Another Liquid

[BatUtilityBelt]

I just fell prey to another guitar from Rondo. I already have a Liquid, but mine is humbucker powered, and I think the guitar screams out for P90s. I like a 2 pickup guitar a lot more than 3 pickup, so I had been resisting, waiting around for a 2 P90 Liquid for far too long. I keep seeing them pop up used for twice their new price and that ticks me off a bit. Finally, checking Rondo again, I had to pop for this one. $200 is still cheap for such a great guitar, the Lake Placid Blue is a great color, and I realized it would be no big deal to turn this into a 2 P90 guitar if I want to later. So I clicked Buy, and will wait for the June 30 or so shipping.

[redman]

Nice score and I would also buy a 2X-P90 Liquid as well I gave my 3X-P90 to my grandson he loves it.

[dabbler]

I agree! LPB is the best color!

A A AND, you need both 2 and 3 pup P90 Liquids!

[andrewsrea]

I am a big fan of my Sonic Blue SX SJM-62 (early version of the Liquid), which is currently sporting a set of my AMI Vintage Firebird pickups. I've thought of doing a set of Jazzmaster pickups for it, but change my mind every time I plug-in!

Back when they were introduced, I thought that with proper marketing and backing, Rondo could have made a bigger mark on the guitar world with the SX Liquid and the Agile Harm - both being pleasingly unique with a hint of another popular guitar thrown in.

Since it is odd-shaped, my SJM hangs on the wall vs. my racks. Being very visible, it is one I get a lot of positive comments on, especially from non-musicians. It would be in higher rotation if the fretboard radius was a 9" or 10" instead of 14", but that is my only minor gripe.

Hope you get it sooner than later and looking forward to your NGD w/ pics!

[BatUtilityBelt]

I am a big fan of my Sonic Blue SX SJM-62 (early version of the Liquid), which is currently sporting a set of my AMI Vintage Firebird pickups. I've thought of doing a set of Jazzmaster pickups for it, but change my mind every time I plug-in!

Back when they were introduced, I thought that with proper marketing and backing, Rondo could have made a bigger mark on the guitar world with the SX Liquid and the Agile Harm - both being pleasingly unique with a hint of another popular guitar thrown in.

Since it is odd-shaped, my SJM hangs on the wall vs. my racks. Being very visible, it is one I get a lot of positive comments on, especially from non-musicians. It would be in higher rotation if the fretboard radius was a 9" or 10" instead of 14", but that is my only minor gripe.

Hope you get it sooner than later and looking forward to your NGD w/ pics!

I think the earlier ones like yours had a better headstock shape. I completely agree the Liquid and Harm should have found much bigger markets.

[Partscaster]

I have two liquids currently. One 2x p90 modified to stoptail, one 2 humbucker w tremolo.
The only guitar that I can now foresee Kurt getting my money for is a Hawk Thinline Ash bodied strat.
They'll show up again, and I'll get one just to check off that box and throw some Klein 1955 pups into.

Congrats on that nice Liquid.

[Buddha Pickups]

I have 2 ash liquids. I think they may be from the SJM Era though.

[tobijohn]

...and I realized it would be no big deal to turn this into a 2 P90 guitar if I want to later....

Would you be cutting your own pickguard?

[Jaymo]

I love the Liquid. Mine is the "Powder Blue" with 2 P90s and a Jazzmaster trem.
It looks like some sort of Easter candy.
I'm very tempted to get a 3 P90 stop tail in candy apple red.

[BatUtilityBelt]

...and I realized it would be no big deal to turn this into a 2 P90 guitar if I want to later....

Would you be cutting your own pickguard?

Yes, and would probably replace the 5-way switch with a 3-way. I have to see if the middle pickup bothers me before going down that path though. I might be pleasantly surprised this time.

[tobijohn]

Yes, and would probably replace the 5-way switch with a 3-way. I have to see if the middle pickup bothers me before going down that path though. I might be pleasantly surprised this time.

