Search found 13 matches

by Ken Parker
Thu Feb 01, 2024 6:00 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: About the Fly fingerboard
Replies: 3
Views: 7127

Re: About the Fly fingerboard

I forgot to mention that the fretted .020" fingerboard was bonded to the basswood and later, mahogany necks with an additional layer of .010" thick prepreg fiberglass cloth. Essentially, this created a fingerboard that was 2/3 fiberglass/epoxy and 1/2 carbon fiber/epoxy measuring .030"...
by Ken Parker
Thu Feb 01, 2024 1:13 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: About the Fly fingerboard
Replies: 3
Views: 7127

Re: About the Fly fingerboard

The boards measured .020" or .5mm thick, the top half of the layup - .010 layer was woven fiberglass, the usual " 0 - 90 degree fiber orientation, and the bottom .010" layer was non-woven 0 degree AKA "uni" or unidirectional, that is, non-woven carbon fiber. These materials ...
by Ken Parker
Fri Jun 30, 2023 8:32 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: What's Ken's Favorite Fly?
Replies: 8
Views: 10529

Re: What's Ken's Favorite Fly?

How nice to hear this!

I love the howling canine!

We have some talented local Coyotes families that have arranged a "Battle of the Canines" for our amusement. These doggies have some fine pipes!

Keep the faith, and Thanks for your Enthusiasm!

Ken
by Ken Parker
Wed Jun 28, 2023 9:36 am
Forum: Classifieds
Topic: Fly “Tulipwood” Deluxe on Reverb
Replies: 9
Views: 7388

Re: Fly “Tulipwood” Deluxe on Reverb

Poplar isn’t winning any beauty contest in the "#1 - @10 Top” race mostly because of the delta between the greenish heartwood and the off-white, dirty cream almost color of the sapwood. The size of the trees being harvested in our time makes it nearly unavoidable that boards meeting our width s...
by Ken Parker
Wed Jun 28, 2023 9:20 am
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: What's Ken's Favorite Fly?
Replies: 8
Views: 10529

What's Ken's Favorite Fly?

Of all the Fly guitars you built, which were your favorites? I love ALL my children, of course! My true faves have spruce or cedar bodies, so in spruce (one-piece of sitka spruce from out your way) it would be the “Artist” if you need the magnetics, and the “Concert” if you don’t. Cedar bodies were...
by Ken Parker
Tue Mar 07, 2023 1:29 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: Notes on the "The history of the Parker Fly" article by guitar.com and early truss rod info
Replies: 1
Views: 2710

Notes on the "The history of the Parker Fly" article by guitar.com and early truss rod info

Notes on this article " The history of the Parker Fly " by Justin Beckner published by guitar.com (June 28, 2022) Most of the information is spot on, but apart from a few minor quibbles, the truss rod story might be usefully corrected.. I can’t remember ever building more than a couple ea...
by Ken Parker
Tue Nov 15, 2022 7:42 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: About the Fly fingerboard
Replies: 3
Views: 7127

About the Fly fingerboard

How thick is the carbon composite of the fretboard? The fingerboard is .05 mm thick sandwich of glass and carbon fibers that is laminated in a heated press with a high temperature curing epoxy resin that bonds the two layers together. Next, the frets are glued on and trimmed to length before the fi...
by Ken Parker
Tue Dec 29, 2020 12:05 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: Crack in back of neck after truss adjustment
Replies: 0
Views: 7806

Crack in back of neck after truss adjustment

The problem: I have a Parker fly which has developed a crack on the back of the neck following a small truss adjustment. I never saw this kind of damage before, but I wouldn’t be too concerned aside from cosmetics. The back of the neck is covered with carbon fibers, epoxy resin, and a .010” thick l...
by Ken Parker
Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:44 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: How to Glue on Frets That Have Fallen Off
Replies: 0
Views: 7554

How to Glue on Frets That Have Fallen Off

The Problem: I've had a couple of frets fall off of a Fly. I reattached them using super glue, but they came loose again. Next I tried gorilla glue, and so far they are still intact. Is there a particular adhesive you would recommend if I have to do this again? I have always had success gluing lost...
by Ken Parker
Sat Oct 17, 2020 11:37 am
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: What grade of stainless steel was used on the Fly?
Replies: 0
Views: 6825

What grade of stainless steel was used on the Fly?

Question: I was wondering if you could tell me what type of stainless steel was used on the Parker Fly guitars you built? Whenever one of the Fly guitars come in for a setup at my shop I am always amazed at how little wear there is on the frets. It seems to be a harder grade of stainless steel than...
by Ken Parker
Wed Aug 05, 2020 9:55 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: How to Fix a Truss Rod That Won’t Move
Replies: 8
Views: 11633

How to Fix a Truss Rod That Won’t Move

The Problem: “The truss rod in this particular guitar barely works; there's more relief in this neck than I'm comfortable with.” For most of our production years, Basswood was the only material used for the necks, and later, we added Mahogany from Central America. One giant goal was to try to do a ...
by Ken Parker
Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:34 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: How To Fix a Stuck Vibrato Arm Set Screw
Replies: 23
Views: 17237

Re: How To Fix a Stuck Vibrato Arm Set Screw

This is the setscrew:
F4288A43-104A-403F-BF64-9E945DC02276.jpeg
ED7EDE23-EB5D-4942-956B-385474ED0744.jpeg
10-32 X .250”, with a.050” long hard plastic tip
by Ken Parker
Wed Jul 15, 2020 4:23 pm
Forum: Ken's Corner
Topic: How To Fix a Stuck Vibrato Arm Set Screw
Replies: 23
Views: 17237

How To Fix a Stuck Vibrato Arm Set Screw

The Problem: "I recently wanted to adjust the rotation friction of the vibrato arm and discovered that the set screw in the bridge that controls it is frozen solid." We did use a steel setscrew which could be corroded, and you suggest. This shouldn’t be too difficult to address. Here’s tr...