The bottom line is, $450 is a reasonable price for an electric guitar that comes perfectly set-up straight from the store. Half the battle is having a playable instrument.
the factory should do this to any guitar they are trying to sell for over a few hundred dollars. most setups are not perfect, just a middle of the road compromise.
@@chrisofnottingham an extra 100 to save 300 or more for an on brand fender is a great price if you're buying a classic vibe squier, at that point its better than a brand new MIM or a entry level MIA
I bought an American Professional Strat from Sweetwater back in May and paid for the PLEK. They actually called me and asked me all those things you mentioned in your suggestion. Style of music, what level of buzz was ok with me, etc. They did a great job and customer service is top notch in my opinion. They made me a loyal customer
I used to work at Sweetwater when I first heard about the PLEK machine. I was skeptical at first...until I ran one of my guitars through it. Now I put EVERY guitar through it. The difference is legitimately night and day. 100% worth every single penny.
My first guitar was as cheap as they come but I had free setup service for life as long as I bought strings. I played so much and learned so fast because of how comfortable the instrument was.
@Fred Wills Fucking this, PLEK is for folks who can't find a good tech. Which I understand if you can't but people please go to your locally owned shops! You never know who's out there and what connections you may make.
well they can also think of it this way If you want my money you can go and do the job regardless of the value of the instrument you've paid them to do the job
Sweetwater plek'd my Schecter 7 for nothing since it came from Schecter with sad fret work, which is unusual from my experience. I thought Plek was a scam until I got the guitar back. Was totally worth it, especially since it was free 😂
If I tell them my guitar was crap from the factory they'll do it for free? Sweet! I'm being facetious but seriously why did they do it for free just because you had a bad guitar? That's the reason it exists in the first place, everyone's guitar is bad who gets it plek'd that why they get it Plek'd why was yours special that they did it for free?
I recently leveled the frets on my 18yr old epi LP and i was able to lower the action a bit, feels like a different guitar now, night and day. The $50 for the leveling beam and fret rocker was well work it. Polished with steel wool. I think doing by hand yourself is a great option for lower end guitars.
Hey, Phil! I bought a Squier Classic Vibe 70s Telecaster Deluxe and I had Sweetwater Plek it just because of this video! Love it and yes the frets are smooth like butter. I told my rep that it was because of your vid I was doing the Plek. I hope they showed you some love in return. Every guitar I buy from Sweetwater will now be plek'd!
That smile on your face. Awesome! I have a somewhat long story so i'll make it short. Last year I was looking for local luthier to setup a few of my guitars. Found a shop on google maps but couldn't find much else about them. I drive down, see an older gentlemen in the shop, wasn't a standard music shop. Looked more like manufacturing. Anyhow, guy was on the phone for like 20 minutes, I waited patiently. He comes over introduces himself as Grover. Welp, yes, Grover Jackson. Gave me a tour of the facility etc, what an amazing guy.
Very good Phil, I have done business with Sweetwater for 10 years. My Sales Engineer is Jim Watson. He's Great!! Always goes 1 step beyond and makes you feel like you are not wasting your time or money there. I miss the days of no sales tax for out of state sales on the internet but I still buy from him because if there is any issue he will go to the boss to help me. Which he has done!! Nothing can replace that kind of service. My estimate of what I have spent with them is over 30K in 10 years. on the grand scheme of things that my not be much to them but for my hobby it's a bunch. Jim Show's his appreciation when we talk. Can't ask for anymore than that!!!
I bought a new, 2017 left over, LesPaul Traditional in cherry burst. There was a tag inside saying it had been set up on a 'plek' machine. I'm 68 and have played guitar for ~50 years, and in that time learned to do my own tech work. Including doing work for others and building a few guitars a year. IMHO, my new LP was almost unplayable out of the box. It even had tooling marks on the 14th fret where the cutter (bit) had stopped and restarted. I ended up doing a complete level/crown/polish, also rounding over the fretboard and fret ends (binding). It then played 100% better (although it weighed 10.4lbs!!) What I learned from all this, and Phil's experience, is the setup is still only as good as the tech doing it. Although the 'plek' process is CAD based, the guitar still has to be jig'ed in the machine by a tech. If there is any problem during the process it still has to be fixed by a tech. And the finished guitar still has to be inspected and confirmed done correctly by a tech. If any of those are not done it should fail setup. Sorry I ran on so long here. I didn't want to infer that the plek process was bad, but still only as good as the tech doing it. As always, JMHO... --gary
@@MrMoneyHelper Thanks. I've been in the guitar biz for over 50 years now. I always take all the advice I get, evaluate it, and try to learn something from it. That can cover a whole lot of things. Thanks for taking the time to comment back!! Cheers, --gary
Thanks for this, Phillip. I've been waiting to hear a review of PLEK from someone who knows what they're talking about. I've been dreaming about a machine like PLEK for thirty years.
This is why I taught myself to set up guitars. And recently just ordered some new fret tools I can’t wait for them to come in so I can start grinding all my frets. Man I’m gonna have to file and sand like 100 frets
I bought a Gretsch Electromatic Jet with Bigsby online from a guitar store 300 miles from my house (this is in Australia). They called me an hour after I placed the order to check what string gauge I wanted (went with Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkies, 9-46). Also asked me how low I wanted the action. A PLEK service was INCLUDED in the sale price with no additional costs and free express road freight. Guitar turned up two days later and was absolutely fantastic. Action perfect, no fret buzz, in tune, was a brilliant service.
@@meatrocket1 also for reference, this was a limited edition, candy apple red with gold hardware, and a bargain price. Retailed for $1799 AU (about $1340 US), and I paid only $1072 AU (approx $800 US)!!
Yet another unbiased, extremely informative video from Mr. McKnight. I'm a middle aged mechanical engineer who has been playing guitar since high school. I am currently back in school for precision manufacturing. I do both manual and CNC machining (albeit I'm new to the latter) and I use precision measuring tools on a regular basis. I have also worked in electronics manufacturing and quality control. This channel is one of the best gear break-down channels on UA-cam, IMHO. Phil knows his craft and gives very concise technical explanations backed by a ton of experience. Definitely a huge asset to the guitar community!
I've PLEK'd a couple of new Epiphone guitars while having the pickups swapped out. The difference is amazing! Create something with your own style that plays like a higher end piece. Loads of fun!
@@surfdigby agreed, I would plunk the 2k got the ultra in inca silver. And given their different colors they've been using, would be a good addition. I don't want to pay CS prices just for a color
GOOD KNIGHT!...This video was extraordinarily illuminating. You are way more than a discerning consumer. Doing a five hundred dollar Plek job on a four hundred dollar guitar is brilliance. And the fact that you turned a ho-hum guitar into a Custom Shop equivalent in one fell swoop means you have manufactured a new option for guitar buyers who want a cheap way to have their guitar purring like David Gilmore...
I have purchased 2 guitars from Sweetwater - I will not buy from anywhere else - great service. A couple of years ago, my wife and I flew down to their Store in Indiana - great people.
Sweetwater plecked my mex tele as part of a package deal. I chose 10 46 ernies and a better nut per the sales persons recommendation. Also added locking Fender tuners. The result was worth the expense. And my sales rep called me two weeks later to check in with me. He stays in contact about four times a year since. Crazy good customer experience. I did go to GC recently to get a mex strat for a build project but that was unplanned. That wasn’t a bad experience But you never get the box from GC. They toss them and hang everything. Love your content.
