PSA - the deal thread

[tobijohn]

My question would be with a finish like that, how do you plug and redrill and not have it show? If the saddles are all the way forward, the bridge would have to be moved forward probably half an inch...

[Partscaster]

[One could use a washer, perhaps a dress washer,....wooden, or of a cool design. But even a plain fat flat washer could conceal the plugs. One could even counter sink such a washer into the top to be flush. fwiw.

[tobijohn]

[One could use a washer, perhaps a dress washer,....wooden, or of a cool design. But even a plain fat flat washer could conceal the plugs. One could even counter sink such a washer into the top to be flush. fwiw.

Yes, I was thinking the same which was the Firefly solution a few batches ago on a bunch of their LPs that had the anchor holes drilled too large (I've got one of them). However, depending on how far forward the bridge would have to be relocated, that might be a really large washer and while it wouldn't affect the playability, the aesthetics of a one inch washer might be lacking.


As per @honyock 's suggestion, a metric harmonica style bridge might also be a solution without any plugging and redrilling if you only need a little bit of forward movement. I'm not sure yet though if something like that even exists and will have to do little research...

[mighty_duck]

The entire lot must have been bad. It's a little scary that all of them were passed by the factory QA. If I were Kurt, it would be "Lucyyyy, you got some splainin' to do"...

So many questions...
Does he QA them himself? I thought he was more of a ship-it-and-let-the-customer-QA-it type of organization.
Does he get credit from the factory for the bad batch?
Will there be righty C-stocks in our near future?

Oh, and the lefty Valk is gone again.

[tobijohn]

...Oh, and the lefty Valk is gone again.

There's a Kuson harmonica bridge for $120 and both Gibson and Agiles have the same post to post 73mm measurement. I also believe I've seen anchor adapters so you can use SAE bridge studs so there might be a bolt-on solution:

https://reverb.com/item/29570003-kluson ... les-chrome

And as for the latest one being gone, um yeah. It seems over six dozen pickup swaps and close to eighty other minor to major projects aren't quite enough for me...

[mickey]

The entire lot must have been bad. It's a little scary that all of them were passed by the factory QA. If I were Kurt, it would be "Lucyyyy, you got some splainin' to do"...

So many questions...
Does he QA them himself? I thought he was more of a ship-it-and-let-the-customer-QA-it type of organization.
Does he get credit from the factory for the bad batch?
Will there be righty C-stocks in our near future?

Oh, and the lefty Valk is gone again.

Based on past experience, he usually lets the customer do the work,
but in cases like incorrect bridge placement, after the first one bounces, he checks the rest of the shipment.

[honyock]

My question would be with a finish like that, how do you plug and redrill and not have it show? If the saddles are all the way forward, the bridge would have to be moved forward probably half an inch...

On a $550 guitar for $125, I won't care what it looks like. Or I can take a picture of the top, glue it to the top of the plug and blend it in if I am really feeling anal.

[tobijohn]

On a $550 guitar for $125, I won't care what it looks like. Or I can take a picture of the top, glue it to the top of the plug and blend it in if I am really feeling anal.

I don't have the tools or skill set to easily plug and redrill like you do so plan A is to see if a Kluson harmonica bridge like you earlier suggested will work if I can find a set of bushings for imports that will allow the SAE bridge studs to be used.

You'll most likely have yours before I get mine and I'm going to assume all of these are off by the same amount so let me know what you find, TIA

[tobijohn]

Based on past experience, he usually lets the customer do the work,
but in cases like incorrect bridge placement, after the first one bounces, he checks the rest of the shipment.

I'm pretty sure that I've never received a new Agile from Rondo that needed more than minor adjustments to the intonation. I know Kurt doesn't set them up prior to shipping so for these to be so far off and the factory still shipped them makes me wonder what the deal was on these. So far, that's three which makes me pretty sure then that there were only four in the last preorder so there's still one more to account for...

[tobijohn]

While there are conversion studs, I haven't been able to find conversion bushings. However, if the Kluson Harmonica bridge will push things forward enough for proper intonation, then here's a possible solution. If the bushings that come with the Kluson bridge are the same diameter as Gibsons, then they can be inserted directly into the stock Agile metric bushings:

https://www.everythingsg.com/threads/gi ... hod.35707/

Also, depending on how much more additional travel is necessary then one of those relatively inexpensive locking roller bridges with the adjustable grub screws on the post might also work:

https://www.everythingsg.com/threads/gi ... hod.35707/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/282501480609?h ... SwjNxg7FNj

[honyock]

On a $550 guitar for $125, I won't care what it looks like. Or I can take a picture of the top, glue it to the top of the plug and blend it in if I am really feeling anal.

I don't have the tools or skill set to easily plug and redrill like you do so plan A is to see if a Kluson harmonica bridge like you earlier suggested will work if I can find a set of bushings for imports that will allow the SAE bridge studs to be used.

You'll most likely have yours before I get mine and I'm going to assume all of these are off by the same amount so let me know what you find, TIA

will do!

