I feel like this is the perfect situation for Plek machines. Maybe I'm weird, but if I'm spending $1,000+, I kind of expect this stuff to have been addressed pre-Plek.
Nothing is perfect though. Humans have their limits. Plek machines go beyond human capability, so it's always worth it IMO. Sure, wait until it settles and wears in a bit first, but still.
Maybe not " exactly " but I do think better than we can know without a computer to tell us. If the guitar has stainless steel frets I think it's probably better to use a Plek machine. @@braveheart4603
I’ve had my No. 1 Mongrel Strat Plek’d twice in the past 8 years. The first time it made a huge difference in the playability. Most recently, I had a stainless steel re-fret job done on my Strat and getting it Plek’d was part of the service. It’s never played better. While not a cheap service, definitely worth every dollar.
Hey Phil, recently got my ESP back from being Plek'd. I honestly cannot say enough good things about how the Plek setup is - the guitar now feels like an absolute joy to play, the frets are so insanely smooth and everything just feels effortless now. I was honestly skeptical about how good it could really be, but it absolutely was worth every penny. Will definitely be getting other guitars I own Plek'd when the funds allow.
I got back into guitars in a huge way after over 40 years not even picking one up. My first purchase was a Squire Bullet Stratocaster which needed a fret leveling and dressing job. I ended up purchasing fret dressing tools and following some great You tube videos I did a good job dressing them. Now 2 plus years later I still have the guitar and it still plays great after my work. The fretboard is Indian Laural and it is a fairly open grain wood which needs to be oiled several times a year. I have now noticed the fret ends have opened up a little bit and your sock test is a great way to demonstrate this. You can also use a drying poly cloth and get a similar result. Always enjoy your content. Being a serious woodworker for most of my life, I have built 18 electric guitars over the lasty two years. I use stainless medium Jumbo frets 2.7 mm wide and have gotten very good at leveling, rounding, crowing and polishing the frets. It usually takes me around 2 hours to do the stainless frets as they are much much harder than the copper nickel type and are so smooth to play on. I use your test to see if I did the fret work correctly.
Got my 59 Epiphone Les Paul plek'd. Absolutely incredible instrument now. No reason to be concerned about its longevity with my light touch, the perfection of the board, and the absolute chunk of a neck that guitar has. Nut was lowered, high frets dropped, bridge, pickups and relief adjusted accordingly.
I bought an epiphone dot (335) a couple years ago as a fun project guitar, and had it plek’d in addition to swapping pickups, electronics, and hardware. It’s my best sounding and feeling guitar now.
It's nice that what you say is and ought to be 100% believeable. At the end of the day all wood and materials come from the same planet, just assembled and processed in different locations. I bought a used Yamaha a few weeks ago that rivals my Martin HD-28 in tone but not feel so I believe you about your Epiphone.
I completely agree I got a Korean made Epi Dot from the Samuel factory and had the frets leveled crowned and polished with a full set up. I put a set of 1972 Maxon P..A.F’s ones with the Japanese symbol stamp and 33 engraving ,Beldon etc wiring harness and that’s all. and this guitar easily sits in my top three of my 15+ guitars ranging from $500-$2500 if you put the time inAnd effort it is possible to bring something mediocre up to a ties standard up liability
I found a near-mint well cared for Japanese 1983 Epi Sheraton that's a work of luthier art. But boy did the OEM Maxxon pickups suck, so I swapped them for '57 Classic + HBs. Now it's a luthier work of art that sings and screams like a 335. Never had it plekd tho, closest machine is in Salt Lake City (none in CO).
Great investment on the pleck job. A lot of players will spend $200 or more on an effect pedal, having your guitar properly set up and plecked should be top priority as it will provide instant results, make it play easier, sound better, and it will be easier on your fingers.
I am about to ship out my SGJ to Sweetwater to be plekd and have a few issues fixed as well. This video and reading these comments really helped me know I’m making the right choice, really eases my mind. This is a really special guitar. Thank you, all of you!
After I saw your original video about the pleked Squier I decided to have an Epiphone Les Paul modern I was buying pleked. The guitar came out great. I’ve been really happy with it. No issues at all in the six months I’ve had it. And as usual Sweetwater is fantastic to work with.
Does sweet water supply any type of report following the plek of the instrument? Just wondering if they are able to tell how much certain things were off
@@bushcry1 No idea, I've never handled an actual Gibson. I would imagine it's somewhat closer to a Gibson now, but there are probably plenty of other differences other than the fret work.
I got a Plek'd guitar about 8 months ago and it is truly the first guitar I've ever had that has perfect action with no fret buzz anywhere. I believe in it.
Phil, I always look forward to your content! In my eyes, you've always got valuable information, whether it's a gear review, instructional video, or even the weekly live chats. Thanks!
I only have one guitar, a Squier Bullet Stratocaster, and I used to boo hoo about how I needed a ‘better’ guitar, but couldn’t afford it during the pandemic. So I kept on doing the best I could with what I have, learning how to set it up, changed nearly all the parts with great upgrades, and since have tried other guitars I thought I wanted like the Fender Player for example, but none of them were nearly as good as my Squier-which is only getting better as I continue to modify it bit by bit. So now I’m thinking, it would be worth it to have it plecked. Bought it in a thrift shop for $90, cleaned it up, put about $250 in upgrades into it so far-pickups are next for about $120-so I have a better guitar for $460 than I could have bought for double that. Might as well get it Plecked.
I've done something like this on my last two guitars, bought something in the $1k range and put a couple hundred into the guitar right away including a professional fret level. Can get some excellent results this way!
I got a Affinity Telecaster the first year they came out. As I remember only the intonation needed adjusting and everything else was perfect. I played that guitar to the bone. When I was done with it the frets were so flat and thin it was like a fretless. It actually was a great guitar, but I have a lot more money now for higher end stuff. Don’t knock a Affinity is my point!
