Plek? Anyone had it done?

Ka_Ve_86 · #1 04-30-2008, 09:35 PM

Just looking into the Plek guitar set up system... I have read some review's and people just rave about it i was just wondering if anyone here as had it done and what there thoughts are...
I tried to set up my bass myself and i have it just about there still have some slight buzz but if the plek system is as good as what people think it might be worth the money to get it done...

Just Thumpin' · #2 05-12-2008, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ka_Ve_86

Just looking into the Plek guitar set up system... I have read some review's and people just rave about it i was just wondering if anyone here as had it done and what there thoughts are...
I tried to set up my bass myself and i have it just about there still have some slight buzz but if the plek system is as good as what people think it might be worth the money to get it done...

I have had two of my Fender basses pleked and it is a great process. The action and playability up and down the entire fretboard is amazingly uniform. The idea is that a computer guided machine can do a far more consistently accurate job of dressing frets than a person.

Although I am sure that in the finest hands, a great luthier will come darn close, in reality us humans just have far more variances in our performance of tasks requiring this degree of precision!

kesslari · #3 05-12-2008, 03:27 PM

A guitarist friend had one of his axes plek'd.
When he got it back and played it, he had ALL of them plek'd.
He's a happy camper.
And I'll say this about him - he's a good player with excellent ears and a lot of experience, so his vote is one that I tend to trust.

**Eric Perry** · #4 05-12-2008, 03:41 PM

I would love to have this done to at least one of my basses to compare/contrast. Unfortunately, the closest one is almost three hours away.

Dave Muscato · #5 05-12-2008, 03:43 PM

Thanks for the info. I've heard of this process but only heard the advertising... It's nice to hear that users are impressed by it. How much does it cost?

funkytoe · #6 05-12-2008, 04:13 PM

I've had it done to 4 of my basses now. Usually right before recording. It is like having the best set up you have ever had. Fret buzz goes away. Playing seems effortless. Its not for every bass, as it tends to run $200-$250 for a PLEK treatment. For example I would not have it done to a new Lakland, as their factory fret work tends to be top drawer in my experience. But, I have used it to make classics like a Yamaha BB2000 and an Aria SB1000 sound better than they ever had before. Ask yourself: (1) Could my bass use a good (great) fret dressing? If the answer is "yes," and you have $200, you will not be disappointed with the result.

lambro · #7 05-12-2008, 04:32 PM

I have a pleked Gibson double cut Special from the custom shop....nothing beats a flecked fingerboard

Lokire · #8 05-12-2008, 04:51 PM

All my basses play perfectly for me, but if I ever get one that doesn't, a Plek treatment will definitely be my first choice. Since Mike Lull has one now and he's just 5 minutes away

Mike has done a bunch of setup work and a few refrets for me in the past anways, always does a superb job

Giraffe · #9 05-12-2008, 04:56 PM

As funkytoe points out, a bass with a great fret job doesn't need the treatment. A high-end luthier friend of mine who anted up for one of the machines some time ago reports that players who maintain a higher action for enhanced tone don't get much benefit from it either.

It seems to be very useful for the player who wants very low, buzz-free action, and understands that the low action requires a suitably light right hand technique. Some guys with heavy right hands don't seem to understand why the Plek system doesn't enable them to pluck hard with a very low action and get no buzz.

It is not magic, it is not a free lunch, it does not defy physics. It does provide a more level surface than he or I have ever been able to achieve otherwise, but not necessarily by the margin you might hope for.

salcott · #10 05-13-2008, 11:29 AM

"It seems to be very useful for the player who wants very low, buzz-free action, and understands that the low action requires a suitably light right hand technique. Some guys with heavy right hands don't seem to understand why the Plek system doesn't enable them to pluck hard with a very low action and get no buzz."

I concur with the above quote; If you come to BG from upright, as I do, you have a different way of attacking the string. Last setup I had was so low I had to go back and have the action raised after a couple of gigs and it wasn't even a Plek job. I've played Plek'ed basses, and it is amazing how low the action can be and still be playable. If you play with a light touch, it's worth the expense, IMHO. For us old thumpers, not so much.