I've got to do the same for one of my three P90 Liquids that I want to put minis in. I could use black P90/mini adapters but I'm not crazy about the aesthetics of that. I'm going to replace the blade switch with a toggle too but will use a Freeway switch:

https://www.freewayswitch.com/products/

They've got schematics for three pickup guitars too...

[BatUtilityBelt]

I've got to do the same for one of my three P90 Liquids that I want to put minis in. I could use black P90/mini adapters but I'm not crazy about the aesthetics of that. I'm going to replace the blade switch with a toggle too but will use a Freeway switch:
https://www.freewayswitch.com/products/

They've got schematics for three pickup guitars too...

I haven't done anything complex enough to need one of those switches yet, but probably will sometime. If it was my HB Liquid (below), I would go with mint green, but not on LP blue...

[tobijohn]

I haven't done anything complex enough to need one of those switches yet, but probably will sometime. If it was my HB Liquid (below), I would go with mint green, but not on LP blue...
Body Front.jpg

If you go with two pickups then a three way toggle is fine. I'm staying with three pickups and sticking with the master volume/tone so unless I want to keep a five way blade, I don't have much of a choice. Anyway, doing it myself, I'm less likely to screw up drilling a hole than I am trying to cut a slot.

You're right, mint green wouldn't work with that blue, I'm going with a pearl white on mine...

[tobijohn]

Also as an FYI, I just noticed that the location of the five way switch is not the same, a strange thing to change between production runs:

[Razzle]

I don’t have a liquid but have always been keen on them. I guess u could say Kurt never offered one in Purple! Hahahahaha, anyone wanna do a refin on one?

Congrats on yours, you picked the best color! I had a Fender LPB strat, some kind of 25th anniversary or something, that thing was a BITCH! It weighed like over 10 lbs! Color was good though. Alder huh, how much do those weigh?

Oh I meant to ask, the ad says a “thin” neck. Can y’all tell me what your neck profile is like? I love thin necks, but don’t like jumbo frets.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Also as an FYI, I just noticed that the location of the five way switch is not the same, a strange thing to change between production runs:

I had noticed that comparing to my old one. I prefer the lower position, but can work with either.

[tobijohn]

I don’t have a liquid but have always been keen on them. I guess u could say Kurt never offered one in Purple! Hahahahaha, anyone wanna do a refin on one?

Congrats on yours, you picked the best color! I had a Fender LPB strat, some kind of 25th anniversary or something, that thing was a BITCH! It weighed like over 10 lbs! Color was good though. Alder huh, how much do those weigh?

Oh I meant to ask, the ad says a “thin” neck. Can y’all tell me what your neck profile is like? I love thin necks, but don’t like jumbo frets.

The red one is 8 lbs, the blue one is 8.5 lbs and one that is not in my picture above but identical to BUBs is 7.5 lbs. The necks on the two P90s is like a Gibson 50s D, the white one is more like a Gibson Standard...

[BatUtilityBelt]

I don’t have a liquid but have always been keen on them. I guess u could say Kurt never offered one in Purple! Hahahahaha, anyone wanna do a refin on one?

Congrats on yours, you picked the best color! I had a Fender LPB strat, some kind of 25th anniversary or something, that thing was a BITCH! It weighed like over 10 lbs! Color was good though. Alder huh, how much do those weigh?

Oh I meant to ask, the ad says a “thin” neck. Can y’all tell me what your neck profile is like? I love thin necks, but don’t like jumbo frets.

Wait long enough, there might be a purple one.

I don't know the weight yet. My HB Liquid weighs in at 8 lbs, 8 oz. It has a slightly chunky neck, and I hope the new one has the same neck, but I doubt it will. The neck finish looks different, and the old one is from 2014.

[tobijohn]

I don't know the weight yet. My HB Liquid weighs in at 8 lbs, 8 oz. It has a slightly chunky neck, and I hope the new one has the same neck, but I doubt it will. The neck finish looks different, and the old one is from 2014.

