Talk me out of buying Agile headless seven.

[bostjan]

So, I see Rondo has some long scale headless guitars that tickle two of my fancies...

30" and 27-30" headless sevens are hard to find, but they both have that unsightly head stump.

I know you guys own Agile headless guitars. Assuming I'm fairly competent at tech work... is there anything that will likely annoy me if I buy one?

 

[Kyle Jordan]

“Talk me out of buying Agile headless seven.”

No.

Buy one.

(I have no experience whatsoever with Agile. I just like being an enabler. And the headless models look like a good option to mess around with and less than a grand.)

 

[The Monster With .]

The neck on my agile headless 7 is a little thicker than I like. It's also pretty heavy for a headless guitar. It's one of the cheaper models. I have an Agile 8 string from the nicer series and I love the neck on that one.

 

[bostjan]

The neck on my agile headless 7 is a little thicker than I like. It's also pretty heavy for a headless guitar. It's one of the cheaper models. I have an Agile 8 string from the nicer series and I love the neck on that one.

Which models, if you don't mind sharing?

I did notice the weight, and my regular headed agile guitars are some of the heaviest I own.

 

[The Monster With .]

The 7 is the Geodesic 27-25.5 base model, without the Fishmans or ss frets. For the price it's a solid guitar.

 

[bostjan]

The 7 is the Geodesic 27-25.5 base model, without the Fishmans or ss frets. For the price it's a solid guitar.

I prefer the look of the geodesic. It doesn't have a disappointing headstump. But I've never seen a 27-30" one.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

I returned the AL-3200 I ordered last month. In addition to having some serious finish flaws, the nut looked like it was filed by an ogre and there was lots of fill around the inlays. The body and neck were quite nicely made, and I'd have dealt with the other issues at a lower price point, but for what I paid I was not impressed. Others have been very happy with theirs so I guess it's hit and miss.

Ultimately I feel like their lower price point stuff is actually a better deal, if you're willing to put some work into fixing up the hardware. I played one of their earlier baritone AL-2000s for quite a few years.

 

[bostjan]

So I bought the 8 string instead, so I could get stainless frets and richlite fretboard. First impressions:
1. This thing is awesome.
2. You are not joking about weight. The product page on Rondo says "less than 6 pounds!" but, I disbelieved that as soon as I picked it up. I just weighed it on a scale at 7.9 pounds. That's a lot for a headless, and, unfortunately, means a lot of people looking for weight relief are going to probably be upset.
3. Frets are not polished.
4. The neck is super smooth compared to other wenge necks I've tried.
5. Scale length feels great for 27-30".
6. Nut spacing is progressive, so F# to B is a little wider than b to e. For me, this is kind of nice.
7. After getting used to my Oni (8 string, but spec'd for high A4), this not only feels like it weighs a ton, but the neck feels so wide, too...
8. Finish looks super clean, dare I say "perfect?"
9. Electronics are positioned well and feel great and snappy.
10. So far, I'm not digging the Fishmans with the default tone. They have a weird honky mid peak that I can't see anyone liking... not so much a matter of taste to me, but, if I pull the tone pot, switching to the other voicing, they sound quite good. What's the deal? Is that normal?
11. I haven't restrung yet, but tuning action seems really smooth. The head "lockers" look much better in person than in the website pictures, too.
12. The "luminlays" are either real name brand or good enough that it doesn't matter. It's uncanny how bright they are. My previous experience was with Allparts glowing markers, and these are literally 100x brighter and glow for hours.
13. Feels very sturdy, like quality.

I'll probably do a review after a string change and a gig or two with it. First impression, it exceeds my expectations. The main plus is the overall feel. Main minus is the weight- I honestly bought this to put less wear and tear on my more expensive guitars without breaking my middle-aged back. It literally weighs more than both of my Oni's combined (2 lbs and 5.5 lbs) which aren't even headless. I also have a Leo Jaymz headless which is the exact opposite: weighs nothing, but quality is absolute bottom tier.

 

[gh0styboi]

Super late to the party (congrats on your NGD), but I retroactively recommend it

I've had a couple Agiles (all 8 strings), and they've all been great. Punch way above their price point, and just good guitars. I'd buy one again without hesitation.

 

[jaxadam]

 

[Randy]

10. So far, I'm not digging the Fishmans with the default tone. They have a weird honky mid peak that I can't see anyone liking... not so much a matter of taste to me, but, if I pull the tone pot, switching to the other voicing, they sound quite good. What's the deal? Is that normal?

If theyre moderns, then yes. Fuck that default voicing.

 

[TimSE]

2nd

 

[Alberto7]

Pics please!

Luminlays are dope af. Got them in my Ibby AZ and in my strandberg. I don't need them at all cause I haven't played live since 2010, but they look super neat.

Also, which Oni do you have that weighs 2 lbs? I might have seen it before, but I'd think I'd remember it.

If theyre moderns, then yes. Fuck that default voicing.

I've never even seen an Agile in the flesh, but I came here to comment this exact same thing. I don't think I have ever used the 1st voice for more than 5 minutes.

 

[bostjan]

Leo Jaymz pictured for scale (25.5")



Pick for scale (cool picks phat cat)

Like I said, I'll do a more thorough review later

 

[tedtan]

HNGD!

 

[musicman61554]

I had an 8 String Agile Septor Elite for years. Solid guitar for the price. Also had a few students that own them and they liked them too. Overall a great solution for someone on a budget.

 

[GunpointMetal]

I've got two of the 92730 models. I actually love the guitars. The only annoying thing is the cheap metal the string headpieces are made out of. Gotta make sure the screw goes in straight or you'll strip the threading right out of it. It's easy enough NOT to do...but it's easy to do, lol. To their credit Rondo sent me three extras when I FUBAR'd one on my new guitar and they got to my house in like two days. I think I might upgrade to a different brand for those pieces at some point, though.
RE the Fishman moderns: on the 9 string I quite like the stock tone.

 

[Shawn]

View attachment 142040
Leo Jaymz pictured for scale (25.5")

View attachment 142041

Pick for scale (cool picks phat cat)

Like I said, I'll do a more thorough review later

Looks like you need a 7 now.

 

[jaxadam]