Plek re-fret job on my Stratocaster

[string bender]

Recently I had my 1995 tex~mex Strat "re-fretted" and "Plek'd" at Joe Glazer's in Nashville TN.

Joe did an amazing job bringing back the playability on this instrument, It remain's my Number 1 guitar in my collection for playing. The fret board was in need of repair, I returned to my favorite Duncan size with the .115'' wide frets, once Plek'd and polished my guitar returned back to my guitar of choice ( I have 15 guitars, this one for some reason the neck and basswood body with custom wound vintage 63 pup's is a standout).

[MakerDP]

I have an Ibanez Artstar AS153 Plek'd by San Francisco Guitar Works. Wow what a difference. It was pretty nice before - but after it became a #1-worthy axe for sure.

[G._Hoffman]

Meh.  A good tech (including Joe Glazer) can do the exact same work for less money.  Or as a friend says, "I'm a human Plek."  They really are just a marketing gimmick. 

Gabriel

[Ritchie200]

Gabriel,

I was actually waiting to hear from a luthier about this process.  I was a tool and die maker for years working by hand and with CNC machines of all types with tolerances regularly in the .0001" range. Looking at the accuracy claims for the Plek machine, they appear impressive but are actually pretty coarse by todays automated QC probe and manufacturing standards.  Scans to within +- .0002".  Fret dress within +- .0004".  But then again, for our ham fisted guitar playing, it is more than adequate.  However, like many processes, you are only as good as your weakest link.  Nut cutting is +- .002".  Hell, I could get closer than that (and I have) eyeballing a hand cut on a nut much less using a simple dial indicator to check progress.  Just this alone could have significant impact on string height if automated cuts are at opposite ends of that tolerance.  Am I trashing this process?  Absolutely not!  What a great piece of engineering and application - AND the whole process takes just minutes!  For production and the final product, that is amazing!  My toolmaker self is geeking out.  However, I always wondered if a competent luthier could meet and even exceed what the Plek process is promising.  I know I've done lots of hand work on stamping dies that were well within this realm of tolerance.  It sounds like Gabriel might agree.  I also wonder if a competent luthier could do a few tricks to make the guitar more adaptable to different string gages and even environment?  I'll let Gabriel chime in on that.  The difficulty may be finding the "competent" part.  What is the cost for a Plek job?  I guess there are stages in the process so the price may vary considerably?  How does that compare to the price of a manual job?  Again, I am not trashing the process or saying those who have paid for it have made a mistake.

Jim

[G._Hoffman]

Gabriel,

I was actually waiting to hear from a luthier about this process.  I was a tool and die maker for years working by hand and with CNC machines of all types with tolerances regularly in the .0001" range. Looking at the accuracy claims for the Plek machine, they appear impressive but are actually pretty coarse by todays automated QC probe and manufacturing standards.  Scans to within +- .0002".  Fret dress within +- .0004".  But then again, for our ham fisted guitar playing, it is more than adequate.  However, like many processes, you are only as good as your weakest link.

I mean, the idea that most machines can regularly hit a 0.0001" tolerance is absurd.  At that point, you aren't talking about precision, you are talking about surface finish, and you are not just specifying tolerance, but you are gonna have to spec the ambient room temperature and relative humidity.  And if you are dealing with wood, even that isn't going to give you a 0.0001.  Within about a thou is as good as you are ever going to get with wood, no matter the technology you use, because the wood is going to be moving more than that just from changing locations.  Hell, it moves more than that just going from your bench position to playing position.  (Don't believe me, tune your guitar laying down, then pick it up and check the tuning in playing position - most guitars will be measurably out with even a basic tuner).  The only thing I kinda like about a Plek is the ability to show a customer that you have really repeated their setup precisely, but even that isn't particularly valuable to me, since most customers either aren't that picky (you should see some of the things they come in with saying, "it feels fine to me."), or they can feel it is right on their own.


Gabriel

[Ed_Chambley]

I can, will and have leveled, polished and done countless fret jobs.  What I cannot do that I have witnessed a PLEK do is measures the fret level under tension.  Righteous Guitars here in Atlanta doesn't believe nor do they charge for each guitar to be PLEKED.


Here is the deal.  With one of these machines I wouldn't have had to "learn" how to level frets.  The machine does a great job and so do many luthiers but the PLEK doesn't care if you have SS frets and doesn't sling mud at others.  Seems the PLEK machines are a bit more humble than I.


I recently had them do a Heritage H-157, which is the Les Paul Custom and the guitar is better then the "luthier" I got it from.  Check out how these guys handle their PLEK services.