the Fly Clone Project

Page 9 WOW!!

Started scuffing up the primered bridge & it looks very good & matte, might spray a 2nd coat & work it over with the scotch brite pads & not spray paint on it to make it real shiny....
Going to take it outside & spray more primer on the bridge & let it sit in the sun & bake
Thinking about putting Q-Tips in the strings holes so they won't get coated inside by the primer/paint as the strings need to ground inside of there or cleaning them out with a 22 brass gun brush till the holes are shiny inside... Just a thought as I have seen several times the B string not grounding & the piezo looses its signal on that string...
Note:I am putting the old polymer bushing in the trem arm hole to keep paint out of there as it fits tightly & it uncoated by Parker & put a piece of rubber tubing on the wire to also keep it clean...
MORE TO COME! I like the matte finish on the tremolo = Vibrato...

Painted the bridge one coat of Matte Black, More to come..
Sanding out some cracks in the finish that mate with the grain of the poplar
Then filled them with #10 CA Glue & have now scraped it back
MORE SANDING Coming
12:00 NOON Now Thursday 6/30/22
Gary

Worked on sculpting the lower horn & grain filled the bare wood I exposed with Timber Mate
Moved the Parker to the stand
Cleaned the worktable 1/2 off & covered the Takamine

dayn wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 2:50 pm That is a WILD find, and an AMBITIOUS project! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

same. That hole, it's a tear jerker. I once played an old fly like that in a sam ash in Charlotte, NC. It seemed like it had been dragged behind a car. Still an amazing neck. But they were so unhelpful at that store I just handed it back to them and walked out.

My son just picked up a blue Eastwood Spectrum 5 for his upcoming 31st birthday & did a setup on it yesterday with .010" Nanoweb strings
It has a tremolo that is very Fender Jaguar/Jazzmaster like
My Takamine is finished & hanging ready for the studio


I got back on the Fly this morning & don't have photos after some sanding of the grain filler + that broken off lower horn
Put a brass screw in the hollow of the spot & packed epoxy putty around the screw & sculpted it into shape
Just started sanding that area & have it really close
I want to clear coat the bridge in a while outside in the humid air & might put a coat of primer sealer on the body worked spots
On the bridge I put six pieces of small heat shrink tubing in the holes so the grounds to the strings won't be lost to the piezo saddles & can easily be removed after paint & clear, Matte Black then clear coat. Masked off the bottom & under the saddles, should look new, If not I can still buy one
I think WI Guitar has one in his stash, should have gone that way & got the new bearings etc. with the bridge
My way I know it's all new & right though
Coming together
Get Ken Parker to comment on the electronics
That will be next after the body work
Going to remove the Sperzel Tuners to give me a mount for hanging to paint

I want to try an get the three white stickers made for the front & back of the Parkers headstock + the serial #
The lady who made my Takamine Logo said if I take a photo with a ruler, she can reproduce it in vinal Here's a photo of the Eastwood Spectrum 5

Very cool!!

FYI—there’s a headstock logo linked in this thread that you can use to make your own waterslide logo.

Thanks VJ, I will look into that or just have the lady make them from photos with a ruler

Been sanding more & had to add epoxy in a few small areas, got that crud all over my fingers & got it off with a towel & then acetone
I think it's better than auto body filler & way harder & very similar to the stuff used by Parker Guitars, reminds me of a plastic or polymer when dried
These pictures are messy but after it dries overnight not much will be left of the epoxy just where the dings were
NOTE: Little short neck rest for the Fly with double leather & thin sponge in between, just keeps the tuners off the table

Five more photos I had of the epoxy being applied to the dings, JB Weld Kwik Wood IIRC, In one of the pictures...
It's Coming Together... Have been thinking about ordering a NEW SET of Sperzel Tuners from Ron Spercel
They work but aren't AS NEW...

Looking good! I think I only say that sincerely when seeing guitars.

It has really been a lot of work & time repairing this Parker Fly Deluxe = Initial $30 investment
Still haven't sat down & tried to figure out the electronics problem & have it 100% stripped out now in a zip lock bag
Figure there will be several more hours of sanding + as far as body work goes then primer + sealer + paint + clear coat & re-assembly, setup & who knows what else I will encounter
I have every part except the three refined metal style knobs
Should go look & get those coming too
It's getting closer every day
Don't work on it 100% of the time & keep getting other projects etc. that come in the way

