Parker guitars PARKER User Manual

PARKER GUITARS |A REVOLUTION IN PRECISION AND SOUND

FLY HANDBOOK

The first thing you notice is how they look. A little weird. Strangely
geometric. With parallel horns that reach up like arms, that want to
play you right back. And they do. Because the moment you pick up a
Parker guitar, you'll feel its sculpted recesses embrace your torso while
its featherweight body gives you effortless access to every note. And
when we say “every note”, we mean every

note—From visceral,
in-your-face electric tones to the warm, juicy harmonies of
acoustic. They're all here, in one guitar. The entire spectrum of jaw­dropping, impassioned sounds, just waiting to be transformed into
music. Your music. One moment you're playing blistering
electric grind. The next—thick, meaty, strum-heavy acoustic.
And the next, the two voices are wailing simultaneously,
crunchi n g n o t es that were in your head before you even knew how to
spell the word riff. What is this beast? It doesn't look like any
ot he r g ui tar e ve r m ad e. It doesn't feel like any other guitar ever
made. And there's no other guitar—period—that can turn sound
into seduction like a Parker guitar.

1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Evolution of the Parker Fly

• Features

• Operation

– Plugging In

• Cords and Controls

– Replacing Battery

• Maintenance

– Cleaning and Polishing
– Fret Care

• Adjustments

– Balancing Piezo / Magnetic Output

– Adjusting Bridge Height (Action)
– Vibrato Bridge
– Non-Vibrato Bridge

– Adjusting Truss Rod

– Setting Intonation

– Changing Strings

– Changing String Gauge

– Using Sperzel Tuners

• Trem Bridge

– Dynamic Mechanics (description, physics)

– Step-stop

– Balance Wheel

– Vibrato Bar

– Spring

– Changing Springs

• Troubleshooting

– No Sound

– Buzzing

– Ground Loops

– Distorted Piezos

– Weak or Distorted Sound

• — Won’t Stay in Tune

EVOLUTION OF THE FLY

For forty-five years, guitar builders and technicians have re-combined the features
of available instruments in countless ways, trying to serve the changing needs of
guitarists. The uses and limitations of the new combinations have been fully
explored by now. As different as they seem, solid-body and hollow-body guitars both
create sound the same way. Both guitars are mechanical devices made of
wood and other materials, designed to respond to a string’s vibration. The only real
difference is the mode of amplification. One uses pickups, circuitry and speakers; the
other uses a wooden membrane to move the air.

The character of both acoustic and electric guitars is

determined by their materials and proportions.

Knowing this, we set out to create the most versatile, responsive, and dependable
instrument possible. In the end, what emerged was the unique instrument that you
now own. Our search has led us down many new paths in hopes of achieving a
harmonious balance between the magic soulfulness of wood, which can suffer from
problems such as warping and cracking, and more stable modern materials, which
typically sound cold and clinical. Think of our lightweight tonewood and exoskeleton
of high-modulus carbon and glass fiber as a new kind of wood. This patented
structure allows us to sculpt a beautiful, lightweight guitar, optimized for its ability
to respond to the strings’ vibrations. We have developed other innovative features,
as well. Our patented stainless steel no-tang frets bonded to a laminated fingerboard,
greatly increase fret life. There is also a new lightweight truss rod made of tool-steel,
and a flat spring vibrato system designed to work with the Fly’s built-in piezo-elect ric bridge
pickups.

Finally, we operate in a facility filled with custom tooling to support the
man ufac ture of these new components and instruments. We’re using the latest
computer-aided manufacturing equipment combined with an especially high
propo rtion of hand work. We’re building these instruments to tolerances, never
before held in our industry. Isn’t it great that all of our attempts to make every
instrument exactly the same, result in guitars that each have their own
personality and character?

