PSA: Agile AL-4000 on Reverb - $400

[tobijohn]

These are uncommon, originally went for $600 and an awful lot of guitar at the original price (Gotoh hardware, harness probably MIJ, 3/4" maple cap, no veneer, etc), links below:

https://reverb.com/item/57758838-agile- ... ed%20Email

Original product listing from Rondo:

https://www.rondomusic.com/al4000csb.html

[mickey]

Do you happen to know whether there were ever any LEFTY AL-4000's? Just curious.

[tobijohn]

Do you happen to know whether there were ever any LEFTY AL-4000's? Just curious.

I don't know. internet search turns up nothing and I'd be surprised if there were. I'm currently in correspondence with Kurt about some lefty parts, I'll ask him in my next reply

[uwmcscott]

Those don''t show up very often, looks like he bumped the price up since you posted the link too ( $499 now ). Still probably a decent price for a fun piece of Agile History. Some of the 4000's came with Duncan JB/Jazz pickups too - probably hit or miss on that https://www.rondomusic.com/al4000teduncan.html

My hangup with these ( and the 3500 ) was always the 1 5/8 nut width. And the fact that it might way 14lbs

[tobijohn]

My hangup with these ( and the 3500 ) was always the 1 5/8 nut width. And the fact that it might way 14lbs

I always wondered why they were that width instead of the more popular 1 11/16". That changed with the new style A(x)-3100/3200MCC which are the later width...

[uwmcscott]

I always wondered why they were that width instead of the more popular 1 11/16". That changed with the new style A(x)-3100/3200MCC which are the later width...

Yeah, it's somewhat of a head scratcher but it does seem like the the advent of the 3100/3010SE era brought in the 1 11/16 nut. And of course the wide ( 1 3/4 ) option as a separate model.

In real practice it's not that big of a deal of course, and I think they all vary anyway - I had an old 3000m that had the 1 5/8 nut on spec, but in person it felt wider. But I did own a couple of AL2K's that had awfully narrow ones too.

I'm semi-tempted to put in an offer on this one just for nostalgia's sake, but honestly I can't remember the last time I even plugged in an amp or any of my electrics - I've been almost exclusively playing acoustic.

[tobijohn]

I'm semi-tempted to put in an offer on this one just for nostalgia's sake, but honestly I can't remember the last time I even plugged in an amp or any of my electrics - I've been almost exclusively playing acoustic.

With the new micro headset amps, the convenience of an electric is almost the same as an acoustic. I bought one of those Fender Mustang micros used for $80 and I was really impressed with the sound:

https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amp ... 00000.html

[uwmcscott]

With the new micro headset amps, the convenience of an electric is almost the same as an acoustic. I bought one of those Fender Mustang micros used for $80 and I was really impressed with the sound:

https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amp ... 00000.html

Yes, that's what I usually do when I plug in anyway - I've got an old Fender Mustang Mini or I still use the Positive Grid ( Bias/JamUp) tools on my ipad and headphones.

I also still have that little plug in/jack amp that you sent me as a prize for winning the AGF football pool many years back. While I appreciate your generosity, it has only one setting - buzzing bees

[tobijohn]

I also still have that little plug in/jack amp that you sent me as a prize for winning the AGF football pool many years back. While I appreciate your generosity, it has only one setting - buzzing bees

LOL, you mean something like this?

[uwmcscott]

LOL, you mean something like this?

Well, if I could actually play like that then maybe...but i'm not even in the same neighborhood of shredding.

[sabasgr68]

I'm semi-tempted to put in an offer on this one just for nostalgia's sake, but honestly I can't remember the last time I even plugged in an amp or any of my electrics - I've been almost exclusively playing acoustic.

With the new micro headset amps, the convenience of an electric is almost the same as an acoustic. I bought one of those Fender Mustang micros used for $80 and I was really impressed with the sound:

https://www.fender.com/en-US/guitar-amp ... 00000.html

Harley Benton's approach (apparently good enough):

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_ben ... mobile.htm

[tobijohn]

Well, if I could actually play like that then maybe...but i'm not even in the same neighborhood of shredding.

And he makes it looks so effortless too.

BTW, the past couple years I've been teasing myself and toying with the idea of moving back up to the midwest. However, I just got my homeowners insurance invoice and I think it's God's way of telling me to get the lead out. It just went up to $6300 a year from $4700 last year and $2200 ten years ago when I started with this company. There hasn't been any serious storm damage within a couple hundred miles of me for at least fifteen years so I'don't know what's up with these crazy rates. I have a townhouse valued at around $350K. My sister in Lake Geneva is paying $1200 for a house worth more than twice as much. Doing a little extrapolating, that means I'm paying $15 a day more than I would be up there for the privelage of sweating my a** off nine months out of the year and living about ten miles from the MAGA Mecca. If I lived an active lifestyle filled with golf, tennis and/or boating, it might be worth it. But I don't and I'd gladly trade the difference in insurance premiums for a little snow shoveling, occasionally numb fingers, toes, nose and ears and being surrounded by Packers fans. I was originally looking for places in Walworth County, but the Madison area is kind of happening too so I might cast the net a little farther and perhaps look around there as well...

