Plek'd Squier Affinity Vs Fender Custom Shop Strat
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- Опубліковано 5 гру 2020
- #knowyourgear #sharpenmyaxe #mcknightrepair
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Tools used in this video
The Snark tuner I'm using in this video (Silver Snark)
imp.i114863.net/N1e5O
String Swing guitar hangers (I only use String Swing)
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Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster
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Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb
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Sure Sm57
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Boss DD3 pedal
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Boss Rc1
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Sweetwater Repair info
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Radius Gauge with slots
stewmac.sjv.io/15JN59
Fret Rocker
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Precision Notched Straightedge
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The Music Nomad gauge I use
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Digital Caliper
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Digital Multimeter
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Clip On Tuner in this video
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My Favorite set up tools
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Here are some other products from a dealer I trust and buy from online
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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 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 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
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
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
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
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.
One of the reason I love G&Ls... every one gets plek'd before leaving the shop.
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.
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 do love that silver finish on the squier it looks awsome
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!
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.
I was listening to this with headphones while doing the dishes and I thought I actually broke something for a second lmao
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!
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
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?
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 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.
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
Your videos are always relevant Phil, I love how you deliver information that’s not already out there. Happy holidays
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'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
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.
I never new about the plek job from Sweetwater good to know, man your knowledge on the guitar is a major help.
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!
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
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!
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 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.
@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.
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!
Thanks for doing this video, pretty cool of you to do this! It was very neat!
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!!
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.
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've been wanting the answer to this question for a while now...just a fantastic video and keep up th excellent work!
I plek'd my MIM strat a few years ago and it's so good I love it
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.
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.
Cool video Phil. Thanks for sharing this experience with us all. Enjoy your silver Squire Strat !
I was wondering this same question a while ago. I'm glad someone else spent the money to find out! Thank you, Mr. McKnight!
Didn't even know this was an option
You look like your having more fun playing that Squire than some of the other high end reviews!
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?????
I have been curious about this exact topic. Thanks for doing that, and the way you did it, Phil.
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 got my 60's Vintera Plekk'd, it really took the guitar up a level in playability.
This was a real, worth while video, great perspective. Thanks for sharing this with us!🎧🎸
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 own a Squier Classic Vibes Telecaster that is Plek’d. It is my favorite guitar. Plays great.
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.
Gorgeous!! Frets were shining bright!
Great video case study man! This was exactly what I was wondering about and you nailed it...
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
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!
Lmao you got me with that first glass smashing effect 😂😂😂
Great video Phillip. Always interesting and relevant stuff on your channel. You give fellow musicians: honest & unbiased information, which helps tremendously with purchasing decisions. Stay Safe brother. oNe LovE from NYC
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 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.
Always great advice. Greatly appreciate your show
This is why I love your channel.
“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.
@@budgetguitaristcom 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
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 idea Phillip. Enjoyed it a lot. Thanks!
Excellent information Philip, I learned a lot! A great video dude, you’re a pro, thank you!
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
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!
Wow that sounds so good and I love the silver color.
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.
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.
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.
Great Idea and I'm glad you did this to show us. Thanks
Phillip, cool video! This was on my bucket list! Of the many I have, my #2 is a MiM strat that I've played for 25 years, Love it! And have no plans to get rid of it. I've been back on forth on the idea of having it plek'd. Gonna have it done based on your insight! Thanks!!!
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.
It's actually a good idea... for most cheaper guitars the neck is the bottle neck. If it's set up and the frets are levelled and polished the instrument is on a whole new level
Great video, after owning many guitars the most important thing feel-wise is the neck and the fretjob. It makes a huge difference to choose the right neck size too, you can handicap yourself from the get go if you buy something not suited to your hand size.
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!
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 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
Very cool (and helpful) review! Thank you! 😊
About 3 years ago I decided to get the Plek service when I bought a new Charvel from Sweetwater and it was so nice that now I have it done on every new guitar I get. IMHO it is worth every penny! I absolutely would recommend it to everyone! And my tech always asks me exactly how I want it set up.
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
Breaking all kinds of stuff Phil 🤣
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!!!
Good suggestions at the end for a more interactive plek experience.
I’ve had seasoned pros say that the Plek does better than they could ever do....and I’ve had others say otherwise.
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 have been waiting for someone to do this!
Always wondered about these plek machines! Thanks Phil
What about a 250.00 neck upgrade vs the stock neck pleked?
Build a warmoth and send it to be plekd
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.
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
I plek'd my HK Squier, nice result as it was in need of it. It is now up there with my custom guitars..
Is it just me or does it even sound like it plays great?
@@sooparticular why do yall always underestimate squiers? I own 2 squier strats and they are both just as good as a player strat. I actually tried a player strat once and it felt hollow and cheap.
Phillip, Ive got a 1987 D18 Vintage. The strings are high at the 12th. like about 3/16". Is the Plek recommended?
PLEK is always recommended for a lot of reasons. Lowering action on an acoustic is just a matter of sanding and radiusing the bridge saddle. PLEK cuts the nut and evenly levels the frets; checks for deficiencies in the neck and accounts for them in the final setup to an insanely low tolerance level.
Fascinating. Thanks for sharing this info. Appreciate it!
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