Thx Phil, I live in the Pacific NW. I’m going to buy a classic vibe tele butterscotch from Sweetwater when they return to stock and I was seriously considering doing the plex to it. Perfect timing. Best guitar channel hands down, Cheers 🍻
you can buy mine...got mine from sweetwater this year along with the new thermometer case. had a local luthier do a full set-up with a new bone nut. never even played it yet. (i have bad arthritis and am selling all my guitars)
My Plek'd G&L Legacy became my number one within days of me buying it. It simply plays better than any S-Type I've ever had. While not done by Sweetwater it has me sold on the idea.
I know if you buy a car you would not expect a dealer to sell a new car without it bein tuned up from the factory. I feel guitars, especially at $1,000 and up should also be fully set up when you get them. The guitar when it arrives should be ready to play or gig with right out of the box. I do understand that some people prefer the strings to be different heights but frets and intonation should be spot on. Just my opinion.
after watching your first plek vid, i have had 3 sweetwater guitars pleked. it is a epic system. a player plus strat for the wife, a JS2410, and a ltd arrow 1000. all were good before, but now are great. worth every penny.
Glad I saw this video. I was considering sending my Players Series Telecaster in which I replaced the Maple with a Pao Ferro neck, to Sweetwater for a Plek. Now I will definitely send it in. Thanks Phil
Love your videos! Saw the plek'd video too. Most of all, wish Fender/Squire still made that silver color because I would buy it in two seconds. Also love how you show which pickups you are using with the diagram. That's a big help. Very thoughtful.
I bought a Squire Classic Vibe Strat over 6 years ago. I have used it on gigs over the past six years, indoors and outdoors and it held up fantastic and I’m still using it. I also own over 218 guitars many high end and my Squire Strat keeps up with the best of them!
We had a whole bunch of usa strats come into a local music store a number of years back and all the rosewood boarded ones had horrendous fret sprout. I really don't think wood shrinkage is a squire thing lol.
Recently bought a Fender product made on this side of the ocean and it needed the fret ends done right off the 'shelf', it was new old stock and the store took care of it (for free of course) and did a great job. Plays like a dream and stays in tune perfectly using the bar. No leveling was needed, low action plays clean.
I sent back a 2020 Fender Player Strat to sweet water months after getting it due to fret issues that weren’t caught in their 55 point inspection. The 2021 they sent out to replace it had much nicer frets
My Plek'd Epiphone Riviera P93 from Sweetwater is 3 years old now, still plays beautifully! Go the extra mile and have a new bone nut installed when Pleking and it will be as good as it will ever be.
Pleking a Squier is one of the most brilliant ideas man has had yet. Seriously, it's like "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth" good.
Thanks Phil! :) Makes me want to plek everything I buy!!!! When you consider a basic setup would cost between $50-$100, doubling the price for rock solid setup and then a hand touch up before it gets to you, $200 is not unreasonable!
My first guitar was a ‘95 Squire. It still plays great. Has never had a refret. Rarely needs work done. The only thing I ever did was upgrade the pickups. They hold up as well as you hold them up.
My '89 Squier neck is now on a new body and EMG DG pup system. The old body was shitey plywood, with the bridge in the wrong position. Now it's a top-class guitar. OK, only the neck survived (not the tuners). Oddly, the Korean original had a gen-up Fender bridge/trem, with a decent block.
I commented this on your original video, I had my gretsch pro-jet electromatic plek'd when I bought it. Had the guitar 3 years, still holds tune magnificently, even with a bigsby, and the frets are still amazing.
I bought a used Agile AL-3100 (LP-alike) with a Floyd for $200 a few years ago. Finally got around to having its frets superglued and a PLEK setup done by a well-known Berkeley (used to be SF) tech. $315 for the work. The result is an amazing-playing guitar.
I bought a strat copy off Reverb that had been Plek'd 6 or 7 years ago. I haven't had it it set up since then and it still plays perfectly. I highly recommend the PLEK process.
What a great channel, man. Thank you for your insight and thoughts. I thought of plek-ing as something you'd only do on a really expensive guitars but it makes TOTAL sense to do it on a cheap guitar, to make it play like a million bucks.
I'm a bedroom player that loves Squier guitars. Have a 2020 Contemporary Telecaster that has an amazing roasted maple neck, 2019 Bullet Mustang, 2012 SE strat and a 2007 VM strat. They are all great guitars that stay in the rotation. Have one Ibanez guitar. An RG that gets played every day. Even when my excellent Mexican strat or Yamaha RevStar are in the rotation I still reach for my Ibanez first. There's something about that wizard III neck and light weight hog body that makes it perfect for me. It's 6 lbs. 3 oz of pure tone.
plek`d a 79 LP custom about 10 ys ago in Berlin. that was one of the best investments (!). i remember any buzz or ringing was instantly gone and the guitar played itself very easy. Really can recommend doing a plek job, spare the next fx/amp-gas-money and try it!
I tried a few Vintera Strats in stores and were not happy with the frets. One store here in Australia offers a plek for free with every guitar sold. I took a gamble and it paid off the guitar is set up beautifully and the frets feel amazing. No sharp ends, nice low action. Very happy with the results.
I prefer low action from 1.1~1.25mm "e to e" at the 12th fret and when I bought my Music Man Cutlass from Sweetwater I got it Plek'd and it is perfection. Stainless steel frets and roasted tiger-striped maple neck I figure it will be good for the rest of my lifetime with minor truss-rod adjustments. I feel any guitar with S/S frets should be plek'd because they last forever.
