[Wardo]

Anyone ever had a guitar plek’d at Cosmo ?

I have a LP Junior that was plek’d at the factory and every note plays clean with lowish action.

I have a Telecaster that has a lot of notes dulling out on the frets even though the relief is fine and the action is highish but tolerable. It’s higher than Fender speck and it’s higher than the LP.

To get it clean I’d need to raise the action a good bit from where it is so I was wondering if having it plek’d might work out.

Thanks.

 

[GTmaker]

The way I see it is if you get any guitar plek'd it should play better then before.
The Plek machine also cuts a new nut which I think is the key to getting all the frets working properly.

I dont know if a good guitar tech can do as good a job as the Plek machine but I guess it would depend on the teck.
Another consideration would be the cost of a Plek job versus your favorite teck.
What does Cosmo charge for a Plek job?
G.

 

[tonewoody]

IMO a good guitar tech can do a better job than a Plek machine.

 

[Player99]

During a pleking + setup I was told I had to change from 9-42 to 10-46 and I would have to change string brands. I was also told an electric guitar could not play chords and lead well. One or the other. The main issues I brought the guitar in for were still there when I got it back. The nut was also too low. I have been playing for 35 + years and know quite a bit about guitars, so I was taken back by what I was told. This guitar is a Gibson and my main player. I never changed string gauge or brand. The guitar was good, but with the nut and high string issues it is disappointing. I changed the nut which helped. I may invest in the tools required to do my own.

 

[greco]

This is an L&M Blog from August 2017.

PLEK: The Best Your Guitar Can Be

This PLEK computer screen shot is fascinating...

L&M PLEK Services

PLEK services are provided through Yorkville Sound in Pickering Ontario. For locations not on the Yorkville truck route, shipping costs must be paid by the customer and insurance should be offered at 3% of the replacement value of the instrument. Instruments should be shipped to Yorkville in Pickering and marked ATTN: PLEK. A Repair-RTS to Yorkville must be created for the RP, even if it is not a Yorkville product; no RA# is needed. Unless otherwise requested, it will be assumed that all instruments are being played in standard tuning, and will be optimized for the Shop Spec Action listed on the following page. If the customer uses an alternate tuning or action, it must be listed in the problem description. An initial scan is required for all instruments in addition to the selected service, the appropriate SKUs should be added to the RP before the item is shipped. Yorkville will only perform the SKU’d services added to the bill. Notes regarding non-PLEK services will be ignored if not specifically marked as “BY YORKVILLE”. Service Price Model# SKU Initial Scan (Required) $40 PLEK/SCAN 0493643 Fret Level & Crown Add $140 PLEK/FRETLEVEL 0496501 Fingerboard Level (For fretless instruments) Add $130 PLEK/FRETBOARD 0496500 New nut from blank Add $140 PLEK/NUT 0496502 ***Prices do not include a complete setup*** Fret & Fingerboard PLEK fret and fingerboard services include basic adjustments to the neck and bridge but do not include a complete setup. It is strongly recommended that a complete setup is done following the PLEK service, this should be completed by a local tech at the appropriate fixed rate after the guitar has been returned to the store. Nut Shaping & Slotting New nuts will be made from a bone blank unless otherwise requested. Removal of the old nut is included, cosmetic touch-up is not included. A setup is required and should be performed by a local technician at the appropriate fixed rate after the guitar has been returned. A flyer with info on the benefits of Plek service can be found on the repairs page of the intranet Questions about PLEK services can be sent to Jeremy Berger at [email protected]

 

[1SweetRide]

During a pleking + setup I was told I had to change from 9-42 to 10-46 and I would have to change string brands. I was also told an electric guitar could not play chords and lead well. One or the other. The main issues I brought the guitar in for were still there when I got it back. The nut was also too low. I have been playing for 35 + years and know quite a bit about guitars, so I was taken back by what I was told. This guitar is a Gibson and my main player. I never changed string gauge or brand. The guitar was good, but with the nut and high string issues it is disappointing. I changed the nut which helped. I may invest in the tools required to do my own.

That's just bizarre. Maybe they meant that a guitar setup for lead (amp & pedal settings) won't sound good playing chords? I have guitars with both gauges and prefer the 9s.

 

[troyhead]

That's just bizarre.

Agreed. Shouldn't good guitars be able to be setup with a range of string gauges? Billy Gibbons plays all kinds of guitars and puts 8's on them!

On the "chords vs lead" thing, I wonder if the tech was talking about intonation and how no stringed instrument can be perfectly in tune for all keys due to temperament. In that case, a guitar can be intonated and tuned so that open chords sound the best, but then some intervals higher up the neck might sound a bit off. It's the reason you see products like the Earvana nut or tuner pedals with "sweetened" tunings. But seriously, is it that big of a deal? The greats have been able to play the same guitar switching from lead to rhythm for ages, so while it might not be "perfect" you should be able to get a "great" setup in spite of this. I've noticed this most profoundly on the G string when going between minor thirds, major thirds, and fifths, but when performing live who is going to be able to tell? And when recording, just adjust the G string for that bit.

