Agile AL2500

You know if you read any others here. All good stuff & typical of a les paul style. Maple & mahogany, set neck, grovers, binding everwhere.
Emg 81 & 85 combo pickups.
Blue flametop tribal...real nice!

Unamped it is very dark sounding due to the 12 lbs of mahogany in the beast.
It has emg active pickups which scream thru most any decent amp. I use it thru 2 bagera tube heads & thru a crate gt3500 slaved to a randall rh200sc power section.(practice rig & saves my tubes}
Metal...!

I had to do some neck adjustmens & run a radius block down the neck a few passes as it had 2 high spots on 2 frets at the 14 frte on the b string & the 15 on the a string. After doing so it is the best playing guitar , easily on par w/ any gibson I have owned (6 in all).
I give it a 7 prior to my work... a 9 after.

This guitar weighs near 12 lbs & kills small mammals at close range. If you can`t gig w/ this ... YOU are an *******!!
I still would not drop it from a 10 story building or gig w/ out a case but it is a tank none the less.

Kurt is the man. He gives us a great line of products for a low cost by comparison.

30 years of playin`. Have owned 60 or more guitars( thanks ebay!?). Lots of amps & gear.

Relevant to this axe for a referance:
2 gibson lespaul studios
1 Gibson lespaul standard
1 esp ltd ec 1000
This agile cost half what the esp cost, 1/4 of what the studios cost & 1/9 of what the standard costs...
...and I **** you not!
The Agile eats the ESP`s lunch.
It is a better made better playing guitar than the studios.
It can go toe to toe w/ a standard all day !!
Keep in mind maybe I got a real nice agile on a good day or maybe all 3 gibsons I had were lemons( not likely) but know this...
If you pay $2300 for a guitar it should be flawless !
If you pay $1300 it should have level frets !
If you pay $900 you do expect quality...

If you pay under $400 you dont expect it to be a better guitar than the above...however it is.

2008 B stock AL2500 Tribal Green
Cost: $149.00
Made in Korea
Veneer Green Matched Quilt top (very dark)
2 volume, 2 tone 3 way switch, H/H
Tune-O-Matic Bridge - gold hardware
The pups are low-medium output and a bit dark sounding
Mahogany body, 2" maple cap with maple quilt veneer on top
Neck Maple with 22 medium frets W/Rosewood fretboard and pearloid inlays
Single cut style - like a Carvin/PRS/Gibson style
Grover 18:1 tuners, graphite nut, 25.7" scale
Back is transparent green as well as neck
headstock black with Pearloid Marquee

Guitar has good resonance, pickups will be replaced soon - they are a bit low output for me, and they're gold - I really dispise gold hardware
Guitar is noise free, even with low output pups I can still eek out pinch harmonics, but my mistakes show up with low output pups. The neck pups is nice.

Lowered the action....tightened the stop tail for tighter response, done - heven't even intonated it yet. No fret buzz anywhere.

Guitar is spot on. The green quilt top is very dark - I like it, kind of a black green. Match looks good.

No noticable flaws - the porduction of these guitars is really quite good. Two piece mahogany body.

Guitar has a dent by the input jack (hence the $100.00 discount) but its not in any way on a place that matters to me.

Controls were good - but gold knobs, I'm not fond of gold knobs.

Gold hardware - not fond of gold hardware either.

I bought this because I know this guitar is SOLID. the Agile AL series, especially the AL2000/AL2500/AL2800 are superior guitars for their consistency and how they just stay in tune.

Hardware is gold and will be yanked - not fond of gold. I have other Agiles and that's why I bought this one.

strap buttons will be replaced with strap locks - I just like them

Can be depended on absolutely

I could gig without a backup but what's the point? I buy the Agiles to play, swap for tunings, and enjoy multiple guitars for different songs.

Rondo - they rock - I sent another back the other day and they already refunded my money. Sent it back because they sent me a lefty instead of a Righty - no problem, no compaints and no issues.

