plek by Marz Guitars

Plek: Timeline

1986-

Gerd Anke begins to setup guitars by hand

1988 -

First attempt to automate the setup and fretdress process , at first purely mechanically

1990 -

First computer program to control the mechanical devices

May 90 -

Gerd Anke and Michael Dubach founded the first company named PLEKTRON in with residence in Anke's apartment in Berlin-Kreuzberg, one employee

1993 -

Company renamed plek, the first shop in Berlin-Neukölln servicing customer instruments with a functioning trial machine

1997 -

Registration as patented design

Jan 98 -

Founding of plek Gitarrentechnologie GmbH, 3 employees

98/99 -

International patent registration and development of a ready to go into production plek basic prototype

2000

First presentation of the plek basic at the Frankfurt Music Fair

00/01 -

The first plek basic is taken into service outside of Berlin at Art of Sound, Cologne ; more shops follow (among others in Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Saarland, Berlin)

2001 -

The first plek basic is taken into action outside of Germany at Chandler Guitars, London, UK

2001 -

Presentation of the plek basic at the Summer NAMM in Nashville/TN, USA

2001 -

First plek basic sold (Glaser Instruments, Nashville/TN, USA)

2002 -

Founding of A+D Gitarrentechnologie GmbH, eight employees

02/03-

Further work is done on the development from plek basic to plek pro

Dez 03-

First use of the plek basic in guitar production (Heritage, Kalamazoo/MI, USA)

Jan 04-

Introduction of the plek pro at the Winter NAMM in Anaheim/CA, USA

Feb 04-

First plek pro sold (Glaser Instruments, Nashville/TN, USA)

04/05 -

Development of the sts, a String Tension Simulator, for the plek pro

2005 -

First use of the plek pro/sts in guitar production (Gibson Custom Shop, Nashville/TN, USA)

2006-

First plek pro/sts sold to the Asian market (Takamine, Japan)