[tobijohn]

Harley Benton's approach (apparently good enough):

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_ben ... mobile.htm


mobile.png

If the quality is the same, then having them throw one of those in with a guitar order is a no brainer...

[mozz]

You probably have what is known as "inflation protection" on your homeowners policy. Mine kept creeping up, had to make a appointment to see them in person and put it back to reasonable levels. I'm still going to change companies since i paid off the house earlier this year. I know i can get a better rate.

[tobijohn]

You probably have what is known as "inflation protection" on your homeowners' policy. Mine kept creeping up, had to make a appointment to see them in person and put it back to reasonable levels. I'm still going to change companies since i paid off the house earlier this year. I know i can get a better rate.

The replacement cost is probably 50% more than it was ten years ago but the rates have increased over 300%. I've read that there are other factors at play, but the bottom line is it's not worth it to me. If the worst couple months of the winter prove to be unbearable, I have a few friends I could throw a few bucks at and stay with down here. I played with the idea of maybe buying a small condo and becoming a snowbird but I'm not sure if it's worth it for a few months a year...

[uwmcscott]

BTW, the past couple years I've been teasing myself and toying with the idea of moving back up to the midwest. However, I just got my homeowners insurance invoice and I think it's God's way of telling me to get the lead out. It just went up to $6300 a year from $4700 last year and $2200 ten years ago when I started with this company. There hasn't been any serious storm damage within a couple hundred miles of me for at least fifteen years so I'don't know what's up with these crazy rates. I have a townhouse valued at around $350K. My sister in Lake Geneva is paying $1200 for a house worth more than twice as much. Doing a little extrapolating, that means I'm paying $15 a day more than I would be up there for the privilege of sweating my a** off nine months out of the year and living about ten miles from the MAGA Mecca. If I lived an active lifestyle filled with golf, tennis and/or boating, it might be worth it. But I don't and I'd gladly trade the difference in insurance premiums for a little snow shoveling, occasionally numb fingers, toes, nose and ears and being surrounded by Packers fans. I was originally looking for places in Walworth County, but the Madison area is kind of happening too so I might cast the net a little farther and perhaps look around there as well...

I do remember you talking about a possible move up here. Homeowners insurance is definitely cheaper up here ( car insurance too ) - my wife has several relatives around the Tampa area and they are constantly complaining about it. I live quite far north so my rates may not be representative of places like Lake Geneva/Madison/southern counties, but I pay less than $1000 annually for my pretty run-of-the mill 4br/2500 square foot ranch house. I have had very few claims over the years ( knock on wood ) and I have a multiline discount, but my total monthly insurance bill for My homeowner policy, 3 vehicles ( with 2 teen drivers ), extra umbrella policy and 2 term life policies is just over $300 per month for everything.

Having said all that - they usually get you somewhere and in Wisconsin it's property taxes. Again - for the same 2500 square foot ranch, I pay about $4100 annually for property taxes, and I live in a municipality with comparatively low mill rates compared to larger municipalities. In the nearest metro area to me, a 500k house will cost you over 10 grand a year in taxes. The rates are highly variable though, so it is still possible to find semi-rural areas close to cities where the tax rates are significantly lower. Madison and the surrounding suburbs are probably the hottest real estate in the state though, due to the combination of the University and the Industry.

Right now the weather is probably not much different than where you are - been in the 80's and sunny/humid summerlike. Spring and fall are fantastic and I even like winter too - our family really got back into Downhill skiing last year, we have a really nice local ski resort here and we spent several dozen days on the hill. It also opened up another hole to pour money into ( skis and gear for 3 kids, me and my wife ) but at least it's something to do outside during that time of year. There are always a couple of cold snaps where we get ridiculously cold for a few days in a row, but you just stay inside. Just like some of those ass-crack melting hot days in the south where you just stay inside or by the pool. Oh, and the MAGA crowd has some strongholds here too, but then again we also have Madison to even it out

[tobijohn]

Having said all that - they usually get you somewhere and in Wisconsin it's property taxes. Again - for the same 2500 square foot ranch, I pay about $4100 annually for property taxes, and I live in a municipality with comparatively low mill rates compared to larger municipalities. In the nearest metro area to me, a 500k house will cost you over 10 grand a year in taxes. The rates are highly variable though, so it is still possible to find semi-rural areas close to cities where the tax rates are significantly lower. Madison and the surrounding suburbs are probably the hottest real estate in the state though, due to the combination of the University and the Industry.

