Agile Guitar Forum - - another one of "what guitar should i get?" threads...

Not logged in [Login - Register]

Agile Guitar Forum » Agile Guitars » General Discussion » another one of "what guitar should i get?" threads...

Printable Version | Subscribe | Add to Favorites

Concerned

Member

Posts: 7
Registered: 26-7-2010
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 01:34 PM

another one of "what guitar should i get?" threads...

Hey, so. I have had a few guitars, i like to tinker with guitars now, and right now I have an ampeg amg1 with p90 in the neck and dimarzio dp154 in the bridge. I love that thing, but I want a double humbucker guitar because...because...because I want another guitar :ugh:

Anyways, I'm kinda on a budget now, so I would try to spend as little as possible and with the best price quality ratio. So, my options are

Agile al2000, seems the cheapest, 250 bucks, but i've heard that it has issues with fretbuzz, and the pickups are not that great, I'm not handy with the fretwork, so I will have to give it to a tech to file the frets, +new pickups and that will bring me into the range of 400 dollars :eek3:

So, that means I will go into the price range of...

Agile al3000, that looks sweet, and I love the ebony fingerboard, however I would still think I'd put usa made pickups in it(im a wonnabe corksniffer haha) so, that will bring me to the range of 500...and if i add 2 or 3 hundred more I may be looking at

Epiphone Elitist/Mij Epiphone those are nice, hard to come by, but nice...but I have had a bunch of mij guitars and I just want something new, plus for that much money I can get a Gibson studio...wich is a completely different story

Or I can just get a used hwy1 strat or tele and route them for humbuckers, wich is going to be some messing around, but it may end up looking cool.

So, wich one of those options has the best price vs quality ratio and wich one will give me least trouble? Agile al3000 seems the most attractive. Well, it's made in Korea, but I've heard that today's made in Korea is tomorrow's made in Japan :x:

Plus my phone is made in Korea and I love that thing lol.

[Edited on 26-7-2010 by Concerned]

Flatline

Posting Freak

Posts: 1833
Registered: 7-8-2009
Member Is Online

Mood: A minor

posted on 26-7-2010 at 01:37 PM

this one: http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/msg/1863283508.html

diffra

Super Freak

Posts: 3001
Registered: 24-1-2009
Location: Kauai, HI
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Concerned
oops, wait a second, forum error, writing the body now, give me 5 minutes

[Edited on 26-7-2010 by Concerned]

My telepathic powers say...

http://www.rondomusic.com/al3100boundcsb.html

Concerned

Member

Posts: 7
Registered: 26-7-2010
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Flatline
this one: http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/msg/1863283508.html

I'm all over that, hopefully he's gonna ship.

Concerned

Member

Posts: 7
Registered: 26-7-2010
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by diffra

Quote:

Originally posted by Concerned
oops, wait a second, forum error, writing the body now, give me 5 minutes

[Edited on 26-7-2010 by Concerned]

My telepathic powers say...

http://www.rondomusic.com/al3100boundcsb.html

Eh, I dont like the color

Flatline

Posting Freak

Posts: 1833
Registered: 7-8-2009
Member Is Online

Mood: A minor

posted on 26-7-2010 at 01:48 PM

AL2K is best bang for your buck.

mikenelson

Posting Freak

Posts: 1210
Registered: 25-3-2010
Location: Philly Burbs
Member Is Online

posted on 26-7-2010 at 01:53 PM

How about this?
http://www.rondomusic.com/ky1cus24na.html
:bigthumb:

Douglas Shadow Pro CSB
SX SST57 Vintage Green
SX SJM

Peavey VTM120
Great deals with: Daneman

Concerned

Member

Posts: 7
Registered: 26-7-2010
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Flatline
AL2K is best bang for your buck.

really? What's wrong about 3000? and I see you have a 2000, how much work did it need to make it decently playable?

diffra

Super Freak

Posts: 3001
Registered: 24-1-2009
Location: Kauai, HI
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:00 PM

I've had a 2 and 3000. I probably wouldn't buy another 3000 -- it's just not twice the guitar that the 2000 is. For the cost of a 2000, a nice set of pickups, and whatever other upgrades you'd want to do, you're set. Sure, there are aspects of the 3000 that are better -- ebony vs rosewood fingerboard -- better nut, stock pickups, better wiring (the actual wire -- pots/caps were basically the same)... but not worth the doubling of the price, especially if you're willing to mod. If I was only interested in an out of the box guitar, i'd say 3000. But I've got probably around $350 in my 2k including the pickups, wiring harness, bridge, etc. Wouldn't trade it for anything. Okay, maybe something i could sell and get two of these.

