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What was the first year for the AL3200 series. I just traded for one with all gold hardware, but this one doesn't have binding on the headstock. Was told it's an early model.

Props wrote: ↑Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:22 pm What was the first year for the AL3200 series. I just traded for one with all gold hardware, but this one doesn't have binding on the headstock. Was told it's an early model.

I'm pretty sure 2012 was the first year, but might've been 2011. I don't think I've seen any specifically without the headstock binding, but might've been a custom order...I had an early semi-custom AL-3200 that didn't have any binding at all (neck, headstock, or body) that I sold last summer.

If you post some pics we can probably narrow things down a bit further, and you can also email Kurt at Rondo Music with the serial and he might be able to provide more definitive info.

Truss cover says 3200

Props wrote: ↑Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:50 pm download/file.php?mode=view&id=8107

Nice one! That is an older one since the newer ones changed the construction a bit (more of a "swoop" where the body meets the neck). Some of the custom ones had serials that started with CS, but others weren't like that so there isn't really much consistency.

slowhand84 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 23, 2022 10:07 pm
Nice one! That is an older one since the newer ones changed the construction a bit (more of a "swoop" where the body meets the neck). Some of the custom ones had serials that started with CS, but others weren't like that so there isn't really much consistency.

Also, the older ones (at least the left-handed ones that showed up around 2016) did not have a maple cap, just a maple veneer...

slowhand84 wrote:

Props wrote: ↑Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:50 pm download/file.php?mode=view&id=8107

Nice one! That is an older one since the newer ones changed the construction a bit (more of a "swoop" where the body meets the neck). Some of the custom ones had serials that started with CS, but others weren't like that so there isn't really much consistency.

They increased the width of the neck through portion and so the wings didn't attach directly at the base of the neck. Much better from a pure stress concentration point of view (that is if you don't want cracks in the finish to form at that 90° where the wing meets the neck...)

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

honyock wrote: ↑Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:23 pm

slowhand84 wrote:

Props wrote: ↑Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:50 pm download/file.php?mode=view&id=8107

Nice one! That is an older one since the newer ones changed the construction a bit (more of a "swoop" where the body meets the neck). Some of the custom ones had serials that started with CS, but others weren't like that so there isn't really much consistency.

They increased the width of the neck through portion and so the wings didn't attach directly at the base of the neck. Much better from a pure stress concentration point of view (that is if you don't want cracks in the finish to form at that 90° where the wing meets the neck...)

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

Was that something that happened with any of these older models (the cracks?). Mine was at least 7 years old when I got it and had seen a ton of play and was still pretty much perfect aside from a little ding on the headstock.

Not saying it is a big issue with the old ones.

From a design aspect, it makes more sense to have the wings blend with a big radius into the neck instead of having a sharp edge if they had to increase the width of the neck through at the body. Not sure why they did that other than maybe it was easier to assemble the wings to the neck through portion or install the binding that way.