Agile AL3000

This is an Agile AL-3000 CSB Flame with P90s.

# Solid mahogany arch top body
# Triple bound body, and headstock. Single binding on neck.
# Nickel plate hardware, including Nickel die-cast Grover tuners with 18-1 turning ratio for ultra fine tuning (Model 102-18N)
# Two cream covered soap bar style Type V Alnico P90 pickups
# 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
# graph tech nut
# Width of the neck at the nut: 1 5/8"; at the 21st fret: 2 3/16"
# Neck taper/thickness at the 1st fret: 21.5 mm; at the 12th fret: 23.5mm
# Overall length: 40"; Scale length: 24.7"
# Body thickness: 2" at edge; Width at the widest point: 13"

I am a big fan of P90s. Stock pickups are okay, but I knew ahead of time I was going to be replacing with Lindy Fralin P90s. Lindy and Lollar are just the best in my book. Lindy's seem a little more beefy. The tone I get is exactly what I wanted - like great single coils on steroids. Clear, articulate, no matter the volume but can wail and crunch like as good as any humbuckers.

I have no idea how consistent the quality control is for these guitars, but this one is without imperfection anywhere. Smooth and not too thick finish, the sweetest looking deepish cherry red sunburst finish as you could find. Frets all are perfectly filed and finished on the ends, ebony fretboard is smooth and consistent from end to end. Hardware is all clean with smooth edges, pots work well and feel firm and substantive.

I really could not be more pleased with the entire package and its fit and finish.

Feels substantive and well put together. That's all I can say for now.

Don't know.

I almost did not post a review because I really cringe when I read all the glowing reports of almost every guitar reviewed. I'll sound like a broken record here, I know. I have been playing 36 years and owned all manner of top guitars everyone would know if I listed them. Also some rather obscure but quite pricey one man shop guitars. This Korean made Agile AL3000 is just too good to be real. Add the Lindy Fralin replacement P90s and you have a beautiful looking, super easy playing, quality feeling, great sounding guitar, very well put together guitar. I love it. Really. If all of them are as good as his one, this has got to be the best value out there.

All of the features have pretty much been mentioned before, but here goes;
Solid Mahogany body, mine was the spalted maple top, triple bound body, Nickel plate hardware, two volume controls, two tone controls, One piece mahogany neck, Ebony fretboard, Abalone inlays, individually hand-filed frets.
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"
Neck taper/thickness at the 1st fret: 21.5 mm; at the 12th fret: 23.5mm
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 10 lbs (This seems alot heavier to hold though - as i said, it's solid mahogany).
Not much else to say on this one actually, very good specs considering the very low price.

I play pretty much anything. I do a bit of classic rock, some slightly heavier stuff. I occasionally delve into some jazz, blues and occasionally some folk also. It's just a stunning guitar for all of these types.
I play through a 15 watt Marshall at the moment but am upgrading to a Vox valvetronix 50 Watts. I play with very few effect, occasionally through the odd pedal.
It's the least noisy guitar i've owned (saying that, i've only owned about 5) but it's also the least noisy i've played.
Both pickups have a very rich and bright sound, somehow acheaiving both at the same time. I'm very impressed with the quality of the pickups on such a low price guitar, it seems as though a lot of attention has been paid to sound quality and tone. I love the way this guitar just sings whatever amp you play it through.
The guitar (obviously with effects), due to the humbuckers, can play virtually anything i throw at it. It's got brilliant rich tone for good old classic rock, and a lovely bright tone for blues - along with a deep sound on the bridge pickup for jazz.

I would love to criticise this guitar, i really would. Until i bought this, i would never have been the kind of person to go for a Les Paul style guitar, i didn't even like Gibsons. But this has genuinely changed my mind. I'm actually considering buying another. So if you're reading this wondering wether something like this is for you? Go for it. it's not too expensive (in fact ridiculously cheap), and it's the best guitar i've ever laid my hands on.

When i recieved the guitar (considering it had been shipped across the Atlantic from the USA to the UK), it was in brilliant shape. It was sparkly, shiny, obviously very well set up, too. I like my guitars with a medium to low action, relatively easy to strike chords on, and nice to solo on, but not being so low that it's simple to slip. This guitar was perfect for me, it was a huge step from my last guitar, a Dean Baby ML (WAAAAYYY too poser-like for me), which had really high action for a supposedly shreddy guitar.

It's lovely to play, it really is, and i examined it thoroughly on arrival. The paintwork was immaculate ( i have the spalted rootbeer version - just stunning to look at), and clearly alot of time had been taken over the frets, all of which were perfect.
The nut was a little sharp so i had to sand it down a little to prevent my strings snapping (the supplied ones are actually very good), but that was a 5 minute job and i had no other issues with the set-up. it would have been nice to see another stronger material for the nut, but plastic will do considering the price - it's possible to replace anyway.
The hardware was in perfect condition, and the wood is brilliant quality. I have no idea how they managed to add such quality for this price but i guess i'll never know!
The knobs were perfectly straight, the bridge tone knob was a little loose but i adjusted that easily - not a problem.
The tuning pegs are lovely, they're 18 to 1, i think, which basically means that the transition as you move them is smoother and it takes far more turns to move one tone - this means tuning is far more accurate, and i think a combination of the excellent bridge and brilliant tuners combine to prevent this guitar slipping out of tune too easily...

This guitar will easily withstand live playing. i have used it in very extensive band practices - i look after it, but i use it alot and it's had its fair share of bumps. The finish has remained spotless and it stays in tune brilliantly. I have not yet had a problem and i can guarantee this guitar can easliy withstand a good playing onstage.
The hardware is good quality - i've not had it long enough yet that i know wether it will last, but i'm absolutely sure it will. it just feels so well built and such high quality that i could easily use this without a backup. Who cares about string changes...and if i was going to buy a backup...i'd buy another one of these.
The strap buttons are firmly in place, and are slightly larger than usual - this keeps the strap in place and prevents any 'falling' incidents during practices...i've wrecked many a guitar doing that!
I can depend permanently on this guitar, it's absolute quality and for the price i've never come across anything better.

