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Parker Fly Handbook
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Parker Fly Handbook

Parker fly: product brochure
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See also: Reference Manual , User Manual
PARKER GUITARS | A REVOLUTION IN PRECISION AND SOUND
F L Y
H A N D B O O K

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Summary of Contents for Parker Fly

  • Page 1 PARKER GUITARS | A REVOLUTION IN PRECISION AND SOUND F L Y H A N D B O O K...
  • Page 2 With parallel horns that reach up like arms, that want to play you right back. And they do. Because the moment you pick up a Parker guitar, you'll feel its sculpted recesses embrace your torso while its featherweight body gives you effortless access to every note. And when we say “every note”, we mean every note—From visceral,...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    TABLE OF CONTENTS • Evolution of the Parker Fly • Features • Operation – Plugging In • Cords and Controls – Replacing Battery • Maintenance – Cleaning and Polishing – Fret Care • Adjustments – Balancing Piezo / Magnetic Output –...

  • Page 4: Evolution Of The Parker Fly

    Our patented stainless steel no-tang frets bonded to a laminated fingerboard, greatly increase fret life. There is also a new lightweight truss rod made of tool-steel, and a flat spring vibrato system designed to work with the Fly’s built-in piezo-electric bridge pickups.
  • Page 5 Finally, we operate in a facility filled with custom tooling to support the manufacture of these new components and instruments. We’re using the latest computer-aided manufacturing equipment combined with an especially high proportion of hand work. We’re building these instruments to tolerances, never before held in our industry.

  • Page 6: Features

    • Smart-Switching Jack Sensor • Fishman Piezo Electric Transducers • Composite-Wrapped Tone Woods • Seasonally Stable Neck • DiMarzio or Seymour Duncan Pickups with Coil Splitting • Sperzel Brand Locking Tuners • Long-Lasting Stainless Steel Frets • Custom Parker Bridge • Ultra-Lightweight...
  • Page 7 PLUGGING AND PLAYING Cords (stereo / mono) Fly models, Nylon Fly and Bronze Fly, are active guitars with mono output. Just plug in a standard cord and play. Remember, your Fly is equipped with a battery, so be sure to unplug the cord from the guitar when not in use to prolong battery life.
  • Page 8 Controls Your guitar has two separate systems for creation of sound: the piezo- electric transducers (acoustic bridge saddles) and the magnetic pickups (conventional guitar pickups). You can use them separately or together. Here’s how: Pickup system selection (piezo and/or magnetic) Switch Positions: I.
  • Page 9 The piezo volume is controlled by knob 1. Push-pull knob 2 to control magnetic coil splitting. To get the most acoustic sound from the piezo pickups, use a hi-fidelity system, such as a PA, acoustic guitar amp, keyboard amp, or home stereo.

  • Page 10: Replacing The Battery

    This unique mixer circuit uses sophisticated voltage-doubling synthesis circuitry, that gives you twice the clean headroom, compared to common on-board electronics. This circuit enables the Fly to blend the magnetic pickups with the active piezos, expanding the range of tonal options.

  • Page 11: Maintenance

    You can clean the fretboard with warm water on a soft cloth making sure to remove any dirt or sweat that may have built up around the frets. Parker Guitars does not recommend using oils, waxes, or solvents on the fretboard. Using such products can damage the frets and will void the warranty.

  • Page 12: Adjustments

    ADJUSTMENTS Parker designed the Fly guitar to be easy to adjust. If you’re unfamiliar with making these adjustments, we suggest that you take your instrument to your favorite guitar technician. Balancing Piezo / Magnetic Output Your guitar is equipped with a piezo output control. We set this control at the factory, so that the full volume outputs of the piezo and magnetic systems are equal.
  • Page 13 Adjusting Bridge Height (Action) Your Fly has been shipped with a very low playing action, which still allows a wide dynamic range of .070” on the bass side and .050” on the treble side. Playing action is the measurement of the gap between the top of the twelfth fret and the bottom of the string when fretting at the first fret.
  • Page 14 Vibrato Bridge Action is adjusted by turning the two hex-head screws on the back of the guitar. Using the L- shaped 5/32 Allen wrench supplied with your guitar, turn the screws clockwise to lower the bridge, and counterclockwise to raise it. To make a large adjust- ment, alternate between the two screws.
  • Page 15 The truss rod is easily accessible, via the hole located on the bottom edge of the headstock. To adjust the rod, use the Torx wrench supplied with your guitar. Turn it clockwise to tighten the rod, and counterclockwise to loosen it. Be aware that the rod adjustment is very sensitive, one-sixth turn yields a lot of movement.

