the Fly Clone Project

Hi, all. One of the very many guitar projects I’ve had on the backburner is recording demos of the numerous Fly pickups I have, for the sake of the folks who visit this forum looking for pickup recommendations (typically after first asking if their Fly’s pickups can even be replaced).

My idea is to just play a series of short and straightforward arpeggios and song samples/licks in a variety of styles, with the Fly plugged straight into an archetypal amp such as a clean 5E3 Deluxe. I could then just turn the amp up for overdriven sounds; so nobody is left wondering if they’re hearing a pedal or other effect more than they’re “hearing” the pickup. For now, I intend to demo only bridge pickups.

Pickups I intend to show off:
Dimarzio
Gen 1 Bridge (Tone Zone)
Gen 1 Bridge “aired” (Air Zone)
Gen 1 Neck (Air Norton with degaussed magnet)
Gen 2 bridge
Bluesbucker
Air Classic (Bridge)
Vintage Vibe
Bridge humbucker for Fly

I don’t really see the point in doing metal demos; as you can throw a rock in any direction on YouTube to hear someone demoing how a particular “pickup” sounds when only the lowest string is palm-muted and tremolo-picked through a Decimator, compressor, Maxon 808, another Decimator, 5150 amp sim in parallel with JP-2C amp sim, a pair of Ownhammer IRs, graphic EQ with everything after 7k cut, Strymon pitch-shifted stereo delays, convolution reverb, then further sweetened in the DAW after re-amping, being compressed by YouTube, and finally heard through an iPhone speaker in a bathroom. And for some reason, there’s always a twin mattress in the background of the video.

Love this, Marc!!! Great concept! I’d love to hear these demos on a clean amp!

We’ve all been there: trying to get a sense of one component of a guitar signal (amp, pickup, strings, etc.) and all you get is heaps of reverb and insane amounts of distortion! I remember recently laughing at a demo video for the Fernandes Sustainer where every player was shredding 32nd notes—really gave me the sense of what the “sustain” is all about

I often wonder about different pickups and some of the ones on your hitlist seem interesting! Same strings on all of your Flys? Do you own the requisite twin mattress??

vjmanzo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 3:06 pm Same strings on all of your Flys? Do you own the requisite twin mattress??

I’ll try to keep strings and other variables as consistent as I can. This is by no means a scientific endeavor - Just for fun, and because I promised Pat I’d do it way back in September. Though my living room day bed is twin-sized, I think this will be audio-only, with photos of Flys providing the visuals.

Do you have Vintage Vibe's P90's.
Otherwise I could send them to you for your demo.

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 2:17 pm I don’t really see the point in doing metal demos; as you can throw a rock in any direction on YouTube to hear someone demoing how a particular “pickup” sounds when only the lowest string is palm-muted and tremolo-picked through a Decimator, compressor, Maxon 808, another Decimator, 5150 amp sim in parallel with JP-2C amp sim, a pair of Ownhammer IRs, graphic EQ with everything after 7k cut, Strymon pitch-shifted stereo delays, convolution reverb, then further sweetened in the DAW after re-amping, being compressed by YouTube, and finally heard through an iPhone speaker in a bathroom. And for some reason, there’s always a twin mattress in the background of the video.

This cracked me up. Also, truth.

He had me at

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 2:17 pm ...iPhone speaker in a bathroom...

Also curious about Bridge pickup only. Why?

Patzag wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 11:24 am Do you have Vintage Vibe's P90's.
Otherwise I could send them to you for your demo.

That’s a swell idea/offer, but I’ll pass at the moment (and may change my mind tomorrow) because I actually have way too many pickups (and guitars) in general; and need to get in the practice of covering my eyes at the sight of a new toy until I can bring myself to part with some of the stuff I already swore I would. If I ever get around to recording this one, a “P90-ish” Fly demo comparing the Bluesbucker, VVs, and Roland COSM models could be next.

Patzag wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 1:31 pm Also curious about Bridge pickup only. Why?

Just trying to cut down on soldering time (and currently debating using a quick-connect system). I can certainly do subsequent recordings, but am trying to nail down what others would prefer I do with the first one.

mmmguitar wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 1:39 pm

Patzag wrote: ↑Wed Apr 27, 2022 11:24 am Do you have Vintage Vibe's P90's.
Otherwise I could send them to you for your demo.

That’s a swell idea/offer, but I’ll pass at the moment (and may change my mind tomorrow) because I actually have way too many pickups (and guitars) in general; and need to get in the practice of covering my eyes at the sight of a new toy until I can bring myself to part with some of the stuff I already swore I would. If I ever get around to recording this one, a “P90-ish” Fly demo comparing the Bluesbucker, VVs, and Roland COSM models could be next.

Fair enough.
Let me know if you change your mind.

Bump. I’ve periodically been recording stuff for this, and will eventually post an assembly.

I settled on four levels of gain, with a Marshall Silver Jubilee model covering two of them after I decided a 5E3 Tweed just wasn’t cutting it for some of what I wanted to highlight (e.g. gain bringing out the character of certain pickups). I also decided that the Gen 1 bridge and “air’d” version of it are redundant to each other for these purposes (the difference is essentially decibels, rather than character); so the demo will be Bluesbucker, Air Classic, Air Norton (Gen 1 neck), Vintage Vibe, Gen 1 bridge (Tone Zone), and Gen 2 bridge.

Being as the next step is to swap a few pickups, I figured I’d mention what I was up to in case someone’s input persuaded me to add or redo something.