I've been playing 40 years (long before PLEK was a thing) and I've got two issues with this whole fad. First, the idea of its necessity. Isn't it the manufacturers job to make the guitar as playable as possible? Why have they passed on the cost of fret leveling and so on to the customer? We now have to buy the guitar AND pay extra to have it made "correct" (for lack of a better term). My second issue is the cost itself. Most places seem to charge at least $300 (I've seen up to $500). If we buy a "budget" guitar, say under $1,000 these days, then who wants to spend an additional 30-50% to have it play well. If we buy a higher-end guitar, possible a few thousand, then why the hell should I also have to have a tech or machine of any kind fix issues that shouldn't exist at that price point? It's honestly obscene that manufacturers have normalized this kind of thing. Any new guitar, at any price, should come out of the factory as well set up as is possible for that instrument. Of course no one reasonably expects a $500 Squier to play as nice as a $5,000 PRS but these guitars for sale at $2,000 prices that have crowning issues and dead spots is preposterous. The manufacturers have just found another way to pass on their own costs to us... while jacking up the prices. Just sad.
A guitar should definitely be playable when bought, however that is a still a very subjective thing. What is playable for you, might not be playable for me. Some people love a feather light touch, others love to work their strings.
I got a Harley Benton Fusion 3 for 190, plek was 175, Tonerider pickups 90, so for around 450 I have a guitar that rivals guitars costing thousands. The plek is superior to any fretwork I have had done by a luthier, not just that it was exactly what I asked for. Luthiers are a pain in the arse, they generally think they know better. Love the plek. And it can do things a luthier can't do. A luthier has to work with straight lines, the machine can cut any shape of curve it wants across the board and is precise to a level no human can achieve. And it does it every time. Compared to the waste of money paying a luthier who doesn't do what you ask, or has a bad day, it's a no brainer. Risk reduction is massive. And the luthier wanted 120 for stainless steel, so it was only 55 quid more. And I can get any other guitars I want set up the exact same way in the future with 100 predictability and zero risk. Massively good value.
As a 50 year+ toolmaker and CNC machining expert, and have played guitar since childhood, and built a few as well, I did look into having a guitar plek'd and visited and discussed at length the process with the operator. The plek machine is merely a CNC measuring and cutting machine which is fitted with probing and tooling specific to fretting a guitar neck. Basically, it first measures your guitar frets, one buy one, with the guitar fully strung and tuned. Then, the strings are removed, and they are measured again. The results are displayed and adjusted for whatever discrepancies there may be by the operator. There are several things to be taken into consideration. Once the decisions are made, the machine uses a chosen cutter head and machines each fret individually to the specified conditions. The plek system is a very good system that is consistent and can help diagnose and fix many things just as well (and sometimes better than) any tech. If I ever needed it done, I would recommend it in a lot of cases. You can add or subtract neck relief if necessary, and the results are as good as the operator/programmer.
I have three guitars Plek’d. One G&L from the factory, one Gibson from the factory, and then took a strat for a road trip to have it plek’d at a shop. They intonate so much truer to pitch after a plek. Totally worth it. Plus, in my experience 9 out of 10 techs are complete trash and have no business trying to level frets by eye.
Your last statement is the linchpin. Finding QUALITY techs today...is an issue. Too few have the passion, work ethic, skills, and experience. Compared to 20 years ago even. There's been an experience drain.
If you’re telling me that you’ve never had a guitar intoned properly by a poor old human being I’d say your guitar has been worked on by terrible humans. As far as levelling frets “by eye” I’m not sure that you understand how fretboards are properly levelled. Plek exists because technology can be applied to anything and humans can screw up everything if they don’t care.
Phil, I've found the important feature for a person vs Plek is the person needs to simulate string tension (Stew Mac leveling jig, Vinson Jig, that 'Katana' tool, or Sam Deek's channel 'banana' tool). The reason is a neck tends to bend in an S shape not a C shape due to strings going over the nut plus neck taper -- the bend shows up with dial indicators along a neck. The typical leveling job of using the truss rod to flatten the neck is better than relying on pressing frets to the leveled fretboard but not as good as leveling with strings at tension (or simulated tension in a Plek or jig). You might do a follow up video someday comparing results of guitars leveled in all the different methods with the finished necks measured in a lab CMM (coordinate measuring machine).
I just bought the new version of Ibanez Iceman, antique violin finish. NEW GUITAR DAY!! I decided to have Sweetwater p’lek it. I’m very happy with the results on an $800 guitar.