Haven't needed to get it repaired but have had to replace a few others and rondo replaced very quickly

Been playing since 1980, own 16 guitars from Ibanez, Fender, Agile and Washburn, a Marshal JCM2000 DSL50, Peavey Ultra Plus, 2 4x12 cabinets and assorted pedals.

If stolen - I'd buy a new one.

I love ther playability and solid feel of the 25.7" scale and the neck.

I have gold hardware! Wish it was wider - 1 11/16" - big hands need wider fretboard for open chords. Really like the dark green quilt

chose this guitar because it was a B stock and cheaper - I tend to dent my guitars anyway.

Wish these guitars had four conductor pickups and coil tap volume/tone swtches.

the Agile AL series guitars are great - the AL2000/Al2500/AL2800 have maple necks which make them slightly brighter and tighter sounding than the AL3000 with the Mahogany necks, more like the Gibson. Personally I've growen to like both options and love the price point of these guitars. the only issue I have is that I can't play evey one of my Agiles at each sitting - they take too long.

You guys know the specs, so I won't go through all of that. I have a 2005 model with a flat black finish (actually alot better looking than the picture that was on the website, I was surprised) Has a humble beauty to it.

Sounds great. I think it could do about any kind of music. Pickups are surprisingly good for a 250$ guitar. I play mine through a 76 Fender Vibro Champ with a Metal Muff and a Weeping Demon Wah. Gives me a great sound.

It was set up decent, I of course had to do some adjustments being the perfectionist I am. Hardware is beautiful. Finish is good too, but not without it's flaws. There's a tiny dot of paint about the size of a pinhead on the back (barley noticeable). I can also see the seam on the back where the two pieces of wood meet. In unnoticeable areas the paint can straggle onto the binding a minuscule amount, nothing major enough to steer you away from the guitar. Overall it's still an extremely beautiful guitar.

Very sturdy and heavy (like a Paul oughta be). Hardware seems to never give on me. Finish seems sturdy also. I could gig away with this guitar with no worries.

I guess I have a warranty on it, never really thought of returning it. I did email RondoMusic about the picture they had on the site. The pickup selector switch was creme in the picture, but the one on my guitar is black. They offered to exchange the guitar for me! Very nice people. A+ and 12 gold stars to them.

Overall a great moderate priced guitar. If it were lost or stolen I would definitely buy another. Surpasses any Epiphone I've ever tried in the same price range.

This is the Albino model of the Al-2500, Agiles low end LP copy. The body is solid mahogany top with a natural finish. It has a 22 fret maple neck with block inlays. Tune-o-matic bridge, jumbo frets, and Grover tuners. I had expected on a guitar in this price range to change out the pickups but I was quite happy when the stock pups (wax potted humbuckers) sounded great out of the box. It has two volume and two tone controls. The guitar was made in Korea. The price was $269.00.

I am running thru a Avatar half cab using Vintage 30 speakers, and a 75 watt Line 6 Spider two head. I play mostly old school metal and it handles the sound just fine.. having the classic LP chunky sound.

It came set up pretty well out of the box, but I took it to Wild West Guitars in Riverside, Ca. and had it set up the second day I had it. The tech said it didn't need much tweeking but he reradiased the Tune-O-Matic bridge to match the neck, shimmed the nut, and did a slight adjust on the truss rod.. the intonation was spot on when he was finished. Wild West handles high end guitars and he commented on how nice the frets were comparing them to much more expensive guitars.

The finish was nearly flawless, with only two slight blimishes.. one on the side and one on the back in the clear coat.

The only problem I had was the plastic tip on the pickup switch was broken in shipment. Kurt at Rondo Music shipped a new one out which I got in less than a week after getting the guitar.

It seems very sturdy, built like a tank. I would gig with this without a backup easily. The strap buttons were fine but I switched to Duncan locking buttons as soon as I took it out of the box. The finish looks durable but the pick guard scratched easily.

My contact with Kurt at Rondo was first rate. He responded to my emails within hours of my sending them. I am very satisfied with their customer support.

