[jester536]

I believe that any guitar you buy should go to a trusted shop for a set up and perhaps a fret dressing to your liking.

It would be interesting to see a bid on a project where the builder automatically included an allowance for a setup by the guy of your choice. Particularly for those long distance buys. I have no idea how that would work but it would help to put the buyers mind at ease. Somebody like Michas could build the thing...send it to Gary...absorb the cost of Gary's work and learn form him in the process.
I envy you guys with luthiers nearby. I wish I had a guy close by that I trusted. Gary had the credentials...but I'm spending quite a bit on shipping. But without the credentials...I could get it back from a guy and feel like...maybe this isn't as good as it could be. PLEKing really begins to take the subjective out and ensure that the guitar is setup as good as possible.

[mkaufman]

JeffM:

Who do you trust near you and where is he located?

tnx,
mk

[JonnyBoy]

On a similar subject, I had a highlander bridge pick-up installed in my Martin years ago. It was toatally unbalanced, I had a gig the day I got it back and was terribly dissapointed. I brought it back to the guy who installed many times, and he was nice enough not to charge me, and it never was balanced, so I bit the bullett and broght it to another shop in town and lo and behold they got it perfect the first time.
I'd really be pissed if it cost me an additional 600 large, but I guess what can you do?

The past being the past with some situations (live and learn), Hogan makes the best sense and I agree, we know to buy a guitar PRE PLEK'D and stick with the people we know do good work and seek out this technology. As for your situation, you're right, nothing can be done but to bitch on deaf ears of the past guy. The great thing about machines, when properly used and maintained, they are perfect at what they do every time. A Luthier that finds that appealing to invest in would probably be a guy that takes perfection seriously. I am sure any luthier worth a damn would try to hook up with shops that have this machinery if they can't afford it themselves, rather than pass off half assed work to save a $100.

[hogan]

I am sure any luthier worth a damn would try to hook up with shops that have this machinery if they can't afford it themselves, rather than pass off half assed work to save a $100.

Any luthier worth a damn can already do what a plek machine does. The problem is finding those guys.

[jeffm725]

JeffM:

Who do you trust near you and where is he located?

tnx,
mk

Neri Lutherie (Paul Neri in Clinton CT. exit 63 off route 95). He does unbelievable work.

If you are serious about using him, PM me for his number, because he is so busy he sometimes declines new business. I can grease the introduction though and get you in there (not because I am somebody, but only because I have a 2 decade relationship with him). What's great about him is he prioritizes work based on professional need. I have taken guitars in on the day of a big gig and gotten them back later in the afternoon!

[aoguitars]

Any luthier worth a damn can already do what a plek machine does. The problem is finding those guys.

Yes! Thanks for saying this, Hogan. While I agree that the PLEK is probably a bitchin machine, I personally love and take pride in doing good fret jobs, and I've done thousands of them. I learned from one of the best in the bass world, and it's something I take extremely seriously on my custom guitars. And while I enjoy using machines for some things in the shop, I personally think something like fretwork goes best by hand and feel...or at least that's the way I like to do it. For a guy with an extremely busy shop like Gary, the PLEK makes perfect sense--you can strap a guitar in, and let it do all the work while you get something else done.

Like a lot of you said, an expensive guitar with a crap fretjob is just a shame...and the reverse of that, a cheap guitar with a great fretjob and setup can be the best guitar you ever played. It's amazing how many new guitars I see in my shop with jagged, sharp fret ends and high frets. It really is the only spot on a guitar that can't be overlooked.

[Rusty the Scoob]

Any luthier worth a damn can already do what a plek machine does. The problem is finding those guys.

Yes! Thanks for saying this, Hogan. While I agree that the PLEK is probably a bitchin machine, I personally love and take pride in doing good fret jobs, and I've done thousands of them. I learned from one of the best in the bass world,

Do you mind if I ask who? Just becuase I'm curious and like to know how people learn their awesome skills.

I've never played a Plek'd bass... but I've played quite a few basses before and after a good luthier did it by hand and I'm perfectly happy with the results.

This thread reminds me that I should really take the Phil bass in for a fretjob... but I probably still won't.

[aoguitars]

Scoob, I built a couple hundred basses at MTD with Michael Tobias over a couple years. Before that, I was at Spector Basses as well...there's probably 800 or so basses out there that I had my paws on . But Mike is one of the greatest craftsmen out there, especially in the boutique bass world, so it was a honor to work with him!

As for your Phil bass, hard to know until you've got it all fired up! Can't wait to see how that thing comes out with those Darkstars

[JonnyBoy]

I am sure any luthier worth a damn would try to hook up with shops that have this machinery if they can't afford it themselves, rather than pass off half assed work to save a $100.

Any luthier worth a damn can already do what a plek machine does. The problem is finding those guys.

Yhea, that came out wrong... I mean these Carpenter Luthiers that have not learned the art like other guys and pass off poor quality setups, should consider such technology. Meant no offense to those that do fantastic hand work, carry on your dying art form.!!!!

[jester536]

Any luthier worth a damn can already do what a plek machine does. The problem is finding those guys.

Pardon my ignorance...but can a luthier really accomplish what a PLEK does. I understand that there are extrememly talented guys out there that can work magic but can they really get to the level of consistency that the PLEK accomplishes?

[hogan]

what's w/ all the mis quotes? Yes, a good set up guy can do what a plek machine does within reason. Meaning it may not be to the exact same tolerences but it will be close enough that nobody could possibly notice. That's the abreviated answer.

[RiverRat]

.

[JonnyBoy]

I'm about PLEK'd out after this, I think I'm arguing this point in two different threads, but its the consistency that I like in it. Even the best guys have off days or make mistakes, computers only make mistakes when people do, so its even possible for the machine to be off I guess, but you would have to be real negligent to let the machine tear up a guitar or do a "bad" job. I was just thinking if I was a carpenter type luthier, and I wasn't schooled in the art form of fret dressing/neck construction from start to finish, I would seek out the machine since its available now, to give the customer the best quality instrument for the 6-7K he just dropped, maybe more. That's not saying there aren't people that can't do a professional set up/dressing by hand. And I would have to agree the machine is a two fold investment in Quality/consistency along with time/labor saving, so everyone's right i guess.

Peace Brothers and Sisters, What a day. I'm glad its FRIDAY in the am.