STILL THE ONE!

[tusker9]

Hi fellow Parker lovers. Bought my Fly in '97 in Philadelphia, PA. Love at first site/listen/play. Still consider it the best electric guitar I've ever owned.
The 24 fret neck is "to die for". After 26 years, no visible fret wear.

Recently (first problem ever) the master volume does not work, although both magnetic and piezo pickups are functioning. My wanting to get this fixed brought me to FlyClone. I'll be receptive to any information on parts sources/techs who can shed light on a possible fix.

Thanks,

Tusker9

[vjmanzo]

Welcome @tusker9! Looks great!! I’ve always loved that color!!

What isn’t working about the master volume? The master volume won’t turn down the relative levels of the piezo and magnetic pickups??

Just a hunch—but I wouldn’t rule out that suspicious bear in the photo as the culprit for your volume woes!

[Voice Of Reason]

If you still have the original PCB, it could be something as simple as a loose solder joint.

[tusker9]

Hi,

Thanks @vjmanzo and @VoiceofReason for your replies to my self-introduction post. I mentioned that the master volume on my '96 Fly Deluxe is currently not working. @vjmanzo asked how is it not working? I endeavored to answer that question more specifically:

1. When the piezo/magnet toggle switch is in mid position, meaning both mag and piezo pickups are on, the master volume lowers volume an estimated 10-20% from full volume position. In other words, vey little change in volume.
2. When toggle switch is in mag only position, master volume lowers volume 100% from full volume.
3. When toggle switch is in piezo only position, master volume lowers volume 100% from full volume.

Because my usual guitar tech is declining to work on my Parker ( apparently because he's afraid of damaging it), any information about possible availability of repair people who might be familiar with the circuitry & fixes, would be welcomed.

I want to mention, as one who is new to FlyClone, that I think this platform is quite awesome, & am very glad to have stumbled upon it! Thanks in advance for any info.

[vjmanzo]

Thanks @tusker9—helpful info!

It seems like your volume pot is working, and probably/hopefully that the flex and the Fishman preamp are also fine—it seems like the issue is with one of your controls not entirely interfacing with the flex PCB; possibly a loose connection on the mag/piezo toggle.

Are you comfortable checking the connections there to see if anything has become loose?

[tusker9]

Thanks for your reply @vjmanzo. I'll open it up & poke around over the next few days & see if anything is obviously not right.

BTW- Since I'm possibly still "introducing myself": I also have a P-36 which I bought from a fellow guitarist out here on Cape Cod, MA. He knew I had the Fly & offered it for sale, probably 7 or 8 years ago. He had already replaced the pickups with Lindy Fralin (sp?) neck and bridge pickups(I never really investigated, but I guess they're Tele replacement pickups). Shortly after I got it, the piezo/mag interface was intermittently spazzing out on me. I replaced that with the Graph Tech Ghost with the String Saver saddles. I have to say I really like the Graph Tech system. I believe the saddles live up to their name, as I think I've broken 1 high E string since they were installed over probably hundreds of gigs. They also change the tone slightly (in a good way), maybe a little mellower. I also use Ernie Ball Paradym strings, which, I now would highly recommend. They virtually do not corrode and almost never break, in my experience. I also replaced stock tuners with Spertzels, including a D Thing (mechanism which lowers the low E to a D). I use drop D several times at a typical gig. I don't love the P-36 neck as much as the Fly neck, but it's quite decent. I had to do some tweaking of the nut to bring that where it had to be, also. The guitar, however, has 1 serious design flaw, which I feel compelled to mention: If you break string at a gig, you're screwed. Like a tele, the strings enter through holes in the back of the guitar, and are threaded up & across the saddle in front. There is no conduit or anything which guides the string to the appropriate hole in the front plate, through which it must be threaded. So that, combined with the Graph Tech saddles kind of not aligning with holes in front plate, make it slow going to change a string. In spite of this, I do gig with it quite frequently. It's got a nice jangly sound and is quite versatile. Due to the fact that it very rarely breaks a string, that flaw hasn't been an issue. I always take a back-up guitar to gigs anyway.

[vjmanzo]

Very great to hear your thoughts on the P-36, @tusker9! Those seem like great modifications.

[tusker9]

Hi all,

Thanks again @vjmanzo for your reply to my last post.

Continuing my attempt at solving the master volume issue on my '96 Fly Deluxe: (The master volume has almost no effect when mag/piezo toggle is in middle position-both piezo and mag ON.). I took the back plate off & everything appears to be in order. The mag/piezo toggle was slightly loose, so I tightened it, but no change in function. I'm wondering if the mag/piezo toggle switch might be the culprit, since it works fine in both mag only and piezo only modes. Any thoughts?

I know I'm still posting in "Show us your Parker" page, so thinking of posting in tech help area. (I'm a newbie to this, so please bear with me as I learn to navigate)

I've read a bit in the vetted techs posts. Of course, I'd prefer to not send the guitar out for servicing if possible, but will if necessary. So, I'm wondering if: 1) my diagnosis theory makes sense?, 2) if so, where could I get that toggle switch?, 3) What's involved in replacing the toggle switch?, 4) any other fix theories?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

[Patzag]

Test the function of the small red switch next to the battery holder.
Does the MV work the same no matter the position of that switch?

