Agile Al-3100 Handcrafted in South Korea?

[BlackWinds10]

So I was looking at the back of the headstock on my Agile AL-3100 I recently recieved and it said "Agile Guitars, Hand Crafted In South Korea" So my question is do they have the parts made in a factory and then put them together by people or what? Because I seriously doubt the guitar is handmade.

 

[Demiurge]

So I was looking at the back of the headstock on my Agile AL-3100 I recently recieved and it said "Agile Guitars, Hand Crafted In South Korea" So my question is do they have the parts made in a factory and then put them together by people or what? Because I seriously doubt the guitar is handmade.

A CNC can only do so much- a body or neck right out of the mill needs a lot of work before it can be finished and the guitar assembled. Even a $99 cheapo guitar has had a lot of hand-time on it.

 

[ArrowHead]

People are often confused that cheap guitars are built by robots, and expensive guitars are built entirely by hand.

The reality is that those robots cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars. You're far more likely to find the big name expensive guitar company using CNC machines to make parts to exacting specs, while the smaller and less expensive shops are most likely using templates and hand routing stations. There are plenty of videos on youtube of these factories in action.

 

[BlackWinds10]

Alright would Agile be one of those companies that cant afford CNC's and most of them are routed at hand routing stations then?

 

[technomancer]

Agiles are built at one of the large factories in South Korea, however no guitar anywhere is built entirely by machines therefore they all have some "hand crafting"

 

[ArrowHead]

Alright would Agile be one of those companies that cant afford CNC's and most of them are routed at hand routing stations then?

Yes. Exactly. Someone over on Harmony Central has a quote of mine in his signature: "Agiles are made by hand - template + router + little chain smoking Korean.

Agiles are built in the Unsung factory in South Korea.

Welcome to Un-Sung Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.

Up until not too long ago, a large portion of Epiphone guitar were built there. They also have made guitars for many other name brands.

And so as not to skew my point, it's not JUST small shops that can't afford CNC machines, many brand name and major manufacturers guitars are built entirely by hand as well. The ones that DO use CNC machines don't necessarily use them to build entire guitars, either. Many times only certain parts are made, since each part needs a separate setup and calibration, or an entirely separate machine.

 

[gunshow86de]

Like all good import guitars...... they were crafted by dozens of small, underage hands.

 

[lookralphsbak]

Like all good import guitars...... they were crafted by dozens of small, underage hands.

Professional Underage Asian Luthiers?

 

[gunshow86de]

Professional Underage Asian Luthiers?

The very same World Champion Master Luthiers that Emperion use!!!!

 

[soliloquy]

Yes. Exactly. Someone over on Harmony Central has a quote of mine in his signature: "Agiles are made by hand - template + router + little chain smoking Korean.

Agiles are built in the Unsung factory in South Korea.

Welcome to Un-Sung Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.

Up until not too long ago, a large portion of Epiphone guitar were built there. They also have made guitars for many other name brands.

And so as not to skew my point, it's not JUST small shops that can't afford CNC machines, many brand name and major manufacturers guitars are built entirely by hand as well. The ones that DO use CNC machines don't necessarily use them to build entire guitars, either. Many times only certain parts are made, since each part needs a separate setup and calibration, or an entirely separate machine.

NOT TRUE!!!

i asked kurt if the 'unsung' factory made agiles, and he replied by this:

Yes I know the factory well, no they are not made there - they are made in the Agile factory - which doesnot make any other major brands (but which made Peavey and Epiphone and ESP before 2000 when we got started with them)

kurt

korea has (or had, since cort bailed two factories from korea) several factories in korea. and there still are numerous others out there.

i think breedlove are made by crafters guitars, and their factory
now apparently agile has their factory
worldmusic makes most of the guitars like PRS SE, Dean and so on
and there are a few others that make, or used to make schecters and LTDs, BC Rich and numerous others...

 

[DSilence]

NOT TRUE!!!

i asked kurt if the 'unsung' factory made agiles, and he replied by this:




korea has (or had, since cort bailed two factories from korea) several factories in korea. and there still are numerous others out there.

i think breedlove are made by crafters guitars, and their factory
now apparently agile has their factory
worldmusic makes most of the guitars like PRS SE, Dean and so on
and there are a few others that make, or used to make schecters and LTDs, BC Rich and numerous others...

My ltd was made in Korea, but I see the newer ones are made in india? Are the deluxes still made in Korea? (sorry to hijack thread) It sucks that some of these workers are treated like shit, does not make me feel good owning a guitar out of one of those factories.

 

[soliloquy]

My ltd was made in Korea, but I see the newer ones are made in india? Are the deluxes still made in Korea? (sorry to hijack thread) It sucks that some of these workers are treated like shit, does not make me feel good owning a guitar out of one of those factories.

they moved to inida now!? whow!
man, ltd is moving their factories every other month it seems.
right after korea, i saw a few coming out of indonesia.
then a few out of vietnam
then Thailand, or Taiwan, or both.
and now india?

the only other company i know of tha tmakes their guitars in india is the budget end Jackson.

but i dont think the delus, or the 1000 series is made there anymore

 

[gunshow86de]

^

I think he meant to say Indonesia. IIRC, they moved all LTD production, except the Deluxe and top-level sigs, to Indonesia 2 years ago.

 

[Pippers]

You will see more of this as workers get paid more, demand more, etc. Eventually the really really cheap labor will be gone.

 

[GuitaristOfHell]

they moved to inida now!? whow!
man, ltd is moving their factories every other month it seems.
right after korea, i saw a few coming out of indonesia.
then a few out of vietnam
then Thailand, or Taiwan, or both.
and now india?

the only other company i know of tha tmakes their guitars in india is the budget end Jackson.

but i dont think the delus, or the 1000 series is made there anymore

. LTD Appears to be playing a game of musical country's . To be honest if it doesn't say "Crafted/Made In South Korea" ( For imported guitars) I get extremely paranoid with quality. Which is why I always just pick a guitar up and just play it, and not dare look where it's been made because then I'll pre-judge.

 

[Lukifer]

Thats why I love my Ibanez!!! Made in Japan!!! I still want an Agile though.

 

[DSilence]

Sorry, I did mean Indonesia lol