This is the kind of thing that many of us would think of, but only Phillip would actually do. And shelling out his own hard earned money on an experiment: priceless.
Bought a Taylor GS Mini Mahogany from Sam Ash, and made sure to let them know I bought it from them due to the great reviews you post. Everything went great, and I hope you have a good holiday and your family is healthy and happy. Thank you for your expert experience. Helps a lot. John
Those Affinity Squiers have come a long way! If you don't mind getting them set up, or throwing a set of pickups and a new nut on them, they play great! The fret edges tend to be a bit sharp, is my biggest complaint. Whenever one of them goes up for sale used around here, they sell immediately.
Those are some damn fine quacky pickups.i had the exact same model.i had put a tusq nut,string tree's,da'darrio auto trim locking tuners on it and polished the frets.i honestly think it was a great guitar.i sold it to finance some other gear.the guy who bought it actually messaged me a week later to tell me how greatfull he was for my time spent upgrading it and that it played like a dream.i kind of miss it.currently working on modding a 97 squier affinity.it has the full body depth and a swimming pool route.which is a huge bonus. Thanks for the video!
I've owned several PLEKed guitars that ranged from absolutely amazing playability to one that was so bad it needed additional fretwork. I've also had frets leveled, crowned and polished by a variety of techs that played just as well as any that were PLEKed. I'm sure the PLEK is much more precise, but there's a difference between measured results and real world results. Precise measured results may look good on paper, but don't necessarily transfer to real-world playability.
Over the last couple decades I bought several Squier strats and cheapo strat copies at thrift stores and pawn shops. There was one I got for $60, a perhaps better-than-average deal for one of these (actualy even better than that, but I didn't know at the time), I took it home, played around with it, set it up, and liked it more than the others, it just played right and felt right, and it became my main electric. I eventually looked into Squire models online and learned about the different 'levels' of Squiers, The others were all Affinitys (right there on the headstock), but this was a Standard model, with a two-bolt bridge instead of the old-fashioned six-screw Strat bridge. The Affinitys never felt right, and I don't know if it was the thinner body (I saw this video title and jokingly thought 'It's too thin to fit on the Plek!) or neck/frets not quite right or what. But it's interesting to see an Affinity can be "fixed." I "see why" you chose the Affinity to be pleked, , but if anyone wants to do this for reals, I might suggest one of the higher up Squier models.
Phill this is a great video! I wanted an inexpensive guitar to take with me to lessons, but I didn't want to give up the feel of some of my high end guitars. After watching this video I ordered a Classic Vibe from Sweetwater and had them Plek the guitar. The end result was fantastic. Great content
Great idea for a video! What people don't understand about the Plek process is that an operator still needs to run the machine and make decisions, and the machine needs to be carefully calibrated. Just getting a Plek job isn't a 100% surefire thing. Nor is taking it to a repair person who everyone supposedly loves, but if you find a really good one, that's awesome. You can also learn to do this stuff yourself, but it does take a lot of practice.
I've been watching your channel for a while and realized I never really left one of these comments. Your content is some of the best out there in the guitar community. The amount of time and money you put into guitars really shows how much you love them and what a passion you have for the whole scene and craft. I love how honest you are about your opinions and the transparency behind everything you are doing. You're really a class act Mr McKnight! 👍👍
I bought a MIM Player from SWEETWATER didn't get pleked but I did get a setup not a 55 point inspection a setup they never offered it to me before 2019 paid $60 . There's a block at the bottom of the order page for comments or instructions. I told them I play old school rock, I wanted DR PURE BLUES 10s and the lowest action without buzzing. And they delivered. I bought 5 guitars from them this one was the best out of the box. THANKS FOR THE VIDEO VERY GOOD !
Terminology is confusing some people here obviously. I am a tech and hope this helps. The Plek Machine performs a fret mill also known as a level and crown. Which is at is simplest making all the frets exactly the same height and then returning a rounded top with its peak centered exactly over fret slot. A well operated Plek machine should be able to read the neck and account for any inconsistencies in the neck flatness/twist and how the relief lays out and be more precise and accurate than all but the most talented and experienced techs. The set up (and fret polishing) post Plek fret mill is still done by a person. A set up is the combination of setting the relief by adjusting truss rod, setting the saddle heights and setting intonation at the saddles. A good tech will also be making sure the nut slots are at proper depth and width so open strings don't buzz and strings don't bind or rattle around in slot as part of a set up. A set up is usually a fixed price (varies some by market) with a range with a floating/locking trem being more costly than a hardtail or bass. In my area a set up ranges from $60-90 or so and would include restringing but not cost of strings A fret mill/level and crown would run $150-$175 and would include a full set up after the frets are milled. A refret includes replacing the frets, milling them and them setting up the guitar and has a wide range depending on whether neck is bound or has a finished fingerboard or can be removed to work on and ranges from $250 -$500 or more A set up is sort of like and oil change /tune up A mill is like rotating tires so they wear longer plus an oil change A refret is like a new set of tires plus the oil change My clients that are passionate hobbiests to regular giggers( covid aside) usually have a Spring and Fall set up and fret mills on new guitars to "get things right" or whenever they reach the point in wear that they have soft low spots but not v shaped cuts into frets. This keep their instruments playing the same all the time and gets much more time between refrets. Less demanding players get a set up a year and often go longer between mills and deal with or aren't bothered by the inconsistencies.
@Phil your suggestions to Sweetwater would literally make them the BEST in the biz. Those guys/gals at Sweetwater are awesome! Their competition should be taking notes.
I had Sweetwater plek an epiphone sg pro, and it came out so good that I couldn’t believe the results. Very nice, very well done, worth the money. I’m thinking of having them plek me a squier tele, based on your review. Thanks for what you do!
I've had three guitars Plek'd and I'm pretty sure a Gibson or two I have were Plek'd at the factory. If you plan to keep and play a guitar for a long time, I think a Plek is worth it no matter what you paid for the guitar. Not only is the fretwork "optimized" (for lack of a better term) it seems to lessen the need for a lot of adjusting and re-tweaking over the long term. So I'm a big Plek proponent when it makes sense.
Great video! As soon as you said it had the original plastic nut.. I remembered you frequently recommend replacing the nut. And you covered that. “Effortless to play” That says it all.
@@Agondonter777 my experience with squires and certain other Chinese guitars are the fret wire formula is exceptionally soft or at least has a lot of soft spots. I’m currently playing a player series fender it’s holding up better. That said when the frets are shot I’ll have it redone with stainless as I really am happy with the instrument.
Great video. I had a G&l tribute s500 plekd by Sweetwater a few months ago and was very pleased. I always call and talk to my sales engineer, Richard Whittington, and he asked me several questions about my playing style and preferences. I also had a new but cut. I was very pleased with the results. For people who live in an area where there are no trustworthy luthiers I would certainly recommend having your new guitar plekd.
Wow! That squire sounded really well intonated, and superb with the double drive! The pickups in the custom shop sounded better but the intonation was a little off... the Squire's intonation was perfect!
I have a Squier Strat (2019 standard series made in Indonesia) and got it plek'd and I love it. Port Mac Guitars (in Australia) did phone me to ask about how I wanted the bridge and what kind of setup I wanted, etc, so the whole experience was good, and the result was excellent.
