the Fly Clone Project

Back in 2002 I purchased a Parker Fly Classic. Don't ask why I don't have it anymore...
Anyways, last year I bought a Nitefly M and I love it, but the neck isn't close to the same thin shape I remember the Classic having.
So a month ago I bought a Deluxe assuming it would have the same neck. It's thinner than the Nitefly, but still thicker than the Classic.
After doing more research, I noticed an ad for a 2002 classic with: 10-13 Conical Fretboard Radius
I'm wondering if in 2001 or 2002 the neck shape was changed a little.
Could anyone who has a pre-refined Deluxe or Classic comment with the guitar model, year and a caliper measurement of the 1st and 12th frets?
I would appreciate it and maybe the mystery will be solved.
Thank you in advance...

Hi @Presence76; welcome to the forum!

In principle, all Fly necks are the same thickness, but, as others have noted, there’s not a particular Fly variant that was purposely made with a thicker neck versus another. The NiteFly necks are intentionally chunkier.

Anecdotally, if you’re looking for a chunky Fly neck, 2008 seems to be a year where you find those more often then not. I have a 2008 Mojo, for example, that has a neck chumminess that is very similar to my NiteFly, but that’s not how Flys are “supposed to be” when they leave the factory. After 2011, the CNC methods were refined and the necks were more consistently thin—that is, they had the same profile as the original Redwood neck Deluxes that Ken made. Of note though: the fingerboard contour changed post 2011 from a 10-13” conical form to a fixed 14” contour.

Some members on this forum have specifically sought out chunky-neck Flys and thin-neck Flys, so, if you’re look at ones to buy used, you can generally ask people to comment on this and they’ll let you know if it’s a very thin neck or not.

I've owned a 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 04, 08, 12 & 14.
The necks were almost ALL slightly different, but the earlier ones were the thinnest, while the Refined ones seemed thicker.
The mojo is definitely the thickest!

jb63 wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 3:58 pm The mojo is definitely the thickest!

I think it’s difficult to pair any particular Fly variant with a particular neck thickness. I have a 2005 Mojo that is super thin; I have a 2008 Mojo that is as thick a my NiteFly, and I have a 2011 Mojo that is also super thin.

Wow. That is some variation! I am more impressed with the design than ever before!

Ok
Thanks for all the info!
I’m looking for a super thin neck like the 2002 Classic I used to have.
Is it possible then, any year Deluxe could have a super thin neck as well?
Finally, has anyone played a post 2011 with a 14” radius and if so, how does it feel compared to the 10-13 thin necks?

Yes, any Fly from any year can have a thin neck; the necks are all supposed to be thin (even though, obviously, they’re not all thin).

Regarding the fretboard arc, my 2011 Mojo has the 14” fixed contour, and it’s nice; to me, after a few minutes of playing it, it feels similar to the 10-13” contour on the pre-2011 Flys. The 14” fixed arc is a bit easier to manufacture than a 10-13” conical form, which might be why they made the switch. It’s a very subtle difference and there are many more significant factors that play into a guitar’s “feel” than the fretboard contour. I prefer a flat fingerboard, and like the 10-13” approach.

Technically speaking, if the spacing at the nut is not the same spacing as at the bridge, then a conical form is the “appropriate” shape unless the fretboard is super flat (like a classical guitar).

Just to add something after speaking with @Ken Parker:

The reason for the increased neck thickness on Flys, at least during the KP years of Parker Guitars, was the result of additional fretboards being stacked and glued on top of eachother. In production, if there was an issue with the frets-to-fretboard process or with scratches on the fretboard, the frets were removed with a razor blade, the fretboard was lightly sanded, and a new fretboard was glued on top. Each stack adds .030" thickness, and, in some cases, two or even three fretboards were stacked together; Ken confirmed that a guitar that Reeves Gabrels played had one of these very thick necks.

Wow!

jb63 wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 6:27 pmWow!

I know!

Also, I heard/started a rumor that each of the additional layers of fretboards are actually signed by famous rockstars, so if you unpeel them from your Fly, you can find autographs by Eddie Van Halen, Reeves Gabrels, Joni Mitchel, and more! Collect the whole set and trade with your friends!!

Editorial Note: the Fly Clone Project cannot verify and does not endorse the above information, which is clearly false. Do not rip the fretboard off of your Fly looking for Van Halen's signature!!