Agile AL3000 Reloaded (with photos!)

[FrankenFretter]

When I bought my Epiphone Les Paul Tribute (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=14645) a couple months ago, I also purchased an Agile AL3000 (http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=14786). Any modding of the Epi voids the warranty, hence I decided to use the Agile for modding purposes. Note - I've wanted a cherryburst LP with zebra pickups for a long time now. I'm not exactly sure why, but that's the reason I went with the zebra pickups.

Cosmetically, I switched out the cream/white pieces for black, including the control cavity and switch covers. The other stuff is more interesting...
I swapped the stock pickups for some GFS VEH pickups in zebra (http://store.guitarfetish.com/veviexhotzep.html). I also did the 50s wiring mod with individual volume controls. It bothered me that when the switch was in the middle position, the bridge volume acted as a master volume. That's no longer an issue. I also used some Sprague orange drop caps, a .035 for the bridge and a .027 for the neck.

After playing it a bit, I realize that I'll need to play with the height of the neck pickup some more. The stock pickup sounded slightly muddy, and the replacement does as well. Not horrible, but I was expecting something with more clarity. My first impression of these pickups is that they're nothing spectacular, but they do sound good. I know I shouldn't expect a night and day difference, but I think I did. The bridge pickup sounds pretty good, though. A nice thick sound, somewhat hot, but still articulate. Pretty much as advertised. The jury is still out on the neck pickup, but it's not bad.
I still have no way to include clips, but here are the photos: The first one is the before shot, for reference -

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_NPlyZiLy0Pw/S5-AhdViMtI/AAAAAAAAAbE/zFpt-sebyUI/s400/100_1981.JPGhttp://lh3.ggpht.com/_NPlyZiLy0Pw/S82s48IWElI/AAAAAAAAAfw/Hgxx1_sxBtQ/s400/100_2031.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_NPlyZiLy0Pw/S82s5yNMxeI/AAAAAAAAAf4/zHfW8NdTdww/s400/100_2029.JPGhttp://lh3.ggpht.com/_NPlyZiLy0Pw/S82s3w1awUI/AAAAAAAAAfo/AWvx6VZK2Aw/s400/100_2024.JPG

[MAXIFUNK]

Franken,

Would by any other GFS pups again or recommend them at all?

[Ch0jin]

Did you swap caps before you swapped PU's?
Are the new caps the same value as the old?

Just trying to figure out why both the old and new PU's sound muddy.

[FrankenFretter]

Franken,

Would by any other GFS pups again or recommend them at all?

I have three sets of GFS. One set I haven't even used yet (Still haven't finished my SX Strat project). I have a set of Power Rails in my Schecter, and I am impressed by those. They were a big improvement over the stock house-brand pickups. I do think they make good pickups at the price points they offer them at. More than worth the money, but I think that their claim of being as good or better than a boutique pickup may be a slight exaggeration. Then again, I've never owned boutique pickups, so I may not be the best judge of that particular claim.

Bottom line: Good pickups for the money.

[FrankenFretter]

Did you swap caps before you swapped PU's?
Are the new caps the same value as the old?

Just trying to figure out why both the old and new PU's sound muddy.

Swapped caps and p'ups at the same time. The old caps were .047. It may be the tone pot that needs replacing, although it's an Alpha 500k. I'm not sure what else it could possibly be.

[Tig]

I like my shiny new GFS Vintage 59's. The neck in this particular guitar no longer sounds muddy like the old SH-6 neck did. Remember the $50 Squier Tele Deluxe?
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-50206111187217_2100_34224318:what
Huh, why remove Seymour Duncans and replace with GFS pickups???
Well, as wicked cool as the SH-6 was in the bridge, the tones I seek are much less aggressive and more blues/classic rock. The Vintage 59's are slightly hotter than original PAF's, and the marketing blurb is actually true this time: "vintage voiced but Big, Bold and VERY warm". I love 'em!

I went with white, and although this picture doesn't do it justice, this guitar looks much better now than with the old black pickups. I like contrast with black guitars, not yet another blackout axe.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2778/4540240155_10322bbd8b_o.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4542741481_caef44c07d_o.jpg

[bcdon]

Nice work! I really like the zebra pups.

[FrankenFretter]

Thanks, Don! I like the zebras in certain applications only. For some reason they just seem to belong in the CherryBurst LPs (or LP types, anyway). It was a fun project, even if it was slightly frustrating at times.

And Doug; that Tele looks fantastic! I like the white on black. That's how I'm doing my SX Strat, if I ever get a router to finish the project.

[Jimi75]

What's the weight of that Agile by the way?

[FrankenFretter]

What's the weight of that Agile by the way?

