the Fly Clone Project

So, as I've heard from a LOT of people around my age (47), I SO wish I had grabbed a Parker in the days where I didn't have to sell a kidney on the black market or take out a second mortgage on my home to do so . Obviously, I'm stretching things just a BIT, but not really when you look at it from my situation...a divorced father of 4 adult daughters (that I raised on my own since the oldest was 12) who have slowly departed their "nest" one by one, leaving me alone and in a place where I SHOULD be in a better place to afford such things. But due to an accident about 5 years ago that left me permanently physically disabled, I ALSO now have to stretch this monthly check SO thin to make ends meet, it's SO ready to POP...like a "E string" wound to its absolute LIMIT . So, I've been looking for parts and pieces to build my own for quite some time. But as I'm sure most of you know, they DON'T pop up often and, when they do, I start getting the feeling that it will probably cost nearly as much to get ALL those pieces than to buy one outright. However, I DID notice a site online (Supra-Tone, I think) that offers bodies that are similar to the unique design of Parkers and was curious if anyone has ever fully built a clone with one of these bodies? If so, were you able to just buy the body and then add GENUINE Parker parts to it OR should I just expect an "all clone" knockoff when done, not being able to use ANY genuine Parker parts? Ultimately, I'm NOT someone caught up so much on brand names and wouldn't mind it being 100% clone...IF it ultimately looks great AND, most importantly, it plays like "BUTTA" ! I've painted a of guitars over the years for friends and family, as I've always been a pretty gifted artist and was even a professional tattoo artist for about 7 years before my accident. So I KNOW I can make it LOOK great, but never fully built an electric from scratch, so not sure HOW important things like not having a tress rod (like these clone bodies are lacking), how different pickups fit, etc. are. Up until just yesterday, I had always partially thought that the tress rod adjustment (along with other factors of course) was a LARGE part of a guitar's "low action" playability. But after reading several forums online, that apparently isn't the case? I guess I just need help all around about the expectations of this project before I get started. Because again, while making a GORGEOUS guitar that catches anyone's eye is something I know I can accomplish, if it's ultimately unplayable or can't really be upgraded, I'll just hold off and continue looking for other's leftovers online . Just hoping that I can do things to it, like using nice custom-bucker pickups, a REAL Parker neck with custom pearl inlay fretboard, and maybe some really NICE tuners on this clone body...and yes, it won't technically be a Parker, but will play like a WIZARD . Thanks in advance for ANY and all help...AND potentially, suggestions for the BEST clone parts to start with if I'm just looking for playability!

Hi! Welcome to the forums!

Sorry to hear about your misfortunes, life can be a pain sometimes.
I think the most important thing first of all is to determine what your budget is. You can find Parkers on Reverb from $500 to $30,000.
...and have you built a guitar before? Or have experience with woodworking?

As a luthier, I'm going to say playability on an instrument is highly dependent on the setup. Original Parkers are somewhat legendary for having to be setup only once, usually at the factory. My '99 NiteFly barely needed any adjustments when I got it (used). The 2010 Mojo (also used) needed a lot more work because some parts were worn out and others had been messed with. But still, on both guitars, I went over the setup and made sure they were the way I like them. Do you have any experience setting up guitars, or someone who could help you with that?

If you're looking at the original Flys, you can't do inlays on the fretboard, it's a sheet of fiberglass and carbon fiber with frets glued to it. I mean, with enough determination you could, but the material doesn't lend itself well to that kind of mod.

If you're going to build something like a PDF or a P-something-, they are awesome but they don't have the legendary Fly carbon fiber reinforcement/exoskeleton, which to me puts them on the same category as most other bolt-on necks out there as far as stability and durability goes.
Which goes back to the setup: Even a cheap guitar, with a proper setup, will play better than an expensive guitar that's setup like crap.

So, the next question I think is "why a Parker?"
I mean, they are amazing and all, but they are complicated. ...and pricey! And unless you get to try them before you buy, you're still going to be rolling the dice on whether it's going to need a couple hundred $$$ on setup work or not, and that's never good if you're on a tight budget.

(and that's right, the truss rod is not for adjusting the action. It's one of the elements that can influence action height, but its job is to add rigidity to the neck and counter/correct bowing. You adjust string action at the bridge and the nut)