts their findings first. So far, my plan is to just gut the body, mask off the board/headstock/routs, scuff the poly, and spray opaque colors over it. I have a serial/logo/fret marker template PDF saved from the Facebook group that I’ll be trying out, as well. I’m hoping that practice in refinishing some other expensive guitars of mine beforehand will give me the confidence to pull off desecrating Ken’s art.

Excited to see your finished results here!

[InsideInfo]

600 that's not too bad. Wild that it accounts for half the cost!

[Parker V]

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to post an update since I spoke to Sharon on Friday the 14th of October 2022. The bad news is Sharon has since left the business entirely of refinishing guitars Parker's and otherwise. She got a job offer she couldn't refuse and has since shut down Shazrock. Maybe someone else can post some other resources that can help people on here with paint repairs and full guitar refinishes. Just thought I'd pass this information along.

[vjmanzo]

Tough to hear, @Parker V , but good for us to know. Thanks for sharing that info here.

I agree with you: we should continue to curate a list of Parker tech-persons including those who specialize in finishes.

[Parker V]

I'm not sure when she closed down. But I could tell she still gets called a lot for this kind of work. I would love to hear if anyone has had good luck elsewhere for finish fixes or full refinishes. I do think it's important for the group as a whole.

[Androo]

She should update her website if she's really out of the business, as it says exactly the opposite at present. On the page linked as "comments" it says:
"We've received quite a few Parker Forum Members asking if ShazRock was still in business. We'd like to reassure the Parker enthusiasts out there that we are still going strong. We are Parker enthusiasts ourselves so we know how important it is to be able to find services for these unique instruments. Feel free to send us an e-mail if you need anything and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.....Sharon & Lisa"

[vjmanzo]

She should update her website if she's really out of the business…

My sense is that their website does not get updated very often.

[EBParker]

I was going to post about Shazrock but was hoping in these posts I'd read someone stating that they came back in business. I had a Parker refinished by Sharon years ago & it was flawless. She charged me $600

Hey can we get someone on here that's knowledgeable enough to give us a step by step, stripping & refinishing course on these guitars??? obviously it's our own risks but it would be nice to know how

[marvin]

Try Chris Raposa . Chris was the first painter at Parker, the best painter Parker ever had (92-95). Chris is setting up his paint facility in MA, should be up and running early Spring 2024. He may be willing to paint Parkers complete with serial numbers , side markers and logos. I really doubt he will do it for $600.00 ! [email protected]

[marvin]

Hey can we get someone on here that's knowledgeable enough to give us a step by step, stripping & refinishing course on these guitars??? obviously it's our own risks but it would be nice to know how

First off use good quality Urethane auto paint like House of Kolor or other. SPI has good quality Euro clear at a reasonable price. Also, all of the new clears don't respond well to the traditional rubbing compounds. I use 3M Perfect-It Rubbing compounds, #1, #2, and #3. A wool buff works for #1 but #2 and #3 work best with a foam pad.

I'm skipping the primer stage because I assume any Parker that need repainting has paint on it which can be block sanded and leveled with 600 grit paper, wet or dry. Be careful not to sand into the composite or into the wood especially on crisp edges like pickup pockets, edge of fretboard, etc. DO NOT USE STRIPPER or sand into the composite !

After sanding with 600 spray a good quality polyester sealer. Then base/color coats, then 2 or 3 coats of clear. If putting graphics on spray one coat of clear, scuff lightly,(after letting it cure or watch your adhesion window) put graphics on, then 2 or 3 more coats of clear. Let it cure for at least a day, then block sand very carefully with 600 grit. Then spray on 1or 2 coats of clear. Let it dry for at least a day and rub it out. Always adhere to the correct procedures, time between coats and the windows you have between coats (if you wait to long you will get no adhesion so you have to let it dry at least overnight and scuff before re-coating) (RTFM, tech sheets are online for almost all products)

Parkers (at Wilmington at least) were painted before the pickup, bridge, control cavity were cut, then cut with a down cutting endmill and pockets hand painted. BECAUSE paint tends to pool up along sharp edges. Yes, since the pockets are already cut in the Parker that you are re-painting it will pool up along those edges and to do it right should be carefully leveled/sanded before the last coats of clear are applied (control cavity excluded because it's covered with a back plate) You could not do the 2 step method, spray all of the paint at once then sand/level/buff, but you would have to do a whole regiment of different grits of paper,,,1200,1500,2000,2500, buff. You have to start with 1200 and move through the finer grits because1200 is the only grit that actually levels, if you start with 2000 you will not level as that finer paper just follows all of the orange peel. Yes, it will still be shiny but will always have orange peel.

The logo's,dot markers were done with INT's (dry transfers) under the clear. There is a link above to the graphics so one could make stencils, silk skreen etc. I think vinyl would be too thick. The only letters provided are B and P so if your guitar is mahogany, cedar, etc you will have to address that.

That's why Ken said that half of the price of the guitar was in the paint. The only painter I know of who pays any attention to those details is Chris Raposa.

[marvin]

P.S.
You also have to monitor the airflow after each coat. You want enough air moving over the guitar so the solvents evaporate BUT if you have too much airflow it will dry too fast and you will have entrapped "solvent dots" in your clear
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