How a PLEK works

SpiderWars

SpiderWars

Well-known member
I thought this was really cool. These guys are not far from me and have a ton of really cool guitars...that I can't afford. I didn't know it's basically a specialized CNC machine. I doing some parts builds right now and might try it on one.

 
Keep in mind at most places, at least when I looked a few years back, they charge around $500+/-, so unjustifiable financially, for me, except for any custom/special guitars.
 
xzyryabx said:
Keep in mind at most places, at least when I looked a few years back, they charge around $500+/-, so unjustifiable financially, for me, except for any custom/special guitars.
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Wow, that's crazy. At the end of the video he says its $225 but only if they have to mill. If they scan and it only needs adjustments its only $35 for the scan.
 
SpiderWars said:
I thought this was really cool. These guys are not far from me and have a ton of really cool guitars...that I can't afford. I didn't know it's basically a specialized CNC machine. I doing some parts builds right now and might try it on one.

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I’ve owned bunch of plek’d guitars and honestly they weren’t amongst my favorite necks. They’re consistent, but on a quality neck , really not needed. I didn’t feel my last neck from Musikraft needed it, comparing it to a plek’d guitar
 
My PLEK'd Suhr Modern Satin plays like a dream and has the lowest action I've ever been able to set on one of my geetars.

The Modern Pro range has a slicker, thinner neck, but this Satin is perfect from the fretboard upwards so I can't complain.
 
scottosan said:
I’ve owned bunch of plek’d guitars and honestly they weren’t amongst my favorite necks. They’re consistent, but on a quality neck , really not needed. I didn’t feel my last neck from Musikraft needed it, comparing it to a plek’d guitar
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I've only owned one and I sold it because the neck was too small, that neck was as good as I've played wrt frets/leveling/etc. It certainly wasn't the perfect fretboard and frets that made me not like it.

I think the guy in the video stated it well when he said it's just a tool. It is the steadiest hand possible and the sharpest eye possible (down to 1/1000 of a mm) but the operator still has to know what to do, the machine just does it better than a human possibly could. It also removes the least amount of wire needed which humans just cannot do.
 
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xzyryabx said:
Keep in mind at most places, at least when I looked a few years back, they charge around $500+/-, so unjustifiable financially, for me, except for any custom/special guitars.
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That's weird because @ thomann they charge 199€ for standard plek service.

One might say that it's not needed and that's true, but i'd still argue that a machine does more accurate job than a human so i will most likely send my guitar to Thomann in future.

edit: Thomann clip if you're interested:

 
To this day, I can say without hesitation, the best playing neck and fretwork was luxxtone. Jerry’s necks played, felt, and were finished better than any guitar that I’ve owned including my Suhrs
 
scottosan said:
To this day, I can say without hesitation, the best playing neck and fretwork was luxxtone. Jerry’s necks played, felt, and were finished better than any guitar that I’ve owned including my Suhrs
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That's quite the endorsement, I've never played one (or a Suhr for that matter). I need to check these out.
 
SpiderWars said:
That's quite the endorsement, I've never played one (or a Suhr for that matter). I need to check these out.
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There’s a reason Jerry at Luxxtone is the Artist tech for Charvel/Fender/Jackson nits all about the finish. Level is one thing

 
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Those fret ends look great. I tend to flop off the edge if those ends are not right. Drives me nuts (poor technique but whatever).

Samhain said:
CNC-101
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Are you familiar with CNC machines and their use? I ask because I'm curious about calibration and frequency of calibration. And how far out-of-tolerance these things tend to go. Things like that.
 
SpiderWars said:
Those fret ends look great. I tend to flop off the edge if those ends are not right. Drives me nuts (poor technique but whatever).


Are you familiar with CNC machines and their use? I ask because I'm curious about calibration and frequency of calibration. And how far out-of-tolerance these things tend to go. Things like that.
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CNC set-up & programming takes some school.
Plek tolerances are something like {+/-} .00001
 
... of an inch IIRC, or .001 of a mm.

My brother, who's a systems / production engineer, reckons CNC's need to be used regularly (at least once-a-day type thing) and stay within-tolerance very-well that way. He reckons that sittin' 'round doin' nothin' is the worst thing for them.
 
Monkey Man said:
... of an inch IIRC, or .001 of a mm.

My brother, who's a systems / production engineer, reckons CNC's need to be used regularly (at least once-a-day type thing) and stay within-tolerance very-well that way. He reckons that sittin' 'round doin' nothin' is the worst thing for them.
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csm_Okuma_grinder_GP-34FII_x1000_72197845b5.jpg

Yes for the most part thats true. In CNC Manufacturing companies run them 12 hour shifts 7 days a week anyway usually.
CNC Machinists pull long hours with little time off.
Even the CNC Maintenance crews pull long hours cuz if they're not making parts they ain't making money.
Practically everything now is CNC not just Aerospace.
 
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