Rondo Music, you're killing me...softly...with your nice, low-$ axes!

[Rickenjangle]

Geez, I wish I had about 2k...

I keep drooling over the nice axes they have at Rondo. I really like the Agile line of instruments...the ones that tickle my fancy are:

http://www.rondomusic.com/product698.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/product1323.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/as82012white.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/product1164.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/valkyriedoublehcwc.html

Though I'd wish the Cool Cat had a Bigsby and I'd feel goofy playing the doubleneck. All these guitars, plus a couple gig bags and a couple of cases, could be had for just under 2K.

I wonder how many pints of blood I'd have to sell to get all these...

[Don]

The Cool Cat is cool, though, you're right, it needs a Bigsby to be completely cool.

[jeru]

I've got a few guys who I jam with about every couple of weeks of so.

One of them pretty much begs me to bring my Thinline RI every time cuz he loves to play it.

He's tele-less, and I have contemplated buying him the SX blackguard Tele for his birthday or something just so he'll have a twang machine of his own.

To RJ's point though, buying one from them might well prove to be a slippery slope..

[Sage]

A friend of mine just picked up an Agile Les Paul copy, and he loves it. I'd never heard of them before... Where are they made, and by whom? I've not seen them anywhere but Rondo.

[frank thomson]

To RJ's point though, buying one from them might well prove to be a slippery slope..

i haven't bought from them, but MANY here have...and are quite satisfied

[frank thomson]

Geez, I wish I had about 2k...

I keep drooling over the nice axes they have at Rondo. I really like the Agile line of instruments...the ones that tickle my fancy are:

http://www.rondomusic.com/product698.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/product1323.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/as82012white.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/product1164.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/valkyriedoublehcwc.html

Though I'd wish the Cool Cat had a Bigsby and I'd feel goofy playing the doubleneck. All these guitars, plus a couple gig bags and a couple of cases, could be had for just under 2K.

I wonder how many pints of blood I'd have to sell to get all these...

you could prob buy into the company for $2k

[flintpunk]

Hey RJ, I'm surprised you're not all over this one...

http://www.rondomusic.com/harm3semi.html


I'm kinda partial to this one myself...

http://www.rondomusic.com/sjm62stoppbu.html

I think it would be nice to have on stage for alternate tunings. I wonder how well it will sit on a stand? You can't beat the price! At $130, it's cheaper than a good overdrive!

[Guitar_Mc]

FlintPunk,

That second one gets me.


I'm extremely happy with the guitars I've already got. I just get sucked in to that "bang for the buck" idea, as well as I love the shape of that one, and I've got it stuck in my head that I want a P90 somethin or other.

Truth is (for me), it would be cool for the stage, but I'd just end up playing my tele most of the time anyway.

[frank thomson]

i think Fezz just got one of those bloo ones

[Rickenjangle]

I do like the Harm one. I'd like a 12-string model...

[flintpunk]

Here's one for ya...

http://musiciansdiscountwarehouse.com/daclelguinwh.html

I just scored one of these for $60 and I'm on my way now to pick it up! I'll report back later.

[Kap'n]

Here's one for ya...

http://musiciansdiscountwarehouse.com/daclelguinwh.html

I just scored one of these for $60 and I'm on my way now to pick it up! I'll report back later.

Genuine GIBSON LES PAUL Strings

[NeoFauve]

Genuine GIBSON LES PAUL Strings

They don't even spec the always impressive "Grovers" on that one.

[Kap'n]

[Gravity Jim]

"Six! Six Grovers! Ah ah ah ah ah!" - De Count

[NeoFauve]

I suspect that last one is a knockoff, generic diecast of some sort.

The Lite-Brite one kicks ass!!

[flintpunk]

I guess you guys missed...

"Harmony Central Overall Rating = 10 (Highest!!)"

That's gotta count for something



Well, I picked it up and it's not bad for 60 bucks! It looks a little cheesy (fake inlays, wierd split diamond) and has a strange feel...action is a little high near the body. But the neck is a nice chunker! I plugged her in to the Silvertone when I got home and she doesn't sound too bad! The pickups are a bit hot, but I backed the volumes down and she warmed up. Definitely worth $60! I may do a good set up and give it to the kids. My 16 year old daughter thinks she needs a Paul (she got mad when I sold all mine!).

[jerryjg]

I guess you guys missed...

"Harmony Central Overall Rating = 10 (Highest!!)"

That's gotta count for something

...I read that review. "it rawks! Its my first guitar and ive been palying for 4 months. Nothing could sound better than this.It nails "Fall out Boy" tone!"

[flintpunk]

Ha! I didn't even read them, but I expected something like that!

That or "Man, I'd put this guitar up against anything out of the Gibson Custom Shop!"

[Kap'n]

If it plays well, you're already way ahead!

[tugboat]

[FrankJohnson]

nothin but a gibson is a gibson......

There are some great copies - lawsuit or not, and some awful ones.


I agree with Kap'n......if it plays wellll your ahead - money well spent.

[CzarSketch]

How have people reacted to the strat copies? are they playable? Like... no banana-necks or razor-frets? man, this could be the start of my new project guitar...