I've emailed Kurt several times about the guitar before i bought it, enquiries and such. He replied within a hour every time. I was very impressed.
He's very friendly and will answer your questions whatever the weather.
I've not had any problems yet for repair.
The only problem with this was the huge risk i took getting it shipped to the uk - this voids the warranty. I'm not worried now i have it - this will stand the test of time, and if it gets into an accident it's cheap and easy to replace. It would be nice to see the warranty extended to the UK and other Non-USA countries, but i can see their issues with this - and if they pack their guitars the way they packed mine they can rest assured they will encounter no problems.

I have been playing about 5 years, i own a Dean baby ML, a couple of basses (both Fender), i also own a LAG acoustic, various digital pianos, a recording studio, several amps.
There is nothing i wish i had asked before buying this guitar. All my questions and more were answered by Kurt - great service.
If it were lost or stolen, i would 100% buy it again. I can't stress how brilliant this is for the money. It's a top class guitar and any Les-Paul sceptics like i used to be should give this a go. I've played top of the range Gibson Les Pauls - and i'm not ashamed to say i'd seriously consider this against them, it certainly blows the high end epiphones and the midrange Gibbo's out of the water.
Stunning.
I love; The finish, the weighting, the warm, rich sound, the hardware, and most of all, the PRICE !!! :D
The only thing i don't like is the fact i can't have more of them!
I compared it to alot of other guitars when i bought it. I was considering, among others;

Epiphone Dot
Epiphone Firebird
Burns Bison
Epiphone Sheraton
Line 6 Variax 700
(And i hated Les Pauls)

I hated les pauls - i bought this as an experiment, i'd read good things about both the guitars and the company. It was a huge risk, alot of money, but i don't regret a second. It's stunning, and it's won me over.
You have to be careful with Les Paul copies, there are alot of poor, poor quality makes, and i can happily say this is not among them.
When i take into consideration the price, the build, the sound, the aesthetics, i can happily say;
Best guitar i've ever (and can see myself playing in the near future) played

rondo music.com will tell you every detail about the constuction of this good guitar! I got the spalted maple top al 3000. This guitar is thick and feels as good as the real deal (gibson)! This finish and bindings are top notch and very beautiful! The grover tuners are 100% dependable. The neck feels simular to a les paul...maybe a little smaller.
The bridge is ok and works. The intonation was about perfect!!
The fret work is the low point of everything positive about this axe!
Two of my frets where not even seated good. It needed a professional fret job (crowning)! I'm giving this professional filed fret job a 7 at best! The frets had too much of a crown that caused problems with bending. Also the instrument was very dried out!! The guitar tech said maybe that caused the two frets to come out of the board too much.

The sound it a good thing...It's just a little weak for hard rockin'..
I put my favorite dimarizo super distortion pick-up in the bridge and it's ready for action. It sounds and sustains the same as any Gibby les paul I can remember! It's a little bright in sound, even with the different pick-up...Not harsh though. Cut the treble a little more!! I like 100% now sound wise...I use a crate blue voodoo all tube amp.

YES... POOR FRET JOB! But the guitar is worth any extra cash need to make it right! I'm getting another one... and I hope I'll have more luck with the fret job and it!

it's a beautiful tank .........I think so...

They always answer their e-mails. And they ship very quickly with a tracking number!! A++ here! I've read that returns are also handled professionaly!!I just wonder if they have a phone number????

It just beats everything else ...hands down...it is a steal! It just needs better fret work...Maybe my second one (al3000)will be better and I won't have to spend the extra on a fret job! It is a fantastic value, when compared to the other copies (epiphone included)...I'd give it a 11 for value...but the hand filed frets where a real let down! I'll let you know about the next one I ordered already!!

I got a Les Cherry Sunburst alnico V pickups with mahogony neck and body. It has a very nice maple top. Looks great!

It sounds very clear and clean, I really like the pickups. Sounds like a jazz guitar to me on the clean settings but really screams when I crank it into overdrive on my Fender Pro Reverb. I get nice overtones like ZZ Top and great sustain

Like most of the others here, the action was too low and I had to raise the strings due to a bad buzz on the A string. But it is still really low and plays like a dream. I have always played Fenders so I am adjusting to the different neck. I can't reach the high, high notes that easily with this neck because of the large heel but that may be true for all Les Pauls, I don't know. Still I rarely play up there so that is no big deal. Otherwise, it is beautifully put together, I see no problems. I don't love the big abalone inlays but I am getting used to them.

It appears to be built like a rock and should last a long time if I don't drop it. Strap buttons are very snug and solid which I like. I would use it alone at a gig but I haven't yet.

I got quick email replies when I contacted Kurt with some questions. Seems like a good company to deal with.

Overall, I would say this is an incredible bargain. I have been playing for 25 years and this is as nice as any guitar I have seen and for the price is amazing. Highly recommend.

Les Paul body style. Made in Korea. Tune-o-matic and stop bar tail piece. Grover non locking tuners. Mahogany archtop with flamed maple top. Nice binding on body, headstock, and fretboard. Two passive humbuckers, ebony fretboard, two volume, two tone, and one three way pickup selector. Set mahogany neck w/ bone nut. 22 frets.
That prety much sums it up but if you want you can see http://www.rondomusic.net/al-3000rootbeer.html for the complete specs on the model I bought.

This basically has all the features I look for in a guitar, other than perhaps 24 frets or extra pups. I just have to say this is a BEAUTIFUL guitar. 9 because it doesn't have an extraordinary amount of good features, but it has prety much everything i value.