Perhaps the tech was trying to manage your expectations a little too hard, letting you know that your guitar was being setup by a computer but still would not be perfect. But the string thing... that's weird. Some people just don't like heavier strings.

 

[High/Deaf]

Yea, I sure hope Zak's guitar was plek'd. May not have been perfectly intonated, and wouldn't that be a shame ..........

 

[BSTheTech]

Comes down to the guy running the PLEK machine. Supposedly there is an "auto" or default feature that many shops and one notable manufacturer use to get the guitar close'ish. A skilled tech can supposedly leverage more of the machine's potential to get more out of it. I asked about a local PLEK shop as you have done and got zero response so I didn't bother trying it out. Search PLEK and NAMM in some of the other forums for more info.

 

[Player99]

That's just bizarre. Maybe they meant that a guitar setup for lead (amp & pedal settings) won't sound good playing chords? I have guitars with both gauges and prefer the 9s.

They meant the setup would suck for one or the other..., or explaining why it sucked. The guitar was plek'd twice because of how off it was.

 

[Jimi D]

Comes down to the guy running the PLEK machine. Supposedly there is an "auto" or default feature that many shops and one notable manufacturer use to get the guitar close'ish. A skilled tech can supposedly leverage more of the machine's potential to get more out of it. I asked about a local PLEK shop as you have done and got zero response so I didn't bother trying it out. Search PLEK and NAMM in some of the other forums for more info.

This is my understanding of the process as well. Sending your guitar off to be PLEKd in some other town wouldn't give results any better than you find on an off-the-wall Gibson the way I see it. You need to talk to tech who's running the thing and set your needs and expectations with him. Ultimately, a good luthier &/or tech with a PLEK should always be able to provide better results than one without a PLEK, as the machine gives them more information and tools to work with to create the perfect setup; it offers knowledge and tools we don't have at our disposal otherwise...

 

[cheezyridr]

Anyone ever had a guitar plek’d at Cosmo ?

I have a LP Junior that was plek’d at the factory and every note plays clean with lowish action.

I have a Telecaster that has a lot of notes dulling out on the frets even though the relief is fine and the action is highish but tolerable. It’s higher than Fender speck and it’s higher than the LP.

To get it clean I’d need to raise the action a good bit from where it is so I was wondering if having it plek’d might work out.

Thanks.

while a plek might help. it's probably not the only problem you are having, from what you are describing in your post.

IMO a good guitar tech can do a better job than a Plek machine.

your opinion is wrong. i know that's blunt, and i don't mean to sound rude. but it's the truth - sort of. a plek job all by itself is not going to magically cure all the ills wrong with a guitar. it's completely pointless w/o a good set up, which has to be done by hand. anyone who can read a ruler and use basic hand tools is capable of doing a great set-up. there is zero magic to it, and the skills required are the most basic. i could teach a 5th grader to do set ups as good as any tech you ever met in your life, in an afternoon. what separates the men from the boys when it comes to guitar techs is not set up work. it's everything else. you should learn to do your own set ups. if you did, you would already know what i posted is actual and factual.


having your neck pleck'd allows for some pretty fine adjustments to your set up. it will allow lower action than any other way. a guitar with a good set up will play nice. a plek'd guitar with a good set up will play better, 100% of the time. because of the cost, i wouldn't plek a guitar with soft frets. the plek job won't last as long. the modern gibby's with the cryogenically treated frets last longer, and come plek'd from the factory. that will last a loooong time. (not counting the nut, of course) if you were to plek a guitar with s.s. frets, and properly install a roller nut, you'd never have have to touch the neck ever again, in your lifetime. in most cases.

 

[guitarman2]

while a plek might help. it's probably not the only problem you are having, from what you are describing in your post.



your opinion is wrong. i know that's blunt, and i don't mean to sound rude. but it's the truth - sort of. a plek job all by itself is not going to magically cure all the ills wrong with a guitar. it's completely pointless w/o a good set up, which has to be done by hand. anyone who can read a ruler and use basic hand tools is capable of doing a great set-up. there is zero magic to it, and the skills required are the most basic. i could teach a 5th grader to do set ups as good as any tech you ever met in your life, in an afternoon. what separates the men from the boys when it comes to guitar techs is not set up work. it's everything else. you should learn to do your own set ups. if you did, you would already know what i posted is actual and factual.


having your neck pleck'd allows for some pretty fine adjustments to your set up. it will allow lower action than any other way. a guitar with a good set up will play nice. a plek'd guitar with a good set up will play better, 100% of the time. because of the cost, i wouldn't plek a guitar with soft frets. the plek job won't last as long. the modern gibby's with the cryogenically treated frets last longer, and come plek'd from the factory. that will last a loooong time. (not counting the nut, of course) if you were to plek a guitar with s.s. frets, and properly install a roller nut, you'd never have have to touch the neck ever again, in your lifetime. in most cases.