I have been playing less than a year. My only other guitar is a Epi Special Two. If this guitar was lost or stolen I would certainly buy the exact same guitar again. I love everything about it and hate nothing. I can not recommend Agile guitars more highly. I compared it with Epiphone Les Pauls, Gibson faded Les Pauls, PRS SE's, and a few others.. for the price you simply can not beat this guitar. It blows the low end Epi's out of the water and is every bit as good the Gibson and PRS. The tech at Wild West said if this guitar was made in the states you couldn't touch it for less than a grand.

By far the most impressive thing about the Albino is its looks.. I know looks are subjective.. but it is just stunning. How can a guitar in this price range look so good...

I also want to comment on the case I got from Rondo. It only cost $60 and is much nicer than the $120 SKB case I got from Guitar Center for my Epi.

I have a 22 fret, pearl white agile al2500 with tremolo. I bought it on ebay in 2006 because as soon as I saw it I thought it was the most beautifully laid out and finished guitar I had ever seen. there are two volume and two tone knobs and a pickup selector, as well as some good looking inlaid fret markers. the guitar is all one piece with a solid build and a built in neck. beautiful.

this guitar is crunchy! right out of the box it has a pretty solid sound. although if you want brite you really have to set everything to the most "treble" because it has a fat sound in any other setting, which is good if your a rythym guitarist. either way you can get a broad range of sounds. not a legendary sound by any means but definetly a quality one. havnt noticed any noise, it fits my style perfectly.

the reason i bought this guitar was, i know its shallow, for its beautiful look. this is without a doubt the most flawlessly beautiful guitar i have ever seen. pearl white, no flaws, this guitar just glows. it looks as good or better straight out of the box than many $5000 guitars, for less than $300. no problems at all that i could find, and worth every penny as far as im concerned.

this thing is rugged, definetly designed for being played in show settings. the only complaint i have about it is that its friggen heavy! 10 pounds, you could probably drop it off a building and it would survive. very solid guitar i have and will continue to play it in shows.

never had to deal with them. guitar has had no problems

Ive been playing seriously for maybe five years now. I have four guitars, one classical one acoustic and two electric and each have their own unique sound. I would not trade any of them for anything, therefore if my agile was stolen i would hunt down whoever stole it. I would never lose it. dollar for dollar i think this is the best all around value guitar you can get for under $500. I would reccomend it to anyone..

2005 Black AL-2500 Les Paul shape with 3 gold covered pickups. All the other stuff has been covered in detail.

The sound on this guitar is as full as the stock Gibson Les Paul sound (and, yes, I've played 'em - a lot - I've been playing almost 3 decades...just an FYI). I personally like a lot more 'chunk' in my bridge position, so, just like on my sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard - I switched out the bridge pickup for a Gibson Iommi....magnificent (pinch harmonics, tapping, shredding...the sound is brilliant! [for me...remember 'your' sound is 'your' sound]) The remaining two stock Agile pickups are fine and do not create unwanted feedback.

I must say, I love the feel of this guitar so much that after changing the pickup in the bridge I had a professional put in new wiring & pots (to include a push/push for the middle pickup)...cost $80 (wiring) + $100 (p/u) - result=Priceless! (rated a 9 for stock sound - but an 'eleven' with the new Iommi p/u, wiring/pots.)

...this is where I have to laugh at price/name brand snobs (like Chris below).... A $275 guitar can, and has (numerous times now-a-days) surpassed the set-up and, unfortunately, quality control of a $1000+ guitar (I'm talking Gibson - resting on their name for the last few years). The action was as good as any I've played or previously owned. The fit was excellent and the finish exemplary (my rhythm guitarist $4000 Ace Frehley limited edition Gibson Les Paul has many flaws and does not play any better).

This guitar has and, I'm sure, will continue to be gig-worthy. It's a bloody tank! The hardware is solid, the finish deep, and electronics (especially now that I had them upgraded) wonderful (I can't speak for the stock wiring, but the pickups and switch were just fine). I replaced the strap buttons as the stock are quite large, but, I'm an active guitar player and this heavy beast needed more to keep the strap in place. For a non-'jumper' the straps are just fine.

no need!