[jrgtr42]

I'm going to pick up one of the SX Strat copies soon. getting the maple neck, sunburst lefty, I'm going to do a soup-up, righty-izeing on it.
replacing electronics, nut, maybe tuners, pickguard, etx...almost everything not actually part of the body and neck.
This is peobably going to happen within the next month or so - I'll keep y'all updated on progress and thoughts.

[Rickenjangle]

nothin but a gibson is a gibson......

There are some great copies - lawsuit or not, and some awful ones.


I agree with Kap'n......if it plays wellll your ahead - money well spent.

Frank, didn't you get one of those SX basses?

Yes, only a Gibson is Gibson...and only Gibson feels it necessary to charge ridiculous bucks for a plain-color guitar. Electronics aside, how can two good pieces of mahogany each capped with a machine-carved plain piece of maple, then painted in gold really be worth two incredibly divergent prices, such as under $500 and over $1500? Are the workmen at the Gibson factory THAT much more talented, and conscientious about their craft? Does QC really play each axe for a long time? Does the Gibson logo really convey that much intrinsic worth?

[Mikey]

RJ, They don't actually carve the tops.
They press them in a steam press that molds them into shape and then glue them on top.

No machine carvers in the factory at all.

I wonder if Carvin carves there?

[rudutch]

Frank, didn't you get one of those SX basses?

Yes, only a Gibson is Gibson...and only Gibson feels it necessary to charge ridiculous bucks for a plain-color guitar. Electronics aside, how can two good pieces of mahogany each capped with a machine-carved plain piece of maple, then painted in gold really be worth two incredibly divergent prices, such as under $500 and over $1500? Are the workmen at the Gibson factory THAT much more talented, and conscientious about their craft? Does QC really play each axe for a long time? Does the Gibson logo really convey that much intrinsic worth?

If you judge by pricing on Ebay for Gibson Vs Non-Gibson....
well, yeahs

Having oned originals and copies I cannot not justify the cost difference. They do make fine instruments, though
(This would be blasphemy at the LPF and I would flamed adinfinitum)

yomv

[Rickenjangle]

...This would be blasphemy at the LPF and I would flamed adinfinitum

Sad but true.

We're talking about a GUITAR. Some nicer than others. Some more artistic. Some pretty, some utilitarian. But intrinsically they're a very nice sum of a variety of parts and materials.

Workmanship must be paid for, I guess...but the name (to me) doesn't justify the expense. I guess I've got the poor man's sour grapes disease, but I would never, ever pay $200K for a 1959 'Burst.

Anyhoo...I don't really hang that much at the LPF because I can't afford the price of admission...

[Guitar_Mc]

Sad but true.

We're talking about a GUITAR. Some nicer than others. Some more artistic. Some pretty, some utilitarian. But intrinsically they're a very nice sum of a variety of parts and materials.

Workmanship must be paid for, I guess...but the name (to me) doesn't justify the expense. I guess I've got the poor man's sour grapes disease, but I would never, ever pay $200K for a 1959 'Burst.

Anyhoo...I don't really hang that much at the LPF because I can't afford the price of admission...

But RJ, If you had the $2k to enter the LP club, you would just spend it on a bunch of Rondo Guitars.

[FrankJohnson]

I currently have two of the SX basses....one is my first one........I have had 4 of them. I have a Fender P bass, a Jazz DLX and a Jaguar......I like my SX basses. I have played a couple of the SX guitars.....I like them too.

[CzarSketch]

Frank, do you own any of the SX strat clones? What do you have to say about them?

[FrankJohnson]

No, I don't own one. I tried one of the early ones, that were really decent, and a more recent one, that was nicer. I think the Agiles are a littel nicer, but the SXs can be cleaned up and the necks are very nice. Some need fret clean up, but mine were good out of the box (the basses)

[CzarSketch]

the necks are very nice.

thats all i needed. ordering mine today!

[FrankJohnson]

thats all i needed. ordering mine today!

So.........................


Did you get it yet?


AND??????????????????????????????????????????

[DanD]

I think there's a lot to be said for the import guitars these days. I had a Swampkaster (Bill Lawrence's Korean Strat copy made with ultralight Swamp Ash) and it was a great player. They show up on the bay from time to time in the $300 range. The pups were Bill's vintage single coils and were sweet. The finish was flawless but the routing was a little haphazard. My only complaint with it was the inferior micro pots they used. I had to doctor the control cavity to fit full size pots but after the rewire it was 100%. Really a small price to pay to get the guitar right. I've had to replace pots and have fret levels done on new Gibson's so I can't say the imports issues are any worse then the American manufacturers issues.

The fret job on the Swampkaster was excellent out of the box and the pup routing was 3 single vintage style, not the pool routing some makers (Fender, G&L) resort to. Actually for the money they can't be beat. Guitar player recently had an interview with some chick playing a Jay Turser SG as her main axe. I've also played a few Turser's and they were good guitars. I'd like to play one of those funky shaped sonic blue SXs. Anywhere we can try one out or is it all mail order?

[CzarSketch]

Frank--
I was ready to hit the "buy" button and realized i'd rather muss with the CVR i'm playing with at the moment. I"ll probably order it in the next month though. no worries, i'll keep you updated!