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View Full Version : Anyone have any experience with those cheap guitar from eBay?

skydigger
10-21-2007, 12:32 PM
I'm talking about Agile, Raven West and a few others that escape my mind at this time.

There are some fairly decent reviews over at Harmony-Central and being a lefty who can't afford a $2000 guitar I'm kinda curious.

I prefer buying used when I can but a PRS knockoff at under $300 bucks is a little interesting.
traynor_garnet
10-21-2007, 02:27 PM
Do a search for Agile here. I currently have two (a 335 and a Hollowbody) and they are amazing guitars for the money. I put SD 59s and an RS Guitarworks complete electronics upgrade in my 335 and it smokes!

I've owned an Agile LP, SG, DC and they were all pretty good.

TG
bluezombie
10-21-2007, 02:44 PM
yeah i've heard good money/quality facts about Agiles also. I'ver never played one, but people seem to keep them, even if they're not top of the market quality.
noobcake
10-21-2007, 02:51 PM
I've heard great things about both agiles and raven west, as stated above, they're excellent guitars that benefit greatly from a simple electronics upgrade.
GuitaristZ
10-21-2007, 05:07 PM
*cough* Hamm Guitars...


www.hammguitars.com

the owner is on this forum a lot...check his guitars out they are AWESOME!
Maxer
10-21-2007, 05:29 PM
+1 for Agiles. I have one of their early Goldtops... very nice guitar. Got it used from a fellow on this forum and it was a steal of a deal. Fantastic workmanship.
traynor_garnet
10-21-2007, 06:17 PM
I keep looking at this thing and wondering . . .

http://cgi.ebay.com/Blond-semi-HOLLOW-Body-electric-guitar-archtop-335-ES_W0QQitemZ250176584811QQihZ015QQcategoryZ2384QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

For $150 how can you go wrong?

TG
Geek
10-21-2007, 06:46 PM
Hi,

I have a cheapo Ebay guitar and it's super (strat knockoff, not a hollowbody). Just needs Seymour Duncan pickups though :wink:

Cheers!
a Pack of Wolves
10-21-2007, 10:00 PM
i got a $50 first act guitar for a pal last year for a x-mas,

it needed a $200 set-up and fret dressing....

no bargain.

my other buddy bought a s.x. bass and it is a piece of garbage,
the neck creeks and rocks even with 6 screws holding it down,the pickups are microphonic,the frest dig into yer hand on the neck's edges,it's crap.
noobcake
10-21-2007, 11:19 PM
maybe he got a dud, I've heard nothing but praise for SX basses, Kurt from Rondo seems like a good guy and I think he would exchange your friend's bass if he sent it back
sailorjosh
10-21-2007, 11:30 PM
I've heard the SX guitars and Agile guitars are completely different in terms of quality - the SX guitars usually being pretty bad and the Agiles being much much better. No idea if there is any truth behind it, though. I'd like to try one out myself but once you tack on shipping and taxes those cheap guitars aren't so cheap anymore for us Canadians.
traynor_garnet
10-22-2007, 01:14 AM
Yes, the agiles are a major leap above the SX stuff (Sx is made in China too).

Grab a used Agile on ebay and get it shipped USPS. It really saves a ton of a new one.

TG
noobcake
10-22-2007, 03:23 AM
I dunno about SX guitars, but SX basses are generally known to be pretty kickass and an amazing value for the price
Hamstrung
10-22-2007, 07:34 AM
I dunno about SX guitars, but SX basses are generally known to be pretty kickass and an amazing value for the price

I have to agree. I bought an SX Fretless Jazz bass and for less than $200 all in it's a pretty damn good deal! The weak point on these guitars is the electronics. Even then, the one I have is OK in that sense but I could see upgrading it down the road. Fit and finish on my bass is perfect. I can't comment on how well they do fret work though! :smile:
Bottom line for me is for a budget guitar it's one of the better ones I've seen.
fretman57
02-02-2008, 03:02 AM
Agiles rock! Great guitars, good craftsmanship, nice finishes, great hardware and pickups, exacting replicas!

Scotty
skydigger
02-02-2008, 03:28 AM
...I just bought my 3rd guitar from Rondo this month (that's 3 in 1 month! :banana:)

This one was their semi-hollow Tele.

http://www.rondomusic.com/product793.html

Next up is a Gold Top w\P90's and an Amber PS900, unless Reverend gets off their asses and finally builds some lefties. There are rumors over at Reverend that early this spring we will finally see some lefties...
Fajah
03-24-2008, 06:40 AM
...I just bought my 3rd guitar from Rondo this month (that's 3 in 1 month! :banana:)

This one was their semi-hollow Tele.

http://www.rondomusic.com/product793.html

Next up is a Gold Top w\P90's and an Amber PS900, unless Reverend gets off their asses and finally builds some lefties. There are rumors over at Reverend that early this spring we will finally see some lefties...