The 2021 Gibson SG Tribute husk I got from Stratosphere on ebay was Pleked at the Gibson Factory. After I got it all together, I did a set up on it and the maple neck and fretwork were simply great. Love it. BTW, I made pickguard from an old road sign and loaded it with P-Rails and they sound terrific but might go back to a regular PAF on the neck. I would rather build another guitar like that than buy any new production model.
I've tried to stay away from this subject. But... A plek machine is technically a CNC machine, Computer Numeric Control. With a 'computer' it's garbage in, garbage out, an old saying. 8) The Plek has to be loaded, setup and programmed to do it's job. Does a Gibson worker, who does a hundred a day, do that every time? Not sure. The last 2 Gibsons I bought I had to do a level, crown, polish to make them right. For me, it's 0 for 2 done right. At Dan Earlewine's shop, where they do 1 at a time to customer order, or the same at Sweetwater, chances are good for a good result. Although I still haven't seen a Plek polish correctly. Given all this, from a private shop, I would want a guarantee before spending the $$ on a Plek setup. Do over, or $$ back. JMHO --gary
When it comes to fret leveling, that is the only objective of the Plek - fret leveling. The fret cutter levels and crowns, but it doesn't polish since it doesn't have any buffing wheels. That still has to be handled by a technician personally after leveling is complete. Another difference in Plek usage is between a production environment (a la Gibson) and an indie repair shop. I'd love to hear feedback from someone at Gibson with Plek use experience on the matter. At a repair shop, settings can (and should) be individualized based on customer desires and the needs of the guitar.
@@dustinmitchellofficial8193 If I implied the Plek machine "buffed the frets" sorry, didn't intend to. When I turned 50 my hands started cramping and I had the onset of arthritis. I stopped gigging so much and started working in my small home shop more. At 72 now, I've done 1000 level/crown/finish/polish. There are many, many ways to do it. If you get the result you want, none of them are wrong. But as you also said, I think, you can't just run the Plek process and say its done. There is still shaping the ends, polishing and verifying every fret/note. Also a correct bevel on the board itself. When Gibson "brags" about every guitar getting Plek'ed, it's misleading the buyer. It gives false expectations. Like saying every guitar is perfect. BS! Sorry, Peace --gary
From what I understand, you still need a good tech to make the basic setup to prepare the instrument for the Plek machine and set the machine up to get a decent result. So one good tech with a Plek machine can probably do more instruments rather than just a few (and have the rest done by the intern...)
I've had three vintage guitars PLEK'd. I also had '99 Strat PLEK'd along with a new Gretsch G5220. YES... VERY consistent. The vintage guitars were refretted, the Strat's & G5220's frets were dressed. They ALL play great. And, yes... I would do it again if the need was there.
Plek is far superior. Not just the job it does but the fact that you get to decide rather than the tech second guessing you, or having a bad day. Every time work is done it takes material from the frets. The value of getting it right first time far exceeds the extra cost. I will only SS frets and plek now.
I would not say it’s a completely waste but if you want a perfect intonation on a guitar go for Buzz Feiten tuning or even better True Temperament Tuning. The guitar strings are of different thickness and have different tension so it is impossible to get it perfectly in tuning all over the neck with straight frets. A cord that is perfect on the upper part of the neck will slightly be out of tune in the lower part of the neck. The two mentioned systems compensate for that. This is specially notable on complexed jazz cords.
I just had my squier protone plecked. It was divot city. Some real deep. I chose plek because I love that neck. I put many hours into it. Not much meat to work with so I feel the plek will take the minimum amount of metal off. Same tech guy do it by hand or machine. I chose plek. It’s my favorite guitar. I’m over 50 so….. it should be good till they pry it from my dead hands. lol😜
I had sweetwater plek a made in China Epiphone korina explorer (demo model) before shipping it to me. Frets felt pretty damn good. However on the first string change the nut popped right off. And not long after that maybe a few months later. The 3rd fret was popping up a tad bit on the high e string. I guess this is due to the factory not using glue. So I guess the moral of the story is that plek machines will not be replacing a techs any time soon. Because a plek machine couldn’t prevent these issues
I have 3 guitars that were pleked and I am very happy how they came out. The way I understand it is you still need a good tech to plek a guitar as the machine is a aid. The plex can read the neck to a 1/1000 of a inch where as a person can not. Does all guitars need to be pleked No!
But how does a plek machine diagnose when the truss rod needs adjustment and then do the adjustment? Or correct for action that is too high or too low? Does it only work on frets? What good is that?
