rondo + warmoth = awesome?

[rockskate4x]

Ever since the Agile guitars have been brought up on the forum, I've cruising through the Rondo Music website and I found these unconventional cheapos... http://www.rondomusic.com/hawksky3ts.html
http://www.rondomusic.com/furrianmnbsbwt.html

I was thinking of grabbing one or both of them and then slapping on my favorite Warmoth necks and pickups when the finances allowed. Does anybody have experience with these guitars? What can you tell me about the quality of the hardware?

 

[Superlizard]

From what I've heard about the SX line (from reviews, etc), they're great for a modding platform.

Stock, not so great.

 

[Jet-Jaguar]

I don't have any answers to your questions, but ...

http://www.rondomusic.com/furrianmnbsbwt.html

That's different. I've seen tele's with tremolos before, but not tele's with plates for the bridge pickup. hmmm..... makes me wonder where I could get one of those.

 

[Superlizard]

There's all sorts of oddities on there.  For example I've seen:

- 24-fret Les Pauls with Floyds
- 7 string Teles
- Neck-through/contoured-heel Les Pauls
- 8 string guitars

 

[Cagey]

http://www.rondomusic.com/furrianmnbsbwt.html
That's different. I've seen tele's with tremolos before, but not tele's with plates for the bridge pickup. hmmm..... makes me wonder where I could get one of those.

At that price, you could buy the guitar and unbolt the hardware, then throw the wood in the fireplace and you'd still be ahead.

 

[JaySwear]

really really like that tremolo tele...

 

[Superlizard]

I always thought this was cool - single P90 Goldtop:

They don't have in lefty though...  :icon_scratch:

 

[AprioriMark]

I have a friend who bought a silver sparkle SX bass and put a thin contour Warmoth neck on it and some Fender pups and loves it; plays it several times a week with different groups.

-Mark

 

[BigBeard]

I have a Rondo bass that I got off ebay years ago.  Of course I sanded off all the whatever they use to finish them, all the quarter inch of amberish plastic I don't know with the photocopy of quilted maple that they stuck to the top of the alder.  Then after I got the photocopy off, there was a huge spot of good old fashioned Bondo!  Oh well, I messed around with it and got it somewhat presentable looking, although I call it 'Big Ugly' but that is beside the point.  The hardware in general is junk, mine happened to be gold, which now it isn't anymore.  The bridge is acceptable, but it's only a flat mount 4 string bass bridge, how can you mess that up?  The jack plate and neck plate are garbage really thin junk as were the pots those super cheap korean things you see, about the diameter of a dime.  Now here is where the cheap gets ok..... The neck, tuners and strangely enough the pickups impress me.  The neck is standard jap-korean-twainese issue, really nothing special, but it is straight and didn't need any fretwork.  The tuners, well, stay in tune.  And the pickups believe it or not, sound pretty good to me.  I haven't played or messed with it in ages, if I remember correctly I put in a separate tone control for each pickup and no volume or something like that.  I know I put simple off-on switches for each pickup.  I think they are great to tinker around with, and at the price they ask, what does it matter what you screw up.  I don't think they are a waste of money at all, just go into buying one knowing that from the factory it is junk, but after you open the hood, you can make something out of it!!

 

[Superlizard]

I have a Rondo bass that I got off ebay years ago.  Of course I sanded off all the whatever they use to finish them, all the quarter inch of amberish plastic I don't know with the photocopy of quilted maple that they stuck to the top of the alder.  Then after I got the photocopy off, there was a huge spot of good old fashioned Bondo!  Oh well, I messed around with it and got it somewhat presentable looking, although I call it 'Big Ugly' but that is beside the point.  The hardware in general is junk, mine happened to be gold, which now it isn't anymore.  The bridge is acceptable, but it's only a flat mount 4 string bass bridge, how can you mess that up?  The jack plate and neck plate are garbage really thin junk as were the pots those super cheap korean things you see, about the diameter of a dime.  Now here is where the cheap gets ok..... The neck, tuners and strangely enough the pickups impress me.  The neck is standard jap-korean-twainese issue, really nothing special, but it is straight and didn't need any fretwork.  The tuners, well, stay in tune.  And the pickups believe it or not, sound pretty good to me.  I haven't played or messed with it in ages, if I remember correctly I put in a separate tone control for each pickup and no volume or something like that.  I know I put simple off-on switches for each pickup.  I think they are great to tinker around with, and at the price they ask, what does it matter what you screw up.  I don't think they are a waste of money at all, just go into buying one knowing that from the factory it is junk, but after you open the hood, you can make something out of it!!