My guitar sucked! Had tons of fret buzz, you'd bend on the higher frets and it would just die. Had it plek'd today and it's now amazing. Every note is perfect, bends great feels amazing, perfect action and intonation. Perfect from the nut through 22nd fret. Thanks 13th street guitars in Huntington Beach, California. You guys rule!
I got 2 guitars plek'd by sweetwater a MIM Martin i bought new from them and a Godin Baritone I sent to them. The Martin came out great no complaints. My Godin was sadly pretty meh. It was buzzy when i sent it in and it was only a bit less buzzy when i got it back. My local guitar shop will do a custom bone nut, saddle, fret level, and setup for about $250 and I can take it in for free adjustments to really dial it in if needed.
I got a 2015 Gibson LP Traditional, that was plekd before shipping to me. I got the guitar four years ago and the setup is still amazing. If I could afford it, I would no doubt plek each and every guitar I own.
i have the affinity series strat as well. i was blown away at how nice the fretboard was for a $230 guitar out of the box, also greetings from AZ as well!
agreed! Thanks to Phil's guidance I got the same to upgrade ("sharpen") and distract me from the election noise (didn't take long enough...) Frets did not need much work... Basically removed all the hardware and dropped in a very nice HHS "loaded pickguard" - vintage pearloid with cool pups, push/pull pots for coil splitting and "Gilmour mod" switch (allows bridge and neck pups on simultaneously); big brass block aftermarket trem bridge, Tusq XL nut and string trees and locking Fender logo tuners. Really, relatively little effort on my part. Love the satin finish neck. Full setup by me (low action with no buzz) and it looks, plays and sounds like a dream - total sting: LESS THAN $500
I owned a Squier Affinity Strat for about 10 years and it was an absolute player. They're even better now that they've been upgraded from the factory. I currently have Affinity Telecaster Deluxe and that too is a player. Although I think Squier Bullets are a step above junk, Affinity and up are solid guitars (especially so on Classic Vibe models) thanks for the awesome video, Phil!
I was very interested to see how well the Plek job did with your cheap guitar over time. The fact that it has lasted well confirms to me that, for many players, a guitar with a proper fret job and setup can go a long way toward being exactly what the player needs. Having done several fret jobs and setups myself, I will state my belief that your Squier experienced an increase in sustain, without needing an improved bridge being installed. While the other setup details remain important, the condition of the frets is somewhat more important than many people might think. Thanks for this video, Phillip!😎❤️️🎸‼️
Hey Phillip. I know this is an old post not sure if you’ll see this but I recently bought a Kramer SM1H from Sweetwater and I had it Pleked. My sales engineer spent a while with me asking all sorts of questions about playing style, how I want the action, tuning preference, etc. I’m wondering if that was in part to your suggestions from the part 1 video you made about paying to have the guitar Pleked. I was a little on the fence about doing because for all I knew not having played the guitar yet it could have been pretty good even without the Plek. But I figured I’d go for it anyway and I have to say it plays great. The frets feel perfect. No buzzing or high spots. It feels as perfect as it could be. So I guess it was worth it. Thanks for doing this video. I love Sweetwater. I’ve been a long time customer and purchase most of my gear from them.
I usually buy an entry level Yamaha straight from the shop if I need something affordable and set up nicely at the factory. But if the service works for you why not.
I bought an Affinity tele 3 yrs ago. It has a lot of use at home and in performance.I have many “better “ guitars.Never had it “plucked.” Never a problem.No fret sprout ,nothing!It does as well as yours on the “sock test.”Many players have commented to me about how good it sounds and plays through different quality amps.Some claim I have “secretly” upgraded it.Which is NOT the case.
I actually like the sock test. I can feel when frets sort of cut into my hand but i will just adjust my technique to avoid the scrapping feeling, mostly without even thinking it. So if i give my review i might say it isnt that bad and then someone plays it and its terrible for them. The sock test gives a visual reference of the severity and people can consider if they are ok with the amount or not. Visual references will always be better than subjective/opinion references.
Making this video and the previous one was a great idea. I also came to the conclusion recently that a great setup makes a great guitar as far as playability is concerned and if it is pleked, it's even better. On top of that, if you have stainless steel frets, your excellent setup will last (almost) forever, if you treat the instrument properly and keep it in a humidity controlled environment.
Thanks for this video. I've been considering getting a Squire Affinity Jazzmaster from Sweetwater. My rep suggested the Plek service. It sounds like a good idea but it would add more to my budget for the purchase. After watching your video, it seems like it is worth the cost and benefit in terms of the playability of the guitar.
Great video I just ordered a Fender Squire Afinity Telecaster. Im have the frets Pleked and im haveing a bone nut installed too. I can’t wait to get it to see how the pickups work on the guitar. I might swap those out also. Thank you for the cool demonstration!
only thing i think the squiers need is a full size tremolo block for sustain , i also put a little hotter pickups in em but the stock ones are fine , be interested in how it compares to a non plek'd squier , i got one about a month ago new [have bought/owned many used ones] the frets and action were great , the only thing i could ding it was the frets needed played in they were a little gritty but that ain't no big deal ...
I bought a squier affinity strat here in Australia from a guitar shop for $320. The store offered a full setup and PLEK service with every guitar sold free of charge. That squier had the best playing neck and playing it next to a fender player series at the time ($900 AUD) I preferred the affinity and sent the fender back. I regret selling this affinity later on cause I thought I was upgrading to the classic vibe but unfortunately I got a bad one and had to return it.
I have a 2019 Players Series strat bought and Plek'd at Sweetwater. Plays like a dream. Smooth as butter. My only negative, the edges of the fretboard are not rolled.
Do they not replace the nut when pleking? Sweetwater has a note about being required to buy a new nut if I recall. Honestly though, I feel like the plek machine should be standard equipment in all guitar factories. They should plek all instruments and have another automated machine that polishes the rounds the frets after, with hand polishing done on the higher end models. It’s so easy and honestly stupid not to.
