Mythbusting the Plek Machine
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- This is the third in a short series of videos I have done for SportHiTech, who sell guitar and bass parts and accessories and offer a full range of repair and setup services, including a Plek machine.
SportHiTech.com
In this video I bust some of the myths and misunderstandings of the Plek machine. This video is also available on their TH-cam channel here: / @sporthitech
Thank you for clarifying that manufacturing and personal setup are two different specifications. I think that clears up a lot of misconceptions.
This is a very good video. I have been having my guitars plekked for 20 years. Anyone contemplating the process should watch the multiple videos on how the plek machine actually works. Like you said, it is not magic, but it is a great example of applied technology in action. Remember how we used to pump our brakes before ABS? Well this is a decent analogy. The plek machine does an amazing analysis, gathering data that even the trained eye cannot see.
This gives the plek dealers the opportunity to bullshit you out of your money....oh you can't see that hump.
Thank you Sir. In my micro world I didn't realize folks were that misinformed. Your explanation mostly mirrors my understanding of the Plek. Although, I didn't come to that overnight. Lots of self study, and having Phil Jacoby refret and Plek over 12 guitars for me over several years chystalized and tempered my understanding of it. And also to your point, Pete Skermetta did a stainless steel refret for me without it. And his work is also awesome.
Love the video, and agree with all.
Thank you!
The advantage of a PLEK machine over the typical fret leveling job is the PLEK levels frets while the neck is under string tension. The guitar neck does not bend uniformly like a swimming pool diving board. The strings going over the nut create a different bending reaction than the chunky neck heel reacts to under load. Only some guitar techs use a neck jig that does the same simulation of a string load on a neck during leveling. And it makes a big difference in finished guitar playability.
exactly; i think the biggest and best part about plek-ing a guitar is that once plek-ed then you know the frets are set in relation to each other the best they can be, then you can raise or lower the nut or bridge to accommodate playing styles, i have a 000 that was plek-ed and for some reason the tech left or put a spacer under the saddle for a under saddle pickup, which i don't use, i use a K&K pure mini that attaches to the underside of the bridge plate, so when i noticed this i took the spacer out and my action was really low, i made another saddle for normal play and i have that one for really low action playing. the really low saddle doesn't buzz but you have to play very softly, so it's kinda nice to have both options, not an easy fast change but not that hard either.
@@jvin248 Excuse me? I've never seen a plek machine working on a stringed guitar. How??.
Good explanation on a plek machine. But I will do all of my adjustments and fret and neck work by hand. The gauge of the strings also dictates how low the action can be. Pitch of the neck is also very important along with neck relief. But if someone wants to spend $200 tp $400 having their guitar pleked it's all up to them, I suppose some luthiers would charge as much doing it all by hand.
Thanks for speaking in a steady clear tone and not being "over zealous" in your discussion..... Now concerning the Plek procedure. Recently ( today ) I received a G&L tribute special back from the seller ( a well known online retailer ) after having to send it in for FRET BUZZING! The guitar arrived originally well within factory specifications. I also set up my guitars ( including this one) to my personal preferences but have not ventured into Fret Leveling of Nut Cutting &c. All along the line the guitar was "well set up" I do not even demand the very low action that many do, I am at the med low level. Still buzz. I sent the guitar out to a local well researched tech, they recut the badly cut factory ( Plastic "bone nut") and did a reset very nicely and a fret polish and just a bit flatter on the relief than my normal. Still Buzz. I sent the guitar back to the original seller for determination. The seller plekked me, and replaced the nut with BONE. The frets look and feel great, the tech provided me with the original measurements taken by the machine and the corrected measurements. The original measurements were not too far from the corrected measurements....however the guitar feels exceptional and the tone plays at a whole new level.
You are correct that a human tech is a must. I provided my preferences and they surprised me with settings that I would not have tried on my own. Basically flatter relief and lower action without buzz. I from the beginning thought the G&L Soap Bar PUP's were sweet, these have however gone next level. The output seems so much better and cleaner....is that the nut or what? likely it's the whole package dialed in by the human Tech. If one is considering a plek job and can afford to do it, do it. I am considering sending in my CBS era1976 Telecaster Deluxe for a tune up and a nice plek. Likely will not be my last one either. Could become standard operating procedure. :)~
The "cleaner" output is probably not just the nut (because once we fret, the nut has no influence) but more to do with a) new clean take off point at the front of the nut and new clean round surface at the top of the frets. If you're sending in your tele, consider a refret with stainless steel frets and that guitar will play great for a LONG time.
Great explanation on setups period but I just ordered a new mij evh from sweetwater I was debating a plek job and you helped my decision emensily thank you
Excellent explanations. Bravo !!
