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Pleked?
- Thread starter Tommygunn
- Start date
I just picked up a Plek'd Skyline Joe Osborn with Fralins from Ebay. I had to lower the action a bit for my tastes, but it plays great -- pretty close to my 55-94, which wasn't Plek'd.
A Pleked bass will not only play easier, it will make you more creative, intelligent, and attractive.
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
- 9,737
- 310
- 49
- Disclosures
- Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
A Plek machine is just a tool, and is only as good as the operator. My shop does a fret level on a Pleked instrument about once a week or so - I've seen some TERRIBLE fret jobs done by the Plek machine, both straight from the factory and from other repair shops.
I'm not a fan. Somebody with a neck jig, and precision leveling bar, a good set of eyes, and some skill can do just as good of a job if not better than any Plek machine.
I'm not a fan. Somebody with a neck jig, and precision leveling bar, a good set of eyes, and some skill can do just as good of a job if not better than any Plek machine.
- Jun 25, 2007
- 4,531
- 135
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- Disclosures
- Artist:TC Electronic RH450 bass system (original test-pilot)
Don't forget the bright, shiny smile, and dandruff cure....
Bob
but...
will it facilitate communication between all life forms, from extraterrestrial beings to household pets?
PlekN!
I got my freshly Plekd JO5 back from the barn (Lakland) yesterday.
Just in time for a Friday night gig.
I highly recommend PlekN to U!
Its the optimum in playability and tone for your bass.
My JO5 never looked, played or sounded so good.
The effort to play my bass was reduced by at least 75%
They also buffed every scratch and swirl off the bass.
My hats off to Leo and Kirk @ Lakland.
Leo even comment about how well my bass turned out.
They did an outstanding job!!!
I got my freshly Plekd JO5 back from the barn (Lakland) yesterday.
Just in time for a Friday night gig.
I highly recommend PlekN to U!
Its the optimum in playability and tone for your bass.
My JO5 never looked, played or sounded so good.
The effort to play my bass was reduced by at least 75%
They also buffed every scratch and swirl off the bass.
My hats off to Leo and Kirk @ Lakland.
Leo even comment about how well my bass turned out.
They did an outstanding job!!!
I look at it this way, if a manufacturer got hold of a Plek Machine and trained a few folks how to use it, then Plek'd every bass, every bass off the line would have a much better chance of being a great playing instrument.
It would certainly reduce the one or two out of every (insert number here) basses with an odd fret or dodgy fret end(s). Then the manufacturer could add no more than 5% to the retail price of the bass to cover the Plek machine cost and training.
In no time at all the machine would pay for itself and they (said manufacturer) would earn the reputation of having a better than average bass for the money.
(Are you reading this Fender MIA folks?)
Of course the guys that already dress the frets could just do their jobs in the first place....
It would certainly reduce the one or two out of every (insert number here) basses with an odd fret or dodgy fret end(s). Then the manufacturer could add no more than 5% to the retail price of the bass to cover the Plek machine cost and training.
In no time at all the machine would pay for itself and they (said manufacturer) would earn the reputation of having a better than average bass for the money.
(Are you reading this Fender MIA folks?)
Of course the guys that already dress the frets could just do their jobs in the first place....
Sure, but I'll bet a skilled operator could do 6 or more guitars a day on the machine. Dolla-dolla bill yo. If you're a busy shop, and you can afford it, it's a no-brainer.
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
Exactly.
That's because the human who was running the machine didn't do something right.
There is a learning curve in programing the Plek machine when the operator first get it.
During my recent visit to lakland, Dan was telling me that it does a good job, but not as good as a skilled craftsman. It takes off more fret than a hand fret job done by someone who knows what they're doing. However a skilled fret job costs more (labor) than a plek machine.
I've got one bass that was Pleked, and a couple that I've levelled myself. I'd say the Plek machine does a good job, and will be vastly better than a non-hand-levelled neck,(ie most Fenders etc) but is only as good as or perhaps almost as good as a hand done neck. It does seem to take less metal off the frets to me, but perhaps that's because I'm heavy-handed, and am not a skilled craftsman!
I found the by-hand method to be surprisingly easy if you've got the nerve for it, and it's a lot cheaper than Pleking. I can get my done-by-me neck down to 1mm on the G, and 2mm on the B with no buzzes, and more or less the same with the Pleked neck, with one VERY minor buzz. It also cut the nut too high for my taste, but that's an operator input I'm sure.
I found the by-hand method to be surprisingly easy if you've got the nerve for it, and it's a lot cheaper than Pleking. I can get my done-by-me neck down to 1mm on the G, and 2mm on the B with no buzzes, and more or less the same with the Pleked neck, with one VERY minor buzz. It also cut the nut too high for my taste, but that's an operator input I'm sure.
I have 3 plekked Laklands and am very happy with how they play. I have owned and played lots of non-plekked basses that can't touch the plekked ones.
Have I ever had a very expensive fret job by a skilled artisan? No. But I have played some very expensive MIA basses that would benefit greatly from either service.
I'll admit that buying an already plekked bass is attractive to me, but I don't know if I would pay retail to take a bass to a local plekker and might instead opt for a fret job. Then again, I would try to not buy a bass that needed a fret job.
