The Pre-Refined and Refined Parker Fly

US Music took over production of the Parker Fly in 2003-04 from Ken Parker (creator) who was coming off a defunct relationship with Korg USA.

The guitar was "refined" at this time and although the PR indicated that all the changes to the guitar were enhancements, even the casual observer could read between the lines. The moves were largely made to make the Parker Fly more production friendly. Or, in non-industry speak... less expensive to build.

The simple fact that it cost more to build the Pre-Refined Fly leads many to the rather logical assumption that the Pre-Refined Fly is better. If you're looking to buy a Fly we would like to suggest that the Refined Fly's are very much worth your consideration. If you haven't noticed, we are a dealer of Refined Parker Fly's and but we also sell used Fly's and have sold many Pre-Refined Parker's dating all the way back to 1993.

So, without further ado...

The Pre-Refined Fly vs. the Refined Fly

1. Pickups

The Fly Deluxe and Fly Classic (recently discontinued by USM) have Dimarzio Gen2 HBs that are built especially for the Fly. These pickups come on both the original and refined Fly. The oldest Parkers (mid-90s or earlier) came with Dimarzio Gen1 HBs (no longer in production). Many prefer the Gen1s but they are getting somewhat hard to find. The Fly Mojo has Seymour Duncan pickups and larger pickup cavities that can accommodate pickup swaps.

With the Pre-Refined Fly and the and even the Refined Fly Deluxe/Classic (still in production) you are more or less stuck with the pickups you've got. You can find a boutique pickup builder or swap Gen1 to Gen2 if you like. Trying to get Dimarzio to build you a Fly pickup besides the Gen2 these days is basically impossible (we've tried). However, with the Fly Mojo (which is a Refined Fly) you've got nearly the whole Seymour Duncan catalog from which to choose. On the versatility of the Mojo alone... Verdict: Refined Fly Wins

2. Construction

Numerous cost-cutting measures (refinements) were applied to Fly construction in 2003. These include: smaller tension wheel (doesn't show through body), removal of stereo/mono switch, removal of piezo tone knob, lighter weight trem parts and changed battery location. There are those who despise the Refined Fly and will give you a longer list. These are the main differences we have personally observed.

So here the edge must go to the Pre-Refined Fly, correct?

Well... yes.

But let's take a look at some of the changes more specifically.

• Piezo Tone Nob
  
  This was a nice feature. It is usually pretty easy to EQ piezo tones off-board so it's not a real game changer. Verdict: Pre-Refined Fly Wins.
  
  
• Trem
  
  Although the patented Parker trem system is used on Refined Fly guitars, some of the trem parts have changed OEMs since the brand was sold. Also the original hex trem arm was replaced with Fender style arm. We have tested both extensively and although Refined Fly trem is quite competitive the Pre-Refined Fly trem is clearly superior. Verdict: Pre-Refined Fly Wins.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Smaller Tension Wheel (doesn't show through body)
  
  This was not an altogether bad move. Using the original tension wheel to bring the guitar back to tune after releasing the trem lock never works as well as KP seemed to want it to. Even with dialed intonation you are left to spot tune with the pegs. Still better than using a tool right? Well, the good thing about not having a big strange wheel poking through the body of your guitar behind your bridge... random people are not compelled to play with it.

  For example: We had a 1998 Cherryburst Fly Supreme (one of the nicest guitars we've ever had in our shop) at a guitar show a few years ago. Here's a pic:
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  

  Two kids were looking at it and one of them started turning the tension wheel while asking "what does this do?" Luckily, we were right on top of it.

