AD-3200 B stock

[Chocol8]

My AD-3200 black quilt P90 B stock (with case) showed up today. The ding that made it B stock is tiny! Had I bought the guitar as new, I probably wouldn't have complained had I even noticed quick enough to not think I had done it. Might have asked for $10 off, but it's not much bigger than that...

Zoomed in at this level, you can barely see it on the binding between the bridge volume and tone controls.

Get super close and it is there, but under a mm. I could probably fill it in with a drop of glue and it would be near impossible to see.

Now that said, there was another much bigger issue with the guitar as it arrived to me. This one is fixable, but until I fix it, it is a bitch to change pickups on the fly! Edit: I did not find the tip in the case or packaging, so I assume it broke off before shipping to me. Odd that someone would notice the binding chip and not half the switch missing! NBD to me as I can solder in a new quicker than I can change strings. Edit to the Edit: I found the tip in the case. The switch likely broke in shipping to me.

Other than that, the strings are the wrong gauge and it arrived out of tune. Yeah, I am stretching to come up with anything to complain about. I only played for about 10 minutes since I am supposed to be "working" from home, but even the pickups sound pretty decent on first blush. They definitely do the P90 thing without the muddiness of the newer stock humbuckers. They actually have a shot of staying.

[bleys21]

That's a beauty! But I feel like its just screaming for black colored P90's though, just to complete the black out look.

[Chocol8]

Black P90's are definitely a possibility. I like the look of the cream too, I could go either way on this one.

[tobijohn]

So, someone returned it for that instead of a small price adjustment? That's crazy.

As for the pickups, I know @BatUtilityBelt loves the stock ones in his. I pulled the ones in my goldtop AD-3200 but only because I turned it into a Deluxe. I'll be putting them in something else for sure...

[tobijohn]

Black P90's are definitely a possibility. I like the look of the cream too, I could go either way on this one.

I'd probably go with chrome covers but I'm a closet bling lover...

[Chocol8]

I'd probably go with chrome covers but I'm a closet bling lover...

I would have to swap out all the nickel hardware for chrome and get chrome knobs if I did that. It would definitely look awesome but I don't think it is worth replacing that much good stuff unless I had another project to use it all on.

[sabasgr68]

HNGD!

Your AD collection is starting to grow up...

This is starting to look close to the old days!

[tobijohn]

I'd probably go with chrome covers but I'm a closet bling lover...

I would have to swap out all the nickel hardware for chrome and get chrome knobs if I did that. It would definitely look awesome but I don't think it is worth replacing that much good stuff unless I had another project to use it all on.

I sprayed a set of chrome P90 covers with some semi-gloss clearcoat to match the nickel hardware and it worked pretty well...

[sabasgr68]

So, someone returned it for that instead of a small price adjustment? That's crazy.

Agree. I wouldn´t be bothered for that little thing, actually. Not to return it, at least.

[Chocol8]

It came with a case and the box shows signs where prior shipping labels were removed which I assume means someone bought it and returned it, vs someone at Rondo spotting the issue before shipping. I can't imagine why you would be so picky to do that! People are strange.

[tobijohn]

It came with a case and the box shows signs where prior shipping labels were removed which I assume means someone bought it and returned it, vs someone at Rondo spotting the issue before shipping. I can't imagine why you would be so picky to do that! People are strange.

The fact that it came with a case is pretty much indicative of a return...

[Chocol8]

HNGD!

Your AD collection is starting to grow up...

This is starting to look close to the old days!

I was active on the thread where a couple members were collecting suggestions for Kurt to develop the model and I was one of the first to place an order for the initial batch. I am not a big Les Paul fan and the idea of a neck through and double cut is way more appealing to me than any nostalgia for a LP. I really like what Kurt and the factory came up with as a response to our input, and I think they are really really good guitars. I think if the AD-3200 came out earlier during the Agile heyday, it would have been a hot seller. If it said Epiphone or PRS SE on the headstock, I think the masses would be all over them.

Unfortunately, they are only available in small numbers from time to time, and Kurt doesn't really market them at all.

[sabasgr68]

HNGD!

Your AD collection is starting to grow up...

This is starting to look close to the old days!

I was active on the thread where a couple members were collecting suggestions for Kurt to develop the model and I was one of the first to place an order for the initial batch. I am not a big Les Paul fan and the idea of a neck through and double cut is way more appealing to me than any nostalgia for a LP. I really like what Kurt and the factory came up with as a response to our input, and I think they are really really good guitars. I think if the AD-3200 came out earlier during the Agile heyday, it would have been a hot seller. If it said Epiphone or PRS SE on the headstock, I think the masses would be all over them.

