A Guitar And Gear Support Forum

I saw this a SX semi hollow w/HSC for $250 on GC's used department and it was paid for before I knew what I was doing. I know nothing about this guitar but I do like SX products. Any of you folks have any experience with one of these or just have some knowledge about them I would like your input so please share.

GC's Picture

If stock pickups, they are probably overly hot/muddy sounding based on my experience with older SX of that era (GG1 & GG2 never had a GG5 like that). Also hardware is probably meh quality, but easily upgraded.

I'm sure the guitars will have decent bones though.

https://www.rondomusic.com/EG5STDCHGOLD.HTML

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redman wrote: ↑Sun Aug 29, 2021 12:50 am I saw this a SX semi hollow w/HSC for $250 on GC's used department and it was paid for before I knew what I was doing. I know nothing about this guitar but I do like SX products. Any of you folks have any experience with one of these or just have some knowledge about them I would like your input so please share.

GC's Picture
3FpPH3s[1].jpg

Should be a decent mod platform if you're willing to go that route, though at $250 (guessing more like $300-$310 with shipping/tax) it's way too pricey and well over the new cost which I think was $199 or less. GC tends to be all over the place with Rondo guitar pricing, sometimes as little as 1/2 the new cost despite upgrades but sometimes in the opposite direction. At $300 you're really more in the territory of a nice used Agile, often with upgrades.

The good news is that because it's GC Used you'll have 45 days to decide if you want to keep it or return it to your local GC for a full refund (minus the $20ish shipping cost), so all purchases with GC are pretty much risk free. Let us know how you like it!

I've long admired those but never met one when I had the cash burning a hole in my pocket.
Absolutely love the neck on the SX in my avatar & the neck on those is similar.
Douglas made a very nice 335 style guitar too. Nearly bought one back in 2008 at Gruhn's
but it was a "natural" finish which has always been my least favorite.

redman wrote: ↑Sun Aug 29, 2021 12:50 am ...and it was paid for before I knew what I was doing.

I laugh because I've done that.

Why are Guitar Center's gear photos fuzzier than photos of bigfoot from the 70s?

The price IS more than it cost new, but I'm happy with mine. While my preference is for alnico pups, I left the ceramics in my red one (pic below) stock. They are a little hot, but I wouldn't describe them as muddy. I did change just the neck pup in my natural SX semi-hollow to alnico, though. I like the 2 guitars equally, depending on the music I'm playing.
Hmmm, that pic is a little dark. Here's a slightly better one:

There were quite a few at one time that had finish cracks at the neck and the pups in mine were replaced. Mine despite upgrades was not a keeper. Hopefully yours will be better.

toomanycats wrote: ↑Sun Aug 29, 2021 7:06 am Why are Guitar Center's gear photos fuzzier than photos of bigfoot from the 70s?

It's just part of the various GC "pitfalls" that are actually boons in disguise and allow guys like me to scoop up what I scoop up there

I thought GC employees were sorta fuzzy & out of focus?

mickey wrote: ↑Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:17 pm I thought GC employees were sorta fuzzy & out of focus?

I thought GC sold their blurriest guitars online. That's why you never see a blurry guitar hanging on the wall when you go in there.

good instincts to secure it before your rational mind could weigh in.
Hows the neck feel? I bet that will sound as good as you make it.

mickey wrote: ↑Sun Aug 29, 2021 1:17 pm I thought GC employees were sorta fuzzy & out of focus?

They are, hence my comment right above yours. That and they're just plain ole not paid enough to know or care what they're sellin' or for how much. It's pretty great

slowhand84 wrote: ↑Sun Aug 29, 2021 2:48 am

Should be a decent mod platform if you're willing to go that route, though at $250 (guessing more like $300-$310 with shipping/tax) it's way too pricey and well over the new cost which I think was $199 or less. GC tends to be all over the place with Rondo guitar pricing, sometimes as little as 1/2 the new cost despite upgrades but sometimes in the opposite direction. At $300 you're really more in the territory of a nice used Agile, often with upgrades.

The good news is that because it's GC Used you'll have 45 days to decide if you want to keep it or return it to your local GC for a full refund (minus the $20ish shipping cost), so all purchases with GC are pretty much risk free. Let us know how you like it!

Wow thank you so much I'll send it back as soon as it comes. I had no idea I over paid so much but it's good to know that GC stands behind even they're used gear (whew what a relief). If anyone sees an Agile Cool Cat for $300 or less shipped please let me know. Thanks again that's why I'm here to learn from seasoned pros I admit I'm a rookie I've only been playing 55 years and only been repairing guitars for 35 years and since I've only bought 14 or 15 guitars from GC I had no idea of their generous return policy.

redman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:39 am If anyone sees an Agile Cool Cat for $300 or less shipped please let me know.