I work in Ft Wayne & visit the Sweetwater store several times per year. I have an Epiphone Sheration II that has the world's worst factory fret job in history and I've been thinking about having it Plek'd but wasn't sure it would be worth the cost...I'm now seriously considering getting on with it. The guitar sounds great & I hate leaving it sit in its case unenjoyed! Thanks for the video
@@What11235 Those are for filling up under-powered California compliant garden tools. But hey, we can be sure there was a tax involved, maybe even a "task force" decided how much it should be.
I finally got some time to watch this video. I bought a PRS and had a new nut, locking tuners. I was willing to spend the extra $ for the Plek. I literally have to slow down. Effort less. The guitar that was purchased before, was from another store. The guitar wasn't pleked. The guitar was out of the factory box, loose packing was to blame. The action was unplayable. Boxed it back up, for return. I believe that if you don't want to do the work. Definitely have it Pleked. Well worth it.
Really helpful video. Might I say, that silver Squire is beautiful. Looks much more expensive than it is. Lots of competition in the $400 - $650 range these days, which, if I had to guess, 90% + guitarists wouldn’t sound a lick a difference playing them (and even the affinity for that matter) and a more expensive guitar. Makes one wonder how long the big boys are going to survive on ego. Curious to know which division are more profitable….Squire/Fender….Epiphone/Gibson etc….But hey, who am I to tell someone how to spend their own money? No guilt zone here!
Great video Phillip; got a local guitar shop equipped with a Plek machine and it is so worth having a Plek job done in my experience. Thanks for sharing!!
Phil you do setups yourself for a living .In your opinion was it worth it FOR you only ? Would you do again for your own personal use or are you satisfied with your skills and setups ???
Awesome video! I bet there are a lot of us who would love to see an MIM Player Series plek'd. Especially since they are very similar to the American Standards from years ago, given the pickups, the pots, and the 22 frets.
I've been finding the Affinity range really good for the price, but almost always needing a good setup, once done they are a great base for a project or as a beginner guitar. I have a Tele and a Starcaster at the moment, both have had the electronics swapped out, the Tele for cheep AlNiCo 5 Pickups with CTS pots and a Switchcraft switch, the Starcaster with Martin A Smith wide range Pickups and CTS/Switchcraft. Both guitars have come up a treat, I still need to do a little work on the Starcaster, the skunkstripe is a little proud and I still need to level the frets. Long story short, the Affinity series of guitars are quality guitars, you just need to give them a little love when you get them to have the playing like a guitar worth a lot more and with a few additions, they can become an extremely good guitar
At this point ALL MANUFACTURERS should be using a PLEK. Even for Squiers. They've adopted automation to increase their profits, they can certainly be pressured to adopt automation tools that VASTLY IMPROVE the customer's experience with the finished product. Even if the cost was absorbed by raising the price of each guitar $15 or $20 (which is excessive and unnecessary imo ), I'm sure the market would respond. PLEK is totally worth it. A good luthier/tech can use it to achieve near-perfection. Doing this to an inexpensive guitar isn't really that outrageous of an idea. 90% of a guitar's playability is in that neck, frets, and setup. Totally worth it IMO.
I do my own re-frets, level and crown as hobby. I have a Squier Mascis Jazzmaster and it didnt need levelling , but I did for the hell of it. Just a very good all round guitar.
I'm in process of putting Fender locking tuners on my Cort G200. Gonna have to drill holes for tangs. But thanks to Phil.... I've got confidence to do it now. First time I've done this.
That's exactly what I did on my Hohner Professional ST59 which is my first guitar I got from my late mother 23 years ago. It's my untouchable holy grail but I wanted those tuners and yeah, Phil taught me how to do it. I've even become a quite well known side job guitar tech in my area over the years. Learning by doing is all it takes. Thanks, Phil ❤️
Or even trying new strings on it first. Whenever I start getting antsy to sell an instrument I always try putting new strings on it first. I buy ever guitar for a reason, and sometimes that little refresher makes the reason become apparent.
My guess is that since the guitar came with lighter strings, they used one set of the heavier strings during the plekking process, then another when it was set up.
Its worth it, even if you set up your own guitars, shows you exactly what you should be shooting for on other instruments, and what you can realistically expect from certain string guages, tremolo types etc. Mine, home made superstrat (floyd/25.5", 9-42 strings) still buzzes a little at the action I like (1.5mm treble, 2mm bass, at fret 12), but it buzzes equally all the way up the board, and that's how I know it's as good as it could be. Hope this helps.
I just pre-ordered the new Squire Contemporary RH from Sweetwater. I decided to give the Plek a go after watching your videos. When I spoke to my Sweetwater rep Tyler he ask me all the questions that you had suggested in this video, so nice to see they are listening. I also specified that I wanted a 1.5mm action height off the 12th fret. He put my answers to the questions and expectations in the notes on my invoice to relay to the techs. Now I just have to wait for the guitar to arrive. I already started ordering upgrades. I ordered a Lindy Fralin Split Blade for the bridge and a Twangmaster for the neck. It's getting Graph Tech Ratio locking tuners and CTS pots, Switchcraft jack & switch as well. Probably have like $1,150 in it after It's all said and done, but it will be sweet Tele.
I don't understand why this is a post sale service. Why don't guitar manufacturers do this to all the guitars before shipment and if they do at what price point do they do it to?
On the manufacturing side, Plek takes time and they have to pay for an operator, making the guitar more expensive. I read before that Gibson had their guitars plek'd, I don't know if they still do now.
I bought a Lakland Skyline 55-01 bass around 2009 for about $800 that came Plek'd from the factory. It's now $945 on Amazon and the product description mentions the Plek setup: "Lakland Skyline luthiers now do their fret work using Plek technology to assure optimum playability. Plek is a CAD/CAM machine with scanning capability. It was developed to perform high-speed, highly accurate fret dressing, nut and bridge slotting and shaping, and engraving work. When used by an experienced luthier, the Plek machine produces necks with fretwork and action that equal the very best handwork and does it consistently. " www.amazon.com/Lakland-Skyline-5-Strings-Guitar-Sunburst/dp/B000QDPR2W
@@ljmiller96 I think that only really big shops plek their higher end guitars. I don't think that they're plek'd from the factory, it would be impossible given the volume of guitars they produce every day
What a great video! Thank you for doing it. Sweetwater’s price seems to be on par with other shops that I have checked out. But, those other shops do just what you suggested Sweetwater should do. IMHO the value for this service from Sweetwater is convenience, but that’s it. The other shops give you more for the money with customized service, pre and post measurements and documentation. In addition, they keep these on file for other guitars you want to have done, etc.
“It’ll give you cancer but only if you live in California” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 As a Californian I never understood the value of these labels if they’re slapped on everything
My understanding was that the law was well meaning, but got repeatedly brought to court by plaintiffs upset that their business had deal with this warning and that business didn't. After the dust settled, and pretty much anything can technically cause cancer to some random person, every product and business has this dumb label.
We were talking about this today. Ten years from now, if the rest of the country has tagged those things, you can brag and say you were ten years ahead. If that's how it works out.
@@budgetguitarist But what happens when they figure out the stress from having cancer labels on everything causes cancer...? Remember George Burns lived to be 100, because he started smoking/drinking BEFORE it was bad for you...