This suits my style well. I play many types of rock, with a tendency to the heavier side. This has a very full, and open sound. Not to bright, not too dark. This is a relatively quiet guitar, and i can set it down and forget about it if the amp is not turned too loud. Really classic clean sound from this, and very easy to work with i think. Add some distortion and it sounds killer, and it glows on clean. However with just the guitar not too much control over the sound, but thats ok i leave that to amps and efx. Oh yeah it has real good sustain. I cannot conplain, but it isn't extraordinary either, so i give 9 for sound.

Holy crap mine had some crazy action. Better than many top noch guitars i have tried out. However, the scrifice made for that was some significant fret buzz on the bass strings. I raised it a lil bit and got rid of most of the buzz, but i really wanted to keep the action so i plan to go talk to a pro and see what can be done. I got out the screwdriver to adjust the pups, but realized they were perfect. The top is really beautifully finished, and every thing looks fine. The frets were all smooth and good, and everything here was to my liking except for the buzz. But amped you dont hear it so im not that worried. Once again this is a freaking BEAUTIFUL guitar. I will warn you though it is thick. It says two inches thick and it means that. This was a bit of a drawback at first, but i got over it and other than looking fat and feeling heavy it doesn't matter. 8 for fret buzz and fatness.

This guitar is tough. I have on several occasions banged it prety hard against my wooden loft bed, leaving very visable dents in the bed, but none to be found on the guitar yet, thankfully. Everything seems solid and well built. I havent opened it up yet but the harwear seems to be good. The strap buttons are solid and bigger than most so they hold a strap on so well i havent bothered to install the straplocks i already have. Finish is good. Very dependable. I will take it to gigs w/out backups, but only small ones. Big gigs, ALWAYS have a backup. Anyways seems great.

Cant say. Luckily i have no experience with them.

I have been playing for about two years, and own a epiphone lp junior, a old peavey, a behringer 70 watt combo, a 60w rogue bass combo, a low end rogue 5 string and other little stuff. Even though i haven't had much experience i have done my research and played my fair share of guitars at shops, and i have to say this is a great deal. You could not buy these features alone for this ammount of money, and the quality of it is good too. I like it better than many of the gibsons i have played, and many other guitars in the price range simply dont come close. Like most musicians i dont have money to waste so getting a good deal was important for me. If it were lost or stolen (and i had the money) i would buy another. Mainly i love the playability and the looks of this guitar. It takes a bit to get used to the weight and thickness, but other than that its great. The only thing i would wish was that it was thinner. Overall this is the best deal you can get for the money, and i dont think you will really see much visible improvement by spending the extra 2000 on a gibson or other recognized brand guitar. Real good guitar.

spalted maple wine red

sound is good will leave stock pickups in

needed set up but all new guitars do finish very nice , item was b stock
blem cannot find the blemish

built like a tank no worry here

this is my second al 3000 saw it on rondos website as a b stock for
199.00 could not pass it up, other al 3000 i installed wilkinson
humbuckers this one i will leave the stock pickups in they sound good

First of all, I want to thank the Harmony Central members for turning me on to Agile guitars. I'd have never heard of them otherwise. Incredible quality for the price paid! Thanks guys.

The AL 3000 is your basic Les Paul Custom copy, with no variations from the mold. (Fixed neck, no tremolo arm, no locking tuners, etc). But what a nicely done copy! It has a one-piece mahogany body with carved, bookmatched flame maple top. Smooth Grover tuners (which was a major selling point for me), two passive alnico humbuckers, the regular LP 4-knob setup for volume and tone control of 2 humbuckers. I believe the pickups are made by Agile. If Agile doesn't make them themselves, they don't specify who they buy them from. They do sound nice, though.

The body, neck and headstock all have triple binding. Very beautiful, if maybe a little flashy for my taste. I actually like the more subdued binding on the AL 2000 better, but I wanted the one-piece mahogany body instead of the AL 2000's multi-ply, plus the alnico h-buckers instead of the ceramic ones.

The AL 3000 also has "hand polished frets" as opposed to the AL 2000's machine polished frets. I was thinking "So what?", but I have to say, the hand polished frets are just a wonder to handle. The fretboard is just silky-smooth and it makes playing real pleasure.

I'm playing this guitar through a little Roland Microcube digital amp. This boy has a nice retro Les Paul sound-- warm, rich and plenty of sustain. It will shred if called on to do that, or played clean it has that warm, jazzy, semi-twangy humbucker LP sound. I've been amazed at the harmonics and overtones that the heavy solid body will pick up and pass to the amp. I'd bet this guitar would put out some nice really tone through a tube amp.

The pickups were set low and not balanced in terms of volume (bridge P/U vs. neck P/U). A couple of turns of the screwdriver fixed that. I'm happy to say the pickup adjustment screws raised the P/Us smoothly and evenly. (I haven't always found that to be the case with lower-end price range guitars. Sometimes the pickups tilt to one side or another as you adjust up and down). The intonation needed a little adjustment, but with the help of a 20-buck Korg chromatic tuner that was fixed in a few minutes.

The two pieces of the bookmatched maple top down line up with one another exactly, but it's hardly noticeable. There's not a huge contrast between the light and dark grain in the maple, so it's not a noticeable thing. Overall the maple top is a real beauty.

The neck, pickups and body fit into the body perfectly. They did a good precision job on the routing and other woodwork.

The finish on this thing is just amazing. What a nice piece of woodwork and craftmanship. The finish on the body is just incredible-- not a flaw anywhere. (I've got the cherry sunburst version, and they pulled off the classic sunburst finish perfectly). There's one little rough spot where the two ends of the binding on the headstock meet. It's not sloppy, it just looks kind of handmade. Which suits me fine-- I appreciate seeing the evidence of hand craftsmanship.

