New User- Looking for solutions

Discussions of every Fly in every variation including Deluxe, Classic, Mojo, Artist, Supreme, Stealth, Concert/Bronze, and custom Flys
RMCasey
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by RMCasey »

Good deal... Kind of thought there was some stuff in the square output jack that was needed to work the Powerchip switching. (sorry in advance if that sounds dumb).

There are no electronics in this barrel switch right? If this works... then shouldn't the jack that is allready in the fly work? Is there an advantage to ordering this output jack instead?
RMCasey
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by RMCasey »

Getting close to complete. Testing Electronics today!

I need to add a knob in the place of the stacked knob. I saw the link in "anatomy of the fly" to one that looks exact but has a white stripe down it middle. My originals are all black. Does anyone have a source for the all black knobs?
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vjmanzo
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by vjmanzo »

Great to hear, @RMCasey! Congrats!

Unfortunately, the all-black version of that knob is a custom/bulk order. Let me me know if you find a better solution! I purchased the ones in the Anatomy post, and they’re very much the same minus the white parts. I think you can strip that white off with the right paint stripper; I colored over the white part with black Sharpie like an uncouth Neanderthal 😝
RMCasey
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by RMCasey »

Well after a long journey... Everything seems to be working as it should!!! We ended up going with the Fishman Power Chip with a point to point wiring. Special thanks to all that have helped... especially vjmanzo and mmmguitar for contributing to this post. Thanks to Bengamin Strange my tech at Strange Guitarworks in New Orleans who painstakingly worked on this and had the vision for the customization that we made happen. Truly great work!! If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation... Begamin is definitely a turnkey solution for this type of job!

@vjmanzo ... I figured the all black wouldn't be available but just thought I'd ask. I ordered 5 with the white stripe (they were quite inexpensive). I'm gonna try to strip the white off of one ... or sharpie / paint the white (whichever works best). I may also replace all four with the white stripe so they match. It may look food against the dark burgundy color of my fly.

One thing left... I have to find a tremolo arm for a pre-refined fly. The last known location of the one that came with the guitar was it was swimming at the depths of hurricane Katrina in 2005. Super glad I brought most of my guitars with me when I left town. That part may be hard to find. I saw the link on hoe to make one... but don't have anything to heat the metal to bend it.
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vjmanzo
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by vjmanzo »

Great news, @RMCasey!! Way to persevere! So glad to hear that this worked out for you!

Regarding a hex vibrato arm, I’d contact Tim Small as he has made them for many people here.

Wow!!! Scary to hear that you could have lost so much more during Katrina! 😬
RMCasey
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by RMCasey »

Thanks.... Still lost a lot but all but only one guitar(an old cheap acoustic that was replaced by a Taylor (at a much higher $$ of course)... so I guess its a gain in the long run)... Pa and amps and recording equipment were gonners. To me... the guitars are the backbone anyway so that's good. That was 15 years ago.. time heals and replaces. I didn't have a classic amp or anything so... it's just technology lost... they make better stuff now :)

Thanks for the lead on Tim Small. I sent him a message
RMCasey
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by RMCasey »

For those looking for the origional style knobs... the ones in "anatomy of the fly" do look identical but have a white stripe indicator that the origional knobs did not as I mentioned above. I ordered them and they came in today. However, I do want to point out... the shat is not the quarter inch round guitar shaft. They white line can be painted or sharpied.... I'm sure that it can be bored out with a drill bit (the are lined with metal though so be carefull) to fit... but it's not a "plug and play" replacement.

The shape is just like the original!
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/det ... -W/9681648
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vjmanzo
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by vjmanzo »

Thanks, @RMCasey; great info. Maybe they changed the part number because the ones I ordered are 1/4” round 👀 ooof

Glad to know the can be sharpied; are you going to keep those and bore them out?
RMCasey
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by RMCasey »

@ vjmanzo Got the sharpie idea from you :)

It's hard plastic white through and through so you cannot "remove" the stripe with paint remover unfortunately. Paint may work better than a sharpie but I am still deciding on whether to go this way or just get different matching knobs. I like it looking original. I chewed through 2 knobs with my drill (3 more to go). The drill keeps going off on an angle (from the metal I believe). Gonna wait and try it by a friends house who has a dremil and a vice grip.
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RMCasey
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by RMCasey »

I posted in another thread that I made a "DIY" virbrato bar and it came out looking great. However... it is a way too tight fit and I suspect the bending of the hex bar has the straight lines of the shaft binding to the very slightly bent shaft on my DIY bar making it hard to put in andd take out (especially take out if I insert too far).

Another problem is I cant get the arm to freely swivel. I have played with the set screw but noting changes... it takes too much effort to spin the bar. I don't want it swinging... just easily movable then when I have it where I want it ... it stays in place. Any ideas here are appreciated.

I don't mean to have a duplicate post... just giving some background to what cause the real reason for this post in case you didn't read my other one. So... While fiddling with the vibrato bar set screw (I had to press the vibrato down to get to the set screw because the action is set super low by my tech and the set screw is hidden by the body)... I hear a click... oops. Now, all of my high strings are fretting out. It seems the bridge shifted. I take off the back plate and the bridge bushing / bearing is slightly below the body... it didn't come out... its just about 1/16th of an inch or less extruded. A little thumb pressure pushes it back in place and it seems to be playing fine. I would think it's mostly sting pressure that holds it in place... my questions is... is there any long term reason for stability concern here?
RMCasey
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Re: New User- Looking for solutions

Post by RMCasey »

Update...

After some consultation and help from Bengemin at Strange Guitarworks again... the virbrato arm now swings as it should. He ended up having to remove the arm and reset it. It was slightly brushing against the body when it rotated and honestly ... it hadn't been used in years so I'm sure the fresh reset was the key. He re secured the bushings and posts while he was in it to make sure that was 100% (I was so worried I messed something up!).

Also some sanding to the DIY virbrato arm has got it working better now as well. I'm going to take the edges down just a bit more but overall ... it came out great and is just about perfect at this point. I may even make another with a slightly different bend profile... that way I'll have two options. It's very inexpensive to do so if you don't mind tinkering with it.
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