I'd be very interested to learn how LONG the plek job seems to last on the Squier. What if the neck moves a bit, or the frets wear faster than a more expensive instrument? Sure, it might feel amazing now, but will it feel as good in a year or two? In other words, is this just polishing a turd, or is there actual value added?
I had an Ibanez RGT1270 pleked last week by Sweetwater. My sales guy called me and asked those questions you talked about, like how I wanted the action set and what kind of music I play. When I got the guitar there was a sheet with the setup specs the tech did to it.
Pulled the trigger this morning and bought a Classic Vibe Esquire with a Plek service. Having this as an option, because no luthiers or techs are available, is great. Sure an experienced person could level the frets, but with a Plek machine, you have more precise fret height measurements taken. Well it remains to be seen as I’ve yet to receive or play this guitar, but Sweetwater should give you some compensation, as I never would’ve considered this until after I saw this video, thanks your content serves the community
I always seen the Plek machine as a solution to a problem that didn't really exist, useful maybe in Guitar manufacture to keep specified production tolerances but that's about it. $250 for a Plek or $150 for your local tech to do the same thing, it's a no brainer to me.
If your guitar tech is too popular because he's good then this is an alternative, the extra price is in the convenience of getting it done without scheduling and in a timely manner
Im lucky, i live in fort wayne so i can just drive 20 minutes to Sweetwater in person instead of waiting weeks for the mail to arrive, you should come sometime to check it out if you havent allready
I’ve had almost all my guitars plek’d and I highly recommend it! Especially if your buying a guitar from Indonesia or or South Korea. I even had my rgr5227 plekd and man! The strings just lay on the frets with no buzz. I do my own set ups on my guitars, after getting the plek job, knowing the frets are on point I can get the action and relief exactly how I want it. I’ve had Sweetwater do other repairs to my guitars and was totally happy how everything came out. I just make sure I keep in contact with them on every step so I know how it’s coming along.
look up Rhett's video where he pleked his Les Paul. Absolutely unforgivable that a Paul would leave a factory with the bridge and nut out of array like that.
Note how the higher action impacts the tone and sustain.I first really noticed this while tuning with the sympathetic vibrations; it can make a lot of difference even if you are using a ton of gain. With Fender there are many considerations in the set up, esecially with the trem set up, and with offsets, neck angle.Many of the offsets really benefit from a shim, though I'd read that they've started adressing this on some models since the 40th Aniv. Squier models.Personally, I find myself making adjustments with the nut in particular.Certain things can be done to better accomodate specific needs, including dropped tunings.
Charlie Chandler's in the UK has a Plek Pro machine, no idea how much it is but this video makes it tempting tbh. I have a PRS SE that would be 100% as good as a US PRS with a fret job like this, so 250 USD would be decent value.
I recently ordered a fret leveling kit on ebay from D.Drew guitars and I have to tell you I think this is the way to go if you want to save some money. I followed the instructions after watching his video on youtube and I had great results and had never done a fret level and crowning before. I did use a notched straight edge and fret rocker just to make sure everything was correct and would recommend you do the same as well and also paint the top of the frets with a marker.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
When a squire gets pleked it becomes a Knight
Did you mean a McKnight sir?
Works both ways
Not only a Squire but an Affinity Squire! They are sooo bad.
Noice.
@@rob_in_stowmarket_uk How about night :)
This shows we overestimate material and underestimate labor.
Well put man !
Exactly
SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK
The material is only useful when properly executed/crafted/designed.
@@lostalone9320 You're absolutely right. Craftsmanship would have been a more appropriate term. But still human effort.
The bottom line is, $450 is a reasonable price for an electric guitar that comes perfectly set-up straight from the store. Half the battle is having a playable instrument.
I would rather have a plek’d Classic Vibe than a non MiM or USA.
the factory should do this to any guitar they are trying to sell for over a few hundred dollars. most setups are not perfect, just a middle of the road compromise.
@@BRIANTOWN33 But if they did it would put $100 onto the price of every guitar
@@chrisofnottingham an extra 100 to save 300 or more for an on brand fender is a great price if you're buying a classic vibe squier, at that point its better than a brand new MIM or a entry level MIA
@@BRIANTOWN33 I bought a guitar this summer and most shops did a set up from about 500 euros, below it depends.
I bought an American Professional Strat from Sweetwater back in May and paid for the PLEK. They actually called me and asked me all those things you mentioned in your suggestion. Style of music, what level of buzz was ok with me, etc. They did a great job and customer service is top notch in my opinion. They made me a loyal customer
I used to work at Sweetwater when I first heard about the PLEK machine. I was skeptical at first...until I ran one of my guitars through it. Now I put EVERY guitar through it. The difference is legitimately night and day. 100% worth every single penny.
I'll probably have to swing thru there to have my mim strat plek'd something is just off about it
I might eventually get 60-70 percent of my guitars in my big collection pleked or at least high quality fret leveling with a couple
My first guitar was as cheap as they come but I had free setup service for life as long as I bought strings. I played so much and learned so fast because of how comfortable the instrument was.
There was probably a lot of laughing in the shop at Sweetwater that someone paid $250 to plek a $200 guitar. ;-)
Plek'd classic vibe sounds so nice.
@Fred Wills Fucking this, PLEK is for folks who can't find a good tech. Which I understand if you can't but people please go to your locally owned shops! You never know who's out there and what connections you may make.
well they can also think of it this way
If you want my money you can go and do the job
regardless of the value of the instrument you've paid them to do the job
@@bassprofishe1549 lol what shops theres not an actual luthier near me for miles
You beat me to it lol
Sweetwater plek'd my Schecter 7 for nothing since it came from Schecter with sad fret work, which is unusual from my experience. I thought Plek was a scam until I got the guitar back. Was totally worth it, especially since it was free 😂
But knowing what you now know - would you have paid?
If I tell them my guitar was crap from the factory they'll do it for free? Sweet! I'm being facetious but seriously why did they do it for free just because you had a bad guitar? That's the reason it exists in the first place, everyone's guitar is bad who gets it plek'd that why they get it Plek'd why was yours special that they did it for free?
Don't get ahead of yourself bud. Nothing is free
I do love that silver finish on the squier it looks awsome
That Squier has a smirk on his face because unlike many he got plek'ed his first day on the job. You're a man now son.
Born mid-arpeggio
I recently leveled the frets on my 18yr old epi LP and i was able to lower the action a bit, feels like a different guitar now, night and day. The $50 for the leveling beam and fret rocker was well work it. Polished with steel wool. I think doing by hand yourself is a great option for lower end guitars.
Leveling frets is absolutely something you can do at home for 50 to 80bucks, the bulk of the expense being a decent crowning fret.
Hey, Phil! I bought a Squier Classic Vibe 70s Telecaster Deluxe and I had Sweetwater Plek it just because of this video! Love it and yes the frets are smooth like butter. I told my rep that it was because of your vid I was doing the Plek. I hope they showed you some love in return. Every guitar I buy from Sweetwater will now be plek'd!
