the Fly Clone Project

I have a Nitefly that does not get played. SD pickups, great single coil tone. I just don't play single coil guitars.

Caveats: No back plate to cover the springs; truss rod is at max tension. There is still a little relief. I'm no luthier so I don't know how to handle that properly and I don't want to force anything.

She's a beautiful sunburst in great shape with no dings or such.
Gig bag, trem arm included.

Fresh set of D'Addario strings just installed.

These things are selling at ridiculous prices on Reverb these days. I'd like to sell it to someone who is going to play rather than turn it around in 24 hours and resell it for an extra $700!

So I'm going to list it here for $1200.00 and will consider communication with potential buyers. If no one here is interested I'll probably Ebay it.

PM me for pictures and "conversation"!

Well ...
I'm having second thoughts:
1. I'd like to figure out how to handle the relief on the neck so it can be straighter and lower the action. Maybe I need to send it to someone? Anyone know ho could handle such an issue?
2. The lack of forearm slope bothers me when playing. I'm actually thinking of maiming the guitar to make a forearm rest! I have a carpenter where I work that might agree to help me with that butchering job.

Ideas? Comments?

If you don't need the money from a sale, I'd go for the maiming idea. Reeves is quoted somewhere asking Ken to keep cutting out holes to make it lighter, so i kind of think the Nitefly body is a perfect project item. Just be careful because its weighted perfectly and you you need to keep that. What would you cut out? The arm? Or just shave a bit off the top of the curve?

jb63 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:23 pm If you don't need the money from a sale, I'd go for the maiming idea. Reeves is quoted somewhere asking Ken to keep cutting out holes to make it lighter, so i kind of think the Nitefly body is a perfect project item. Just be careful because its weighted perfectly and you you need to keep that. What would you cut out? The arm? Or just shave a bit off the top of the curve?

I would just make an arm rest. Shaving enough for the forearm not to bump into the edge of that section.
I love the way the Fly wraps around and the arm naturally falls in place. The NiteFly bumps into my arm, forcing the shoulder forward.

Patzag wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 11:57 am I'd like to figure out how to handle the relief on the neck so it can be straighter and lower the action. Maybe I need to send it to someone? Anyone know ho could handle such an issue?

I think clamping the neck back like Ken described here could do the trick. Patrick Cummings of iGuitar Workshop fixed a 2007 Deluxe of mine that had a maxed-out truss and terrible action. I bet you could send it to him.

vjmanzo wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:00 pm I think clamping the neck back like Ken described here could do the trick. Patrick Cummings of iGuitar Workshop fixed a 2007 Deluxe of mine that had a maxed-out truss and terrible action. I bet you could send it to him.

I've done that - albeit without the oil.
I wrote to Patrick to ask for a quote. Let's see where this goes!

Got in touch with Patrick. Nice guy. Way above my budget for a fix like this, so I'm going to give another shot to the backbow thing.
I also have a bead on an old Nitefly neck from a ruined guitar. No tuners but looks like it might be OK - from a distance. We'll see.

I won't maim the guitar until I have a handle on the neck and action.
But I did plug it in again last night. It sounds like a strat. It plays well, bar the slightly high action because of the relief.