Off Topic: To Plek or not to Plek

[dstockden]

I had an Ibanez plek'd once. Like Tim it was with Charlie Chandler (well it was n the interim period when he was opening up his new shop, so it may have been someone else!)
It came back pretty nice, unfortunately for me it came back with a really really really really low action, so i had to crank up the trem posts to accommodate the massive action i prefer!

[Abraxas]

The guitar is worked on while having the truss rod set to preference, the neck relief set to preference, and with full
string tension.

This is exactly what the neck jig (sp?) from Stewmac does; it sets the neck as if it was on string tension and appropriate relief.

I have come to believe that Plek is for factories (e.g. Suhr) where perhaps there are not so many experienced technicians to work on necks, and you want an automated, perfect result.

But I stand by my belief that, a top-notch luthier with the appropriate tools shall be equally effective as a top Plek job.

[beej]

Plek!!! There's no comparison as far as detail and precision.

I think you've got a bit too much faith in the machines. There's a lot that can be done wrong with a Plek. It can be great, but a good luthier can definitely do a better job.

As with any medical procedure ... find a qualified professional. Then trust the tools they're using.

[guitfiddle]

Setting up a guitar for any player is basically a complex balance of compromises. I don't think that the machines and software (CNC run by AI) are there yet, or are being fed all of the inputs that they need to make the right decisions.

I agree that Pleking can be good way for a shop to go that is just pumping out a bunch of guitars to default standards, as it will make them consistent. However, if I need fret work done to a guitar that I'm going to play myself, it will be going to a luthier so that it plays the way I want it to.

All that said, it depends a lot on how picky you are and how far you want to take it. A guitar doesn't have to be perfect to be playable. I'm sure that any guitar that has been either Plecked or had fretwork done manually can be played far beyond my potential.

I'm a bit old school as well in that I'd rather give the work to a person that needs it than a machine, but that's just a personal bias.

[TNT]

Yeah, as I mentioned the Plek MUST BE set up correctly to perform flawlessly. Otherwise, as I'm sure will happen, horrendous results.

Untrained personnel in any capacity of guitar manufacturing can be detrimental. It's not the machine's fault, it's the human element.

The Plek machine is designed to eliminate the human element and provide a "perfect" job, as in any of the machinery used by guitar makers, including EBMM, to build guitars.

It's no different.

[guitfiddle]

The Plek machine is designed to eliminate the human element and provide a "perfect" job, as in any of the machinery used by guitar makers, including EBMM, to build guitars.

It's no different.

The BIG difference is you already own the guitar, and are counting on it to be ready for action. If a manufacturer's process or equipment screws up a guitar, you just don't buy it. Move on and get another one. However, if a Plek job goes bad, you are left with a damaged guitar, a hefty repair bill (or in some cases damage that is not economically repairable).

[David Corrales]

The BIG difference is you already own the guitar, and are counting on it to be ready for action. If a manufacturer's process or equipment screws up a guitar, you just don't buy it. Move on and get another one. However, if a Plek job goes bad, you are left with a damaged guitar, a hefty repair bill (or in some cases damage that is not economically repairable).

This has happened to me a couple times with "guys who fix guitars" over here. Thing is, down here there's no real luthier you can go to. I'm thinking of buying stewmacs stuff and calibrating/doing the fret work myself.

Of course after hours of practice on a cheapo guitar