@@kilgoretrout321 I learned how to do mine too. But guess what would be awesome? An automated process that takes little time which perfectly does it for you. Oh wait they have that already. It’s what we are talking about. Lol
I had both my Epiphone SG 310 and Epiphone Les Paul Studio Plek'd about a year ago. Best thing I ever did....these guitar now play like guitars triple their retail price.
I also live in the desrt im also at like 45 hundred feet. I only had shrinkage issues with guitars built in the second year of the pandemic. However if i take a guitar to my parents place 1000 feet higher it hurts them. I take some guitars to my local shop n have my frets done not with a machine but leveled well rolled frets make a big difference
Damn, I'm about to get a plek'd squier. Looks nice, sounds good, and the price is right. In fact, I bought a Squier Jazzmaster about 4-6 months ago and I wish I had seen your video because I had never even heard of the plek process and I definitely would have had it done had I known about it. Don't feel dumb about the stocking. It is a great way to test the roughness of the frets that I never would have come up with. Great video.
I have 2 Squier Classic Vibe 50s, one a Telecaster and a Strat. Both are excellent and I'd put them against any American made Fender. I have just orderd a Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar that should be here shortly and can't wait. The Classic Vibes are the Squier top of the line for what that's worth but still in the $460 range.
I think we can all agree that this PLEK experiment was a success! I’m happy to hear that Sweetwater had an increase in PLEK orders! With so many voices out there screaming at us about the next new gadget or must do methods it’s good to find some solid footing on what really makes a difference! For me the neck to the body fit, the fret evenness and playability are paramount! What excites me is being able to order a guitar with stainless steel frets and having it PLEKed! That would be a great investment!
I recently had a poor playing Squier Tele Deluxe (FSR) Plek'd after have a new bone nut cut for it. What a big difference!! Although the paperwork for the PLEK showed it wasn't horrible to begin with, the improvement feels like a big leap forward. If my local shop wasn't so dang slow at getting the work done (6 weeks), I'd have all mine PLEK'd especially my "affordable" Squiers that didn't get lots of attention when being manufactured. Big PLEK fan here. Also, your playing is also really good.
My Suhr Modern Satin, Gibson SG and Friedman Vintage T all came Plek'd and they're terrific. I also have a lot of guitars that aren't Plek'd that are on par with them so I really don't know that I can tell a difference. Maybe if I had a great guitar with a neck issue I would get it done but I don't know that I'd pay extra for a new guitar just because it's Plek'd.
i have a couple reverends that are plek'd and they play fantastically. i wish there was still a shop near where i live that has a plek machine. well, worth it.
Don't feel stupid, the sock test is amazing! Actually gives a visual to something everyone understands the concept of
Yup. Was gonna say something similar. The sock rocks.
I can never see it properly, That's my old critique
I can relate wearing pantyhose on a wood floor
I agree 100%. I think it is a perfect illustration on how well the frets are polished.
@Yea Eva 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I feel like this is the perfect situation for Plek machines. Maybe I'm weird, but if I'm spending $1,000+, I kind of expect this stuff to have been addressed pre-Plek.
Nothing is perfect though. Humans have their limits. Plek machines go beyond human capability, so it's always worth it IMO. Sure, wait until it settles and wears in a bit first, but still.
@@MFKitten a decent luthier will give you the exact same level of work.
@@braveheart4603 I would say a half decent luthier or tech could do a reasonable job. Heck they could likely get it lower action as well so I agree!
Maybe not " exactly " but I do think better than we can know without a computer to tell us. If the guitar has stainless steel frets I think it's probably better to use a Plek machine. @@braveheart4603
@@braveheart4603 BS...
The amount of dedication to dump 6 months and dozens of hours for 7.5 min of content... Respect!
all about the monetization, bro
I’ve had my No. 1 Mongrel Strat Plek’d twice in the past 8 years. The first time it made a huge difference in the playability. Most recently, I had a stainless steel re-fret job done on my Strat and getting it Plek’d was part of the service. It’s never played better. While not a cheap service, definitely worth every dollar.
The glove test you're using elevates these demo/review vids from sujective opinions to incontrovertible fact.
a very important differentiation to make in this world, I say
Hey Phil, recently got my ESP back from being Plek'd. I honestly cannot say enough good things about how the Plek setup is - the guitar now feels like an absolute joy to play, the frets are so insanely smooth and everything just feels effortless now. I was honestly skeptical about how good it could really be, but it absolutely was worth every penny. Will definitely be getting other guitars I own Plek'd when the funds allow.
Bought a plek’d classic vibe esquire from Sweetwater. It’s so so good. Set up perfect. Cant recommend it enough.
I got back into guitars in a huge way after over 40 years not even picking one up. My first purchase was a Squire Bullet Stratocaster which needed a fret leveling and dressing job. I ended up purchasing fret dressing tools and following some great You tube videos I did a good job dressing them. Now 2 plus years later I still have the guitar and it still plays great after my work. The fretboard is Indian Laural and it is a fairly open grain wood which needs to be oiled several times a year. I have now noticed the fret ends have opened up a little bit and your sock test is a great way to demonstrate this. You can also use a drying poly cloth and get a similar result. Always enjoy your content. Being a serious woodworker for most of my life, I have built 18 electric guitars over the lasty two years. I use stainless medium Jumbo frets 2.7 mm wide and have gotten very good at leveling, rounding, crowing and polishing the frets. It usually takes me around 2 hours to do the stainless frets as they are much much harder than the copper nickel type and are so smooth to play on. I use your test to see if I did the fret work correctly.
