How to get the best playing guitar

What Plek does

What we do is best explained by our customers.

• „The Plek is a computer controlled neck scan and fret leveling machine. It can level frets to within .01 mm accuracy. This kind of precision can not be matched by doing the job by hand.“

• „Most players dream of having comfortable, smooth action on a guitar. With the Plek, the mostoptimal string action possible for any instrument can be realized. This gives the individual musicianan instrument that plays exactly the way he has dreamed of. Optimal playability on a guitar makes itsounds better with notes that ring true and clean. There is no fret buzz under normal playingconditions and the intonation problems that occur because of high string action, are eliminated. Youcan hear and feel the difference.“

- Mike Lull Guitar Works

Beyond guitar craft

Plek – an introduction

• Plek Philosophy We transform the craft of guitar and bass setup into a 21st century cutting edge precision technology process…. What has been done only based on artisan knowledge and experience over centuries can now be achieved with an accuracy and correctness unfeasible everbefore without losing the human touch.

• Plek Passion Our team is made up of diverse talents. We are engineers, luthiers, technicians, software designers and business consultants. And we all share one common passion - we respecttradition and we love guitars. We know what makes a guitar good and we know how to get the best out of any instrument. We also understand musicians because most of us are musicians ourselves.

• Plek Technology We take the guesswork out of guitar setup. Plek not only delivers diagnostictruth about the state of a guitar neck but our innovative technology is also able to precisely craftdifferent objective solutions and improvement scenarios you might not have known were possible.

• Plek Quality All our products and services comprise more than two decades of extraordinary and unique research. Our enduring dedication has led us to improve one of the guitar‘s most importantquality criteria – playability. The perfect setup is so important because it gets the best out of theinstrument and the player.

• Plek Partner Our quest is to make your good guitar even better. The perfect setup is not just theresult of an innovative precision technology process only but the combination of the players personal preferences, of feeling, knowledge, the right tools and experience.

Does your guitar play well enough?

A company of innovators

Plek History 1986 - 1999

1986 1988

Guitarist and engineer Gerd Anke starts settingup guitars

First experimentsand trials withautomatedmechanical setups

1990 1993 1998 1999

First software forcomputer-controlledmechanics

Gerd Anke and Michael Dubach launch start-up company Plektron in Gerd‘s apartment

Company changesname to Plek, opening of repair & setup shop

Plek Gitarrentechnologie GmbH established in Berlin, Germany

International patent application and development of serialproduction-readyprototype of Plek Basic

A company of innovators

Plek History 2000 – 2006

2000 2002 2003

Presentation of Plek Basic at Musikmesse Frankfurt

2001

Commissioning of first Plek Basic stations in Germany and Great Britain

Presentation of Plek Basic at Summer NAMM, commissioning of first US-based Plek Basic at Glaser Instruments, Nashville, TN

2004 2005

Development of Plek Pro

Establishment of A+D Gitarren-technologie GmbH

First operation of Plek Basic in guitar manufac-turing at Heritage, Kalamazoo,MI

Presentationof Plek Pro at Winter NAMM

Development of STS – string tensionsimulation modulefor Plek Pro

Operation of Plek Pro / STS at Gibson CustomShop, Nashville, TN

2006

First operation of Plek Pro / STS in South East Asia at Takamine, Japan

A company of innovators

Plek History 2007 – 2013

2007 2009 2010

• 20th Plek Pro machine sold

• Development of thePlek Station, the newmachine generationfor repair shops and small manufacturers

2008

First PlekStation sold

Development of a new PlekPro machine generation forguitar manufacturers

2011 2012

Presentationof the “Open String Box“, a stroboscope, showing stringmovement in slow motion

• Establishment of US-based PlekServices LLC

• First guitarrepair shopfeaturing Plek in Japan

50th Plekmachinesold

Initial start of Fret Cutter Resharpening Services in the USA

2013

Extension of Plek Berlin business premises and production facilities

The Plek Process is individual, precise and minimallyinvasiveOverview of the Plek process

The perfectsetup

1. Measurements• The Plek Scan measures neck geometry, fret height

and string action to an accuracy of .005 mm / .0002 inches

• The Plek Scan is performed under string tension to evaluate actual setup conditions

• The Plek Graphics allows visualization of results

• The Virtual Fret Dress allows simulation of multiple possible solutions to the neck relief, fret plane and radius to address customer preferences

• An optimal fret dress / setup can be achieved throughsafe evaluation of the projected results

2. Diagnosis & Decision

• With strings pulled aside* the Plek‘ing of frets/ nut/ saddle proceeds according to the parametersprogrammed

