the Fly Clone Project

Hey all, found you by accident!
Finally got over 'too stubborn for youtube', watched a mess of guitar vids, and got my Parker out again.
It is a '98 Deluxe, antique gold I believe it is called. I bought it from Boykins here in Richmond, Va - they finally failed recently. Anyway, they were authorized dealers, and came across a load off a wrecked truck. So I picked the best looking and subtle one, with correct hard case and bullwinkle.
I sold (and had been playing) an 11 pound Strat, thus is under 5, thus the appeal for an old man.
So..., this week I found a NOS 9 in the case, and a broken 11 (with a note from self to ask the factory for a replacement - that ship...) I have an interior mark aligned with the 11 remains, so though I do not remember it, I guess I was very lucky in the past.
1. Anyone else receive 9/11 pair in a new guitar?

I have a bunch of 'tonewood' scraps from my (passed) dad's lutherie hobby, and apparently I jammed a rosewood block in to replace the 11 when it broke.
Changing strings, reading here, reading the manual, videos and such got me to checking setups with and without the 9 strings, and the 9 spring or the block. I have checked everything I can for clearance, parallel, and perpendicular , and the following remains:
My bridge descender (3 cut piece) button, when string area is parallel to neck/strings, misses the switch block by about an 1/8. When I jam the button into the block and the bridge (neck side) rises, the string area will buzz on a healthy low E strum. So, I decided parallel and perpendicular were more important, and wedged stock between block and button. Reading up here, I rechecked bridge post inserts for perpendicular and can find no error. I suspect this may have led to the over-stressed spring in the past - trying to get the button to the block.
2. Anyone have a similar. er, error?

I am a life long 'rhythm' player, never used a tremolo arm ever, so a 'blocked' solution will be fine for me. But it seems it would require pushing against the tailstock, to the descender/button and shim, and on to the neck area of the cutout to 'jam' the button so as to locate the bridge position. So, in other words, not only a block, but an adjustable block so as to set descender position within the block - whew!
3. Anyone have a solution that would not disassemble during string break/change?

THX for reading along, pics will follow!

Welcome, @timshephard, and thanks for the fun background info about your Fly.

Unless I’m misunderstanding, you’re having an issue getting the trem to balance against the step-stop block with a 9-42 string set using the 9-rated spring (and have had to shim it to close the distance), and are also interested in a more stable blocking solution (as well as procuring an 11 spring)?

If I’m correct about the first part: It may be a symptom of your 9 spring failing. The threaded cylinder that the big wheel knob extends or retracts should be able to push the flat spring toward the bridge enough for the spring plate to make contact with the step stop. If you can’t get them to meet at all under tension from a 9-42 set, that seems indicative of either the spring failing to counterbalance the string tension, or that the cylinder has issues with its threading preventing the wheel knob from extending it far enough. I’ll have a better idea once I see your photos. You can attach individual photos under 3mb to your posts, directly.

Concerning blocking: The plastic step-stop block is hinged on a single wood screw; and can easily be removed so you have room to block both sides of the trem’s ridged spring anchor plate with either two pieces of wood, or one block with a slot for the spring plate cut into it.

I’ll have a better idea of what’s causing your buzzing issues once you can get the bridge balanced (“balanced” in the case of the Fly trem being when the step-stop and spring ridge plate are in contact only enough to block the trem; so that the strings don’t all go sharp or flat in the stationary position when the step-stop block is moved out of the way to allow the trem to pull up). Once the bridge is level, diagnosing whether the buzz is due to neck relief, fret leveling, bridge height, etc. will be much easier to figure out.

I’m afraid I just sent my only 11 spring to another forum member - I’m with you on waiting for someone to sell those again. For the moment, it looks like the former VP of manufacturing has only been having 9 and 10-rated springs produced.

Flys typically left the factory with a 9 spring installed, and a “10” in the case/gigbag. If yours left the factory with a 9 and 11, it was likely ordered that way.

timshephard wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:06 pm I am a life long 'rhythm' player, never used a tremolo arm ever, so a 'blocked' solution will be fine for me.

Hi Tim and welcome!

I have a set of blocks like these in a few Flys—description and info here.


They work great just as @feniks described.