Unfortunately, they are only available in small numbers from time to time, and Kurt doesn't really market them at all.

Yes, I remember you were. And it´s good you´re still buying them.

As a LP fan myself, I admit I like the double cut version of it better, like this AD guitar, mostly for the (better) uper fret access, which you´ve confirmed to me several times that it´s very good compared to other similar style guitars. If it would have been developed with a lower price tag, maybe I could have the possibility to hunt for one in the future, same for an AL3200. Yes, I agree about the headstock name odds. Epiphone has a DC Pro guitar, but I´ve read that it´s not that popular, although it looks nice and seems to be a nice guitar. IIRC its price tag is similar to that of an AD or AL3200.

I´ve said this here before: very few guitar makers ( either big or small guitar brand names) make guitars like those - DC LP style guitars -. I think it´s a great model.

Anyway, congrats on your new adquisition!

[Chocol8]

This is the Epiphone version. Ugly pointy horns, and a set neck with a heel that gets in the way. It's the same price as a 3200, but nowhere near as nice of a guitar.

[sabasgr68]

This is the Epiphone version. Ugly pointy horns, and a set neck with a heel that gets in the way. It's the same price as a 3200, but nowhere near as nice of a guitar.

IMG_0482.jpeg

Yes, that´s it.

I didn´t want to go into details, but yes, weird horns and not symmetrical - I like symmetrical -; and also limited and poor selection of colors. I cannot talk about the heel, but AD/AL3200's heel looks better - as does on Ibanez AR series, my other love -.

I only hope my day comes (Agile or Ibanez)

[tobijohn]

This is the Epiphone version. Ugly pointy horns, and a set neck with a heel that gets in the way. It's the same price as a 3200, but nowhere near as nice of a guitar.

IMG_0482.jpeg

It reminds me a bit of that old Agile AD-2250. @Mossman and @TVvoodoo had come up with a pretty sharp design but then Kurt got involved in the process, unbeknownst to us. I thought the end result was very disappointing but Fat Jack (RIP) loved his...

https://www.rondomusic.com/Agile_AD-2250_2TS.html

[Chocol8]

After searching the case and packaging for the tip, I concluded it must have been broken before it got packed up and shipped. Well, today I had a friend stop by and I showed him the guitar and instantly saw the switch tip in the case. So, that broke in shipping to me.

[Chocol8]

It reminds me a bit of that old Agile AD-2250. @Mossman and @TVvoodoo had come up with a pretty sharp design but then Kurt got involved in the process, unbeknownst to us. I thought the end result was very disappointing but Fat Jack (RIP) loved his...

https://www.rondomusic.com/Agile_AD-2250_2TS.html

Yes, I think it was TVvoodoo who came up with a perfectly symmetrical flat top "2250" that I really liked. It reminded of the early run Travis Bean tb-500's before they went asymmetrical. I thought it was sufficiently different from the Gibsons which have a more pointy upper horn, but Kurt went the other direction and made the top longer and pointier. Yuck!

This is the Gibson shape which I like...except the price tag!

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... -blue-mist

[tobijohn]

Speaking of double cutaways, I always thought the Johnny A signature semi-hollow was sharp. Before a couple less than stellar experiences on Ali Express, I seriously considered ordering one (sans headstock logo, Made in USA stamp and fake serial number). When I first approached Kurt about the AD-3200, that was the initial shape I had in mind.

[tobijohn]

I wonder how hard it would be to produce a semi-hollow AD-3200? Instead of attaching solid wings to each side of the neck-through piece, there would just be the side edges attached instead, and then both the top and bottom would be a single laminated piece covering the neck-through top and bottom, and then a veneer over that. That's basically the standard construction for semi-hollows. Instead of a center block, there would be the neck-through...

[Chocol8]

I don't think that would work for the bottom without major retooling as the neck would need to be notched down for the bottom cap. I think it would be easier to route out the side wings before adding the maple top cap, or use two bottom caps and the top cap with the sides as you propose. It would cost time and money, with the result being a slightly lighter guitar. My best estimate would be you could save about 400 grams or 14 oz. Give or take. I think it would sound and behave like a chambered guitar more than a semi hollow, which means very little tonal change from the solid body. Maybe if they added F holes and kept the top and bottom caps thin, it might have a more pronounced acoustic tone, and maybe a slightly different electrified tone, but I still think that the laminated neck with the nut, frets, bridge and stop piece all mounted to the same stiff block will dominate the wood's impacts on tone.

