the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
Best budget LP with real maple cap?
- Thread starter jambs
- Start date
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
^ haha..I actually laughed my effin ass off.
No seriuosly dude..put a Tone Zone in an Agile. All resistance is futile.I hate to say that here, but thats the only effin pickup in the Universe that can make that POS tone dead guitar sound good..and it does! Sounds great!
I wouldnt trade mine for a Whiff of Katy Perrys Pantys.
^ haha..I actually laughed my effin ass off.
No seriuosly dude..put a Tone Zone in an Agile. All resistance is futile.I hate to say that here, but thats the only effin pickup in the Universe that can make that POS tone dead guitar sound good..and it does! Sounds great!
I wouldnt trade mine for a Whiff of Katy Perrys Pantys.
Last edited:
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
No seriously dude...I don't need to put anything in an Agile I play Gibsons and I wouldn't put a Tone Zone in anything, it's just not my style.
No seriously dude...I don't need to put anything in an Agile I play Gibsons and I wouldn't put a Tone Zone in anything, it's just not my style.
MetalManiac
Li'l Junior Member
Lucid_Lunatic
Rebelyellologist
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
It's never stopped you from doing the same thing.
It's never stopped you from doing the same thing.
Mr 9finger
Digitally Challenged
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
So hostile tonight. Excuse the **** outta me for liking someone's clips they posted with an Agile. Have a beer, watch a cam show, and chill the hell out. Jeez.
So hostile tonight. Excuse the **** outta me for liking someone's clips they posted with an Agile. Have a beer, watch a cam show, and chill the hell out. Jeez.
indie folk guy
New member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
I have an Xaviere XV-550 that claims to have a 3/4" maple cap. I'm actually pretty impressed with the guitar. I paid like $170USD for it and yes I did have to put some work into it, but I put work into all my guitars and if you wanted to put a price on parts and labor you could say I spent $500 on the guitar or in other words paid for a stock Epi standard.
I threw in a set of Fralin Pure PAF's, a polished bone nut, new set of tuners, I did a fret level/dress, I filed the saddles to match the radius of the fingerboard and to give the strings some breathing room, I set the intonation and string heights, a slight truss rod adjustment (since I use 12's on this guitar and it came stock with 9's).
This is a great sounding and playing guitar for the measly price I paid and it actually sounds good, idk if I just got lucky with mine, I was skeptical for the price but figured it'd be a fun project guitar and it ended up staying with me alongside some much nicer guitars.
I have an Xaviere XV-550 that claims to have a 3/4" maple cap. I'm actually pretty impressed with the guitar. I paid like $170USD for it and yes I did have to put some work into it, but I put work into all my guitars and if you wanted to put a price on parts and labor you could say I spent $500 on the guitar or in other words paid for a stock Epi standard.
I threw in a set of Fralin Pure PAF's, a polished bone nut, new set of tuners, I did a fret level/dress, I filed the saddles to match the radius of the fingerboard and to give the strings some breathing room, I set the intonation and string heights, a slight truss rod adjustment (since I use 12's on this guitar and it came stock with 9's).
This is a great sounding and playing guitar for the measly price I paid and it actually sounds good, idk if I just got lucky with mine, I was skeptical for the price but figured it'd be a fun project guitar and it ended up staying with me alongside some much nicer guitars.
Last edited:
drpietrzak
New member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
Epi Tributes. Gibson LP faded/satin have maple caps. They are about $700.
Epi Tributes. Gibson LP faded/satin have maple caps. They are about $700.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
Well, Christian does have a point.
Well, Christian does have a point.
FuseG4
Our Neighbor Totoro
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
New or a recent used Les Paul Faded.
I went the Epi route (I had a 1960 tribute) and unfortunately wound up with a really bright guitar that lacked mids. Went with the LP Studio Faded... got mids.
I owned one of the Agiles that MetalManiac was talking about and I'll say that while I didn't find it absolutely "tone dead" with PAF type pickups, that particular guitar was definitely on the thin and weak side in terms of EQ and sustain. Back then I didn't realize how bad it was... now I've played a lot more higher end LPs.
I wouldn't generalize that to ALL import LPs... but a lot of them that I have played or owned have lacked some depth and fullness. My luck with Gibson has been a lot better.
New or a recent used Les Paul Faded.
I went the Epi route (I had a 1960 tribute) and unfortunately wound up with a really bright guitar that lacked mids. Went with the LP Studio Faded... got mids.
I owned one of the Agiles that MetalManiac was talking about and I'll say that while I didn't find it absolutely "tone dead" with PAF type pickups, that particular guitar was definitely on the thin and weak side in terms of EQ and sustain. Back then I didn't realize how bad it was... now I've played a lot more higher end LPs.
I wouldn't generalize that to ALL import LPs... but a lot of them that I have played or owned have lacked some depth and fullness. My luck with Gibson has been a lot better.
