# New Agile AL-3000M



## thechamp96 (Jan 16, 2008)

Well, it's finally here. My new Agile AL-3000M with a slim profile neck. This thing is a beauty! Arrived in perfect condition from Rondo Music. This thing plays like a dream and sounds even better. :banana:





























Here are the specs:

3/4" thick maple cap improves overall sound quality (increases brightness of the guitar) 
Neck Taper (thickness) at the first fret is 17mm and 21mm at the 12th fret. (vs: 21.5 mm at the 1st fret and 23.5mm at the 12th fret for the standard AL-3000 model) 
The Maple cap sits over the 1 1/2” 2 piece solid Mahogany body (yes, even the black guitar has the maple cap) 
Improve bridge (Gotoh GE103B-T) and tail (Gotoh GE101AM-T). Both in nickel. 
Triple bound body, neck, and headstock 
Improved Nickel plate hardware, including Nickel die-cast Grover tuners with 18-1 turning ratio for ultra fine tuning (Model 102-18N) 
Two Type V Alnico humbucker pickups for warm, tradional sound 
The AL-3000 now comes with improved wiring (single conductor braided 18 gauge American wire for pickups), improved pots (now higher voltage with brass shafts for reduced noise) and an improved pickup selector switch 
Two volume and two tone controls, plus a three way pickup selector switch 
One piece Mahogany set neck with 13.7" (350mm) radius neck for fast play and adjustable truss rod 
Ebony fretboard with 22 Jumbo frets and real Abalone Trapezodial inlays 
The AL-3000 features GHS strings installed at the factory and a professionally cut bone nut 
A pre-cut graphite nut is also included in the bag with the trus rod adjuster for those who prefer graphite 
Individually hand filed frets for professional feel and playability 
Width of the neck at the nut: 1 5/8"; at the 21st fret: 2 3/16" 
Overall length: 40"; Scale length: 24.7" 
Body thickness: 2" at edge; Width at the widest point: 13" 
Bridge pole spacing is 3", and the Tail piece pole spacing is 3 1/4" 
Actual Weight is only 9.5 lbs


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

She looks pretty good. i was checking their website, maybe you checked, so will ask....but what are the major difference between the 2000, 2500 et 3000 series?...and how much did it cost with taxe and shipping?...

Thanks


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

al3d said:


> ..but what are the major difference between the 2000, 2500 et 3000 series?...and how much did it cost with *tax and shipping*?...


Differences are outlined in Spec Comparison Sheet: http://www.rondomusic.com/alspec.html 

Shipping, taxes and brokerage are always a minor obsession of mine.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

thanks for the chart...now price is nice, but if it cost 150$ of shipping and duty fees..that's another thing.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

al3d said:


> thanks for the chart...now price is nice, but if it cost 150$ of shipping and duty fees..that's another thing.


Found this on their eBay site:

_Attention Candian Customers will charge all customs and brokerage charges up front. Nothing further is due upon pickup. The price quoted on ebay is your final price! Currently we are using Fed Ex for Candian Shipments_


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Got a link to the ebay store?


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

al3d said:


> Got a link to the ebay store?


http://stores.ebay.ca/Rondo-Music-O...s_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ3QQftidZ2QQpZ2QQtZkm


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## thechamp96 (Jan 16, 2008)

That spec chart is a life-saver but be aware that the specs tend to vary from time to time as new stock comes in and old stock is sold off.

This guitar is the 3000M (3/4" maple top) slim taper neck which doesen't seem to be available anymore on the Rondo site but may pop up again soon. There seems to be a fairly steady turnover of stock. Also note that you can e-mail Kurt at Rondo music and request quotes for custom-made guitars at very fair prices (from what I've heard).

As for shipping/border fees, you're quite right about the charges being posted up front. I had my guitar shipped in a ridiculously heavy aluminum flight case. Because of this, FedEx rounds up the weight of the guitar and case to 30 lbs because of the awkward dimensions of the case (even though it actually only weighs about 15 lbs). Even still, the total additional costs of shipping/brokerage/etc was ~$90.00 (this would be less if you ordered a lighter and more sensible case :smile. The shipping cost seems pricy relative to the cost of the guitar, but in reality the whole package is an exceptional value. Even the heavy duty flight case, which cost only $80 was a steal. All in all, it took about 6 days to get here from Rondo's store in NH to my door in Ottawa.

If you are seriously interested in making the purchase, I would suggest that you consider the AL3000 series over the AL2XXX series. The 3000s aren't much more expensive but they offer a lot of nice little perks (most of which are cosmetic, but a few that will affect the sound and playability).


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Looks nice.

Just out of curiosity, how do these guitars compare to an Epi? The prices are ridiculously low.


