How many Agile players we got?

[Ranbat]

I have a Valkyrie III (SG copy) in black and just ordered an AS 820 (335 copy) in natural. I had a AL-2000 P-90 Goldtop which I shouldn't have sold, but I'm gonna replace it at tax time. Who else is an Aggie player?

[giantchris]

AL-3100 Wide Neck
Red Spalted

Love it.  Absolutely love it.

[black_out]

I've been thinking about picking up on of their semi hollow bodies at tax time and throwing some bbq buckers in it. I've heard nothing but good things about Agile.

[Ranbat]

The AS 820 has ceramic 'buckers in it. I'm thinking of dropping a set of the GFS Retrotrons in it. I'll see how it sounds when it gets here.

[Pissy]

I have one, but I wouldn't say I play one.  It's a sunburst LP copy AL-3250 MAP or something.  3/4" maple top ebony fretboard, bone nut, 50's neck sorta.  Sounds fantastic, and as far as I'm concerned would be as good as any Les Paul copy.  I will say that the real LP that I have is a better playing, sounding, feeling and looking guitar.  But it ought to be. 
Mine is alot like this, but not abalone.

[VOLVO)))]

I've got an AL-3000 that I gutted electronically, and put a dream 90 in the bridge, and left all the other holes open. Plays like a dream. BETTER than my Les Paul did. It had jagged frets, a pisspoor nut job from the factory... and a broken headstock. So, the Agile, in my book, was the clear winner.

[The Riffer]

This is very encouraging. As my band gears up to start gigging again, I can't see the reason, other than impressing other musicians,to gig a expensive guitar.

Agile is getting higher on my list of replacement gigging guitars. I've gigged with Epiphone in the past, but these being even less expensive are earning rep with me.

[Ranbat]

They're made in Korea, so they're at least the same quality as the old Epiphone Korean made guitars. Sometimes they're better, or have better features at a lower price. I think the Korean stuff is just a notch below some of the Japanese stuff at this point.

[VOLVO)))]

I've been trying my hardest not to be geographically prejudiced toward any guitar. The Mexicans built all of the "USA" BC Riches from like... 85-93, and those are some of the best playing guitars on this earth. The Japanese, Matsumoku guitars have constantly been my go-tos and get the most love. The Chinese pump out those SX guitars, and impress the fuck out of me. The occasional lemon is to be expected. All those Classic Vibe Squires are chinese, too... I figure, everyone's going to be damn good at this soon enough. You can only suck at doing fret jobs, and cutting nuts for so long, you know?

[Ranbat]

Yeah, anybody can turn out junk no matter the geographical location. I think though, that when you're a manufacturer going for the lowest wage you're gonna get more duds. While the Squier stuff seems to have kept it's quality, some of the Chinese Epiphone stuff doesn't seem as good as the previous Korean made stuff. That could just be a difference in manufacturing philosophies too. What each will let pass their QC. Overall though, low budget guitars are alot better than the ones being made overseas in the 80s. There was alot of plywood being used and I think that it's more of a rarity now and that most manufacturers are using solid woods, even if it's something cheaper like basswood.

[VOLVO)))]

Plywood guitar hate bothers me. It's not hardware store plywood, it's a concoction of multiple different hardwoods, typically. Plywood has it's own cool tone, so what if it doesn't sound like Maple, or Mahogany or whatever, who gives a fuck. If it sounds good, and doesn't fall apart, what's the issue? I just think it's a negative connotation that it sounds "bad," which isn't the case most of the time. Plywood guitars are typically cheaper instruments, which have shitty hardware/electronics, shitty necks, shitty construction. Who's to say you can't make a fuckin' rockin' instrument out of plywood? Ibanez gets away with slapping 1000+ dollar pricetags on BASSWOOD bodies. I had a japanese plywood tele that absolutely ripped ass compared to most mexis, and even usa Fenders that I've played in the past. I'm just sayin', wood snobbery is a sin, don't be so closed minded about shit.

/rant

(Not being a dick, I love all of you guys.)

[Ranbat]

 I only base my opinion of plywood guitars on the ones I've owned or come across. I'm not knocking laminate hollow bodies, which are a form of plywood. Generally though, most plywood guitars were poorly constructed. The main problem I see on alot of them I repair, is that the plywood layers eventually start coming apart. Especially if they have alot of beveling. There are exceptions to anything though, and I have no doubt that you had an awesome Tele made of plywood. I don't have a hate for plywood, I just don't find it preferable. As far as Ibanez making basswood guitars, I don't find that a preferable wood choice for a guitar with a Floyd type trem system. If they are used alot, the studs tend to loosen up and the screws for the claw tend to pull out. The wood is really too soft for the kind of whammy abuse a Floyd type trem inspires.

