In your opinion, and I'm sure most everyone here has one, what was the absolute best -- in terms of build quality (after all, playability is massageable and tone is subjective) -- traditional (i.e., 3 single coil pickups, etc., etc., etc.) "Strat"-style guitar Kurt's family of brands ever offered? And what were the best years for whatever model(s) we're talking about?
Lemme hear it!
Rondo Music brands' "S"-style guitars...
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dabbler
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I am not the best person to ask because I LOVE ALL my SXes. But I'll share my 2 fav strat style SX models. They are:
The Leo: https://www.rondomusic.com/leona.html
The SST LTDII https://www.rondomusic.com/SSTLTD2nat.html
Unfortunately, I have no pics of my Leo, but a one piece sunburst body AND a one piece neck are a beautiful thing.
I do have a few pics of my LTDII, however, and it's a nice piece of Ash with a beautifully figured neck.
(I apologize for the poor picture quality of the whole guitar)
The Leo: https://www.rondomusic.com/leona.html
The SST LTDII https://www.rondomusic.com/SSTLTD2nat.html
Unfortunately, I have no pics of my Leo, but a one piece sunburst body AND a one piece neck are a beautiful thing.
I do have a few pics of my LTDII, however, and it's a nice piece of Ash with a beautifully figured neck.
(I apologize for the poor picture quality of the whole guitar)
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andrewsrea
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- Gearlist: 28 Guitars: (2) basses, (2) acoustics, (3) hollow bodies, (3) Semi hollow, (1) Double-neck, (17) Solid-bodies
I have no experience with any of the Rondo 3 pickup models / S-style guitars.
I do have (2) Agiles (Harm I & 2300) and (2) SX (SJM-62 & Callisto Jr.) and after a little TLC tuning, are pro grade guitars. Each does there own thing and I've giged them. Their pickups were good out of the box, but my hand make AMI pickups made them mine.
IMHO, I am guessing you will get a good value from either brand.
I do have (2) Agiles (Harm I & 2300) and (2) SX (SJM-62 & Callisto Jr.) and after a little TLC tuning, are pro grade guitars. Each does there own thing and I've giged them. Their pickups were good out of the box, but my hand make AMI pickups made them mine.
IMHO, I am guessing you will get a good value from either brand.
Live life to the fullest! - Rob
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toomanycats
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Over the years I remember posts about premium Agile Strats. Somebody here has to own one.
What I'm also curious about are the inexpensive SSS Strats that Rondo has offered with the Union Jack graphics and distressed finish. I believe they were the Hadean brand. I'm not curious enough about them to have ever bought one, as I have been able to source dirt cheap Squiers locally for less than Rondo could ever ship me a similar instrument. But I'm curious about them nonetheless. Are they total junk? In the Squier hierarchy are they on the level of Bullet and Affinity, or higher?
What I'm also curious about are the inexpensive SSS Strats that Rondo has offered with the Union Jack graphics and distressed finish. I believe they were the Hadean brand. I'm not curious enough about them to have ever bought one, as I have been able to source dirt cheap Squiers locally for less than Rondo could ever ship me a similar instrument. But I'm curious about them nonetheless. Are they total junk? In the Squier hierarchy are they on the level of Bullet and Affinity, or higher?
“There are only two means of refuge from the miseries of life: Music and Cats!” Albert Schweitzer
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honyock
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Agreee The SX Leo was nearly probably the best SX strat style. Mine looked like this originally, but a lefty. My neck is pretty nicely flamed as well.
The pickups are just cheapo ceramic bar mags, but the tuners are basically Grover copies and work better than any other SX and just as nice as the Grovers on my Agile tele.
https://www.rondomusic.com/leona.html
However, the hidden gem was the Ash series with the thin skin finish on the neck and ash body and mine was the P90 equipped, out of the box it was great, but with a few appearance mods (black hardware) it was a real head turner.
https://www.rondomusic.com/sstashp90rn.html I did mod mine slightly, but there was never a better feeling SX neck than the nearly naked SX necks. I still have a tele style with the same basic neck and it is probably my favorite tele despite being the cheapest I own. Always wanted to find a strat version, but haven't been looking much lately with the stupid rise in used SX gear posted on Guitar Center/Reverb/eBay/etc.