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
Great amusement in this thread.
Another avenue to take is looking at used Burny's, Orville's or Tokai's from the 80's. Good guitars that are going for really good prices right now. Made in Japan, solid woods, real maple caps. There's a dude selling a Burny locally to me for $700. Looks like it needs new pickups but everything else is original and in really nice shape for a guitar that old.
Great amusement in this thread.
Another avenue to take is looking at used Burny's, Orville's or Tokai's from the 80's. Good guitars that are going for really good prices right now. Made in Japan, solid woods, real maple caps. There's a dude selling a Burny locally to me for $700. Looks like it needs new pickups but everything else is original and in really nice shape for a guitar that old.
Ball&Chain
Active member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
Most of the Michael Kelly Patriot line have maple caps. Im not sure about the Decree Models. I'm thinking the decrees are mahogany with veneers on the trans finish models. Overall probably a bit cheaper than the high end agiles but better overall quality imo along with better stock hardware and pickups. The patriots dont really have that complete LP vibe going if thats what your after, but they are worth more than every penny spent.
I think the Agiles are also mahogany bodies with maple veneers with the exception of the M models that have an actual cap. The Agiles to me have more of that LP vibe going but arent quite as resonant as the Michael Kelly's. As far as tone, Id say my Agile has a somewhat muddy tone, though not bad at all with the stock pickups.
I dont think LTD's have a maple cap. With the excepton of the traditional models, the body thickness is more in line with a strat than an LP. They also have the tummy cuts etc. As for the full thickness LTD's, there is no mention of a maple cap in the specs, so I would be inclined to think they arent present.
Most of the Michael Kelly Patriot line have maple caps. Im not sure about the Decree Models. I'm thinking the decrees are mahogany with veneers on the trans finish models. Overall probably a bit cheaper than the high end agiles but better overall quality imo along with better stock hardware and pickups. The patriots dont really have that complete LP vibe going if thats what your after, but they are worth more than every penny spent.
I think the Agiles are also mahogany bodies with maple veneers with the exception of the M models that have an actual cap. The Agiles to me have more of that LP vibe going but arent quite as resonant as the Michael Kelly's. As far as tone, Id say my Agile has a somewhat muddy tone, though not bad at all with the stock pickups.
I dont think LTD's have a maple cap. With the excepton of the traditional models, the body thickness is more in line with a strat than an LP. They also have the tummy cuts etc. As for the full thickness LTD's, there is no mention of a maple cap in the specs, so I would be inclined to think they arent present.
JordanM82
New member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
I could not disagree with this post more... all 3 of the Agile's I have played (one that I own) are far from tone dead and sound fantastic with PAF pickups in it (Pearly Gates in mine and it SCREAMS). Also, none of them have what I would consider to be anything even close to jumbo frets, they are medium frets at best and are relatively the same as Epi LP's in fret size. Only the models that specifically call out fret size (in mm on the rondo site) actually have jumbo frets. The 3100 and 3000 models typically do not... I am not sure these kind of blanket statements are grounded in reality and the OP should take the ..."IMHO" part of it seriously because I think they are pure conjecture...
I could not disagree with this post more... all 3 of the Agile's I have played (one that I own) are far from tone dead and sound fantastic with PAF pickups in it (Pearly Gates in mine and it SCREAMS). Also, none of them have what I would consider to be anything even close to jumbo frets, they are medium frets at best and are relatively the same as Epi LP's in fret size. Only the models that specifically call out fret size (in mm on the rondo site) actually have jumbo frets. The 3100 and 3000 models typically do not... I am not sure these kind of blanket statements are grounded in reality and the OP should take the ..."IMHO" part of it seriously because I think they are pure conjecture...
Ball&Chain
Active member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
I've had a couple agiles and both have had larger frets than any Epi LP i've looked at. Most definitely taller.
I've had a couple agiles and both have had larger frets than any Epi LP i've looked at. Most definitely taller.
Ball&Chain
Active member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
Agile fret dimensions.
Agile fret dimensions.
JordanM82
New member
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
This is great advice, if you can find one of these used locally, they are killer guitars...
This is great advice, if you can find one of these used locally, they are killer guitars...
Re: Best budget LP with real maple cap?
Thanks for your help everyone!
With local craigslisters asking four figures for name-brand MIJs, I'm going to pass on the Agile and decide between an MIK Epi Std "Plus Top" for $250 or an MIK Epi Ultra (with a few nice upgrades like a bone nut, CTS pots, orange drop caps, etc.) for $395. Which would you go for and why?
Thanks for your help everyone!
With local craigslisters asking four figures for name-brand MIJs, I'm going to pass on the Agile and decide between an MIK Epi Std "Plus Top" for $250 or an MIK Epi Ultra (with a few nice upgrades like a bone nut, CTS pots, orange drop caps, etc.) for $395. Which would you go for and why?
Similar threads