@@Spetsnazty By the same logic, you could ask what's the point of a lathe or a drill or any other machine that still needs an educated and skilled operator. They're tools to make work easier/faster, more consistent, more precise, repeatable...
@Annunaki_0517 After the Plek machine does its first scan of a guitar, it displays graphs of each individual string that depicts where it detected the neck and the location (and height) of each fret along with a guide line of its most optimal relief path. It's informational only; the technician has to do the adjustment normally and re-scan it. The objective is to get the neck relief sitting as close to the recommended amount of relief as possible before making fret leveling adjustments. This is to ensure that there isn't too much fret life unnecessarily cut when leveling. Plek machines are best known for fret leveling, but they can do so much more: nut resurfacing and slot cutting, saddles, inlay cutting, engraving, all kinds of stuff. At my shop, we focus on frets and nuts.
I had Sweetwater Plek my brand new 150th Anniversary Epiphone Zephyr Regent Deluxe and it is the best playing guitar I have ever played. I’m terrible, but it just feels easy. A Plek machine is just a tool. I believe the important point is to find a guitar tech that listens to what you want. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the machine can do tolerances no human can achieve, therefore with the right operator, it will be better every time. I wouldn’t hesitate to get another guitar plek’d at Sweetwater next time.
Having a PLEK treatment done to a bass or guitar would be more valuable if nothing was ever required again in the life of the instrument. The issue is that instruments made of wood change through the seasons and require further adjustments. Some very minor / infrequent & some frequent / significant. The frets shouldn't require further attention until string wear advances, but neck relief & saddle adjustments are ongoing. I haven't stopped washing my car because I know it will just get dirty again, but I might stop if every wash job was $300-$500….
I'll just stick with a $6 set of needle files i got from harbor freight, an afternoon spent dressing the frets is all you need i hate waiting for things i can easily do myself.
My question would be WHY don't fretted instrument manufacturers invest in these machines? Might lead to more consistent quality control. I know that there are some boutique makers, like Mike Lull that use it. Best feeling bass I've tried out of the case was a Mike Lull, loved it but couldn't afford it at the time.
I think the challenge is that lots of places charge extra for plek. On some level, they should charge for a setup and not care if the machine or the tech did it. If the machine is priced such that its worth buying them to make the techs more efficient, great. If the machine costs so much that they have to charge way more for it, that works against the machine.
I agree, it's a basic financial calculation. We do X fret jobs a day. Is it cheaper to have more people doing it all by hand or less people plus some expensive machines? I don't think manufacturers charge more for it but stores seem to. It would be like them trying to charge more for a guitar because they use CNC machines to carve the bod and neck. I have a Martin that was Pleked at the factory. The frets were nice and level but the fret ends could have been better.
@@scottakam interesting point on manufacturer vs store. On the manufacturer side, part of what they're selling is the "out of the box" experience, so there's some incentive to deliver that as efficiently as possible. The stores offer it as an upgrade service, sometimes in cases where they never offered the manual form.
Like everything, it comes down to what the operator tells the plek to do. Garbage in, garbage out. I had a mid 60's Johhny Smith absolutely screwed up beyond recognition by an arrogant tech using a plek with no idea what a jazz guitar with medium strings should be like. It not only buzzed but it sitared. That is playing a note on the third fret would have a rattle around the 14th fret. When I challenged him about all the buzzes he said "my customers don't care about buzzes". Right. Find a good tech and don't worry whether she uses a plek or nail file.
I just had my new ibanez RG550 plek’d due to unlevel frets. As I don’t know any good techs, I went with Andertons because they have a plek service. I’d much rather plek a guitar than just hand it over to some random dude I don’t know who claims to be a good tech, as the plek machine will give me accurate results. And I trust Andertons as a shop not to screw up, given their large RUclips presence, as I could go online a bitch about their crappy service should they mess up my guitar. The result is they plek’d this guitar to perfection and it’s now an absolute beast of a guitar!
Personally will stick with a tech, the plek machine certainly has its place within manufacturing or music shops where consistency is key. But nothing beats the final finish from a great tech. A most intresting vid sir thankyou :)
man, if they weren't so expensive, PLEKs would be great for stores. It would lower the number of qc related returns, and newbie burnout, the prices would come down industry wide because now, brand REALLY doesn't matter since anything will play well , and it's cheaper than paying a salary to a human. It could be SO much more than the pricey novelty its being reduced to.