  Unfortunately, we have seen multiple trem systems on the Pre-Refined Fly that have needed repair because the tension wheel had been over tightened for years without the owner knowing. This is much less likely on the Refined Fly. Verdict: Tie
  
  

• Stereo Switch
  
  Replaced with "smart" stereo jack that senses signal. This has always worked fine for us. Verdict: Tie
  
  
• Truss Rod
  
  The Refined Fly has what most would refer to as a conventional truss rod. The Pre-Refined Fly uses heavy gauge Piano Wire. This makes it a tad lighter but (call us old fashion) we prefer the conventional truss rod. Ever heard the piano wire twang when adjusting the rod on a Pre-Refined Fly? It's kinda scary. Verdict: Refined Fly Wins
  
  
• Battery Location
  
  The Refined Fly has the battery compartment (for Fishman preamp) built into the backplate. This means that the backplate has wires that are soldered to the electronics. This makes taking off the backplate a somewhat delicate procedure. There is a mod for this... but still. The Pre-Refined Fly has a seperate cavity for the battery. This is way better. Verdict: Pre-Refined Fly Wins

3. Electronics

OK so they made the Fly cheaper in 2003. The electronics obviously suffered right? Not so fast.

• Fishman Preamp
  
  There are many that agree that the original preamp clearly sounds best. We are not among the believers. There is a subtle difference perhaps but it is not night and day. At any rate, the preamp in the Refined Fly benefits mightily from being in current production and therefore available for quick, easy replacement if it fails. Verdict: Refined Fly Wins
  
  
• Wiring
  
  We strongly prefer the point-to-point wiring in the Refined Fly. Much more mod friendly guitars. Verdict: Refined Fly Wins
  
  
• Pots and Switches
  
  The pots and switches were better in the Pre-Refined Fly. It is as simple as that. This is a source of much complaint from Parker customers. The bright side: Pots and switches are cheap to replace. They also have been known to break on other guitars. Verdict: Pre-Refined Fly Wins

4. Neck and frets

Some of the newer guitars being built USM using the Fly name are using traditional fretboards as opposed to the composite fiber boards that Parker is famous for. The base Fly line still has outstanding necks today, same boards, same stainless steel frets, just like they always have. If you're buying a bolt-on DragonFly (er, MaxxFly) then it might be a different story. If you want an original Parker neck be sure to check this detail before purchasing a new Fly. Verdict: Tie

5. Finish

Parkers have always had cool finishes. In an effort to increase the popularity of the Fly US Music has offered a huge array of finish options (and body woods) that were simply not available before. Many of these are limited runs (Koa, Silverburst, 4 Seasons) and others have stayed in production (Tangerine, Lime Gold, Figured Maple). We like almost all Fly finishes, new and old. However, based on the awesome variety of new finishes available in recent years... Verdict: Refined Fly Wins

6. Vintage Value

Since the Fly debuted in 1993, there is no real vintage market for these instruments yet. However (as history has taught us) that market will exist eventually. We doubt it will be much like the "Golden Age" of Fender and Gibson but there will come a time when a original, Pre-Refined Fly starts to acquire some vintage value. As we all know, in the vintage market older/original is pretty much always better. Verdict: Pre-Refined Fly Wins



Final Score:

Refined Fly: 5
Pre-Refined Fly: 5
Tie: 3

Final Notes:

The "final score" above is not meant to be anything particularly scientific. This is simply a tally of talking points on this webpage. There will always be disagreement about the topics discussed here and there are other matters we didn't get into. These are the opinions of Cascade Guitar Lab. We are all entilted to our opinion (at least in free countries) so please don't get upset if you don't agree with anything written here. If you are interested in discussing this further please feel free to contact us or consider visiting the Parker Guitras Forum where you will find a wealth of information (and many different opinions) on these matters.

Lastly, we would like to mention that in our 5 years as a Parker dealer for US Music they have stood behind every guitar they have sent us and corrected any problem that has come up (even after the warranty had expired in one case). Those who hate on USM should remind themselves that successfully manufacturing this guitar is challenging. Ken Parker himself couldn't do it for very long. It is a high-tech guitar that remains very expensive to build and occupies a tiny niche in the market. We are very glad that USM continues to move the brand forward.

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