mutronboy Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 Hi trendsetters, Just thought I'd post these pics for any Fly aficionado's out there Originally sent to Passac (Australia) for midi R&D in 1985 http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9598/fly35mi.jpg http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/6641/fly18ok.jpg http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/6092/fly216kc.jpg http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/3807/fly100lx.jpg Thanks again to Guitar Player for many decades of great work Peace to all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 Very cool. I'm glad he lost some of the frontside carving, though. It looks goofy. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 That is cool; thanks! So, how does it sound and play? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluesape Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 It looks cool, but I wonder if it's comfortable with those ridges front and back. Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCustom Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 I think Ken did those cutouts originally to save weight. But I think the big one on the back at the top was probably somewhat uncomfortable so he rounded it down. It would probably catch on your clothing, too. The treble bout horn is still shaped like that on the Fly guitars. The PM series has a very different shape. Born on the Bayou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutronboy Posted October 25, 2005 Author Share Posted October 25, 2005 Hi guys, The Parker is quite comfy to play body-wise, and quite light. (my flab probably precludes that ridge sticking in my ribs...heh) I haven't used it much mainly because the neck is slightly small for my big hands, I just prefer a flatter, wider fingerboard.. Here's some more info; Parker Fly - Original handmade prototype from 1985 History: Ken Parker sent this instrument to the Australian company Passac in 1985. They were developing a new advanced guitar to midi interface and were experimenting with piezo bridge pickups. The system they developed (the 'Sentient Six') was quite innovative, but unfortunately the company got into difficulty and was forced into liquidation. I attended the liquidation auction and saw the Parker guitar being sold. I didn't buy it at the time, but obtained the prototype scale drawing prints in another lot. Over the ensuing years the guitar went through various people's hands, I saw it hanging in several guitar shops. When I saw an article in Bass Player magazine announcing the Parker bass prototype, I immediately recognised the shape, and rushed down to the guitar shop to buy it. The guitar is as it was at the liquidation, the only change was swapping the gold sperzels for silver ones (this can easily be changed back), I just thought the silver looked better on this particular guitar. As you can see, the pickup routing is narrower than normal strat size, without the 'V' cut. These modified, slimmed down Fender strat pickups have long since died, but I'm getting them rewound. I couldn't find any pickups that would fit at the time (EMG's wouldn't fit), and I didn't want to do any routing on this original historic piece. Definitely a milestone in American guitar history Peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 cool man. very cool. you have a piece of history there. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Originally posted by mutronboy: These modified, slimmed down strat pickups have long since died... Uhmmm... pardon the stupid question, but how do pickups that are only 20 years old manage to have "long since died"? Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutronboy Posted October 26, 2005 Author Share Posted October 26, 2005 Hi Vince, I'm not sure why all 3 pickups are dead...they were regular strat pickups that had been slimmed down...the 'V' section had been shaved off with wires coming out of the wrapping.. So it's a bit of a mystery to me as to why all 3 died....I hadn't plugged it in for at least 10 years, it was in storage...there was no moisture, though When I tried to put replacement pickups in I couldn't find any to fit...but I'm sure someone must make pickups narrow enough. Peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Originally posted by mutronboy: Hi Vince, I'm not sure why all 3 pickups are dead...That's odd... they must have worked once, surely, and I can understand one going bad, but all three? The guit doesn't look as if it's had a rough enough life for all three pups to be dead. Sure it's not something to do with the input jack? Well, with something that would block all three pups simultaneously? Where in "Sinny" are you from? Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutronboy Posted October 26, 2005 Author Share Posted October 26, 2005 Hi Vince, It's got me stumped why the pickups died...they were all working when I first got the guitar in '91 but when I plugged it in 3 years ago they were dead. I tested them individually on a meter and they were all cactus. So I'm not sure if Passac put these Fender pickups in, or whether they're the originals Ken Parker supplied. Anyway, I'm having them rewound BTW Vince I'm in Marrickville. If you want to have a squizz at the Parker let me know 'cos it's gonna be sold tomorrow...probably to NZ Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kramer Ferrington III. Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Originally posted by mutronboy: BTW Vince I'm in Marrickville. If you want to have a squizz at the Parker let me know 'cos it's gonna be sold tomorrow...probably to NZ Cheers I was just curious, I was very fond of Sydney during all the years that I lived there. But I'm typing this from my office desk in Milan so I doubt I'd make it on time. Thanks anyway! I'm moving to Wellington in a few months, so who knows... Band MySpace My snazzy t-shirt empire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mutronboy Posted October 26, 2005 Author Share Posted October 26, 2005 Hi Vince..heh..I thought you might be in Sydney Here's a pic of another guitar that I'm restoring... It's a 1958 Maton MS500 (short scale) Quite a rare Aussie guitar http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8579/matonms500frontsunburstedscrap.jpghttp://img291.imageshack.us/img291/7851/matonms500backsunburstedscrape.jpg It's coming up quite nicely.. I think I'll use it for slide 'cos of the short scale Anyway, all the best on the move to Wellington Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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