Total Refurbish of Trashed Fly Deluxe

[Fly Rod]

10/14/21 I scored a Bosch Colt GKF125CE Mini Palm Router for $63 just for the Parker Fly's Top Patch..
Came with four Bits

[vjmanzo]

@Fly Rod, you’re the king of finding deals!! Nice!!

Completely unrelated—I missed your comment about the band White Cross; I used to love that band!! They’re no Petra, IMO, () but I loved that stuff growing up!

[Fly Rod]

Rex Carrol is a great Player

I always wanted a Pink Peavey Vandenburg

Remember Whitesnake
My Old buddy Rudy Sarzo from Miami/Cuba on Bass

Yeah Petra was great too

I'm 55 years old & love the 80s/90s rock

I was looking at a white nylon cutting board in my garage & thought of this for that Bosch Router

It's How My Mind Works

[Fly Rod]

Today I got a package from WI Guitar & instead of sending me the two bearings for the tremolo Mike G. sent me the entire bridge assembly but it's for the type with Fender Style tremolo springs..
I can remove the bearings & pins & use them in my old bridge, I emailed him just to see = No Hurry..
Removed the pickups from the body but haven't unsoldered them yet, Took some pictures of the pickups & bridge
JFYI the hex head for the pickups is 3/32"
Pickups are PHWP1BKL NECK & PHWP2BKL BRIDGE DiMarzio

Gotta Go, Taking my Son to See Elvis Costello @ the Palace Theater in Louisville KY

[Fly Rod]

Just got back from Louisville, Traffic like you wouldn't believe over there..
We live in Clarksville Indiana two Miles from the Ohio River that adjoins Louisville Kentucky..
My Son says they upgraded his tickets & got a great seat, Show starts soon..
He has to be at work @ 11:00pm so He is going to Uber back to his work afterwards..

My Biggest problem now is how to get a flat routing area from above for making the patch for the top as the face of the Fly is very tapered so it will need to be shimmed on the bass side to make a flat patch that I will have to taper before gluing it in with either a hand plane or orbital sander.
Slow and Easy, I will take my time, I will unsolder the pickups & piezo tomorrow & get to routing the face for the patch of poplar

I will go to Home Depot in the morning & get a package of these tapered shims that when they are slid together you can make an exact thickness spacers. I will either hot glue them in place or use Alien Tape but only after putting some painters tape on the guitars face..
Of course I could cut my own spacers on the table saw BUT?
The piece of poplar my buddy from Talk Bass sent will make a decent patch, My Son thinks I should make the patch from a harder wood such as Maple or Mahogany so if the spring breaks again it won't pop the wood out again..
I also need to get some TiteBond Glue as my only wood glue here is from 2003, Always remember to date stuff like that as I was thinking it was fairly new but the date tells me different, I could also use some of that Super Glue #30 from Stew-Mac & not have to wait an extra day for the patch to setup but I am in no hurry & wood glue on wood is super strong actually stronger than the wood itself.. Will also have to get a few blocks of scraps for when I clamp the patch into place which my shop is full of.. Also wood filler can be made from saw dust & wood glue, So save your dust when you clean up.
Still thinking some type of auto body filler will be required + black primer & paint..
Jr. Luthier in Training to Surgery Stat.. HaHa!!

I'm here masked up & ready.. BTW The used router I bought needed to have the Off/On switch removed & cleaned as it was packed with saw dust & would only work when the switch was held in.. I tested it at the Pawn Shop & got a 15 day return available but it is like new now after disassembly & cleaning + I have ideas for it with that cutting board.. I made a router table a few years back from a huge Craftsman Router I bought for $20 at the Pawn Shop.. I buy a lot of stuff there = Tools, Guitars, Jewelry & Guns.. I went to High School with the Manager 40 years ago.

Hey I'm 55 years old & Retired & own my Home so I have to be thrifty but never do without anything = The Way To Be!!

I have many ideas and am very handy from being a maintenance man so I make a lot of stuff others would buy like a table saw sled for instance

[Fly Rod]

These maple 4x4s came from a church a block away from my house & are over 100 years & will become guitar necks in the future.
I think the wood has dried out by now & become stable + It's Holy Wood that has been prayed on in a sanctuary for ten decades or more
Can't believe they threw these away, I have two & have cut one into three pieces now..
Have you ever needed a long drill bit?? For guitar wiring, Why pay big money, Weld a piece of thread all on to a good old bit & make your own
How about a fostner bit for an output jack, Just take an old drill bit & a grinder & make one..
How about a router table, Just Make one with dust extraction..
Someone threw away an old cedar chest that I salvaged the wood from in one of these photos
Everything in these photos was FREE

One of these days I'm going to make my own electric guitar or bass, After seeing what Ken Parker, Ned Steinberger, Leo Fender, Lester Paulfus, Stewart Spector & many others have done I am inspired to do so..

