Trek with me, Plek with me, Guitar is good as glee

Written By Carl Hardin

Here are some articles I wrote back when I worked as a Plek Operator and I thought it may be fun to put these up for the world to see.

First Section is about Fret Dressing the guitar then we will look at Refretting it

Trek With The Plek

Carl’s Guide to the Plek

Getting Started

  • Have the instrument on standby with action and relief roughly set and strung to pitch

  • Have the customer sheet ready for input into the machine

  • Make sure you have lowered the neck pickup and removed the toggle cap and toggle is in the rhythm position.

    • If there is anything else that could be in the way of the cutter head remove now

  • Set the guitar on the bench near the plek machine and we are ready to start our trek with plek, guided by your host. Carl.

  • If the Instrument is new, than please skip down to the “New Instrument” Section

New Instrument

NEW TIMER INSTRUMENTS ONLY – This step will be done at the computer on the plek

  • Click “Paper” Icon in top left hand corner

  • On the “Options Screen” you will have to answer several questions.

    • Only answer what is necessary for this guitar at this step.

    • Type  - Gibson’s are “Electric Standard”

    • When selecting string set, its easier to find your gauge by using “Gauge Filter”

  • Customer Details

    • First and Last Name (Use both boxes)

    • Job Number – RMA or RO #

    • Manufacturer

    • Model

    • Serial Number

  • Action Setup

    • New screen will show up

    • You can use the green dots to drag them to achieve your desired string height.

    • There are several presets for Plek High, Medium, Low, Super Low in the top box. If you look slightly below, there is another box for drop down options, there you can find the presets I have saved for Gibson standard spec for electric and acoustic respectively.

  • “Y” Clearance at Saddle

    • For guitars with normal ABR or TOM bridges, use 10mm.

    • Measure from where string breaks on saddle to end of bridge

  • On the menu screen, at the top left, click “Frets-String Spacing”

    • Fill the red boxes, use the multi meter to measure the amount of board on first fret, and the width of the fret.

  • If you have filled in all the information than proceed to the section labeled “Loading the Guitar”

Loading the Guitar

At this point you should have the information intake screen filled out and the guitar ready to go in the cradle. Here are some pointers to help you out. This step will take place at the machine, where the door is.

  • Back Supports

    • Short  Acoustic

    • Long  Electric

  • Use levers on the bottom of the bottom support to quickly adjust the bottom and place the guitar in the rack.

  • Use the headstock strap and flip the strap in half

  • Flip the “Nut Indexing Lever” to touch the neck, use the handles to evenly lower the guitar to get the lever right below the nut

  • Use the level device underneath the keyboard

    • Place above the first fret

      • Ideal placement is for the bar to not rock back and forth and the plastic pin touching the fingerboard.

      • Use the turn wheel right behind the neck to adjust

    • Place below the last fret

      • Ideal placement is to be in the middle of the fingerboard.

      • Use the two handles to adjust to get the guitar to balance out

      • Nut lever must still be right below the nut.

  • Remove or lower anything that will come into touch with the cutter and probe head

    • Les Paul style guitars should have the toggle switch on neck pickup and cap removed

    • Lower the pickups

Go ahead and load the guitar, and close the door. Now proceed to “Fret Dress Tyme”

Fret Dress Tyme

At this time the information screen should have been filled out, and now your looking at the “Home” Plek screen. Guitar is loaded safely and securely in the machine. Now to go to the computer to finish the dress out.

  • Go to menu bar on top of screen

    • “Process” tab  “Process Functions”

    • Select “Fret Cutting” on the pop up screen

    • “GO”

  • Machine will start Initial scan of the instrument

  • New window will pop up and show a compressed version of the scan

    • The blue line is the ideal relief, if you neck is to straight or bowed, adjust to get closer to the relief line. If you need to adjust the truss, select the “Truss Rod” button than open the door .

  • When you get to where you want the relief, click “Close” to proceed

  • A new screen will show up and with all six strings and a more in-depth view of what’s going on

  • What are you looking at on this screen? Well here’s what….. the guitar neck……

    • Each string is displayed and allows you to see where you are currently at (red line) and where you ideally should be and where the path of cutting (green Line)

    • At the bottom of the screen you will see Fret 1 Fret 12 and Fret 22. Each diagram has arrows on the low e and high e as well as a radius feature. Use the radius and the up and down arrows to achieve your desired heights. .

  • Best thing to do is get a someone who has Trek’d With Plek prior but if you wanna Wrek with Plek go solo

  • Heres how to adjust

    • I like to set the radius first to make sure I am in the ball park of the proper radius

    • Select the high E string. Use the 1st fret and 12th fret adjuster to make all numbers in the positive range ( No 0’s or -#s).

