Rondo Music Agile Guitars

hicksjd9 · Post by **hicksjd9** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:07 pm

Has anyone played Agile Les Paul copies? There is a spalted maple one that is just AWESOME looking. If I had the cash, I'd buy it sight unseen just for the way it looks, but I've also heard that they really compare tonally with Gibson LPs. Can anyone confirm this? Here is the link to this beauty.
http://www.rondomusic.com/al3000natspalted.html

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:03 am

I can't comment on the Agiles. I do have an SX Jazz Bass copy from Rondo, though. Structurally, it's a pretty solid instrument. I still prefer the feel of a MIM Fender, but it's not a deal breaker for the SX. The pickups were Grade A cheese, as would be expected from an instrument at that price point. I dropped a set of Bartolinis in it, and it's a pretty cool bass.

That Les Paul is sweet looking. I didn't care for spalted tops at first, but they've really grown on me in the past year or so. I still can't get into a lot of the crazy burl tops out there, though.

hicksjd9 · Post by **hicksjd9** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 1:08 am

I love that they use ebony fretboards on most of their guitars. I prefer dark fretboards, for some reason, I've always really liked rosewood, but since I got my SG a few years back, I've been crazy about ebony. Thanks for the response, man. Where will you be living when you come back?

Tegamal · Post by **Tegamal** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:55 am

A lot of guys on the ESP boards have the 7-string ones & they say they are a really nice guitar. Probably similar to a higher-end LTD.

whitedevilone · Post by **whitedevilone** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:24 pm

At first i"m thinking $400 and plays like a Paul...no way.But to be honest the last few Gibson products i bought,both 67 reissued flying Vs,are trash and nowhere near worth the $1400 sticker price.I won't go into any detalis but i won't buy another Gibby built after 95.Thank god for my Carvin Ultra V.....it SMOKES them all.

VENTGtr · Post by **VENTGtr** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 5:01 pm

Love the look of these and they've gotten some pretty good talk-ups on msg boards.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 5:24 pm

whitedevilone wrote:At first i"m thinking $400 and plays like a Paul...no way.But to be honest the last few Gibson products i bought,both 67 reissued flying Vs,are trash and nowhere near worth the $1400 sticker price.I won't go into any detalis but i won't buy another Gibby built after 95.Thank god for my Carvin Ultra V.....it SMOKES them all.

Sadly, it seems like Gibson has been riding on their name for a while, and the quality has become very inconsistent. A lot of people aren't too hot on Gibson's current CEO, who seems to be more interested in lining the company's pockets through litigation rather than through building a quality product.

As far as Carvin, well...bassist_25 is to Carvin as Bushy is to Dean.

I own three of their basses and think that they are great pieces of Californian engineering and craftsmanship.

JD wrote:Where will you be living when you come back?

I'll be coming back to Houtzdale at first, but I'm looking to move to Indiana.

VENTGtr · Post by **VENTGtr** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 5:29 pm

Ya, it's a sad thing when you pay as much as one does for a Gib and can count on having to change tuners, pickups, etc.

As for Carvin, yep, great stuff. I use an X100B head for the most part, have a VT50 also. Best cleans in the business.

I'd like to pickup one of their gits some time.

Rob uses his Carvin bass, probably, more than any of his others.

hicksjd9 · Post by **hicksjd9** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 8:21 pm

I had an x100b for awhile. Very cool amp. Mine was the 6L6 version. I think if I had to do it over, I would get the el34 version.

I've heard great things about Carvin instruments. Take a look at this beauty. http://cgi.ebay.com/CARVIN-DC-400-AAAA- ... 2c55cfbc9c

VENTGtr · Post by **VENTGtr** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 9:59 pm

Ya, mine's the EL34 type, V.3.

The V.4 sounds like they might have cleared up the only issue I had with them, which is the overdrive side seems a bit "flubby". There are mods that can be done to resolve this, though.

I just use the cleans and one or the other floor pres and it's great.