Got my 59 Epiphone Les Paul plek'd. Absolutely incredible instrument now. No reason to be concerned about its longevity with my light touch, the perfection of the board, and the absolute chunk of a neck that guitar has. Nut was lowered, high frets dropped, bridge, pickups and relief adjusted accordingly.
Got 3 Plek’d guitars and they’re all Great and have been for ages ….Love the Plek system
Phil slowly walks out of the room as his wife asks, where are all my nylon stockings?
Hahahahahaha
@@0000song0000 In person is what would make it fun :)
Looks like a try-on sock from a shoe store.
You're assuming that they are his wife's.
@@NoWay1969😂😂 they actually belong to Phil
I bought an epiphone dot (335) a couple years ago as a fun project guitar, and had it plek’d in addition to swapping pickups, electronics, and hardware. It’s my best sounding and feeling guitar now.
It's nice that what you say is and ought to be 100% believeable. At the end of the day all wood and materials come from the same planet, just assembled and processed in different locations. I bought a used Yamaha a few weeks ago that rivals my Martin HD-28 in tone but not feel so I believe you about your Epiphone.
I completely agree I got a Korean made Epi Dot from the Samuel factory and had the frets leveled crowned and polished with a full set up. I put a set of 1972 Maxon P..A.F’s ones with the Japanese symbol stamp and 33 engraving ,Beldon etc wiring harness and that’s all. and this guitar easily sits in my top three of my 15+ guitars ranging from $500-$2500 if you put the time inAnd effort it is possible to bring something mediocre up to a ties standard up liability
I’ve got a blonde dot delux I paid $100 for. I leveled the frets etc and it’s great.
I found a near-mint well cared for Japanese 1983 Epi Sheraton that's a work of luthier art. But boy did the OEM Maxxon pickups suck, so I swapped them for '57 Classic + HBs. Now it's a luthier work of art that sings and screams like a 335. Never had it plekd tho, closest machine is in Salt Lake City (none in CO).
The Sock of Fretfulness is an excellent way of communicating how smooth the frets feel to people watching. Another informative follow up. Thaks!
Great investment on the pleck job. A lot of players will spend $200 or more on an effect pedal, having your guitar properly set up and plecked should be top priority as it will provide instant results, make it play easier, sound better, and it will be easier on your fingers.
It's Plek not "pleck"
I'm actually shocked at how well that guitar sounds. Amazing imo. Nice playing too.
The Squire PUs aren't bad at all!
Amplifier.
I am about to ship out my SGJ to Sweetwater to be plekd and have a few issues fixed as well. This video and reading these comments really helped me know I’m making the right choice, really eases my mind. This is a really special guitar. Thank you, all of you!
After I saw your original video about the pleked Squier I decided to have an Epiphone Les Paul modern I was buying pleked. The guitar came out great. I’ve been really happy with it. No issues at all in the six months I’ve had it. And as usual Sweetwater is fantastic to work with.
Would you compare it to a Gibson now?
Does sweet water supply any type of report following the plek of the instrument? Just wondering if they are able to tell how much certain things were off
@@BCarpenter2314 No they didn't. That would have been nice to get.
@@bushcry1 No idea, I've never handled an actual Gibson. I would imagine it's somewhat closer to a Gibson now, but there are probably plenty of other differences other than the fret work.
I got a Plek'd guitar about 8 months ago and it is truly the first guitar I've ever had that has perfect action with no fret buzz anywhere. I believe in it.
Phil, I always look forward to your content! In my eyes, you've always got valuable information, whether it's a gear review, instructional video, or even the weekly live chats. Thanks!
Awe yeah man, This channel is really maturing and killin it!
I only have one guitar, a Squier Bullet Stratocaster, and I used to boo hoo about how I needed a ‘better’ guitar, but couldn’t afford it during the pandemic. So I kept on doing the best I could with what I have, learning how to set it up, changed nearly all the parts with great upgrades, and since have tried other guitars I thought I wanted like the Fender Player for example, but none of them were nearly as good as my Squier-which is only getting better as I continue to modify it bit by bit.
So now I’m thinking, it would be worth it to have it plecked. Bought it in a thrift shop for $90, cleaned it up, put about $250 in upgrades into it so far-pickups are next for about $120-so I have a better guitar for $460 than I could have bought for double that. Might as well get it Plecked.
What a cool story! Thanks for sharing, man! :)
Did you get it plecked? How did it go? I’m thinking about gifting this service to a teen that loves their Squier PJ bass and declined to upgrade it.
My Lakland DJ Skyline series 5 string is Plek’d and setup in Chicago, the rest happens overseas. Played great right out of the box.
I've done something like this on my last two guitars, bought something in the $1k range and put a couple hundred into the guitar right away including a professional fret level. Can get some excellent results this way!
I got a Affinity Telecaster the first year they came out. As I remember only the intonation needed adjusting and everything else was perfect. I played that guitar to the bone. When I was done with it the frets were so flat and thin it was like a fretless. It actually was a great guitar, but I have a lot more money now for higher end stuff. Don’t knock a Affinity is my point!
Thx Phil,
I live in the Pacific NW.
I’m going to buy a classic vibe tele butterscotch from Sweetwater when they return to stock and I was seriously considering doing the plex to it.
Perfect timing.
Best guitar channel hands down,
Cheers 🍻
are you melting yet... lol.
you can buy mine...got mine from sweetwater this year along with the new thermometer case. had a local luthier do a full set-up with a new bone nut. never even played it yet. (i have bad arthritis and am selling all my guitars)
@@teslapete4461 Where are you located?
@@mykneeshurt8393 i'm in columbus ohio, but willing to ship in the lower 48. contact me through my main page. thx!
@@teslapete4461 How much ?
My Plek'd G&L Legacy became my number one within days of me buying it. It simply plays better than any S-Type I've ever had. While not done by Sweetwater it has me sold on the idea.
