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The Roland GK2A is the most popular of the aftermarket
synth pickup and control systems. Fender and other
manufacturers have been incorporating them as
a factory installed option. Roland offers a version
of this called the Roland GK-Kit. After installing
this system in Strats and similar solidbodies
a customer requested that I install the system
into his Parker Fly Deluxe.
After completing the installation the customer
was very proud of his unique instrument and posted
pictures of his Fly on his bandıs website. This
led to a lot of interest in my procedure and consequently
a lot of Parker Fly/Roland modifications for me.
The following photographs detail variations of
the installation.
.The rotary knob just behind the mini toggle switch
was originally a master tone control for the magnetic
pickups. The tone control was removed and replaced
with a volume control for the synth pickup.
It is not necessary to lose that tone control
because a volume control can be added to another
location on the top. The mini toggle in the foreground
is a mix control with allows for selection of
synth, mag/piezo or all.
A
bat style switch like the ones on either side is also
available.
The
pickup mounts on two screws on each end that allow for
height adjustment. Just under the Roland logo on the
pickup is a route down into the body that leads into
the tremelo cavity.
The
pickup wire is threaded into this and terminates into
a pc assembly in the control cavity.
To
the right of the bridge are two momentary pushbutton
switches that control the up/down functions.
Installation of this product allows for personal preferences
as to the layout of controls.
This modification has had the synth. volume installed
and the addition of a red lamp that lights up
when the synth system is powered up.
The side of the fly is routed for a 13pin jack.
The amount of wood that is removed is substantial
and caution is required to avoid strain on the
cord near the jack. On this Spruce model the up/down
swiches are located on the side of the body.
As
is typical on the Roland GK2A the synth signal is sent
down the cable as well a a mono mix of the original
fly magnetic/piezo output. In order to power up the
Parker preamp a dummy plug is inserted into the 1/4"
jack to activate the switch.
Other
popular guitars have had this conversion while still
maintaining the factory installed look. This Carvin
was sent in to me from Atlanta.
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