Yes! Pino is a professional studio musician right?
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Not really but I’m with you on the pricey no frills basses.
Here’s the thing with basses from my bias experience, If you just want the great tones that’s cheap. So the price increases would come from looks and feels which is a personal thing.
Any import counterparts can sound like their Premium cousins with minimal dollars investment in upgrades. If you are willing to put effort in labor of further refining the feel you can get very close to the premium products, especially with the current trending of Fender’s American made ones.
Their American made have issues with frets from sprouting to leveling issues which should not be the case and this is all the way up to the custom shop level.
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That only works with a hardcore fanbase. Lots of manufacturers use a plek machine to avoid those inconsistencies and make sure you get value for the $$$$ you spent.
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Some do. Many, if not the majority, do not.
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Reminds me of a story Chuck Rainey used to tell. He went in the Studio to record Aja for Steely Dan, who were notorious perfectionists. They told Chuck no slapping or popping, it was over done. Chuck felt the need to slap and pop, so he turned his back and hid it when he did. I don’t see how he fooled Donald and Walter, but you can get away with it when you can play like Chuck did. For mere mortals you do what they say.
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I would have thought, more would have adopted it… Still some big names to be found in that list 
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Also a bit similar to the “producer switch” that Lee Sklar introduced 
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It seems like small companies and/ or big retailers do this.
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How does a company like Sire roll edges? If it’s not Plek it’s something very similar. Fender does it too
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Martin, Gibson and Taylor are big boys. I can’t imagine they PLEK every single neck in their expansive product lines, though, considering that a lot of their models sell at lower price points.
I noticed handmade acoustic luthiers in the PLEK owners list, and, while, they produce a hell of a lot less than the factories, each of their guitars sell for a very high price.
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Studio sounds are so narrow because producers and engineers are sticking to what work for them and familiar to everyone. Of course if you are big name like Leland Sklar they’d either request the “famous bass” or the Dingwall. A Joe Nobodey, you’d get told what to play, lol.
Recording it yourself use whatever. Joe Dart first recorded his famous “dean town” on a stingray knockoffs.
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Widi of Voice of Baceprot has this gorgeous FGN looking (don’t know if it is but has the shape) J/MM bass that she played, but on their EU tour she got a Gretsch Junior Jet and has been playing that with the J/MM on a stand on the stage as backup. Go with what is comfortable
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I agree in an assembly line production, everyone is single function, there’s no multitasking. The Cnc machine spits out bodies and necks that require very little touch for the entry level instruments. More touches more labor cost.
Yeah! Plek machine is not a cure all it’s doing about the same quality work as a competent luthier but at half the speed at best. Plus the’ s not cheap to operate the on going updates, upgrades, and materials cost is not small. To a big company the machine cost is a drop in a bucket, it’s the operating cost and training that turn them away.
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I saw the interview with Marcus Miller he mentioned something about running multiple pass at the instruments. Each pass cost extra but they don’t spend much on advertising and add the value to their customers. It came at a price though, a lot of their instruments has be on the “sold out” list for the longest time on their website, they can’t produce them fast enough.
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That’s a fact. Sire has one factory. Period. And they’re super QC-centric. That takes time.
I’m amazed at the materials, features and value they use and produce at a great price point.
Sire follows the age-old model:
“Good, fast, or cheap: Pick two.”
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The machines are REALLY expensive and still require a competent luthier to run it. I have a couple that have been plek’d in the factory, and they are nice, but nothing a qualified luthier couldn’t do by hand.
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Using a normal CNC, followed by hand sanding? That’s what Warwick does anyway.
Does a PLEK even roll edges? That’s surprising.
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Yes, I’m sure a qualified luthier might achieve the same result. However, the machine exists and it certainly adds added value, even if it only allows the luthier to invest his time in more valuable work while the machine levels the frets. Same goes for CNC and all those tools doing things that could be done by hand but aren’t anymore (in most cases).
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It would Indeed be surprising. The plek machine is used for levelling frets mainly. I’d think the rolled edge fingerboard is made using CNC and sanding.
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PLEK is a specialized CNC machine, and it performs fret work to super-precise specifications in a fraction of the time a luthier could do manually.
Time is money and precision is sellable. Both of those facts make a PLEK a very valuable tool for makers, and worth the purchase price and training time to have one operating in the factory or shop.
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