It's about the skill of the person running the Plek machine. The Plek machine graphs the "action" fret by fret. It's not going to adjust the truss rod though for example. If theirs something besides the frets that needs work the Plek machine doesn't know that.
Only Plek'd guitar I ever owned was a Gibson SG. Don't know what happened, but it had the most uneven fret job I've ever had on a premium guitar. My Epi SG was 10 times better. I'm not saying it was definitely the Plek machine's fault - maybe it was programmed wrong, or maybe the woods in the neck moved before it got to me. I was never happy with it - sold it, and kept the Epiphone. The end result is that I'm far from convinced that the Plek is the magic bullet many seem to think it is.
I would choose PLEK over human every single time. The PLEK does a perfect job every time; the techs that work at the local guitar shop can't and won't.
I fell for it. Had to drive a long way. Norman Ok. Had to wait. I got it back it plays great. I then took another strat to my local tech. When I got it back , it also played great. Plek was about $ 300 bucks in all plus time and miles. The tech charged me $ 125. Now , I do sort of know this guy because I have had work done by him over the last 30 years. But I did not get a discount . I am very happy with both . For what its worth.
I have wasted thousands of dollars and had multiple guitars ruined by supposed “master luthiers” over the years… At least a plek machine will consistently get us 95% of the way there. I have many high end custom guitars. The instruments that were plek’d and then finished by hand (like Suhrs for example) are definitely the easiest playing and best set up guitars I’ve ever experienced at any price point.
A Plek is only as good as the person using it. If I Plek'd your guitar, I would wreck it. However, I have worked with a luthier who builds guitars and restores antique Martins for his living. He has also invented some guitar tools that Stew Mac sells. That enabled him to buy a Plek for his workshop. I have had him Plek my instruments and they were noticeably better after he worked with them. He was very forthright about where his skills made a difference and where it was the machine, but it was the combination of the two that made the difference. It's not as simple as "the machine's a fad and waste of money" or "It's revolutionary and everyone should Plek everything". It's like every other advance; the thoughtful use of technology can improve things, but again, a tool is only as good as the person wielding it.
There are awesome plek techs and those who aren't so great, Also with a plek machine you may be giving up the opportunity ti create a relationship with a guitar tech.
hmm...the only flawless guitar I've ever played was PLEKd... and I've played hundreds and hundreds of very very high end guitars off the shelf in 40 years and many that were service by "good" techs after the initial showroom purchase.. In fact, the known best tech here in the southwest (Reid at Rainbow in Tucson) worked on my original 87 ESP M-1 for a full re-frett and setup for $350 and it was no where as good as the PLEKd guitars I've played ... I just have to disagree with all these statements based off my numerous experiences.
I think the reason we are seeing so many great cheap guitars is because manufactures in China are doing something like a Plex. So, the marginal cost of the Plex-like machines are less than the wage, so it is definitely not a waste of time. And it should definitely be used. However, don't buy anything from China. Buy from Indonesia.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I've been playing 40 years (long before PLEK was a thing) and I've got two issues with this whole fad. First, the idea of its necessity. Isn't it the manufacturers job to make the guitar as playable as possible? Why have they passed on the cost of fret leveling and so on to the customer? We now have to buy the guitar AND pay extra to have it made "correct" (for lack of a better term). My second issue is the cost itself. Most places seem to charge at least $300 (I've seen up to $500). If we buy a "budget" guitar, say under $1,000 these days, then who wants to spend an additional 30-50% to have it play well. If we buy a higher-end guitar, possible a few thousand, then why the hell should I also have to have a tech or machine of any kind fix issues that shouldn't exist at that price point? It's honestly obscene that manufacturers have normalized this kind of thing. Any new guitar, at any price, should come out of the factory as well set up as is possible for that instrument. Of course no one reasonably expects a $500 Squier to play as nice as a $5,000 PRS but these guitars for sale at $2,000 prices that have crowning issues and dead spots is preposterous. The manufacturers have just found another way to pass on their own costs to us... while jacking up the prices. Just sad.
A guitar should definitely be playable when bought, however that is a still a very subjective thing. What is playable for you, might not be playable for me. Some people love a feather light touch, others love to work their strings.
Remember, not all guitars are new. All guitars under a certain price range will settle out after a while, and sometimes even the expensive ones.
