Re: Agile al-2000
I got my AL-3000M with a full maple top (an important feature
for me) for $400 with a case, and it was in brand new, slightly used condition.
I've owned a AL-3100 as well. I like them. They are heavy, they feel solid (but the finish is uber glossy and plastic-y), have good tuners, OK frets (when ever they say jumbo frets they really mean medium jumbo), and the ebony fretboard seems to be legit ebony but dyed to be solid black, but it's not rosewood that's been dyed. The grain is way too tight.
I use medium action of like 5/64 bass side and 3/64 treble side at the 12th fret, and both of mine didn't need any fret work out of the box. I sold my first one to MetalManiac and he said he had to get a fret job done to get the action right for him but he likes it "low" but I have no clue on measurements.
Stock pickups weren't even that bad but of course I put seymour duncans in them. I think I remember I put pearly gates in the first one and my current one has a Jazz Neck and a Gibson Burstbucker bridge.
In my experience, every asian LP-style guitar I've owned has not had quite the warmth and growl of a Gibson Les Paul (of which I've owned one but played several), but with good pickups it's like 70 to 80% there, sorta depending on how picky you are, and for like 1/10 the price of a gibson historic, having 70% of the tone (after a pickup swap of course) seems like a win to me.
I've never played a Al-2000 but with used agiles popping up here and there you can get a 3000 series for a little more, and it's probably worth it, so I just took everyone's advice when I was in the same dilemma and now I really like my Al-3000m!
Here's mine. Plain tops RULE!