I have an old Ovation 1617 Legend that needs a setup + battery or check of the preamp + just got the strings from Elixir = .010"-.047" Nanoweb
Need to clean the dual stacked potentiometer & remove the preamp & clean that poor old thing out with De-Ox-It
Hopefully it won't need an electrical repair or replacement as a new old stock preamps cost $165 now days = more than the guitar cost back in the early 80s, anyhow the 1617 will step in front of the Parker this afternoon & the Fly will be back on the bench again

Need to go ahead & get the primer sealer, paint & clear coat as the weather has changed from Hot Humid to almost perfect conditions for the process
Was thinking about making a paint area up in my laundry room with plastic, filters, fan etc. but may just shoot it out in my garage hanging from a hook or fixture, I can bend a piece of thread all & use spacers & washers smaller than the Sperzel's washers & put a screw eye in the shops ceiling
Just something else to think about
11:00am = Time for a Nap, got an eBay auction to watch @ 3:00pm

MORE SANDING
Getting tired of sanding that Super HARD Parker Paint
The more I think I'm getting somewhere then I find another ding or scrape, scratch & then start to sand it out
Need some 180 240 420 grit + 800
Have been using several items as sanding blocks = erasers, wood block with sponge, round foam with wood interior, wine cork etc. to get the contours just right, no wonder I got out of auto body repair = just too much work
My hands hurt + arthritis on top of that
Need sandpaper in the right grits so I'm finished for today, besides I can't feel my fingers + stick them 4-5 daily to check my blood sugar
NOT COMPLAINING just stating the facts...
Black is the worst color to finish in body repair, shows every imperfection
A few more photos as I ended up cleaning up the dust & mess afterwards
Need to shake out the towel & wash it & wipe the table off with baby wipes
Gary

Great project, extremely fun to follow the journey!

There is a site that seems to sell Parker P-44 Pro decals. Haven't ordered from them, but you could buy them and cut away the "P-44 Pro" part, leaving you with the Parker logo.

http://www.lojahmcustom.com/Guitar-Park ... Logo-Decal

sindrist wrote: ↑Tue Oct 04, 2022 10:14 am Great project, extremely fun to follow the journey!

There is a site that seems to sell Parker P-44 Pro decals. Haven't ordered from them, but you could buy them and cut away the "P-44 Pro" part, leaving you with the Parker logo.

http://www.lojahmcustom.com/Guitar-Park ... Logo-Decal

This is probably my favorite thread; and it’s been a joy to follow.

The site does have a “Parker Guitars” waterslide decal listed, as well, for anyone interested or based in Portugal. Considering that the site seems to just be printing stuff off the same decal sheet we have hosted here, Gary may end up preferring to print them himself or have someone more local to him do it.

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Tue Oct 04, 2022 2:40 pm the site seems to just be printing stuff off the same decal sheet we have hosted here…

We’re helping to fuel the economy!!

Haven't done much toward the 2007 Parker Fly Deluxe lately = had kidney surgery two weeks ago & really hurt.
I am planning going out to Guitar Emporium/Maxwell's House of Music in a while
They have a 2003 Parker Fly Bass for $3800, really want to play it before it disappears
Son has bought a few guitars lately & loves his newly acquired Ibanez Workshop EHB1000S Bass
I hear him in the studio now playing his Eastwood Spectrum V or Jazzmaster? Hear the vintage trem...
I may have to wait till spring to paint the Fly & want a small 3" orbital sander with speed control for less than $50-$100
May have to get a 5"er & just go with that..
Hands hurt from arthritis & don't really want to hand sand the entire guitar BUT~~~

Still have several other guitar projects & will get around to them all someday/soon..
I do want the Parker Logos & might take the guitar to a print shop locally & have the serial # Front & rear decals made & go with the factory color or very close which is a Ford Color I see all the time...

MERRY CHRISTMAS

MY 200th Post

Thanks for the holiday wishes (and everything else you’ve shared, to date), Gary. Looking forward to more good news about your health and your impressions of whichever cool instruments you get to try and tinker with.

I ended up having a Lithotripsy Surgery on my left kidney over a month ago & have since had some type of lung infection (Covid-19)???
Starting to feel better but have pain in both kidneys & see a Urologist every month SO~~~

Been out several times lately & on one tip last Friday which was my 57th Birthday we went to a local pawn shop & then down to Guitar Emporium aka Maxwell's House of Music.
They have a Parker Pre-Refined white Deluxe Fly & a Parker FB-4 Bass which my youngest son just wants/has to have BUT it's marked $3800 OUCH
The Fly Deluxe is $2500 currently = had a $500 price drop, It's really nice too!
They are both on Reverb Below
https://reverb.com/item/64582164-parker ... iginal-bag

https://reverb.com/item/63934334-parker ... clear-coat


We have even thought about trying to do several trades with them to acquire the FB-4 BUT $3800??? WOW!
Steinberger XP-2
Brian Moore iGuitar-1
Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Mustang +???