That smile on your face. Awesome! I have a somewhat long story so i'll make it short. Last year I was looking for local luthier to setup a few of my guitars. Found a shop on google maps but couldn't find much else about them. I drive down, see an older gentlemen in the shop, wasn't a standard music shop. Looked more like manufacturing. Anyhow, guy was on the phone for like 20 minutes, I waited patiently. He comes over introduces himself as Grover. Welp, yes, Grover Jackson. Gave me a tour of the facility etc, what an amazing guy.
Where?????
Very good Phil, I have done business with Sweetwater for 10 years. My Sales Engineer is Jim Watson. He's Great!! Always goes 1 step beyond and makes you feel like you are not wasting your time or money there. I miss the days of no sales tax for out of state sales on the internet but I still buy from him because if there is any issue he will go to the boss to help me. Which he has done!! Nothing can replace that kind of service. My estimate of what I have spent with them is over 30K in 10 years. on the grand scheme of things that my not be much to them but for my hobby it's a bunch. Jim Show's his appreciation when we talk. Can't ask for anymore than that!!!
Got a classic vibe tele from them that was plek’d as part of a special they were running a few years back, $380 out the door. Plays great!
I've been wanting a butterscotch blonde Tele for a while. If I could get it Plek'd out the door for $380 i'd be all over it!
Many envy you!
I bought a new, 2017 left over, LesPaul Traditional in cherry burst. There was a tag inside saying it had been set up on a 'plek' machine. I'm 68 and have played guitar for ~50 years, and in that time learned to do my own tech work. Including doing work for others and building a few guitars a year. IMHO, my new LP was almost unplayable out of the box. It even had tooling marks on the 14th fret where the cutter (bit) had stopped and restarted. I ended up doing a complete level/crown/polish, also rounding over the fretboard and fret ends (binding). It then played 100% better (although it weighed 10.4lbs!!) What I learned from all this, and Phil's experience, is the setup is still only as good as the tech doing it. Although the 'plek' process is CAD based, the guitar still has to be jig'ed in the machine by a tech. If there is any problem during the process it still has to be fixed by a tech. And the finished guitar still has to be inspected and confirmed done correctly by a tech. If any of those are not done it should fail setup. Sorry I ran on so long here. I didn't want to infer that the plek process was bad, but still only as good as the tech doing it. As always, JMHO... --gary
@@MrMoneyHelper Thanks. I've been in the guitar biz for over 50 years now. I always take all the advice I get, evaluate it, and try to learn something from it. That can cover a whole lot of things. Thanks for taking the time to comment back!! Cheers, --gary
Thanks for this, Phillip. I've been waiting to hear a review of PLEK from someone who knows what they're talking about. I've been dreaming about a machine like PLEK for thirty years.
I have a Plek'd Ibanez UV7 from Sweetwater and it is pretty much a dream to play. I recommend.
This is why I taught myself to set up guitars. And recently just ordered some new fret tools I can’t wait for them to come in so I can start grinding all my frets. Man I’m gonna have to file and sand like 100 frets
I bought a Gretsch Electromatic Jet with Bigsby online from a guitar store 300 miles from my house (this is in Australia). They called me an hour after I placed the order to check what string gauge I wanted (went with Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkies, 9-46). Also asked me how low I wanted the action. A PLEK service was INCLUDED in the sale price with no additional costs and free express road freight. Guitar turned up two days later and was absolutely fantastic. Action perfect, no fret buzz, in tune, was a brilliant service.
Great deal 👍🏻 they’d get all my business just for that
@@meatrocket1 yeah I think I've definitely found my go to store for guitars for sure!
@@meatrocket1 also for reference, this was a limited edition, candy apple red with gold hardware, and a bargain price. Retailed for $1799 AU (about $1340 US), and I paid only $1072 AU (approx $800 US)!!
Yet another unbiased, extremely informative video from Mr. McKnight.
I'm a middle aged mechanical engineer who has been playing guitar since high school. I am currently back in school for precision manufacturing. I do both manual and CNC machining (albeit I'm new to the latter) and I use precision measuring tools on a regular basis. I have also worked in electronics manufacturing and quality control. This channel is one of the best gear break-down channels on UA-cam, IMHO. Phil knows his craft and gives very concise technical explanations backed by a ton of experience. Definitely a huge asset to the guitar community!
I've PLEK'd a couple of new Epiphone guitars while having the pickups swapped out. The difference is amazing! Create something with your own style that plays like a higher end piece. Loads of fun!
I usually like to see strats in a more traditional color, like 3 tone burst, etc, BUT, I LOVE that silver strat! And it's plek’d?!!? ..….. Winner!
Inca silver is one of my favorite colors for strats. Wish they brought it for the ultra series
@@digitalfluid one of my bugbears with Fender is all the cool finishes that only exist on the lower end Squiers.
@@surfdigby agreed, I would plunk the 2k got the ultra in inca silver. And given their different colors they've been using, would be a good addition. I don't want to pay CS prices just for a color
Love the Gibson Sunbursts, hate the Fender ones!
GOOD KNIGHT!...This video was extraordinarily illuminating. You are way more than a discerning consumer. Doing a five hundred dollar Plek job on a four hundred dollar guitar is brilliance. And the fact that you turned a ho-hum guitar into a Custom Shop equivalent in one fell swoop means you have manufactured a new option for guitar buyers who want a cheap way to have their guitar purring like David Gilmore...
maybe im silly but those frets are shining in such a uniform manner that i have never seen on camera before
I thought the same , WOW they were shining like diamonds !
From Leo: Jewelers rouge on felt dremel wheel will make them shiny also.
The polish job is not hard. A good level and crown is.
I have purchased 2 guitars from Sweetwater - I will not buy from anywhere else - great service. A couple of years ago, my wife and I flew down to their Store in Indiana - great people.
One of the reason I love G&Ls... every one gets plek'd before leaving the shop.
Sweetwater plecked my mex tele as part of a package deal. I chose 10 46 ernies and a better nut per the sales persons recommendation. Also added locking Fender tuners. The result was worth the expense. And my sales rep called me two weeks later to check in with me. He stays in contact about four times a year since. Crazy good customer experience. I did go to GC recently to get a mex strat for a build project but that was unplanned. That wasn’t a bad experience But you never get the box from GC. They toss them and hang everything. Love your content.
This is the kind of thing that many of us would think of, but only Phillip would actually do. And shelling out his own hard earned money on an experiment: priceless.
Bought a Taylor GS Mini Mahogany from Sam Ash, and made sure to let them know I bought it from them due to the great reviews you post.
Everything went great, and I hope you have a good holiday and your family is healthy and happy.
Thank you for your expert experience. Helps a lot.
John
Those Affinity Squiers have come a long way! If you don't mind getting them set up, or throwing a set of pickups and a new nut on them, they play great! The fret edges tend to be a bit sharp, is my biggest complaint. Whenever one of them goes up for sale used around here, they sell immediately.
Squier in general have been as nice as Fender for at least 20 years now. Even most Fenders need new electronics.
I never new about the plek job from Sweetwater good to know, man your knowledge on the guitar is a major help.
This kind of content is the reason why I pay internet.
I know right. I'm here for the porn. Guitar porn.
Agreed 👍 Love 💘 gear porn.
Those are some damn fine quacky pickups.i had the exact same model.i had put a tusq nut,string tree's,da'darrio auto trim locking tuners on it and polished the frets.i honestly think it was a great guitar.i sold it to finance some other gear.the guy who bought it actually messaged me a week later to tell me how greatfull he was for my time spent upgrading it and that it played like a dream.i kind of miss it.currently working on modding a 97 squier affinity.it has the full body depth and a swimming pool route.which is a huge bonus. Thanks for the video!