Thank you!
This needs more views!! thank you
Thank you! Viewers sharing is still a great way to spread the word!
Remember Ted Bundy looked like a great guy.....plek dealers are the same. Some are serial wallet killers that don't have a clue what they're doing.@@DrKevGuitar
very informative
I bought a guitar from the original owner. He wanted to 'learn' how to play. He didnt. The guitar was a Ibanez S. The sweetwater reciept showed it was plex'd. It was absolutely no better than a decent tech setup in my opinion....as a guitar setup tech. And it super expensive at $299 up.
Could you do a video on diagnosing fret buzz ? How to know for sure what is causing it....i have had pro set ups time and time again and it is still there....drives me nuts...i so my own set ups now out of necessity .. but have not tackeld the straight edge fret rocker crown and polish blah blah... don't trust me self 😂😂
I figured others might be in the same boat
That’s a great idea. I’ll add it to my list and we’ll see if/when health allows me to start doing videos again. Thanks for your comment!
I guess I’m a little weary about sending my guitar to be pleked. I’m afraid it might mess something up. And considering that Gibson pleks their guitars before distribution makes me even more skeptical. I have a Les Paul that I have maybe spent more time working on than playing. I have had so much trouble with it going out of tune and string buzz. I replaced the nut with bone, slotted it myself, adjusted the neck, adjusted the saddles, raised and lowered the bridge, etc…. I finally got it to where it’s much more reliable but it was a huge headache. Would pleking it have been a better option?
First, you learned a great skill. The time that you invested learning all that will make dealing with your own guitars easier and faster in future. Well done you! Would Pleking, or even just giving to a luthier to work on, have been a better option? Maybe, maybe not. If you didn't address any fret levelling issues, a plek or luthier's skills would be of benefit. But if it's not necessary, if the guitar plays well and you are now happy, just move on and enjoy!
Second, in my experience with Gibsons, playability was rarely an issue. There were other QC and manufacturing issues but not basic setup, which was generally excellent and more consistent than most brands. It is also true there are *always* a small percentage of instruments, in every brand, that require some work to get right, and of course the standard factory setup may not suit every player either. Sounds like perhaps those things came together and you were just unlucky person.
Third, if John Suhr and Joe Glasier use Plek machines, and those guys are true industry legends, you know there is something good happening. If people have the appropriate training and skills to use the Plek well, the result will be great.
@@DrKevGuitar Great! Thank you for the reply!
I don’t know if you answer questions so on the chance you do, here it is. I purchased a Gibson Les Paul some time ago. It had Plek stickers on it so I assume it was pleked. When I got it home, the fret rocker showed that most of the frets were out of whack. Is that normal for a properly pleked guitar? I expected the fret rocker to show the frets we’re level. What probably went wrong, if anything? The guitar played ok but not great. Thank you.
@@marks2254 With zero neck relief (just for the purposes of testing) I would expect zero fretrocking. Anything else would be unacceptable to me.
Very useful information. I noticed one of my guitars when stretching the b string up it buzzes, so had to raise action slightly. 9.5 inch radius. This guitar had a fret level and has pretty low action still. Would a plek machine affect this condition?
Yes, a plek machine might help but this sounds like the kind of issue a good tech or luthier should be able to diagnose faster and cheaper.
@DrKevGuitar thought maybe it was the radius of the neck causing the issue. Action is still very low so won't worry about it. Not sure if plek is worth 300, whst sweetwater charges now!
@@paulgordo7505 on a 7.25” radius, i would expect it at low action. At 9.5”, if the action is lower than 3 or 4/64” maybe but not on only the B string. It should be worse in the high E string. If it’s only the B string, something else may be happening.
@DrKevGuitar ok, thanks for the info. It also does it with the high e string around the same location, with action set very low. OK now with action raised slightly, still very low!
I just watched a video from someone who sent guitar to Sweetwater. They ruined guitar. Sent it back and still not done right. So the question is, human error or machine? Remember it w done twice! If you don’t know the person working on your guitar, you shouldn’t do it! Sweetwater probably didn’t do anything the first time, maybe tried the second time and if they had checked ( 55 point inspection) anyone could clearly see problems. They ent back to customer hoping he’d give up! Luckily he was refunded. But it doesn’t change the fact that he dealt with an online company, and they tried to screw him! Somehow, the gentleman thought they cared more about him than just selling a guitar! They don’t!
"The Plek machine is not magic. It's never going to replace the top guitar teks or luthiers."
Until scientists discover magic.... then guitar obsessed wizards will do spells on guitars that will be referred to as plek because of some sort of weird pop culture memory. :)
Great video. Thanks.
You're welcome and thanks for your comment!