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## thechamp96 (Jan 16, 2008)

Milkman said:


> Looks nice.
> 
> Just out of curiosity, how do these guitars compare to an Epi? The prices are ridiculously low.


I think that most folks would tell you that in terms of the features and materials used, the Agiles (especially the 3000 series) are head and shoulders above the Epiphones. However I know there are some hardcore epiphone fans out there and some Epi LP models are pretty good quality.

What originally drew me to the Agiles (aside from the great reviews I read on the net) is that they use high quality materials (e.g., ebony fretboard, real abalone inlays, Canadian flame maple tops, solid high quality mahogany backs and necks, Grover tuners, gotoh hardware). The pickups in my Al-3000M are much nicer than I expected, but definitely do not compare to Gibson pickups but may be equivalent to or slightly better than the pickups in the Epi LP standards. If this guitar is any example, the build quality is exceptional as well and the fit and finish was perfect (it even arrived in tune!). 

I bet the craftsmanship can be a little hit or miss depending on the guitar and I may have gotten lucky. PLUS there is always the risk of getting a "lemon" when you order over the internet (Rondo is the only distributor of Agile guitars in North America - to my knowledge). 

The biggest piece of advice that I can offer is to make sure you order the guitar from Rondo in a good quality case - I've read horror stories of guitars arriving in no case being poorly packaged and having gouges, damaged hardware, broken necks, etc. When you order a case, Rondo automatically ships the guitar in the case for you and packages the case in bubblewrap and cardboard.


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Wow, great one! They will probably grow up in prince since they are that great lookin' and quality instruments!
Nice axe have fun with it!


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## thechamp96 (Jan 16, 2008)

Ti-Ron said:


> Wow, great one! They will probably grow up in prince since they are that great lookin' and quality instruments!
> Nice axe have fun with it!


Thanks! Actually you're right - word on the street is that prices are expected to go up 5 to 10% for most of Rondo's products. Still great value though.


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## Tarl (Feb 4, 2006)

Very nice looking instrument.....

:rockon:


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

+1 on everything you said. Agiles are amazing guitars. Shipping can be a bit of a pain and always get a case from Rondo (if they are in stock). The best deals are to find a used one in Canada. I still cannot believe no one has jumped on the Cool Cat I am selling, but part of me wants to keep it anyway! 

TG




[email protected] said:


> I think that most folks would tell you that in terms of the features and materials used, the Agiles (especially the 3000 series) are head and shoulders above the Epiphones. However I know there are some hardcore epiphone fans out there and some Epi LP models are pretty good quality.
> 
> What originally drew me to the Agiles (aside from the great reviews I read on the net) is that they use high quality materials (e.g., ebony fretboard, real abalone inlays, Canadian flame maple tops, solid high quality mahogany backs and necks, Grover tuners, gotoh hardware). The pickups in my Al-3000M are much nicer than I expected, but definitely do not compare to Gibson pickups but may be equivalent to or slightly better than the pickups in the Epi LP standards. If this guitar is any example, the build quality is exceptional as well and the fit and finish was perfect (it even arrived in tune!).
> 
> ...


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

By curiosity, how can you compare it to a real Les Paul? Is it the same type of sound? Or can we get really near of it?


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## thechamp96 (Jan 16, 2008)

Ti-Ron said:


> By curiosity, how can you compare it to a real Les Paul? Is it the same type of sound? Or can we get really near of it?


The stock pups on the Agiles are actually pretty good, but they don't come anywhere near the quality of the Gibby LP pickups. BUT for the price, it is excellent value because you can choose an Agile that has the materials that mimic the sound of the LP model you like best, and you can always replace the electronics on the Agiles. The quality of the woods and hardware used are pretty darn close to a Gibson, but at about 25% or less of the cost. I'm really pleased with it, although I suppose if I had the cash, I would still consider buying a Gibson, mostly because of the name!!


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Thats a nice looking guitar - I actually like the headstock shape. 
If you had bought a Les Paul Classic, you'd have been replacing the pickups anyway. Those ceramic jobbies (496R and 500T) are awful. 



[email protected] said:


> The stock pups on the Agiles are actually pretty good, but they don't come anywhere near the quality of the Gibby LP pickups. BUT for the price, it is excellent value because you can choose an Agile that has the materials that mimic the sound of the LP model you like best, and you can always replace the electronics on the Agiles. The quality of the woods and hardware used are pretty darn close to a Gibson, but at about 25% or less of the cost. I'm really pleased with it, although I suppose if I had the cash, I would still consider buying a Gibson, mostly because of the name!!


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## thechamp96 (Jan 16, 2008)

Some of you folks might be interested an on-going discussion about Gibsons vs Agiles over at the Agile guitar forum: http://www.agileguitarforum.com/viewthread.php?tid=7066


Keep in mind that some of the opinions will be biased towards Agiles, so take them with a grain of salt!


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