I've owned several PLEKed guitars that ranged from absolutely amazing playability to one that was so bad it needed additional fretwork. I've also had frets leveled, crowned and polished by a variety of techs that played just as well as any that were PLEKed. I'm sure the PLEK is much more precise, but there's a difference between measured results and real world results. Precise measured results may look good on paper, but don't necessarily transfer to real-world playability.
Agree 100%!
My fret jobs are pro mofos. Level, every note plays perfectly, rounded ends, and brought to 2000 grit. None of this beveled ends bs.
I mean, pleking isn't magic. After it's plek'd, the finishing touches are by human hands.
As always depends on who does the work. And what they are working with
Over the last couple decades I bought several Squier strats and cheapo strat copies at thrift stores and pawn shops. There was one I got for $60, a perhaps better-than-average deal for one of these (actualy even better than that, but I didn't know at the time), I took it home, played around with it, set it up, and liked it more than the others, it just played right and felt right, and it became my main electric. I eventually looked into Squire models online and learned about the different 'levels' of Squiers, The others were all Affinitys (right there on the headstock), but this was a Standard model, with a two-bolt bridge instead of the old-fashioned six-screw Strat bridge. The Affinitys never felt right, and I don't know if it was the thinner body (I saw this video title and jokingly thought 'It's too thin to fit on the Plek!) or neck/frets not quite right or what. But it's interesting to see an Affinity can be "fixed."
I "see why" you chose the Affinity to be pleked, , but if anyone wants to do this for reals, I might suggest one of the higher up Squier models.
Phill this is a great video! I wanted an inexpensive guitar to take with me to lessons, but I didn't want to give up the feel of some of my high end guitars. After watching this video I ordered a Classic Vibe from Sweetwater and had them Plek the guitar. The end result was fantastic. Great content
Great idea for a video! What people don't understand about the Plek process is that an operator still needs to run the machine and make decisions, and the machine needs to be carefully calibrated. Just getting a Plek job isn't a 100% surefire thing. Nor is taking it to a repair person who everyone supposedly loves, but if you find a really good one, that's awesome. You can also learn to do this stuff yourself, but it does take a lot of practice.
I've been watching your channel for a while and realized I never really left one of these comments.
Your content is some of the best out there in the guitar community. The amount of time and money you put into guitars really shows how much you love them and what a passion you have for the whole scene and craft. I love how honest you are about your opinions and the transparency behind everything you are doing. You're really a class act Mr McKnight!
👍👍
I bought a MIM Player from SWEETWATER didn't get pleked but I did get a setup not a 55 point inspection a setup they never offered it to me before 2019 paid $60 . There's a block at the bottom of the order page for comments or instructions. I told them I play old school rock, I wanted DR PURE BLUES 10s and the lowest action without buzzing. And they delivered. I bought 5 guitars from them this one was the best out of the box. THANKS FOR THE VIDEO VERY GOOD !
I see you got Letterman's old shattering glass effect to play with.. lol
Andertons use it a lot too....as well as disintegrating cups!!
@@guybarritt8632 I love Anderton's video editor, that's half the reason to watch their videos!
I was thinking the same thing, lol
A lot of the old samplers have it. Good fun.
Terminology is confusing some people here obviously.
I am a tech and hope this helps.
The Plek Machine performs a fret mill also known as a level and crown. Which is at is simplest making all the frets exactly the same height and then returning a rounded top with its peak centered exactly over fret slot. A well operated Plek machine should be able to read the neck and account for any inconsistencies in the neck flatness/twist and how the relief lays out and be more precise and accurate than all but the most talented and experienced techs.
The set up (and fret polishing) post Plek fret mill is still done by a person.
A set up is the combination of setting the relief by adjusting truss rod, setting the saddle heights and setting intonation at the saddles. A good tech will also be making sure the nut slots are at proper depth and width so open strings don't buzz and strings don't bind or rattle around in slot as part of a set up. A set up is usually a fixed price (varies some by market) with a range with a floating/locking trem being more costly than a hardtail or bass.
In my area a set up ranges from $60-90 or so and would include restringing but not cost of strings
A fret mill/level and crown would run $150-$175 and would include a full set up after the frets are milled.
A refret includes replacing the frets, milling them and them setting up the guitar and has a wide range depending on whether neck is bound or has a finished fingerboard or can be removed to work on and ranges from $250 -$500 or more
A set up is sort of like and oil change /tune up
A mill is like rotating tires so they wear longer plus an oil change
A refret is like a new set of tires plus the oil change
My clients that are passionate hobbiests to regular giggers( covid aside) usually have a Spring and Fall set up and fret mills on new guitars to "get things right" or whenever they reach the point in wear that they have soft low spots but not v shaped cuts into frets. This keep their instruments playing the same all the time and gets much more time between refrets. Less demanding players get a set up a year and often go longer between mills and deal with or aren't bothered by the inconsistencies.
I own a Squier Classic Vibes Telecaster that is Plek’d. It is my favorite guitar. Plays great.
This was a real, worth while video, great perspective. Thanks for sharing this with us!🎧🎸
@Phil your suggestions to Sweetwater would literally make them the BEST in the biz. Those guys/gals at Sweetwater are awesome! Their competition should be taking notes.
I had Sweetwater plek an epiphone sg pro, and it came out so good that I couldn’t believe the results. Very nice, very well done, worth the money. I’m thinking of having them plek me a squier tele, based on your review. Thanks for what you do!
I got my 60's Vintera Plekk'd, it really took the guitar up a level in playability.
My Charvel San Dimas and my Ibanez JS24, both purchased from Andertons in the USA, came perfectly set up.
I've had three guitars Plek'd and I'm pretty sure a Gibson or two I have were Plek'd at the factory. If you plan to keep and play a guitar for a long time, I think a Plek is worth it no matter what you paid for the guitar. Not only is the fretwork "optimized" (for lack of a better term) it seems to lessen the need for a lot of adjusting and re-tweaking over the long term. So I'm a big Plek proponent when it makes sense.
Great video! As soon as you said it had the original plastic nut.. I remembered you frequently recommend replacing the nut. And you covered that.
“Effortless to play”
That says it all.
Wondering how long it stays Plek'd. Wood can shape shift a little over time.
Just as long as it would stay stock.
Being a squier the frets will wear really fast.
@@thomaslthomas1506 Nickel frets are nickel frets, they'll wear just the same as any other guitar.
@@Agondonter777 my experience with squires and certain other Chinese guitars are the fret wire formula is exceptionally soft or at least has a lot of soft spots. I’m currently playing a player series fender it’s holding up better. That said when the frets are shot I’ll have it redone with stainless as I really am happy with the instrument.
@@Agondonter777 you wish
I was wondering this same question a while ago. I'm glad someone else spent the money to find out! Thank you, Mr. McKnight!
I was listening to this with headphones while doing the dishes and I thought I actually broke something for a second lmao
Great video. I had a G&l tribute s500 plekd by Sweetwater a few months ago and was very pleased. I always call and talk to my sales engineer, Richard Whittington, and he asked me several questions about my playing style and preferences. I also had a new but cut. I was very pleased with the results. For people who live in an area where there are no trustworthy luthiers I would certainly recommend having your new guitar plekd.
