Just bought this weird creature!!! Pickup Mounting suggestions?

[JonGrant]

I am absolutely chuffed to (at long last) be a Parker Owner!

I bought this funky 2010 US-Made Dragonfly, which has apparently had at least a few owners, and have been enjoying it immensely, despite it’s bizarre quirks...

Weird finish (which I find quite beautiful)

Sustainiac retrofit not installed quite properly (shares a battery with the Fishman, AND there is no cutoff for the battery, so I have to take the battery out or it will discharge fully after a few days)

Slight, but buzzy, “hump” at the neck join. I’ve set the action a bit high to reduce it, but it probably needs an agreesive fret leveling at the highest 4 or 5 frets, which I will not do myself

Truss rod works, but is just about at the end of it’s turn-ability, and there is just a bit of neck relief with 9-42’s on

The term arm bushing is broken in 2 pieces (I’ve seen the other postings on replacements)

While it is quite a bit more “twangy” than the guitars I usually play, I am absolutely loving it.

I can only guess at what model it actually is, but am content with the mystery.

I would probably eventually replace the Fishman piezo with the Graphtech, and add the hex output (yes, I am a shameless VG-99/GP-10 addict), but that will mean rewiring almost everything in the already crowded cavity, including adding a routing for a 2nd battery. Until I am brave (or wealthy) enough to do that, I would like to put a GK3 on it. I have the lack of space problem between the trem and the pickup. Having read up on other people’s experiences doing this here, I know part of the pickup mounting ring will need to be removed. As this might be a temporary thing, can I use any LP-style mounting ring for SD HBs? (I say LP-style, because the top of the guitar is slightly arched, so a flat ring will not work.)

I didn’t see how any of the clever GK mounting solutions available on eBay would work in this specific case.

Any guidance/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also, if anyone recognizes this guitar, and can hint at it’s family history, that’d be interesting.

Glad to be part of your group!

The obligatory pic:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1chcNbOHOo-7C6Q1DktEgMSCykf6M0w7y

Cheers!!!

[sybersitizen]

I don't know a lot about the DF line ... but it looks like a DF1024 with bobinga instead of koa. Could easily have been a special order for the wood, I guess. Check the cavity to see if it's solid or a veneer cap.

I assume (and hope) the erroneous Sustainiac setup was a home-grown implementation rather than a factory job.

In any case, you've certainly got something not seen every day!

[vjmanzo]

Very cool! Looks like a cool Dragonfly/Maxxfly! If you like it, it's well-worth the time and effort you put into getting it set up right! I don't own one of these models, but I think if you comb through the Parker catalogs from 2008+, you'll find out a lot of helpful info on the models and changes (including finishes) that Parker implemented through the years.

FWIW, I have two Flys with Sustainiacs: one Fly Deluxe with the piezo disconnected and one Fly Mojo with a dual battery cavity in the back. Talk about tight spaces!

Welcome to the forum!

[billy]

wow, that's cool.  I don't recall seeing anything with that kind of figured wood here- some type of burl, maybe olive.  Does it have a bolt on neck?  The dot markers are throwing me a bit.

Check to be sure your frets and that the fretboard are secure.  Typically they don't need leveling for decades.  FYI There were a few guitars with fretboard delamination issues built around 2010.

I can't speak to the midi related questions but there are some here who can.

[Big Swifty]

Flat plastic HB mounting ring will work ok, you can either fit it ( Stewmac have a good video tute on how to this) or just screw it down, it should just bend to fit.

There, that's the hard bit dealt with, should be plain sailing from here on in!

 

B.S.

[JonGrant]

Still loving this guitar, despite the not-quite perfect setup (due to neck “hump” at the join). It is a bolt-on neck, so has the ebony fretboard, stainless Steel frets, etc., of the US Made models.

Yes, the sustainiac was a non-factory upgrade, and the wiring the installer did was genuinely “creative”. I’ll post a picture of the entrails next time I have the back opened up. It does work perfectly, however, aside from the aforementioned battery drain issue, meaning I have to remove the battery after each use. Not a huge deal, but slightly annoying (particularly when I forget).

I have no idea what kind of wood it is, but appears to be a solid piece. It’s still gloriously lightweight, so it can’t be any kind of heavy wood. Regardless, I like the sound and look, so I wouldn’t complain if it were made of plastic.

The steampunk fret markers are not a miracle of luthier skill, but rather vinyl stickers that the previous owner put on while he was using it. They’re fun, so I’ve left them on. When the time comes to oil the fretboard, I’ll take them off and clean everything up.

I’ve ordered pickup mounting rings, both flat and curved bottoms, to experiment with while attempting to get a GK3 installed. Inspired by this...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323120678167?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&fromMakeTrack=true

...I think I’ll try to make something similar that will work on our weird Parker spacing between the pickup and the trem. If I succeed, I’ll post the template, and whatever random, clueless method I used to make the thing.

While the tinkering and DIY-ing is kind of fun, I’d be quite content if someone could make the perfect-looking, perfect-playing, affordable guitar that does everything I could possibly want it to do. That would really be quite convenient. Until then...

[vjmanzo]

When the time comes to oil the fretboard, I’ll take them off and clean everything up.

If the fretboard is carbon-fiber, just use water to clean it; the manual says not to use anything else because the glued-on frets can come off.  Not sure if that info is just for Flys, but just a heads up!

[billy]

I think it's got the ss frets and carbon fingerboard - so you'll never have to oil it, and never should! 

I use a damp microfiber cloth. 

Oil, windex, fast fret, rubbing alcohol, brut by faberge, chicken salad sandwich, etc etc can weaken the glue joints for the frets and then you'll want to cry someday soon.  Otherwise, they should last a long long time.

[vjmanzo]

...chicken salad sandwich

Especially the chicken salad sandwich! 

[Big Swifty]

Hang on...

Are any of the bolt on necks carbon fibre?

I thought that was only a set neck thing...

B.S.

[vjmanzo]

Good question--I was going based off the image in the original post assuming it was a carbon fiber fretboard. I only have Flys, not Maxxflys or Dragonflys, so I could be wrong. Maybe the catalog has more info?

[jb63]

The high end ones had carbon fibre fretboards. I never had a chance to play one. Here were a few:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Parker-MaxxFly-DF1024-Cocobolo-Neck-Flame-Maple-body-Cognac-/142551078175

https://reverb.com/item/729105-parker-df1024-koa-2015

I am constantly wishing that one like that Koa 1024 would turn up. I made an offer on the one above to buy it at cost via layaway (which I knew would take a year or more) but someone stepped up and just bought it right out. Its solid KOA so not light compared to what you might want out of this model.

Go ahead and drool!

[sybersitizen]

Hang on...

Are any of the bolt on necks carbon fibre?

The official Parker page says the DF1024 has a bolt-on neck and carbon fiber fingerboard:

http://www.parkerguitars.com/products/mfradial/DF1024.html

The original NiteFlys from long ago had bolt-on necks with full carbon wrap.

[Big Swifty]

OK, we'll there you go, learn something' everyday!

Those DF1024's ...Mmmmm, they are mighty fine looking guitars!

And yes, chicken salad sandwiches are well known arch-enemies of the Parker Guitar...

B.S.

[billy]

I doubt they made more than 3 of these things.  Woulda coulda shoulda.  Wish they had done a df "seasons" run like the original body shape.

Actually though, iirc I think chicken salad sandwiches were the inspiration for the fly stainless fret system.