Gibson Artist Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Ok, i was looking at buying a Les Paul Traditional but settled on a studio and overall am happy with my purchase but have a few questions. The Traditional i believe it said it was "pleked". Id like to know a little more about the process if i could, ive got a sweet hollowbody that my fiance bought me and ive put up a picture with the head cut off so as not to promote other guitar makers but was wondering if it can be fleked. The guitar is a 1000 dollar hollowbody with some really nice inlays and i was curious would that hurt the inlays? Pardon my ignorance but if i didnt ask i would not know the answer and im curious if any places near rhode island can do this process or if i can ship the guitar out for it, my hollowbody needs a serious intonation since it has a floating bridge and i was thinking the fleking process may help. Here is my guitar. Any info on whether this process can be used on this guitar is greatly appreciated. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chase1410 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Pleking is basically the process of a machine making your nut and the frets on the guitar, as close to spec as humanly possible....Most of the higher end Gibson's are Pleked..(my Traditional and Silverburst Explorer are completely pleked) but the lower end Gibby's usually only have the nut's pleked....Sometime's you'll get the sticker that says "pleked" on the pickup cover, but other time's you have to some research a little but to see if your guitar was completely pleked as was the case with my Explorer.. You can ship the guitar out to Gibson to get it pleked , but its over 300$ I believe...And it shouldn't harm the inlays at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Philtone Guitar Co. Contact person: Phil Jacoby 428 East Fort Avenue Baltimore, MD 21230 Phone: USA (410) 783 02 60 » philtone@verizon.net » www.philtone.com Closest I found near you My 335 was done and it really does work Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 There are also a few in New York Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson Artist Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 There are also a few in New York Thanks much i will check it out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest farnsbarns Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Do bare in mind that this will have no meaningfull effect on your intonation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Just don't have your PER " PLEXED ".......It won't help...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Remember though that a Plek machine is just a way of getting a factory set up without having a skilled craftsman set up each individual guitar. I have several that have been Pleked and its no better really than a skilled set-up by somebody who really knows what they are doing. Your buying a machine set-up with a accurate fret polish and level to a factory setting and that's all your really getting. If that's what your looking for, than hey more power too you. But a lot of people are confused and think it does something amazing when that's just not the case. I have actually had several Pleked guitar set up with a hand done fret job and a new nut shortly done after buying it there was nothing really wrong with it, but it was set up to a factory spec not what I wanted and I don't really care how accurately a machine cuts a cheap plastic, nut it's still just a cheap plastic nut and I would rather have bone especially for that kind of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 I think you guys have a set-up job confused with "plek'd". The PLEK machine is a machine that grinds and polishes the frets, that's it. It cam also cut for the nut. It does not anything different or additional than doing it by hand, it is just an automation of the process. If you need the action adjusted and the intonation set, you adjust the guitar (or have it taken to someone to do it). If, your frets are wore out, THEN you might have a use for a PLEK. But really, a competent guy can do as good a job, it is just a matter of what process to use. The results should be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Well actually if you believe all the hype it is supposed to grind, level ( crown) and polish the frets at playing tension and cut the nut slots appropriately. I have played a few Pleked guitars but wasn't blown away by anything. IMHO intonation is obtained ( the best that it can be) in combination with all things ( Proper Nut Slot Cuts, Proper fret level, Proper saddle cuts, Proper Fret Crowning, Proper neck relief, proper bridge height, Neck angle, Etc...) If all of these things things combined will help with your intonation efforts... One thing that people think is that all the frets need to be exactly the same height and level. In reality, and my experience i have the best results by leveling slightly heavier as I move from the nut to the bridge. This makes every fret just slightly lower than the next as you move up in pitch and in reality that is all ya need.... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 ANDY: You always amaze with your insight, adding a little something to the mix that actually has some REALITY to it. If I understand you correctly, I do the same. I take the frets from about the 16th or so down further than the rest. My reasons are no one hardly plays down there or notices (mostly me) and it is better to loose a little there than have problems with those frets having their say in the action height. Which brings up another point: Not all guitars will "bow" in the same point. Sometimes adjusting the rod will give more bow or relief toward the lower frets, some a smooth bow all the way. I suppose a PKEK machine would be helpful in cases where the neck does not want to bow smoothly. But one thing it can NOT account for is that if you want really GOOD action, not all guitars will end up with the same relief in the truss rod adjustment. So, that might make the point of flexing the neck mute perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy R Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 ANDY: You always amaze with your insight, adding a little something to the mix that actually has some REALITY to it. If I understand you correctly, I do the same. I take the frets from about the 16th or so down further than the rest. My reasons are no one hardly plays down there or notices (mostly me) and it is better to loose a little there than have problems with those frets having their say in the action height. Which brings up another point: Not all guitars will "bow" in the same point. Sometimes adjusting the rod will give more bow or relief toward the lower frets, some a smooth bow all the way. I suppose a PKEK machine would be helpful in cases where the neck does not want to bow smoothly. But one thing it can NOT account for is that if you want really GOOD action, not all guitars will end up with the same relief in the truss rod adjustment. So, that might make the point of flexing the neck mute perhaps? True, To be viable it would have to be setup to meet a certain minimum "Spec" for action, strings etc.. Like you said there is the potential for the (relief in the neck) to be slightly different from guitar to guitar but I think you would have more difference in the amount of tension that is required from the strings, and desired action due to the wood in the neck and fretboard being more or less prone to reaction to tension. Stew Mac/Dan Erlewine made a jig years ago that allows you to maintain tension on the neck while doing a fret job. It is a pretty simple concept and I even made one myself a long time ago. All you do is set the action where you want it and set the neck for proper relief when tune to pitch. The guitar is then Strapped down and multiple adjustable rods are raised along the back of the neck that are "locked in" flush so that when the string tension is removed the rods keep the neck from back bowing and maintains the tension on the neck. Andy by the way a 1/16" or so! I was talking a few millimeters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest farnsbarns Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 True, To be viable it would have to be setup to meet a certain minimum "Spec" for action, strings etc.. Like you said there is the potential for the (relief in the neck) to be slightly different from guitar to guitar but I think you would have more difference in the amount of tension that is required from the strings, and desired action due to the wood in the neck and fretboard being more or less prone to reaction to tension. Stew Mac/Dan Erlewine made a jig years ago that allows you to maintain tension on the neck while doing a fret job. It is a pretty simple concept and I even made one myself a long time ago. All you do is set the action where you want it and set the neck for proper relief when tune to pitch. The guitar is then Strapped down and multiple adjustable rods are raised along the back of the neck that are "locked in" flush so that when the string tension is removed the rods keep the neck from back bowing and maintains the tension on the neck. Andy by the way a 1/16" or so! I was talking a few millimeters 1/16" is 1.5mm (25/16=1.56) :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 lol..no way, I meant from about the 16th fret or so down toward the heel! But it does read like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.