Flatline

Posting Freak

Posts: 1833
Registered: 7-8-2009
Member Is Online

Mood: A minor

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Concerned

Quote:

Originally posted by Flatline
AL2K is best bang for your buck.

really? What's wrong about 3000? and I see you have a 2000, how much work did it need to make it decently playable?

The only thing it needed to make it playable was a string change and the action set to my preference. The frets came in great shape and overall setup was great. I swapped in a set of Guitarheads.net z-buckers, but the stock pickups are ok.

I got mine used from a fellow AGF'er, but from what I recall he didn't do anything to it other than put strings on it and play it.

nrussell23

Crazy AGFer

Posts: 7458
Registered: 30-6-2007
Location: Virginia
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Concerned
Agile al2000, seems the cheapest, 250 bucks, but i've heard that it has issues with fretbuzz, and the pickups are not that great, I'm not handy with the fretwork, so I will have to give it to a tech to file the frets, +new pickups and that will bring me into the range of 400 dollars :eek3:

So, that means I will go into the price range of...

i've owned my fair share of AL-2000's . none of them needed the frets filed. one had a slight buzz on the low E string but was easily fixed by raising the bridge slightly on that side. took 20 seconds to fix. 9 times out of 10 you won't need to file the frets on these guitars. as for the pickups, just because you've heard they aren't good doesn't mean that they actually are. pickups sounding good or bad is a matter of preference. some people LOVE the 2000 model ceramic pups, others not so much . some people love $100 EMG pickups, others not so much. know what i mean ?

hundreds of NGD (new guitar day) posts have been made on this forum by members who have bought an AL-2000. check out the search function and you'll see what i mean.

and btw, ANY guitar brand/model is just as likely to have "fretbuzz" as an AL-2000. i've played $3000 Gibsons that buzzed liked crazy, and i've picked up $15 acoustics at yardsales and they played perfectly with no buzz at all.

Founding Member Of The "Official Agile B-Stock Owners Guild"
My name is Nick and i like things. espically 7 string guitars.
http://www.youtube.com/learntoswim423
http://www.myspace.com/nicksacousticstuff

http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/7205/agiles2.jpg

Some might say, prove to me the Flying Spaghetti Monster exists. I say , prove to me he doesn't .

ScreamingYellowZonkers

AGF Contributor

Posts: 6670
Registered: 26-1-2009
Location: Beantown area
Member Is Online

Mood: It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearin' Milk Bones underwear

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:06 PM

I have a couple of AL2K's that have damn near perfect fretwork, I did pickup swaps on both of them and neither set cost me as much as you said. You can get a GOOD set of humbuckers or p90's for under $100.00 easy. And you can also spend over 100 each easy. It's your call.
I'd go with the 2K.

At first I thought I was playing the guitar, now I find out the guitar has been playing me....
------------------------------------------------------
Good deal(s) with - Perfect Stranger, gilmourjunkie, TWANG, cheeseflavor, SkaJon, johnmac99, Jinx, Tone Eee, i hate righties, ultralight23k, SteveB, BREEZECOOKIE, Crumpler, erictheviking, movedbeatle, onedaycloser, geoaguiar, weeladdie, Snarph, longingforfire
GEAR:
Zonkocaster '72 Tele Deluxe: MIM Fender Strat: Gretsch 5120: Agile Harm 12 String LPB: Agile AL-3100SE w/Bigsby: Epiphone Casino: Epiphone Dot Studio: SX SST LTD2: Douglas WF-150 (modded w/Bill Lawrence pups):: SX GG1 Jr: AL2K Goldie w/P90's: Washburn D-10: Gibson LP Studio 50's Tribute HSB
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Marshall Lead 15 Microstack w/Celestion G10's
Fender Super Champ XD w/Ragin Cajun
Fender Blues Jr w/Celestion Greenback :cool:

Founding Member of The Gold Diggers
Member of the None More Black Owners Foundation

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8998/radioagf.jpg

i hate righties

Super Freak

Posts: 2896
Registered: 16-7-2009
Location: NW Indiana/Chicagoland
Member Is Offline

Mood: cuz i'm praying for rain. im prayin for tidal waves. i wanna see the ground give way. i wanna watch it all go down.

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:10 PM

i own an al2000 (as well as having owned a valkyrie- same neck as a 2000, and a harm, same neck as a 3000) and all of them had perfect fretwork.
the al2000 pups are good, but i bought a set of 3000 pups used, and absolutley love them. they are my favorite pups ive used, compared to a seymour duncan JB/jazz set and a set of Gibson 490s.

please dont take offense to my member name. I dont really hate you..................maybe

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae76/gocubs777/DSC02341.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae76/gocubs777/DSC02245.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae76/gocubs777/DSC01656.jpg

http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae76/gocubs777/DSC02151.jpg

great deals with: Rick in Pa, Escher, ScreamingYellowZonkers, customisbetter, perfect stranger, diffra, wylde, jjegg, LauraMarie, customisbetter, jhop10, pratteman, harpmaster, BigPigDave, xer0, gilmourjunkie

Devout Worshiper of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

diffra

Super Freak

Posts: 3001
Registered: 24-1-2009
Location: Kauai, HI
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by i hate righties
i own an al2000 (as well as having owned a valkyrie- same neck as a 2000, and a harm, same neck as a 3000) and all of them had perfect fretwork.
the al2000 pups are good, but i bought a set of 3000 pups used, and absolutley love them. they are my favorite pups ive used, compared to a seymour duncan JB/jazz set and a set of Gibson 490s.

There's a part of me that still regrets selling those :uh:

i hate righties

Super Freak

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by diffra

Quote:

There's a part of me that still regrets selling those :uh:

theres a part of me that regrets passing on the last two sets to show up on ebay

it shouldnt be too hard to find some more. and if you ever get a strat...man they sound good in the bridge. better than in the AL.

please dont take offense to my member name. I dont really hate you..................maybe

Concerned

Member

Posts: 7
Registered: 26-7-2010
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:34 PM

Thank you, I will go with 200 then, and for the pickups, i was gonna get used ones, I recently bought a set of gibson humbuckers for a friend for 90 dollars, and that dimarzio pickup in my guitar, i got it used for 40 dollars. I've learned my lesson wiht new pickups when i had a strat and i got a set of brand new lace sensors, i didnt like them, and i had to sell them at a tremendous loss...thanks for your advices again. Oh, one more thing. I stripped an old epiphone standard I had, and i realized that it had a mahogany veneer on the back, but the body itself was made from some kind of a light wood, almost white and was terribly matched. Do they do the same thing on agiles, or it's all real wood? On the pictures of the 2000's backs i can actually see the lines where the pieces meet, so I guess there is no veneer on back, right? And are they really only 3 piece backs?

ScreamingYellowZonkers

AGF Contributor

Posts: 6670
Registered: 26-1-2009
Location: Beantown area
Member Is Online

Mood: It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearin' Milk Bones underwear

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:36 PM

3 piece mahogany body, I believe a veneer top, no photo top that I am aware of. All real, no plywood, pressboard, etc.

