Concidering Graph Tech Ghost in Fly Deluxe

[Fly Rod]

SO FAR, I have had zero luck getting the Fishman Pre-Amp in the 2007 Parker Fly Deluxe Working...
I have been looking at the Graph Tech Ghost Pickup Saddles & Pre-Amp Kit
Trying not to spend money on parts that will never be used I have come down to the PN-8011-00 Saddles & a PE-0440-00 Pre-Amp Kit...
Has anyone else ever installed on of these or had any experience with these???
I do realize I will have to enlarge the hole that the Piezo wire currently runs through or remove the plugs from each separate pickup wires before they run through the wooden body, this very near the treble sides tremolo bushing...
I have been looking at a supplier in Exton PA SportHiTech on Reverb & eBay...

I could in the future if I wanted add the Hexpander PE-0440-00 with 13-Pin Midi Out to hook directly to our Roland GR-55.

We have a Brian Moore with RMC Piezo Pickups that has more wiring in the control cavity than you have ever seen, You couldn't put a guitar pick in there it's so tight with ribbon cable, pots & switches, + outputs etc. Crazy Wiring... BUT It works 100%...

#PiezoIssues
#SaddleIssues

[mmmguitar]

@Fly Rod, let's see if we can't save money by troubleshooting this: Do you think the issue rests with the preamp, saddle elements, or both?

The Fishman Powerchip preamp is still produced/sold for less than than the complete Graphtech retrofit will cost. And if the issue happens to come down to the saddles, I have a set of Fishman Fly saddles I'd be willing to provide for the restoration project (preamp, too).

For what it's worth, I buy all my Graphtech stuff through Sport Hi Tech, and Graphtech was quick to replace some components that happened to be missing from the last kits I purchased (no idea as to whether it was supplier or retailer error, but they made it right with one email). If you end up going all-Graphtech, you seem to already have a good idea of what the work entails, and I don't mind lending my firsthand experience (I have Graphtech Hexpanders in three of my Flys, and run them into a GR-55).

[Fly Rod]

THANKS @mmmguitar

I believe the Pre-Amp is the culprit.
I have all the parts removed from the guitar now & am going down in a while with my meter & a tiny practice amp & some alligator jumper wires to assemble the whole thing without the guitar & start tapping on the pickups & saddles.
Each saddle is un-soldered from the bride as I painted it...

Not sure but I should be able to measure output from each removed saddle with a voltmeter set at a very low micro voltage.
I have a Fluke 11 IIRC
I do understand how it is supposed to work & the piezos produce a small output when vibrated by the strings.
I'm not really sure how to wire the preamp as it was partially disassembled when I got the husk body for $35...
I also have a 2nd pre-amp from a scrapped Parker Night Fly IIRC See Photos

I have been wanting to put the trem posts with stabilizer bushings in the body & do a pre setup as I may have to sculpt around the tremolo unit in the body because of the body work involved & possibly shorten the metal tremolo post holders because of the bushings, if the bushings are shortened they are too short & will pop out sideways???, not sure about them hanging out the back slightly as they are covered by the backplate???

Just more trouble...

I will be back & let you know what I have found out soon...
Gary aka FlyRod

There are Parker Guitar T-Shirts on eBay @ $23.95 + $4.00 S&H
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184834977916?_ ... %7Ciid%3A1

[Fly Rod]

I have almost come to the realization that I may not be able to figure this guitars wiring out with a wiring diagram...
I had Spinal Meningitis & lost my memory totally & most of it has returned.
See where there are five wires per pickup & see that there are two that ground via the push/pull put to make the neck pickup into a single coil.
Also see several connections that I am unsure of where they go.
I also assume the hot red wire from the 9-volt battery goes to the output jack & that the guitar cable makes that connection to the preamp, it may also be the ground is supplied via the output jack & the + positive goes to the board itself???
I took several more photos & will search for a wiring diagram online or HERE on Fly Clone???

Also, I see a Personal Message I will look into??? Hmmm???

Those T-Shirts I posted above have DARK VORTEX BRAND beneath the Parker Guitars Logo??? very small???

May have bitten off more than I can chew BUT know with some info & possibly parts I can get this up & running from the dead...
The preamp has been unsoldered in 2-3 places & appears to have burnt a small part? Capacitor or IC ???
I have many photos & will have to post 4-5 times to upload each + I had to edit each to shrink in order for them to post
HELP ME! HaHaha!!

[Fly Rod]

More Photos II

[Fly Rod]

More Photos III

[Fly Rod]

More Photos IV

I cleaned up the electronics from all the dust they had on them with Q-Tips & compressed air.
I also cleaned each pot with Deoxit Fader F5 & also used a small piece of 1000 grit sandpaper to clean each contact on both sides of each contact on the switches & then put some contact cleaner on them...

