the Fly Clone Project

Gregsaab wrote: ↑Mon Apr 22, 2024 6:15 pm Pretty good price on Deluxe in Excellent condition, but with a few minor mods ($2195) https://reverb.com/item/81667888-parker ... t=81667888

Extra info: That's a Ken-era Trans Cherry Classic which has been rewired "point-to-point", with what looks to be a coil split switch added after the master volume pot was forfeited. The unnecessary retrofitting of a Tele-style cup jack plate is indicative of the Fishman 9 pin switching stereo jack being used, in lieu of a more common 4 lug stereo barrel jack which would have replaced the original without the mounting hole needing to be enlarged.

Hopefully Lovies doesn't actually use those included lemon and coconut oil microabrasive cloths on any of the Flys they sell on consignment - That stuff's just going to sit on the surface of the board and build up along the frets, rather than being absorbed. I don't know that accidentally using one of those wipes will necessarily be any more harmful than if you used it on a finished maple fretboard - You just don't want to use anything liable to affect the CA bonding the frets to the board.

Update: The rewired Trans Cherry Classic Gregsaab linked to appears to have sold for the $2195 asking price. Unfortunately, the serial is illegible in the listing photos. However, the Tele-style cup jack will make it obvious if and when the guitar is relisted.

4/24/24 post:

Two beater Ken-era Deluxes have popped up on Reverb: A black '97 (189067BP) listed for $2,295 and having turned down seven offers, and a Plum '96 (173066BP) asking $2,542 and which has had five offers rejected. I'm highlighting these because, though we've recently seen Flys in better condition sell for less, there are no others currently listed in the sub-$2.5k on eBay or Guitar Center.

Here's a new one on Reverb. It claims Factory Refinish but I've never seen the headstock redone in factory. Could be?
Otherwise, not a bad price for a hard tail in good condition. And we know the spring will not need to be replaced

https://reverb.com/item/81752817-1995-p ... re-refined

Patzag wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2024 12:19 pm It claims Factory Refinish but I've never seen the headstock redone in factory.

That the front and rear logos were painted over makes me doubt that it was a factory job. Though the fret markers seem to be there, I see only a bit of lighting glare where the serial should be. My suspicion is that only the headstock was refinished, and was for the sake of covering a break repair visible on the face. Lastly: If an uncoordinated oaf such as myself can replace the logos in a refinish, why couldn't the factory?

2002 P-38 for $750 + shipping (seller says he's willing to accept an offer as well)

https://reverb.com/item/83461946-parker ... parent-red

https://reverb.com/item/83578223-parker ... rimson-red

How significant is that damage to the body? "Small crack" seems like an understatement

NACFly wrote: ↑Sat Jul 13, 2024 3:46 pm How significant is that damage to the body?

It seems significant enough that we’re able to see the wood fibers on the inside of the fracture, which I wouldn’t personally describe as a crack; I’d call it a break.

Are you considering this Fly?

vjmanzo wrote: ↑Sat Jul 13, 2024 4:18 pm Are you considering this Fly?

Nope, I'm holding out for a hardtail at the right price - was just curious if this sort of damage was "normal" with Flys or if it was as gnarly as it looks.

That listing is so disingenuous that I've saved it for future reference. At least glue the thing - Whoever bids more than a grand for that project is liable to win and receive the guitar with the broken-off chunk rattling around in the box.

The seller's previous feedback seems pertinent:

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 2:58 am Market tip: If you ever need to quickly increase the value of your '94 Galaxy Gray Deluxe (138094BP), you can use a grease-clogged kitchen sponge to speckle some pink, purple, and green acrylic paints over the clear coat until the guitar's able to be mistaken for an egg laid by a rodeo clown. Then, be sure to rub a birthday cake candle over the serial before you complete the makeover with a coup de grâce of eleven Tony Iommi crucifix stickers.

Update: For those curious about some of the more distinguished-looking Flys highlighted in this thread, this guitar (the listing for which was removed by Reverb after being marked "sold" for an unknown amount) now appears to be on consignment with the Carle Place Guitar Center in Long Island for $2,699. On Reverb, the initial asking price was $3,900 (my original post was incredulous in tone because the seller was pretending that deliberately ruining the paint job, covering the CF board with stickers, and attempting to obscure the serial were distinguishing upgrades which had caused the guitar to appreciate in value), before dropping to $2,900 prior to the sale/removal.

