the Fly Clone Project

Hi from the UK!
My main gigging guitar is a Maxx Fly DF824. I've also got Fly Deluxe from 2000 (thanks, Ken) that comes to every gig but is currently set to drop D tuning for certain numbers (trem locked off)
I love the Fly & would never part with it, but once I pick up the Maxx Fly I can't put it down! It's so versatile it plays me, which is much more effective than the other way round! I run both through the same setup: the mags through a Boss G T100 pedal then off to a Roland Blues Cube, and the piezos go straight to the desk, via an EH C9 Organ pedal (which is insanely effective!) I had a fault with the Fishman Switch Jack which the MF has & had to replace it recently, but otherwise its been great gigged every week 1-3 times. I would say, though, the wiring post-Ken (can I say that?) leaves a lot to be desired! Am I the only one who (it seems) prefers the Maxx Fly?

Hi @stevieT! Welcome to the forum!

Yes, the DF824 is a terrific instrument and is in many ways quite comparable to the refined Fly with obvious dissimilarities in terms of shape, pickup configuration, and fret numbers. The fretboard radius is also fixed 14” which is slightly different from the 10-13” conical shape of the Fly.

I think others here might also prefer (or at least equivocate) the DF824 to/over the Fly, but my sense is that the Fly is much more prevalent in the marketplace and that many of us don’t have the familiarity with playing the DF824 (or the DF842, for that matter) to make a fair comparison.

I love the DragonFly series! My first parker was a PDF60, and I loved it so much that I spent the next few years looking for a DF1024--similar body, with more features. Truly the best guitar I own, to this day.

I've never owned a "real" Fly, only Dragonfly/Maxxfly guitars.

I bought the first one with regular 'fat strat' pickup configuration. I loved everything about it but the sound. Not that the sound is bad, it's exactly what it's supposed to be, but after a few years of playing nothing but P90 pickups, everything else just sounds dull to me. P90s have that sparkle and they respond to various attacks so well, I just kept longing for that P90 ping.

So I had Parker make a custom for me with Duncan P-Rails and Triple Shot Rings. This gives me a nice P90 sound that I use over 90% of the time plus rail and both parallel and series humbucker sounds.

I take the custom (DF522-NN) to the gig and use the other at home for practice. Guitar is my 7th instrument and I've only had 3 other guitars before the Parker so I don't have a lot to compare them with, but the guitar is so comfortable in my hands it makes it easy to play. It also stays in tune well, is built well, and the controls are conveniently placed.

The bad thing about it is after getting the custom build, I no longer have GAS for another guitar. I can appreciate the beauty of a different guitar, but have no desire to play one.



Notes

Notes_Norton wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 6:44 pm The bad thing about it is after getting the custom build, I no longer have GAS for another guitar. I can appreciate the beauty of a different guitar, but have no desire to play one.

Well geez—what more can you say about a guitar than that!? Parker Guitars could have put that quote in their catalog!

vjmanzo wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 8:49 pm

Notes_Norton wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2020 6:44 pm The bad thing about it is after getting the custom build, I no longer have GAS for another guitar. I can appreciate the beauty of a different guitar, but have no desire to play one.

Well geez—what more can you say about a guitar than that!? Parker Guitars could have put that quote in their catalog!

It's too bad Parker bit the dust when they did. I've read that guitar manufacturers are now having record sales.

Now if anything happens to my DF522NN I won't be able to get a replacement.

I have a custom df8something - love it but thinking of selling.

Don't do it! Instead, get a drummer and a bass player and a keyboard player together and rehearse a bunch of tunes and go get a bunch of paying gigs!

Lol.. would love to do that but not many gigs around these days.

The DF is great but I favor my beat up artist most. This one is almost too nice.

And I bought the French korina df524 on reverb last week.

billy wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 2:36 pm And I bought the French korina df524 on reverb last week.

Nice!!!!!

vjmanzo wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 2:43 pm

billy wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 2:36 pm And I bought the French korina df524 on reverb last week.

Nice!!!!!

Ha! That Korina will really make you happy. Beat it up!

Resurrecting the thread to say no, you're not alone! I prefer my DF824, both DF524s, and DF622FR to my original hardtail. I just can't do the broken knuckle.

In fact, I love the bolt on 524s most of all. They just feel the best to me.

I've had many "small & light" guitars, but these are the shiznit. Though my Sterling Majesty is pretty nice, too.

Resurrecting this these once again.
Like the original poster I gig with both a Dragonfly (DF524) and a Fly Classic (hardtail) - 2 bands, one Parker for each. The Fly is tuned down a full tone to suit singer's vocals, and I have 11-gauge strings loaded to compensate for the lower tension. I absolutely love both guitars. Formerly a Fender guy, my Strat and Tele have been consigned to a cupboard, since both the Parkers fit my body and hands perfectly. They play like butter. I know the pre-refined Fly is deemed to be the better instrument, but I find the DF to be equally good. If I had to lose one I honestly wouldn't know which one to choose. Maybe it's a 'horses for courses' thing, each guitar fits the style of its respective band. I still try out other guitars thinking that might be some new magic out there - but in over 5 years I've never found anything that comes close. What fantastic and enduring design and technology these guitars are.