edwards les paul vs agile les paul

[bluzjamer]

I guess poor people are poor due to the fact they spent all their hard erned bucks on a Gibby when they could have had 30 Agiles like I have. I too bought Gibson's when I was young and foolish. No way will I ever turn into a label snob. If I had to buy a higher end guitar today it would be a Carvin, not Gibson. But what the hey, if some of you guys want to toss your money feel free...at least until BHO puts the final nail in the coffin.

 

[Fogboundturtle]

I guess poor people are poor due to the fact they spent all their hard erned bucks on a Gibby when they could have had 30 Agiles like I have. I too bought Gibson's when I was young and foolish. No way will I ever turn into a label snob. If I had to buy a higher end guitar today it would be a Carvin, not Gibson. But what the hey, if some of you guys want to toss your money feel free...at least until BHO puts the final nail in the coffin.

Yeah. Carvin rocks. My CT624M is as good as an PRS but so much less $$$

 

[JamesT]

I love this discussion almost as much as any thread about the damn Hunterburst guitar

In all seriousness the discussion about whether or not an Agile is a Les Paul style guitar is silly. We've already discussed the terms replica, copy, custom build, and inspired by ad nauseum and there is never a consensus.

Anybody going on about "purists" in the this particular forum (Other Les Pauls) is way off base. Head over to the Gibson forum for that. Most posters in here may own one or two Gibsons (if that) and a slew of other guitars that in some way shape or form are inspired by the classic Les Paul design. I've owned an Agile and it was a really nice guitar and played much nicer than the price. They are a great option for someone who likes to mod, isn't too particular about "correct" specs, and is on a budget.

I don't see why people have to get so edgy about it.

 

[tonal_perfection]

Damn it, I'm dying to try one of these Agiles. I wish they still had their store in NJ. How bad can they be? You buy it brand new for under $400, bring it to a good luthier for a fret leveling, polishing, and setup for under $250, and for less than $700, you have a nice LP copy.

Then again, in that price range, the Ibanez Artists probably come close, in addition to quite a few Epiphones or even PRS SE models.

The al3000+ models do not require a fret leveling, they are all hand filed, as far as I understand, as opposed to machine filed, like the al2000s. And even these do not require fret leveling, it is just a preference some people may have.

 

[tonal_perfection]

One other things that bothers me about the "Purist" on this website. If a Gibson needs a setup, it needs a setup. If an Agile needs a setup, its because its a manufacturing defects and the guitar sucks.

Most guitar needs a pro-setup regardless of out they come out of the factory. There is also plenty of Gibson Lp owner that replace the electronic the minute they acquire their guitar. There is plenty of prejudice to go around.

I think what most Agile owner are saying is that I don't think you can buy a better guitar for the price. It's the equivalent of a guitar that is at least twice the price in a store. I got lucky and I got an really nice AG3000 series before Kurt discontinue them. That guitar is better then any Ibanez/Jackson I ever played. It was played by a guitarist who own over 300 guitars and he still talks about it.

Personally, the AL2000 series doesn't do it for me. The AL3000 series is where its starts. A little setup, new electronic and you are golden. Still less expensive then any MIJ guitar.

Agree with everything here accept that al2000s are not worth consideration (they are very decent guitars for 200$) and I also do not feel the al3000+ require electronics upgrades. I mean one of their selling points is the higher end electronics compared to the lower end agiles.

 

[dspelman]

I should probably note that at least half a dozen of the Gibsons I still own are among the cheapest guitars I've ever purchased. I worked in a midwest music store as the "stupid kid" guitar and piano teacher. My first guitar was/is a '67 ES-335 twelve string that someone had traded in and was mouldering in the back in the used section. No one wanted it. $75 and it was mine. Still have it. Three '50's LPs (of course I still have them) were traded in for "beatle guitars" and tuck-and-roll Kustom amps for their kids by guys who'd been in country and western bands until their wives curtailed their activities after marriage. Another 335 needed a refinish, an ES-175 ('49?) had been damaged at some point and all the finish had been sanded off and all the hardware was in a bag and the old brown hard case was half in pieces. All of those that needed refinishing I had done prior to '77. Some were done by Gibson, some not.