I think if you were able to interact with the person doing the plek job to get specifics about your particular setup that a plek could do a phenomenal job at getting exactly what you want. I've had several guitars that I bought new that were plek'd. Everyone of them needed some fine tune adjustment from my guitar tech. But very minute adjustments. Much closer than the way guitars used to be before they were being plek'd.

 

[Wardo]

I spoke to a tech at Cosmo today so it's $200 to do the initial scan, then level and crown and the nut slots also. Then set up but they owe me one from when I bought the guitar. He was saying if it needed to have the board done as well they would just give me a new neck on warranty but I don't think it's that bad probably just frets not level and do the nut. Also, they don't just use the default setting on the machine so I'll talk about all that with them when I get there.

Like others have mentioned, I also think it comes down to who is operating the machine and they do enough work at Cosmo that they should be pretty good at it plus I'm there quite a bit talking to them about other things and I get the impression that the staff there are dedicated to what they do.

I had initially set it up according to the specs that came with the owner's manual and that made for a nice action height although the nut slots are too high and the G was going very sharp at the 2nd fret so the open D and A chords were nasty - it was a compromise getting it tuned half-assed decent. Hopefully they can fix that up.

I raised the action a bit to clean it up but it needs to go more in order to play clean enough so I'm gonna put it back to spec and see if they can get it dialed in for that height.

Apparently Fender's are notorious for leaving the factory and needing fret work but whatever; it's a real nice guitar and if I can get to play as clean as the Dreaded 100 then that'll be great.

Thanks for all the responses, it was useful to have that information before discussing this with the tech dude.

 

[cheezyridr]

I think if you were able to interact with the person doing the plek job to get specifics about your particular setup that a plek could do a phenomenal job at getting exactly what you want. I've had several guitars that I bought new that were plek'd. Everyone of them needed some fine tune adjustment from my guitar tech. But very minute adjustments. Much closer than the way guitars used to be before they were being plek'd.

i agree 100%. those adjustments you needed though, were st up adjustments, not adjustments to the plek job. plek is consistent precision beyond what a human is capable of, consistently. i also agree that plek'd guitars play better. science wins again, eh? interacting with the tech is crucial if you want personal results, plek or no plek. you can go to floyd the barber and get a number 3, or you can go to a hair salon and get a personalized look from a stylist. you choose your level of involvement, the results reflect that choice, or anywhere in between.

 

[troyhead]

i wouldn't plek a guitar with soft frets. the plek job won't last as long.

Are you saying "PLEK jobs are expensive, so don't waste your money on a guitar with frets that wear out faster than cryogenically treated frets or stainless steel frets"? Or are you saying "PLEK jobs on soft frets don't last as long as a traditional fret level and crown"?

I just had a look at L&M's prices, and a fret level and crown by a normal tech is $130, but to get it done by the PLEK machine is $40 for the initial scan + $140... not too much more. Considering the PLEK probably removes the least amount of fret material possible, I wonder if it might actually extend your fret life.

 

[cheezyridr]

Are you saying "PLEK jobs are expensive, so don't waste your money on a guitar with frets that wear out faster than cryogenically treated frets or stainless steel frets"? Or are you saying "PLEK jobs on soft frets don't last as long as a traditional fret level and crown"?

I just had a look at L&M's prices, and a fret level and crown by a normal tech is $130, but to get it done by the PLEK machine is $40 for the initial scan + $140... not too much more. Considering the PLEK probably removes the least amount of fret material possible, I wonder if it might actually extend your fret life.

maybe if it's a nylon strung acoustic it could be no big deal. but if the fret wears faster, the difference you get from a plek won't last as long. the price difference you mention is about 28%. that's nearly a third more for something that won't last as long. to me, that's too much difference to justify, but not everyone may agree

 

[tonewoody]

a guitar with a good set up will play nice. a plek'd guitar with a good set up will play better, 100% of the time.

Get a better tech.

 

[cheezyridr]

Get a better tech.

when you say things like this you reveal that you don't know what you're talking about. or maybe gandalf or harry potter is your tech? because here on planet earth, it would take a magician to receive better results from less precision. as i told you in my previous post, you should learn how to do your own set ups. it's literally the ability to read a ruler, and use a screwdriver. something any 5th grade child can do. you can continue to believe in magic if you wish. however, if you don't have any idea what you're talking about, posting on forums and giving bad advice serves no one, and makes you look foolish to people who actually know the subject being discussed. at the very least, post the information that indicates i am wrong. otherwise, you're just shit posting.
regardless of what you may think of me, i am sure there are people on this forum whom you trust to be knowledgeable. have you noticed that not a single one of them has had anything at all to say contrary to what i have told you? not a single one of them has come along to say "woah, hold on there cheezy, that's incorrect because ..." that should be a clue for ya.

 

[RBlakeney]

I don't mean to offend but it is widely accepted that dumbledore was a better guitar tech than Gandalf.