Oh, and the MAGA crowd has some strongholds here too, but then again we also have Madison to even it out

my property taxes this year were around $2500. Doing some rough estimating based on what my sister's combined insurance and property taxes are, I'd be paying less than half of what I am currently down here.

And yes, I remember years ago before a trip to Madison, my grandmother telling me it was crazy even when she was a girl. It's also much better hair weather up there too...

[tobijohn]

Do you happen to know whether there were ever any LEFTY AL-4000's? Just curious.

I heard back from Kurt and he included these links:

https://www.rondomusic.com/3500hsbleft.html

https://www.rondomusic.com/al4000natqlh.html

[uwmcscott]

And yes, I remember years ago before a trip to Madison, my grandmother telling me it was crazy even when she was a girl. It's also much better hair weather up there too...

I worked for the University System for over 20 years so I spent a lot of time in Madison. Despite all the complaining it's a great place to hang out. Like most large university towns, the city proper is filled with students and rental neighborhoods and most of the professionals live out in the suburbs. There is the quirky midwest twist though in that there are still some active rural/farming communities very close by and it's not out of the question to see a C7 corvette passing a tractor on the sideroads. And you are literally only about 2 hours from "up north". It's also not all that far from the northern reaches of Chigago ( Rockford/Beloit/etc ) to the east, but you also have a lot of really rural stuff to the southwest.

[mickey]

Well, if I could actually play like that then maybe...but i'm not even in the same neighborhood of shredding.

And he makes it looks so effortless too.

BTW, the past couple years I've been teasing myself and toying with the idea of moving back up to the midwest. However, I just got my homeowners insurance invoice and I think it's God's way of telling me to get the lead out. It just went up to $6300 a year from $4700 last year and $2200 ten years ago when I started with this company. There hasn't been any serious storm damage within a couple hundred miles of me for at least fifteen years so I'don't know what's up with these crazy rates. I have a townhouse valued at around $350K. My sister in Lake Geneva is paying $1200 for a house worth more than twice as much. Doing a little extrapolating, that means I'm paying $15 a day more than I would be up there for the privelage of sweating my a** off nine months out of the year and living about ten miles from the MAGA Mecca. If I lived an active lifestyle filled with golf, tennis and/or boating, it might be worth it. But I don't and I'd gladly trade the difference in insurance premiums for a little snow shoveling, occasionally numb fingers, toes, nose and ears and being surrounded by Packers fans. I was originally looking for places in Walworth County, but the Madison area is kind of happening too so I might cast the net a little farther and perhaps look around there as well...

The problems with homeowner's insurance is that insurance companies are not allowed to spread the co$ts across state lines. So a cat 5 hurricane anywhere in Floriduh affects everyone in Floriduh's rate. Just as wildfires & earthquakes in Californicate affects everyone in Californicate's rates. If insurance companies were allowed to spread rate increases across all customers the rates for virtually everyone would decrease.

I would have bought that lefty AL-4000 were it not for the 1 5/8" nut. 1 11/16 or 1 3/4 would have caused me to spend money.

[tobijohn]

I would have bought that lefty AL-4000 were it not for the 1 5/8" nut. 1 11/16 or 1 3/4 would have caused me to spend money.

Those old ones seem to weigh about as much as a car battery though...

FWIW, I've used 1 11/16" replacement nuts on guitars that originally came with 1 5/8" and not a problem despite a lot of guitar site comments saying it is. The E strings are 1/32" closer to the edge of the fretboard, I certainly can't feel that...

[Buddha Pickups]

The 4000 natural flame was always my favorite. I think it was 600 though when it was around so I could never afford it on my $199 al2k budget

[tobijohn]

The 4000 natural flame was always my favorite. I think it was 600 though when it was around so I could never afford it on my $199 al2k budget

With the same specs, these days I'd be surprised if it wasn't at least $800...

[Buddha Pickups]

The 4000 natural flame was always my favorite. I think it was 600 though when it was around so I could never afford it on my $199 al2k budget

With the same specs, these days I'd be surprised if it wasn't at least $800...

https://www.rondomusic.com/al4000natflame.html

[tobijohn]

The 4000 natural flame was always my favorite. I think it was 600 though when it was around so I could never afford it on my $199 al2k budget

With the same specs, these days I'd be surprised if it wasn't at least $800...

https://www.rondomusic.com/al4000natflame.html

Make that a $1000...