Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
- Thread starter jmcorey
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pstarove
New member
Re: Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
better make a search on the Parker's forum, there is a lot of info about that.
shortly, there's 2 types of Parker Flies: with Dimarzio pickups and with Seymour Duncans.
The stock Dimarzios are Air Norton/Tone Zone for pre-2000 models and PHWP1 and PHWP2 pickups for post-2000 Flies.
Dimarzio offers HFH, PAF, PAF Pro, FRED, Virtual PAFs, Air Classics, Breed neck and bridge and Air Zone as replacement models. The pickups are attached via 2 allen screws (upper screw under A string and lower screw under B string).
Seymour Duncans are limited to Jazz/JB combo only.
If you want more info, feel free to ask. And yes, I'm a proud Parker owner 8)
I have to leave right now for a couple of hours, so to be cont'd...
better make a search on the Parker's forum, there is a lot of info about that.
shortly, there's 2 types of Parker Flies: with Dimarzio pickups and with Seymour Duncans.
The stock Dimarzios are Air Norton/Tone Zone for pre-2000 models and PHWP1 and PHWP2 pickups for post-2000 Flies.
Dimarzio offers HFH, PAF, PAF Pro, FRED, Virtual PAFs, Air Classics, Breed neck and bridge and Air Zone as replacement models. The pickups are attached via 2 allen screws (upper screw under A string and lower screw under B string).
Seymour Duncans are limited to Jazz/JB combo only.
If you want more info, feel free to ask. And yes, I'm a proud Parker owner 8)
I have to leave right now for a couple of hours, so to be cont'd...
Binnerscot
Well-known member
Re: Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
In some respects yes. There are essentially two models from Parker. The Classic/Deluxe (Dimarzio) and the Mojo (Duncan).
Dimarzio will wind most of their models for the Fly (custom order), and the Mojo will take any duncan that is a "normal" TB for the bridge and a "normal" sized bucker for the neck.
Normal is defined as non-invader pole pieces, non-parallel axis design, non-dimebucker or rails. JB, Jazz, Distortion, all Customs, 59s, PGs, etc will fit when you cut off the mounting legs. The neck pup may need the base plate corners rounded off a bit more.
I've got a Classic with a custom DM Steve's Special in the bridge, and two Mojos, one with a Distortion/Jazz combo and the other with a Full Shred set.
In some respects yes. There are essentially two models from Parker. The Classic/Deluxe (Dimarzio) and the Mojo (Duncan).
Dimarzio will wind most of their models for the Fly (custom order), and the Mojo will take any duncan that is a "normal" TB for the bridge and a "normal" sized bucker for the neck.
Normal is defined as non-invader pole pieces, non-parallel axis design, non-dimebucker or rails. JB, Jazz, Distortion, all Customs, 59s, PGs, etc will fit when you cut off the mounting legs. The neck pup may need the base plate corners rounded off a bit more.
I've got a Classic with a custom DM Steve's Special in the bridge, and two Mojos, one with a Distortion/Jazz combo and the other with a Full Shred set.
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Binnerscot
Well-known member
Re: Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
If your model was from 99 or earlier, it was most likely the Tone Zone in the bridge. The Fly has a much wider frequency range, so the highs go higher and the lows go lower with a lot more clarity than the average guitar. She isn't any Strat or Paul.
If your model was from 99 or earlier, it was most likely the Tone Zone in the bridge. The Fly has a much wider frequency range, so the highs go higher and the lows go lower with a lot more clarity than the average guitar. She isn't any Strat or Paul.
pstarove
New member
Re: Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
I don't agree that the lows go lower, I think it's just the opposite. The Fly (even the Mojo that is all-mahogany) just doesn't have enough wood to have low lows, and this was confirmed by John Page, former Parker's Director of Marketing. He said literally "think SG, not LP type of the sound".
I have a Fly Deluxe, and it has less lows than any of my "full-depth" guitars. But it is not necessarily a bad thing, because it never gets muddy for that reason, and I may get some bass back by turning the bass knob on the eq.
Returning to the pickup options, I didn't know SD makes Fly versions of pickups. In any case, it has to be a custom order, like with DiMarzio.