The sock test is awesome, simple effective and it shows honesty to the viewer, roll with it 👍
I know if you buy a car you would not expect a dealer to sell a new car without it bein tuned up from the factory. I feel guitars, especially at $1,000 and up should also be fully set up when you get them. The guitar when it arrives should be ready to play or gig with right out of the box. I do understand that some people prefer the strings to be different heights but frets and intonation should be spot on. Just my opinion.
after watching your first plek vid, i have had 3 sweetwater guitars pleked. it is a epic system. a player plus strat for the wife, a JS2410, and a ltd arrow 1000. all were good before, but now are great. worth every penny.
Glad I saw this video. I was considering sending my Players Series Telecaster in which I replaced the Maple with a Pao Ferro neck, to Sweetwater for a Plek. Now I will definitely send it in.
Thanks Phil
Love your videos! Saw the plek'd video too. Most of all, wish Fender/Squire still made that silver color because I would buy it in two seconds. Also love how you show which pickups you are using with the diagram. That's a big help. Very thoughtful.
What silver is that?
I bought a Squire Classic Vibe Strat over 6 years ago. I have used it on gigs over the past six years, indoors and outdoors and it held up fantastic and I’m still using it. I also own over 218 guitars many high end and my Squire Strat keeps up with the best of them!
Wait - can we talk for a minute about how good your playing sounds? Chops are on point!
That's what's so crazy about Phil... he shows up to review gear and teach us how to maintain guitar, and then he plays and it's like damn...
We had a whole bunch of usa strats come into a local music store a number of years back and all the rosewood boarded ones had horrendous fret sprout. I really don't think wood shrinkage is a squire thing lol.
It can happen to 2k guitars. Happened to me
It's not squier thing. It's wood thing
Recently bought a Fender product made on this side of the ocean and it needed the fret ends done right off the 'shelf', it was new old stock and the store took care of it (for free of course) and did a great job. Plays like a dream and stays in tune perfectly using the bar. No leveling was needed, low action plays clean.
I'll never forget the pic I saw of a US LP with a fret sticking out at least a half inch past the fretboard.
I sent back a 2020 Fender Player Strat to sweet water months after getting it due to fret issues that weren’t caught in their 55 point inspection. The 2021 they sent out to replace it had much nicer frets
My Plek'd Epiphone Riviera P93 from Sweetwater is 3 years old now, still plays beautifully! Go the extra mile and have a new bone nut installed when Pleking and it will be as good as it will ever be.
Pleking a Squier is one of the most brilliant ideas man has had yet. Seriously, it's like "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth" good.
Would that even be possible?
200 dollars in work for a 200 dollar guitar... Hmmm
@@beefnacos6258 I can put £100 of dark rum into a £1 glass. Maybe not all at once, though, but it does make me happy.
Just got my kit guitar plek'd; night and day difference. Highly recommended!
Thanks Phil!
:)
Makes me want to plek everything I buy!!!!
When you consider a basic setup would cost between $50-$100, doubling the price for rock solid setup and then a hand touch up before it gets to you, $200 is not unreasonable!
Always a gentleman. Thanks so much. Good luck to you and your family with this heat wave. Be safe.
I got my 59 reissue Epiphone lp plekked, fantastic results
I did not know about this video before ordering a classic vibe 60s strat, plekked, from SW.
It has been a fantastic guitar so far.
My first guitar was a ‘95 Squire. It still plays great. Has never had a refret. Rarely needs work done. The only thing I ever did was upgrade the pickups. They hold up as well as you hold them up.
My '89 Squier neck is now on a new body and EMG DG pup system. The old body was shitey plywood, with the bridge in the wrong position. Now it's a top-class guitar. OK, only the neck survived (not the tuners). Oddly, the Korean original had a gen-up Fender bridge/trem, with a decent block.
Had my '98 LP Standard PLEK'd 18 months ago and it's still perfect.
I commented this on your original video, I had my gretsch pro-jet electromatic plek'd when I bought it. Had the guitar 3 years, still holds tune magnificently, even with a bigsby, and the frets are still amazing.
I bought a used Agile AL-3100 (LP-alike) with a Floyd for $200 a few years ago. Finally got around to having its frets superglued and a PLEK setup done by a well-known Berkeley (used to be SF) tech. $315 for the work. The result is an amazing-playing guitar.
The sock test is brilliant. Another excellent video - thanks, Phil!
I bought a strat copy off Reverb that had been Plek'd 6 or 7 years ago. I haven't had it it set up since then and it still plays perfectly. I highly recommend the PLEK process.
Hey Phil! Appreciate your insight. Great channel!!
What a great channel, man. Thank you for your insight and thoughts. I thought of plek-ing as something you'd only do on a really expensive guitars but it makes TOTAL sense to do it on a cheap guitar, to make it play like a million bucks.
I'm a bedroom player that loves Squier guitars. Have a 2020 Contemporary Telecaster that has an amazing roasted maple neck, 2019 Bullet Mustang, 2012 SE strat and a 2007 VM strat. They are all great guitars that stay in the rotation. Have one Ibanez guitar. An RG that gets played every day. Even when my excellent Mexican strat or Yamaha RevStar are in the rotation I still reach for my Ibanez first. There's something about that wizard III neck and light weight hog body that makes it perfect for me. It's 6 lbs. 3 oz of pure tone.
plek`d a 79 LP custom about 10 ys ago in Berlin. that was one of the best investments (!). i remember any buzz or ringing was instantly gone and the guitar played itself very easy. Really can recommend doing a plek job, spare the next fx/amp-gas-money and try it!
😆 the sock test was great! It incidentally made you still give it 5 stars even though you wanted to give it 4, the sock made you give it 5!