I've only had this guitar about a month, so I don't know about durability. But all of the hardware seems sturdy and solid. The P/U selector switch is quiet and clicks over smoothly but firmly. The volume and tone controls are smooth and responsive, and the cable jack feels solid. You know how it is with electrical hardware-- it just feels either solid and high-quality or else cheap, flimsy and jinky. This stuff feels solid and built to last.

My only contact with Rondo Music has been submitting the online purchase. They shipped immediately and I had the guitar in like 4 days. One thing I appreciate is they just charged exactly what it cost them to ship (which was $13). No additional "shipping and handling" fee to add to the customer's cost.

I love this guitar, and feel like I got an incredible deal. The guys at Agile obviously really take pride in their work. I shopped quite a few other guitars in this price range, and most of them felt more like a piece of wood with a neck and some hardware attached. This guitar feels like a real *musical instrument*. I think it will be serving me well for a long time.

This is a Korean made Les Paul style guitar with standard Les Paul features. It has a beautiful real book match maple top on a mahogany body and set neck. The fret board is ebony with real abalone trapezoid inlays and headstock is equiped with Grover tuners. Mine is the new slim neck model and the color is called root beer. The neck is a little slimmer than a Gibson 60's neck, very fast and great for smaller hands like mine.

I use this guitar for R&B and some blues. It's a little brighter sounding than the Gibson/Epiphone models I have tried and the neck position pickup is much clearer sounding than most of theirs also. This is great for gigging along with just a bass player to back me up.

I've used this through my Fender Blues Jr., a Peavey Delta Blues 210 that I no longer own and a used Fender Hot Rod Deluxe which I ended up returning to the Guitar Center. It sounds fantastic through them all.

This guitar was set up well right out of the box. The action is nice and low with near perfect intonation. The only negative is that the pickup covers have a matt finish and on such a beautiful instrument shiny ones would look nicer and be a better match for its overall appearence.

This guitar is solid in all respects, except that the three way selector switch for the pickups seems a little weak, otherwise a very dependable instrument.

If we were going to do a set of just R&B and Blues numbers for a gig, I would take just this guitar along without reservation.

Rondo Music is a long way from where I live, but has a shinning reputation for customer service. My girlfriend who accompanies me on bass bought her jazz bass from Rondo and it???s a very reliable instrument as well. When it came with the wrong neck adjustment wrench, Kurt went out of his way to be sure she got the right one.

I have been playing guitar since the mid 60's. Along with this Agile, I use a late 90's Epiphone Emperor (Joe Pass) and a mid 90's Ibanez Artstar AS-80 ES-335 clone. I currently use just my Fender Blues JR which is loud enough for some of the smaller venues we play, though I am shopping for another tube amp in the 25 to 30 watt range. At the price I paid for this Agile, would replace it in a heartbeat if it were lost or stolen. Like I tell my friends, "There is only one solid body electric guitar, and it's a Les Paul."

Fist of all, Ive had this guitar for about four months and Ive been playing about twelve years. the features are the same as the others except mine is a gold top with HB's. This guitar is very well made. I took off the cavity covers when i got it. Everything about the materials and construction are top notch.

This thing sounds awesome. I play blues, rock, folk and some country and this thing kills all. I never get real dirty. Mostly clean or with a TS-9 and this thing sounds wonderful. I imagine it can get as heavy as you want it too but I never do. It is a VERY versitle guitar. It is pretty bright to me with out overloading your ears. I like bright. I looked at several epiphones before I bought this one and I really like the tone and feel of this guitar much more. Epi's are nice, dont get me wrong.

Ok. The finish is fucking beautiful. The tripple binding is beautiful. I absolutly love the ebony neck and the abalone inlays are stunning. The action was shit when i got it out of the box but after about an hour of tinkering with the relief, bridge, and intonation everything was wonderful. I couldnt find any flaws in the paint or binding and the mahogany on the back is really nice. All the frets were even and no sharp edges.

Built as good as any guitar Ive ever played. I dont really gig but I jam with friends and at home all of the time and havnt had the first problem.

Rondo is awesome. Supper responsive and helpful. Best company Ive ever dealt with.

ok, again ive been playing about 12 years. I own an AS-820 from Agile, MIM Strat, Peavey Reactor Tele, Dean Chafin Sarasota, Martin, and a Jay Turser Semi-hollow Bass. As for amps I have a Vox AC30, Behringer Vampire Head w/ Line 6 1 x 12 cab, and an Epiphone Valve JR Head with a Peavey 1 x 12 cab. I use a Dyna Comp, Ts-9, Bad Monkey, Big Muff (not often) and a DigiDelay. This thing sounds awesome through every amp I own. It fucking screams through the Vox and is as smooth as butter through the Epi. I am talking so good about this guitar because I paid right at 400 bucks with shipping. It is retarded to get an instrument of this quality for the money ive paid. I will never compare a 400 dollar guitar to a 2500 gibson or prs but its close. For the amount I spent is a no brainer. Ive played dean and jay turser les paul copies and they are nice but this guitar feels, looks, and plays like the real deal. rondo is a fantastic company with the best customer servise in the buisness and anyone will tell you that. this guitar is not a gibson les paul custom and anyone who says it is are not being honest. I will say however is is the most fantastic deal I have ever come across. agile will not have the resale value a gibson has but i promise you will not get rid of it. The electronics on this dude are perfect. I you want traditional tone than the pickups are great. you wont have to replace them unless you like them really hot.

if you have any questions or want some clips or pics of my AL-3000 you can email me at xelleos@hotmail.com and Ill be happy to share.

