PLEK setup - any experience? What to expect........

newi123

So my main guitar is still my old Highway One strat - it`s the only guitar I have that has sentimental value, and whilst I have more expensive and technically better guitars, this is the one I`d never get rid of.

It`s been played alot as you can see from the condition, and upto lockdown it was the main house guitar at our weekly Jams. 

Currently overdue a good setup, and having tried locals it`s been packaged up and couriered to Charlie Chandler for a full going over and PLEK. 

Quite excited really - anyone else had this done?

springhead

Yes, many times on various guitars and always by Charlie.  He was involved with the development of the Plek machines/software so has been using them for a long time.  Always had a good result when I've taken guitars to him.

ThePrettyDamned

No idea, but that looks absolute awesome. 

newi123

springhead said:

Yes, many times on various guitars and always by Charlie.  He was involved with the development of the Plek machines/software so has been using them for a long time.  Always had a good result when I've taken guitars to him.

Ah- didn`t know he was involved in the development - thanks

ThePrettyDamned said:

No idea, but that looks absolute awesome. 

Cheers - I go round and round with gear, but always end up back in the same place! :-)

Slash'N'burn

What will be done on the plek - fret level? Nut heights too? 

Jonathanthomas83

Recently had my '57 AVRI Strat done and it's come back playing beautifully. It wasn't necessarily a bad player before, but it plays nice now and I'm very happy! Charlie was cool guy to deal with.

newi123

Slash'N'burn said:

What will be done on the plek - fret level? Nut heights too? 

Whatever`s needed in this case I think. 

Kebabkid

springhead said:

Yes, many times on various guitars and always by Charlie.  He was involved with the development of the Plek machines/software so has been using them for a long time.  Always had a good result when I've taken guitars to him.

The same and I think Charlie keeps a record of it and so if it goes back or if you have other guitars and are looking for something similar, he can reference it.

You're in good hands

Philly_Q

For a while I had a Gibson ES-339 which had been Plek'd (they were doing that as standard on some models for a while, I don't know if they still do).

It felt fine, but subsequently Jon at @FelineGuitars did a bit of setup and fret dressing on it and it felt noticeably better.

I'm not saying Plek is rubbish or that you shouldn't bother, I'm sure you'll be pleased, but it doesn't render the human touch obsolete.

newi123

Philly_Q said:

For a while I had a Gibson ES-339 which had been Plek'd (they were doing that as standard on some models for a while, I don't know if they still do).

It felt fine, but subsequently Jon at @FelineGuitars did a bit of setup and fret dressing on it and it felt noticeably better.

I'm not saying Plek is rubbish or that you shouldn't bother, I'm sure you'll be pleased, but it doesn't render the human touch obsolete.

Yes - I`ve read the same. I think it`s a combination of man and machine, where the man still needs to be pretty handy! 

rossi

My  from new Gibson Midtown came plekked and I must say its a superb player .A really low action which I like ,on light strings and no buzzes or rattles.

Seziertisch

When I lived in Germany I had a number of guitars plekked at Kühlo Guitars, which was attached to the Plek premises. Very happy with the results.

That said, they said to me that the machine was only as good as the person using it and how well prepped the guitar was i.e. the frets need to seated properly and the relief adjusted correctly, which goes some way to explaining why a lot of plekked Gibsons are pretty underwhelming.

However, although I think plekking can be a good thing, in most cases (where there isn’t some sort of abnormality of the neck/fingerboard that requires frets to be precision dressed to slightly different heights) a good luthier can do at least as good a job.

grappagreen

I was disappointed with the Plek job on a CS Strat that Chandlers did. I had a luthier look over it later and he did a much better job.. I may have just been unlucky..

Nerine

I’ve tried a few Plekked LP’s that have not been up to expectations. 

I did have a PRS Cu24 Plekked by Chandlers and it transformed the instrument. I was beyond impressed with it when it came back. 

The only downside really is shipping it there. 

Nerine

I’m thinking of getting my LPC refretted, so I may give them a call again. 

MikeC

yes, Charlie has plek'd quite a few of my guitars and they always come back great

rawk100

He plek'd my LP custom after a refret and it was/still is great. All I'd say is that my jumbo frets I'd had fitted weren't as jumbo after it was done..

Andy79

Sounds like a crazy idea. How much does this service cost?

Fishboy7

£150 + courier both ways

FelineGuitars

I looked at it a few years ago and was fascinated by it, and seriously considered it because of the RSI it could lessen from crowning frets. 

I had a long discussion with Dan Erlewine, who at the time had long term loan of one , but also developed the Erlewine Neck Jig that we use. Dan felt it was really good , but a skilled luthier with a neck jig would get equal results which was of interest.

I can see how useful they are in a factory setting where you can ensure consistent results guitar after guitar.

But one thing that Charlie was quick to point out is that as someone has already said, you need a skilled tech as well to "humanise" the Plek process and do a bit of final finessing. And certainly Charlie has that skillset too.

We have seen too many guitars that had been factory Plekked but had no TLC after that and they could feel a bit scratchy.

I still find the machine fascinating , but the sheer cost of purchase plus the maintenance contract costs plus the % you pay per job you use it for made me decide to forego having one .....we just have several neck jigs we can use.

newi123

Well arrived back by courier today - great job.

Plays really well and very happy with it!