PRS Plek'd?

[Uuno]

Are PRS SE models Plek'd? Are any of the PRS guitars Plek'd? What is the final set up process? Thanks.

 

[AP515]

No, No, and we could tell you but then we'd have to kill you.


Seriously now, the final set up is done at the factory. All SE's are inspected at Maryland for quality assurance and then shipped. If they need a set up I'd guess they get a tweak from the folks there.

 

[HANGAR18]

As I understand it, there are some workflow differences between the SE series guitars and the core line guitars. But PRS doesn't use a Plek machine on any of their model lines the way Gibson or Heritage would in the building of a Les Paul style guitar. To explain this in my own way of saying it, PRS builds the neck first and then attaches it to the guitar where Gibson or Heritage would build the guitar first (with neck attached) and then install the frets. PRS uses a method to level the frets before the neck is attached to the guitar body which is really fantastic. But on a Les Paul guitar (or any guitar which is already built), the only cost & time effective way to level the frets is to use a PLEK machine.

In my experience of having many guitars connected to a PLEK PRO machine to undergo a laser scan to determine if a Plek job is needed or not, I had the following results:
* Brand new PRS core model guitars: NO The fret work from the factory was outstanding and there would have been no benefit gained from a Plek job.
* Used PRS guitars with a lot of fret wear: YES A Plek job was essential
* Gibson or Heritage Les Paul style guitars: YES They MUST be Plek'd at the time of manufacture in order to get a perfect fret dressing in a time & cost effective manner. If one of these didn't get a Plek job at the factory, it needs one.

I think this would be a good time to take a swing at that one PRS dealer out there that that Pleks every brand new PRS guitar they get and then flaunts that fact in every one of their online ads. Not only do I think that practice is stupid, it offends me as I know how good of a job the people on Kent island do at dressing the frets before they send out a brand new PRS guitar into the world. Guess which dealer I would never buy a brand new PRS guitar from for that very reason.

 

[AaeCee]

PRS don need no steenkin Plek!

 

[Tahlee]

It’s all marketing, Hangar 18.

We can assume that dealer owns a Plek machine, so it costs them nothing to put a guitar on it. Some guitars they sell may need it. Others certainly don’t.

It’s just something for them to put in their ad that may impress certain buyers. I’m sure it’s not an attack on the fine workmanship of the people at PRS.

 

[Warmart]

And that dealer put my CU24 on before I picked it up - after I said it was ok to just run a report but make no changes. It didn't need a thing of course.

 

[Sonic Blue 55]

I returned a guitar for some finish work and a new pick guard. Without telling me,the guitar was PLEKed. It was a crown and polish that rendered the frets so low it was unplayable.

The company refretted the guitar for free.

No PLEKing for me ever again

 

[Warmart]

I returned a guitar for some finish work and a new pick guard. Without telling me,the guitar was PLEKed. It was a crown and polish that rendered the frets so low it was unplayable.

The company regretted the guitar for free.

No PLEKing for me ever again

Yes, PLEK's require skill - it's most definitely a nice machine, when properly used. When it's not, bad bad things happen.

 

[Sonic Blue 55]

I had seen the PLEK in action. It was part of the new sales pitch. I knew what it was probably going to do, and that’s why I didn’t want it. My fears were proven correct. If you like lower frets, it’s not a problem.

 

[merciful-evans]

I invested in fret leveling tools a couple of years back. I have fully leveled, crowned and polished two guitars complete. I have a third one in work now that requires only partial leveling.

Any guitar no matter how well finished and set up originally can fail a fret level check. Most don't require any work at all as the small height variations are tolerable. If you set up for optimal low action, you are more likely to want leveling though.

I find PRS fretwork pretty good, but with some frets uncrowned.

 

[bluefade]

I ripped all my frets out and painted the fret slots with white paint...No pleking needed now...

 

[dogrocketp]

My Asian PRS have needed minor fretwork after about a year, when the wood is done settling. The USA ones, no, and my buddy has a plek machine.