overall i rate the agile al 3000 9.5

sound is incrdible,for under $400.00 their isnt a better guitar on the planet, the alnico v pickups are din-O mite, my son has a les paul special limited edition,with slim nsck, he paid over $2200.00 for the guitar, now overall its a better guitar, looks wise but the sound is very close and looks on the al 3000 dont fall short of the les paul, i would buy another al 3000 in a heart beat,,

action and finish are great, intonation was dead on ,the finish is first class ,the 3 layer binding is top notch,the grover tuners are top of the line ,this guitar for under $400.00 is is hard to beleive,ebony neck, great tuners ,hand installed frets and hand filed frets to boot ,neck feels real good,the electronics are top notch too, i mean come on you cant find an epiphone in its class for one let alone to match the al 3000s quality and it gives some of the gibson les pauls a run for the money also,,,

i dont gig but if i did i wouldnt be afraid to take it to woodstock 3 . its a tank and worth every penny i paid for it ,and then some,,it just plain a great guitar ,i know one thing for sure at rondo music they sell like hot cakes , so the word is out ,,these al 3000s are one great guitar ,,i bought about 8 guitars from rondo allready and i am very pleased ,,also i play lefty and their supply of leftys are high and not $200.00 more like some other dealers charge

kurt at rondo music is very good at his job ,i bought a al 820 ,had a small problem with it ,sent it back received a new replacement and refunded my shipping to boot ,,and it took all in less thsn a week,,now thats customer service,who ever hired kurt, shoule give him a big fat raise,, and he will comunicate with you not blow you off loke some reps ,,rondo has a good rep in kurt,,,

over all rating is a high 9.5 the guitar outshines most gibson guitars and like i said for under $400.00 its the best buy on ebay.if you dont beleive me compair the epiphones and gibsons to the al 3000s you will see with out a doubt the quality plus for the money,,, thanks tony in pa,

AGILE AL3000 ROOT BEER SPALTED MAPLE TOP
Real Abalone Inlay, Grover Tuners, triple binding cap & headstock,
Typical Les Paul Specs. Has all the featured I wanted and then some

I play contemporary worship at Church and Rock with some friends.
It suits my music style very well. This Guitar is absolutely silent!
If there is any noise it would be from my pedals.
I use a 1992 Carvin Tube Amp thatis mostly like a Mesa Boogie in tone. The Agile is on the bright side in tone and has incredible sustain. Seems endless. I alyays had the intention of changing the PUPS if they did not fit my style. I had the PUPS Changed out for a set of S/D 59's. The tone is much smoother now and is better that any Gibson out there. The only reason I'm giving it a 9 is because the PUPS are very bright. Others might love them. There just a bit harsh for my tastes.

Factory Set Up: Perfect out of the box. The action was also perfect. No need for change here!
Pickup Adjustment: A little low for my tastes. But I changed them out for S/D 59's.
Bookmatching: I really mean this when I say; PERFECT. Absolute mirror image.
Flaws: I only see one little flaw in the binding on the Headstock but I can only see it if I hold it 3 inches from my eyes. Someone took pride in thier work!
Fret Ends: Smooth as silk. The Gibbys I played at Rocket Music were not even close to being as smooth. Nut: Perfect
Controls: Everything looks and sounds good. No noise Etc.
In a nutshell: This Guitar is the most beautiful Guitar I have seen.
A freind of mine who has owned many Gibsons said it is the most beautiful Lp he has ever seen. It looks like Rondo is out of this Spalted Maple Model at this time but it would be worth the wait if you wanted it.

I will use this Guitar in any Venue in any situation anytime anywhere! I trust that this Guitar will be as dependable as any high end Guitar out there. Strap buttons are a little big but I'm putting Strap Locks on it anyways.
Finish seems to be pretty tough. I'm not worried a bit that this Agile will last be reliable and durable. TIME WILL TELL!

Rondo Music was great. I never talked with someone on the phone but Email was great. Delivery was exactly as they said!

I have been playing for 21 years. I own a Taylor 814CE and a Taylor 914CE. Also an American Strat, Various Boss & DOD Pedals that I keep in my Pedalboard (Purchased at Rondo Music). I would definately buy another if it were stolen. I absolutely LOVE this Guitar! Sometimes I just sit there and inspect the Craftsmanship on this Guitar. I have made one Guitar from Scratch (Came out Great) and I know how much time and Energy goes into crafting a guitar. Trust me (It's not easy) The neck alone is a huge undertaking. You have to be extreemly detail oriented! I have not seen or played any EPI or Gibson that is "Better" than this Agile. Most of them are Sub-Par. It's hard to believe in this day and age that I could get such a great value!
You can go to G. Center and play the hundreds of Guitars in this price range and they will play Awful. Heck, you can't even tune them properly. Pick up a PRS and play it. Then Play my Agile. I doubt anyone could HONESTLY say the PRS is any better! The Manufacturer name Agile is viable. Watch out Gibson or any other Name Brand Guitars.

Agile AL3000, typical Les Paul standard set up, single cut tune o matic, tuners grovers, jumbo frets, ebony fret board w/abalone inlays 2007 made in Korea les paul scale body & neck mahogany.

I play classic rock and write my own compositions. am currently using a Epiphone Blues Custom, & Crate mono block. This Agile is quiet as a church mouse. The sound of the AL3000, is bar none as good as any Gibson out there Seriously, these Agile's are no joke the price you pay for them, I have owned many Gibsons and this guitar is incredibel played great right out of the box. no dislikes so far

Action from factory was great! It was set up almost identical to my Heritage H157. Very very impressive guitar for 369.95. I know they say solid wood top but edges do look a little iffy... does not enter into pic though..guitar looks fantastic. If anyone was looking at an Epiphone or Gibson do yourself a favor check one of these Agile's out. I looked at then for aprox. 2 yrs pic's dont do the guitars justice. Grover tuners a good addition. Intontation was a little off on bass strings E A D, but I turned saddles around intonation on all strings is dead on, this guitar sings

Most defiately, looks great as well. hardware seems reliable enough, finish looks bullet proof would definately withstand rigors of playing out.. hug strap buttons I bought straplocks but dont think I will need them, Would definately gig without a back up.

