Getting my LP plek'd....

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FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
...and a fret dress.

Anyone had this done at Charlie Chandler's? how was it?

Taking in my 2008 LP Traditional, which I don't think has ever been plek'd, although I have managed to set it up with very low action. Looking forward to playing it afterwards!
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    If it plays well with a low action currently what do you hope to get out of having it plek'd?  It's nothing more than a good fret dress, and based on a few new Gibsons I've played that had been Plek'd the results can vary quite a bit
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    John_A said:
    If it plays well with a low action currently what do you hope to get out of having it plek'd?  It's nothing more than a good fret dress, and based on a few new Gibsons I've played that had been Plek'd the results can vary quite a bit
    It seems that the frets are worn in a few areas, so I'm hoping that the refret and dress etc. will help with all that - and that once done, the plek will get it setup 'correctly'.... and besides, I've always fancied having it done on this guitar :)
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited July 2018
    I've been using Charlie since the 80s for all my set ups.

    I've had 2 Plek set ups and a bunch of regular set-ups by him over the years. Both Plek set-ups were very good and I was happy but I'm not sure if I noticed a huge difference. I've also been told that any decent, skilled and reputable luthier, like Charlie, should be able to get similar results to a Plek.
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    A good shop should get excellent results from a Plek machine because they'll give it the setup and finishing attention the guitar needs. 

    In the factory it can often just be a shortcut to rather brutally cut, perfectly levelled, flat top frets. 

    Having seen what the likes of Rob Williams or Feline Guitars do without a Plek machine I'd say it's a time-saving tool for a good luthier but I certainly wouldn't pay extra for it. 
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    p90fool said:
    A good shop should get excellent results from a Plek machine because they'll give it the setup and finishing attention the guitar needs. 

    In the factory it can often just be a shortcut to rather brutally cut, perfectly levelled, flat top frets. 

    Having seen what the likes of Rob Williams or Feline Guitars do without a Plek machine I'd say it's a time-saving tool for a good luthier but I certainly wouldn't pay extra for it. 
    Absolutely this. It's a tool just like any other - if the guy using the machine knows how to get the best out of it then you'll get a good setup, but that's equally true of a guy with a set of files. 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4159
    Never been a fan of Guitars that have been Plek’d personally, a good setup done by hand is always the best way imho
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  • Flanging_FredFlanging_Fred Frets: 3010
    I had a guitar re fretted and plek'd at CCGX. It was a decent enough job and I was happy but there was nothing magic about it and nothing that couldn't be done by a good luthier. 
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    p90fool said:
    A good shop should get excellent results from a Plek machine because they'll give it the setup and finishing attention the guitar needs. 

    In the factory it can often just be a shortcut to rather brutally cut, perfectly levelled, flat top frets. 

    Having seen what the likes of Rob Williams or Feline Guitars do without a Plek machine I'd say it's a time-saving tool for a good luthier but I certainly wouldn't pay extra for it. 
    When you say brutally, do you mean the machine can be rough with the guitars?

    I've wondered if the big score mark down the side of my LP (made a thread about it at the time) could be from some automated machine used on the guitar but I've never seen how a flek machine is actually loaded to know if it's a culprit.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    sweepy said:
    Never been a fan of Guitars that have been Plek’d personally, a good setup done by hand is always the best way imho
    Do you mean that the frets don't come out level?
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  • poopotpoopot Frets: 9098
    I’ve had a guitar plekd at Charlie’s... top job, there’s a reason they have that machine, it is a more accurate process. And to be fair, cost wise it’s about the same as a fret dress anywhere else!...
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  • rawk100rawk100 Frets: 1757
    I had my lp custom plexd after a refret and it was worth it, nice low action and no buzz. However I was suprised at how much meat it took off the frets.
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  • prlgmnrprlgmnr Frets: 3964
    I found this extremely informative as to what a plek machine does and doesn't do:


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  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4159
    thegummy said:
    sweepy said:
    Never been a fan of Guitars that have been Plek’d personally, a good setup done by hand is always the best way imho
    Do you mean that the frets don't come out level?
    I’ve worked on a couple of Gibson’s that have been Plek’d and they really weren’t optimised, they were very Vanilla if you get my drift 
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  • John_AJohn_A Frets: 3775
    prlgmnr said:
    I found this extremely informative as to what a plek machine does and doesn't do:


    Really interesting - Thanks for that
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    sweepy said:
    thegummy said:
    sweepy said:
    Never been a fan of Guitars that have been Plek’d personally, a good setup done by hand is always the best way imho
    Do you mean that the frets don't come out level?
    I’ve worked on a couple of Gibson’s that have been Plek’d and they really weren’t optimised, they were very Vanilla if you get my drift 
    Really don't know what you mean, surely they're either level or they're not?
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  • sweepysweepy Frets: 4159
    It’s not just level frets that make a good setup, that’s why Chandlers used to charge a premium for a setup after Plek-ing. As I said, the Gibson’s that I have worked on after being done still needed work doing although the people I still do work for are as fussy as me about nut height, neck relief and playability, so you pays your money and takes your choice as they say 
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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    My Midtown was plekked by the factory and plays superbly .I can do similar with files.emery and wire wool  and a couple of straight edges but its a boring pain  at least for me .
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited July 2018
    As he says in the vid, "Everything is finished by hand and every decision is controlled by the operator" and as Stickyfiddle said, "It's a tool".

    I think it also stores a snapshot of the set-up should you ever wish to refer to it
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    sweepy said:
    It’s not just level frets that make a good setup, that’s why Chandlers used to charge a premium for a setup after Plek-ing. As I said, the Gibson’s that I have worked on after being done still needed work doing although the people I still do work for are as fussy as me about nut height, neck relief and playability, so you pays your money and takes your choice as they say 
    Ah right.

    As far as I was aware, the PLEK was just to level the frets, didn't think it was meant to replace any other parts of a setup
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  • hoopshoops Frets: 223
    poopot said:
    I’ve had a guitar plekd at Charlie’s... top job, there’s a reason they have that machine, it is a more accurate process. And to be fair, cost wise it’s about the same as a fret dress anywhere else!...
    As above. 
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