That might be a slightly tall order in the times we currently operate under, but you never know.

On a whim you might want to see how low this guy is willing to go - he's had this one listed on Reverb for literally well over a year.
https://reverb.com/item/4088305-agile-c ... 004-blonde

Another semi-hollow/hollow you might want to check out in that 300-ish price zone is the Gretsch Streamliner series.

uwmcscott wrote:

redman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:39 am If anyone sees an Agile Cool Cat for $300 or less shipped please let me know.

That might be a slightly tall order in the times we currently operate under, but you never know.

On a whim you might want to see how low this guy is willing to go - he's had this one listed on Reverb for literally well over a year.
https://reverb.com/item/4088305-agile-c ... 004-blonde

Another semi-hollow/hollow you might want to check out in that 300-ish price zone is the Gretsch Streamliner series.

The Gretsch Streamliner I got is really, really nice, paid ~$260 for mine. It is on par with the two AS820s I've owned.

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I just got the SX and it's a surprise the HSC was in very good condition and it has Grover locking Tuners a new bone nut and the pups don't sound like SX they do sound great I'll pull them this evening and have a look under the hood I'll also take pictures and post them while I'm at it. Right now I have to get back to cleaning my apt I can't put it off another day. I had a girl that cleaned for me once a week but she left when covid hit and I've ever replaced her so as of now I'm the maid.

I forgot to say I came across this on Reverb for $379.99 and $12.50 shipping it was sold by Sam Ash in Jacksonville Florida. It came with HSC and they said all they're guitars get a new set of strings and cleaned before they were shipped from the store. I love the headstock.

redman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 02, 2021 2:21 pm I forgot to say I came across this on Reverb for $379.99 and $12.50 shipping it was sold by Sam Ash in Jacksonville Florida. It came with HSC and they said all they're guitars get a new set of strings and cleaned before they were shipped from the store. I love the headstock.

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Damn..that is a model/finish I’ve not seen and old school headstock to boot. What a looker!

Hard to believe Rondo was selling those for 2 bills. Back in the golden era.

Yeah, that looks gorgeous! Original headstock too... But $380 sounds a bit high to me... It's not as bad as some of the other used prices I've been seeing, though. I'm starting to realize that this (insane) situation in the used market is more widespread than I originally thought. I was looking at used Squier Jazzmasters yesterday, and I didn't find a single one for less than what they cost new. And I mean by a WIDE margin. I'm talking $500, $600, $700 prices! There's one guy on ebay who starts all of his titles with "RARE". I'm sorry, but while I realize Squier discontinued the Vintage Modified line, they're not at all RARE. Even if they were, rarity doesn't always equate value.

@Mossman I don't think we'll ever see the prices drop to where they were just a couple of years ago. I bought my PS900 2 years ago for $165 and I don't think I will ever see an Agile under $200 again. I bought an AL-3010SE new from Kurt in April 2020 for $335 he has a new one listed on Reverb eight now for $525 https://reverb.com/item/43386099-agile- ... ric-guitar
So where do I find another Cool Cat for less money chances are that I won't so I spent the money and bought it.
I don't believe the dollar has the same buying power it had even a year ago with anything before the pandemic I could buy enough groceries for myself
(I live alone) for about $250 for a month that number is up now about $50-$100. Then I see on the sign at McDonalds they hiring $15 per hour $500 sign on bonus. When I took my first job after school minimum wage was $1.60 per hr. oh well you got to pay if you want to play.

@redman you have reminded me, my first job after high school was with AT&T
and I made a whole $1.65 per hour, which was a dime an hour higher than minimum wage.

mickey wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 10:54 am @redman you have reminded me, my first job after high school was with AT&T
and I made a whole $1.65 per hour, which was a dime an hour higher than minimum wage.

My first job as a bench tech paid $2.15 an hour and I thought I had gotten rich I also remember the first time I hit $5.00 per hour that was bigtime celebrating.

redman wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 1:12 pm

mickey wrote: ↑Fri Sep 03, 2021 10:54 am @redman you have reminded me, my first job after high school was with AT&T
and I made a whole $1.65 per hour, which was a dime an hour higher than minimum wage.

My first job as a bench tech paid $2.15 an hour and I thought I had gotten rich I also remember the first time I hit $5.00 per hour that was bigtime celebrating.

That first job I mentioned, my co-workers who had been there 5 or 10 years were making $3.47 an hour.
I couldn't figure out what they did with all that money! After all, I could have put half in the bank, paid all my bills & couldn't party away the rest!
The old $ isn't worth what it was back then.