I tried a few Vintera Strats in stores and were not happy with the frets. One store here in Australia offers a plek for free with every guitar sold. I took a gamble and it paid off the guitar is set up beautifully and the frets feel amazing. No sharp ends, nice low action. Very happy with the results.
My 2014 is INCREDIBLE! Its neck is so damn smooth it's crazy. Original everything and the tuning stability is just as good as my Players Strat.
I got my Epiphone prophecy plek'd a month or 2 ago and it's been fantastic. I'll be getting all my keeper guitars plek'd.
I prefer low action from 1.1~1.25mm "e to e" at the 12th fret and when I bought my Music Man Cutlass from Sweetwater I got it Plek'd and it is perfection. Stainless steel frets and roasted tiger-striped maple neck I figure it will be good for the rest of my lifetime with minor truss-rod adjustments. I feel any guitar with S/S frets should be plek'd because they last forever.
Did Sweetwater have an upcharge for stainless steel frets Plek'd?
I've pleked my 1973 Strat and my 1974 Les Paul, and they also got new medium jumbo stailessteel frets, they play great.... more than great!
My guitar sucked! Had tons of fret buzz, you'd bend on the higher frets and it would just die. Had it plek'd today and it's now amazing. Every note is perfect, bends great feels amazing, perfect action and intonation. Perfect from the nut through 22nd fret.
Thanks 13th street guitars in Huntington Beach, California. You guys rule!
I got 2 guitars plek'd by sweetwater a MIM Martin i bought new from them and a Godin Baritone I sent to them. The Martin came out great no complaints. My Godin was sadly pretty meh. It was buzzy when i sent it in and it was only a bit less buzzy when i got it back. My local guitar shop will do a custom bone nut, saddle, fret level, and setup for about $250 and I can take it in for free adjustments to really dial it in if needed.
I got a 2015 Gibson LP Traditional, that was plekd before shipping to me. I got the guitar four years ago and the setup is still amazing. If I could afford it, I would no doubt plek each and every guitar I own.
i have the affinity series strat as well. i was blown away at how nice the fretboard was for a $230 guitar out of the box, also greetings from AZ as well!
agreed! Thanks to Phil's guidance I got the same to upgrade ("sharpen") and distract me from the election noise (didn't take long enough...) Frets did not need much work... Basically removed all the hardware and dropped in a very nice HHS "loaded pickguard" - vintage pearloid with cool pups, push/pull pots for coil splitting and "Gilmour mod" switch (allows bridge and neck pups on simultaneously); big brass block aftermarket trem bridge, Tusq XL nut and string trees and locking Fender logo tuners. Really, relatively little effort on my part. Love the satin finish neck. Full setup by me (low action with no buzz) and it looks, plays and sounds like a dream - total sting: LESS THAN $500
I had a 2020 Epiphone Modern LP PLEK’d in November of last year so far it has been great, none of the issues Epiphone necks are known for
I owned a Squier Affinity Strat for about 10 years and it was an absolute player. They're even better now that they've been upgraded from the factory. I currently have Affinity Telecaster Deluxe and that too is a player. Although I think Squier Bullets are a step above junk, Affinity and up are solid guitars (especially so on Classic Vibe models) thanks for the awesome video, Phil!
I was very interested to see how well the Plek job did with your cheap guitar over time. The fact that it has lasted well confirms to me that, for many players, a guitar with a proper fret job and setup can go a long way toward being exactly what the player needs. Having done several fret jobs and setups myself, I will state my belief that your Squier experienced an increase in sustain, without needing an improved bridge being installed. While the other setup details remain important, the condition of the frets is somewhat more important than many people might think. Thanks for this video, Phillip!😎❤️️🎸‼️
I had a prs 2408 se pleked by Sweetwater and it plays as well as my lpb7 less paul. I will definitely be doing it again.
Hey Phillip. I know this is an old post not sure if you’ll see this but I recently bought a Kramer SM1H from Sweetwater and I had it Pleked. My sales engineer spent a while with me asking all sorts of questions about playing style, how I want the action, tuning preference, etc. I’m wondering if that was in part to your suggestions from the part 1 video you made about paying to have the guitar Pleked. I was a little on the fence about doing because for all I knew not having played the guitar yet it could have been pretty good even without the Plek. But I figured I’d go for it anyway and I have to say it plays great. The frets feel perfect. No buzzing or high spots. It feels as perfect as it could be. So I guess it was worth it. Thanks for doing this video. I love Sweetwater. I’ve been a long time customer and purchase most of my gear from them.
My step Dad had his Professional II strat pek'd at sweetwater. He says the guitar is perfect so I guess it was a success.
I think I saw you and your dad in a video somewhere... Pleking
And it SOUNDS great to me, through over ear headphones. Great information, thanks!
I plekked several basses and do confirm the positive sides of plekking. It is not cheap, right, but for my it pays off in many ways!
I usually buy an entry level Yamaha straight from the shop if I need something affordable and set up nicely at the factory. But if the service works for you why not.
I've had a couple of my instruments Plek'd. Excellent results. My factory Fender bass played like crap off the dealer's wall... Plek sorted that out.
I am thinking of Grabbing a new Fender Player Strat... I'm going to get it run through the Plek process also.
I bought an Affinity tele 3 yrs ago. It has a lot of use at home and in performance.I have many “better “ guitars.Never had it “plucked.” Never a problem.No fret sprout ,nothing!It does as well as yours on the “sock test.”Many players have commented to me about how good it sounds and plays through different quality amps.Some claim I have “secretly” upgraded it.Which is NOT the case.
Hey thanks for the shoutout Phil! Love the channel as always
Thank you Brett.
I’ve been holding out for a local shop to get a plek system. The nearest plek to me is about 3.5 hours away.