I got a Harley Benton Fusion 3 for 190, plek was 175, Tonerider pickups 90, so for around 450 I have a guitar that rivals guitars costing thousands. The plek is superior to any fretwork I have had done by a luthier, not just that it was exactly what I asked for. Luthiers are a pain in the arse, they generally think they know better. Love the plek. And it can do things a luthier can't do. A luthier has to work with straight lines, the machine can cut any shape of curve it wants across the board and is precise to a level no human can achieve. And it does it every time. Compared to the waste of money paying a luthier who doesn't do what you ask, or has a bad day, it's a no brainer. Risk reduction is massive. And the luthier wanted 120 for stainless steel, so it was only 55 quid more. And I can get any other guitars I want set up the exact same way in the future with 100 predictability and zero risk. Massively good value.
@@LukeMosseLove Tonerider pups, and Andrew the owner is a great guy🤘🏻
Don't forget that many manufacturers are pleking their guitars right out of the factory - Gibson for instance.
I worked as a tech in an independent shop with a PLEK. Its garbage in, garbage out. When you know what you're doing it can be literally flawless.
As a 50 year+ toolmaker and CNC machining expert, and have played guitar since childhood, and built a few as well, I did look into having a guitar plek'd and visited and discussed at length the process with the operator. The plek machine is merely a CNC measuring and cutting machine which is fitted with probing and tooling specific to fretting a guitar neck. Basically, it first measures your guitar frets, one buy one, with the guitar fully strung and tuned. Then, the strings are removed, and they are measured again. The results are displayed and adjusted for whatever discrepancies there may be by the operator. There are several things to be taken into consideration.
Once the decisions are made, the machine uses a chosen cutter head and machines each fret individually to the specified conditions. The plek system is a very good system that is consistent and can help diagnose and fix many things just as well (and sometimes better than) any tech. If I ever needed it done, I would recommend it in a lot of cases. You can add or subtract neck relief if necessary, and the results are as good as the operator/programmer.
I can see the new slogan now: "PLEK - we're better than the crappy tech"
I have three guitars Plek’d. One G&L from the factory, one Gibson from the factory, and then took a strat for a road trip to have it plek’d at a shop. They intonate so much truer to pitch after a plek. Totally worth it. Plus, in my experience 9 out of 10 techs are complete trash and have no business trying to level frets by eye.
Your last statement is the linchpin. Finding QUALITY techs today...is an issue. Too few have the passion, work ethic, skills, and experience. Compared to 20 years ago even. There's been an experience drain.
If you’re telling me that you’ve never had a guitar intoned properly by a poor old human being I’d say your guitar has been worked on by terrible humans. As far as levelling frets “by eye” I’m not sure that you understand how fretboards are properly levelled.
Plek exists because technology can be applied to anything and humans can screw up everything if they don’t care.
Phil, I've found the important feature for a person vs Plek is the person needs to simulate string tension (Stew Mac leveling jig, Vinson Jig, that 'Katana' tool, or Sam Deek's channel 'banana' tool). The reason is a neck tends to bend in an S shape not a C shape due to strings going over the nut plus neck taper -- the bend shows up with dial indicators along a neck. The typical leveling job of using the truss rod to flatten the neck is better than relying on pressing frets to the leveled fretboard but not as good as leveling with strings at tension (or simulated tension in a Plek or jig). You might do a follow up video someday comparing results of guitars leveled in all the different methods with the finished necks measured in a lab CMM (coordinate measuring machine).
I just bought the new version of Ibanez Iceman, antique violin finish. NEW GUITAR DAY!! I decided to have Sweetwater p’lek it. I’m very happy with the results on an $800 guitar.
Very cool, I never played an Iceman but I love all the Ibanez's Ive played over the years.
The 2021 Gibson SG Tribute husk I got from Stratosphere on ebay was Pleked at the Gibson Factory. After I got it all together, I did a set up on it and the maple neck and fretwork were simply great. Love it. BTW, I made pickguard from an old road sign and loaded it with P-Rails and they sound terrific but might go back to a regular PAF on the neck. I would rather build another guitar like that than buy any new production model.
I've tried to stay away from this subject. But... A plek machine is technically a CNC machine, Computer Numeric Control. With a 'computer' it's garbage in, garbage out, an old saying. 8) The Plek has to be loaded, setup and programmed to do it's job. Does a Gibson worker, who does a hundred a day, do that every time? Not sure. The last 2 Gibsons I bought I had to do a level, crown, polish to make them right. For me, it's 0 for 2 done right. At Dan Earlewine's shop, where they do 1 at a time to customer order, or the same at Sweetwater, chances are good for a good result. Although I still haven't seen a Plek polish correctly. Given all this, from a private shop, I would want a guarantee before spending the $$ on a Plek setup. Do over, or $$ back. JMHO --gary
When it comes to fret leveling, that is the only objective of the Plek - fret leveling. The fret cutter levels and crowns, but it doesn't polish since it doesn't have any buffing wheels. That still has to be handled by a technician personally after leveling is complete.