  • Page 16: Setting Intonation

    Setting Intonation To set the string length or intonation, loosen the screw that clamps the bridge saddle in place with the supplied T-handles 3/32 Allen wrench. If the string plays sharp, slide the saddle back to make the string longer. If it plays flat, slide it forward.
  • Page 17 Using Sperzel Locking Tuners Virtually the only part of your Fly guitar that isn’t made by, or especially for us, is the tuners. We proudly use Sperzel tuners, designed and manufactured in the USA, because they combine excellent quality, a patented string locking system, and minimal weight.
  • Page 18 Adjusting the Pickup Height DIMARZIO PICKUPS Each DiMarzio humbucking pickup is secured to the body by two hex-head screws. On the coil, closer to the bridge, the mounting screw is the screw under the B string. On the coil, closer to the neck, the mounting screw is the screw under the A string.
  • Page 19 VIBRATO IMPORTANT! Always tune your guitar with the step-stop in the D O W N position (i.e. with the step-stop in the H O M E position). Don’t e v e r tune it with the step-stop in the U P position. Most problems that are encountered with this vibrato system are caused by tuning the guitar when the bridge is not in the H O M E position.
  • Page 20 The wheel is located inside the guitar and is accessed through a slot in the back plate near the butt end of the guitar. Its job is to adjust the amount of pressure the spring exerts on the bridge to fight the string tension.
  • Page 21 General Design and Function: The bridge pivots on ball bearings. The guitar strings pull the back of the bridge up toward the headstock. The tremolo spring pushes against the bridge to level it out.
  • Page 22 It must be “level” with the strings in the HO M E location whether the step-stop is engaged or not. The correct scale length location and intonation depend on this. The guitar strings pull the back of the bridge up toward the headstock. The tremolo spring pushes against the bridge.
  • Page 23 THE 3 MODES OF TREMOLO OPERATION 1 FIXED 2 BEND DOWN ONLY 3 BALANCED OR FLOATING MODE...
  • Page 24 SPRING Instead of the customary coiled springs on the back of a traditional vibrato, the Fly’s vibrato uses a unique spring that is compact enough to fit into the Fly’s thin body. The springs are manufactured in a variety of sizes to accommodate different string gauges.
  • Page 25 Move the step-stop down into the H O M E position. STEP 3 Tighten the spring against the step-stop with the balance wheel until about ten threads are showing (approximately 1/2” or 13mm). STEP 4 Tune your Parker guitar to pitch. Exercise caution when removing the back...
  • Page 26 — WARNING— Do Not Over Tighten Spring Over tightening the spring may cause permanent damage to your Parker Fly. If you can see 15 threads or 3/4“ (19mm) the spring may be over tightened. Repeat steps 1 through 5 checking the following: •...
  • Page 27 STEP 6 With the strings in tune, relax the spring tension with the balance wheel, only until the spring block just barely touches the step-stop. STEP 7 Choose one of these three setups: BALANCED – for bending up and down. Go to STEP 8 B E N D D O W N –...
  • Page 28 • Push down on the vibrato bar, until the low E string goes slack, but the A string still has some tension. • The spring should have a slight clearance with the guitar body. Testing the Bend Up Mode • Follow STEPS 1 through 8 to get the spring into the B A L A N C E D mode.
  • Page 29 Do Not Over Tighten the Spring. — Warning — Over tightening the spring may cause permanent damage to your Parker Fly. If you can see 15 threads of 3/4“ (19mm), the spring may be over tightened. Repeat STEPS 1 through 5 checking the following.

  • Page 30: Won't Stay In Tune

    Sometimes when using two amps, there may be a loud hum when the guitar is plugged into the second amp. This hum is caused by a ground loop. This ground loop isn’t the fault of the guitar (or the amps for that matter), but a result of well-intentioned electrical safety codes.
  • Page 31 The way to do this is to lower the piezo volume ( see Balancing piezo / Magnetic output), and /or roll off the treble on the amp. Supplied Tools 3/32 T-handle hex wrench 5/32 hex wrench T-27 torx wrench Step-stop/fly wheel wrench Stereo cable .10 flat spring Tremolo arm...
  • Page 32 4 4 4 E A S T C O U R T L A N D S T R E E T M U N D E L E I N , I L 6 0 0 6 0 W W W . P A R K E R G U I T A R S . C O M PARKER GUITARS...