Dave Muscato · #11 05-13-2008, 06:30 PM

I come from a classical guitar background, and like my action EXTREMELY low - much too low for most players. This is starting to sound very interesting... I will have to check it out. How long does it "last"?

Giraffe · #12 05-13-2008, 10:12 PM

It lasts until you wear the frets sufficiently to need another leveling, which for most of us is a rrreeeaaallllyyyyyyy long time. It is essentially a high-tech fret level, with much of the final crowning and polishing left to the manual skills of the operator. I don't know how much of a "set up" process it actually encompasses, although it does make the manual set-up process easier, as the leveling is so excellent!

neptoon · #13 12-11-2008, 04:38 PM

resurrecting an old thread here but i'm sending in my yamaha attitude limited I for a plek job in the next day or so...i'll have to get back here when it's done

Mr.Bassie720 · #14 12-13-2008, 04:47 PM

The vast majority of musicians who get their instument plekked love it. I believe the plekk is no fad. It will become as important to the luthier as the rest of his precision tools. All my basses will get plekked. communicate well with your luthier and the plekk will help get you your dream setup.

neptoon · #15 12-21-2008, 10:00 AM

i spoke with phil jacoby at philtone in baltimore pretty extensively about it and felt great about sending in my yammie attitude to him...he got it within a couple of days, emailed me right away letting me know that everything showed up as it should have and would be getting to work on it right away...a day and a half later i receive an phonecall from him as well as an email from ups letting me know that it had shipped...apparently the fretboard on my attitude created an alarm situation with the plek because it's scalloped, but he worked around it with some scraps of wood and tape...he said he was going to be putting up some pictures on his website...we spoke for a little while and he let me know all of the issues that he had found and had repaired...he had fixed a few things that he came across without charging extra, which i thought was pretty cool of him...he said that it plays great now...i'm not at home at the moment, but i can't wait to check it out...more to follow, but i sent this out a week ago friday and it will be here tomorrow - that's a 10 day turnaround including shipping back and forth from memphis to baltimore...not bad!

neptoon · #16 12-25-2008, 11:51 AM

just a quick update, after having tried it out, it cetainly feels like a different bass, but the same, if that makes any sense...i would recommend a plk job for anyone that has a great bass but can't dial in a perfect set up...if you're on the west coast, mike lull is the man, but if you're on the east coast, phil jacoby at philtone guitars is a super nice and knowledgable guy...there is truly a noticable difference in the way my attitude plays...love it!

Quadzilla · #17 04-10-2009, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neptoon

just a quick update, after having tried it out, it cetainly feels like a different bass, but the same, if that makes any sense...i would recommend a plk job for anyone that has a great bass but can't dial in a perfect set up...if you're on the west coast, mike lull is the man, but if you're on the east coast, phil jacoby at philtone guitars is a super nice and knowledgable guy...there is truly a noticable difference in the way my attitude plays...love it!

Agree, Phil is the man. I have the pleasure of living 25 min from his shop and having him do work to some of my instruments. As a matter of fact, I'm taking my old MM Sabre down to him in a few days to have her PLEKed. Action and setup is not bad on it, but not great either. Nothing major wrong with the Sabre (neck appears straight, etc, but it appears she has one or two minor high spots on the neck that the PLEK should cure).

jcalo · #18 04-10-2009, 12:15 PM

Where is the closest destination for me to get my bass Plek'd?
I live in Hershey,Pennsylvania.

Febs · #19 04-10-2009, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcalo

Where is the closest destination for me to get my bass Plek'd?
I live in Hershey,Pennsylvania.

Looks like Baltimore: http://www.plek.com/en_US/kontakt/get-pleked/usa/

Jim Nazium · #20 04-10-2009, 01:36 PM

If you go to the Plek web site, they have a list of locations where you can get it done.
http://www.plek.com/en_US/kontakt/get-pleked/usa/
Sam Ash in New York or Philtone in Baltimore look like the closest one to you.

(edit) haha, febs beat me to it