Can the best luthiers etc... provide the same results as a Plek machine? I think the answer is no considering that the Plek is accurate to 100th/millimetre.
But wait, the guy at Sweetwater said if I got my guitar peeked I’d sound just like Joe Bonamassa!!?….. just kidding …….he said John Petrucci!
@@armoredsaint6639 It’d give you a Long Island accent?
Very useful, thank you!
Gibson using PLEK. Is that only their high end line?
@@Psyclonus7 I’m not certain but I think so.
Someone get this man a cup of water quick! Sheesh! I couldn’t make it past 24 seconds while listening with earphones I could hear him smacking in my cerebellum.
😂😂
Even idiots know there is a Volume Control available to them. Apparently you are less than an idiot.
@@victorious2178 I read it now I can't unread it with that I can hear it as it was brought to my attention and can't unheard it which means @1:18 I can longer watch. Along with his slapping of his legs I'm out.
Can a plek change the radius? For example my ibanez has 12" radius, would it be able to level those frets to a 16" radius?
Possibly BUT it's not a great idea. It will depend on the height and condition of the existing frets, and you'll end up with frets that are thinner in the middle than the sides, which may feel weird under the fingers, and could result in other issues. The best options will always be re-radius of the finger board during a full refret, or buy a custom neck.
Plek can change the radius of frets, they would need height to do it. Ibanez being mainly jumbo is ok. but be warned a factory fret dress can take a lot of fret height off. Best do a refret then get the fretboard radius you want. As the man said it is a tool, if you leave a ski jump on a fretboard and fret dress it you will not improve the guitar. Companys that fret a fretboard then glue it to the neck ie: Gibson will have fretboards that look like roller coasters. Plek can plane a fretboard and only remove the wood that is needed. This beats hand sanding...
As usual, even with nice tools, it’s not necessarily the tool, but who’s using the tool!
I had one strat p l e k e d, one done by my tech. Couldn't tell the difference.
Great! Did you watch the video though? I state clearly that there is no question that the best techs and luthiers can do work in every way as good as the plek machine, which itself requires a good tech or luthier to operate it. So I'm not sure what your point is?
@@DrKevGuitar my point is $ 280 or $ 100. Big difference.
@@MarkTurner-vs7uc But for what? A fret level, crown, and polish at good guitar tech with a good reputation and a backlog of work will run $150 and up, and you could wait 6 weeks for it. The same job with a plek will run anywhere from $180 to $280 depending on where you go. If your tech is good and that's all he/she charges for the exact same job you got on the plek, then good for you! 👍
@DrKevGuitar I had to drive to Norman Oklahoma to get mine p l e c k e d. It cost $250. I had to drop it off and come back. Altogether it was about $310 and 8 hours on the road. Only other place is Nashville. I had to do it because of all the talk. It made sense, I went way out to have it done. I then took another strat to my local guy. It cost me 100 bucks . I play both everyday for years and years and I know them like my wife. Could not tell any difference. That's what I am trying to say. Yes it's great, but very expensive, I felt like a total idiot for going to all that trouble .
@@MarkTurner-vs7uc But you're avoiding telling me what work was done in both cases. You have to compare like with like. If someone comes to me with a neglected guitar and wants a thorough clean, string, and setup that could run $90 with no fret work other than a polish. See what I'm saying? And yes, sometimes the plek will run more expensive, but as the video points out, there are advantages that make it worth while for many people. You're experience is yours, you clearly don't see the benefit for you and thats absolutely fine, but it doesn't negate that for other people.
The viewers have all gotten plek'd.
What is the myth that you are busting?
Nothing. 😂
You got that right! Dumb video.
I WOULD NOT VOLUNTARILY ROLL A NON-PLEK-ED
GUITAR...
THERE ARE LIMITATIONS TO ALL HUMAN TOOLS...
BUT, OVERALL, AND PRAGMATICALLY...PLEK IS A
GODSEND.
Caps lock
Yes. Caps lock is the Internet equivalent of the person at the bar who won’t stop talking at you, leans in to close all the time but still shouts and spits a little in your face while doing it. Don’t be that person.
@@DrKevGuitar lol
Its about 300 bucks to have it done. A proper luthier can get the same results by hand. It's NOT worth it. Its SNAKE OIL like "tone wood" on electric guitar SNake Oil
Most of the fretbuzz people bitch about doesn't even go through the amp.
True! “Guitar Setup Syndrome” - when we focus on tiny details we naturally focus on tiny problems too. The way I phrase it to keep it in proper perspective is this: “is the buzz intrusive when you are playing actual real music”?
A waste of money
Agree with this. Sounds like a scam to me.
All that mouth noise is really annoying.