hawgadi Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I was in a shop the other day playing a J-200 that had some setup issues. The guy at the store said that it was because it wasn't PLEK'd--obvious nonsense, it was just a bad setup and a loose item in the adjustable bridge. What was interesting was that I'd never heard of the PLEK machine before, and that he said all the new J-45 TV's were getting set up with the PLEK. I don't really care one way or another, as a well set up guitar is a well set up guitar, but wondered if this was just salesman nonsense (as was the other comment), or are some acoustics getting the PLEK treatment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I don't know if Gibson owns or uses a PLEK machine. I have my own PLEK equipment; a flat file, a diamond fret file, progressively finer sandpaper and steel wool. So if one of these magical machines PLEKs your J45 with 11s at a store in Augusta Georgia, then you sell it to someone in Augusta, Maine who heats with wood and uses 13s, does it then have to be rePLEKed? Have we come to this? High tech doesn't make a good guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 the 'plek' was descibed to me by a shop owner who was just at the gibson nashville plant for a merchants' tour. the machine simulates the approximate tension/torsion put on the neck by a set of strings and and leveler then shaves the frets. this ensures that the frets are properly dressed and of uniform height. it seems it would minimize the occurance of buzz and DFS (dead fret syndrome). i'm not sure how long the industry has been using this machine but it was hearalded as revolutionary when it was introduced. at least this is how my shop guy desribed it to me and apparently, it is quite an interesting operation to see in person. here's a video... pretty cool but i bet KSD could do it better! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejxllUXi8rs&NR=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawgadi Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 I don't know if Gibson owns or uses a PLEK machine. I have my own PLEK equipment; a flat file' date=' a diamond fret file, progressively finer sandpaper and steel wool. So if one of these magical machines PLEKs your J45 with 11s at a store in Augusta Georgia, then you sell it to someone in Augusta, Maine who heats with wood and uses 13s, does it then have to be rePLEKed? Have we come to this? High tech doesn't make a good guitar.[/quote'] Uh---wow. You must have missed this part of my post: I don't really care one way or another, as a well set up guitar is a well set up guitar, but wondered I'm just curious about the machine, the process, and whether they do it on acoustics. It's not going to affect any purchase on my part. Cunkhead, thanks for the video, interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarstrummer Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I don't think they have a PLEK machine in Bozeman, unless it's something they've just recently added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jannusguy Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 i can pluck without a plek. (sorry) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermionik Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 . . I thought Plek was quite a good film - though the talking donkey was irritating..... . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfden1 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I don't know if Gibson owns or uses a PLEK machine. I have my own PLEK equipment; a flat file' date=' a diamond fret file, progressively finer sandpaper and steel wool. [/quote'] ksdaddy, your in good company. I visited Gryphon Stringed Instruments last year with a luthier friend of mine. He and Frank Ford got to talking about the plek machine (Frank had looked into buying one), and Frank's response was almost exactly the same as yours. Even given the number of set-ups his shop does, he felt nothing takes the place of the human hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitarstrummer Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 I just confirmed that Bozeman does not have a PLEK machine, nor do they use one to set up their acoustic guitars. The acoustic guitar is an ever changing, organic kind of beast. If you plek a guitar, that is fine for the minute but as soon as the top drops or raises as humidity changes then the plek setup is gone. It's very easy for Gibson to set up a guitar and have it change a little during shipping. It will happen and when it does, the Plek setup is gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawgadi Posted September 6, 2008 Author Share Posted September 6, 2008 I just confirmed that Bozeman does not have a PLEK machine' date=' nor do they use one to set up their acoustic guitars. The acoustic guitar is an ever changing, organic kind of beast. If you plek a guitar, that is fine for the minute but as soon as the top drops or raises as humidity changes then the plek setup is gone. It's very easy for Gibson to set up a guitar and have it change a little during shipping. It will happen and when it does, the Plek setup is gone.[/quote'] Thanks Mike, makes total sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfden1 Posted September 6, 2008 Share Posted September 6, 2008 .. I thought Plek was quite a good film - though the talking donkey was irritating..... . . True, although I thought the cat coughing up hairballs was pretty real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermionik Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Which brings us nicely to the hairballs inside our acoustics. Next time you have all the strings off, take a look inside, you find the wierdest things inside, and not just balls of fluff. So, here it is, and come on..... you so saw this one coming: What was the strangest thing YOU found inside a guitar..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 The usual, sunflower seeds, broken picks, whole picks, string balls, lint. One of my guitars (El Trasho) still has mouse turds inside from the 2 years it hung in the garage. Doesn't matter, because it's going BACK to the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc_333 Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 when i was a guitar tech i had an acoustic come in that contained about 2 inches of a 3muskateers candy bar... wrapper and all. it looked like someone had eaten most of it, then saved the last 2 bites for later. it hadn't melted though. it was a very pale, dried up powdery looking thing. it was quite nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWilson Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 when i was a guitar tech i had an acoustic come in that contained about 2 inches of a 3muskateers candy bar... wrapper and all. it looked like someone had eaten most of it' date=' then saved the last 2 bites for later. it hadn't melted though. it was a very pale, dried up powdery looking thing. it was quite nasty.[/quote'] So much for playing your guitar after smoking some of the Devil's weed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 The whole purpose of a hand crafted guitar, in my opinion, is the avoidance of unnecessary mechanical interference. I would rather have a guitar that was set up by hand than a machine-ground (even if perfect) fretboard. This sounds more like something Taylor would use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Taylor.....Taylor..... name rings a bell. Oh yeah, they look something like a Martin, don't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawgadi Posted September 7, 2008 Author Share Posted September 7, 2008 Gibson uses it on their custom electrics. http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/ProductSpotlight/GearAndInstruments/Built%20by%20Humans,%20Perfected%20by/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Taylor.....Taylor..... name rings a bell. Oh yeah' date=' they look something like a Martin, don't they?[/quote'] Oh no, a Taylor is a completely unique and original guitar made by machines and robots but sold to you at a hand-made price. OK wait, I want to revise my answer - that IS just like a Martin. YES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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