I am not a Luthier but play Guitar Repairman

[Fly Rod]

Had to share a photo of Great Grandpa Gatterer's doll furniture He made 50 years ago..
He made a lathe from two fishing reals & an electric motor & took his time to make this furniture for my Wife as a child..
She never got to play with them as Her Mother said they are too preciouses..
I have them in a glass display case in my living room..
Just for size, That Plate is the size of a quarter.. Note Tiny Pocket knife on table..

IF I Only had the skills of that great old craftsman imagine what I could build..
Sadly He passed away in the mid 80s & had no Son & all his knowledge was lost..

[Fly Rod]

I am now working at a Template for the Patch for the Flies Face.
Started with a paper plate cut to the 2 1/2" width of the 1/4" x 2 1/2" piece of poplar from Home Depot
Think I want it closer to the end to keep from using as much body filler, So another template will have to be made..
It will be angled at both ends & the router has a 1/2" bit so I marked the end closest to the strap button to be round as that's the shape the router will leave..
Once I get one I like, I will transfer it to the 1/4" poplar patch & cut it with miter box or coping saw at a slight angle & work the trem end with a rasp & then a file + bevel the underside slightly like the original..
I will use the actual patch to set up the routing fence for the router's bearing to follow & will attach the fence with alien tape over painters tape.
decided to leave the tremolo & pickups attached but out of the way of the router BUT need to unsolder the piezo's wire anyway to allow gluing of the crack in the trems mounting insert.. More work to be done before I start cutting the top for the patch.. More Pictures to come.. Just started back on the thing.
I'll have a few hours this weekend to work on the patch.. I have also been thinking that the end grain will be at the tremolo's face so I will fill the end grain with super glue to make it super strong there.. Just something else to think about.. Time & patience will have it better than it was before..

I was brought a Trumpet that was found in it's case in the Trash this week but all the finger buttons where stuck in..
After about an hour of cleaning & polishing I was able to unstick everything & get it up & running.
Special tools are required to work on & fix these things but I used several brass & copper gun cleaning brushes & rods & Mother's Polish + Dremel Tool.
Lubes where Chap Stick Lip balm = wax & light weight gun oil = Rem-Oil.. Gotta Be Thrifty & Use what you have..
Needs one finger button mother of pearl 6mm inlay, Thought about cutting one from a guitar pick..
It's an Opus USA Trumpet 7C, I will either sell it or use it as trading fodder @ Music Go Round..
Nice Hard Case Too!! Marked $299.95 on the front..
Anybody want to buy a used Trumpet?? HaHaHa!! I LOVE TRASH.. NOTE: New Avatar of Oscar the Grouch

[Patzag]

Dude - you're both super talented and hilarious!

[Fly Rod]

Made a #2 Template & then transferred that to the 1/4" x 2 1/2" Poplar Wood panel..
Will 2nd check the fit in the morning & then clamp the wood to the edge of a table & take one of those three coping saws & cut it out..
Used a 1/2" Drill Guide to make the rounds on the inside corners to match what the router will take.
Here's where I am so far with that this Friday evening @ 12:00 Midnight/Early Saturday Morning Now..

[Fly Rod]

Cut the patch out & made it a bit longer & stayed with the 2 1/2" width which will give it a step to sit on on both sides.. It's 1/4" thick .025"
Used two coping saws, One has the blade in backwards = Cuts on the UP stroke, The other normal to Cut on the DOWN stroke to keep from splintering the wood.. Poplar is a very soft wood but takes some effort to cut & shape, Nothing like say Maple..
Need to fix the guide pieces into place, Going to use Alien Tape, It removes easily & doesn't leave a residue behind.
Need to get everything level first with shims & then break out the Bosch Palm Router & Bearing Pattern Bit..
Might Do it Tonight?

[Fly Rod]

The Bosch Palm Router & 1/2" Pattern Bit..

[Fly Rod]

Working at getting the odd shape for the bridge side of the Fly Patch
Wrapped sandpaper around the bridge & sanded away
Rout will happen soon

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

[JohnZ]

Really impressive work you're doing!

I might have missed in the earlier threads, did you decide on a repaint color?

[Fly Rod]

Just got my mail & in the mailbox was a small package from Sperzel
Ron Spercel sent me both the locking knob & pin FREE of charge & it cost them $4.40 for S&H First Class w/ Tracking
AMAZING Customer Service & World's Finest Guitar Machine Heads

I only have two guitars with their Tuners & both are fantastic = Parker Fly Deluxe & Brian Moore iGuitar 1.13

Next set of tuners I buy will be from Sperzel

"Grab your Ankles" Used to Hear that in Grade School all the time = "Gary Grab Your Ankles" HaHaHa!!