Wow! That squire sounded really well intonated, and superb with the double drive! The pickups in the custom shop sounded better but the intonation was a little off... the Squire's intonation was perfect!
I have a Squier Strat (2019 standard series made in Indonesia) and got it plek'd and I love it. Port Mac Guitars (in Australia) did phone me to ask about how I wanted the bridge and what kind of setup I wanted, etc, so the whole experience was good, and the result was excellent.
You look like your having more fun playing that Squire than some of the other high end reviews!
I work in Ft Wayne & visit the Sweetwater store several times per year. I have an Epiphone Sheration II that has the world's worst factory fret job in history and I've been thinking about having it Plek'd but wasn't sure it would be worth the cost...I'm now seriously considering getting on with it. The guitar sounds great & I hate leaving it sit in its case unenjoyed! Thanks for the video
So nonchalantly "this thing can give you cancer but only if you live in California" 🤣🤣🤣
@@What11235 Those are for filling up under-powered California compliant garden tools. But hey, we can be sure there was a tax involved, maybe even a "task force" decided how much it should be.
" California ... Ooh Ooh I gotta warn ya ... Here comes Canada " ! ( PILOT)
@@charliedillon1400 knights of maulta? (Eye kant spel) tri-lateral commission?
I finally got some time to watch this video. I bought a PRS and had a new nut, locking tuners. I was willing to spend the extra $ for the Plek. I literally have to slow down. Effort less. The guitar that was purchased before, was from another store. The guitar wasn't pleked. The guitar was out of the factory box, loose packing was to blame. The action was unplayable. Boxed it back up, for return. I believe that if you don't want to do the work. Definitely have it Pleked. Well worth it.
Really helpful video. Might I say, that silver Squire is beautiful. Looks much more expensive than it is. Lots of competition in the $400 - $650 range these days, which, if I had to guess, 90% + guitarists wouldn’t sound a lick a difference playing them (and even the affinity for that matter) and a more expensive guitar. Makes one wonder how long the big boys are going to survive on ego. Curious to know which division are more profitable….Squire/Fender….Epiphone/Gibson etc….But hey, who am I to tell someone how to spend their own money? No guilt zone here!
Great video Phillip; got a local guitar shop equipped with a Plek machine and it is so worth having a Plek job done in my experience. Thanks for sharing!!
Phil you do setups yourself for a living .In your opinion was it worth it FOR you only ? Would you do again for your own personal use or are you satisfied with your skills and setups ???
I also want to know this
Mor unity
@@juancarloshaquetbriones4252 uh itch
I think Phil pretty much answered that question when said that a good tech could do just as good a job.
Awesome video! I bet there are a lot of us who would love to see an MIM Player Series plek'd. Especially since they are very similar to the American Standards from years ago, given the pickups, the pots, and the 22 frets.
I've been finding the Affinity range really good for the price, but almost always needing a good setup, once done they are a great base for a project or as a beginner guitar. I have a Tele and a Starcaster at the moment, both have had the electronics swapped out, the Tele for cheep AlNiCo 5 Pickups with CTS pots and a Switchcraft switch, the Starcaster with Martin A Smith wide range Pickups and CTS/Switchcraft. Both guitars have come up a treat, I still need to do a little work on the Starcaster, the skunkstripe is a little proud and I still need to level the frets.
Long story short, the Affinity series of guitars are quality guitars, you just need to give them a little love when you get them to have the playing like a guitar worth a lot more and with a few additions, they can become an extremely good guitar
Totally agree Christopher. They are a fantastic instrument to start with, and then you've got infinite options to make it your own
I plek'd my MIM strat a few years ago and it's so good I love it
At this point ALL MANUFACTURERS should be using a PLEK. Even for Squiers. They've adopted automation to increase their profits, they can certainly be pressured to adopt automation tools that VASTLY IMPROVE the customer's experience with the finished product. Even if the cost was absorbed by raising the price of each guitar $15 or $20 (which is excessive and unnecessary imo ), I'm sure the market would respond.
PLEK is totally worth it. A good luthier/tech can use it to achieve near-perfection.
Doing this to an inexpensive guitar isn't really that outrageous of an idea. 90% of a guitar's playability is in that neck, frets, and setup. Totally worth it IMO.
I do my own re-frets, level and crown as hobby. I have a Squier Mascis Jazzmaster and it didnt need levelling , but I did for the hell of it. Just a very good all round guitar.
Action being too low hurts harmonics on some guitars, I've noticed.
My Eclipse loses half the sustain if I drop the strings any closer than 1.5mm
same on my jag bass
Maybe you’re changing the angle too much at the tailpiece when you lower the action?
Could be the magnetic affect of the pickups, have you tried lowering them as well?
I'm in process of putting Fender locking tuners on my Cort G200. Gonna have to drill holes for tangs. But thanks to Phil.... I've got confidence to do it now. First time I've done this.
That's exactly what I did on my Hohner Professional ST59 which is my first guitar I got from my late mother 23 years ago.
It's my untouchable holy grail but I wanted those tuners and yeah, Phil taught me how to do it.
I've even become a quite well known side job guitar tech in my area over the years.
Learning by doing is all it takes.
Thanks, Phil ❤️
@@FlorianGuitar85 thats really cool
Musicians have always gotten rid of guitars without trying to have a professional setup.
Maybe there's a difference between musicians and guitar owners?
Guilty as charged. :(
Yeah, I own a guitar. But that doesn't mean that I can play it.
@Death to all marxists This for the guitar that might have needed a little adjustment and was sold at lose. And now you regret it.
Or even trying new strings on it first. Whenever I start getting antsy to sell an instrument I always try putting new strings on it first. I buy ever guitar for a reason, and sometimes that little refresher makes the reason become apparent.
I plek'd my HK Squier, nice result as it was in need of it. It is now up there with my custom guitars..
My guess is that since the guitar came with lighter strings, they used one set of the heavier strings during the plekking process, then another when it was set up.
I've been wanting the answer to this question for a while now...just a fantastic video and keep up th excellent work!
I never heard of that machine man I'm like kind of freaking out on that that's it is wild
Before the plek machine fret jobs were done by talented & able guys with hand tools, lots still do.
Its worth it, even if you set up your own guitars, shows you exactly what you should be shooting for on other instruments, and what you can realistically expect from certain string guages, tremolo types etc.
Mine, home made superstrat (floyd/25.5", 9-42 strings) still buzzes a little at the action I like (1.5mm treble, 2mm bass, at fret 12), but it buzzes equally all the way up the board, and that's how I know it's as good as it could be. Hope this helps.
I just pre-ordered the new Squire Contemporary RH from Sweetwater. I decided to give the Plek a go after watching your videos. When I spoke to my Sweetwater rep Tyler he ask me all the questions that you had suggested in this video, so nice to see they are listening. I also specified that I wanted a 1.5mm action height off the 12th fret. He put my answers to the questions and expectations in the notes on my invoice to relay to the techs. Now I just have to wait for the guitar to arrive. I already started ordering upgrades. I ordered a Lindy Fralin Split Blade for the bridge and a Twangmaster for the neck. It's getting Graph Tech Ratio locking tuners and CTS pots, Switchcraft jack & switch as well. Probably have like $1,150 in it after It's all said and done, but it will be sweet Tele.
