AGF Evolution?

[andrewsrea]

I can recall not too many years ago, AGF was buzzing with GAS inducing purchases and new memebers.

Things have certainly changed. in a year of record music sales, AGF average consumption seem to have slowed down considerably.

I guess we were just ahead of our time!

[rrobbone]

I think the whole Momo board debacle washed away most of the casual users of the forums. Rondo has become known for extended range instruments more than for decent LP and Fender copies, which is what many of us gravitate towards. Also, covid has changed everyone's lives and routines. Lots of big changes in a relatively short timeframe...

I check in fairly regularly, but I don't contribute quite as much as I used to.

[golem]

I mean I still buy/sell/trade a good bit. I'm just not sure how much people want to see that. Especially when it's stuff I grab from Mike. I think I made 2-3K just off guitars he sold me last year. I literally only ended up keeping the Ibanez BC9, 80's Hamer, and that set of Dimarzios from him. I literally can't pass up good deals or stuff I'm curious about. I think I've just gotten more shy about sharing to the world everything I grab.

[mickey]

We do not have the "feeding frenzies" like we once did because Rondo deserted us.
They do not stock what most of us are interested in buying and overstock stuff we wouldn't take if they paid us!
It has been a long time (years?) since I've seen a lefty B-stock on Rondo that I would spend money on.
And I can buy a cheaper ironing board at Target or Wal-Mart than I can Rondo, and they work better being smoother
because (un-like Rondo) their ironing boards do not have frets.

[Milkman]

[golem]

Less people is probably the big thing. Rondo raising prices is another.

I can't speak for others but I'm getting shy about posting gear. I will literally buy anything I see a good deal on that piques my curiosity. But I also sell or trade a lot of it so that I can try more things that interest me. The result is I probably look like a manic gear flipper to some.

And then there was that incident when I posted the T style on FB and someone acted really shady trying to find out who I bought it from and then threatened me. So yeah... that's enough to make me hesitate to share new guitar days.

[sabasgr68]

I think we´re evolving - or have evolutioned already, actually? - to some sort of an AGF old friends group, where we all know each other from a past time, and still want to be together. It´s not the same, for sure, it´s different, but it´s still us. It wouldn´t mean a thing to newcomers, but for the rest of us, I think it does.

As far as GAS purchases AND kind enabling "suggestions", I wish I could be more active lol

My only enabling action was maybe with @Mossman, with the Lekato wireless transmitter he got, and that I was enabled some time ago - we were still brewing in the old site by then - by @ID10t without him knowing, just because he mentioned he liked them!

[honyock]

I bought way too much this year, but in my defense Harley Benton made some guitars I could not live without and buying 2 cost the same to ship as 1, so in my warped mind saving $60 justified buying another guitar. Luckily their low priced gear fit in my budget thanks to a big jump in used selling prices.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[uwmcscott]

For me it's been multiple factors. The momo "conversion" of course was part of it specific to this community, but I do feel like most of the regulars did make it over in general. On the overall GAS front, mine has been waning for a few years anyway - mostly because I honestly have way more than I need, even though my collection is relatively small compared to others. And for the most part i've tried just about every basic type of guitar out there and found what I like. The last factor would be the things that have happened in the world over the past 2 years. I look at a lot of things differently than I did before all this craziness, and people and time seem far more valuable than things as a result.

[sabasgr68]

...and people and time seem far more valuable than things as a result.

No matter what good or difficult times we could be talking about, this is always true. Totally agree with you, Scott.

[uwmcscott]

...and people and time seem far more valuable than things as a result.

No matter what good or difficult times we could be talking about, this is always true.

I would agree Sabas, but indeed last year or so was a great reminder of why. It's also one of the reasons I think this place has survived for so long - while we do have fun and GAS the community itself is just as important. Look at all the work that went into getting a site up and running almost immediately after Momo came to town.

[tobijohn]

Between transitioning to trading fulltime and getting a Humpty Dumpty of a house that I've neglected for ten years put back together, I just haven't have the spare time I used to this past year or so. However, I'm hoping sometime this coming spring to pick up the pace again and catch up with a couple years worth of NGDs and documenting a ridiculous list of projects. Hopefully, someone can learn from my upcoming trials and tribulations...