I've been playing 28 years. I play this guitar through my Marshall Mode 4 with a 4x12 half-stack and various effects. I utilize this guitar during gigs in Drop tuning and swap it with my Dean Black and Gold flying V and my Westone Dimension IV (my beauty from the eighties) for standard tuning. My Agile is a big part of my rig and I'd have to replace it and all its components if it were lost/stolen/destroyed. I compared (and continue to compare) it to many-many-guitars and I continue to love it!!!

There are a bunch of posts, so you know the specs. Mine is a Silverburst with chrome hardware. This guitar is quite good for the money. It would be quite good for 3 times a much. Plays as good or better than 90% of the Gibson Les Paul Standards I have played. It sounds completely authentic with the stock pups. Very low action. Great all around guitar. Grovers are a big plus.

This Les Paul clone sounds completely authentic. There is nothing else to say about it. It does what it is supposed to do.

The action, fit and finish are unbelievable for a guitar in this price range. The frets are well dressed, there are no fret end issues. The nut is cut cleanly. The neck is true and the action is incredibly low without any buzz. The paint job is better than most gibbys that come out of the factory these days. The electronics and hardware are of good quality, and installation is spot on. As mentioned before, the grover tuners are a big plus. Most gibbys the days come with Klusons, and the grovers blow them away.

I would have no issues gigging with this guitar. None. I always have a basckup though.

I live about an hour from Rondo music, who seems to be the main supplier of the Agiles. I went to the store and played this one first, then about 20 more of these... They were all great... however, I wanted a silverburst. I would buy another one in a minute. The guys at Rondo were awesome... Spent time with me, and helped me pick out various guitars to try. They said if I have any issues with the guitar to bring it right back to them. A+++ service.

I began to read good things about these guitars on the Dean forum. Once my interest was peaked enough, and I found out they were being sold at Rondo's, I had to try them for myself. I am glad I did. Now I can sell on of my gibsons and buy ten more of these.. :-)

I love this guitar. Although it is made in Korea, to me it still possesses the american heritage so loved in the les paul. The two humbuckers pick up the sound great. The sunburts finish was perfect other than one little spot that u have to be looking for to find. The grover tuners hold the tuning in perfect key. I didnt buy a case, but instead went to musicians friend and ordered an epiphone les paul hardshell case, and it fit in perfectlly.

Its got the great grungy sounds that the lp possesses. Does a great job at reproducing the great Jimmy Page sound.

I have no problems with the action at all. the neck is a little bigger, but thats what comes with the lp styling.

I would trust any gig with this guitar. To tell you the truth, i've picked up gibsons that dont ply this well.

We did call and email the staff with questions about shipping it in cold weather, and they did help us out quickly and helpfully.

I love this guitar and would recomend it to anyone on a strict budget. I like it better than the epiphones. Overall, great guitar with no flaws.

Made in Korea, 2004. LP copy, same features as other reviews, ceramic pickups, grover tuners, rosewood fretboard, etc. Mine is black.

Play rock and blues. Well at least rock and blues riffs. I'm a very old newbie (think the guitar is a mid life crisis purchase). Anyway, suits my style fine. Am running this through a Digitech Bad Monkey pedal to a VOX AD30VT modeling amp. Guitar has plenty of sustain, sounds great when played without the amp. Can certainly get nice bell like rich full tones on clean amp models. Gets a little muddy when playing chords even with little or no distortion (perhaps my playing technique). I find the bridge pickup to be especially muddled on chords. Neck pick-up is not as bad. I've tried lots of different PU heights. The neck PU sounds fairly decent when raised up close to the strings. On strings, I changed the originals for Elixer Nanoweb strings (great improvement over the originals provided with the guitar). Have'nt been able to get a really good crunchy or chunky sound out of this guitar yet, still trying. I was thinking about upgrading to an SD 59 in the neck and SD JB4 in the bridge but I saw a post in HC forum where someone had tried this set up and couldn't tell the difference from the orignal Agile ceramic PU's.

