what are the worst and best years of manufacture

[oktav]

I recently learned that the 2007-2011 frets take off in the fly.
I imagine these are the worst years to buy one ?
is this also the case with the nitefly ?

[Voice Of Reason]

There was a bad batch of glue around 2008 (at USM).

The Ken Parker years were up to 2003. I read that guitars were still made by the original team at the original factory until June 2004.
More on this in this post: viewtopic.php?t=3

I have a 1998 Fly Classic. It’s been very reliable. I consistently heard the same of the Ken Parker era Nitefly.

If you can’t inspect a guitar in person, I’d put more confidence in a Ken era model (or even up to June 2004). This does not preclude doing your homework with any previous owner/listing.

That being said, there are several that are satisfied with the USM instruments. 2008 (or so) seems to be the year to avoid.

[Neongreenman]

I recently learned that the 2007-2011 frets take off in the fly.
I imagine these are the worst years to buy one ?
is this also the case with the nitefly ?

personally i dont feel any US Music are consistent or reliable and within a few years of taking over, they downgraded many of the components of the guitars.

[vjmanzo]

I hear you, @Neongreenman. I have had USM-era Flys of varying quality: some great, some not so great. You’re right though that the controls are unreliable.

2008 (or so) seems to be the year to avoid.

In terms of quality control, yeah, 2008 is a big ol’ question mark for Flys—especially regarding frets

[Voice Of Reason]

The pre-refined has features I could not do without. For instance the piezo tone control and especially the step stop switch.

However, the refined models have a greater variety of finishes and usually thicker necks (for instance).

If I had only followed my eyes, I would have picked up a 2007 emerald Fly Mojo flame. In retrospect, with all the issues having surfaced since then, I’m rather relieved I didn’t.

In the end, unless you find a fair price on a refined model (that you can inspect before purchase), I would err on the side of caution and seek a pre-refined model.

[Gregsaab]

My ‘11 Mojo’s fretboard did delaminate from the neck, but the repair cost was quite reasonable (~$250 sans shipping). Had it repaired by Patrick @ iGuitar Workshop - an excellent guy.

[Voice Of Reason]

My ‘11 Mojo’s fretboard did delaminate from the neck, but the repair cost was quite reasonable (~$250 sans shipping). Had it repaired by Patrick @ iGuitar Workshop - an excellent guy.

No issues since the repair?

Part of the problem is finding someone competent to tackle the issue.

[Gregsaab]

No, everything is good with the fretboard so far. Patrick has had a lot of experience with Parker guitars (and Parker himself). He came recommended by VJ. I’ll write a full review on my experience soon.