I've taken my ESP Strat to get Plek'd...

[xenophobe]

So yeah, I bought this ESP Strathead off ebay. It came from Japan. It's an amazing neck and the overall build quality is hands down one of the most well built instruments I've ever handled. But it has a glaring issue.

The problem? Something was not right about the neck. The typical "hump" a bit past the 12th fret either warped a bit or left the factory wrong. The guitar was built in 2009 but really never played. Maybe it settled badly or was stored improperly. I dunno. It was a case queen for some reason, that's for sure. When I got it, the action was mid-high... 3.5mm+ at the 22nd. Very inconsistent buzz across the neck after the action was lowered to what I consider a suitable action. It's not really supposed to be a metal guitar though, it's supposed to be modern-vintage and nails that pretty well.

I took it in for a fret level... the guy got it to play really nice at my desired action preference, but there was still a little weird fret buzz going on. I re-set up the guitar, but there's too much bend in the neck for my tastes. I got most of the inconsistent buzz out, but then there was a very inconsistent string height across the length of the neck that makes playing it feel really weird. So I decided to find a Plek machine in the area, the closest place, SF Guitarworks.

I just want the board to be a little flatter and to remove the inconsistent string buzz out of the neck.

The guitar's neck feels amazing to play. I'm just being finicky about what a guitar that cost close to $8k USD should play like. And since I have too much money into this guitar to dump, and I didn't feel like losing over $400 in shipping costs to return, I've decided to see if Pleking it will give me what I want.

Has anyone else Plek'd a finicky neck before? Did it meet your expectations, or was it overrated?

I'll post my opinions after I get it back in about 2 weeks.

[xenophobe]

It was ready early.

Price = very costly. $250.

Result? Pure win. It totally made a troublesome neck very playable. I'm now fully satisfied with my ESP Strat!

[straycat]

Glad you got it sorted out.Enjoy.

[Hellbat]

Thanks for the feedback. I need to try a pleked guitar that isn't a Les Paul to get a proper opinion because I have no mojo with an LP so I have a hard time judging the fretwork properly.

Oh and a pic of the ESP please to satisfy my porn needs? On the subject of pictures, it would be cool to see before and after closeups of the frets to see how it crowns them and such.

[dvscool]

It was ready early.

Price = very costly. $250.

Result? Pure win. It totally made a troublesome neck very playable. I'm now fully satisfied with my ESP Strat!

Thats alot of cash dude!...but for what you paid for that axe I suppose its worth it....are you going to get any of your other gits plek'd? Is it that good?

I've wanted to try that as well, but I find it hard to justify that much cash.....

[xenophobe]

Thanks! The neck was kind of a mess. I think it sat around unplayed in a humid environment for a little too long because it was practically brand new when I got it. Now it plays how I expected. I'd never have gotten my money back out of it so I'm kinda stuck with it. The plek made sense and fixed all the issues I had with it. Amazingly smooth and consistent feel.

Sorry, I don't have before and after pictures of the frets. I never really took proper pictures of the ESP. All I can say is the plek job is much smoother. The crown job feels awesome... probably the best I've felt. My fingers float over the frets. It's really kinda amazing... I have never played a plek'd instrument before.

I'm not against sending off another guitar to get plek'd, I just don't think I have another guitar that needs it though. If I had another neck that was finicky like this, I'd send it off without hesitation.

This is the guitar though:

[Axewielder]

Man that is sweet.

[xenophobe]

Man that is sweet.

The build quality is amazing. Now it plays as well as it initially should have, and thanks!

[metal4you]

Nice ESP


Cool video on geting your guitar pleked

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuc279emYpA

[xenophobe]

Thanks!

Even on the guitars I don't think need to be plek'd, I have no doubt that it would improve them. After spending more time with the ESP, the plek absolutely makes a difference. It's really kinda special. But, this is my first experience with one. I'm definitely sold on it.

[xenophobe]

After more playing... damn the Plek job is nice.

If the neck on your guitar just isn't what you expected, a Plek will definitely fix that. Of course an amazing non-plek'd neck can be just as nice, but the Plek seems to level that playing field. Not all guitars are built equally, but after this I'm fairly confident in saying it can make up the difference.

[sully]

This was the result I expected. There's a place a few hours from me (that's also cheaper) that I've been planning on visiting. Very cool.

[xenophobe]

It takes all the guess work out of fixing a neck that needs fixing in a complicated way... that described my ESP. It did give my ESP a wonderful consistency and changed the feel of play even though the fretwork was already amazing. So, yeah, I wouldn't really suggest taking a guitar that already plays well to have plek'd, but if you have a guitar that doesn't play right that you want to keep, it'll definitely make it a keeper.... and possibly one of your favorite players...

[Genebaby]

The Plek is awesome I'm sure but my experience wasn't great. I was thinking of doing it for a MIJ San Dimas I had gotten so I looked into it and found out there is a machine in Sydney so I organised to drop it in while I was in town for a couple of days. They did great to fit me in but delivered a guitar in a playing condition you didn't need a Plek machine to achieve.

I brang them a Charvel, told them I love low action and I have a light touch and that I like the board as flat as possible.

They pleked it but it had a ton of backbow, which is not what the Plek is about, you can setup a crap guitar with a lot of backbow and play if you like it like that.

I have since had a fret level done here again after adjusting the neck back up and I'm still playing with it. This is the guitar I mention in my thread about modding the truss rod adjustment for. I can now play with the setup easily so will work on it this week.

If I didn't live so far from the shop I would have not accepted it, but I was on a deadline and just needed to get the guitar back. They were also going to do a Pro install of a Tremol-No for me but expressed concern that it may not work, so I was like, yeah, please don't do that after all.

Basically I won't be going there ever again for anything!!

They did have a cool Ninja Turtles Soloist with flip flop inlays behind the counter when I was dropping off. Gone when I came back. Belonged to some collector they knew. I think it had been water damaged, not sure now.

[toejam]

The Plek is awesome I'm sure but my experience wasn't great. I was thinking of doing it for a MIJ San Dimas I had gotten so I looked into it and found out there is a machine in Sydney so I organised to drop it in while I was in town for a couple of days. They did great to fit me in but delivered a guitar in a playing condition you didn't need a Plek machine to achieve.

I brang them a Charvel, told them I love low action and I have a light touch and that I like the board as flat as possible.

They pleked it but it had a ton of backbow, which is not what the Plek is about, you can setup a crap guitar with a lot of backbow and play if you like it like that.

I have since had a fret level done here again after adjusting the neck back up and I'm still playing with it. This is the guitar I mention in my thread about modding the truss rod adjustment for. I can now play with the setup easily so will work on it this week.

If I didn't live so far from the shop I would have not accepted it, but I was on a deadline and just needed to get the guitar back. They were also going to do a Pro install of a Tremol-No for me but expressed concern that it may not work, so I was like, yeah, please don't do that after all.

Basically I won't be going there ever again for anything!!

They did have a cool Ninja Turtles Soloist with flip flop inlays behind the counter when I was dropping off. Gone when I came back. Belonged to some collector they knew. I think it had been water damaged, not sure now.

But was the fretboard laminated on that one, Vic?