    • Select Low E String. Use the 1st and 12th fret adjusters to make all numbers in the positive range (No 0’s or -#s)

    • View the two middle strings first then the two adjacent strings

      • Switch between lowering the outer strings EVENLY and adjusting the radius to accomplish no 0’s or -#s

    • You can use the adjuster on the 22nd fret but stay in the range of 40-60.

  • Click “Continue” when you are satisfied

  • Plek will say open door and follow instructions

    • Detune Guitar

      • Use Velcro and tape to hold the strings back and out of the cutter head

      • Cutta gonna cut

    • Set the neck back support to touch the back of neck

      • Move the support a half a turn

    • Use the metal brackets to support the fingerboard

      • Hold the turnbuckle when tightening to avoid twist

    • Use the oil in the door and oil the little felt pad on the cutter head

    • Close Door

    • Plek will cut frets

      • Will signify to open the door, restring and tune to pitch

      • Place back in and close door

      • Plek will do a quality control scan

Trek With The Plek

Carl’s Guide to the Plek

Refret

Getting Started

  • Remove the frets from the guitar, and block sand the fingerboard with 120 grit to knock any fingercheese and fretgoo off the board.

  • String back up to pitch and set relief.

  • Have the customer sheet ready for input into the machine

  • Make sure you have lowered the neck pickup and removed the toggle cap and toggle is in the rhythm position.

    • If there is anything else that could be in the way of the cutter head remove now

  • Set the guitar on the bench near the plek machine and we are ready to start our trek with plek, guided by your host. Carl.

  • If the Instrument is new, than please skip down to the “New Instrument” Section

New Instrument

NEW TIMER INSTRUMENTS ONLY – This step will be done at the computer on the plek

  • Click “Paper” Icon in top left hand corner

  • On the “Options Screen” you will have to answer several questions.

    • Only answer what is necessary for this guitar at this step.

    • Type  - Gibson’s are “Electric Standard”

    • When selecting string set, its easier to find your gauge by using “Gauge Filter”

  • Customer Details

    • First and Last Name (Use both boxes)

    • Job Number – RMA or RO #

    • Manufacturer

    • Model

    • Serial Number

  • Action Setup

    • New screen will show up

    • You can use the green dots to drag them to achieve your desired string height.

    • There are several presets for Plek High, Medium, Low, Super Low in the top box. If you look slightly below, there is another box for drop down options, there you can find the presets I have saved for Gibson standard spec for electric and acoustic respectively.

  • Select “Instrument is Fretless”

    • Measure Entire length of board

    • For “Exisiting Fret Slot Offset” enter 2 mm

      • Choose “Use Scale Only”

      • Enter Scale Length

  • “Y” Clearance at Saddle

    • For guitars with normal ABR/TOM bridges, use 10mm.

    • Measure from where string breaks on saddle to end of bridge

  • On the menu screen, at the top left, click “Frets-String Spacing”

    • Fill the red boxes, use the multi meter to measure the amount of board on first fret, and the width of the fret.

  • If you have filled in all the information than proceed to the section labeled “Loading the Guitar”

Loading the Guitar

At this point you should have the information intake screen filled out and the guitar ready to go in the cradle. Here are some pointers to help you out. This step will take place at the machine, where the door is.

  • Back Supports

    • Short  Acoustic

    • Long  Electric

  • Use levers on the bottom of the bottom support to quickly adjust the bottom and place the guitar in the rack.

  • Use the headstock strap and flip the strap in half

  • Flip the “Nut Indexing Lever” to touch the neck, use the handles to evenly lower the guitar to get the lever right below the nut

  • Use the level device underneath the keyboard

    • Place above the first fret

      • Ideal placement is for the bar to not rock back and forth and the plastic pin touching the fingerboard.

      • Use the turn wheel right behind the neck to adjust

    • Place below the last fret

      • Ideal placement is to be in the middle of the fingerboard.

      • Use the two handles to adjust to get the guitar to balance out

      • Nut lever must still be right below the nut.

  • Remove or lower anything that will come into touch with the cutter and probe head

    • Les Paul style guitars should have the toggle switch on neck pickup and cap removed

    • Lower the pickups

Planning the Fingerboard

At this point we will now do the scan to plane the fingerboard.

  • Go to menu bar on top of screen

    • “Process” tab  “Process Functions”

    • Select “Fingerboard Planning” on the pop up screen

    • Use your Calipers to measure the space above the first fret and the last fret and enter into the screen

    • “GO”

    • Machine will walk you through changing the cutter bits.