Kurt at Rondo, answerd e-mails quickly ordered guitar on Monday evening and had guitar Thursday cant ask for any better than that. It was a pleasreu doing business with Rondo, will definately buy another instrument from them.

I have played for over 30, yrs and have owned many high end guitars. I currently have a
Heritage H157(Les Paul Customonly much better)
BC Rich NJ Bich
Mexican Strat
Epiphone Korina V
Epiphone Blues CUstom amp
plus much more,
None, If this guitar was stolen or lost? I would definately buy another without hesitation, price point for money you cant go wrong, my AL 300 wil mostly see studio time some stage time. As stated earlier I have owned many name guitars this Agile plays better than 99% of the Gibson I have had. If anyone wants a les paul style guitar without breaking you IRS, buy an Agile you cant go wrong, out of the box setup[ ready to play minus personal tweakings.. Totally satisfied!! Thanks to Kurt & Rondo for offering great instruments for in this day and age, affordable and wont break your wallet.

agile al 3000 spalted maple nat.
same as all the rest reviewed must have
got lucky because top is spalted and flamed photos on
website only show spalted top

quiet full sounding , not as much sustain as real les paul,

out of the box just about perfect , set up was better than my les paul
plus, finish good but can tell it is poly with just a glance, fret
edges a little sharp, also during building of guitar they must have
chipped the end of neck , small piece of mahogany glued in as repair
under finish. gibson should hire the guy that sets up agile guitars
because there set ups have been very bad compared to this guitar

seems solid as a rock

dont know yet am not sending back for chipped neck repair for fear
the next one wont have the flame maple top this one has

gibson is in big trouble , if they can build a les paul that outplays
theres for 369.00 if you have any doubts about al 3000 guitars just
go ahead and get one dont worry , it plays as well as a 1200.00 guitar
i have already ordered a second guitar from them

2005 heritage cherry flame 1/16" AA maple top on a LP style solid mahogany body. Grover tuners on a 24 3/4" scale 1 piece mahoganny neck. Ebony fretboard with with abalone inlays and hand filed jumbo frets. Two passive Alnico V humbuckers with 2 volume and 2 tone controls. I recommend the $50 CNB case, which fits the guitar like a glove.

This guitar can suit pretty much any style. Sounds good with or with out effects and is not noisy. It has a rich, full sound that can be tweaked to your taste. Stock pickups sound great but an upgrade is always a nice addition.

The guitar was set up okay with some fine tuning needed. The top was perfect and there were no flaws. Agile guitars are an unbelievable value.

This guitar withstands live playing and is built solid.

Agile guitars are sold through Rondo Music and there is no warranty. I have purchased a few guitars through them. Rondo's customer service is outstanding! They have always been extremely fair and helpful whenever a problem occurred.

If my Agile was stolen I would purchase another one. The Agile line of guitars are an amazing value!

cherry sunburst flamed maple top
Les Paul style solid mahogony body
TOM style bridge with stop tailpiece
Grover nonlocking tuners
Mahogony neck with a Ebony fretboard and abalone inlays
hardshell case was a $60 option
2006, made in Korea
22 frets
standard 2 vol, 2 tone and a 3 way switch
2 Wilkinson? P90's

The guitar sounds good thru the clear channel of my Fender Blues Junior and Peavey Valveking, but it really comes alive in the lead channel of the Peavey and when I activate a Digitech Bad Monkey Overdrive pedal thru the Blues Junior.
I compared the P90's with the P90 pickups on my Reverend Charger 290. I give the Reverend pickups the edge in clarity, but the solid mahogony body of the Agile produces great sustain thru the lead channel of the Peavey Valveking.
I play a variety of blues styles, in the tradition of BB King, Buddy Guy, British Blues etc
I also like that Jimmy Buffett/Eagles style Country Rock.
This guitar fits the need for a single coil tone that is thicker than a Strat but cleaner than a humbucker/Les Paul.

Set up was good. I tweaked the truss rod just to satisfy myself.
The guitar is simply beautiful. The abalone inlays are equal to those of my $1200 Carvin and the bound ebony fretboard is first rate. The cherry sunburst finish is impressive.This looks and feels like a $1000 guitar. The solid mahogony body and neck look almost as nice as my $2000 Hamer Studio.
Pickups sound well balanced and the flame maple top is nicely bookmatched.
I can't see any evidence of poor construction.

Too soon to say, but this guitar looks extremely durable.
The strap buttons are nicely oversized.
The Grover tuners look first rate and all the hardware seems to be industry standard

I dealt with Rondo Music only by internet/e-mail. They automatically sent me an email advising me of the delivery date, and Federal Express delivered on time.
Their website gives an excellent, part by part, description of the features and materials on the guitar.

I have been playing over 45 years and presently own a Hamer Studio Custom, Carvin DC400A, Reverend Charger 290, Xaviere 900 and Fender Strat.
Love about it: fantastic guitar for an excellent price, nice P90 tone on a Les Paul bodystyle, beautiful abalone inlays, nice triple binding on the body, oversized strap pins.
Hate about it: wish it were made in the USA, sorry to hear that Rondo is closing down it's New Jersey store.
The serial number is a plastic decal that peels off- it should be a permanent marking- that is really the only "cost cutting" I can see on the guitar.
Agile's reputation for good value is well deserved. The guitar, with optional hardshell case and delivery, cost me under $500.

Finish is good, not exceptional, but still really good. All the hardware is solid. Made in Korea, who cares where it was made, it is solid and reasonably priced. All Mahogony body and Neck. Triple bound body and headstock. Real abalone inlays on a Ebony fretboard ( you only see that on High end gibsons). Two vloume and two tone pots, three way switch. Two P90 wilkinson Pup's sounds as good as the gibson ones I have played.