What brand?  SX (I presume)?  Rondo is actually the name of the music store ("Rondo Music"), and
they sell several different brands (Agile, SX, Brice, Douglas, etc).

 

[BigBeard]

What brand?  SX (I presume)?  Rondo is actually the name of the music store ("Rondo Music").

Yes you are correct for $800, would you like to finish out the category of Music Shops in the Newark NJ for $1000?

 

[cmalidore]

I got a Douglas 5 string bass through them awhile ago - as somebody who wasn't accustomed to 5ers, it was nice to not have to spend obscene cash on something that I may not be ready for.  All in all, it was worth it.  Frets could use some work and the pickups weren't very good - but I learned on it for ages.

I'd buy from them again... contemplating a cheapo bass to mod for doing gigs with so that I don't damage some of my nicer instruments.

 

[mayfly]

I've been thinking the same thing - they have replacement bodies as well.  You can get a tele body for $40 bucks.  That's a lot $$ left over to do some experiments.

Edit - here's something I was thinking of grabbing and then doing outrageous things with:

http://www.rondomusic.com/stbodysunburst.html

 

[Cagey]

I've looked at those bodies, too. But, that neck pocket isn't standard. It's 1/16" too narrow. Better that than too wide, because it's easier to remove wood than to add it, but it's still a necessary step that requires templates and routers to do properly.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

They offer 30, 32, and 34" scale, Fender looking basses.  At $109 to $149, find a finish you can live with and throw the neck and electronics away, and hey.  I wonder if the Warmoth 30 and 32" necks fit these.

http://www.rondomusic.com/bassguitars4.html

 

[bigguspickus]

I don't have any answers to your questions, but ...

http://www.rondomusic.com/furrianmnbsbwt.html

That's different. I've seen tele's with tremolos before, but not tele's with plates for the bridge pickup. hmmm..... makes me wonder where I could get one of those.

You can get one of those from Glendale Guitars here: http://www.glendaleguitars.com/trem blocks.htm

 

[DesmoDog]

I wonder how nice the 12 string is... anyone have experience with it?

http://www.rondomusic.com/harm312lpb.html

 

[BigBeard]

I wonder how nice the 12 string is... anyone have experience with it?

http://www.rondomusic.com/harm312lpb.html

One thing I have seen from the average ultra cheap guitar manufacturers in general is the use of white paint for binding.  Think you are getting a bound body and you get a pinstripe done with white-out!!!!

I cannot say for sure that you get this from a Rondocaster, but I would think that would be the case. 

I guess it goes to show the price of Korean or Japanese or Twainese labor, it's gotta be cheap to offer whole instruments at these prices.

 

[Cagey]

I don't know about the other brands, but the Agiles have real binding on them, not paint.

These aren't the junk we used to get out of Japan back in the '60s and '70s that weren't even good enough for firewood. These are fine instruments.

 

[AprioriMark]

I've been thinking the same thing - they have replacement bodies as well.  You can get a tele body for $40 bucks.  That's a lot $$ left over to do some experiments.

Edit - here's something I was thinking of grabbing and then doing outrageous things with:

http://www.rondomusic.com/stbodysunburst.html

Be careful... those finishes scratch and ding when you look at them funny.  I've built three teles from those bodies, and while they look decent and were pretty well made otherwise, the clearcoat is a bit like dried cake icing.

-Mark