''Pleking'' a Rick.

[Seans]

In this case clearly a better choice!!!

I am sure this plek-thing causes no damage, so far. I also think that it is able to do a very good job for equal frets.
My luthier here just took 40€ for improving the frets. Unbeatable, right?

BTW Martin is using such machines, as far as I read. That does make sense for the very first setup done by a big factory, IMHO.

All in all there are certainly different ways to achieve satisfaction.


Reading Your lines I should become a luthier - and then good bye to ol' Europe! (Why not? I am already doing setups and repairs for friends.)
I really can imagine to live in down under. BTW I started to inform a lot about Australia. - Fascinating!

I bought a new pair of Ski's, used them for a week and stupidly had them ''dressed'', they took enough base away that another dress was impossible.

Big plus on OZ, you stand a better chance of finding a Rose Morris too

[Hotzenplotz]

Even a luthier can ruin the frets...
Seems they have a lot of them in RoMo land!

[electrofaro]

I bought a new pair of Ski's, used them for a week and stupidly had them ''dressed'', they took enough base away that another dress was impossible.

Were these made with the endangered swiss chalet wood Ric uses for fretboards?

Even a luthier can ruin the frets...

Sure can, but programming a machine to do the ruining is a completely different level!

[Hotzenplotz]

Even a luthier can ruin the frets...

Sure can, but programming a machine to do the ruining is a completely different level!

OMG, just imagine neck varnish flying around accompanied by a very evil "squeeeeeeeeeeeeak".
But for this it needs a damn dumb dude.

Or: the ddd took a wrong data file and suddenly there is Mickey Mouse engraved IN Your fretboard.
(This machine is build to engrave in fretboards, too!)

[electrofaro]

Yes, the PLEK can engrave... it can actually engrave the body and headstock as well. Although a different set of tools need to be installed for any engraving.

Anyway, I've seen a PLEK busy at a certain custom shop of a certain american builder and the setting was wrong ending in right hand guitar with lefty plekked frets The plek does the nut as well - from a plastic rectangle to a slotted nut... which on the instrument I saw done ended up wrong as well

[Hotzenplotz]

Oops!

[jps]

I have access to a sorry bunch of overpriced and under-experienced luthiers. The good ones quickly leave for greener pastures.

The typical local guys can't and they want $300-$350 for a ****** job. The few that pretend being good expect $600 for a dressing. A Plek in Sydney is $350 including shipping both ways from my place.

You'd be better off buying the few tools needed and learn to do your own fret work, really. Then, once you become really good at it you can open up shop and charge $900 since you will actually know how to do the job compared to those around you.

[Hotzenplotz]

Hey, I wanna do that!

[Colonel Sanders]

In this case clearly a better choice!!!

I am sure this plek-thing causes no damage, so far. I also think that it is able to do a very good job for equal frets.
My luthier here just took 40€ for improving the frets. Unbeatable, right?

BTW Martin is using such machines, as far as I read. That does make sense for the very first setup done by a big factory, IMHO.

All in all there are certainly different ways to achieve satisfaction.


Reading Your lines I should become a luthier - and then good bye to ol' Europe! (Why not? I am already doing setups and repairs for friends.)
I really can imagine to live in down under. BTW I started to inform a lot about Australia. - Fascinating!

Oz is a nice place to live. I moved down under 6 years ago now, emigrating from Canada. Not that it was a bad place to live. But I did not have a winter left in me...

Funny you want to move out of Europe when I would like to terminate my passport collection with an European one!

[Hotzenplotz]

Same thing with the winter...

I was living in Brazil in former times. That was very good.

So Australia is very interesting: a similar warm country but english language. - Perfect!

[Colonel Sanders]

You'd be better off buying the few tools needed and learn to do your own fret work, really. Then, once you become really good at it you can open up shop and charge $900 since you will actually know how to do the job compared to those around you.

Mining is too good to me to consider anything else. Though when I will retire, many years from now, I may start again another tube amp shop. I had great fun running one while doing my PhD.

[Colonel Sanders]

Same thing with the winter...

I was living in Brazil in former times. That was very good.

So Australia is very interesting: a similar warm country but english language. - Perfect!

Where in Brazil did you live? Sao Paulo is quite attractive for a mining engineer!

[DriftSpace]

As an interesting anecdote: According to Gibson, all of their instruments are run through a Plek machine before leaving the factory.

[electrofaro]

Oops!

Dsc_0225r.jpg

As an interesting anecdote: According to Gibson, all of their instruments are run through a Plek machine before leaving the factory.

Well, a dumpster probably is a way of leaving the factory as well

[Hotzenplotz]

Same thing with the winter...

I was living in Brazil in former times. That was very good.

So Australia is very interesting: a similar warm country but english language. - Perfect!

Where in Brazil did you live? Sao Paulo is quite attractive for a mining engineer!

South of Brazil, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina. That is "only" 600miles to the south from Sao Paulo. Lovely area...