The T-Shirt Logo????

[mmmguitar]

The battery + (red) goes to the corner of the Powerchip, with the - (black) going to the ground lug of the jack. The stereo wires from outputted from the preamp to the jack also act as mono/stereo-switching wires for an impedance-sensor, depending on if a T/S or T/R/S plug is inserted.

[Fly Rod]

Thank You for that INFO...
Any & All Help appreciated...

I had no idea I had all but forgotten the wiring of the 2007 Parker Fly Deluxe
What I removed was already tinkered with before I got the Broken Guitar around 2019 IIRC
After having the Meningitis my memory has been very poor as I was a blank slate except for I could talk, I didn't know my name or even remember my Wife or anything, they had me handcuffed to the hospital bed & I was in ICU for weeks afterwards, they said I was fighting them while trying to give me a spinal tap & had me quarantined due to it possibly being contagious. + Covid-19... I was a sick puppy & was lucky to have survived.
It did other things to me & can't no longer tune a guitar with my ear, can't hear well anyhow, darn LOUD guitars + concerts &
Lost motor skills + I have had diabetes for 45 years & lost the control I once had, I started getting FAT too, I now weigh 235 pounds.

OUCH MY FLY!!!
Someone threw that guitar in the trash can after messing with it & the trem spring broke or was loosened while under tension breaking the top.
Shown here after I first got it, I made a trem stop from thread all & two threaded blocks.

I feel how this guitar looks. ~~BROKEN~~

After Initial wood repair with poplar patch glued in with epoxy

[Fly Rod]

Here is the Fishman Powerchip Manual in PDF that can be downloaded here on The Fly Clone
https://flyclone.com/_files/Manuals/Fis ... -Guide.pdf

[Gregsaab]

One of the USM saddles on my Mojo has a small bur at the contact point and another saddle is a bit worn, so I am planning on getting a set of Ghosts.

Looking at these two docs: https://flyclone.com/_files/Notices_Sc ... addles.pdf
and
_files/Notices_Schematics/Graphtec_Sadd ... lletin.pdf

It looks like it is plug-and-play with that connector, but I thought soldering is required? Will I need to desolder the saddles from the ‘summing’ component, then resolder after having them in place?

[vjmanzo]

Hi @Gregsaab—yes, if you’re looking to use the Graphtech saddles with the Fishman Powerchip then you’d follow the steps in that first document you linked. Soldering would be required as per step “B”.

[mmmguitar]

+1 to VJ.

Additionally, the Graphtech stuff uses 2.0mm pitch female connectors crimped onto everything. The Ghost saddle elements have a silver hot wire and blue ground wire that you would need to either remove from all six connectors, or use the summing assembly GraphTech sells; and remove the two summed hot/ground wires from the other end of that.

I'd personally recommend the latter; because I found the Ghost element insulation and hair-thin wire to be downright annoying to strip and solder successfully in one attempt, unless you're using a chisel tip to melt a good 1/2" of tinned wire into a glob of solder you've already laid down.

@Gregsaab, would you be doing the work yourself, or having someone like SportHiTech do it? I ask because you'll need to drill a larger channel between the spring rout and the control cavity to snake the 2.0mm connectors through, unless you're doing the aforementioned tougher job of removing the connectors prior to installation to strip, tin, and solder 12 wires.

[Gregsaab]

I was considering doing it myself, but I think SportHiTech may be the better choice.

[mmmguitar]

I was considering doing it myself, but I think SportHiTech may be the better choice.

Either way, I’m happy to help out, and would much appreciate your letting us know your impressions of the retrofit. I also hope we can get this into a second page; because seeing Gary’s unrealized project posts is bumming me out.

[jb63]

I thought gary had come back from the dead to finish the project!
I miss that guy (and i never even met him)

[mmmguitar]

I thought gary had come back from the dead to finish the project!

What’s funny is that he technically did that between hospitalizations.

[Gregsaab]

If the retrofit on the Mojo goes well, I may do the same on the two deluxes. The lower friction coefficient and matte finish is attractive.

[Gregsaab]

I ordered 2 sets of the saddles. It is my preference to get this done on my own (with help from here!) Will I need to buy the ‘summing assembly’ or does it come with the set?

Is there a step-by-step guide for what I will need to do?

[mmmguitar]

Is there a step-by-step guide for what I will need to do?

I think we'll be writing it together.

That saddle retrofit guide from Parker that you linked to in your earlier post is a bit out of date, concerning the summing board: You'll need to buy the summing board and dual connector separate from the saddles - This is because there are setups where those components aren't used.