can you PLEK a Rickenbacker? Have you done it>? results?

[Ricknut63]

I work at a Gibson dealership,and they have a PLEK machine at their Nashville plant,and probably have them in Memphis and Bozeman,Montana,as well...and since they make Tobias basses,they probably have one in Rogers,Arkansas...when your instruments are cranked out as fast as possible by people who make about $8.00 an hour,and you make as many guitars as they DO,I'm sure that the PLEK machines come in handy...I either hand hammer frets in,old school style,like I learned "back in the day",or use my arbor press and cauls,like they do at Heritage in Kalamazoo...my partial and total re-frets are just fine,thanks,and I can't see any reason to have a RIC instrument "PLEK'D"...our Gibson rep really went on and on about how great the machine was,but when playing their PLEK'D Les Pauls & SGs,I wasn't that impressed...

The instruments have plek-installed frets, but they still don't get set up at the factory, it is (or should be) well known that Gibsons set up is entirely up to the shop selling it (because Gibson knows a Nashville setup is worthless onces it's in California, Paris, or Quebec).

Not being impressed with an off the shelf Gibson is not out of the norm, once they're set up correctly, they've always treated me right!

OK,Nick...time for a little clarification.First of all,I'm certainly not Gibson bashing.I own over a dozen Gibson instruments,and I love them.Second,the PLEK machine does not install the frets,it just levels them after they're installed by people.Third,Gibson DOES set up their guitars,in Nashville,Memphis and Bozeman,and for the most part,they do a pretty good job of it.We unpack them,tune them,and hang them on the wall.When someone buys one,our resident luthier/guitar tech (me) does any fine tuning needed...usually just lowering the action (typically too high),adjusting the truss rod (usually a bit too loose),and sometimes adjusting the intonation @ the bridge saddles (usually a bit too sharp).A well seasoned tech,with a good eye,a steady hand,some set-up experience and the proper tools,can do a fine job.I may not be as fast as the PLEK,but it's just a dumb machine.It can't FEEL what's wrong with a neck.Most guitars are made of wood,and they never forget that they used to be trees.Panama City,Florida is usually a lot more humid than where Gibson makes their guitars,so a bit of tweaking is not unusual.And,I agree...once they're set up correctly,they've always treated me right,too...I'm just not knocked out by the PLEK machine.It's kind of like "The Emporer's New Clothes",as far as I'm concerned.