Sent me a Case Sticker Too!! Thanks Ron @ Sperzel

BTW Ron Told Me that their last name used to be Sperzel but when His Father came over from Germany they had Him change it to Spercel which is the pronunciation of Sperzel in English..
When His father started the Tuner Company they used the Deutsch Spelling SPERZEL..
Great Guy & Great Company & 100% American Made
I Owe him at least a Christmas Card or Something Better

Also like the looks of the D Thing but don't use it much & have non tremolo guitars tuned down 1/2 step anyway
Sperzel's Drop D Tuner = The D Thing---> http://sperzel.com/accessories.php#d-thing
BUT Maybe our Midi Guitar the iGuitar 1.13 Brian Moore could use one of these.. Hmmmm??

The Brian Moore iGuitar 1.13 has Piezo, Midi & Three EMG Pickups two Red Humbuckers & a Gold Single Coil & Cost $400 at a Local Pawn Shop with a really nice $200 Case too.. = DEAL!!
NOTE Grolsch FREE Strap Locks = Orange Beer Seals

My Late Twin Brother Jerry bought this for my Son David in 2019 & I gave him a S&W 9mm Shield for it..
What Sucks is I got the Pistol Back after He Passed Away.. He Passed 3/18/21

The Guitar & Pistol now mean a lot to Me & my Son David..
He keeps it out with His best guitars..
I bought Him a Roland GR-55 for Christmas last year to maximize it's Use.. Used $300 in the Box..
Hey I'm Thrifty..

[Fly Rod]

Really impressive work you're doing!

I might have missed in the earlier threads, did you decide on a repaint color?

I really haven't but was thinking the factory Dusty Black BUT my Son will choose.
Need to go bye the Auto Body Supply Company about two miles away.
Haven't been in there in 25 years.

The Solar Flare over a Black Looks Very Interesting..
Need a new paint gun but might be able to get what I want in a two part Spray Bomb??

Also need some trans red lacquer for a 1994 Gibson Les Paul Studio Lite M-III I am fixing a headstock break on + some 800 1000 2000 sandpaper
Paid $400 for the Gibson with No case.. Just saw MGR has a case for $49.95, I want to sell them the Trumpet I fixed.. Hmmm??
I can't find any photos of the Gibson but the headstock break is repaired 100% & needs another coat of the trans red & be wet sanded & buffed out.
It's an Odd Gibson with 9 sounds Like a Strat & a Les Paul, Has factory Coil tap Switch & a 5 way strat style switch & has a coil within that's the same as the one in a Morley Wha that gives a sweet tone & the 10th position is Kill or Standby..
Has Black hardware & tuners & a Rosewood fingerboard not Ebony..
The photo in the chair with the lightning bolt strap I took. After gluing the headstock before paint
2nd one is from reverb when I bought it..

One Like Mine below with a white nut & Ebony fretboard
Shows the Black metal Tuners marked Gibson
Mine has a Black Tusq Nut as it was broke when the headstock break happened..

Hey my 99th Post in less than two months.. 100 Coming SOON!

[vjmanzo]

AMAZING Customer Service & World's Finest Guitar Machine Heads

Completely agree! Ron is a gem, and wow—I always wondered why his emails came in as “Spercel”; mystery solved!

I’ve swapped the stock tuners for Sperzels on almost all of my guitars! Even on my nylon string!

Keep up the great work, Gary! Looking forward to post one hundred!

[ahmadimran]

Really enjoying this journey Gary. Thank you for sharing all of this.

[Fly Rod]

I have started routing the top for the patch
It's ugly now & my templates keep moving
Need to get it deeper at the end where the strap button goes
Plan on using a tapered shim on each side & making another for the end to match
Haven't vacuumed the mess up & won't till I'm Threw
The Poplar routs away very easy @ about #3 speed on the Bosch Palm Router
I took 5-6 passes to get it 1/4" Deep & it has a nice flat step for the patch to glue too
I'll get some photos later on, It's 7:45am & I'm ready for a nap
Will also try an get some fiberglass body filler later & need to stop @ the print shop & have a Steinberger Logo Made for my Son's XP-2 Bass
It got a new Chandler Pickguard & looks wrong without the Logo, Should be easy for the print shop, Might have extras made & sell them on eBay or Reverb
Catch You All Later On
Gary

[Fly Rod]

The patch is getting close think I'm going to epoxy it into place