Pleked Epis from Sweetwater

[paruwi]

plek | Sweetwater.com

Plek Pro Treatment for Great Playability!
This is a treatment you'd normally only see on top-dollar custom guitars! Plek Pro levels the frets with pinpoint precision, providing you with the best feeling, most playable fretboard you've ever experienced. Add to that a custom setup, a set of fresh strings, and Sweetwater's extensive 55-point Evaluation, and this Epiphone Sweet-Mod guitar is a winner!

Anybody heard of it ?
Or even got one ?

 

[TerryH]

I noticed it yesterday on their site. I read (from this site) that some (or all?) Gibsons were Plek'd, but I never really new just what that was, so I watched a YouTube video of how a Plekking (sp?) machine works yesterday after seeing the listings on Sweetwater...

And I know you are referring to Sweetwater and their Epis in general... but it did peak my interest!

 

[cybermgk]

Look at the prices. Looks like your paying $100-$150 for the service (only looked at a few models).

Not bad, I guess. Only shop here with one charges $65 for just a scan, $175 for Plek with no setup and $225 for Plek with setup.

 

[Bristol Posse]

The "goodness'" of the pleck setup depends a good deal on the person setting up and running it. It's not just a question of sticking the guitar in and pressing the green "Go" button. Also if all they're doing is a fret level then the whole part of precision cutting the nut and bridge saddles to the individual guitar setup is missed.

Are Sweetwater known for their Luthiering?

I buy a lot of my recording gear from Sweetwater because of their after sale service and warranty, but I don't know if I'd want them Plecking my guitars. But who knows, maybe they do a great job.

Matt

 

[tzd]

I don't think it can be worse than the mass-Pleking that Gibson does!

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

if it means a well/properly cut nut and polished and leveled frets?

Then I'd totally pay an extra $100. for that.


...but it depends on who's running the machine.

Frets are Epis only big failure at the moment. If Sweetwater can correct that I can't imagine why you'd buy an Epi from anywhere else.

Smart move SW,.....very smart indeed.

 

[RTH]

Wont aftermarket pleking void the warranty?

 

[paruwi]

Wont aftermarket pleking void the warranty?

I think it is still covered with the guarantee from Sweetwater

 

[hockey pups]

....interesting....

 

[RangerJay]

I have a Gibson LP Traditional that came Plek'd and it plays superb. I also have an Epiphone 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Standard V1 that is not Plek'd, and it plays just fine, but not quite at the level of the Traditional. If I could get the Epi Plek'd for $100, I'd jump on it. Frets are important, and I think it could mean the difference between "really good" and "great," but at the end of the day, I think that my skill (or lack thereof) makes the biggest difference. If, on the other hand, you start with kind of crappy frets that need work, I think it would really make a big difference.

Meanwhile, I just play them both and don't really worry about it.

 

[River]

I have no direct knowledge concerning what they're up to. But my guess is they bought out some great tech dude who put all of his money into a PLEK machine right before the economy tanked (there was a guy in that region, as I recall).

My guess? Worth every penny. This from a guy who spent way more on a PLEK job back in 2007 than he paid for the Epi he had PLEKed:

(That'd be me.)

 

[Dolebludger]

I don't know -- will have to check out this Sweetwater deal. What I know is this. The only Epi I own needed a fret level when I bought it. But it was within EPI's very generous (to them) warranted string height level without buzzing -- but not within mine! At that time, my local luthier was also the Epi warranty service center. I had worked with him for 30 years, and he was more loyal to me than Epi. Thus I believed him when he said the strings could be lowered within EPI warranty limits without buzzing. He even let me see the application of the gauge to my guitar, so I could see buzz free string height was within Epi limits. Problem is (IMO) Epi warrants an action that isn't very low -- more like for a slide player. Can't recall what the luthier charged me for a fret level, but I don't think it was much different than Sweetwater's plek job.

BTW (though it may be off-topic) I must say that since I bought my Epi new, I have bought three other guitars in the EPI price range (or lower) that did not need a fret level to achieve my desired action -- A Durango Guitar Works Contender, an Ernie Ball Sterling SUB AX3, and a PRS SE Orianthi. IMO, if Epi would pay more attention at the factory, we wouldn't need to worry about a plek or fret level job.

 

[56GT]

I don't know -- will have to check out this Sweetwater deal. What I know is this. The only Epi I own needed a fret level when I bought it. But it was within EPI's very generous (to them) warranted string height level without buzzing -- but not within mine! At that time, my local luthier was also the Epi warranty service center. I had worked with him for 30 years, and he was more loyal to me than Epi. Thus I believed him when he said the strings could be lowered within EPI warranty limits without buzzing. He even let me see the application of the gauge to my guitar, so I could see buzz free string height was within Epi limits. Problem is (IMO) Epi warrants an action that isn't very low -- more like for a slide player. Can't recall what the luthier charged me for a fret level, but I don't think it was much different than Sweetwater's plek job.

BTW (though it may be off-topic) I must say that since I bought my Epi new, I have bought three other guitars in the EPI price range (or lower) that did not need a fret level to achieve my desired action -- A Durango Guitar Works Contender, an Ernie Ball Sterling SUB AX3, and a PRS SE Orianthi. IMO, if Epi would pay more attention at the factory, we wouldn't need to worry about a plek or fret level job.

Yeah, Squire Tele's mostly have decent fret work and cost less, why can't Epi?