Another difference in Plek usage is between a production environment (a la Gibson) and an indie repair shop. I'd love to hear feedback from someone at Gibson with Plek use experience on the matter. At a repair shop, settings can (and should) be individualized based on customer desires and the needs of the guitar.
@@dustinmitchellofficial8193 If I implied the Plek machine "buffed the frets" sorry, didn't intend to. When I turned 50 my hands started cramping and I had the onset of arthritis. I stopped gigging so much and started working in my small home shop more. At 72 now, I've done 1000 level/crown/finish/polish. There are many, many ways to do it. If you get the result you want, none of them are wrong. But as you also said, I think, you can't just run the Plek process and say its done. There is still shaping the ends, polishing and verifying every fret/note. Also a correct bevel on the board itself. When Gibson "brags" about every guitar getting Plek'ed, it's misleading the buyer. It gives false expectations. Like saying every guitar is perfect. BS! Sorry, Peace --gary
From what I understand, you still need a good tech to make the basic setup to prepare the instrument for the Plek machine and set the machine up to get a decent result.
So one good tech with a Plek machine can probably do more instruments rather than just a few (and have the rest done by the intern...)
I've had three vintage guitars PLEK'd. I also had '99 Strat PLEK'd along with a new Gretsch G5220. YES... VERY consistent. The vintage guitars were refretted, the Strat's & G5220's frets were dressed. They ALL play great. And, yes... I would do it again if the need was there.
Plek is far superior. Not just the job it does but the fact that you get to decide rather than the tech second guessing you, or having a bad day. Every time work is done it takes material from the frets. The value of getting it right first time far exceeds the extra cost. I will only SS frets and plek now.
I would not say it’s a completely waste but if you want a perfect intonation on a guitar go for Buzz Feiten tuning or even better True Temperament Tuning. The guitar strings are of different thickness and have different tension so it is impossible to get it perfectly in tuning all over the neck with straight frets. A cord that is perfect on the upper part of the neck will slightly be out of tune in the lower part of the neck. The two mentioned systems compensate for that. This is specially notable on complexed jazz cords.
I just had my squier protone plecked. It was divot city. Some real deep. I chose plek because I love that neck. I put many hours into it. Not much meat to work with so I feel the plek will take the minimum amount of metal off. Same tech guy do it by hand or machine. I chose plek. It’s my favorite guitar.
I’m over 50 so….. it should be good till they pry it from my dead hands. lol😜
I’ve had one guitar plek’d and it wasn’t any better playing or finished than most of my tech’d set up guitars….that’s my tuppence worth….
I had sweetwater plek a made in China Epiphone korina explorer (demo model) before shipping it to me. Frets felt pretty damn good. However on the first string change the nut popped right off. And not long after that maybe a few months later. The 3rd fret was popping up a tad bit on the high e string. I guess this is due to the factory not using glue. So I guess the moral of the story is that plek machines will not be replacing a techs any time soon. Because a plek machine couldn’t prevent these issues
I’ve had 3 guitars plek’d,they are great. Thanks for the great video Phil !
I have 3 guitars that were pleked and I am very happy how they came out. The way I understand it is you still need a good tech to plek a guitar as the machine is a aid. The plex can read the neck to a 1/1000 of a inch where as a person can not. Does all guitars need to be pleked No!
But how does a plek machine diagnose when the truss rod needs adjustment and then do the adjustment? Or correct for action that is too high or too low? Does it only work on frets? What good is that?
@@vedder10so what’s the point then if it needs to be babysat
@@Spetsnaztythe tolerances are more minute than a human can do. It’s precision
@@Spetsnazty By the same logic, you could ask what's the point of a lathe or a drill or any other machine that still needs an educated and skilled operator. They're tools to make work easier/faster, more consistent, more precise, repeatable...
@Annunaki_0517 After the Plek machine does its first scan of a guitar, it displays graphs of each individual string that depicts where it detected the neck and the location (and height) of each fret along with a guide line of its most optimal relief path. It's informational only; the technician has to do the adjustment normally and re-scan it.
The objective is to get the neck relief sitting as close to the recommended amount of relief as possible before making fret leveling adjustments. This is to ensure that there isn't too much fret life unnecessarily cut when leveling.