My son says the neck is super thin for a bass & he has played it every time we go there & it has that snap & sound + piezo pickup blend
They have a super nice Rickenbacker 4003 that is sweet too... $2400...
He recently picked up a Ibanez Workshop EHB1000-S 30" scale Pink Bass that is fantastic to play & sounds like a much more expensive bass
He bought it 2nd hand for $650 & it's an $1100 instrument SO~~ He did really good on that buy...
Like this one except his has very fancy spalted wood on the neck - https://reverb.com/item/64801689-ibanez ... s-4-string


Within the last week I have glued a fret on the Takamine Acoustic, put a piezo pickup + pre-amp & output jack in an Ovation we picked up CHEAP & got it working 100%, put new strings on the EHB1000-S Polyweb roundwounds.
I also put a Kahler Roller Tom Bridge on my son's Eastwood Tiesco Spectrum 5 the other day & fresh strings

Haven't done much on the Parker Fly Deluxe lately but now have every part EXCEPT a working pre-amp unit.
Even thought about going with the Ghost Graph Tech Tusq parts & going that Rought with the piezo & possibly a 13 pin midi output too!

We are going to a Weird Al meet & greet this Friday Evening in middle Indiana & are going with an old friend & he's driving & taking us to the buffet beforehand. Should be a GR8 Show as always, Yankovic puts on a hell of a show & his guitarist & bassist are amazing as they have all played together for 40 years...

I will get that 2007 Parker Fly Deluxe put back together & painted & have even thought about taking it to a body shop & having it sprayed.
I worked at several body shops in the area in the 80s & 90s but have lost touch with all of those guys mostly because they have all died.
Can't really paint it in the house & still have lots of sanding to do & wish I had a tiny orbital sander with speed adjustment.
Want it pristine before I put sealer & final paint, & then there is those decals etc. for it too! More Time & work

Hey have a look at this "Parker Bass" unsure about it as it's Indonesian & doesn't look a FB-4 = has wood neck made from stacked wood & odd pickups but could be REAL? In Limassol, Cyperus? https://reverb.com/item/65321086-parker-bass
It's a 5-String & has a truss rod cover, brass nut & looks fantastic, REAL or NOT! I'm unsure about it BUT loos nice anyhow...
Ask Ken Parker about it...

Also have a look at this P42 Parker https://reverb.com/item/63863999-parker ... ric-guitar

1st Off about the guitars shown above...

The White Pre-Refined Parker Fly Deluxe SOLD on Reverb, hopefully to one of you...

The FB-4 was made in Illinois by Washburn = Serial # 092090, One of the 1st 90 made at the new plant, unsure IF the neck is laminated or NOT?
I will know next time in the guitar shop...

The Five String Bass above is an Import Parker made in Indonesia.

The Fly with the fixed stop bar bridge was made in Korea.

I have started to TRY and re-assemble the Fly for Pre-setup BEFORE Painting, and glad I did too!
Put the bridge back together & with photos setup the intonation back to where it was before.
Soldered the six saddles onto the board... Checked the connections with the Fluke & all is good + good ground too...
I painted the bridge & un-soldered the saddles & masked off the grounds for the strings & the board underneath.
Put a coating of guitar polish on the bridge + put the string claw + tremolo arm bushing & its set screw in.
Went ahead & measured the depth of each tremolo bushing minus the spacers I got from Wi-Guitar/G-Man Music & sanded the nylon bushings down to the perfect height.
Ran into an issue where my body work in 4-6 places was too tight so I dis-assembled the bridge + the nylon bushing & took a Dremel tool to the opening, I let it get away from causing more work = see last few photos, just more fiberglass & sanding + primer etc... DARN!
I am also running into an issue where the pickups aren't putting out enough ohms of power, like 2.5ohms & when coil tapped 1.25ohms???
Didn't even strip the wires on the neck pickup YET!
At least new DiMarzio Pickups are available on eBay & Reverb for $175 a pair.
Will have to wait & see how this turns out, almost like the pickups are demagnetized somehow...

I had a lot of trouble getting the threaded nubs to go down in the nylon bushings + I was tight in 3-4 places because of my body work, in the front + corners & both sides... More Trouble...

The last two photos showing where I took the Dremel to the body opening I also found the formula for the paint right here at The Fly Clone Project for the "Dusty Black Metalic"
Here is the photo that tells it all = A FLEET Color from PPG