• A final Plek Scan follows restringing and the frets arebuffed

3. Plek‘ing

Plek Process Parameters Result

* not required for Plek Pro STS - productionversion

Fret dressing

Neck reliefadjustment

Nut cutting, stringheight adjustment, intonation

Personal / individual setuppreferences

Precision measurement and identification of improvement areas is critical to the perfect setupPlek View, expanded

nut

brid

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View vertically stretched, scale 50:1

fingerboard

frets

initial fret planetarget plek fret

plane*

* Target fret plane after scanning / Plek‘ing –depends on parameters entered into system, e.g. string gauge and player preferences

initial bridge height

target bridge heightinitial string setup

target string setup*schematic

Plek is an integrated leading edge setup-technology providerPlek Product portfolio - overview

Equipment Services Technology consulting

• Consumables – sales and services

• Spare parts – sales and services

• Customer support – hotline, training & assistance

• Add-ons and enhancementmanagement

• Process monitoring and diagnosis

• Maintenance – hardware & software

• Project management

• R&D support, consulting and design services

• Design, engineering and development of new profitable products and solutions

Product development

Manufacturing, process and quality management

• Process optimization, qualityimprovement and costreduction with a focus on production and R&D

• Plek ProThe new standardin guitar manufacturing

• Plek StationInnovative technology for small production and repair

Plek cuts costs, improves product quality and enhancesbrand value in addition to enabling the perfect setupPlek Technology customer benefits

• Overall increase of sales, competitive advantages and strengthening of market position

Quality improvement

Cost reduction

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• Increase of brand value through improvements of product quality and consistency

• Increase of process stability and reliability through availability of Plek Services

• Intelligent evaluation of product returns and reduction of rejects

• More cost and time effective manufacturing, quality control and R&D

• Minimization of reliance on employee specialization and avoidance of repetitive motion injuries

• Development of innovative products, processes and solutions with Plek Consultants

Plek Services offers total process and technology management

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ervi

ces

• Online & hotline support• Training• Manufacturing assistance

Consumables – sales & services

Spare parts

Customer support hotline

Add-ons & enhancementsmanagement

• Software plug-ins• Additional hardware

Monitoring & diagnosis• Continuous improvement, process monitoring &

conformance management• Preventive maintenance

Maintenance hardware / software

• Logistics & installation• Commissioning & start-up supervision

• Logistics & replacements• Care & refurbishments, life-cycle extensions

• Refreshments, overhauls• Servicing & repairs• Software updates

Consulting• Manufacturing & engineering• Process- & technology management• Product development

Overview Plek Services by segments

Instant access to Plek Expert knowledge establishes and safeguards highest process and quality standardsCharacteristics customer support hotline

Our customer support hotline is part of your quality and process management. When you buy Plek Technology you never only buy equipment but expert knowledge of people that are always at hand. We provide part of your operational excellence.Operating problems and questions can be solved in real time. Instant personal training and assistance can be provided the moment you need it. Our highly experienced staff and integrated Plek Tools like ‘remote maintenance access’ protect your daily business and ensures smooth problem solving and lean, efficient processes. We even keep a Plek Pro and Plek Station in constant standby to be able to simulate your questions. Try it - we might be coming up with a solution even before you know what the question is.

Customer support hotline

Service description

Pricing model• On demand (chargeable per hour, in increments

of 15 min)

• Annual subscription / 12 month (cancellation period 3 month); payable annually or monthly rates

• Pay-per-use for additional software plug-ins

Service availability• e-mail and telephone availability Monday - Friday

9.00 a.m. - 06.00 p.m. CET, outside inquiries are processed the next working day 9.00 a.m.

• Minimum response time

• Online support via voice over IP and remote log-in (Skype, Fast Viewer, or similar system)

• Monitoring of machine processes, incl. status messages and failure handling

Plek technology ensures customer satisfaction all overthe worldPlek References

• “The most accurate way to level and crown frets on the planet.”

• “Through the use of plek technology every guitar receives a perfect factory setup”

• “Perfectly leveled and perfectly shaped frets are guaranteed … by another ingenious germancreation – our new plek system”

• “plek … achieves consistent and extremely high quality levels. This capability is unique in today’s guitar production. ”

• “Besides achieving the highest accuracy standards [it] frees up skilled employees...”

• “Your instrument will come back to life after pleking.”

• “The plek process … allows the lowest action possible while eliminating any dead spots on the neck. Notes played produce a clearer, truer tone.”

• “Quite simply, it’s a better setup job than the world’s best tech can do by hand.”

• “Be forewarned – it’s addictive! If you have one [guitar] done, you’ll want them all done!”

• “The end products have been wonderful – … [and] relieves my tech’s from the physical damage.”

• “Our plek Pro … assures you of the most consistent and superb fret job possible.”

customer statementsmanufacturers

service & retail