I bought my HB Liquid the summer or fall of 2015 and as I mentioned above, the neck is definitely thinner than the P90 versions. It's also darker than the other two, not that yellow you see on some other SX models, more of an aged clear...

[Mossman]

I have occasionally toyed with the idea of buying a Liquid, but I always talk myself out of it. If I were to get one, it would definitely be one with P90s. A 3 P90 guitar always sounded like fun to me, but I'm pretty sure the middle pickup would feel like it's in my way. Since I've been playing a Strat more, the middle pickup on that kinda bugs me sometimes, but it's a lot easier to get around a Strat pickup than a P90.

[BatUtilityBelt]

I have occasionally toyed with the idea of buying a Liquid, but I always talk myself out of it. If I were to get one, it would definitely be one with P90s. A 3 P90 guitar always sounded like fun to me, but I'm pretty sure the middle pickup would feel like it's in my way. Since I've been playing a Strat more, the middle pickup on that kinda bugs me sometimes, but it's a lot easier to get around a Strat pickup than a P90.

That's exactly why I prefer a 2 pickup guitar. 3 offer more tones, but I feel more free to play 2 without worrying about smacking that middle pickup. Odd too, because I have no memory of that ever actually happening. It just seems more likely, but maybe I'm wrong to worry about it. I don't worry about it on a Strat either, but I tend to stay in positions 2 and 4. It will be interesting to see what habits form with this Liquid's 3 P90s. It'll be my 2nd 3-P90 guitar, but I rarely play the other - a Hanson Cigno. It's not a bad guitar, but it never calls out to be played. Those P90s are unremarkable.

[tobijohn]

...It will be interesting to see what habits form with this Liquid's 3 P90s. It'll be my 2nd 3-P90 guitar, but I rarely play the other - a Hanson Cigno. It's not a bad guitar, but it never calls out to be played. Those P90s are unremarkable.

Those Hanson Cignos are pretty unique looking guitars but I've heard they do have a reputation for being kind of shy and reticent...

If you were thinking of using different pickups with your dual P90 conversion, consider swapping the SX P90s into the Cigno. I've never heard a anyone say anything negative about the stock SX ones (Agile P90s, yes), in fact quite the contrary. Worst case, maybe a magnet swap. I got a SX Callisto Jr from @Brendan and he had done that (A2/A3 combo?) and they sound great...

[BatUtilityBelt]

Those Hanson Cignos are pretty unique looking guitars but I've heard they do have a reputation for being kind of shy and reticent...

If you were thinking of using different pickups with your dual P90 conversion, consider swapping the SX P90s into the Cigno. I've never heard a anyone say anything negative about the stock SX ones (Agile P90s, yes), in fact quite the contrary. Worst case, maybe a magnet swap. I got a SX Callisto Jr from @Brendan and he had done that (A2/A3 combo?) and they sound great...

Yeah, I kinda like the look, it's the tone that's lacking. And Hanson was supposed to be a pickup maker wrapping them in an affordable guitar. It was a real good deal. I don't know what's in them, but I think the magnet change is worth looking at - I have some magnet sets around here somewhere. The guitar is very light and plays well. The neck is a bit thin. I do have a couple other pairs of P90s sitting around in case that doesn't work, giving the Cigno SX pickups might be the ticket also. Good options.

[jtcnj]

Nice!
I really like mine, but find I play the LP types more.

[BatUtilityBelt]

Good news. I got an email this morning from Rondo saying the guitar was "ready to ship". No tracking yet, but that sounds promising.

Bad news... Saw this used one this morning on Reverb with the better headstock. Missing trem arm, pickguard redrilled, pickups no longer match, dings. Let's just sell it for $126 more than Rondo is selling them new?
https://reverb.com/item/41228098-sx-lef ... 8-sunburst

On one hand, how do they justify being far beyond new pricing when Liquids still sell new? On the other hand, if Kurt permanently discontinues the Liquid, the ridiculous high prices will probably win and keep going up, making all our Liquids valuable.