The Plek Station

The Plek Station is a compact machine developed around the high speed, high accuracy Plek technology but which is small enoughto be used in repair shops, custom building and a range of other scenarios. It is a tool that not only performs precise fret dressing, nut slotting/shaping, bridge slotting and engraving but also helps with quality control and R&D. All of these procedures will reflect the working style and judgement of the operator, whilst at the same time allowing a far greater degree of accuracy.

The Plek Station‘s ingenious scan mechanism gives you a way of looking at a guitar’s fingerboard and frets in microscopic detail, as well as a way of working with that information. All scans performed on the machine are undertaken under string tension, either real or simulated, meaning that you see the contours of the neck and frets under actual playing conditions.This is a major breakthrough since the Plek illustrates precisely what needs to be done for perfect fretwork in any style, executes this rapidly, and delivers perfect results when the instrument is re-strung.

In repair, the station achieves superior playability and frees the technician from time-consuming and strenuous handwork. Viewing a Plek scan allows the user to decide between dressing and a partial/complete refret by showing exact fret heights and projecting post-dress results. For luthiers, the Plek Station speeds up the production process and raises the quality of instruments to an extremely high and consistent level.

Introducing the Plek Station

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Features

Plek Station features include:

  • Fret dressing and crowning in accordance with luthier instructions
  • Nut slotting/shaping at precise angles and depths to achieve optimal string action
  • Fret slot cutting
  • Nut pocket cutting
  • Saddle/Saddle slot cutting
  • Fingerboard engraving
  • “Virtual Fret Dress” technology enables work effects to be previewed before implementation

In addition to all of this, the software embedded in the Plek Station can:

  • Scan instruments to analyze fingerboard and fret-plane relief under each string
  • Identify and view problem areas
  • Preview the effects of intended work using “Virtual Fret Dress” technology
  • Compare current neck and fret-plane relief with an optimum relief curve calculated from current and target instrument specs
  • Indicate how much fret material needs to be removed to eliminate the risk of buzzing and maximize playability for the given specs
  • Plane optimum relief and fall-off into a fingerboard
  • Interpolate fret dress requirements to achieve a smooth compound radius transition along the neck
  • Calculate and combine optimal fret-plane relief contours below individual strings
  • AND much more besides

One thing that the Plek Station can’t do however is to replace the skill, experience and craftsmanship of the luthier behind the machine. We see the Plek Station as a tool to enable you to take your guitar building skills to the next level.

"The Plek is one of our most valuable assets. It's not a robot that dictates our standards; it's an interactive teammate that tirelessly carries out our instructions and allows the singular judgements that we as professional luthiers use to accommodate our client's custom needs for intonation, playability and quality of sound. I recommend the machine and the brilliant support of the Plek team without reservation."
Richard Hoover, CEO Santa Cruz Guitars