the Fly Clone Project

[Updated 8/21/23]

A DF842 (preferably an Adrian Belew model).

Great list, @mmmguitar!

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 6:20 am 2. Any era yellow Fly

Are you looking for that banana yellow color?

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 6:20 am 3. Adrian Belew

Ooof...might be easier to track down the actual Adrian Belew!

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 6:20 am 4. DF842

I would also love to play one of these!

@vjmanzo Banana/Taxi Cab/McClaren, etc. - Any would be fine. I had the chance to purchase this

https://reverb.com/item/3155101-parker- ... s-on-stage

and passed it up because I was looking for a Supreme, Classic, or Artist at the time. In hindsight, I could have just sold a different Deluxe to feel better afterward.

Tracking down Adrian is indeed much easier - He mails everything from his home address, replies to most Facebook messages, and once apologized profusely from his personal email over a minor post office matter that simply wasn’t his fault. I don’t remember why his number is in my phone. Anyway, he still won’t sell me one of his Flys

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:20 pm @vjmanzo Banana/Taxi Cab/McClaren, etc. - Any would be fine.

Cool—glad to know! I’ll keep an eye out!!

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:20 pm Tracking down Adrian is indeed much easier - He mails everything from his home address, replies to most Facebook messages, and once apologized profusely from his personal email over a minor post office matter that simply wasn’t his fault. I don’t remember why his number is in my phone. Anyway, he still won’t sell me one of his Flys

Hahaha that’s incredible!!!! What a cool guy! I think I’ve always had the impression that he was a very down to earth person, so I suppose that just confirms it!

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:20 pm Tracking down Adrian is indeed much easier - He mails everything from his home address, replies to most Facebook messages, and once apologized profusely from his personal email over a minor post office matter that simply wasn’t his fault. I don’t remember why his number is in my phone. Anyway, he still won’t sell me one of his Flys

Wow!

That yellow fly was pretty sweet. I saw that particular one was a refin, was there a stock color like that?

I wish my interest in the Fly came about a number of years ago when it seems prices were more consistently in the lower 1000s!

DLQ wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 8:22 am Was there a stock color like that?

Not that I know of. From what I understand, however, the shift in production to a build-to-order model in the final Buffalo Grove years essentially made any single House of Kolor finish availiable at upcharge.

I too am kicking myself for not hoarding Flys over the years I’ve been twiddling my thumbs while observing them climb in price.

DLQ wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 8:22 am I wish my interest in the Fly came about a number of years ago when it seems prices were more consistently in the lower 1000s!

Totally agree. I loved them since 1999, followed them over the years but never really pulled the trigger. Guess the Parker forums and website finally going down is what made me finally get one.

Big swiftly has made it abundantly clear that all you need is one (and a really strong case).

But I sure wish they were all played more often.

jb63 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 6:27 pm Big swiftly has made it abundantly clear that all you need is one (and a really strong case).

Even though I own a few, I do agree with this wholeheartedly. It’s nice to have a few if they’re set up differently (strings, electronics, tunings), but each Fly has its own special something, so as CSN said: “love the one you’re with!”! I think @jb63 mentioned once before: even if you own a few of the same model from the same year, they all have their own character. I mean, the differences are subtle when compared to eachother (very noticeably different compared to other guitars), and you can dial in lots of different sounds, of course, but they all have their own sort of essence.

@Ken Parker told me that one time he made two identical Deluxes; same everything—even wood from the same tree! Ken oversaw the entire production on these two guitars from start to finish, and when all was said and done, in his words (paraphrasing): “one of them was a little bit bouncy and I’m your face, and the other was sultry and kind of ‘well, hello’”.

So, it seems that even if you have one of every model, your Mojo and my Mojo are still a little different. So...in a sense, if that’s true, and we’re talking about the desire to buy more Flys, then we’re all in big trouble!

That is definitely why i haven't bonded with quite a few, and no longer own them. AND why i wish i could try more.

Bump. Was saddened by the Facebook story to do with the UK member importing a bucket-list 2014 Lime Gold DF842 from Malta, paying post brexit-duties, and waiting for weeks - Only to find the guitar had been misleadingly listed (should never have left the factory due to very odd textural artifacts suggesting either paint runs or improperly applied CF, as well as substantial finish cracks and malfunctioning components likely incurred in the last few years). Still, the recording of such instances benefits the communal knowledge base. I’m curious to see if any other Flys from the end of production under Jam are reported or listed as having similar issues.

Yes – – always sad to hear about stories like that.

One difficulty, at this stage, is that it’s becoming more and more difficult to separate “issues that slipped past the QC team at the factory“ and “issues that owners created”.

The Fly Mojo we used for the 12-string Fly mod had bridge holes in it that were misaligned; fortunately/obviously we didn’t need the OEM bridge, but, for sure: that’s an issue that originated at the factory. Dings, chips, truss rod issues, broken switches—those seem like issues that are easier to spot at the factory and that owners likely introduce.

hello @mmmguitar,
there is a yellow rar Fly to buy in germany in best condition...
first owner... only used @ home...
Parker Fly Mojo 2014 - 2500€ https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anz ... 6-191-3170

M.

Thank you for the heads-up, @MadMac! It’s a shame the import fees for that beauty are more than the cost of having the original Parker painters refinish one of my beaters in yellow. That being said, I know I’ll still be tempted to pull the trigger on it all this week!

Just think, @mmmguitar: you could simultaneously scratch off an item on your “Marc wants” list, and report first-hand about the Jam-era quality control!

#enabler

@vjmanzo, you enable my Fly habit enough as it is! I just put in an offer for the ‘09 ice blue Deluxe with the neck rattle because I’m jealous from seeing yours every day.

Update: Someone bought it for the asking price; so...another bullet dodged.

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 7:28 am Thank you for the heads-up, @MadMac! It’s a shame the import fees for that beauty are more than the cost of having the original Parker painters refinish one of my beaters in yellow, but I know I’ll still be tempted to pull the trigger on it all week.

How much is a refin from the original painters, roughly?

DLQ wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:19 pm How much is a refin from the original painters, roughly?

Last I’d heard was $600 and several months’ wait - If anyone’s used Shazrock in the past year or so, hopefully they’ll chime in.