In any case, I saw value where others did not. I picked guitars that were out of fashion at the time. The fact that they're worth silly money now doesn't vindicate my choices; it could easily have gone the other way. But I learned not to pick guitars by headstock name, or by who plays one now, or by what my buddies thought. And that still happens. I'll allow Agiles to be talked about in an "other Les Pauls" forum because "other Les Pauls" covers a lot of ground, and I'll accept a lot of guitars under that blanket. Some other folks seem not to. We'll see which guitars go down in history as making the grade and which ones won't. I doubt we'll settle it here. Or now.

 

[JakeBluesRocker]

The Ashlee you pictured is MIA...not MIC or even MIK...MIA. $699 stock. The TGP member you mentioned, who I have exchanged a few msgs with, had the pickups upgraded, adding to the cost. The lower horn is modded to allow better access to upper frets...done on purpose, not because Gibson made any threats.

The Ashlee I have coming soon is the import version, which cost me $409 and change, shipped.

Heath Welch sells his guitars through dealers, both on eBay and storefronts (primarily in the North Carolina area, so far). The one pictured is mine, which I bought on eBay a couple of months ago. Bought it blind, so to speak, since I had never heard of the brand until about 2 hrs before auction end. Did a little research on Welch Guitars Facebook page and took the chance. It turned out to be a lucky/wise move.

You can contact Heath at WelchSales@aol.com, or visit his Facebook page...lots of pics and posts there about the line. Many more models available.

I'd go for an Agile again, if the lower horn as not so blunted, the higher end models had simple single ply binding and abalone was not used for inlays. I know they're well made and play well (though I would have to get one with a wide fretboard as I don't like 1 5/8" nutwidth on an LP).

Is it just me or this looks like a Gibson? and it have on his website!

 

[Kyle.Bull]

I own A Gibson Les Paul Studio, an Agile 3000 and 3100, an LTD EC1000 and a schecter Solo 6 custom.

The Gibson tonally, is better. It just sounds fuller, sustains better, has better overtones. By a mile? No. By a bit, yes.

All of my Korean Lp "style" guitars are built better. Plain and simple. There seems to be a better attention to detail, and the guitars feel more solid. They all play better than the gibson...lower action and a more fret radius (this is subjective I know) I let a friend try my Lp and he thought the same. He said it sounded better but it felt like it was going to break if he played it hard.

The gibson just feels cheeply built. One major thing is there is a seem that runs all the way down the neck where the fretboard meets the mahogany.

Luckily I'm a tonefreak and small cosmetic things dont deter me from a guitar if it sounds good. But just from my experience, Gibson sounds the best, high end korean guitars look feel and sound great, but fall slightly short of gibson great.

Just my opinion, completely subjective

 

[tonal_perfection]

I own A Gibson Les Paul Studio, an Agile 3000 and 3100, an LTD EC1000 and a schecter Solo 6 custom.

The Gibson tonally, is better. It just sounds fuller, sustains better, has better overtones. By a mile? No. By a bit, yes.

All of my Korean Lp "style" guitars are built better. Plain and simple. There seems to be a better attention to detail, and the guitars feel more solid. They all play better than the gibson...lower action and a more fret radius (this is subjective I know) I let a friend try my Lp and he thought the same. He said it sounded better but it felt like it was going to break if he played it hard.

The gibson just feels cheeply built. One major thing is there is a seem that runs all the way down the neck where the fretboard meets the mahogany.

Luckily I'm a tonefreak and small cosmetic things dont deter me from a guitar if it sounds good. But just from my experience, Gibson sounds the best, high end korean guitars look feel and sound great, but fall slightly short of gibson great.

Just my opinion, completely subjective

I have a similar take. I had an al2000 agile which felt better constructed than the 800$ epiphone tribute I had, and recently sent back, although the tribute unquestionably sounded more professional. I attribute this to two things, maple cap and pickups. If I used these exact pickups in the agile I would get a sound which very closely approximates that of the epiphone, and on a guitar which feels more solid and arguably players better too.

 

[Fogboundturtle]

I own A Gibson Les Paul Studio, an Agile 3000 and 3100, an LTD EC1000 and a schecter Solo 6 custom.

The Gibson tonally, is better. It just sounds fuller, sustains better, has better overtones. By a mile? No. By a bit, yes.

All of my Korean Lp "style" guitars are built better. Plain and simple. There seems to be a better attention to detail, and the guitars feel more solid. They all play better than the gibson...lower action and a more fret radius (this is subjective I know) I let a friend try my Lp and he thought the same. He said it sounded better but it felt like it was going to break if he played it hard.

The gibson just feels cheeply built. One major thing is there is a seem that runs all the way down the neck where the fretboard meets the mahogany.

