Agile AL-2500 12-string electric guitar
Agile AL-2500 12-string electric guitar
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Most of the time, I’m pretty deliberate about the instruments I choose. When I’m looking for a particular type or style of instrument, I’ll research it online, do a lot of comparison shopping, talk to other players about their experiences, and generally overthink the process as I squirrel away a few bucks for the actual purchase. Only rarely will I make a true impulse buy. Most of the time those impulse buys turn out to be disappointing. Other times I truly stumble into a gem.
During the time I was trying to find the right Les Paul, I tried two knockoffs that I wound up either returning or reselling, and eventually found a genuine Epiphone Les Paul Standard that I’m extremely fond of. With my eyes still tuned to the Les Paul design, I did my regular rounds at the local pawn shops, looking for a small inexpensive amp, or a cajon, or a used ride cymbal. At the Mister Money shop near my home (now an EZ Pawn), this cherry-burst Les Paul clone was hanging from the back wall.
I was admiring the finish and coming closer for a better look when I noticed the extremely long headstock .. this was a 12-string Les Paul style guitar. I’d never seen anything like it before. I took it down and tuned it up, checked for action, healthy neck and good intonation. I plugged it into a small amp they had on the sales floor and checked the electronics. Then I plunked down the $295 asking price and took it home.
The Agile brand is owned by Rondo Music, which also carries the brands Essex (also labelled SX), Brice, Valencia and Century. Founded in 1959, Rondo targets its Chinese-built guitars, basses, drums and folk instruments to beginners. They also make a great choice as secondary instruments for more serious players. Quite honestly, however, a lot of the modern cheaper imports are serious contenders. Their quality is often very close to factory-made instruments built in North America, Europe and Japan. Rondo’s brands are no exception here.
The only real negative I can find in this guitar is a common one for electric 12-string guitars: the elongated headstock and the additional tuners throw the balance off significantly, making this a fairly neck-heavy guitar, although surprisingly less so than on my Dean Boca 12-string. Presumably the larger, heavier body of the Les Paul design minimizes the neck-heavy effect, but it’s definitely still there. Another issue with all Les Paul style guitars is overall weight. Although it’s a plus when it comes to tone and sustain, it can lead to fatigue and muscle strain.
Although it may not carry the prestige of a genuine Gibson or Epiphone Les Paul, the 12-string Agile AL-2500 offers something that Gibson and Epiphone never have. Although there might be a few genuine 12-string Les Pauls kicking around from their custom shop, none has ever been offered as a regular production model. All told, I’m glad I found this guitar and gave in to my impulse .. this time.
Photo by Donna Jo Wallace