There is another option, you may rewind the stock Fly Dimarzio pickups if you don't like it. It was my case. I had Air Norton/Tone Zone, which I liked, but not loved (the TZ had too much bass to my taste and was a bit screechy in the highs, and the AirNorton was perfect), so I bought PHWP1/PHWP2 combo from musiclandcentral.com and liked them even less. They were not screechy, but had too little treble and reminded me of the Invader that I had had in one of my guitars a couple of years ago. Though they were way more articulate and refined than the Invader. So I decided to give them a rewind. In the US I think it's best to send pickups to Seymour Duncan for a rewind, and in Europe the best option is BareKnuckle.
But I opted for a Russian winder Fedor Chernyshev whom I know personally (he winds pickups for Shamray Custom Shop guitars), and he handwound the pickups to my specs:
Neck: 8.0Khz, unmatched coils (3.9+4.1), Alnico 2 magnet,
Bridge: 9.0Khz, unmatched coils (4.4+4.6), A2 magnets too.
And both pickups are AirBuckers (so they sound like aged A2 magnets), and have Virtual Vintage technology (iron loading between allen screws). So they are monsters! There is nothing like them available from any pickup manufacturer! The closest thing you may get is VPAF/VHPAF combo and switch the magnets to A2. But they use matched coils.
I really like my new bridge pickup. The neck is good but not great, I think AirNorton was better in some aspects, but I had to part with it since it overpowered the new bridge pickup. If I were to choose new winding specs for my pickups today, I would choose 7,5K neck, 8,5K bridge, even wind. I feel that 8K+9K is too high output for my taste and the uneven wind adds some screechiness with distortion though it is not as prominent as with the Tone Zone.
I really think that A2 makes magic to my Fly. With A5 it was too screechy, and with ceramics it was dull. I swapped the magnets in all Fly pickups I had, and prefer A2 by a good margin.
Sorry if it's too much unnecessary information, I just had to tell it to someone!
I don't agree that the lows go lower, I think it's just the opposite. The Fly (even the Mojo that is all-mahogany) just doesn't have enough wood to have low lows, and this was confirmed by John Page, former Parker's Director of Marketing. He said literally "think SG, not LP type of the sound".
I have a Fly Deluxe, and it has less lows than any of my "full-depth" guitars. But it is not necessarily a bad thing, because it never gets muddy for that reason, and I may get some bass back by turning the bass knob on the eq.
Returning to the pickup options, I didn't know SD makes Fly versions of pickups. In any case, it has to be a custom order, like with DiMarzio.
There is another option, you may rewind the stock Fly Dimarzio pickups if you don't like it. It was my case. I had Air Norton/Tone Zone, which I liked, but not loved (the TZ had too much bass to my taste and was a bit screechy in the highs, and the AirNorton was perfect), so I bought PHWP1/PHWP2 combo from musiclandcentral.com and liked them even less. They were not screechy, but had too little treble and reminded me of the Invader that I had had in one of my guitars a couple of years ago. Though they were way more articulate and refined than the Invader. So I decided to give them a rewind. In the US I think it's best to send pickups to Seymour Duncan for a rewind, and in Europe the best option is BareKnuckle.
But I opted for a Russian winder Fedor Chernyshev whom I know personally (he winds pickups for Shamray Custom Shop guitars), and he handwound the pickups to my specs:
Neck: 8.0Khz, unmatched coils (3.9+4.1), Alnico 2 magnet,
Bridge: 9.0Khz, unmatched coils (4.4+4.6), A2 magnets too.
And both pickups are AirBuckers (so they sound like aged A2 magnets), and have Virtual Vintage technology (iron loading between allen screws). So they are monsters! There is nothing like them available from any pickup manufacturer! The closest thing you may get is VPAF/VHPAF combo and switch the magnets to A2. But they use matched coils.
I really like my new bridge pickup. The neck is good but not great, I think AirNorton was better in some aspects, but I had to part with it since it overpowered the new bridge pickup. If I were to choose new winding specs for my pickups today, I would choose 7,5K neck, 8,5K bridge, even wind. I feel that 8K+9K is too high output for my taste and the uneven wind adds some screechiness with distortion though it is not as prominent as with the Tone Zone.
I really think that A2 makes magic to my Fly. With A5 it was too screechy, and with ceramics it was dull. I swapped the magnets in all Fly pickups I had, and prefer A2 by a good margin.
Sorry if it's too much unnecessary information, I just had to tell it to someone!
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Binnerscot
Well-known member
Re: Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
The lows go lower. An LP has a strong mid range character. John page was referring to the upper mid bite that is more common to the SG than the LP.