[tusker9]

Thanks @Patzag for your response - To answer your question, here's what I found:
using mono guitar cord, with both mag PU & piezo PU full on, execpt where noted,

Mag/piezo toggle Position Red button out: Red button in:
back position (piezo only)
MV position: full on no signal vol (0%) 100% signal vol works correctly
MV position: full off no signal vol (0%) no signal vol (0%) works correctly
mid position (mag & piezo)
MV position: full on 100% signal vol 100% signal vol
MV position: full off 20% signal vol (*) 80% signal vol
front position (mag only)
MV position: full on 100% signal vol 100% signal vol works correctly
MV position: full off no signal vol (0%) no signal vol (0%) works correctly

*=mid position (mag & piezo toggle) - with mag PU vol off, signal is probably piezo bleed through,
MV has reverse effect with , turning MV counterclockwise gets louder

Thanks

[tusker9]

Note about my previous post: I had written it like a spread sheet with columns & rows, but spacing got deleted in the post, but to clarify, the second MV reading (right most) is always "button in".

Sorry for the confusion.

[Patzag]

Well, it seems to be either the switch or the preamp.
Hopefully it's only the switch. That shouldn't be too hard to test. Do you have a multimeter?

[tusker9]

Thanks @Patzag for your input.

I'll test with multimeter when I get a chance. I saw that the toggle switch has a source listed on FlyClone parts page.

Help & platform much appreciated!

[tusker9]

Hi Folks,

Still trying to diagnose issue where master volume does not operate when mag/piezo toggle is in mid position. I've been consulting with my local guitar/amp tech. He found 2 broken wires in flexible PCB that he says only affect piezo tone control. I've considered replacing flexible PCB with the new replacement which is now available, but he says he not sure the problem's not the preamp. Are the preamps available anywhere? I'm also considering, if all else fails, installing Graphtech Acoustiphonic Ghost system. Although I'm pretty confident that the Ghost system would work well, I'm thinking that installing it would compromise any classic/antiquity value of the guitar ('96 Fly Deluxe). Any thoughts? Thanks much.

[vjmanzo]

Are the preamps available anywhere?

They aren’t, unfortunately—Fishman iterated on the original preamp by making the Powerchip, but it’s a very different design as you can see.

Have we ruled out that the switch is not the culprit as Patzag had thought?

[Patzag]

I've been consulting with my local guitar/amp tech. He found 2 broken wires in flexible PCB that he says only affect piezo tone control.

Hmmm, maybe, maybe not.
Also, if the PCB is broken, there's no telling what else has been damaged. PCBs don't break by themselves.
I would test the switch first, then replace the PCB, and if all fails, convert to powerchip or Ghost. But not before testing switch and PCB.

[tusker9]

Thanks @vjmanzo & @Patzag for your responses to my last post.

My Parker did fall, face down, from the guitar stand at a gig, within the last year. Had to do quick instrument change at a show, it didn't set correctly in the stand, & down she went. (Was totally bummed about it, as you can imagine). Everything seemed to be working all right afterward, but maybe I didn't try master volume when mag/piezo was in middle position right off. Anyway, I'm now thinking the fall has likely caused present malfunction.

My tech tells me he thinks both mag/piezo toggle, and piezo volume/tone pot are ok, after testing both. It was he who discovered the broken wires in flex PCB, located near the piezo volume/tone pot. That pot probably took the most impact from the fall. Assuming pots are ok, this leads us to suspect that the preamp might be malfunctioning.

So I'm wondering if, assuming pots & switches are ok:
-The flexible PCB is replaced with new one now available, can Fishman Powerchip be integrated into the original Fly configuration, if needed?

My present understanding is that the Ghost system would replace entire system, including saddles, so replacing flexible PCB & preamp seems like it would retain original config more closely.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

[Patzag]

Hi.
What I don’t understand is why are we assuming pots and switches are OK?
I have a spare preamp. I keep it as a spare but I’m not unwilling to sell it if it helps a fellow Flyer.
But I would not assume anything. Test and test again. To me, the preamp is the least likely offender.

[vjmanzo]

Test and test again. To me, the preamp is the least likely offender.

I agree with Pat—I don’t suspect the preamp to be the weak link.

That said, the Flex PCB would not easily interface with the newer Fishman preamp (the Powerchip).

[mmmguitar]

I'm with VJ and Pat. However, the following reply applies to anyone considering replacing their 90's preamp with the Powerchip (What Parker Guitars under USM referred to as "point-to-point rewiring"):

can Fishman Powerchip be integrated into the original Fly configuration, if needed?

The short answer is "Yes." But you would lose the functionality of the red mono/stereo pushbutton switch, due to the subsequent Powerchip revisions doing this switching automatically. You would also lose the concentric piezo vol/tone pot, due to the only currently produced version of the Powerchip having a PCB-mount B20k pot affixed to the preamp board for the sake of minimizing its footprint. You can desolder the pot from the preamp board and solder a dual concentric B20k vol/tone pot in its place - But it's a matter of whether your tech is willing to do it.

I haven't experimented with different master volume pot values in Ken-era Flys to know for certain but, as I understand it, a dual-gang pot can can just be spliced into the wires outputting the mag and piezo signals to their respective lugs on the jack.