Agile strats and teles were not significantly better IMO, particularly when price was considered. I have a Agile ST neck on an SX and it is good, but not great. I also have an Agile ST body and again, nothing special, except for being very soft alder bordering on basswood with how it was to drill for the bridge and neck screws.
The pickups are just cheapo ceramic bar mags, but the tuners are basically Grover copies and work better than any other SX and just as nice as the Grovers on my Agile tele.
https://www.rondomusic.com/leona.html
However, the hidden gem was the Ash series with the thin skin finish on the neck and ash body and mine was the P90 equipped, out of the box it was great, but with a few appearance mods (black hardware) it was a real head turner.
https://www.rondomusic.com/sstashp90rn.html I did mod mine slightly, but there was never a better feeling SX neck than the nearly naked SX necks. I still have a tele style with the same basic neck and it is probably my favorite tele despite being the cheapest I own. Always wanted to find a strat version, but haven't been looking much lately with the stupid rise in used SX gear posted on Guitar Center/Reverb/eBay/etc.
Agile strats and teles were not significantly better IMO, particularly when price was considered. I have a Agile ST neck on an SX and it is good, but not great. I also have an Agile ST body and again, nothing special, except for being very soft alder bordering on basswood with how it was to drill for the bridge and neck screws.
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10 years, 2 months, and 8 days of blissful ignorance ruined by that snake in the grass Major Tom.
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peskypesky1
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- Gearlist: Squier SQ series Strat
Squier CV Strat
SX Hawk
Epiphone Dot
Squier Bullet
Douglas WNO-650BR
I have four SX guitars and love them all. Two are Strat-style. Very well-made guitars.
I don't need another, that doesn't keep me from WANTING another.
I don't need another, that doesn't keep me from WANTING another.
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dabbler
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I agree with all of this ^, though never having had an Agile strat I can't confirm the (effectively lack of) difference. I do have an Ash series though, and the finish is different as honyock said. I changed some hardware on mine, but only for aesthetics:honyock wrote: ↑Sat Jun 07, 2025 11:45 pm Agreee The SX Leo was nearly probably the best SX strat style. Mine looked like this originally, but a lefty. My neck is pretty nicely flamed as well.
The pickups are just cheapo ceramic bar mags, but the tuners are basically Grover copies and work better than any other SX and just as nice as the Grovers on my Agile tele.
https://www.rondomusic.com/leona.html
However, the hidden gem was the Ash series with the thin skin finish on the neck and ash body and mine was the P90 equipped, out of the box it was great, but with a few appearance mods (black hardware) it was a real head turner.
https://www.rondomusic.com/sstashp90rn.html
2014-10-24 14.44.49.jpg
I did mod mine slightly, but there was never a better feeling SX neck than the nearly naked SX necks. I still have a tele style with the same basic neck and it is probably my favorite tele despite being the cheapest I own. Always wanted to find a strat version, but haven't been looking much lately with the stupid rise in used SX gear posted on Guitar Center/Reverb/eBay/etc.
Agile strats and teles were not significantly better IMO, particularly when price was considered. I have a Agile ST neck on an SX and it is good, but not great. I also have an Agile ST body and again, nothing special, except for being very soft alder bordering on basswood with how it was to drill for the bridge and neck screws.
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dabbler
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OK, update. I go through my guitars regularly to see if they need a truss adjustment. Today, I pulled out my Hawk Ultra 3TS
(https://www.rondomusic.com/hawkultramn2c3ts.html). I got mine cheap because the black paint was milky.
Most of the quality details of this guitar are similar to my other SX strats, BUT the weight on this one is noticeably less than my others. I don't do guitar gigs, so for my playing weight is not an issue, but if it is for you the Hawk ULTRA should be on your list.
Correction: it took me a while to find the exact link for my model, I have a b-stock of this one (it's the same model, but with the rosewood fretboard): https://www.rondomusic.com/hawkultrarn2c3ts.html
(https://www.rondomusic.com/hawkultramn2c3ts.html). I got mine cheap because the black paint was milky.
Most of the quality details of this guitar are similar to my other SX strats, BUT the weight on this one is noticeably less than my others. I don't do guitar gigs, so for my playing weight is not an issue, but if it is for you the Hawk ULTRA should be on your list.
Correction: it took me a while to find the exact link for my model, I have a b-stock of this one (it's the same model, but with the rosewood fretboard): https://www.rondomusic.com/hawkultrarn2c3ts.html