Members Berserker22 Posted July 31, 2007 Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 Looks like a dialysis machine. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted July 31, 2007 Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 All I could find out was the company is A+D Guitarrentechnologie GmbH in Berlin. One site said about 80k USD. Most likely a lot more by the time you got it over, set up and show'en how to operate it. Have to do a lot of guitars to pay it off.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BobbaFret Posted July 31, 2007 Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 In addition to cost, I was also wondering whether the machinery or equipment could be made transportable -- could it be packed into a van or small truck? The idea was to travel to guitar shops or guitar shows, and do PLEK jobs on the spot. Man that a really good idea.Hope it works out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarNed Posted July 31, 2007 Author Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 ha ha ha .. Classic case of faulty logic.. or lack of information about how things "Actually" work. (.....) and CD/DVD players for autos have special circuitry that creates a delay in the playback just so the player has time to "compare" data before it's played so that any "skips" in the laser tracking can be compensated for. which is not something you would want done while this machine is fileing on your frets. My point was that the DVD player doesn't BREAK as the result of being installed in a car. The fact (which I acknowledge) that the laser output is fed into a delay is not important. What's important is that the player works, reliably, month after month. Once again -- I don't claim to know whether a PLEK machine can be transported. As I said, it's a question I have, rather than an assertion I'm making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarNed Posted July 31, 2007 Author Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 And as for the notion that they aren't rugged enough for travel, it can't be all that fragile. The manufacturer brings one to the NAMM show every year and runs it on the show floor doing real work with it. With the appropriate shock prevention setup, I would think it could be made to work.Wow, I didn't know that! Thank you, Jim. +++. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BobbaFret Posted July 31, 2007 Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 If you get the ball rolling some company might build a mobile Plek machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mighty Coogna! Posted July 31, 2007 Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 You'd be better off building your own "Plek" machine than trying to profit from buying one. if you understand the technology behind the concept it actually very simple. - Aside from the programming. Plek is quit overrated in my book, and suffers many real world drawbacks IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BootRoots Posted July 31, 2007 Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ged LST Posted July 31, 2007 Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 Isn't that what bbreaker was traveling around in? - Ged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarNed Posted July 31, 2007 Author Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 You have captured my vision! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BootRoots Posted July 31, 2007 Members Share Posted July 31, 2007 You have captured my vision! thanks. its a gift of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OverdrivenEL34s Posted August 1, 2007 Members Share Posted August 1, 2007 traveling plek machine sounds cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tubedrt Posted August 1, 2007 Members Share Posted August 1, 2007 Speaking of the metric system.. As a steel fabricator, it was a sad day when I had to buy my first metric tape and metric square. Funny thing is, all the shims I build from on my fitting table are in standard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Luthier Lady Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 Was doing a Google search about Plek machines and this thread popped up. I know it's kind of an old thread but what the heck... I got quite a chuckle about some of the misinformation on the subject matter in this thread. Here are the current facts about the machine... 1) There are no lasers in the machine 2) The cost for a new one, shipped, set up, and training, is about $100,000 USD 3) There is an ongoing mandatory monthly maintenance fee that is based on the number of instruments you process. This fee covers software upgrades and on going technical support. 4) The machine could be used mobile, but it is best left in a stationary location. When the guys from Germany bring one to show at NAMM, they pack all the moving parts so that they are locked down and cannot bounce around in transit. It takes some time to undo all the locked down parts and get the machine re-set up when it arrives at the NAMM show floor. 5) After the operator is properly trained to run the machine, there is still quite a learning curve in order to be able to produce stellar results. The nuances of how the machine does what it does can only be gained with experience over time. The person needs to have excellent experience in regular luthierie/repair tech skills in order to produce an acceptable Plek job. A crappy luthier will produce crappy Plek work. 6) A Plek machine will not make a "silk purse out of a sows ear" (whether the subject is a guitar or a luthier) 7) The latest installation of a Plek machine in a repair shop is at Wolfe Guitars in Jupiter, FL :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 67mike Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 I found it very interesting that the guys at Heritage Guitar in Kalamazoo....bought a plek machine....and use it as a fucking coat hanger! That tells ya what it is worth! I'll take the word of the guys building great guitars since 1952! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Luthier Lady Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 I found it very interesting that the guys at Heritage Guitar in Kalamazoo....bought a plek machine....and use it as a fucking coat hanger! That tells ya what it is worth! I'll take the word of the guys building great guitars since 1952! If you knew REAL reason why they now use it for a coat hangar, it would explain alot to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members *BLEEP* Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 I got quite a chuckle about some of the misinformation on the subject matter in this thread. Here are the current facts about the machine... Don't lose any sleep over the misinformation posted in this thread. About 10 percent of those posting know what they are talking about and the other 90 percent are, umm, a buncha bloody ne'er-do-wells much like meself that wouldn't know a PLEK from a pluk if we ran into one headlong -- in broad daylight. By the way, make it a habit to visit here more often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Luthier Lady Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 By the way, make it a habit to visit here more often. Awww... ain't you just the sweetest thang!!! :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 67mike Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 If you knew REAL reason why they now use it for a coat hangar, it would explain alot to you. Well, share. Could very well be a case of old dog/new trick. Could also be a if it aint broke dont fix it? All I know is my Heritage is one Sweet axe! Plek or no plek. I have played plekked guitars, and they are nicely done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Luthier Lady Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 Well, share. Could very well be a case of old dog/new trick. Could also be a if it aint broke dont fix it? All I know is my Heritage is one Sweet axe! Plek or no plek. I have played plekked guitars, and they are nicely done. Sorry. It would not be proper to share specifics about things like that on a public forum. Glad you like your Heritage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 67mike Posted May 14, 2011 Members Share Posted May 14, 2011 Sorry. It would not be proper to share specifics about things like that on a public forum. Glad you like your Heritage. Cool. I more than like my Heritage..........i LOVE MY HERITAGE!:love: That one I keep till I die, then my daughter gets it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Is Trump sane Posted May 12, 2020 Members Share Posted May 12, 2020 On 7/30/2007 at 9:36 PM, guitarcapo said: Personally I think a fretboard needs to have a compound radius to play the best. I just don't see how a Plek treatment can achieve this without shaving off some frets to the tang. The way I see it the strings are converging from the bridge to the nut. As such they lie closest against a CONE and not a CYLINDER. Somebody needs to invent a machine that resurfaces the fingerboard to these dimensions and then guitar is refretted. Actually that is where a Plek machine shines! It reads your fretboard and frets and levels the frets individually to match the contour of the fetboard. It's almost impossible for a guy doing a level and crown to do a compound radius neck perfectly! I mean, do you keep switching radius sanding bars or what??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FJB Posted July 15, 2022 Members Share Posted July 15, 2022 Jumpin Jupiter man - have you all gone berserk! Look - it levels and dresses frets that are inbedded in a guitar neck that is under the exact string pressure, but there are NO strings installed. Let's just see a old world craftsman luthier try that! I've built a few guitars and refretted a few too. I get a high fret and I knock it down with the edge of my hand Jimi didn't have a PLEK'd guitar. I think it's cork sniffage, BUT I also see the tech. involved and I have respect for that, but I will probably just enjoy my own S.S. fret job I did on my 2013 Axis trans gold and save the $240.00 estimate. My frets are so done that if I have tighter than, -.003 relief, I'll get buzzing which I think is just fine for me as I'm not making plat records. I will tell you this - I would sure like to play a PLEK'd guitar before I drop the doughnutz.+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted July 19, 2022 Members Share Posted July 19, 2022 (edited) On 7/15/2022 at 2:01 AM, FJB said: Jumpin Jupiter man - have you all gone berserk! Look - it levels and dresses frets that are inbedded in a guitar neck that is under the exact string pressure, but there are NO strings installed. Let's just see a old world craftsman luthier try that! I've built a few guitars and refretted a few too. I get a high fret and I knock it down with the edge of my hand Jimi didn't have a PLEK'd guitar. I think it's cork sniffage, BUT I also see the tech. involved and I have respect for that, but I will probably just enjoy my own S.S. fret job I did on my 2013 Axis trans gold and save the $240.00 estimate. My frets are so done that if I have tighter than, -.003 relief, I'll get buzzing which I think is just fine for me as I'm not making plat records. I will tell you this - I would sure like to play a PLEK'd guitar before I drop the doughnutz.+ For 1, it's a zombie thread but what the hell, right? And for 2, it's SIMPLE to do fretwork with tension on the neck. Erlewine Neck Jig - StewMac Only been out for 30 years or so. You wanna try something pleked? Try an expensive good Gibson. And Jimi didn't have a guitar that stayed in tune. Nor did he have a noise suppressor. or effects that didn't go POP everytime he touched it. But Jimi this and Jimi that..... THAT was now 64 years ago! It's amazing, but technology has changed since his day, and for the better, don't you think? Seriously, as good as he was live, his tone sucked. Edited July 19, 2022 by badpenguin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted July 24, 2022 Members Share Posted July 24, 2022 I have a few PLEK'D guitars. They are nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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