Action was not great when I got this guitar. Took me a couple weeks to figure out why it was so hard to play notes at the first fret (newbie remember). I realized that whoever cut the nut on this guitar never really finished the job. The strings were way to high 10-20 thou to high! I ended up cutting the nut myself to lower the strings down. I might of cut one of them a bit low as I started to get a bit of buzz a couple months later when I played that string open. I've now changed out the plastic (graphite nut) for an "Ibony" bone nut from Pete's Music Center www.petesmusic.net. Bone is easy to cut and polishes up nice. Thanks Pete for the free sample blanks! Also had to file down one high fret (20th fret or there abouts, under the high E string)nothing major. On to finish=> My guitar had a number of small bubbles in the finish at the end of head stock. Was also missing a bit of black paint at the end of the headstock. I also had what I thought was a cut in the binding (now think it's just a flaw/hair in the clear coat). Guitar also had some bleeding or overspray of black into the binding but pretty minor. The rest of the guitar looks great. I e-mailed Kurt at Rondo about the flaws and he was quick to offer to replace it (see customer service). I would have given this category an 8 or 9 except for the poorly cut nut so it's a 7.

For me, this is a hobby guitar so I can't really say if it is suitable for gigs. Nothing has broken on it so far, and I've had it about a year. On the finish, you need to be real careful when you unscrew anthing (like the PU rings, or the cover to access the truss rod) from any part of the guitar that's been painted or coated as the coating pulls up or chips easily. Has good strap buttons. Haven't had any problems with the hardware.

Took very little time to get this guitar once ordered and customs cost (Canadian) wasn't as bad as I'd expected. I was planning on changing out the pickguard, three way switch and the PU rings to white/cream. While I offered to pay extra for these items, Kurt threw these in free with the order! Thanks Kurt. This is a great looking guitar, but when I first got it, I was concerned with the flaws especially on the binding. I e-mailed Kurt at Rondo, he was quick to reply and helpful. Kurt agreed to offer me a reasonable discount on the guitar (which I took). Saved the hassle of shipping it back, customs, etc. I'd also ordered loose AL2800 PU's with this guitar but Rondo shipped the ceramic PU's by mistake. Kurt was quick to refund me my money on these also. I'd say after sales service was great. Kurt was quick to reply and my dealings with him were hassle free. I wish Rondo would check their guitars a little closer before they're shipped though.

As I mentioned before, this is great looking LP copy. Even with shipping, customs, etc. the price was a good $200 CDN cheaper than what I could have gotten an Epiphone LP standard for. The neck on this guitar is nice and straight and I find it quite comfortable to play. Guitar is a bit heavy for an old guy but I'm gettin use to it. I'd consider buying another Agile LP (probably a 2800 or 3000).

made in korea in 2005. 22 frets, mahogany body with maple top. maple set-neck with rosewood fingerboard. chrome humbuckers, toggle selector, 2 volume and 2 tone controls. it has grover tuners and tune 0 matic bridge. really nice cherry sunburst finish with no flaws. binding is also very nice.

I have a Gibson LP standard and this Agile feels pretty close to the real thing. The pickups are i bit thin perhaps, but I changed the crappy factory originals in the gibson with burstbuckers. I might do the same with the agile. other than that, it plays very nice, has a really fast neck and the fretwork along the edges feels beautifully manicured.

The guitar came with a pretty decent setup, it played well right out of the box. no adjustments were necessary even though I like low action, so I lowered it a tad. the electronics are avarage but feel like they're of good quality. hardware is nice and shiny and is also of decent quality. the nut is graphite.

gigged with it a few times already. no problems whatsoever. cuts through nicely. nice big strap buttons help prevent the strap from slipping off. the guitar is very solid, about 9 or 10 pounds. So far I found it to be a very dependable instrument.

never dealt with the company. don't know about the warranty. the guitar seems solid enough and for the price I paid, I really don't care about no warranty.

this is my 16th year of guitar playing. I gig weekly and spend considerable amount of time in my home studio. All in all, I think this guitar is a great buy. The quality is very high for a really decent price. As the other reviewer said, the epiphones don't stand a chance... Sure, you can buy a gibson and yes, it will be nice, (I own one and love it) but be ready to spend 5 X as much. I definitely must say that buying this agile was money well spent.