[mozz]

I think you could even file the slots if needed to get a pinch more. My original question after looking was, are you sure it's a bridge placement problem. If not, it may be the nut or even the frets or set neck incorrectly placed.

While there are conversion studs, I haven't been able to find conversion bushings. However, if the Kluson Harmonica bridge will push things forward enough for proper intonation, then here's a possible solution. If the bushings that come with the Kluson bridge are the same diameter as Gibsons, then they can be inserted directly into the stock Agile metric bushings:

https://www.everythingsg.com/threads/gi ... hod.35707/

Also, depending on how much more additional travel is necessary then one of those relatively inexpensive locking roller bridges with the adjustable grub screws on the post might also work:

https://www.everythingsg.com/threads/gi ... hod.35707/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/282501480609?h ... SwjNxg7FNj

[mickey]

Based on past experience, he usually lets the customer do the work,
but in cases like incorrect bridge placement, after the first one bounces, he checks the rest of the shipment.

I'm pretty sure that I've never received a new Agile from Rondo that needed more than minor adjustments to the intonation. I know Kurt doesn't set them up prior to shipping so for these to be so far off and the factory still shipped them makes me wonder what the deal was on these. So far, that's three which makes me pretty sure then that there were only four in the last preorder so there's still one more to account for...

Some years ago Kurt got in 4 of these where the bridge was mis-drilled & some of us here snapped up 3 of them at $99 each.

[tobijohn]

I think you could even file the slots if needed to get a pinch more. My original question after looking was, are you sure it's a bridge placement problem. If not, it may be the nut or even the frets or set neck incorrectly placed.

s-l1600.jpg

You're right about that and we won't know until both @honyock and I have them in our hands. You pays your money and you takes your chances.

Actually there are two rows of holes along both sides lengthwise in that style of bridge but they're offset so you can't just move the saddles to the "back" row as then they won't line up with the screws that hold them in and tighten them down. However, a new row of holes can be drilled and tapped (I was wondering when I'd finally get a chance to use the tap and die set I bought a few years ago) in the middle that will align with the saddles reversed so that there is more travel to the front. The saddles will then extend further out than the base of the bridge but it might be enough to get things far enough forward to intonate IF that's the problem...

[tobijohn]

OK, the fourth one of the pre-order is now up so that should be it. Kurt also raised the price on what I assume is the last of the lot to $170. I paid $150 and the one @honyock bought was $125. I don't recall what the price of the second one was. He probably could have gotten more for them but I assume he just wanted to be done with the mess and move on...

[mighty_duck]

OK, the fourth one of the pre-order is now up so that should be it. Kurt also raised the price on what I assume is the last of the lot to $170. I paid $150 and the one @honyock bought was $125. I don't recall what the price of the second one was. He probably could have gotten more for them but I assume he just wanted to be done with the mess and move on...

Second one was also $150. At $170, I would probably pass.
I put one in my cart yesterday, and it is still showing up as $125 for me. I was messing with the idea of buying and flipping it, but outside of a certain hotspot in southeastern Florida, the market for lefty Agiles isn't very robust.

[tobijohn]

...I was messing with the idea of buying and flipping it, but outside of a certain hotspot in southeastern Florida, the market for lefty Agiles isn't very robust.

I also was thinking it would be a good opportunity for someone to make a couple hundred bucks assuming that the fix is replacing or relocating the bridge. And yes, there's a lefty electric guitar black hole located in the West Palm Beach area. Besides a Valkyrie, in the past couple weeks it's sucked in a 2TS Stagg Tele, a PBU SX Nashville Tele, an AL-1900, CSBF AL-2000 and an oceanburst AL-3100MCC...

[jtcnj]

the Monoprice Indio Teles are on sale again. $80.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=610263

[jtcnj]

theres a bunch of AL-2000 B stocks including some leftys
I would buy a P90 gold top if the nut wasnt 1-5/8"

https://www.rondomusic.com/product2561.html

EDIT: looks like most if not all are sold, maybe this is old news, sorry.

[uwmcscott]

I think something must be wonky on the site - search for "2000" and check the results

[Jaymo]

How does the AL-2000 stack up against the SX Callisto?
I've got the Callisto STD+ DS (lefty).
Wondering if it would be worth it to get the 2000 gold top with P90s.

Nevermind. It shows both the B stock and A stock are out of stock.
I was hoping to buy one and see if I could buy some SX P90s off a forum member to put in it.

[tobijohn]

I think something must be wonky on the site - search for "2000" and check the results

Yes, I think the last time I saw any new Al-2000s was maybe early 2017, perhaps even earlier...

[BatUtilityBelt]

Damn. I took the bait and went looking for the lefty P90 gold top 2000

[jtcnj]

I thought since those reclaimed Grover tuners showed up, maybe some corner of warehouse yielded some forgotten treasure.

[Buddha Pickups]

I dont remember seeing this one in stock and I've been following rondo since 2005ish
https://www.rondomusic.com/al2000nat.html