Anyone been Pleck'd yet?

[RayFW]

Maybe the old fashioned way [i]is[/i] still better but I personally would be willing to give it a go on one of my basses to see the results. The geek in me finds the technoolgy involved quite interesting (Sad I know. )

I see on the Plek website that Gibson are now using the process and I'm sure we'll start to see more manufacturers using it. Especially as the price of the machines will come down as the technology matures.

Edited November 3, 2008 by rayfw

[dave_bass5]

If i needed it i would certainly not be against using it if it turns out its cheaper and quicker than getting it done by hand.
Its certainly not something i would attempt as if i cock it up i would have to pay for it to be fixed.

I don't think any of my basses have ever needed anything like this but its reassuring that if one did i could get it done quickly.

I don't know how long these machines have been around but i get the feeling its the way forward.

Edited November 3, 2008 by dave_bass5

[sgt-pluck]

Isn't this one of those things that only really works in theory? Getting the fret-height right to 1/100 of a whatever it is might be fine when you try the bass out fresh from the machine, but surely by the time you've got it home and into different temperatures/humidities etc it all becomes hypothetical doesn't it? Bung a new set of strings on you back to having to tweak again.

I suppose it would be OK as a starting point, but I think I'd rather do the job manually and have a margin of error built in resulting in less tweaking over time? Or maybe this is the kind of technology manufacturers could use to save time/money on mass-produced instruments so they start off with a nice set-up for when you try them out in the shop...?

Not sure whats actually being achieved here, or maybe I'm missing the point...

Pluck

Edited November 3, 2008 by sgt-pluck

[Sean]

I had a PLEK set up done on a Deluxe Fender Jazz FMT at CCGX and it was OK but I wouldn't go back. It cost £120 I think.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='321360' date='Nov 3 2008, 09:41 PM']Isn't this one of those things that only really works in theory? Getting the fret-height right to 1/100 of a whatever it is might be fine when you try the bass out fresh from the machine, but surely by the time you've got it home and into different temperatures/humidities etc it all becomes hypothetical doesn't it? Bung a new set of strings on you back to having to tweak again.

I suppose it would be OK as a starting point, but I think I'd rather do the job manually and have a margin of error built in resulting in less tweaking over time? Or maybe this is the kind of technology manufacturers could use to save time/money on mass-produced instruments so they start off with a nice set-up for when you try them out in the shop...?

Not sure whats actually being achieved here, or maybe I'm missing the point...

Pluck[/quote]

This is sort of why i started this thread. To see how has used this and if it did work. There are plenty of peopel speculating that it cant be as good as they say it is but if peole are getting it doen and are happy or dissapointed then id like to hear from them.
TBH i think if lakland are using it then its something thats been thought out and and probably does work. maybe not exactly the magic way the makers describe but then as has been pointed out, there are a lot of variables to consider.
My thought is that i cant see why it cant do just as good a job as someone doing it by hand. Not that Ive had any experience with either.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='sgt-pluck' post='321360' date='Nov 3 2008, 09:41 PM']surely by the time you've got it home and into different temperatures/humidities etc it all becomes hypothetical doesn't it? Bung a new set of strings on you back to having to tweak again.[/quote]
I agree completely. But some necks are more stable than others, it depends on construction, grain orientation and seasoning. But with the exception of Alembic and my Pentabuzz, the best playing necks I have ever tried have all been graphite for that specific reason.

[bassbloke]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='321355' date='Nov 3 2008, 09:33 PM']If i needed it i would certainly not be against using it if it turns out its cheaper and quicker than getting it done by hand.
Its certainly not something i would attempt as if i cock it up i would have to pay for it to be fixed.

I don't think any of my basses have ever needed anything like this but its reassuring that if one did i could get it done quickly.

I don't know how long these machines have been around but i get the feeling its the way forward.[/quote]

It's neither cheaper nor quicker than getting it done by hand. The machine requires significant financial outlay and for the operator to be suitably skilled in its operation. So, you have to pay a premium for the service so that the repair centre can recoup its money. There are other limitations too - it can't handle scalloped necks.

As I said, mine cost £145. I could have got both of my basses done somewhere really good for that!

[bumnote]

I suspect a manufacturer who is producing 20? per day, and setting up from scratch can probably justify the purchase of a machine like this as a labour saving over doing it by hand. I expect it will be seen as a way of de skilling the operation, although someone will need to know how to set it up and maintain it.
His cost per item will be be less than say chandlers [probably] because he will have more units going through. I think they finish off the skylines as well as the us made instruments.

If he can then use it as a marketing tool, to bost what is already seen as a quality brand, he will do so.

Having bought and sold a number of lakies, I think their fretwork is generally terrific, on both the skyline and the US production.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='bassbloke' post='321415' date='Nov 3 2008, 10:57 PM']As I said, mine cost £145. I could have got both of my basses done somewhere really good for that![/quote]


Can i ask why you didn't then?
2 basses for £145 seems very cheap.
I would imagine the speed of turnaround would depend on what work needs doing on the neck but i think that if a workshop was very busy this would help with clearing the workload.

[TDM]

I've heard of a few guitarists on the Ibanez forums who got their guitars PLEK'd,
~1mm action at the 24th fret with no choking on bends apparently, although this was on an Ibanez JEM which has a pretty flat board anyway.

I'd like to get all my instruments fret levelled, but I don't see how I would play with action that low anyway.

Edited November 5, 2008 by thedonutman

[bassbloke]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='321873' date='Nov 4 2008, 03:35 PM']Can i ask why you didn't then?[/quote]

The wonders of hindsigt.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='321873' date='Nov 4 2008, 03:35 PM']2 basses for £145 seems very cheap.[/quote]

I've had a couple of people, including Paul from ArrowHead and my local music shop repairer quote around £60 for a basic fret dress.