Page 2 of 3
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 7:08 am
by Seans
Hotzenplotz wrote: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
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 7:12 am
by Hotzenplotz
Even a luthier can ruin the frets...
Seems they have a lot of them in RoMo land!
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 7:21 am
by electrofaro
Seans wrote: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?
Hotzenplotz wrote:Even a luthier can ruin the frets...
Sure can, but programming a machine to do the ruining is a completely different level!
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 7:44 am
by Hotzenplotz
Electrostring wrote:
Hotzenplotz wrote: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!)
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 8:21 am
by 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
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 8:34 am
by Hotzenplotz
Oops!
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 10:30 am
by jps
Colonel Sanders wrote: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.
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 10:35 am
by Hotzenplotz
Hey, I wanna do that!
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:04 am
by Colonel Sanders
Hotzenplotz wrote: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!
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:44 am
by 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!
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:26 pm
by Colonel Sanders
jps wrote:
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.
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:31 pm
by Colonel Sanders
Hotzenplotz wrote: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!
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:18 pm
by DriftSpace
As an interesting anecdote: According to Gibson, all of their instruments are run through a Plek machine before leaving the factory.
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:41 pm
by electrofaro
Hotzenplotz wrote:Oops!
Dsc_0225r.jpg
DriftSpace wrote: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
Re: ''Pleking'' a Rick.
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 6:32 pm
by Hotzenplotz
Colonel Sanders wrote:Hotzenplotz wrote: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...