I have had my Parkers on the spectrum analyzer, I am not guessing. I realized it when I was doing some recording and was using the analyzer to screw around with the where the instruments overlapped in frequency range.
You may not percieve this, because you get very used to heavy low mids associated with a traditional design. The Fly has lower lows, but much more clarity so you hear everything a little differently. Whether you like it or not is a matter of your personal taste.
The amount of wood doesn't have as much impact as design (like an acoustic vs. electric). Acoustics have a lot more low end, and a lot less wood.
The Mojo is especially dark and low end heavy, the JB really thumps in it compared to a JB in any other guitar I have had one in.
....SD doesn't do anything special (custom order) for the Parker Fly. They will rewind Fly stock pups, but that is it.
The lows go lower. An LP has a strong mid range character. John page was referring to the upper mid bite that is more common to the SG than the LP.
I have had my Parkers on the spectrum analyzer, I am not guessing. I realized it when I was doing some recording and was using the analyzer to screw around with the where the instruments overlapped in frequency range.
You may not percieve this, because you get very used to heavy low mids associated with a traditional design. The Fly has lower lows, but much more clarity so you hear everything a little differently. Whether you like it or not is a matter of your personal taste.
The amount of wood doesn't have as much impact as design (like an acoustic vs. electric). Acoustics have a lot more low end, and a lot less wood.
The Mojo is especially dark and low end heavy, the JB really thumps in it compared to a JB in any other guitar I have had one in.
....SD doesn't do anything special (custom order) for the Parker Fly. They will rewind Fly stock pups, but that is it.
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pstarove
New member
Re: Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
ok, I can't disagree with the frequency analyzer readings 8)
yes, The Fly sounds different from the traditional designs. There are some things that I like more in the sound of my cheaper BC Rich, and some things that I like more in the Fly's sound. It's not just a matter of a personal taste, it's even a matter of the moment.
ok, I can't disagree with the frequency analyzer readings 8)
yes, The Fly sounds different from the traditional designs. There are some things that I like more in the sound of my cheaper BC Rich, and some things that I like more in the Fly's sound. It's not just a matter of a personal taste, it's even a matter of the moment.
Binnerscot
Well-known member
Re: Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
I am the same way, sometimes the old Charvel just needs a good beating....
I am the same way, sometimes the old Charvel just needs a good beating....
pstarove
New member
Re: Accessing Parker Fly Pickups
the bottom line is that whether you choose DiMarzio-equipped Fly Classic or Deluxe or SD-equipped Mojo, pickup changing will be harder than with traditional guitars, but finally you will be able to find the sound you were searching for and will be satisfied.
by the way, here is a link to the thread where you can see how you can put Seymour Duncans in a Fly Deluxe:
http://www.parkerguitars.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4489
the diagonal marks inside the cavities were the holes for the brass inserts that held the original Dimarzio pickups. Another addition are the routed holes for the longer screws (i really think it's better to cut the screws with a dremel tool than to make extra routings in the body). Also I think that the pickup cavities had to be routed wider since SD's dimensions are different from those of Dimarzios. But you get the idea: the switch from Dimarzio to Duncans is very hard to do at home (Ed Roman is known for making SD conversion to Flies, but some people don't like to work with him because of his reputation. however, I've never seen that anyone disliked the mod to the guitar or the quality of the job done.) Anyway, it is a lot easier to rewind pickups, but you will have to live with the Dimarzio logo instead of Seymour Duncans.
the bottom line is that whether you choose DiMarzio-equipped Fly Classic or Deluxe or SD-equipped Mojo, pickup changing will be harder than with traditional guitars, but finally you will be able to find the sound you were searching for and will be satisfied.
by the way, here is a link to the thread where you can see how you can put Seymour Duncans in a Fly Deluxe:
http://www.parkerguitars.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4489
the diagonal marks inside the cavities were the holes for the brass inserts that held the original Dimarzio pickups. Another addition are the routed holes for the longer screws (i really think it's better to cut the screws with a dremel tool than to make extra routings in the body). Also I think that the pickup cavities had to be routed wider since SD's dimensions are different from those of Dimarzios. But you get the idea: the switch from Dimarzio to Duncans is very hard to do at home (Ed Roman is known for making SD conversion to Flies, but some people don't like to work with him because of his reputation. however, I've never seen that anyone disliked the mod to the guitar or the quality of the job done.) Anyway, it is a lot easier to rewind pickups, but you will have to live with the Dimarzio logo instead of Seymour Duncans.
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