Simple great video on a very valued question for the quest of greatness at every level of wealth
I actually like the sock test. I can feel when frets sort of cut into my hand but i will just adjust my technique to avoid the scrapping feeling, mostly without even thinking it. So if i give my review i might say it isnt that bad and then someone plays it and its terrible for them. The sock test gives a visual reference of the severity and people can consider if they are ok with the amount or not. Visual references will always be better than subjective/opinion references.
Making this video and the previous one was a great idea. I also came to the conclusion recently that a great setup makes a great guitar as far as playability is concerned and if it is pleked, it's even better. On top of that, if you have stainless steel frets, your excellent setup will last (almost) forever, if you treat the instrument properly and keep it in a humidity controlled environment.
I plek'd my Squier CV 60s Stratocaster and It's the best guitar I ever played. Reminds me a lot of Japanese made Squiers from the early 80s
Thanks for this video. I've been considering getting a Squire Affinity Jazzmaster from Sweetwater. My rep suggested the Plek service. It sounds like a good idea but it would add more to my budget for the purchase. After watching your video, it seems like it is worth the cost and benefit in terms of the playability of the guitar.
Great video I just ordered a Fender Squire Afinity Telecaster. Im have the frets Pleked and im haveing a bone nut installed too. I can’t wait to get it to see how the pickups work on the guitar. I might swap those out also. Thank you for the cool demonstration!
only thing i think the squiers need is a full size tremolo block for sustain , i also put a little hotter pickups in em but the stock ones are fine , be interested in how it compares to a non plek'd squier , i got one about a month ago new [have bought/owned many used ones] the frets and action were great , the only thing i could ding it was the frets needed played in they were a little gritty but that ain't no big deal ...
I bought a squier affinity strat here in Australia from a guitar shop for $320. The store offered a full setup and PLEK service with every guitar sold free of charge. That squier had the best playing neck and playing it next to a fender player series at the time ($900 AUD) I preferred the affinity and sent the fender back. I regret selling this affinity later on cause I thought I was upgrading to the classic vibe but unfortunately I got a bad one and had to return it.
I loved the original video and it inspired me to have a Classic Vibe plek'd. My CV was great right up until I sold it.
I have a 2019 Players Series strat bought and Plek'd at Sweetwater. Plays like a dream. Smooth as butter. My only negative, the edges of the fretboard are not rolled.
Do they not replace the nut when pleking? Sweetwater has a note about being required to buy a new nut if I recall. Honestly though, I feel like the plek machine should be standard equipment in all guitar factories. They should plek all instruments and have another automated machine that polishes the rounds the frets after, with hand polishing done on the higher end models. It’s so easy and honestly stupid not to.
Agreed..
@@kilgoretrout321 I learned how to do mine too. But guess what would be awesome? An automated process that takes little time which perfectly does it for you. Oh wait they have that already. It’s what we are talking about. Lol
YES!!!!! Thank you for this video!!!!! (Right now I'm totally into Squier Strats!)
I had both my Epiphone SG 310 and Epiphone Les Paul Studio Plek'd about a year ago.
Best thing I ever did....these guitar now play like guitars triple their retail price.
Glad to hear that the heat hasn't gotten to it, I myself live in the Mojave area.
Wicked playing, man. Great concept for a video. Really interesting stuff
I also live in the desrt im also at like 45 hundred feet. I only had shrinkage issues with guitars built in the second year of the pandemic. However if i take a guitar to my parents place 1000 feet higher it hurts them. I take some guitars to my local shop n have my frets done not with a machine but leveled well rolled frets make a big difference
Damn, I'm about to get a plek'd squier. Looks nice, sounds good, and the price is right. In fact, I bought a Squier Jazzmaster about 4-6 months ago and I wish I had seen your video because I had never even heard of the plek process and I definitely would have had it done had I known about it. Don't feel dumb about the stocking. It is a great way to test the roughness of the frets that I never would have come up with. Great video.
I have 2 Squier Classic Vibe 50s, one a Telecaster and a Strat. Both are excellent and I'd put them against any American made Fender. I have just orderd a Classic Vibe 70s Jaguar that should be here shortly and can't wait. The Classic Vibes are the Squier top of the line for what that's worth but still in the $460 range.
I think we can all agree that this PLEK experiment was a success! I’m happy to hear that Sweetwater had an increase in PLEK orders! With so many voices out there screaming at us about the next new gadget or must do methods it’s good to find some solid footing on what really makes a difference!
For me the neck to the body fit, the fret evenness and playability are paramount!
What excites me is being able to order a guitar with stainless steel frets and having it PLEKed! That would be a great investment!
I recently had a poor playing Squier Tele Deluxe (FSR) Plek'd after have a new bone nut cut for it. What a big difference!! Although the paperwork for the PLEK showed it wasn't horrible to begin with, the improvement feels like a big leap forward. If my local shop wasn't so dang slow at getting the work done (6 weeks), I'd have all mine PLEK'd especially my "affordable" Squiers that didn't get lots of attention when being manufactured. Big PLEK fan here.
Also, your playing is also really good.
Great video. I’ve always said that a perfectly set up guitar will take you a longgggg way, oppose your just buying expensive gear
My Suhr Modern Satin, Gibson SG and Friedman Vintage T all came Plek'd and they're terrific. I also have a lot of guitars that aren't Plek'd that are on par with them so I really don't know that I can tell a difference. Maybe if I had a great guitar with a neck issue I would get it done but I don't know that I'd pay extra for a new guitar just because it's Plek'd.
Got a Les Paul studio from sweater that was advertised as plecked. Best frets in my collection.
i have a couple reverends that are plek'd and they play fantastically. i wish there was still a shop near where i live that has a plek machine. well, worth it.
Got an Epiphone '59 LP, had it PLEK'ed, basically a Gibson now.