So, I was wanting to upgrade to a better les paul style guitar from the jack n danny brothers LS-500 sample that you see in my previous video's. Unfortunately availability of the Ebony Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro models ( reps i contacted mentioned availability of march 2013 - FTW gibson/epiphone? ) led me to other alternative brand names.
Then I had watched Rondomusic in new haven in the us & alot of there copy/clone guitars of other major brands models selling under the SX/Douglas/Agile brand name & produced in Korea. At this point when I was able to get a 2nd from the top tiered AL series les paul style guitars PLUS deluxe hardshell case PLUS shipping/customs fee's for the cost of the Epi before tax's ... Its a no brainer your going to get a better deal when you can.
Diffrences between the guitars what I 1st was shooting for technicaly & also what i see so far:
Epiphone Les Paul Custom "Pro" Ebony:
- Reconizable "brand name"
- Coil tapped pickups
- Gold hardware
Agile AL-3010 Wide Black:
- Build quality equal to some things "Epiphone" but also higher to under "Gibson" levels
- REAL Ebony fingerboard (Gibson/Epiphone cant buy ebony since DOJ case against them previously) also RARE at this pricepoint.
- REAL Albalone fretmarker inlays (RARE as well at this pricepoint & nice options insted of MOP)
- Offers the option to change out existing hardware on some models thru custom order or there storefront with a gold or black hardware kit, if bought seperately thru there storefront its $40.
- Quality to Cost benefit .... VERY big as like I said & many others Gibson does a good job at milking the consumers to own a instrument with there name on it. ( Prime example back in the mid 80's I paid $795 cnd + tax for a Fender 68' Reissue Stratocaster from a local music store ... today i can get a very simular level Fender stratocaster for roughly the same price. A Gibson Les Paul Standard went for $1200 cnd back then ... same thing now's $3200-4000 cnd.)
- Wide fretboard option or thinned neck ...( this is a custom order option or have to buy a certain limited model to get from gibson/epiphone )
I'd also like to note that Rondo is 1 of the few RARE guitar store's that offer a "wide" frettboard option on some of there models as well as thinner necks.
In this video, i do abit of babbling, but for the most part It is a 1 shot no edit true unboxing of the listed model they sent out to me on the 20th of dec just before the x-mas rush to further show what you get when buying from Rondomusic .... So far i cant say anything bad about Kurt with his amazing customer service he does & products he sells out of his web storefront as well as e-bay store.
Again exscuse my babbling & what not ... but again here is it & this is what you get. Enjoy !! :)