It's over 9 lbs, close to 10, if I remember my weigh-in correctly. Almost exactly the same weight as my Epi Tribute LP. The weight doesn't really bother me, although I usually don't have it on me for more than an hour at a time. Agile does have a weight-relieved model (chambered), but this isn't it. In fact, I'm not sure Rondo even stocks them anymore. I believe the model is the AL2900.

[Jimi75]

I personally have no predjudices against weight relief. 10lbs can be heavy when you are playing a 2h gig without a break. My LP is 9.9lbs and sometimes I wish it was a little less heavy...but I play regularly longer gigs.

Thanks for the info Frank.

[bigoldron]

Nice looking ax, FrankenFretter! Those Agiles are, from what I'm reading, really sweet guitars! I'm running a GFS Vintage '59 in my neck pickup, along with a Fat PAF in the bridge position on my Washburn Idol and am well pleased with it. Hot enough to get some good tones, yet cleans up nicely. You might want to change your pots to CTS audio tapers for all 4 pots. They really gave me better control than the cheap Asian linear pots that were in mine to start with. Just my two cents.

You might want to check with Mrmudcat. He's pretty knowledgeable on electronics mods and is always ready to help out.

[FrankenFretter]

Nice looking ax, FrankenFretter! Those Agiles are, from what I'm reading, really sweet guitars! I'm running a GFS Vintage '59 in my neck pickup, along with a Fat PAF in the bridge position on my Washburn Idol and am well pleased with it. Hot enough to get some good tones, yet cleans up nicely. You might want to change your pots to CTS audio tapers for all 4 pots. They really gave me better control than the cheap Asian linear pots that were in mine to start with. Just my two cents.

You might want to check with Mrmudcat. He's pretty knowledgeable on electronics mods and is always ready to help out.

PM'd Mud today.

The pots are all Alpha, which I've used in the past with good results. I've never used CTS, but I believe they're comparable to the Alphas. Could be wrong on that one.

Maybe I should've gone with a Vintage '59 for the neck. Anyone want to trade? Actually after adjusting the height, the neck sounds fine. It does clean up nicely with the volume control, and it sounds brighter than the stock pu. Not sure how much of that is the pickup, and how much is the cap.

I'm really liking the pickups. It's a different sound than the Epi, but good...but good.

[Brian Krashpad]

Looks good Sean!

And Doug, you got a Tele Deluxe for half a Benjamin? :eek:

Spill!

[Tig]

Looks good Sean!

And Doug, you got a Tele Deluxe for half a Benjamin? :eek:

Spill!

Yep, at a pawn shop. Squier, though. It was marked down because it was falling apart, and then I got it down to $50. I know the SD pickups were worth double that used, but after working on it, I decided to keep it.
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=13971

[Brian Krashpad]

Yep, at a pawn shop. Squier, though. It was marked down because it was falling apart, and then I got it down to $50. I know the SD pickups were worth double that used, but after working on it, I decided to keep it.
http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=13971

Ah, I'd forgotten all about that. Those Squier Tele Customs and the P-90 version are both nice. A bandmate of mine once had 2 of the P-90 ones, one in black and one in butterscotch.

A score of truly Krashpadian proportions!

[Tig]

Those Squier Tele Customs and the P-90 version are both nice. A bandmate of mine once had 2 of the P-90 ones, one in black and one in butterscotch.


I demoed the Jim Adkins Tele Thinline with P-90's (modern version of the Fender TC-90) and it was incredible. I though I heard the clouds parting and angels singing for just a moment!
http://www.fender.com/themes/products/images/prod_images/guitars/0262350538_md.jpg

[Duffy]

Yo Tig.

I have played that Jim Adkins several times both the black and red one and I think it is one incredible telecaster. I almost bought one but got the Fender FMT HH mahogany tele with the Pearly Gates in the bridge and '59 in the set neck, full sized humbuckers.

That Jim Adkins is an awesome guitar, especially if you like P90 guitars.

[Tig]

Yo Tig.

I have played that Jim Adkins several times both the black and red one and I think it is one incredible telecaster. I almost bought one but got the Fender FMT HH mahogany tele with the Pearly Gates in the bridge and '59 in the set neck, full sized humbuckers.

That Jim Adkins is an awesome guitar, especially if you like P90 guitars.

Yep, the Seymour Duncan P90's are really sweet sounding, and the guitar plays well. Excellent quality for the price.
If I didn't already have a P90 semi hollow (Reverend), I would have bought it and dealt with the marital complications afterward!

The FMT HH Tele has been haunting me for a year and a half... The local GC had 3 different used ones, two with the same pickups as yours. These guitars spoke to me like few others, yet the money was not there at the right time to get one. Who knows... :socool