I just ordered a new guitar from Rondo music

[Cerpin Taxt]

I'm excited! :awe:

Last night I pulled the trigger on this beautiful AL-3000 Wine Red Flame LP-copy. Got it with a hardshell case, shipped, no tax for about $480.
I received the shipment notification this morning and it should be here next week.

For those that aren't aware, Rondo music's Agile guitar series are pretty well-known for their quality and tone for the price point. I've always wanted to take the plunge on one of these, and I finally decided on a little after-Xmas present to myself.

I'll take some actual photos when it arrives, if anybody is interested.

http://www.rondomusic.com/product2904.html

 

[lxskllr]

That's a nice looking guitar. Congratulations :^)

 

[Platypus]

congrats, post some clips when you get it

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

That's a nice looking guitar. Congratulations :^)

I thought so. It was actually pretty hard for me to pick my favorite from their website. Customers are really spoilt for choice with the AL-3000 series top/color options. I settled on the wine red because it just seemed to ooze sex appeal. :awe:

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

congrats, post some clips when you get it

Yeah, I'll definitely do that. I finally got my noise/hum problems mostly under control too thanks to you guys, so hopefully I can lay down some noodling on this thing. I may even have to pull out the ol' tube amp just to hear some authentic sounding gain on this guitar.

 

[Tremulant]

I picked up a AL-3100 (black w/ silver hardware) last year. I <3 it. It plays great and sustains forever. I had one minor problem with the pickup selector switch. It wouldn't register the change (and leave me with no output) until I switched it a few times. But, it only happened occasionally and has since gone away.

I originally wanted a white LP or a goldtop, but I ended up with the black because I couldn't decide on the color. I also visited the local Sam Ash and played around with the Epiphone LP studios (especially the mahogany one.. love that finish), but the Agile was a better deal.

 

[Platypus]

Yeah, I'll definitely do that. I finally got my noise/hum problems mostly under control too thanks to you guys, so hopefully I can lay down some noodling on this thing. I may even have to pull out the ol' tube amp just to hear some authentic sounding gain on this guitar.

tube amp + microphone is the way to go! :awe:

 

[StevenYoo]

yes, but will it blend?

 

[F1N3ST]

Sexy.

 

[TechBoyJK]

hopefully it plays as good as it looks!

 

[Fritzo]

WHAT???? He buys a guitar and gets a bunch of praise...I buy a mandolin and everyone gives me crap! NO FAIR!!!!


I didn't know Rondo was still around. Back in the 80's they used to make department strore quality instruments along with Cort and a few others. What's funny is those cheapo makers turned into excellent value manufacturers. The flame on that wood looks beautiful.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

tube amp + microphone is the way to go! :awe:

I am gonna have to pick up an SM57 and a short stand. I'm kinda curious about it anyway, because I found that a lot of the noise I was getting in my guitar signal when recording direct was coming from my mixer. Right now it's out of the series. I haven't tried the mic pre's on it though. Hopefully they're not too bad, otherwise I'll have to unload that mixer in exchange for some other pre-amp interface.

 

[Platypus]

I am gonna have to pick up an SM57 and a short stand. I'm kinda curious about it anyway, because I found that a lot of the noise I was getting in my guitar signal when recording direct was coming from my mixer. Right now it's out of the series. I haven't tried the mic pre's on it though. Hopefully they're not too bad, otherwise I'll have to unload that mixer in exchange for some other pre-amp interface.

The SM57 is a decent all purpose mic, its what I used on every recording in my signature. Those are all live mic'ed guitar parts coming into a dedicated mic pre that connects to my laptop.

I would get yourself a nice mic pre that can handle two mics and do a combination of a dynamic like an sm57 and a condensor or a ribbon.. record in stereo. Live micing is the way to go in my opinion, I have yet to find a direct in solution that sounded as good.

Then you get a whole new set of variables to play with like mic positioning and getting two mics to play nicely, etc :awe:

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Sexy.

hopefully it plays as good as it looks!

I wonder if there are any laws on the books about having sex with musical instruments in Washington state. :hmm:

WHAT???? He buys a guitar and gets a bunch of praise...I buy a mandolin and everyone gives me crap! NO FAIR!!!!

Yeah, but did you mandolin look as sexay?? :awe:

I didn't know Rondo was still around. Back in the 80's they used to make department strore quality instruments along with Cort and a few others. What's funny is those cheapo makers turned into excellent value manufacturers. The flame on that wood looks beautiful.

I've been browsing around other guitar forums where users submit their photos of their actual guitars, and from the looks of it, Rondo delivers as advertised. There are even some vids on YouTube with side-by-side comparisons to real LP's that make me very confident about my purchase.

 

[sjwaste]

I bought an SX bass from Rondo a few years ago. For $120, it's very nice. I still can't believe how little I paid for something made that well -- especially because it's hard to fix fit and finish once you own it. The pickups are kind of cheap, but again, easy to replace. The fact that the frets are even, fingerboard is flat, strings don't buzz against anything, etc made it worth well more than the money I paid.

I have my eye on an Agile like yours, but I haven't yet hit the order button.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

The SM57 is a decent all purpose mic, its what I used on every recording in my signature. Those are all live mic'ed guitar parts coming into a dedicated mic pre that connects to my laptop.

I would get yourself a nice mic pre that can handle two mics and do a combination of a dynamic like an sm57 and a condensor or a ribbon.. record in stereo. Live micing is the way to go in my opinion, I have yet to find a direct in solution that sounded as good.

Then you get a whole new set of variables to play with like mic positioning and getting two mics to play nicely, etc :awe:

You're giving me G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome). :awe:

 

[Platypus]

You're giving me G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome). :awe:

I know GAS too well lol, that's how I ended up with 9 guitars

 

[MichaelD]

Congratulations! Rondo really does sell decent quality instruments at really low prices...as Sjwaste so well described, as long as the instrument is physically healthy and set up correctly, it will play well and sound good.

Good luck and I hope it's a good one for'ya!

 

[spacelord]

Looks like a beaut! I have an Epi LP that looks alot like that, Wine Color Also. I put some Made in USA Gibson Humbuckers in it.. and it is a serious beast now.
Enjoy your new toy!

 

[Jesusthewererabbit]

I know GAS too well lol, that's how I ended up with 9 guitars

Don't start building them. It gets even worse.

 

[Cyco]

Nice! Making me jones for a new guitar.

 

[nutxo]

Congratulations! Rondo really does sell decent quality instruments at really low prices...as Sjwaste so well described, as long as the instrument is physically healthy and set up correctly, it will play well and sound good.

Good luck and I hope it's a good one for'ya!

From what I understand rondo has thier own luthiers that inspect and set em up before they are sold.

 

[TheVrolok]

Very pretty.

 

[jemcam]

I know GAS too well lol, that's how I ended up with 9 guitars

Yeah, I know. I just bought guitar # 7 last weekend. I found a Mexican Tele for a deal too sweet to pass up. I never owned a tele before and I really like it.

My favorite guitar #1 guitar is my Reverend Roundhouse though. It gives Les Paul sounds for about half the price of one of the premium Gibsons and it has a nice flame maple top with a faded sunburst finish. Just slightly less than one of the worn mahogany LP's and the quality and finish of that instrument will stand up to (or exceed) Gibon's custom shop instruments.

If you or anyone are ever Jonesing for a new axe, check out Reverend. http://www.reverendguitars.com/

 

[dwell]

Saving up for a true Gibson Les Paul. My '04 Korean Epi Goldtop RI beats out of most clones including other Epis, but my next humbucker based guitar will be a LP.

LP + Marshall = Rock