What are the other two guitars you bought from Rondo? I'm thinking of getting an SX-STL50 as a project guitar.

Lawrie
skydigger
03-24-2008, 08:05 AM
What are the other two guitars you bought from Rondo? I'm thinking of getting an SX-STL50 as a project guitar.

Lawrie


The other two are a blemished (I see no blemish) cutaway classical with German made electronics for $80 and a $99 SX bass which I still have torn apart because I'm too lazy to do the work to get my Alembic pickups in there.

One side note on the Tele, I find it's great for lead work but I've personally realized I need a wider nut\fingerboard so I'm saving for a Warmoth build...
Fajah
03-24-2008, 08:24 AM
The other two are a blemished (I see no blemish) cutaway classical with German made electronics for $80 and a $99 SX bass which I still have torn apart because I'm too lazy to do the work to get my Alembic pickups in there.

One side note on the Tele, I find it's great for lead work but I've personally realized I need a wider nut\fingerboard so I'm saving for a Warmoth build...

Thanks for the reply. An STL-50 looks like it's going to cost me around $150 shipped. Ironically, I found one for sale this morning with some mods on the Toronto Craigslist for $160. I'm waiting to see if the guitar is still available for the post is a couple of weeks old. I hope it is for it will give me the rare opportunity to play one rather than buying it sight unseen.

I've love my basses from Rondo, but never bought a guitar from them.

Lawrie
torndownunit
03-24-2008, 10:17 AM
I don't think SX are bad quality at all for the money. It's just that the Agile's are also a great product for the money. Any of the Rondo instruments are a good value.

I was looking at products on there the other day, and I don't know if I am just imagining it, but I swear their shipping rates to Canada have dropped. I thought they used to be about $20 more?

Anyway, I had been waiting for awhile for them to get these back in stock, and I had to give in and get one:

http://www.rondomusic.com/product1691.html

http://www.rondomusic.net/photos/electric/gg1jrsna1.jpg

$160 with shipping. Hard to beat that.
Fajah
03-24-2008, 10:36 AM
I don't think SX are bad quality at all for the money. It's just that the Agile's are also a great product for the money. Any of the Rondo instruments are a good value.

I was looking at products on there the other day, and I don't know if I am just imagining it, but I swear their shipping rates to Canada have dropped. I thought they used to be about $20 more?

I was looking at the Agiles and from what I've read, they seem to be better quality out of the box as compared to the SX. However, I already own some nice guitars and really don't need anything else, especially since I'm playing bass more than guitar these days. I don't want to spend $3-400 on a Tele copy, but $150 for something to play around with is good enough for me.

I would really like an ash or natural coloured body. The only ash I saw on the site was a lefty.
dobsont
03-26-2008, 12:59 PM
I got my sx tele used on ebay for about $90 and had it shipped to a little roadhouse right at the border. Drove it across myself. Being used and under $100 I didn't get charged a thing. She's a beaut.
Fajah
03-27-2008, 06:54 AM
I got my sx tele used on ebay for about $90 and had it shipped to a little roadhouse right at the border. Drove it across myself. Being used and under $100 I didn't get charged a thing. She's a beaut.

That's great. Glad you're enjoying it. I really want an ash STL-50 which is out of stock at the moment. Kurt said they are due to arrive in the spring, so I'm going to wait, unless something used comes up that makes sense to buy.
skydigger
03-27-2008, 01:32 PM
I'm done with Agile (for now). Next up is Raven West Guitars. Great reviews and cost around $250 on ebay for an Exotic wood strat style w\floyd rose.
NB-SK
03-28-2008, 01:26 AM
I'm done with Agile (for now). Next up is Raven West Guitars. Great reviews and cost around $250 on ebay for an Exotic wood strat style w\floyd rose.

Make sure to leave a review if you buy one.
leftysg
03-29-2008, 12:49 PM
I've owned two Agiles because like many I was curious about them. Really liked both of them. Looked awesome but I found them heavy. The Ghost III (Explorer) mahogany was $200 new from Rondo, + case,so how could I pass on that? The Lefty LP was $300. Kurt is fast at shipping and replying.
Devlin electrics and Morgan Monroe acoustics have caught my eye but at this point I'm sticking with known names.