Plek machines are best known for fret leveling, but they can do so much more: nut resurfacing and slot cutting, saddles, inlay cutting, engraving, all kinds of stuff. At my shop, we focus on frets and nuts.
I had Sweetwater Plek my brand new 150th Anniversary Epiphone Zephyr Regent Deluxe and it is the best playing guitar I have ever played. I’m terrible, but it just feels easy.
A Plek machine is just a tool. I believe the important point is to find a guitar tech that listens to what you want. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the machine can do tolerances no human can achieve, therefore with the right operator, it will be better every time.
I wouldn’t hesitate to get another guitar plek’d at Sweetwater next time.
Having a PLEK treatment done to a bass or guitar would be more valuable if nothing was ever required again in the life of the instrument. The issue is that instruments made of wood change through the seasons and require further adjustments. Some very minor / infrequent & some frequent / significant. The frets shouldn't require further attention until string wear advances, but neck relief & saddle adjustments are ongoing. I haven't stopped washing my car because I know it will just get dirty again, but I might stop if every wash job was $300-$500….
I have had at least tow guitars plea'd at least ten years ago ad they are still fantastic-- fwiw -- love back as always:)
I'll just stick with a $6 set of needle files i got from harbor freight, an afternoon spent dressing the frets is all you need i hate waiting for things i can easily do myself.
My question would be WHY don't fretted instrument manufacturers invest in these machines? Might lead to more consistent quality control. I know that there are some boutique makers, like Mike Lull that use it. Best feeling bass I've tried out of the case was a Mike Lull, loved it but couldn't afford it at the time.
Thank you, have a great weekend,....Playin' Music. 🎸🎶
I think the challenge is that lots of places charge extra for plek. On some level, they should charge for a setup and not care if the machine or the tech did it. If the machine is priced such that its worth buying them to make the techs more efficient, great. If the machine costs so much that they have to charge way more for it, that works against the machine.
I agree, it's a basic financial calculation. We do X fret jobs a day. Is it cheaper to have more people doing it all by hand or less people plus some expensive machines? I don't think manufacturers charge more for it but stores seem to. It would be like them trying to charge more for a guitar because they use CNC machines to carve the bod and neck. I have a Martin that was Pleked at the factory. The frets were nice and level but the fret ends could have been better.
@@scottakam interesting point on manufacturer vs store. On the manufacturer side, part of what they're selling is the "out of the box" experience, so there's some incentive to deliver that as efficiently as possible. The stores offer it as an upgrade service, sometimes in cases where they never offered the manual form.
Like everything, it comes down to what the operator tells the plek to do. Garbage in, garbage out. I had a mid 60's Johhny Smith absolutely screwed up beyond recognition by an arrogant tech using a plek with no idea what a jazz guitar with medium strings should be like. It not only buzzed but it sitared. That is playing a note on the third fret would have a rattle around the 14th fret. When I challenged him about all the buzzes he said "my customers don't care about buzzes". Right. Find a good tech and don't worry whether she uses a plek or nail file.
I just had my new ibanez RG550 plek’d due to unlevel frets. As I don’t know any good techs, I went with Andertons because they have a plek service. I’d much rather plek a guitar than just hand it over to some random dude I don’t know who claims to be a good tech, as the plek machine will give me accurate results. And I trust Andertons as a shop not to screw up, given their large RUclips presence, as I could go online a bitch about their crappy service should they mess up my guitar. The result is they plek’d this guitar to perfection and it’s now an absolute beast of a guitar!
Personally will stick with a tech, the plek machine certainly has its place within manufacturing or music shops where consistency is key.
But nothing beats the final finish from a great tech.
A most intresting vid sir thankyou :)
I would mix it up. Have a couple guitars pleked. And have another couple guitars done by hand
Plek is really good. I have 2 guitar Pleked and this system works fantastic. For me.
man, if they weren't so expensive, PLEKs would be great for stores. It would lower the number of qc related returns, and newbie burnout, the prices would come down industry wide because now, brand REALLY doesn't matter since anything will play well , and it's cheaper than paying a salary to a human. It could be SO much more than the pricey novelty its being reduced to.
It's about the skill of the person running the Plek machine. The Plek machine graphs the "action" fret by fret. It's not going to adjust the truss rod though for example. If theirs something besides the frets that needs work the Plek machine doesn't know that.