[BatUtilityBelt]

Rondo GAS certainly brought me to this group long before the momo nono. I appreciate the info, humor, and GAS commiseration here. But the Rondo GAS is certainly drying out. I have only bought 1 guitar from them in the last year or so, and I have no interest in the pointy offerings that remain there. Admittedly, I would still go for more higher end Agiles if they spec'd along my interests, but they are simply not there anymore. I didn't change much, the Agile brand did. So to me, the aptly renamed AGF is a community of people who had more in common years back than today. Still worth daily visits though.

[TVvoodoo]

A lot of the old discussions were about the steady flow of interesting 6 strings and crazy anomalies Kurt was bringing in for years and years. And the brave bros who would throw a few hundies or less at something enticing and report in. Plus, the B-stock Adrenalin rush factor.

Last time I perused the rondo website it killed dead any GAS I had going in. I miss the Douglas offerings. Cool things like the ISIS, or the Spad.

[thepezident]

Rondo brought me here when it was Agile Guitar Forum.
The crazy antics kept me here.
Even though the crazies have left the building.....I still come around.
But boy oh boy....the hey-days of AGF.....good times......

And Rondo.......you're dead to me.....

[jtcnj]

I came to AGF early in 2015 to learn about budget guitars, soon after I first started learning guitar.
Several have come and gone, as I know more about what I prefer.
I did buy 4 guitars from Rondo; 2 have moved on, I rarely play the strat type SX Hawk, but really dig my P90 Liquid.
I would likely have bought an AL-3200 but anything over about 8lbs. is a no go for me.
I mostly buy used gear now as well.

I'm still not much of a player.

I stay for the guitar related info, but also just to hang with you all.
Great bunch of folks here.

[jimbocaster]

Rondo brought me here when it was Agile Guitar Forum.
The crazy antics kept me here.
Even though the crazies have left the building.....I still come around.
But boy oh boy....the hey-days of AGF.....good times......

And Rondo.......you're dead to me.....

Agreed. I remember coming here and literally laughing out loud at times. I understand there are rules that need to be followed and I get that we should keep it SFW...BUT, I do miss the slightly more edgy AGF sometimes...

[Perfect Stranger]

SMDH....

I just don't like it here like I used to. Several reasons....

[RockYoWorld]

I've bought a few guitars and a bass in the last year or so. Largely, I don't get a lot of GAS outside of guitars since I know I have all the amp tones and effects I need in my Axe FX III. I still check this site regularly, but I have more ability to contribute to conversations in the Fractal Audio forum than here, so I've spent more virtual time there as of late.

[aullucci]

I still come by to browse (a lot less frequently) but I participate less than ever. I'm going to try to make a point to get back into it. I miss this place...

[OMB]

For some of us myself included it got to the point I forgot which guitars I had where and was barely playing any. That created some concern. For me it was like what is the point. I had purchased all of the style guitars I had interest in and now needed to just enjoy them. But buying was fun and (at least for me) now it is done.

I guess I am at buy less...play more.

[tonebender]

Agile guitars did bring me here in 2009 (the old board) but I fell out with Kurt and Rondo over a custom shop order that never seem to be able to happen. I sold my 15 or so Agile guitars at blowout prices to rid myself of them. I stuck around here after that because of the people. I do not come here as much as I used to but I still come around. I try to spend less time on the computer and more time doing productive things. We decided to sell the farm a few years ago and situate ourselves for retirement. That whole process took a lot of attention hence less time to surf.

[MichaelR]

Yes its been a strange ride the last couple years for sure. I just don't have the gas anymore really, Rondo stopped making anything I liked plus I don't need em really. Just had my Gibson lp Futura setup by a Luthier I know and I'm bonding with it finally. I may actually sell one or two just to make room and I never play em anyway.
Edit= That's not to say I don't play at all but rather I tend to bond with one or two and the rest of em just sit around.

[mickey]

A lot of the old discussions were about the steady flow of interesting 6 strings and crazy anomalies Kurt was bringing in for years and years. And the brave bros who would throw a few hundies or less at something enticing and report in. Plus, the B-stock Adrenalin rush factor.

Last time I perused the rondo website it killed dead any GAS I had going in. I miss the Douglas offerings. Cool things like the ISIS, or the Spad.

You aren't the only one who misses Douglas. The problem there was that Saein went belly up and they made many (most?) of the Douglas brand guitars.

[Frozensoda]

I don’t come by nearly as often as I used to, depression is a bitch.
I haven’t played in well over a year because I have pain in my thumbs, no will to play and, well, depression.