Photos courtesy of Guitar Center:

Aye Carumba . Don't see too many of these!

https://reverb.com/item/83040250-parker ... tic-silver

Interesting that Adrian's sharpie signature isn't present on either the rear cover or battery box. The COA with the serial and completion date also appears to be missing, in addition to any mention or photo of the serial or the guitar's actual condition (aside from being listed as "excellent").

In the spirit of the thread: My tangerine Belew Fly (P808330) which I purchased around this time last year ended up costing $8,992.06 after tax. The above listing for the Artic Silver model is currently priced at $10,000 for local pickup-only, and without the sales tax Reverb is going to tack on for everywhere except Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, or Oregon.

I always take a listing body's explicit invitation to contact a seller with additional condition questions to leave room for negotiating a sale outside the site - So I'll be checking to see if the listing gets marked "sold" or merely "ended."

Edit: Within minutes of my post, the asking price was increased from $10,000 to $15,000, and a "make an offer" option added. The $5,000 listing price increase causes me to further suspect that the seller wants to negotiate the sale outside of Reverb. Update 2: The price was then raised to $20,000.00 USD.

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2024 11:43 am Within minutes of my post, the asking price was increased from $10,000 to $15,000, and a "make an offer" option added. The $5,000 listing price increase causes me to further suspect that the seller wants to negotiate the sale outside of Reverb.

colliderman wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2024 11:24 am Aye Carumba . Don't see too many of these!

https://reverb.com/de/item/83859388-parker-adrian-belew
Another one of these just got listed! This one looks really banged up and the signature is missing aswell.

vaya wrote: ↑Thu Jul 25, 2024 3:17 am

colliderman wrote: ↑Mon Jul 22, 2024 11:24 am Aye Carumba . Don't see too many of these!

https://reverb.com/de/item/83859388-parker-adrian-belew
Another one of these just got listed! This one looks really banged up and the signature is missing aswell.

$12,000!!

That listing neither mentions nor photographs the absent serial, bar for the trem, extra flatspring, truss adjustment torx wrench, T hex key for the saddle screws, bullwinkle, COA with serial and completion date, Adrian Belew DVD, manual, or the proprietary 13 pin breakout box and power supply necessary to power the Variax board via pin 9.

https://reverb.com/item/83907187-parker ... ple-cognac

This seems like a cool one, kind of interested to see how quickly this sells

NACFly wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2024 9:27 pm https://reverb.com/item/83907187-parker ... _sold=true

This seems like a cool one, kind of interested to see how quickly this sells

And it's gone!

https://reverb.com/item/84003442-parker ... 99-natural

WOW, a few dings but a BEAUT. What price do you guys see this actually selling at? 5.9 seems insane to me but in this market who knows

Marc, what % of used Flys for sale would you estimate have the completely chipped out finish somewhere? Because whenever I look it seems like the answer is "nearly all of them" which (I hope) is selection bias created by flip-scammers flipping and reflipping the same pool of fair condition instruments.

BMA_USA wrote: ↑Fri Aug 09, 2024 7:54 pm Marc, what % of used Flys for sale would you estimate have the completely chipped out finish somewhere? Because whenever I look it seems like the answer is "nearly all of them" which (I hope) is selection bias created by flip-scammers flipping and reflipping the same pool of fair condition instruments.

I agree that it seems like most listings have at least one chip down to the bare wood, and you summed it up better than I could.

Of the seven Flys I've owned (all purchased in "used" condition), three were cosmetically perfect when I received them - But they were acquired prior to the 2020 speculator bubble trend of any examples without chips immediately being parted out and re-listed for double the price. We still occasionally see non-flipper examples of case queens or generally well cared-for instruments being sold by original owners or the spouses and children of recently deceased collectors - But the people willing to pay whatever is asked for such examples are competing collectors and/or speculators serving to drive up the market value of their next acquisition.

I personally prefer a "player's condition" instrument at a good price - But I don't see those listings becoming common again until owners are willing to stop pretending that their beater guitars command the same prices as the "mint" examples they see listed for numbers which are deliberately unrealistic for the sake of attracting offers to determine the ceiling of what the seller can get away with asking.