olie Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Does anyone have a date for when Gibson started to Plek the J-45? I see that they are doing it now but I wonder what year it started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbpark Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Does anyone have a date for when Gibson started to Plek the J-45? I see that they are doing it now but I wonder what year it started. What is your reason for wanting to know? Regardless of what year they started PLEK'ing, I'd just evaluate each guitar individually and if it needs a fret level/crown/polish/PLEK who cares what year they started using the PLEK machine? I have a 2010 Advanced Jumbo that had a hump in the upper frets. Had a local shop go through the guitar, had it PLEK'd and it plays great now, no buzz anywhere on the neck now. Money well spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 Simply curious.It might be interesting to see how Gibson frets have behaved pre and post Pleking and whether anyone has noticed. Since it is well-touted procedure you might think that there has been an improvement with necks of J-45's and the rest of the catalogue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Okay, I'll ask the question, and yes, I'm a dumb-a$$ I guess; What is PLEKing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 Okay, I'll ask the question, and yes, I'm a dumb-a$$ I guess; What is PLEKing? Sorry-I assume everyone knows stuff if I do! It's a computerised system originating in Germany that sets up and levels the fret height etc. on the fretboard. A lot of manufacturers seem to be using it nowadays. It eliminates the time-consuming manual labor that increases costs and (perhaps) improves the playability of a guitar. I hope that makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Sorry-I assume everyone knows stuff if I do! It's a computerised system originating in Germany that sets up and levels the fret height etc. on the fretboard. A lot of manufacturers seem to be using it nowadays. It eliminates the time-consuming manual labor that increases costs and (perhaps) improves the playability of a guitar. I hope that makes sense. Thanks! I appreciate the information. We learn something new every day, it seems! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 I remember going on the Homecoming factory tour and seeing the Plek machine in action - 2010 ? 11? 12? something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Sorry-I assume everyone knows stuff if I do! It's a computerised system originating in Germany that sets up and levels the fret height etc. on the fretboard. A lot of manufacturers seem to be using it nowadays. It eliminates the time-consuming manual labor that increases costs and (perhaps) improves the playability of a guitar. I hope that makes sense. Thanx from here - wasn't the plek-activity started just about the same time they introduced torrefaction. I remember going on the Homecoming factory tour and seeing the Plek machine in action - 2010 ? 11? 12? something like that. Okay, maybe not (for some reason didn't see your post, duluth). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 Thanks for the feedback, folks (and for future input).It was something I thought might be interesting in following up on as it's a fairly recent development and could supply some insight into whether or not it's a valuable technique going forward or just a sales adjunct. It seems that it hasn't caused any concerns by the lack of complaints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 My '41 Reissue SJ100 was Plek'd just before I bought it (secondhand). Of all the acoustic guitars I've owned, it has the lowest action and plays absolutely 100% buzz and rattle free. It's a genuinely wonderful guitar to play and really minimises left hand fatigue on long gigs. My SJ200 was in dire need of a setup when I bought it but now plays like buttered butter on a buttery slice of butter...not quite as nicely as the 100 though. My deduction from that, is that Pleking a brand new guitar is a waste of time...all guitars need to settle down and come to terms with the fact that they're no longer trees before anything like that is worthwhile. I'd like to get my SJ200 re-Plek'd now, at 2yrs old, to see if it will play the same as my SJ100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted September 17, 2017 Author Share Posted September 17, 2017 Thanks Jinder for your input. This is the type of response I was hoping to hear. Your point is well taken-perhaps the guitar has to find it's own "sweet spot" before any meaningful adjustments should be attempted. So now it's about what may have occured early on in the life of the guitar and whether or not the adjustment is + or -.The discussion has to start somewhere. More anecdotal or scientific replies might be of benefit no matter what side of the debate (if any) one is on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted September 17, 2017 Share Posted September 17, 2017 Sorry, can't help with the Gibson dates, but Martin started about the same time - I have a Martin (2016) 000-17 that came fully plek'd straight from the factory and it is a great setup...BUT I played 2 others at different shops with very high action. So, it is like all machines/tech - only as good as the settings/input! Here is a Sweetwater explanation: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-is-plek/ I guess set wrong=large gouge all the way along fretboard! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Thanks Jinder for your input. This is the type of response I was hoping to hear. Your point is well taken-perhaps the guitar has to find it's own "sweet spot" before any meaningful adjustments should be attempted. So now it's about what may have occured early on in the life of the guitar and whether or not the adjustment is + or -.The discussion has to start somewhere. More anecdotal or scientific replies might be of benefit no matter what side of the debate (if any) one is on. I think that most guitars need to find their "zero point" when the woods have settled into being guitar-shaped and cured a little before anything other than a rudimentary setup to make the guitar playable and correctly intonated is worthwhile. Certainly here in the U.K. guitars that are shipped internationally inevitably arrive in all kinds of shape, having been subjected to freight travel and the inevitable changes in temperature and humidity that entails, without even considering the natural settling process. I rarely buy a brand new guitar (my SJ200 was a NOS 2015 model bought in 2016, and my Dove was a NOS 2011 bought in the same year, which is about as close as I've come to buying "new" guitars in many years) but I've played plenty in guitar stores, and despite Pleking at the factory, I'd still say most would require some love to make them play at their best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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