# Who has a Plek machine ?



## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

In Canada.

I can't find a list of Canadian Plekkers.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I think I've got one in my pocket, here, just a minute,...

Sorry, couldn't resist that. I have not heard of one in Canada yet. I think you could count the number in the US on both hands. Here you go

http://www.plek.com/index.php?id=162

Hell, there is one Australia


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

Thanks,I saw that list.I thought I remembered reading about of at least 1 machine in Canada...Calgary I thought,maybe not.:confused-smiley-010


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## sysexguy (Mar 5, 2006)

With the Euro at 1.6ish, ain't likely to happen....

afaik, there are 2-3 in the northeastern USA

Andy


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2008)

Has anyone played a guitar setup with a Plek yet? jroberts: was your Duesenberg a Plek setup job?


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

iaresee said:


> Has anyone played a guitar setup with a Plek yet? jroberts: was your Duesenberg a Plek setup job?


i'm pretty sure the newer epiphones are plek jobs, and i'm guessing the new fender stuff is too.. anyone know the real dope on that? heritage guitars bought a machine... there's no one in canada that i know of at this point, unfortunately.


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## Bubb (Jan 16, 2008)

G&L bought a machine in '06 I think


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

iaresee said:


> Has anyone played a guitar setup with a Plek yet? jroberts: was your Duesenberg a Plek setup job?


My Gibson came PLEKed from the factory :

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Built by Humans, Perfected by/

The fret job is great, nothing to say. My luthier did a setup on it and didn't need to touch the frets. On the other hand, he also set up my $800 Epiphone and touched up the frets and now it plays amazingly well too.

If I bought a new guitar that wasn't PLEKed and could have it done in Montreal or Ottawa, I would do it in a heartbeat. But I certainly wouldn't ship my guitar across the continent to have it done. A great luthier cannot work within the same tolerance as a PLEK but can do a great job nonetheless.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

how much is the machine? anyone have an informed opinion?


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

suttree said:


> how much is the machine? anyone have an informed opinion?


They have two models. The Plek Pro, something the guitar makers would use and the Plek Station, a more compact model for shops. I remember hearing over a year ago or so on the Gear Page that you are talking $100,000 plus, roughly.


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## J S Moore (Feb 18, 2006)

I was talking the other day to a guy who had looked into it. The total cost of the machine, shipping and the tech guy to teach you how to use it is around $100k.

I'd buy one myself but I seem to have misplaced my cheque book.


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

J S Moore said:


> I was talking the other day to a guy who had looked into it. The total cost of the machine, shipping and the tech guy to teach you how to use it is around $100k.
> 
> I'd buy one myself but I seem to have misplaced my cheque book.



C'mon J, take one for the team.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

interesting. looks like it'd be worth it, really... depending on the operating costs, at least. is the 100k for the plek pro? how much would the station model be then, i wonder. looks like it'd be slower to operate.... i'd want the darned thing working all the time, at that price...


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## Peter (Mar 25, 2008)

I read on the Gibson forums that they have been PLEK'ing all new Gibsons for a year or two? I could be way off here. I remember the post was some kid asking if his regular '76 reissue Explorer had been PLEK'd at a certain factory and an employee answered that they had been PLEK'ing there since 06.


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## thechamp96 (Jan 16, 2008)

At that price, they can PLEK OFF!


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## sysexguy (Mar 5, 2006)

It was $100k before the Euro exploded to 1.6

Epiphones are NOT plek'd. VOS Gibsons are, recent Heritages are, and all recent Suhrs including Pro Series.

Andy


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

sysexguy said:


> Epiphones are NOT plek'd. VOS Gibsons are, recent Heritages are, and all recent Suhrs including Pro Series.
> 
> Andy


hey andy, how do you know this about epiphones? do you have inside info? i'm not trying to bust your balls or anything... i've just been noticing that the fretwork on epiphones has been particularly good of late... import fenders as well... typically this has been one of the major downfalls of cheaper guitars, as the attention to detail is something that most importers don't want to pay for.. so either they've found a way to pay people to really do the frets and setup right, without driving up the manufacturing costs... or they've bought a plek machine or three..


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## sysexguy (Mar 5, 2006)

Here's what Gibson's site says: http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Built by Humans, Perfected by/

I did play some really inexpensive asian guitars at the Plek booth at Messe 2 years ago that were quite impressive (after treatment)

My only affiliation is that my company is a Suhr dealer, I also personally own a Heritage and an unPlek'd LP and I did spend several hours over several shows discussing the possible business opportunities of setting a Plek shop in Canada and at this time, it would be a nice idea but not a business move I'm prepared to do. 

I also intend to invest in having several of my personal guitars Plek'd, shipping and all so let's just say I like to see this product gain acceptance.

Andy


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## elindso (Aug 29, 2006)

I looked at it seriously.

If I could make enough money with it to pay it off and make a living, I might do it.

It probably works out to around $150K set up then you have to have enough space that you can run it. Have a secure room for all the 59 les pauls, actually there are plenty of custom, shop guitars that are worth over 5 grand out there. Insurance and space wouldn't be all that inexpensive. I could work though.

Then you'll need a luthier. You can't just run the Plek and send back guitars that will need a new fret, you'd have to do the odd fret change, even a full fret job.

It does de-skill the fret dressing job but it is more than it seems. I don't have the skill set to do fret work myself. How much for the lutier working a regualr week?

How many of you would spend $150 on your guitars to dress and optimize the frets? That's just for the Plek not counting the Luthier work if necessary.


What's *left for me *after the space, luthier, sundries, debt carrying charges including training. 

It didn't seem to me like there would be *enough*.

Unless our fantastic government could give money to modernise the industry.:smilie_flagge17:

Nah, I'm not drilling for oil or diamonds:smile:


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