Search found 39 matches

by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 11:43 pm
Forum: Fly
Topic: scratchy piezo ..
Replies: 18
Views: 9534

Re: scratchy piezo ..

some interesting info on that here http://www.jmstaehli.com/guitar_css.html .. Thanks for that link! Mr. Staehli takes credit for reverse engineering the schematic that we've all been using for the Parker Fly. I've written him with a request for more information on the transistors, since that schem...
by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 11:41 pm
Forum: Fly
Topic: scratchy piezo ..
Replies: 18
Views: 9534

Re: scratchy piezo ..

I wonder if painted string ends would cause an insufficient electrical path? Are D’Addario’s painted or brass? Inquiring minds might have a set on hand... :) Could dirt or dust under the piezo saddles cause scratchiness? My first thought was that D'Addario has what appears to be anodized colors, no...
by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 8:51 pm
Forum: Adaptated Parts, Mods & Projects
Topic: Replacement PCB (pre-refined)
Replies: 26
Views: 54897

Re: Replacement PCB (pre-refined)

Another related topic: People have talked about the challenges of maintaining access to the piezo pickup after rewiring their Fly to connect the magnetic pickup to the output jack passively. So, I'm wondering: what sort of arrangement would folks expect if a revised circuit board could be made to su...
by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 3:29 am
Forum: Fly
Topic: String gauges and balanced tension sets
Replies: 3
Views: 3758

String gauges and balanced tension sets

Is it reasonable to expect Steinberger TransTrem performance from a Parker Fly Vibrato with D'Addario Balanced Tension strings? I installed the official D'Addario .009 > .042 string set on my Deluxe, and then a set of balanced tension .009 strings on my Supreme. Both guitars suffer from chords that ...
by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 2:36 am
Forum: Adaptated Parts, Mods & Projects
Topic: Replacement PCB (pre-refined)
Replies: 26
Views: 54897

Re: Replacement PCB (pre-refined)

And, as part of this thread, a plea: If anyone understands the strange transistor symbols in the Fly1 Rev1 Fishman schematics that are available here and elsewhere, please share that information here. Now that I think about it, I could ask Fishman. They were kind enough to send schematics when I ask...
by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 2:26 am
Forum: Adaptated Parts, Mods & Projects
Topic: Replacement PCB (pre-refined)
Replies: 26
Views: 54897

Re: Replacement PCB (pre-refined)

One interesting note: R7, a 3.6 kΩ resistor, is missing on my Deluxe. I believe that this changes the originally-designed two-pole high-pass filter into a single-pole high-pass filter for the Piezo In first stage. The second stage remains a two-pole high-pass with different corner frequencies. In ot...
by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 2:20 am
Forum: Adaptated Parts, Mods & Projects
Topic: Replacement PCB (pre-refined)
Replies: 26
Views: 54897

Replacement PCB (pre-refined)

Thinking that my Parker Fly Supreme had some burned out silicon, I started down the path of recreating the printed circuit board. It turns out that my problems were partly explained in future revisions of the owners manual (the LED is only supposed to light up for a moment - there's not really a pro...
by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 1:57 am
Forum: Fly Parts
Topic: "Bullwinkle" guitar hanger
Replies: 32
Views: 46400

Re: "Bullwinkle" guitar hanger

Please forgive the silly question, but how does this thing work?

I don't see it in the manual that came with my Fly guitars, and although I see photos of this thing all over the internet ... I still haven't seen one in use. It's just a mysterious-looking contraption to the uninitiated.
by rsdio
Thu May 28, 2020 1:55 am
Forum: Fly Parts
Topic: Internal Electronics Flexible Circuitboard (pre-refined Fly)
Replies: 7
Views: 10715

Re: Internal Electronics Flexible Circuitboard (pre-refined Fly)

Various notes: - The flex circuits terminate in fingers with 50-mil spacing. That's 1.27 mm. This should fit some standard 9-pin and 16-pin connectors - to be sourced. - Fingers are tinned for a length of 150 mils. - The stiffener is about 600 mils long on the 16-pin end, and about 500 mils on the 9...
by rsdio
Wed May 27, 2020 2:52 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Tracking down a Belew
Replies: 42
Views: 17422

Re: Tracking down a Belew

Thank you!

Those are excellent notes.