FEATURES

Congratulations on purchasing the most advanced, hand-crafted,
precision-built guitar ever made.
Some of the features are:

• Stereo / Mono Capability

• Smart-Switching Jack Sensor

• Fishman Piezo Electric Transducers

• Composite-Wrapped Tone Woods

• Seasonally Stable Neck

• DiMarzio or Seymour Duncan Pickups with Coil Splitting

• Sperzel Brand Locking Tuners

• Long-Lasting Stainless Steel Frets

• Custom Parker Bridge

• Ultra-Lightweight

PLUGGING AND PLAYING

Cords (stereo / mono)

Fly models, Nylon Fly and Bronze Fly, are active guitars with mono output. Just
plug in a standard cord and play. Remember, your Fly is equipped with a
battery, so be sure to unplug the cord from the guitar when not in use to
prolong battery life. The Fly Standard model (non-piezo) is passive with
mono output. No battery is required.

Fly models,
Two, and Mojo, have active piezo and magnetic pickups, which are
designed to work with either the stereo guitar cord shipped with the guitar
or a standard guitar cord (mono). The onboard smart-jack circuit can tell
the difference and automatically mixes the signal according to the type of
cord that is plugged into the guitar. This allows you to route the pickups
two different ways.

With a standard guitar cord in use, a mixed piezo and magnetic mono
signal is carried to one amplifier.

With the stereo cord in use, the guitar output is split into stereo with the
piezo signal going to one amplifier and the magnetic signal going to
another amplifier. The stereo cord that is provided with the guitar allows
you to send the signals to two different amplifiers.

To get the most acoustic sound from the piezo pickups, use a hi-fidelity
system, such as a PA, acoustic guitar amp, keyboard amp, or home stereo.

Deluxe, Classic, Hardtail, Artist, Supreme, Jazz, Single

Controls

Your guitar has two separate systems for creation of sound: the piezo­electric transducers (acoustic bridge saddles) and the magnetic pickups
(conventional guitar pickups). You can use them separately or together.

Here’s how:

Pickup system selection (piezo and/or magnetic)

Switch Positions:

I. Only piezo pickups activated

I

II
II. Piezo and magnetic pickups activated
III. Only magnetic pickups activated

III

Your magnetic pickup system is only activated if you’ve chosen either II or
III above. This system consists of two humbucker pickups with a coil tap. You
can use these pickups separately or together in six possible combinations.

Here’s how:

Magnetic pickup selection

With Push-Pull Tone Knob DOWN

A. Neck humbucker pickup
B. Bridge and neck humbucker pickups
C. Bridge humbucker pickup

With Push-Pull Tone Knob UP

A. Neck single coil pickup (split coil)
B. Bridge and neck single coils wired in parallel

C. Bridge single coil pickup (split coil)

Both systems have volume knobs:

The magnetic pickup volume is controlled by knob 3.
The magnetic circuit also has a treble-cut tone knob on knob 2.
The piezo volume is controlled by knob 1.

Push-pull knob 2 to control magnetic coil splitting.

3

2

1

To get the most acoustic sound from the piezo pickups, use a hi-fidelity
system, such as a PA, acoustic guitar amp, keyboard amp, or home stereo.

Battery

The battery is there to provide power to the on-board piezo preamp and the
internal mixer. This unique mixer circuit uses sophisticated voltage-doubling
synthesis circuitry, that gives you twice the clean headroom, compared to
common on-board electronics. This circuit enables the Fly to blend the
magnetic pickups with the active piezos, expanding the range of tonal
options.

The battery has a useful life of approximately 300 hours. It’s turned on
when a cord is plugged into the guitar. To extend battery life, please
remember to remove the plug when you’re not playing your guitar.

When the battery is low, a distorted output signal or a high-pitched whistle
will serve as an audio reminder to change the battery.

Replacing the Battery

The 9-Volt battery slides into a compartment on the back plate of the
guitar. To replace the battery, open the battery box
door. Remove the old battery and insert the new
battery. Be sure to match the battery’s positive
terminal with that of the battery box. Close the battery
box door.