Les Paul style guitar, Gold Top with P90's. Guitar sounds as good as any gibson with P90's I have played and way better than an Epiphone with P90's. I play mostly rock music, works great for it so far. I am playing it through Peavey Classic 30 Head with a 2X12 closed birch cab from SS cabs loaded with cerwin vega ER123 vintage 1977. Good variety of sounds, can do blues, rock, and R&B. The bridge pup's have a nice Bark when maxed out with lead channel. Sounds is pretty full nice harmonics. The pup's are somewhat noisy as most P90's are, but the tone is still really good.

The Guitar was set-up pretty well. The intonation was not the greatest, but most factory set-up are that way, was just fine after I tweaked it. The pup's were adjusted perfectly. The top is not matched perfectly, but who cares you can barely tell since it is Gold top and it is painted. The bridge is routed pretty good, not complaints here. The wood quality is great all the hardware looks good, tuners are sealed grovers, which I have on all my guitars, the nut is cut really well. Everything is pretty solid, suprising in a guitar at this price.

The guitar seems bulit to last. Nice hard finish. All solid mahagony. One thing is that the guitar is pretty heavy. heavier then most of the new Gibson Les Pauls. Which makes me think this thing will last. Strap button are huge, no problems here, if I gig it in the future I will put schaller strap-locks on it.

I got it from Rondo Music online. As far as a know there is 30 day warranty. The company seems really friendly. the delivered it in a hurry.

I have been playing for 10 years. I own a Gibson SG Standard, Fender Telecaster Standard, Epiphone DOT, and a Epiphone Strat copy that I moded with a Seymour duncan JB Jr. in the bridge. This guitar to hold it onw against the rest of my collection. I would definitely buy it again if I lost it. I commpared it to other les Pauls ( Gibson and Epiphone). I have played seems to be just as solid. I could not pass on it it at this price.

- 2005 Korean made AL3000 with p-90's
- 22 frets
- Body is two piece solid mahogany center glued, thin flame maple top that looks really good, neck is solid mahogany. Les Paul copy.
- two P-90 alnico V pickups, two volume and two tone controls
- Very nice looking cherry red finish thats not to light colored.
- see other reviews below for further features.

This is my first guitar with P-90's and the first les paul style guitar that I've owned in twenty years. I'm really impressed with the pups in this guitar as I'm able to get a ton of different tones with them just by adjusting the volume and tone knobs and using the selector switch. I'm playing thru a Peavey Classic30,with a 15" ext. speaker. I run my guitars thru a old fx80 comp pedal and a Digitech RP-7.
This guitar is surprisingly quiet considering the single coil pickups. I play sitting right in front of my amp and a little to the side and get very little noise or hum. I play a large variety of music and it suits my needs just fine.

This is where the guitar falls down a little in my opinion. The nut was cut a little low on the treble strings, so I made a new one. One fret was a little high and I had to file it down a shade to get rid of some buzz. Other than that just a little tweak of the truss rod and it was ready to play.
The finish detail is of a pretty high quality considering the price. The only real finish problem I noticed was the abalone on the fretboard was a little bit pitted. I don't know if this is normal or not. I also had to adjust the pickup pole pieces but I've had to do that on just about all my guitars.

This guitar is built to last and I think it would last a life time if you take care of your equipment. It has nice large strap buttons and a durable looking finish. It's probably not a good idea to gig without a backup but I got a away with it for 25 years and had very,very few problems. I think this guitar could do it.

Kurt at Rondo music always returned my e-mails promptly and got my order off quickly at the busiest time of the year, what more cuold you ask for. Haven't had to worry about any returns yet.

I've been playing guitar for 42 years and own a ton of stuff, from recording gear to PA gear to guitar gear. Overall I'm very pleased with this guitar and if it were lost or stolen I would definately look at another one as I am anyway. You can't beat the price or quality at this price. I currently own ----

Gibson ES137 Classic
CArvin TL-60
Ibanez Talman TM-71T
Ibanez Jetking II
Takamine higher end flattop
Ibanez semihollow bass
mandolin,banjo and steel guitar

I'll rate this guitar an 8 overall but a 9 because of the value. It's hard to find good guitars in this price range and this is a real good guitar.

New 2005 model 3000AL Slim neck (a.k.a. 60's style). Full Les Paul copy made in Korea. If you know Les Pauls, you know all the features. See RondoMusic's website or ebay for rundown of features. In short: solid body one-piece mahogony; one-piece manhogony neck; adj. truss rod; ebony fretboard with fairly straight inlays; jumbo frets; bone nut w/ graphite nut thrown in; twin alnico type V humbuckers (manufacturer of pickups unknown at this time); Grover tuners; did not come with GHS strings as advertised but DiMarzio's (no big deal). I have to give it a 10 because it has all the features it is supposed to.

Very good. I run through my Tech-21 Trademark 60 amp, which can mimic a ton of styles and sounds. This axe rings sweetly on lead or can get down and dirty. Only drawback is a very minor lack of sustain. That said, it makes all the LP sounds and with very good quality. No excessive noise, but I use good cables. I can make it sound just like Hendrix, Page, and Slash but certainly can't play like it. lol. Working on that Dickie Betts sound. :)

Out of the box: neck straight; action very low for inexpensive-out-of-the-box guitar; strung but waaayyyy out of tune; nothing loose, dented, chipped or flawed; except the pick guard has a couple dings in it???? (no idea how or why), which lead to a very careful inspection. Nothing turned up. So, I immediately tuned it to e-flat and jammed into it. First, it takes a little getting used to an LP neck versus a Strat neck and then, the slim neck too. So, its taking a little getting used to (expected). Second, I loved the low action, which is like my other guitars but my bud (an 80's metal man) thought the action was too low. Third, finish was fantastic - no flaws whatsoever. We'll see how it stands up. Fourth, tuners stay set well. Caveat - great overall for price.