Only Plek'd guitar I ever owned was a Gibson SG. Don't know what happened, but it had the most uneven fret job I've ever had on a premium guitar. My Epi SG was 10 times better. I'm not saying it was definitely the Plek machine's fault - maybe it was programmed wrong, or maybe the woods in the neck moved before it got to me. I was never happy with it - sold it, and kept the Epiphone. The end result is that I'm far from convinced that the Plek is the magic bullet many seem to think it is.
I would choose PLEK over human every single time. The PLEK does a perfect job every time; the techs that work at the local guitar shop can't and won't.
Thanks, I have wondered about this from time to time.
I had my guitar plekked and wasn't impressed. The machine basically reduced the height of some frets to 40%. Never again.
It also gives you complete digital data of pre and post specs. Show me a tech who’ll do that.
Maximum Overdrive is the greatest movie ever made. Emilio, Lisa Simpson, Cocaine Steven King and a kick-ass AC-DC soundtrack?!? Hell yes!
My picking is more pluckier after a pleking.
Joe Glaser has one, so that alone influences my opinion that they are not a waste of money.
12 radius block. thats all you need. for a LP
I fell for it. Had to drive a long way. Norman Ok. Had to wait. I got it back it plays great. I then took another strat to my local tech. When I got it back , it also played great. Plek was about $ 300 bucks in all plus time and miles. The tech charged me $ 125. Now , I do sort of know this guy because I have had work done by him over the last 30 years. But I did not get a discount . I am very happy with both . For what its worth.
my plek machine makes the best steaks ever!
I prefer my steaks mid-rare. You could throw it in there and have it out in near minutes! 🥩
I guess that a plek machine can only ever be as good as it's maintainance schedule.
I have wasted thousands of dollars and had multiple guitars ruined by supposed “master luthiers” over the years… At least a plek machine will consistently get us 95% of the way there. I have many high end custom guitars. The instruments that were plek’d and then finished by hand (like Suhrs for example) are definitely the easiest playing and best set up guitars I’ve ever experienced at any price point.
Doesn't Gibson plek all their guitars? If so why would someone pay to plek a Gibson before buying?
I know my LP Classics were plek'd and my Supreme is as well... I would suspect all Standards must be plek'd
Plekking brings out that puuurrreee Gibbbbbssssooonn TOooAaANnn
There was this black guy with a backwards Stratocaster seemed to do OK with that guitar!
I heard of that guy I think.
A Plek is only as good as the person using it. If I Plek'd your guitar, I would wreck it. However, I have worked with a luthier who builds guitars and restores antique Martins for his living. He has also invented some guitar tools that Stew Mac sells. That enabled him to buy a Plek for his workshop. I have had him Plek my instruments and they were noticeably better after he worked with them. He was very forthright about where his skills made a difference and where it was the machine, but it was the combination of the two that made the difference. It's not as simple as "the machine's a fad and waste of money" or "It's revolutionary and everyone should Plek everything". It's like every other advance; the thoughtful use of technology can improve things, but again, a tool is only as good as the person wielding it.
Phil, you said: (insert words Mr Phil never said here) & I'm telling everyone that's what you said 'cuz I'm a dum-dum....
Wish I was a Plek machine...
That is coming soon! A pleked steak…
Need a good tech and a pleck
There are awesome plek techs and those who aren't so great, Also with a plek machine you may be giving up the opportunity ti create a relationship with a guitar tech.
hmm...the only flawless guitar I've ever played was PLEKd... and I've played hundreds and hundreds of very very high end guitars off the shelf in 40 years and many that were service by "good" techs after the initial showroom purchase..
In fact, the known best tech here in the southwest (Reid at Rainbow in Tucson) worked on my original 87 ESP M-1 for a full re-frett and setup for $350 and it was no where as good as the PLEKd guitars I've played ... I just have to disagree with all these statements based off my numerous experiences.
Anyone think Hendrix or Van Halen had theirs Plek'd?!
Twice for each guitar they owned.
Mmm plek-steaks. Ergonomic AND medium rare...
This video gave me a toan bone.
I think the reason we are seeing so many great cheap guitars is because manufactures in China are doing something like a Plex. So, the marginal cost of the Plex-like machines are less than the wage, so it is definitely not a waste of time. And it should definitely be used. However, don't buy anything from China. Buy from Indonesia.
Don’t buy from Indonesia either
No
Isn't the Plek machine only as good as the person setting it up?
Isn't the setup only as good as the guitar tech doing it?
No it prevents them from ballsing it up. Watch the long video on how it works.
BeefPlek coming up..... ha ha ha..🤣
Interesting!
I've had several guitars PLEK'd and all of them are a joy to play but some do play better than others.🎈