 

[Dolebludger]

56GT:

To be totally fair, I bought my Epi (actually a 56 GT) new about 4 years ago, and I have heard than newer MIC Epis are improved since then. I hope so. On my Epi, not only did the fret level suck, but the bridge saddles didn't fit in their slots and were out of radius. The thin chrome plating on the bridge and TP wore through in 3 months (never had that problem, even on "budget guitars"). Now the factory fret level allowed for an action within Epis warranty, and the cost of a Gotoh bridge and aluminum TP wasn't enough for me to make an issue over it. The P 90 pups buzzed like hell with even a small amount of gain dialed in. (To be fair, so do a lot of P 90 equipped guitars.) But back then, I wanted a P 90 LP and didn't want to pay $3K-$4K for it. So I just paid for the fret level and the mods, and now I have a great P 90 LP -- but at a total cost of over $700 instead of the $479 price of the guitar new at the time. It is worth what I've got in it to me. But those considering an Epi purchase would be well advised to play (on their own gear) before they pay. And when they test play an Epi, they should bring their set up tools along to see if they can get "their action" out of it, and to see if it is free of other problems. Otherwise, the cost of a "gigable" Epi may be higher than they think.

IMO, Epis should be pleked at the factory.

 

[56GT]

56GT:

To be totally fair, I bought my Epi (actually a 56 GT) new about 4 years ago, and I have heard than newer MIC Epis are improved since then. I hope so. On my Epi, not only did the fret level suck, but the bridge saddles didn't fit in their slots and were out of radius. The thin chrome plating on the bridge and TP wore through in 3 months (never had that problem, even on "budget guitars"). Now the factory fret level allowed for an action within Epis warranty, and the cost of a Gotoh bridge and aluminum TP wasn't enough for me to make an issue over it. The P 90 pups buzzed like hell with even a small amount of gain dialed in. (To be fair, so do a lot of P 90 equipped guitars.) But back then, I wanted a P 90 LP and didn't want to pay $3K-$4K for it. So I just paid for the fret level and the mods, and now I have a great P 90 LP -- but at a total cost of over $700 instead of the $479 price of the guitar new at the time. It is worth what I've got in it to me. But those considering an Epi purchase would be well advised to play (on their own gear) before they pay. And when they test play an Epi, they should bring their set up tools along to see if they can get "their action" out of it, and to see if it is free of other problems. Otherwise, the cost of a "gigable" Epi may be higher than they think.

IMO, Epis should be pleked at the factory.

Dole,

my '56 GT is a 2007 made in China, and much better than the previous Korean made that I sold. I've got the action low, but still not as low I like without some buzz, and the fret wire is softer than any guitar I've owned. I checked the frets, and the higher last few frets are slightly higher than the rest - typical bump in the neck joint I guess. Overall it's a very nice playing guitar as I've mentioned before, but it needs a little fret work which I'll have to take care of one of these days. Perhaps I'll look into having it Pleked. It's just odd that I've had many under $500 MIM Strats and others that have had better fret work from the factory than the few Epi's I've owned. On the other hand, even if I spend a few hundred more on the '56, it's still worth it for a guitar that I really like.

 

[Dolebludger]

56GT:

Honestly, if I had a good luthier in town, I'd rather go to him for a fret level than order the guitar pleked by Sweetwater. If it didn't turn out right, I could go back to him and have it fixed. Don't get me wrong -- I like Sweetwater. But on a matter as personal as guitar set up, I like to have a local and personal relationship with the guy doing the work. I now live 800 miles away from the luthier I used for decades before, so I wouldn't know what to do now. Played my '09 56 GT a lot, gigged with it, and even have Ernie Ball Cobalt strings on it, and still no fret wear that I can see or feel on it. That maybe the only thing I haven't had to fix on it, yet.

I bought my Ernie Ball Sterling Sub AX from MF a year ago for $226 (due to a "rave" GP review) and it came with perfectly level frets, can get a low action, and sounds and plays great. No mods done, and was playing it today and sounded great. I really like my Epi (after the work and mods), and I know this is the Epi forum, but from what I know, Epi really needs to work on QC. That may be why Sweetwater is offering an extra cost option to have them pleked. Are they offering this option on any of their other low-cost guitar lines? If not, that should tell us something.

 

[elche]

...the fret wire is softer than any guitar I've owned. I checked the frets, and the higher last few frets are slightly higher than the rest - typical bump in the neck joint I guess. Overall it's a very nice playing guitar as I've mentioned before, but it needs a little fret work which I'll have to take care of one of these days...

EXACTLY what happens on my Tribute: I was able to obtain a buzz free neck up to 15-18th fret but higher frets are still higher than others.

I confirm that frets are too soft...

 

[Dolebludger]

elche:

Have you had a good luthier examine your guitar? It is possible that you may need to crank some relief out of your neck and raise the bridge -- or perhaps have your upper frets dressed. Yes, there have been many posts here complaining about "soft frets" on Epis. So far, I haven't had that problem, and it is one of the few I haven't had! Fingers crossed. From my limited experience and from posts on this board, Epi needs to get its act together, as (according to my limited experience and info) there are better guitars in the Epi price range (and below). And paying extra to have an Epi pleked to solve initial problems (that should have been solved at the factory) isn't going to solve all the problems.

 

[hotzlaw]

I think that Dolebludger might be on to something..

It's not a bad way to try to minimize returns (for bad fretwork, for which Epis are unfortunately notorious for) and at the same time to maximize profit.

Odd that the Tribute Plus isn't one of the models, though. There's been a number of reports of bad fretwork (mine included) on this forum.

 

[Dolebludger]

Well, hey, I just logged on to the Sweetwater site, and could find nothing about this pleking "extra". I'm not very computer literate. could somebody tell me how to find this info?