Luckily I'm a tonefreak and small cosmetic things dont deter me from a guitar if it sounds good. But just from my experience, Gibson sounds the best, high end korean guitars look feel and sound great, but fall slightly short of gibson great.

Just my opinion, completely subjective

The maple cap is what makes the difference. If you had the AL3000M then I think you would have an even harder time to differentiate both. I had Gibson studio also. I didn't dislike it at all. It sounded great. What I didn't like was the neck profile. It was too beefy for my small hands.

 

[leerkeller]

The AL-2000 has hand filled frets as well. The chart with the differences between the models has some errors and that is one of them. Kurt confirmed that in an email that I have pasted below.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actually every guitar we sell has hand filed frets. – even the $99 models.

If you are concerned with sharp fret edges, your best way to avoid is to keep the guitar humidified (several models of guitar case humidifier available on amazon)

Kurt


From: Lee Keller [mailto:leerandolphkeller@comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2011 11:45 PM
To: Kurt Zentmaier
Subject: One Final Question..... About Hand Filed Frets.




On the Agile comparison chart it lists the Dauntless series as having hand filed frets, along with all the other models above the Dauntless. When reading individual item pages hand filed frets are listed for all of the al-3000', 3100's etc. None of the Dauntless model pages make any mention of hand filed frets, which makes me think the agile comparison page is incorrect. Could you please confirm or deny the presence of hand filed frets on the Dauntless series.

Thank You Again,
Lee R Keller

 

[Xyrium]

Not having played one, I can say that the appearance is very impressive, and the materials equal in stature. I may even have to try one, since one equipped with an elusive 14" radius, and an ebony board is only a bit over 400. I have to admit though, things that seem to good to be true, usually are.
Agile AL-3125 2TS Flame Light Weight Chambered Guitar at RondoMusic.com

This said, is there a current, fully MIJ Edwards LP knockoff with equal accoutrements? Maple top (flamed or not, I don't care), ebony board, and a 14" radius? I have to ask, because I'd be in the market for such a beauty. Actually, which which models of the Edwards line are even fully MIJ now?

 

[dspelman]

The maple cap is what makes the difference. If you had the AL3000M then I think you would have an even harder time to differentiate both. I had Gibson studio also. I didn't dislike it at all. It sounded great. What I didn't like was the neck profile. It was too beefy for my small hands.

I've got a solid maple top on one of my Agiles. Honestly, I don't think that makes the difference, though it certainly doesn't hurt anything.

I'm still wondering what, exactly, the Gibson LP sound might be. I've played 23 different original '59s over the last six years, the most recently this past June, and I *think* I've sorta got a fix on the overall sound. But Gibson isn't selling that and none of them sound like a '59, either. They're selling guitars with no maple top and with holes drilled in the body and with chambers and with hotter pickups and with pickups that have two different outputs and with burned maple and obeche and plastic fretboards, and they're all over the map sonically and honestly the only thing identifying them as a Gibson Les Paul is the sticker.

I can absolutely tell you that each of the Agiles I own nailed at least ONE of the modern Gibson LP sounds out of the box, but both were different, just as the Gibbies are. With over 100 Gibson LP models out there, and with such a wide variety of pickups available over the years and with 300 pots and 500 pots and the various capacitors and body woods and neck woods and fretboard woods (and, now, plastics) and hollow bodies and all that -- an Agile might not match your particular Gibson LP, but it'll match one of them out there <G>.

 

[0x00]

Edwards, naturally.

 

[richfiryn]

I own numerous Agile Les Pauls. All from the upper tier of the lineup. Tone and feel are subjective, that being said i love mine. They sound good and play very good. I always get a pro setup regardless of brand. The big surprise for me was when i bought a cheap ass SX with 2 ultra cheap P 90's in it. Paid $129 from rondomusic for it delivered to my door. To this day it remains one of my 3 main guitars. It is simply a phenomenal guitar made from dirt cheap parts. Tone and feel & skill can take ya a long way. Try 1 out you won't be disappointed. Besides, they even make a fantastic 12 string Les Paul and everybody needs to have at least 1 of those.

 

[dspelman]

it says the same thing on the side of my dong. Huge letters too.

Mine normally says "Bud."

When Pammy comes over it says "Budweiser Brewing Company, a division of Anheiser-Busch Corporation, St. Louis, Milwaukee and other fine cities." In huge letters.