I'll be back for further conversation, but just want some time to ingest all of the above...
by rsdio
Wed May 27, 2020 1:17 pm
Forum: Info and FAQs about Fly Guitars
Topic: A summary of the Fly changes/issues through the years, and a brief history of Parker Guitars
Replies: 27
Views: 41288

Re: A summary of the Fly changes, issues, and forum opinions through the years and a brief history of Parker Guitars

Signal Path - a mod that some Fly players have explored is to remove the piezo pre-amp from the magnetic pickup signal path in order to keep the signal path cleaner; this is much more difficult to do on the first Flys that used a flexible tape connector instead of traditional PTP wiring. The ration...
by rsdio
Tue May 26, 2020 11:37 pm
Forum: Show Us Your Parker
Topic: So happy to find this community!
Replies: 5
Views: 3860

Re: So happy to find this community!

Before buying my second Fly, the transparent tangerine Supreme, I managed to find the previous auction where the seller had purchased the guitar a little over a month before. The text from that February 29, 2020 to March 1, 2020 eBay listing was as follows (I edited out the standard Parker Fly text ...
by rsdio
Tue May 26, 2020 3:03 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Tracking down a Belew
Replies: 42
Views: 17422

Re: Tracking down a Belew

I nurtured an eBay search for the better part of a decade for every variation of spelling on the Adrian Belew Signature Fly name and model number. I never found one (or, if I did, I didn't have the money and conveniently put the painful memory out of my mind). It seems impossible, like you say. In f...
by rsdio
Tue May 26, 2020 1:13 pm
Forum: Info and FAQs about Fly Guitars
Topic: A summary of the Fly changes/issues through the years, and a brief history of Parker Guitars
Replies: 27
Views: 41288

Re: A summary of the Fly changes, issues, and forum opinions through the years and a brief history of Parker Guitars

It may just be my imagination, but I recall at least one person ordering a Fly with a factory-installed Sustainiac in that final period where every instrument was essentially built-to-order through the dealer network. It stuck in my mind because the NGD disclaimer was "No; it's not a Belew - Y...
by rsdio
Tue May 26, 2020 4:54 am
Forum: Show Us Your Parker
Topic: So happy to find this community!
Replies: 5
Views: 3860

So happy to find this community!

I purchased a Parker Fly Deluxe in red, only to find that the output jack had been replaced; was loose; and as a result the preamp would sometimes turn off if the guitar cord rotated. I managed to find my favorite color example of a Parker Fly Supreme and ordered that. While waiting for the Supreme ...
by rsdio
Tue May 26, 2020 4:32 am
Forum: Rig Rundowns
Topic: Rocktron Pro G.A.P. + Eventide Eclipse
Replies: 3
Views: 8631

Re: Rocktron Pro G.A.P. + Eventide Eclipse

oh, I also happen to be using a Gallien-Krueger 700RB connected to a David Eden cabinet that I modified for bi-amp input. The David Eden company were kind enough to send a blank panel that I could use to switch from their passive crossover to the active 700RB dual output via Neutrik speakOn cabling....
by rsdio
Tue May 26, 2020 4:20 am
Forum: Rig Rundowns
Topic: Rocktron Pro G.A.P. + Eventide Eclipse
Replies: 3
Views: 8631

Rocktron Pro G.A.P. + Eventide Eclipse

Hello all, I'm just getting started with a Parker Fly, and my initial setup is my old Rocktron Pro G.A.P. digital-controlled analog guitar preamp feeding a brand new Eventide Eclipse. For this setup, I'm not able to use the stereo cable, so I'm running in mono (mixed) mode. I've got another vintage ...
by rsdio
Tue May 26, 2020 4:14 am
Forum: Announcements and News
Topic: About the Fly Clone Project
Replies: 16
Views: 106940

Re: About the Fly Clone Project

I do not see the Printed Circuit Board or flexible circuit "tapes" listed. Is there any plan to clone these? Are all of the PCBs simply still working to this day? Seems possible that none of them have actually broken. On the other hand, it's well known that the flexible circuit "tapes...
by rsdio
Tue May 26, 2020 4:07 am
Forum: Info and FAQs about Fly Guitars
Topic: A summary of the Fly changes/issues through the years, and a brief history of Parker Guitars
Replies: 27
Views: 41288

Re: A summary of the Fly changes, issues, and forum opinions through the years and a brief history of Parker Guitars

Besides the Adrian Belew Signature Fly, how many Parker guitar models came with a Sustainiac pickup installed from the factory? Any?