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View Full Version : Got my '64 Strat refretted and Plek'd @ Frettek, LA


markjburns
06-17-2005, 08:44 PM
I took my '64 Strat into Rodney at Frettek in Los Angeles for a refret and Plek. He put in 6105 wire for me, made a new bone nut, and Plek'd the guitar.

He had to do substantial fingerboard preparation and installed the frets very cleanly, with little to no chipping and were seated perfectly.

I can only tell you that the Plek fretdress made my guitar feel even all the way up the board and it plays just as I always dreamed about my guitar playing! No buzzing, no sizzle, and I can bend to my little fingers' desires. I'm going to bring him in 2 more guitars next week!

I wasn't sure what Plek could do, however I had heard many people saying great things about Plek and Frettek and now I'm a total believer!

http://www.frettek.com

OldSchool
06-19-2005, 08:22 AM
Very cool. Though at $200 a pop Plecking all my guitars could get expensive! And I'm afraid once I do 1..........I'm gonna have to get them all done. :(


Does anybody know of a south Florida Location? :dude

tonedaddy
06-19-2005, 04:17 PM
Here's the USA locations for Plek:

http://www.plek.com/index.php?master=Plek+in+USA&rubID=54&sprache=

http://www.plek.com

Klatu
06-19-2005, 05:04 PM
How much did they charge you for the refret and the Plek job?

Originally posted by markjburns
I took my '64 Strat into Rodney at Frettek in Los Angeles for a refret and Plek. He put in 6105 wire for me, made a new bone nut, and Plek'd the guitar.
http://www.frettek.com

OldSchool
06-19-2005, 06:47 PM
Originally posted by tonedaddy
Here's the USA locations for Plek:

http://www.plek.com/index.php?master=Plek+in+USA&rubID=54&sprache=

http://www.plek.com

So only 5 people have these machines in the USA? I'm sure they are expensive.........but I'd like to think at least the main cities in each state would have one. Wish I had the money to invest in one around here...........:(

FredW
06-19-2005, 10:47 PM
Rodney has done 5 of my guitars and I think the best way to describe the effect of the plek is that the guitars play very slick. One of the guitars was a relic strat that I wasn't totally happy with (I was still getting caught up on the fretboad, and it felt more like a chalkboard) so he re-pleked it for free with heavier strings and it is perfect now. Rodney is a very cool and interesting guy, he is a very big collector of pre-war archtops and acoustics. I wish more people would check him out and give him a chance. He has basically been outcast by a lot of the bigger techs in town and a lot of his high end "rockstar" cleints don't want it known that they go to him. I guess they feel like they are in effect cheating on the techs they have had for years. I hope he does well, he is a great guy.

guitonit
06-19-2005, 11:54 PM
Just picked up three of Neal's LP's from Brawer's with stainless steel frets with the Plek job done.

In a word.........

UNF@#$%INGBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!

I have seen alot of GREAT fret jobs in my life, but this is takes it to a totaly new level. The best way to describe it is the frets feel like they are made of glass. Exceptionally smooth, and polished to perfection. ALOT of work to get them to that point from what I understand, but totally worth it.


Scott A.

b3l5tele
06-20-2005, 07:52 AM
Originally posted by markjburns



... with little to no chipping ...



http://www.frettek.com


What kind of chipping are you referring to here? I would hope there would be no chipping of any kind on a refret.

Gadowguitars
06-20-2005, 06:32 PM
I'm sure he is referring to the chipping that happens when you remove the frets from the fretboard...this is a pretty common issue when having a refret done.

lhallam
06-20-2005, 06:53 PM
Phil Jacoby in Baltimore MD has one.

OldSchool
06-21-2005, 07:19 AM
Originally posted by lhallam
Phil Jacoby in Baltimore MD has one.

Geez..........add shipping and handling, both ways, plus the stress of sending my babies away in a box...........I'll have to wait until one arrives within a 3 hour drive...............:(

OldSchool
06-21-2005, 07:21 AM
Could you take the neck off or do they need the entire guitar to Pleck it correctly? :confused:

T.Wesley
06-21-2005, 09:06 AM
They need the whole guitar as far as I know, but I could be wrong. Call Phil ( www.philtone.com ) and ask.

Phil PLEK'd my '77 Les Paul Custom, basically saved the hatchet fret job done on it by a certain (formerly) reputable 'vintage expert' repair shop (i.e. not Phil).

--chiba

OldSchool
06-21-2005, 09:26 AM
Originally posted by Chiba
They need the whole guitar as far as I know, but I could be wrong. Call Phil ( www.philtone.com ) and ask.

Phil PLEK'd my '77 Les Paul Custom, basically saved the hatchet fret job done on it by a certain (formerly) reputable 'vintage expert' repair shop (i.e. not Phil).

--chiba


Really!? I would think a reputable place would have backed it up.

I have 2 strats that I would love to have Plecked........just sounds amazing, I hope someone invests in a machine in the state of florida soon...........

T.Wesley
06-21-2005, 01:42 PM
Originally posted by OldSchool
Really!? I would think a reputable place would have backed it up.A reputable place probably would have - only you never know if an allegedly reputable place truly is until you try to get them to back something up - if you know what I mean.

--chiba

OldSchool
06-21-2005, 02:29 PM
Originally posted by Chiba
A reputable place probably would have - only you never know if an allegedly reputable place truly is until you try to get them to back something up - if you know what I mean.

--chiba

Tell us man!! I hate learning the hard way .........

T.Wesley
06-22-2005, 08:42 AM
Originally posted by OldSchool
Tell us man!! I hate learning the hard way ......... E-mail me off-board if you really want to know. They don't get talked about a lot around here, so there's no sense trashing them publicly.

--chiba

Blueser
06-22-2005, 11:45 AM
Anyone deal with Peekamoose guitars in NYC? I would like opinions on their repair service, and their Plek service.

Thanks,
B

hillbillyjazz
06-23-2005, 02:45 PM
I have yet to have an instrument "Plek'd" but here's what I know about the process.

You have to use the entire guitar. It's a combo of string guage, action, fret size, etc etc.
The machine is not unlike a CDC router or something similar.
I've seen it done, or rather, I've seen part of the process. It probably takes a couple/three hours, all together.

Brawer in SF showed me the machine (part iron maiden, part Star Trek transporter), and said it was over $100K. At that time, about 1 year ago, he and Joe Glaser in Nashville were the only guys to have them.

By all accounts, it's miraculous.

tonehoney
07-05-2005, 08:53 AM
I've got a Pao Ferro veneer on maple Strat neck from Glaser that was plekked before I got it and it has felt "broken in" and smooth from the moment I bolted it on!

OldSchool
07-05-2005, 09:45 AM
Originally posted by tonehoney
I've got a Pao Ferro veneer on maple Strat neck from Glaser that was plekked before I got it and it has felt "broken in" and smooth from the moment I bolted it on!


Its posts like these that are going to make me a very Broke person!! :(

tonehoney
07-05-2005, 09:48 AM
Well, Old School, while you're broke and can't afford to go anywhere, you can enjoy your plekked guitar and confound the neighbors!

hear and play
07-05-2005, 09:59 AM
Originally posted by lhallam
Phil Jacoby in Baltimore MD has one.

He's one of the 5 listed on the plek website.