  • Machine will start Initial scan of the instrument

  • New window will pop up and show a compressed version of the scan

    • The blue line is the ideal relief, if you neck is to straight or bowed, adjust to get closer to the relief line. If you need to adjust the truss, select the “Truss Rod” button than open the door .

  • When you get to where you want the relief, click “Close” to proceed

  • What are you looking at on this screen? Well here’s what….. the guitar neck……

    • Each string is displayed and allows you to see where you are currently at (red line) and where you ideally should be and where the path of cutting (green Line)

    • At the bottom of the screen you will see Fret 1 Fret 12 and Fret 22. Each diagram has arrows on the low e and high e as well as a radius feature. Use the radius and the up and down arrows to achieve your desired heights. .

  • Best thing to do is get a someone who has Trek’d With Plek prior but if you wanna Wrek with Plek go solo

  • Heres how to adjust

    • I like to set the radius first to make sure I am in the ball park of the proper radius

    • Select the high E string. Use the 1st fret and 12th fret adjuster to make all numbers in the positive range ( No 0’s or -#s).

    • Select Low E String. Use the 1st and 12th fret adjusters to make all numbers in the positive range (No 0’s or -#s)

    • View the two middle strings first then the two adjacent strings

      • Switch between lowering the outer strings EVENLY and adjusting the radius to accomplish no 0’s or -#s

    • You can use the adjuster on the 22nd fret but stay in the range of 40-60.

  • Click “Continue” when you are satisfied

  • Plek will say open door and follow instructions

    • Detune Guitar

      • Use Velcro and tape to hold the strings back and out of the cutter head

      • Cutta gonna cut

    • Set the neck back support to touch the back of neck

      • Move the support a half a turn

    • Use the metal brackets to support the fingerboard

      • Hold the turnbuckle when tightening to avoid twist

    • Use the oil in the door and oil the little felt pad on the cutter head

    • Close Door

    • Plek will cut frets

      • Will signify to open the door, restring and tune to pitch

      • Place back in and close door

      • Plek will do a quality control scan

Next Steps

  • At this point the fingerboard should be planned

  • Sand the board with a soft block from 300 up to 800 to get out the cutters marks

  • Go ahead and refret the guitar and bevel the fret ends by hand

  • Take a nut blank, and fit it like normal, but do not touch the top of the nut

    • The sides and fit needs to be exactly where you want it, than glue it in

  • At this point, the frets should be seated, and frets end filed down smooth, and beveled. With the nut installed in the guitar but the top standing proud.

  • Now lets go to the Plek Machine

Nut Precut

If the instrument is already the instrument on screen Skip down

If the instrument is not already on screen, go to the “folder” icon on the top left of screen. Find your instrument in the backlog of saved instruments

  • Once the instrument file is on the “home” screen

  • Click New Version

    • On the left of the pop up window, select new nut and or refretting

    • Before closing out of this screen, over on the right click, “Edit Instrument Data”

    • On this new screen lets make sure a few things are checked

      • Select “Nut/Surface Cutting”

      • Unclick “Instrument is Fretless”

      • Go back to the right of the screen and select standard or stainless fret material

      • Unclick “Instrument is “Strung Up”

    • On the “Frets and String Spacing Page”

      • Remeasure the first two Fields.

      • The fret board width at first fret and the width of the fret.

      • Neck  Edge to Strings

        • Joe Reccomends 2.9 Bass 3.2 Treble. I like 3. To 3.5 evenly on both strings depending on the thickness of binding.

      • Remeasure the Saddle to Saddle for the High E and Low E Strings

    • Go To “Nut” Tab

      • Under the Preset saved tab, click and use Gibson Std High

      • Click OK

  • Place the Unstrung guitar in the Machine and put the body strap across the body

  • On the computer screen click “Process”  “Nut PreCutting”  and click “GO”

    • Machine will ask you to change bits and walk you through which one to install

  • At this point, take the guitar back, string up to tension, and set action and relief

Fret Dress and Final Nut Cut Time

At this point the guitar SHOULD have the frets properly installed, the nut precut and properly fitted. It is now strung up with the correct strings to tension, with relief and action roughly set.

  • On the “Instrument Home” Page, Click New Version, click refrett and click “edit instrument Data”

  • Click “Instrument is Strung Up”

  • Make sure all the data is correct

  • At this point if you want to change anything under the “NUT” Tab such as the height of strings or etc. now is the time to fine tune it or just select Gibson Standard High and it should put you very close to desired outcome.

  • Click Go

  • Install Instrument into the Craddle and shut door

  • Go to Process  Process Functions and click “Fret Cutting” and “Nut Cutting”

Carl Hardin
Next

Drop Tuning and Dropping Knowledge