[VOLVO)))]

Plywood guitars are like anything. I've played solid Mahogany guitars that eat dick, and were poorly constructed. Anything with shitty hardware, shitty frets, shitty electronics will pretty much be shitty. Who's to say I couldn't go out and mill my own plywood body and dump a grand into hardware and whatnot, and have a guitar that is 10X better than any Ibanez? The general consensus is that plywood guitars are usually low end instruments. This is true. I'm just saying that is isn't the plywood's fault.

[Ranbat]

 You're right though, any wood can be bad. Depends on how it was processed before it became a guitar. The plywood stuff is generally what has been discarded as low quality wood, be it cosmetic or whatever. There are special laminates that are created for certain tonalities and cosmetics. The type of wood being used for playwood Kramers, Charvels and Lotus guitars was not of the best quality. So, finding a really good one was the exception. It's all really subjective to what you want to hear tonally.

[ROWDYBEER]

what needs to be done to an al3000 as far as upgrades go. I need an in between sales guitar.

[VOLVO)))]

Not a shitload, honestly. Pots/pickups. I've seen a few lemons, I've had about 10-15 of them come through my shop. 2 out of 15 being bad. Bum posts, some dildos hardware. I'm pretty sure those Al3000s have grovers, and graphtec nuts... The al3000's have hand filed frets, and the fretwork is actually pretty damn good. On par with any guitar you can get in the 600-900 dollar range. They usually sound pretty damn good out of the box, man. I like 'em a lot.

[Lumpy]

I think maybe wood type might be overrated as far as tonal effects... the pickups are probably the most important, then maybe the bridge and how solid the neck joint is (?) Danelectro made guitars out of masonite. Les Paul's early electric guitar-building experiments were made using pickups and hardware mounted on a railroad tie.

Back on topic, 30 years ago the cheap guitars were usually worthless. Now, the formula is pretty well established, and with manufacturing standards way up (computer driven etc) the cheap instruments are much better than they were, back in the day.

[ROWDYBEER]

So I'm looking at al3000's and in the rondo music site it seems the most expensive one is like $389 but all the ones on eBay are well over $400 what's up with that?

[VOLVO)))]

Dickheads trying to get a hand-up on people with less knowledge. I've seen people trying to sell those Agiles for 600 bucks here in town. I just post a link to Rondo, and Kurt sells a few guitars every time. He's a nice dude.

http://www.rondomusic.com/al3000thrubbrq.html

This is the one that makes me stiff.

[Ranbat]

Dickheads trying to get a hand-up on people with less knowledge. I've seen people trying to sell those Agiles for 600 bucks here in town. I just post a link to Rondo, and Kurt sells a few guitars every time. He's a nice dude.

http://www.rondomusic.com/al3000thrubbrq.html

This is the one that makes me stiff.

That one is sweet. Do you actually talk to Kurt much? I was wondering why they changed the PRS looking stuff. Did they get a cease and desist letter? Because their PRS copies were way better than the PRS SE stuff, IMO.

[ROWDYBEER]

I wish I could get a neck thru with frets and nothing else. I have some nice hardware, pots, and pups. Maybe I will email Kurt.

[VOLVO)))]

I've bought a bunch of shit from him, PROTIP: He keeps every serial of every instrument that leaves his possession on file. It's really handy if your shit ever gets boosted. He's a good dude, works his hands to the bone keeping those prices down. Agile has a custom shop open for a certain part of the year, they get fucking SLAMMED every time he does it, base model is 500 bucks, and you get to choose WHATEVER the fuck you want. There used to be two neck-thru models, I think they were super limited, because, they're up at 700+ after shipping. He's really getting into doing extended scale shit, now... 8/9 strings... I've been pestering him about trying to make a finger/tap-style instrument knock off... kinda like a Warr guitar, or a Chapman stick of some sort... fat chance, but he'll take any and all suggestions. I don't think I'll ever buy a guitar, new, that isn't from him.

[VOLVO)))]

I wish I could get a neck thru with frets and nothing else. I have some nice hardware, pots, and pups. Maybe I will email Kurt.

They're all made, and assembled over-seas, I doubt he could send you a blank... That'd be fucking sick though, just pop in your own hardware, and pickups... do your own finish. I made myself a tele out of warmoth parts, and oil/wax finished it. Played like a dream, sounded like god on earth. It was my first assembly. Sold it for twice what I paid for the parts, and... miss the fuck out of it.

[DustinAR]

Got this beauty a few months back. Love it. Will probably be going with Agile for my next guitar.

[Ranbat]

That is a sweet lookin' axe! I had a P-90 Goldtop that I just dug the hell out of and now can't remember why I sold it. Hopin' the tax return comes out well and I'll buy another. Just picked up one of the AS-820 semi-hollow bodies. Lovin' it!