Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: bonesrad on July 12, 2011, 03:10:29 PM

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: bonesrad on July 12, 2011, 03:10:29 PM

Just curious out there.  Have any of you had your Alembic Plek'd?  If so, were the results positive?
 
Bones

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: JimmyJ on July 12, 2011, 03:35:03 PM

I think my road bass was done once - with good results.  A guitar tech I was traveling with took it in so sadly I didn't get to observe the operation.  It's a very clever machine and I know there aren't many around.  I'm also sure the results still depend on the skill of the operator.  
 
And there are many talented repair guys around who do great fret work by hand so it's difficult to say if one way would be quicker, cheeper. or produce better results than the other.  How much do they charge to use the big machine?
 
Jimmy J

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: bonesrad on July 12, 2011, 03:56:58 PM

Thanks for the input Jimmy.  I'm here in Seattle so if I went this route, I'd go with Mike Lull.  I think his going rate is something like $300 - $400 for a non-Lull bass.  Definitely not cheap but if makes a marked difference in the playability of the bass, it might be worth it.
 
Bones

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: terryc on July 12, 2011, 04:35:47 PM

???Plek'd..please explain..I have no idea what this is??

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: JimmyJ on July 12, 2011, 05:33:58 PM

Here's the thing:
http://www.plek.com/en_US/technik/ (http://www.plek.com/en_US/technik/)
 
Bones, are you having some specific trouble with wear or uneven fret height or something?
 
Jimmy J

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: terryc on July 13, 2011, 04:27:37 AM

jimmyj..thanks..okay and automated software controlled refret and set up machine...very clever!!!

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: terryc on July 13, 2011, 04:28:49 AM

Thanks jimmyj..okay an automated CNC software controlled refret and set up machine..very clever indeed!!

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: lbpesq on July 13, 2011, 07:26:28 AM

Not an Alembic, but I had a Daion Power Mark XX Pleked by Gary Brawer in San Francisco.  The guitar plays wonderfully.  I don't remember the cost, but it was a lot less than the $300-400 quote.
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: white_cloud on July 13, 2011, 08:51:36 AM

I think Lakland use the Plek'd technique right across their whole range of basses - including the Skyline series.
 
Im very impressed by the results.

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: bonesrad on July 13, 2011, 08:51:57 AM

I guess I was a little high on the estimated cost from Lull's shop.  His website states the average cost is about $235 for a non-Lull instrument.
 
Jimmy, I'm not noticing any marked problems with the bass, I was mainly thinking about getting it to peak playability and was wondering if a Plek job might help.
 
Thanks for all the input so far.
 
Bones

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: rjmsteel on July 13, 2011, 08:56:29 AM

They have one at Music Gallery in Highland Park, IL, (North Shore suburb of Chicago).
I had my \81 Distillate Plek\d there by Chip and they did a good job.

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: george_wright on July 13, 2011, 08:59:52 AM

I had a stratocaster plekked by  Phil Jacoby (http://www.philtone.com/index.html target=_blank) here in Baltimore.  Was $300, including re-fret.  Went for the re-fret, stayed for the neck-leveling and set-up.  Worth it, IMHO.

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: briant on July 13, 2011, 11:50:44 AM

Hey Bones.
 
I also live in Seattle and I had Mike PLEK my Rogue 5 string.  There was absolutely nothing wrong with it prior to bringing it in.  After I got it back it was another level of amazing to play.  Well worth the cost.
 
I've been meaning to get my new Essence in to have it done as well.  Life and gigs have been busy and I still haven't found the time.

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: dannobasso on July 13, 2011, 12:24:40 PM

I brought an Excel 5 to peekamoose in nyc. They treated me like I was weird because I had leds in the neck. After a week or so they told me it would need a complete refret, didn't do anything in the way of work and charged me 85 bucks for benchtime. I was pissed and told them I would send it back to Alembic and they would tell me if it needed a refret. They didn't believe me and I told them I have a solid and very positive relationship with Alembic and they will do whatever it takes to make it right if there is a problem with the bass. In the car I called Mica and she said by all means send it in. While I was on the phone, peekamoose called me and said they would use the 85 as credit in the store on work or merch or a new instrument. I told them no thanks and I was talking with Alembic right now. They called again repeating the offer, my response was curt to say the least.  
So far every time I brought an Alembic to someone for repair I've been given the run around. How one buzz on one string constitutes a total refret on a newish bass is beyond me.
 
After a long time I just sent the bass to Mica and they'll have it next week to check it out. Shipping is deductible on income tax right?

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: bluplirst on July 13, 2011, 02:15:57 PM

Lull's Plek work is awesome.  On kit's stralembic, the action is perfect and 2 step plus bends don't fret out at all (hard to accomplish on a vintage radius).

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: bigredbass on July 13, 2011, 10:22:24 PM

I'd say to have it Plek'd only in a shop where the knowledge base is deep enough in the staff to know when you really need it.  There's lots of good guitar techs here in BNA who can do a whole lotta first-rate fret work for way less than $200+.  Plek is an amazing tool, but like most modern tools, it, too, won't work correctly with a 'loose nut behind the wheel'.
 
Otherwise, you could wind up like Danno.  Reminds me of the garage where you took the car for a four-wheel alignment, and while it's up on the lift they run into the waiting room and tell you you need a new muffler, the ball joints are shot, you know the drill.
 
If they're jumpy about working on an Alembic, KEEP WALKING, you just found out all you need to know.  I'll have to try that, I'll call Mica! on them before I go, though !
 
J o e y

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: bluplirst on July 14, 2011, 01:18:46 PM

Danno, I've had a similar unpleasant experience with Peekamoose.  I wouldn't recommend their fretwork to anyone.

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: dannobasso on July 14, 2011, 01:48:21 PM

Glad to know I'm not paranoid about being annoyed!

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: bigredbass on July 15, 2011, 11:50:00 PM

I mean, really . . . . why is working on an Alembic any different than anything else?  Where do guys go to have these unbelievably expensive wintage guitars worked on?  Either someone is qualified and knows what they're doing or they just don't.  The guy here in Nashville who works on mine never even blinked when I opened the case.  Does excellent work, I have NO reservations leaving them there(www.classicax.com (http://www.classicax.com)).  
 
 
 
My yardstick has always been to find the guy who works on all the really good working players' axes:  They have to have them to make a living, so you're just not apt to see them letting some kid behind the counter and the local hang music store (like that jackass meth-head in the YouTube Alembic guitar reviews) screw around with his living:  Just not gonna happen.  You can't stop a record date or a stadium gig or even Saturday night at the VFW from a bum repair job, ever.  Don't be that guy !
 
J o e y

Title: Anybody have an Alembic Plek'd
Post by: pauldo on July 16, 2011, 01:56:52 PM

I had my Distillate frets dressed about 8 years ago at Uncle Bob's they did good work. Then again in Milwaukee we also have  this guy (http://www.rauenguitars.com/index.html target=_blank) who seems to be pretty capable.
 
However I did exchange e-mails with Rich (rjmsteel) about his Plek-venture and think it would be a good idea to sock away a little $$$ to have my Distillate Plekitized at the same place he did.