I thought I'd say Hello and have copy / pasted the email I was about to send to Ken, just before I read his advice to try you guys, for all matters relating to his famous solid-body guitars - so here's the text of said email !! (Important bits emboldened.)
Dear Ken, I'm writing to you with a modest request for some information. A summary of the background is as follows.
Ever since I heard Adrian Belew play those 2 blistering and outlandish-sounding solos on the Talking Heads track The Great Curve, I've been interested in his playing and thought him exceptional in a world of I-can-play-the-blues clones. Imagine my envy when I learnt that my very own cousin has shared a stage with him! Keeping an eye on Adrian's career, I obviously spotted the Fly when he adopted it and have always wondered what they were like to hold and to play, without being able to justify a purchase - I am not a good guitar player!
Approaching retirement, I thought about rejuvenating an early hobby of working with solid guitars and so bought a much-abused Parker single cut recently. It came with a Parker hardtail - see photo - but without mounting bolts. The internet has revealed great photos of a Parker Fly Jazz, but of course they only show the outside. Can you tell me please who I could ask about the exact way this piece of hardware attaches to the guitar body and how it is adjusted? I thought I'd start the hunt by asking your advice - I know you must be busy as I'm aware that you work at your arch-top business - but when I sat down to think who to ask, I thought who better than the man himself??
kind regards,
Simon,
Bristol, UK
As you can see, I've just taken on a Parker-orintated restoration project, after years of not working on guitars, so will almost certainly need some guidance from you guys, now & then... if anyone has any information about the hardtail bridge -
not the vibrato version, I will be grateful. In particular, a cross-section diagram would be invalueable - or else a verbal description of how it mounts and adjusts. The project and the included hardtail can be seen below, as well as a piccie of an (utterly gorgeous!) Parker Fly Jazz, which clearly shows that the hardtail adjusts from the back, in a manner similar to the vibrato bridge.
- Parker single cut rebuild project
- rear of Parker Fly Jazz
regards, BF, Bristol, UK
If you were to put saddles on your bridge and string it up, you’ll notice the correct angle of the bridge.
Am assembling all the missing components before I start marking, routing & drilling... will take lots of photos. I'll keep you guys posted.