Founding Member of The Gold Diggers
Member of the None More Black Owners Foundation

i hate righties

Super Freak

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Concerned
Thank you, I will go with 200 then, and for the pickups, i was gonna get used ones, I recently bought a set of gibson humbuckers for a friend for 90 dollars, and that dimarzio pickup in my guitar, i got it used for 40 dollars. I've learned my lesson wiht new pickups when i had a strat and i got a set of brand new lace sensors, i didnt like them, and i had to sell them at a tremendous loss...thanks for your advices again. Oh, one more thing. I stripped an old epiphone standard I had, and i realized that it had a mahogany veneer on the back, but the body itself was made from some kind of a light wood, almost white and was terribly matched. Do they do the same thing on agiles, or it's all real wood? On the pictures of the 2000's backs i can actually see the lines where the pieces meet, so I guess there is no veneer on back, right? And are they really only 3 piece backs?

they are either a solid 3 mahogany piece body, or if youre lucky, a 2 piece. the top is a maple veneer. no phototops.

please dont take offense to my member name. I dont really hate you..................maybe

Concerned

Member

Posts: 7
Registered: 26-7-2010
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by i hate righties

Quote:

they are either a solid 3 mahogany piece body, or if youre lucky, a 2 piece. the top is a maple veneer. no phototops.

I don't really care about the top, but I'm more concerned with the back. So, no more than 3? that's awesome, so, I assume it is safe to get a solid color one?

ScreamingYellowZonkers

AGF Contributor

Posts: 6670
Registered: 26-1-2009
Location: Beantown area
Member Is Online

Mood: It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearin' Milk Bones underwear

posted on 26-7-2010 at 03:01 PM

You're safe getting almost any color, stain or burst. The pictures on Rondo's site rarely if ever do the actual guitar's justice.

Founding Member of The Gold Diggers
Member of the None More Black Owners Foundation

Concerned

Member

Posts: 7
Registered: 26-7-2010
Member Is Offline

posted on 26-7-2010 at 03:09 PM

Thanks a lot! I'm just afraid of getting a cheap guitar in solid color since I want to see if it's actually wood or some pressed cardboard. Thank you for the advices, I may pull the trigger on the al2000 next week then :x:

Snare227

Active Member

Posts: 115
Registered: 2-4-2010
Location: West Virginia
Member Is Offline

posted on 29-7-2010 at 08:23 AM

You won't be getting pressed cardboard based on any Agile I've seen. I've never played one that wasn't at least on par with other guitars that have been set up in shops. The worst I've played have just needed slight adjustments.

dmitri

Super Freak

Posts: 2084
Registered: 8-12-2009
Location: Marietta, PA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Fantabulous!!!

posted on 29-7-2010 at 08:41 AM

pretty well every 2k (and every guitar in fact) has needed a good setup right out the box.

that said, the 3ks are great instruments, but probably still need a good setup too.

The Stable: Agile PS100 w/ P90s (from Daneman) -- Agile AL2000 2TS w/ Rebel 90s -- Agile AL3000 CSBF -- Squier CV 60s Strat 3TS -- Squier CV 50s Strat 2TS (from GilmourJunkie) -- Alvarez Dreadnought A/E Natural -- Yamaha APX700 A/E Desertburst -- Series 10 J Bass Grey -- Line 6 Pod X3 Live -- Line 6 Flextone III XL 2x12 w/ Floorboard -- Fender Super Champ XD w/ Rajun Cajun speaker (from Jukeboxfun) -- Line 6 Spyder II 2x12 -- Peavey Bass Amp 1x15

Great Deals w/: Big Pig Dave -- GilmourJunkie -- Jukeboxfun -- Tsukiyomi -- Daneman

My Soundclick page: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=1042961

"We call a man a bigot or a slave of dogma because he is a thinker who has thought thoroughly and to a definite end... The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid. " -Gilbert K. Chesterton

Stig

Posting Freak

Posts: 1955
Registered: 7-10-2009
Location: Manchester, NH
Member Is Online

posted on 29-7-2010 at 08:59 AM

Don't overlook the 2500's. Slightly nicer appointments than the 2000, not much more money. But most of the 2500's I've seen are built as 12-strings. I'm loving mine.

The complete Aspirin Hammer albums
http://www.soundcloud.com/aspirinhammer
http://www.soundclick.com/aspirinhammer

I've been TWANGED!

Agile Guitar Forum » Agile Guitars » General Discussion » another one of "what guitar should i get?" threads...