Yo how did the Tele turn out?? Sounds like it was probably a sick upgrade
Shouldn’t there been a before and after test printout?
That is one of the best parts. Understanding just how much it did, and how the factory fret work was to begin with.
As soon as you unpacked this Squire, I could tell the frets were nicely done. Having the guitar pleked seems like money very well spent.
I don't understand why this is a post sale service. Why don't guitar manufacturers do this to all the guitars before shipment and if they do at what price point do they do it to?
On the manufacturing side, Plek takes time and they have to pay for an operator, making the guitar more expensive. I read before that Gibson had their guitars plek'd, I don't know if they still do now.
I bought a Lakland Skyline 55-01 bass around 2009 for about $800 that came Plek'd from the factory. It's now $945 on Amazon and the product description mentions the Plek setup: "Lakland Skyline luthiers now do their fret work using Plek technology to assure optimum playability. Plek is a CAD/CAM machine with scanning capability. It was developed to perform high-speed, highly accurate fret dressing, nut and bridge slotting and shaping, and engraving work. When used by an experienced luthier, the Plek machine produces necks with fretwork and action that equal the very best handwork and does it consistently. " www.amazon.com/Lakland-Skyline-5-Strings-Guitar-Sunburst/dp/B000QDPR2W
As far as I know, Gibson and G&L both plek their American guitar lines. I haven't heard that any others do this.
@@ljmiller96 I think that only really big shops plek their higher end guitars. I don't think that they're plek'd from the factory, it would be impossible given the volume of guitars they produce every day
Cost.
What a great video! Thank you for doing it. Sweetwater’s price seems to be on par with other shops that I have checked out. But, those other shops do just what you suggested Sweetwater should do. IMHO the value for this service from Sweetwater is convenience, but that’s it. The other shops give you more for the money with customized service, pre and post measurements and documentation. In addition, they keep these on file for other guitars you want to have done, etc.
“It’ll give you cancer but only if you live in California” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 As a Californian I never understood the value of these labels if they’re slapped on everything
My understanding was that the law was well meaning, but got repeatedly brought to court by plaintiffs upset that their business had deal with this warning and that business didn't. After the dust settled, and pretty much anything can technically cause cancer to some random person, every product and business has this dumb label.
We were talking about this today. Ten years from now, if the rest of the country has tagged those things, you can brag and say you were ten years ahead. If that's how it works out.
@@budgetguitarist But what happens when they figure out the stress from having cancer labels on everything causes cancer...? Remember George Burns lived to be 100, because he started smoking/drinking BEFORE it was bad for you...
In the modern world, everything can give you cancer. The labels aren't lying!
Maybe they should get rid of the labels if they cause cancer
Cool video Phil. Thanks for sharing this experience with us all. Enjoy your silver Squire Strat !
I'd be very interested to learn how LONG the plek job seems to last on the Squier. What if the neck moves a bit, or the frets wear faster than a more expensive instrument? Sure, it might feel amazing now, but will it feel as good in a year or two? In other words, is this just polishing a turd, or is there actual value added?
yeah this is a good ass questionn
I had an Ibanez RGT1270 pleked last week by Sweetwater. My sales guy called me and asked those questions you talked about, like how I wanted the action set and what kind of music I play. When I got the guitar there was a sheet with the setup specs the tech did to it.
What about a 250.00 neck upgrade vs the stock neck pleked?
Build a warmoth and send it to be plekd
Pulled the trigger this morning and bought a Classic Vibe Esquire with a Plek service. Having this as an option, because no luthiers or techs are available, is great. Sure an experienced person could level the frets, but with a Plek machine, you have more precise fret height measurements taken. Well it remains to be seen as I’ve yet to receive or play this guitar, but Sweetwater should give you some compensation, as I never would’ve considered this until after I saw this video, thanks your content serves the community
How did it go with your pleked guitar?
I always seen the Plek machine as a solution to a problem that didn't really exist, useful maybe in Guitar manufacture to keep specified production tolerances but that's about it. $250 for a Plek or $150 for your local tech to do the same thing, it's a no brainer to me.
If your guitar tech is too popular because he's good then this is an alternative, the extra price is in the convenience of getting it done without scheduling and in a timely manner
Good video Phil. I'll probably never have a guitar peeked, I just enjoy doing all of the hand work myself. Have a good one Phil.
Didn't even know this was an option
Absolutely awesome video Phil!! I have a Squire strat I bought new in 1997, made in S. Korea, and I luv that thing....thanks for sharing...
If the Plek machine maps the fretboard they should send a printout.
Good point. If you buy a torque wrench they give you the calibration results. Same for many scales and when you get your car aligned.
@@5000rgb if you buy a CZ pistol you get a factory zero target
@@mrs.vasquezz I forgot about that. Many rifles come with targets.
@@5000rgb yes
At Sweetwater. I did not have a pleasant experience with a new guitar plek job. They took the guitar back, but I was stuck eating the plek cost.
Im lucky, i live in fort wayne so i can just drive 20 minutes to Sweetwater in person instead of waiting weeks for the mail to arrive, you should come sometime to check it out if you havent allready
You're lucky to be so close. I will say that it doesn't take long with Sweetwater. If I order by 4pm, I have it by noon the next day. They rock.
I’ve had almost all my guitars plek’d and I highly recommend it! Especially if your buying a guitar from Indonesia or or South Korea. I even had my rgr5227 plekd and man! The strings just lay on the frets with no buzz. I do my own set ups on my guitars, after getting the plek job, knowing the frets are on point I can get the action and relief exactly how I want it. I’ve had Sweetwater do other repairs to my guitars and was totally happy how everything came out. I just make sure I keep in contact with them on every step so I know how it’s coming along.
I'd bet a PLEK goes a lot further on an inexpensive guitar than on higher end models where the fretwork is already good.
look up Rhett's video where he pleked his Les Paul. Absolutely unforgivable that a Paul would leave a factory with the bridge and nut out of array like that.
Note how the higher action impacts the tone and sustain.I first really noticed this while tuning with the sympathetic vibrations; it can make a lot of difference even if you are using a ton of gain.
With Fender there are many considerations in the set up, esecially with the trem set up, and with offsets, neck angle.Many of the offsets really benefit from a shim, though I'd read that they've started adressing this on some models since the 40th Aniv. Squier models.Personally, I find myself making adjustments with the nut in particular.Certain things can be done to better accomodate specific needs, including dropped tunings.
In Australia we get a free PLEK from Portmac Guitar
But you still have to play upside down.
@@rm9308 It's ok we're pissed most of the time so we don't notice the difference.
Charlie Chandler's in the UK has a Plek Pro machine, no idea how much it is but this video makes it tempting tbh. I have a PRS SE that would be 100% as good as a US PRS with a fret job like this, so 250 USD would be decent value.
I’ve had seasoned pros say that the Plek does better than they could ever do....and I’ve had others say otherwise.
I recently ordered a fret leveling kit on ebay from D.Drew guitars and I have to tell you I think this is the way to go if you want to save some money. I followed the instructions after watching his video on youtube and I had great results and had never done a fret level and crowning before. I did use a notched straight edge and fret rocker just to make sure everything was correct and would recommend you do the same as well and also paint the top of the frets with a marker.