We'll see. Too new to call, but the hardware looks well finished. Finish is deep right now. Strap buttons are oversized and appear solid. I give it a "no opinion" until the test of time passes.

I heard about the Agile from a friend of mine who had read reviews on this site. Found the guitar on ebay and then on RondoMusic's webpage. I can only comment that it was shipped immediately from somewhere N.J. and came in great shape. Btw, great website - gives you all the facts without a bunch of "spin." I gotta admit I was a bit leary of buying a guitar sight unseen and never played, but what the heck! I took the chance based upon the numerous positives on ebay about Rondo and on this site.

Great! That said, it ain't a Gibson but it kicks all Epiphones' tails! Way better than an Epi and less expensive. I had been wanting an LP and the 60's neck really caught my attention. This guitar was a toss up between it and a Tokai. The one thing that I wish was that Agile would make its top of the line model (3500) with the slim neck; I would have bought it. I would definitely, no doubt, buy another Agile. I am truly impressed!

As for me, I started playing a bass violin at age 7 ... er, 38 years ago. Dang! I'm old. lol. Started playing bass guitar at 15 and bought first 6 string at 20. Last bass I owned was a Rick, but love a hot-rodded Fender Jazz Bass the best, when run through an Ampeg amp. I have owned a Strat, Westone metal machine, Gibson SG, and a couple of acoustics; amps - fender; peavey; crate; currently, a Tech-21. In sum, I've been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

- 2005 Agile AL3000 Prestige
- Made in Korea
- Copy of a Les Paul Standard
- Trans Amber lacquer finish over a beautiful flamed maple top
- Solid Mahogany body and neck
- Cream binding, pickup rings and pick guard
- Black/white purfling around body and headstock
- Mother of Pearl headstock logo
- Ebony fretboard with real abalone inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets
- Wilkinson Alnico V humbuckers
- Real Grover tuners
- Nickel hardware, which gets oxidized pretty quickly
- Bone nut (an additional graphite nut also included)
- Oversized strap buttons
- Comes with an Allen key for truss rod adjustments

- I play rock and blues and this guitar is excellent for it
- I play it through a 50 Watt VOX Valvetronix amp
- Electronics are fairly quiet
- Bridge pickup is HOT, loud
- Neck pickup is mellower, but somewhat muddy
- Overall the sound is rich and powerful, but could use more clarity

- The action is set a bit too low, producing some fret buzz
- Intonation is perfect though
- Nut is well-cut, although generously slotted
- Finish is gorgeous, almost flawless
- Pickup adjustment is satisfactory
- The top is bookmatched quite well
- Frets are beautifully hand-filed
- The plastic switch tip was loose, but I easily tightened it

- Built tough, should withstand any kind of gig
- Hardware and strap buttons are solid
- Finish looks durable
- It has the feel of a dependable guitar
- Will serve as my main axe

- Kurt's service is prompt, friendly and accomodating
- One year warranty
- Rondo Music = Integrity

When my Agile first arrived, it had a problem with neck alignment. However, I didn't notice it until some time has passed. I reported the problem within 30 days of the purchase and Kurt said that he would be happy to replace it for me. I eventually ended up sending it back and having it replaced under warranty. Not only did Kurt send me a brand new replacement, he also reimbursed me for return shipping! I'm very impressed and grateful for such great service and dedication to customer satisfaction.

- Been playing for almost two years
- I also own a handmade acoustic and a Telecaster
- I picked this guitar over a Fender MIM Stratocaster because, at the same price, it offered a lot more bang for the buck
- If it were stolen I would probably buy another because it's such good value
- Beauty, quality and materials are my favourite features
- The only downside is that you don't get to try it out before you purchase

Recent model, purchased new. I have the gold-top P90 model, which is arch-top mahogany (no maple cap). Of the features listed, I'll add my comments only on the neck, which is a little bigger than what I'm used to (G&L ASAT), but not excessive, and the frets, which also are a nice, medium size.

Good-sounding pickups, that can get pretty nasty-sounding with distortion (Leslie West), and also sound good clean (early Freddy King). Somewhat noisy when using one pickup, very quiet when using both. The pickup selection and tone pots give a pretty wide range of sounds.

So-so. Some small finish flaws, and the paint job was poorly masked in the horn area. I needed to do a moderate amount of setp work, e.g. raise the action a bit (and I like it low), put some fill in the low-E nut slot, and adjust intonation on the bass strings. But, for the price, that's not so bad.

Seems pretty solid, nice big buttons.

Kurt answers e-mail very promptly, haven't had any problems to really test this.

Nice guitar for the money.

2005 Korean made Les Paul type guitar. Scale length, controls, frets are the same as a Les Paul. Agiles are made for a New Jersey based music retailer called Rondo Music. They are very popular on the internet, as you probably know if you are reading this. Mine is the Goldtop version with P-90 single coil pickups. The neck is a single piece of mahogany (nice grain) and the body is 2 pieces of mahogany (also, with nice, tight grain). I'd previously had an Agile AL-2500 (more on that later), and the wood was pretty ugly on the back--not so with this axe. The goldtop paint is very sparkly and beautiful--it also has more of a bronze-ness to it--my AL-2500 was more greenish.

The hardware is nice so far--the T-O-M bridge doesn't hurt my hand, it intonated just fine after a little setup work, the tuners keep their tune well, and the pickups sound very nice. The neck is inlaid with lovely abalone trapezoids, and the body has black and white binding on it, which makes it look very classy (I was worried, but it looks way better than the website pictures). These are Alnico V magnets--the ceramic P-90's were the best part of my AL-2500, and I am hoping that when I record with this axe next week, that it will sound as good in a mix.

Les Paul's are not complex instruments, but this guitar is packed with high quality vibe for $369