I am sure the factory could do it, but would they be willing to, and how much would the price go up? With the solid body version at $600, I don't think Kurt could push the prices too much higher.

[mickey]

I am sure the factory could do it, but would they be willing to, and how much would the price go up? With the solid body version at $600, I don't think Kurt could push the prices too much higher.

Only if it had a bunch of useless strings would Kurt push the price into the stratosphere!
But with 6 strings? Nope.

[tobijohn]

I don't think that would work for the bottom without major retooling as the neck would need to be notched down for the bottom cap. I think it would be easier to route out the side wings before adding the maple top cap, or use two bottom caps and the top cap with the sides as you propose. It would cost time and money, with the result being a slightly lighter guitar. My best estimate would be you could save about 400 grams or 14 oz. Give or take. I think it would sound and behave like a chambered guitar more than a semi hollow, which means very little tonal change from the solid body. Maybe if they added F holes and kept the top and bottom caps thin, it might have a more pronounced acoustic tone, and maybe a slightly different electrified tone, but I still think that the laminated neck with the nut, frets, bridge and stop piece all mounted to the same stiff block will dominate the wood's impacts on tone.

I am sure the factory could do it, but would they be willing to, and how much would the price go up? With the solid body version at $600, I don't think Kurt could push the prices too much higher.

Yeah, all that makes sense. Well, ****can that idea, I guess.

I wonder how much weight the wings contribute. I've got five 3200s. An AL-3200 from the first batch of thinner new style which did not have maple caps and weighs about 8.25lbs, an AL3200MCC which weighs 8.75lbs, an AD-3200MCC from the first batch and two more AD-3200MCCs from a couple of years ago which all weigh around 9.25lbs. Maple is heavier than Mohagany so the early AL-3200 being the lightest figures.

If anyone here has one of the early AL-3200s with a 2" body, I'd be curious to know how much it weighs. The only left-handed one I've ever seen new or used, was an unbound with the slim neck profile. It was last on the Rondo site for a while back in 2014/15 and I thought seriously about buying it, but the slim neck profile scared me off. It's also the only model that comes up on an internet search. I saw one used several years ago. I don't remember exactly why I didn't buy that one, so I'll assume it was priced too high:

https://www.rondomusic.com/product7431.html

[Chocol8]

Figure you can save about 0.5 grams per cubic centimeter of mahogany removed from the wings, but keep in mind that there are already cutouts for the controls and switch. Plus, the more you remove, the more expensive labor and machine time is needed and the weaker the guitar will be.

If you want to add the cost of building it like an acoustic/semi hollow with thin top and back and also adding some weight reducing cutouts to the neck through core, you can probably get the weight down into the 7-7.5 lb range but I would guess you would be looking at close to $1000 retail by time you are done. I could be way off on that though. Would be an interesting question for Kurt.

Personally, I never had too much issue with weight. Just get a TVvoodoo Well-Hung strap or 10, and a lb or two is a non-issue. The guitar would have to do something else better for me to want to pay much more for it. I know others are more weight sensitive, but I think at even $100 more it would be a hard sell.

[Chocol8]

Update on the 3200...

I took the day off of work "to get things done around the house" which means after my wife left I plugged the new guitar into a 1967 Super Reverb, cranked up to a modest distortion (v6, t6, m10, b0, reverb 2.7 ish) and let her rip for all the neighborhood to enjoy!

Completely stock it sounds damn good! Neck pickup with the tone rolled back gives a wonderful thick warm creamy lead tone that can still come through in a mix. The tone pot taper is not great, and I might want to change the cap value, but it is very usable as is. Also, I thought the Rondo text about coil splitting was a copy paste error from the humbucker version, but pulling the tone pots does something that increases pickup output, which seems opposite of a coil split or tap. I'll have to open it up and check the wiring to see what exactly that is doing. Coil tap wired backwards?

My plan is to put in the new switchcraft switch, check the wiring and probably switch it to 50's style with pickup blending, and flip the push pull thing so "in" is full coil or whatever it is doing to be louder. After that, I am currently leaning towards a set of black pickup covers rather than new pickups. Or, if I get adventurous aka "moderately intoxicated" I might try to paint the stock covers with a marble grey look.

Edit: it is somewhat hefty at 9lbs 9.7 oz.